TJ's Blog

Accounting Jokes and IRS jokes

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:58:16 GMT

In honor of tax season here are some quick accounting and IRS jokes:

A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, "Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated."

"And what," his friend asked, "Do you want me to do with your ashes?"

The businessman said, "Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service and write on the envelope, "Now you have everything."

"Your taxes are due a week from today. You can make out your check directly to Halliburton. Or you can do what I'm going to do. I'm filing my first joint return. No, I'm not getting married, I'm sending the IRS an actual joint with a note that says, 'If you think I'm paying for this war, you must be high.'" --Bill Maher

"It's tax time and President Bush is saving a lot on taxes this year. He's writing off his entire second term." --David Letterman

George Washington never told a lie, but then he never had to file a Form 1040.

News Alert: Fedex is now using msn.com to send emails

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:05:06 GMT

Yes I know it's a scam, a pretty funny one actually. A donation from from the United Nation, interesting.

[quote]
Date: 18th Febuary 2010.

Customer Service!

This mail is to remind you of your registered package. CONTENT: Bank
Draft of
$890 000 USD officially registered by an Official of the United
Nation. The
Fund is a donation to you from the U.N through e-mails Balloting.
For your information the VAT and COD have been paid. Please Contact
FedEx
Delivery Department Mr. Grege Silva for shipment details and
requirements.
Email: fedex_unit2@msn.com
Tel: +2348071208793
It is mandatory to reconfirm your Postal address and telephone number:
Full Name:
Address:
City:
Postal Address:
Phone:
Country:
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Margaret Blair
©Federal Express Corporation
All rights reserved. © 1995-2010 FedEx.
******************************************************************
This E-mail is only for the above addressees. It may contain
confidential
or Privileged information. If you are not an addressee you must not
copy,
distribute, disclose or use any of the information in it or any
attachments.

What are some internet holidays?

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:14:56 GMT

I would like to create a list of all social networking holidays that people celebrate on facebook/myspace/twitter, etc.

Apparently this week is Doppelgänger Week (1st week of February), Facebook users switch their profile pictures to famous people they have been told they resemble.
Read more: dailynews.com

Rubber Ducky Day is January 13th Why? the Rubber Duckie Song appeared on Semame street in 1970 in which it actually made the Billboard hits chart. January 13th is supposedly to be Ernie Duck's birthday, hence the holiday Read more

International Caps Lock Day is October 22 and June 28th. For these days, and these days only, people aren't allowed to belittle you for writing IN ALL CAPS Official website

What are some other holidays to celebrate on the web?

And the most dangerous sport is...

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:12:34 GMT

The Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) offers a database from a sample of 100 hospital emergency rooms in the United States and its territories. Patient information is collected from NEISS hospitals for every emergency visit involving an injury associated with consumer products.

Search the Database

Besides reading about the strange ways people hurt themselves this database can also be used to find the most dangerous sport by counting the results for each sport:

Here are the results:
Football: 14,579
Soccer: 6,159.
Baseball: 4,042
Softball: 2,748
Hockey: 1,567
Wrestling: 1,483
Volleyball: 1,469
Cheerleading: 779
Tennis: 760
Jogging: 403
Basketball: 362
Rugby: 328

Also if you want to stay away from the emergency room don't buy... these:
Trampoline: 3,078
bicycle: 2,639
swing: 2,439

What weird things can you find? http://www.sun-sentinel2.com/features/ftlaudNEISS/ftlaudNEISS08_list.php

Best of 2009 - Top list of everything from 2009

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:47:05 GMT

As 2009 is winding down lets look at some of the top list of 2009 from around the web:

Time.com 50 Best Websites 2009
Amazon.com - 100 Best books of 2009
Popsci.com Popular Science - Best of What's new in 2009 - New products and innovations in 2009.
Pcmag.com Best free software of 2009
About.com 50 Best Rock Songs from 2009
Mashable.com Top Ten Internet Memes of 2009
PCWorld.com Top 100 Best Products of 2009
Arizona State University Top 10 new Species of 2009
Cnn.com Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009
AskMen.com Top 99 Women from 2009 voted by Men
Cnn.com 100 Best Companies to Work For 2009
CNBC.com The Best and Worst Video Games for 2009
Theroot.com Top 10 Epic Fails of 2009
National Geographic Top Ten Discoveries in 2009
Bing.com Top Internet Searches of 2009
Cnn.com Best Jobs of 2009
Mashable.com Apple Unveils the Top Songs, Movies and Apps of 2009
Mashable.com 5 Best YouTube Sports Moments of 2009

Added 1/13/10

Msn.com Famous quotes of 2009.
jalopnik.com Most expensive car crashes of 2009
Gunaxin.com Most surprising deaths of 2009.
newscientist.com Top 10 space stories of 2009 [GALLERY]

If you have any to add post a comment below.

Facebook Phish Scam

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:53:54 GMT

This is a scam email don't click the links:

Quote:

Dear Facebook user,
In an effort to make your online experience safer and more enjoyable, Facebook will be implementing a new login system that will affect all Facebook users. These changes will offer new features and increased account security.
Before you are able to use the new login system, you will be required to update your account.
Click here to update your account online now.
If you have any questions, reference our New User Guide.
Thanks,
The Facebook Team

New York... Home of the most expensive colleges

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:10:33 GMT

CNN published an article listing the 10 most expensive colleges in the US, and of course New York owns the title to 4 out of 10.

Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville, N.Y. - $55,788/yr

Parsons The New School for Design
New York, N.Y. - $52,400/yr
Georgetown University
Washington, D.C - $52,161/yr
New York University
New York, N.Y. - $51,193/yr
George Washington University
Washington, D.C. - $51,775/yr
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Md. - $51,690/yr
Columbia University
New York, N.Y. - $51,544/yr
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Conn. - $51,432/yr
Trinity College
Hartford, Conn. - $51,400/yr
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Mo. - $51,329/yr

link: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/news/0910/gallery.most_expensive_colleges/5.html

Pretty Scary Costume

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:56:56 GMT

Bernie Madoff is the top selling costume this Halloween. I kinda agree he is a bigger creep than most costumes on the market.

http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-madoff-masks,0,601399.story

Job Scam: Adaptive Tech Co - Video Professor Scam

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:26:12 GMT

Note: This is part 25 in the Job Scam Series.

Thanks goes to Monica Fornaro for sending in this scam.

Monica said:
In a subsequent email Susan Chambers had me order the MCAS kit and it turned out to be from Video Professor. It was ordered through the internet and I was charged $9.95, however when the kit came it was $198.99. I called their customer service and was told I had only 10 days to return or I would be charged the full amount. I immediately sent it back certified. I don't know how Adaptive Tech is connected with Video Professor, but this is definitely a scam. If this company wanted a certified employee they would test them during the interview, she says in the email that she will send a kit, but the next email she sends me has the link to Video Professor.

My guess is this scam is probably requiring new "hires" to purchase the "Video Professor" teaching software and profiting off the affiliate fee paid when somebody purchases the software. You will not get a job from this offer but an overpriced video professor kit.

Adaptive Tech Co may be a real company, however, this job offer is a definite scam. These scams often use real companies to try and appear real. Do not respond to any job emails from "Adaptive Tech Co" or "Susan Chambers".

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

(This email address does not accept attachments for security purposes)

How do I spot a job scam?

The message is for a position that you did not apply for
The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @rocketmail.com)
The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
You are "hired" for the position with no actual real life interview.
The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
The job list few or no qualifications
The message is written with poor English
A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
The work at home position involves receiving payments, money transfers, or check cashing.

*** This list is not all inclusive. Scams could meet any one of these or none at all. Remember if you have to ask yourself "Is this a scam?" it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
Do not direct wire any money to addresses provided.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Copy of Original Scam Email

Susan Chambers said:

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:38:10 -0500
Subject: Re: Administrative Assistant Position-1385165783
From: susanchambers@adaptivetechco.com
To: [[address removed]]

Hello Monica,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a member at Adaptive Tech Co.

The exact position that you are replying in reference to has been filled; however, we do have different office assistant position available.

Your main responsiblities will be record keeping and data entry. You will need to be able to use Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Power Point, Access, and Excel.

The position is either full or part time. The full time position requires 40 hours a week; Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm. The part time position requires 25 hours a week; Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm. We are looking to fill both positions in 2 weeks. Pay is $16/hour and benefits will be discussed during the in person interview.

In order to qualify for this postion, you must possess your Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) certification. If you already have this certificate, please bring it with you during the interview.

If you do not yet have your certificate, we will provide material for you to learn and take the test. The learning kit will cover Microsoft Office 2007, and once you finish with the kit, a test will be provided at the end for you to earn your MCAS.

If you are interested in the full time or part time position, please submit your job application and include your resume at the following link. Note: To speed the interview process up, we are checking for your background online via the link. You will make an account, and able to also check your own records.

http://www.adaptivetechco.com/apply

We here at Adaptive Tech Co. look forward to meeting and further discuss this postion with you.

Susan Chambers
Adaptive Tech Co

Follup - Email #2

Susan Chambers said:

To: [[address removed]]
Subject: Adaptive Tech Co. Application Followup
From: susanchambers@adaptivetechco.com
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 16:27:04 -0400

Hello Monica,

We have reviewed your application, and you have all the credentials and attributes to fill the position. We will setup a meeting with you at the most readily available time, and will call you shortly. Please bring your MCAS certification. If you do not have one yet, dont be alarm.

We have a DVD learning kit that will let you take the MCAS test with ease. In it will include the exam to earn your MCAS certification. You can get the kit from our source at

http://adaptivetechco.com/video-professor-ms-office/?mn=6891

Please select the Microsoft Office Integration kit. There might be a slight shipping charge, but you will be compensated for at the interview. You will be scheduled for an interview after we receive word that you received the MCAS certification from our neighboring company.

We here at Adaptive Tech Co. look forward to meeting and further discussing this position with you. Feel free to ask any questions.

Susan Chambers
Adaptive Tech Co.

If you receive this scam and found this post helpful please post a comment so I know these warnings are being read! Thanks!

CPA - Ranked 6th Best Job in America

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:02:02 GMT

Apparently, as a Certified Public Accountants (CPA), I have the 6th best job in America. According to the article the wave of new accounting laws are making the job more important.

Oh good, does these mean I'll be working more hours in the future?

Link: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2009/snapshots/6.html

Progress Report for my Child or the joys of having a common mistaken gmail address

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:06:45 GMT

You know I'm so proud of my him.. perfect attendence record! Uh.. oh what if he really is mine???

Some elementary school said:

Progress Report For Miller, N B as of 9/28/2009

Summary Report

PERIOD AM(S) PM(S): 2nd Grade (Teachers: xxx, xxx)
Current Grade: 2nd Absences: 0 Tardies: 0

Status Update - 10/12/09
Just received word my e-child missed 2 days already this month... not so proud anymore...

Craigslist Job Scam: McKechnie Automotive & Engineered Plastics

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:16:24 GMT

Note: This is part 24 in the Job Scam Series.

Thanks goes to Chris Rolston for sending in this scam. This is an email scam sent in reply to ads placed on Career Builder.

McKechnie Automotive & Engineered Plastics may be a real company, however, this job offer is a definite scam. These scams often use real companies to try and appear real. Do not respond to any job emails from "McKechnie Automotive & Engineered Plastics" or "Stuart Sonley".

Do not deposit any checks received from the this offer. They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

(This email address does not accept attachments for security purposes)

How do I spot a job scam?

The message is for a position that you did not apply for
The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @rocketmail.com)
The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
You are "hired" for the position with no actual real life interview.
The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
The job list few or no qualifications
The message is written with poor English
A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
The work at home position involves receiving payments, money transfers, or check cashing.

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
Do not direct wire any money to addresses provided.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Copy of Original Scam Email

Stuart Sonley said:

From: Stuart Sonley [mckenzieautos@live.co.uk
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 1:53 AM
To: Chris Rolston
Subject: RE: Office Administrator

Detailed Job Description Payment Collection

Please Read Carefully For better understanding

McKechnie Automotive & Engineered Plastics moulds and extrudes all known types of plastic from its two UK sites, based in Stamford Bridge (Yorkshire) and Pickering (Yorkshire). Both businesses have a high degree of technical competence in the field of injection moulding.

MPC Stamford Bridge houses the divisional technical centre inclusive of a wide range of CAD design and Moldflow tools to assist customers with in depth product development. Advanced automotive and Multi shot moulding are featured throughout this diverse and high tech facility.

MPC Pickering is the divisional centre of excellence for automotive work where high volume output and statistically repeatable quality are fundamental to our customers needs. We also offer extensive painting and assembly facilities on this site.

Together these facilities provide customers with an unrivalled set of technical and manufacturing competencies from design and development to fully automated production.

Since the position for Office Administrator is no longer available, We have accepted your application for Another job and We have your information in our database. The primary goal of the Account Receivable Clerk is to provide local customer assistant to our clients within North America. You will be assisting our clients within North America, the assistance to be provided will include: payment collections and customer service. The HR Managers checked your resume and you have been picked as one of our possible candidates for Accounts Receivable Manage due to some factors of the Company, Your primary task would be receiving payments for our company and Customers. We are about to open a representative offices or authorized sales centers in some local city in the States. Your Accounts Receivable Clerk duty would be that you become our Account Receivable Manager (ARM) and its a contract to-hire position which is a 1 month trial after which the position is made full time.Please be advised that we need total dedication for the job.

Your duties will include: Collecting Payments When a buyer in United States decides to purchase an item through an online auction from our sellers he has the following payment options:pay pal, international wire transfer, international check, or local wire transfer. The quickest option of these is local wire transferring. Local wire transfers are the option that the sales support representative will provide to the clients.

- Forwarding of the Payments

Once you receive each payment you will be keeping 10% as commission and forwarding the rest to the seller or representative, whose information will be provided prior each transaction. It is crucial to complete forwarding of the payments in a time efficient manner.

Here is an example of a brief report:

Date: 15 07, '09
Buyer: Bluestone Medicals
Item: Plastic Wares / Hospital Plastic Eqiupments
Price: £ 2,921.27
10% Commission :£292
Fees: £ 115
Total Forwarded: £2514
Forwarded to: John Adams, England, United Kingdom
Money Gram Reference Number: 9932091
Sender : Emmanuel Elijah

- Fees, and Transferring Procedures

All fees are covered by the company. The fees for transferring are simply deducted from the payments received. No client will contact you during initial stage of the trial period. After three weeks of the trial period you will begin to have contact with the buyers via email in regards to collection of the payments. For the first three weeks you will simply receive all of the transferring details, and payments, along with step by step guidance from your supervisor. You will be forwarding the received payments by wire transfer.

: Additional Information

Salary:

During the trial period, you will be paid 1,250USD per month while working on average 3-4hours per day, plus 10% commission from every payment received and forwarded. The salary will be sent in the form of wire transfer directly to your account. After the trial period your base pay salary will go up to 1,650USD per month, plus 10% commission.
-Taxes
You will receive a monthly invoice stating your total income. All applicable taxes are covered by the company at the end of the year.

Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments)

1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank or any cashing facilities near you.
3. Deduct 10 % which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send payment to, you'll have a lot of free time doing another job, because this job schedule is flexible, you'll get good income .But this job is very challenging and you should understand it.

Please kindly fill your details below to apply :
------------------------------------------------

Full Name : ___________
Full Address: _________
City: _________________
State: _______________
Zip/Postal code:________
Home phone :__________
Cell phone: ___________
Recent occupation: ______
Gender: _______________
Personal Email Address:___

Human Resources Manager
McKechnie Automotive & Engineered Plastics

- Stuart Sonley
- Website : http//www.mckechnie-platics.co.uk
- Bridge Works
- Stamford Bridge
- York
- YO41 1AL
McKechnie Engineered Plastics Limited is a member of the Melrose Group registered in England, No 3984537.
Registered Office: Precision House, Arden Road, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6HN.

If you receive this scam and found this post helpful please post a comment so I know these warnings are being read! Thanks!

Craigslist Job Scam: iZZi Computers

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:09:02 GMT

Note: This is part 23 in the Job Scam Series.

Thanks goes to Chris Rolston for sending in this scam.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from
"iZZi Computers" or "Angela Hynes"

Do not deposit any checks received from the this offer. They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

(This email address does not accept attachments for security purposes)

How do I spot a job scam?

The message is for a position that you did not apply for
The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @rocketmail.com)
The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
You are "hired" for the position with no actual real life interview.
The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
The job list few or no qualifications
The message is written with poor English
A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
The work at home position involves receiving payments, money transfers, or check cashing.

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
Do not direct wire any money to addresses provided.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Angela Hynes said:

From: Angela Hynes
Date: Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:45 AM

Dear Candidate,

We got your resume and your application for our advert on Craiglist. We are sincerely sorry to inform you that the position for the Business

Management/ Customer Service Executive / Administrative Assistant has been occupied. Our managers went through your resume and you have been picked for an alternative Job which is the Accounts receivable. This position is also a Business Management position only that you work from home till September 2009 when the new office in your state is open for business then you would be the Administrative Assistant there.

About US

iZZi Computers is a U.K and U.S. Based Company and with established leaders in Printing Products such as Ink Cartridges, Toner, Ribbon e.t.c. and also Engraving. We are involved in supplying printing materials worldwide. We serve the entire United States and a growing export market efficiently. Once orders are received and sorted we deliver the product to a customer. After this has been done the customer has to pay for the products but in most cases we make our clients prepay for orders or items they ordered for. About 90 percent of our customers prefer to pay through, Certified Checks or Money Orders drawn from the United State based on the amount involved why Only few decide on other forms of payment.

Your primary task for now, as a representative of the company is to coordinate payments from customers and help us with the payment process. You are not involved in any sales. Once orders are received and sorted we deliver the product to a customer. After this has been done the customer has to pay for the products but in most cases we make our clients prepay for orders or items they ordered for. About 90 percent of our customers prefer to pay through Cashiers Check, Certified Checks or Money Orders drawn from the United States based on the amount involved.

We have decided to open this new contract to hire job position for solving this problem. Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments).

WHAT YOUR NEED TO DO FOR US

1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank or Deposit payment and let us know how long its going to take before it clears at the Bank
3. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay on Payments processed, also you will be earning $1,000.00 for a Monthly payment at the end of every Month
4. Forward balance after deduction of your 10% pay to any of the offices you will be instructed to send payment to.

You' will have a lot of free time doing another job, because this is a part time job, you will get a really good income. But this job is very challenging and you should understand it. We are considering your application because you satisfy our requirements and we are sure you will be an earnest assistant till we start running our branch office in your state. For example if you recieve 4000.00 USD, your 10% should be
400.00 USD. Here are the information you are to provide then we will get back to you after we must have gone through it all. Get back to us with
information required below, so that we can add your mailing address to our Regional database and forward it to our customers for them to send payments.

MAIN REQUIREMENTS
* Responsible
* Ready to work 3-4 hours per week.
* PC knowledge, E-mail and internet experience (minimal)
* Ability to record work activities.
_________________________________________

APPLY BY FILLING THE INFORMATION BELOW: _________________________________________

* Full Names.................
* Address(NO P.O. BOX).......
* City.......................
* State......................
* Zip Code...................
* Phone.....................
* Email .....................
* Present Occupation.........

Thanks for your anticipated action. And we hope to hear back from you.

HR Director
Angela Hynes

Note: This is also a medium of challenging the possibilities inherent on the online technology according to my research work titled "Staff development for online delivery: A collaborative, team based action learning model" you can check the website below for a more comprehensive reading of the article.

Please cite as: Ellis, A. and Phelps, R. (2000). Staff development for online delivery: A collaborative, team based action learning model.

Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 16(1), 26-44.

If you receive this scam and found this post helpful please post a comment so I know these warnings are being read! Thanks!

Job Scam: Vacancy for you - Premier Group - CareerBuilder

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:58:04 GMT

Note: This is part 22 in the Job Scam Series.

Thanks goes to C Beattie (chuckbeattie.com) for sending in this scam. This is an email scam sent in reply to ads placed on Career Builder.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from
"Premier Group Company" or "Premier Group Inc."

Do not deposit any checks received from the this offer. They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

(This email address does not accept attachments for security purposes)

How do I spot a job scam?

The message is for a position that you did not apply for
The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @rocketmail.com)
The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
You are "hired" for the position with no actual real life interview.
The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
The job list few or no qualifications
The message is written with poor English
A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
The work at home position involves receiving payments, money transfers, or check cashing.

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
Do not direct wire any money to addresses provided.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Ray Vega said:

From: Ray Vega
Date: Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Subject: Vacancy for you (careerbuilder.com)
To: [[email removed]]

Dear ,

My name is Ray Vega and I represent Premier Group Company.

I have found your resume at careerbuilder.com. Judging from your resume, Premier Group Inc. I feel that you are a good match for this available position!

Premier Group Inc. is a world-famous company founded and based in the USA which deals with financial services such as escrow services for buyers and sellers of online auctions around the world. We offer our services to both closed commercial auctions where the number of buyers is limited and popular online auctions such as ebay.com, amazon.com and yahoo.com.

Financial Agent position is:
- part-time (on average 2-3 hours a day Monday through Friday)
- work from home (most of the communication is made online)

What do you need? Internet access and e-mail.

This position is offered on a trial period (first month) basis. You will receive on-line training, on-line support and assistance from a personal supervisor while working and being paid.

Trial period is paid at $2300/month. In addition you will receive 8% commission for every payment received and successfully processed. Total income, with the current volume of clients, amounts up to $4,500 per month.

My goal is sparking your interest. In the present economy, our position offers training, support and a pay scale comparable to entry level position requiring 40 hours per week. I hope you will explore, compare, and then contact me with your questions.

If you are interested in our offer and would like to learn more about the Financial Agent position, please send the form below with your updated contact information to emp.premier.group@gmail.com

Our representative will contact you within 24 hours.

++++++++FORM++++++++FORM+++++++++++
First name:_____________________
Last name:___________________________
Country of residence:__________________
Contact phone:______________________
Preferred call time:_______________________
++++++++FORM++++++++FORM+++++++++++

We found your resume at www.careerbuilder.com. This letter confirms that your resume has been duly processed and your skills and past employment meet our basic requirements for the Financial Manager vacancy.

Best regards.
Ray Vega

Premier Group Inc.

If you receive this scam and found this post helpful please post a comment so I know these warnings are being read! Thanks!

SCAM: Notice of Underreported Income - IRS

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:03:07 GMT

If you EVER receive an email claiming to be from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) that email is a scam. IRS agents are not even allowed to send emails as their current internal policy is they are only able to receive emails (and respond with a fax if needed).

Use common sense before clicking a link in any email you receive.

Here is the email that prompted this public service announcement:

noreply@irs.gov said:

from Internal Revenue Service
to [[address removed]]
date Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 7:54 PM
subject Notice of Underreported Income
Taxpayer ID: timothy-00000174073547US
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)

Please review your tax statement on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website (click on the link below):

review tax statement for taxpayer id: timothy-00000174073547US

Internal Revenue Service

Note also that "Underreported" is not even an English word. Most of the time if you're good with English you're good at catching these scams because these scammers put no effort in writing their "official" emails.

Below is additional information straght from: IRS.gov

Quote:

How to Report and Identify Phishing, E-mail Scams and Bogus IRS Web Sites

The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail.
The IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail.
The IRS does not send e-mail requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
Report suspicious e-mails and bogus IRS Web sites to phishing@irs.gov.

If you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be the IRS or directing you to an IRS site,

Do not reply.
Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer.
Do not click on any links. If you clicked on links in a suspicious e-mail or phishing Web site and entered confidential information, visit our Identity Theft page.
Use the following steps to report the e-mail or bogus Web site to the IRS.

How to report phishing, e-mail scams and bogus IRS Web sites
If you receive an e-mail or find a Web site you think is pretending to be the IRS,

Forward the e-mail or Web site URL to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
You can forward the message as received or provide the Internet header of the e-mail. The Internet header has additional information to help us locate the sender.
After you forward the e-mail or header information to us, delete the message.

How to identify phishing e-mail scams and bogus IRS Web sites

Sample of phishing e-mails
- First sample of an actual phishing e-mail - PDF
- Second sample of an actual phishing e-mail - PDF
All IRS.gov Web page addresses begin with, http://www.irs.gov/.
- Is it a phishing Web site? - PDF
Are you a victim of Identity Theft?
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)
- Visit the IRS Identity Theft resource page

You may also report misuse of the IRS name, logo, forms or other IRS property to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration toll-free at 1-800-366-4484.

Craigslist Job Scam: Alhamrani-Fuchs Petroleum Ltd

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:08:52 GMT

Note: This is part 21 in the Job Scam Series.

Thanks goes to CJ Hayden for sending in this scam. This is an email scam sent in reply to ads placed on Craigslist. This scammer picked an interesting company to use in this scam "Fuchs". Just seeing the name alone makes we wonder is that real company? It is a real company but this offering is not...it's a scammer who has no affiliation with the real company. CJ also sent me similar for these jobs: " PERSONAL ASSISTANT", "Office Assistant", Mystery shopper - Great America Inc, Mr Poun J Lintakoon (Lintakoon@live.com). If you received any offers for these companies they are scams and should not be replied too.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from Alhamrani-Fuchs Petroleum Ltd

Do not deposit any checks received from the this offer. They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @rocketmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job list few or no qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor English
8.) A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
9.) The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
10.) The work at home position involves money transfers or check cashing.
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself "Is this a scam?" it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
Do not direct wire any money to addresses provided.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

lindabarr006@gmail.com said:

From: emp_goldenage@yahoo.com
To: [[email removed]]
Sent: 9/7/2009 8:09:56 A.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Re: Personal Assistant wanted ASAP

Hello,

How are you doing today? Thanks for the quick response, I am Public Relations Manager, a native of San Antonio, TX. based in Saudi Arabia. we are a crude oil merchant based here in Saudi Arabia & Kuwait for 13 years. We have lots of business associates, clients and customers round the globe and this is what prompted us to contact you.
However, due to our large business empire we are finding it difficult to handle most of the international transactions with our clients, investors and business associates....would like to employ your services as my Marketing, Clerical & Sales Manager for investors and customers in the states and Canada.
Below is what this position entails:
1...JOB ENTAILS
* Taking records of crude oil sale to my customers in the state...
* Sending price increment or decrement notice to our customers in the states via phone, email or fax.
* Be in charge of the company's account in the states.(An account will be open on behalf of the company, which i will let you know when to do that, funds will be made available)
* Printing and packaging payments, mailing payments to suppliers in the states.
* Receiving payments from customers and clients in the states.
* Deposit payments into the company's account or wait for further instructions from me.
2....PAY RATE.
* $680 weekly is what i am willing to pay. If you are interested, get back to me with the below details so as to get started.
3....REQUIRED INFORMATION.
* Name:
* Address:
* City:
* State: * Zip code:
* phone :
* Age:
* Sex:
* Present occupation:
* Bank name:
You are providing your information for a proper screening in other to confirm maybe we have branch in your environment and to confirm if you are capable of the job that will be giving to you.
On the company's website, you will find a field where you could send your resume, do not use that because it's for applicants within Saudi-Arabia only, i hope you understand this very well.
I await to read from you as soon as possible.
Thank you and God bless.
MANAGER, LESLIE WILLIAMS.
PRO/MD
Alhamrani-Fuchs Petroleum Ltd
11 Kumaranyakae Road.
P.O. Box 7103
Jeddah 21462
Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia
Email emp_goldenage@yahoo.com
Yahoo messenger id: emp_goldenage
Website: www.fuchs.com.sa

If you receive this scam and found this post helpful please post a comment so I know these warnings are being read! Thanks!

Starting an Landscaping Business

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:56:00 GMT

My friend recently asked me about taxes and structure for starting his own landscaping business. Here is my response.

Should I do business as LLC or a S corp?
If your only going to have one partner (yourself) you would set up a single member LLC. A single member LLC doesn't need a separate tax return as the income is reported on Schedule C of your individual tax return. I believe the annual fee for a Delaware LLC is $250 (this doesn't include additional income taxes).

Can I deduct mileage?
You can deduct all business expenses against the business income. If you use your personal automobile the easiest method to use would be to use the standard mileage rate where you would use the IRS standard mileage rate (2009 is $.55/mile) and keep track of all business mileage and deduct that instead of taking the actual expenses for gas, auto insurance, repairs, etc.
(see IRS Pub 463 for more information) . If you form an LLC I would suggest opening a separate bank account under the business to properly segregate your business from personal expenses.

For equipment like lawn mowers you may need depreciate over the 7 year life, however currently you can deduct the whole cost in the year purchased with section 179.

Do I have to go on payroll?
If create an LLC and you don't have any employees you would not need to file payroll. Once you make money you can take distributions from the business. Distributions are generally not taxed because as a partner you will pay tax on the income of the business each year. The profit of the business is subject to self employment tax (15.3%) (see
Self Employment Tax ) so to calculate roughly your tax:

Income - Expense = Income * (15.3% + Effective tax rate (mine is 27%)) = Tax

So if you had 20k in revenue and 12k in expenses your tax is:

$20,000 - 12,000 = 8,000 * (.153 + .27) = $3,384 Tax

Also, you wont have to worry about this the first year but next year you may
need to make estimated tax payments, or increase your withholding's from you
teaching W-2 to cover the tax owed on the income from the business.

The laws regarding LLC are actually a lot more complex then I stated here but I tried to summarize it.

Disclaimer: Any tax advice included in this written or electronic communication was not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by the taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by any governmental taxing authority or agency.

Craigslist Job Scam: Green Group Plastics LTD Office Administrator

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:55:41 GMT

Note: This is part 20 in the Job Scam Series.

This is an email scam sent in reply to ads placed on Craigslist. Thanks goes to M Mize for sending this one in.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from Green Group Plastics LTD

Do not deposit any checks received from the this offer. They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
Do not direct wire any money to addresses provided.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

lindabarr006@gmail.com said:

From: linda barr
Subject: Re: Office Administrator
To: [[Removed]]
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 10:44 AM

Detailed Job Description Account Assistant

Please Read Carefully For better understanding

The Company Green Group Plastics LTD. Formed in 1992, Green Group Plastics LTD has established a strong reputation as a manufacturer and designer of technical trade extrusions for a number of industries. Using these base skills, we have expanded our offering over the years to include a range of specialist plastic products including:

- Domestic fencing and decking
- Caravan verandahs and sundecks
- Roof walkways and safety decking
- Plastic Piling

We have accepted your application for the job and We have your information in our database. The primary goal of the Account Receivable Clerk is to provide local customer assistant to our clients within North America . You will be assisting our clients within North America, the assistance to be provided will include: payment collections and customer service.The HR Managers checked your resume and you have been picked as one of our possible candidates for Accounts Receivable Manager due to some factors of the Company, Your primary task would be receiving payments for our company and Customers. We are about to open a representative offices or authorized sales centers in some local city in the States. Your Accounts Receivable Clerk duty would be that you become our Account Receivable Manager (ARM) and its a contract -to-hire position which is a 1 month trial after which the position is made full time .Please be advised that we need total dedication for the job.

Your duties will include: Collecting Payments

When a buyer in United States decides to purchase an item through an online auction from our sellers he has the following payment options:pay pal, international wire transfer, international check, or local wire transfer. The quickest option of these is local wire transferring. Local wire transfers are the option that the sales support representative will provide to the clients.

- Forwarding of the Payments

Once you receive each payment you will be keeping 10% as commission and forwarding the rest to the seller or representative, whose information will be provided prior each transaction. It is crucial to complete forwarding of the payments in a time efficient manner.

Here is an example of a brief report:

Date: 15 07, '09
Buyer: Bluestone Medicals
Item: Plastic Wares / Hospital Plastic Eqiupments
Price: £ 2,921.27
10% Commission :£292
Fees: £ 115
Total Forwarded: £2514
Forwarded to: Donna Moore, England, United Kingdom
Money Gram Reference Number: 97343981
Sender : Emmanuel Elijah

- Fees, and Transferring Procedures

All fees are covered by the company. The fees for transferring are simply deducted from the payments received. No client will contact you during initial stage of the trial period. After three weeks of the trial period you will begin to have contact with the buyers via email in regards to collection of the payments. For the first three weeks you will simply receive all of the transferring details, and payments, along with step by step guidance from your supervisor. You will be forwarding the received payments by wire transfer.

: Additional Information

Salary:

During the trial period, you will be paid 1,250USD per month while working on average 3-4hours per day, plus 10% commission from every payment received and forwarded. The salary will be sent in the form of wire transfer directly to your account. After the trial period your base pay salary will go up to 1,650USD per month, plus 10% commission.

-Taxes
You will receive a monthly invoice stating your total income. All applicable taxes are covered by the company at the end of the year.

Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments)

1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank or any cashing facilities near you.
3. Deduct 10 % which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send payment to, you'll have a lot of free time doing another job, because this job schedule is flexible, you'll get good income .But this job is very challenging and you should understand it.

Please kindly fill your details below to apply :
------------------------------------------------

Full Name : ___________
Full Address: _________
City: _________________
State: _______________
Zip/Postal code:________
Home phone :__________
Cell phone: ___________
Recent occupation: ______
Gender: _______________
Personal Email Address:___

Human Resources Manager
Green Group Plastics LTD

If you receive this scam and found this post helpful please post a comment so I know these warnings are being read! Thanks!

Craigslist Job Scam: Acrylon Plastics

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:49:34 GMT

Note: This is part 19 in the Job Scam Series.

This is an email scam sent in reply to ads placed on Craigslist. Thanks goes to NHernandez for sending this one in.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from Acrylon Plastics

Do not cash any checks received from the this offer. They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring a a different company please forward the email to

.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @rocketmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job list few or no qualifications or
7.) The message is written with poor English
8.) A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
9.) The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
10.) The work at home position involves money transfers or check cashing.
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from this fraudulent offer.
Do not wire any money to addresses provided by scammers.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

johncole.cole496@gmail.com said:

From: hensenn@rocketmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 4:21 PM
To: [[email removed]]
Subject: Re: New York (New York)

Acrylon Plastics Ltd., established in 1983, is a leading plastics molding company, employing rotational molding, vacuum-forming & pressure forming technologies. With 80,000 ft. 2 in two plants in Winnipeg and Winkler, Manitoba, Acrylon produces a multitude of custom-molded products and a diverse range of proprietary products for a wide variety of industries and markets. Products are marketed directly to OEM manufacturers and through agents and distributors in Canada and the United States
Qualified to ISO 9001, Acrylon is committed to delivering superior
customer value and service and to producing environmentally responsible products for all applications.

Acrylon Plastics designs and manufactures custom rotational molded products, thermoformed parts and profile extrusions in a wide range of materials to meet the needs of many industries and applications. Over 30 years of continued research and development in the plastics technologies we employ, makes us an acknowledged leader in the manufacturing of plastic products. Our unique diversity and reputation for quality in manufacturing complex, close tolerance parts has been the basis of our leadership.
From design to delivery, Acrylon Plastics has the expertise to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Our design and production engineers are available to work with you to select the right process and materials for your application.

Country of Ownership: Canada
Year Established: 1980
Exporting: Yes
Quality Certification: ISO 9001
Primary Industry (NAICS): 326198 - All Other Plastic Product Manufacturing
Alternate Industries (NAICS): 326122 - Plastic Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing
326193 - Motor Vehicle Plastic Parts Manufacturing
326196 - Plastic Window and Door Manufacturing
333511 - Industrial Mould Manufacturing

Primary Business Activity: Manufacturer / Processor / Producer
Total Sales ($CDN): $25,000,000 to $49,999,999
Export Sales ($CDN): $10,000,000 to $24,999,999
Number of Employees: 200
We have accepted your application for the job and We have your information in our database. The primary goal of the Account Receivable Clerk is to provide local customer assistant to our clients within North America. You will be assisting our clients within South&North America, the assistance to be provided will include: payment collections and customer service.The HR Managers checked your resume and you have been picked as one of our possible candidates for Accounts Receivable Manager due to some factors of the Company, Your primary task would be receiving payments for our company and Customers. We are about to open a representative offices or authorized sales centers in some local city in the States. Your Accounts Receivable Clerk duty would be that you become ourAccount Receivable Manager (ARM) and its a contract -to-hire position which is a 1 month trial after which the position is made full time .Please be advised that we need total dedication for the job.

Your duties will include: Collecting Local Payments

When a buyer in United States decides to purchase an item through an online auction from our sellers he has the following payment options:pay pal, international wire transfer, international check, or local wire transfer. The quickest option of these is local wire transferring. Local wire transfers are the option that the sales support representative will provide to the clients.

- Managing Data

Along with the payments received from buyers you will be receiving details for these sales. These details will include items sold, price, and buyer's information. You are to file and maintain these purchasing records and transactions.

- Forwarding of the Payments

Once you receive each payment you will be keeping 10% as commission and forwarding the rest to the seller or representative, whose information will be provided prior each transaction. It is crucial to complete forwarding of the payments in a time efficient manner.

Here is an example of a brief report:

Date: 15 05, '09
Buyer: Proscope Systems
Item: IEM-Plastics and Rubber
Price: $ 5,921.27
10% Commission : $ 592
Fees: $ 115
Total Forwarded: $5514
Forwarded to: Raymond Yee ,Edmonton, canada
Area of Responsibility: Finance/Accounting

- Fees, and Transferring Procedures

All fees are covered by the company. The fees for transferring are simply deducted from the payments received. No client will contact you during initial stage of the trial period. After three weeks of the trial period you will begin to have contact with the buyers via email in regards to collection of the payments. For the first three weeks you will simply receive all of the transferring details, and payments,along with step by step guidance from your supervisor. You will be forwarding the received payments by wire transfer.

: Additional Information
During the trial period, you will be paid 1,500USD per month while working on average 3-4hours per day, plus 10% commission from every payment received and forwarded. The salary will be sent in the form of wire transfer directly to your account. After the trial period your base pay salary will go up to 1,800USD per month, plus 10% commission.

-Taxes
You will receive a monthly invoice stating your total income. All applicable taxes are covered by the company.

Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments)

1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Make Cash Payment at your Bank or any cashing facilities near you.
3. Deduct 10 % which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send payment to, you'll have a lot of free time doing another job, because this job schedule is flexible,you'll get good income .But this job is very challenging and you
should understand it.

Please kindly fill your details below, so that you can get started.

Full Name : ___________
Full Address: _________
City: _________________
State: _______________
Zip/Postal code:________
Home phone :__________
Cell phone: ___________
Recent occupation: ______
Gender: _______________
Personal Email Address:___

Human Resources Manager
Acrylon Plastics

If you receive this scam and found this post helpful please post a comment so I know these warnings are being read! Thanks!

List of Potential Online Payment Scam site's

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:30:48 GMT

I wouldn't trust any of the site's below. They all appear to be scam site's that were built using the same web template. They are trying to Mimic the Paypal service but in reality they probably are stealing personal bank account information from the information entered for potential fraud or identity theft. Always be careful when entering your bank information into any site.

paytreck.com
efastwire.com
123safepay.com
payitglobal.com
payoutdirect.com
youhavefunds.com
cashepay.net
jppayment.com
edollars.com
waytopay.us
pipay.net
honorpay.com
trusteepay.com
starbicpay.com
https:tcspay.com
sealedbars.com
instypay.com
rempay.com
cyclonepay.com
paysonlypaygold.com
e-cashforkids.com
payemoney.com
swiftezpay.com
ziofund.com
fetchpay.com
paybankltd.com
cyopay.com
signpay.net
geocard.com
nairapal.com
payprgram.com
cedilink.com
myaccountonthenet.com
paywithcredits.com
globalfundsonline.com
theexpresspay.com
ghanafirm.com
ezpzpay.com
afripal.com
payfunds1.com
fortglobal.com
webgolds.com
xpresswire.com
webgolds.com
nullbank.com
epayamerica.com

There are tons of these. If you know of any please post them with a comment using the form below.

BERSOLEVA, S.L. Job Scam

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:59:45 GMT

Note: This is part 18 in the Job Scam Series.

This is a Nigerian email scam sent in reply to ads placed on Craigslist. Give thanks to Kristen Bentley for sending this one in.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from BERSOLEVA, S.L.

Do not cash any checks received from the this "job". They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
9.) The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

johncole.cole496@gmail.com said:

From: john cole [mailto:johncole.cole496@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 4:21 PM
To: [[email removed]]
Subject: Re: Admin assistant / Reception

Job Description Admin assistant
The Company name is BERSOLEVA, S.L.
The 23rd of January 1996, the firm BERSOLEVA, S.L. was constituted. It was the continution of business already byotiations by Manuel Berná Gómez in 1982. After our ongoing investigation, we obtained in 1991 the chemical dimensional control of E.V.A. (Ethylene- Vinyl- Acetate). Our invention provided the basis to fabricate shoe soles by injection procedure along precision in size.

The first industrial application of E.V.A. granulated compound, with chemical dimensional control, was made in a machine from the Italian firm Main Group, model E-266, in the city of Elche in 1992.
In 1993, after various investigation processes , we obtained, in our laboratories a new kind of granulated compound based on E.V.A and rubber, its technical characteristics, were superior to the traditional E.V.A. and It had a perfect application for men and child footwear. This new product is called GOOMWALL.

We have accepted your application for the job and We have your information in our database. The primary goal of the Office Assistant is to provide local Admin assistant to our clients within North America. The assistance to be provided will include: payment collections and customer service.BERSOLEVA, S.L. checked your resume and you have been picked as one of our possible candidates for Accounts Receivable Manager due to some factors of the Company, Your primary task would be receiving payments for our company and Customers. We are about to open a representative offices or authorized sales centers in some local city in the States. Your Accounts Receivable Clerk duty would be that you become our Account Receivable Manager (ARM) and its a contract -to-hire position which is a 1 month trial after which the position is made full time .Please be advised that we need total dedication for the job.

Your duties will include: Collecting Local Payments

When a buyer in United States decides to purchase an item through an online auction from our sellers he has the following payment options:pay pal, international wire transfer, international check, or local wire transfer. The quickest option of these is local wire transferring. Local wire transfers are the option that the sales support representative will provide to the clients.

- Managing Data

Along with the payments received from buyers you will be receiving details for these sales. These details will include items sold, price, and buyer's information. You are to file and maintain these purchasing records and transactions.

- Forwarding of the Payments

Once you receive each payment you will be keeping 10% as commission and forwarding the rest to the seller or representative, whose information will be provided prior each transaction. It is crucial to complete forwarding of the payments in a time efficient manner.

Here is an example of a past brief report:

Date: june 11, '07
Buyer: Frank w.. Smith
Item: hp laptop
Price: $ 1000
Pieces:1
Total price $1000
10% Commission : $ 100
Fees: $ 10
Total Forwarded: $890
Forwarded to: madrid, Spain
Reference Numbers: 9349483996

- Fees, and Transferring Procedures

All fees are covered by the company. The fees for transferring are simply deducted from the payments received. No client will contact you during initial stage of the trial period. After three weeks of the trial period you will begin to have contact with the buyers via email in regards to collection of the payments. For the first three weeks you will simply receive all of the transferring details, and payments, along with step by step guidance from your supervisor. You will be forwarding the received payments by wire transfer.

: Additional Information

Salary:

During the trial period, you will be paid 2,730USD per month while working on average 3-4hours per day, plus 10% commission from every payment received and forwarded. The salary will be sent in the form of wire transfer directly to your account. After the trial period your base pay salary will go up to 3,860USD per month, plus 10% commission.
-Taxes
You will always be receiving a monthly invoice stating your total income. All applicable taxes are covered by the company.

Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments)

1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank or any cashing facilities near you, if not cashed immediately you deposit it in your account.
3. Deduct 10 % which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send payment to, you'll have a lot of free time doing another job, because this job schedule is flexible, you'll get good income .But this job is very challenging and you should understand it.

Please kindly fill your details below, so that you can get started.

Full Name : ___________
Full Address: _________
City: _________________
State: _______________
Zip/Postal code:________
Home phone :__________
Cell phone: ___________
Recent occupation: ______
Gender: _______________
STATUS______________
Personal Email Address:___

Board of directors
BERSOLEVA, S.L.

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

Somebody send me a invite to Endoftheinter.net

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:00:39 GMT

I want in on apparently the "secret" invite-only exclusive community. I like being associated with these things ... I've had so much such success with the Luelinks post I figured I'd update my request for the new website name. If anyone has a FREE invite please send to http://tjshome.com/mailto.php?to=TJ. I'm good with secrets!

Oh and let us get this out of the way "Endofinter.net doesn't exist" OMG lolz LmAo

5 ways to keep a tab on your town with RSS feeds.

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:27:12 GMT

If you want to be the gossip king/queen in your town their is several ways you can make sure you have the latest on what's happening around your town by using rss feeds:

If you don't currently use an rss reader checkout http://google.com/reader

Twitter: Find out about what people are tweeting about around your town. With this feed you may get periodic traffic reports, restaurant reviews, odd events, and more. http://search.twitter.com/search.atom?q=%22Your%20Town.
Trulia: Find out what houses are listed or selling around you:

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.trulia.com%2Frss2%2Ffor_sale%2FYOUR ZIP CODE_zip%2FYOUR_STREET NAME_keyword%2F

(Replace Zip code and keywords (replace spaces with "_")
Craigslist: Find out what others are selling in your town:
1. Go to your local craigslist site.
2. Enter your town in search bar ( Under the heading "Search Craigslist").
3. Click the "RSS" logo in the bottom right of the search results for your local rss feed.
Local News:
Your local newspaper have a better feed available but otherwise use a topix.com feed to get your local news
http://www.topix.com/rss/city/[your-city]-[state abbreviation]

Replace [your-city] with name of your city (replacing spaces with "-") and [state abbreviation] with your two letter state code (IE: NY).
Weather

Weatherbug.com offers free weather forecast subscriptions so you can get your daily forecast for your town sent to your reader.

RSS Script for your friends Facebook Status Feeds

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:20:03 GMT

Here is simple method of getting an rss script of all your friend's Facebook Status update. Once you get this link you can read your friends status in your favorite rss reader (google reader) without having to login to Facebook.

While logged into facebook go to http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?friends
Click on "My Friends Notes" in the right column under "Subscribe to These Notes". The page that open should have an url something like:
http://www.facebook.com/feeds/friends_notes.php?id=12345678&key=123e4567d&format=rss20
In the url address bar replace "friends_notes.php" with "friends_status.php"
The finished url will be:
http://www.facebook.com/feeds/friends_status.php?id=12345678&key=123e4567d&format=rss20
with the id and key being unique to your account.

Job Scam: Exclusive, Inc Scam - Administrative Assistant

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:14:20 GMT

Note: This is part 17 in the Job Scam Series.

This is a new being sent in reply to ads placed on Craigslist. Give thanks to Tiesha Star for sending this one in.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from Exclusive Inc.

Do not cash any checks received from the this "job". They are fake or fraudulent and if deposited will be subtracted from your bank balance once the fraud is discovered.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
9.) The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
Do not cash any checks you received from fraudulent offer.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

recruitingdptms@aol.com said:

From: Eric Dennis >
Subject: Re: Administrative Assistant
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 8:33 PM

Reference No: - LSLCA/2031/ 8161/05 HO Ref:99645
Batch No: - R4/A313/2-60 Port
Ref:87023124
Application No: LSLCA/2031/ 8161/05 FCO Number: 812374
Respondent: Recruiting Officer

Dear Applicant
We received your resume and your application on Craigslist on the july of this year but we are really sorry to inform you that this Position as been filled, it is no more available. Our HR Managers have gone through your resume and due to some certain factors you have been picked as one of our possible candidate
to be one of our Accounts Payable Specialist which is the post That is available right now.

ABOUT US:
We strive to ensure quality from crop to counter.
end, Exclusive inc. requires the highest standards and
specifications, not just for product ingredients; every detail of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is Also exhaustively monitored.

A focus on quality permeates every aspect of the business.

Exclusive inc. standards lead the food industry, and we
continue to work with government and health officials to Investigate improvements.
Exclusive inc. also recognize the importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle and continues to seek quality new products Which satisfy customers expectations for taste and value? We Are independent and privately owned.
We serve the entire United States, Your primary task for now, as an Accounts Payable Specialist of this company is to coordinate payments from clients and help us with the payment Process. You are not involved in any marketing. You would be responsible for receiving payments after we have offered our
professional services to our numerous clients. After this has been done the customer has to pay for the service but in most Cases we make our clients prepay for services. About 90 percent of our clients prefer to pay through Certified Checks or Money Orders drawn from the United State based on the amount Involved. We have decided to open this new contract -to-hire
job position for solving this problem pending the time that we Will open a branch office in this state.

Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments):
1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank.
3. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send payment to, you have a lot of free time doing another job, because this job is part Time, you'll get good income. But this job is very challenging And you should understand it. We are considering your application because you satisfy our requirements and we are sure you will be an earnest assistant till we start running our Branch office in your state.

ADVANTAGES
-You do not have to go out as you will work as an independent
Contractor right from your home office.
-Your job is absolutely legal.
-You can earn up to 3000-4000 dollars monthly depending on time you Will spend for this job. You do not need any capital to start.
-You can do the Work easily without leaving or affecting your present Job. The employees who make efforts and work hard have A strong possibility to become managers. Anyway our employees Never leave us. But the problem we have is trust but we hope we Can trust you.
Get back to us with the requirements below if you are
interested so that we can add your mailing address to our Regional database and forward it to our customers for them to Send payments after conducting background checks.

REQUIREMENTS:

Full Names_______________
Mailing Address (Not P. O Box) _________________
City__ ___________________
State____________________
Postal Code______________
Phone Number____________________
Email Address____________________
Age______________________
Occupation_______________
Marital Status___________
Sex______________________

Send the requirements we asked for to this email address We are not asking for your bank info neither are we asking for your social security number, we are only asking for the name of Your bank and that is all.

Your response to this email is needed, so that we can
reconfirm your mailing address details we have in our
Database.

We will be updating you as soon as the payment is being sent to you and you will be directed as to where to have the remaining 90% of the money sent to, after the deduction of your 10% pay On any payments received and processed by you.

A swift acknowledgment of the receipt of this email will be Appreciated.

Thanks For Your Total Understanding and Moral cooperation.

Wagner Mill Inc. is an equal opportunity employer!

I can best be contacted by email as I am on computer every time.

I will be expecting your respones

Regards,
Eric Dennis
Recruiting Officer
Exclusive inc

These people are so dumb they use a standard email template for scams and forgot to change the company name from another scam "Wagner Mill Inc." to "Exclusive, Inc."

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

Saying God Blessing You after every time a coworker sneezes?

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:27:56 GMT

How many people say "God Bless you" after every time someone sneezes in their office? For me this is just way to overboard and thankfully my whole office has taken this stance. I mean I never understood the whole concept anyway. I think I read that the whole bless you mess arouse from the idea that with a sneeze you let evil spirits out of your system... Well shouldn't someone blessing me then? Now I have to deal with your evil spirits and your evil germs? Shouldn't I plead out "God bless ME" instead?

I have a feeling those people who do bless every office sneeze are just those that are bored at work and take a sneeze as a way to start conversation.

_ Read More...

The real life of accountant - What it's like working at a CPA firm.

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:00:04 GMT

I posted this in a forum and figured I could post it here for perpetual life. But here's a sample what to expect if you want to become an accountant or CPA.

I'm a CPA at a small 4 person public firm. The hours generally vary by firm. There are firms that work 7 day weeks and then firms that have very little overtime. Also consider that there also tons of jobs in accounting for private companies that would not require much overtime (ie: work for a municipality). For me my busy times are late February to April 15 and late August to October 15th but that is because we put most our clients on extension. During those times I work late nights (mostly between 7pm-9pm) and most Saturdays during busy time. We're all procrastinators here though and if we evened our work throughout the year we probably wouldn't need to work much overtime at all but instead we slack off during the off season with drinking in the bosses office or taking long office lunches,etc. However accounting is definitely not a 9-5 job. A client could call up anytime with a request (financial statement, tax issue, etc.) that that may need the next day that may require you to work late that day even if it is August and sunny outside, though I usually get out on time during the off season.

As far as education, I would recommend at least a Bachelor's in accounting if you are looking for a public accounting position. A masters may help you in with the big 4 accounting firms but it is really not necessary otherwise. Passing the CPA exam would be a great career boost and would advise taking if you can commit to the grueling studying.

As far as money my salary has more than tripled in the five years I've been working with an annual raise, 401k match, health, 3 weeks vacation, so no complaints here.

Edit: I just checked my time for 2008 and I worked 2340 hours in 2008 (includes paid holiday time and vacation time) which averages 45 hour/week.

If you have any specific questions you can post a comment using the form below...

Informative Michael Jackson by someone inside his camp

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:24:56 GMT

I've read so many reports about Michael Jackson over the past few days I don't know what to believe. This article this is well written informative article that is backed with descriptive details.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...

'I'm better off dead. I'm done': Michael Jackson's fateful prediction just a week before his death

By Ian Halperin
Last updated at 3:58 PM on 29th June 2009

* Genetic condition had ruined his lungs and left him unable to sing
* He became so skeletal, doctors believed he was anorexic
* He had nightmares about being murdered and wanted to die
* He used swine flu as an excuse to avoid coming to England
* He thought he was agreeing to 10 concerts it was 50

Whatever the final autopsy results reveal, it was greed that killed Michael Jackson. Had he not been driven by a cabal of bankers, agents, doctors and advisers to commit to the gruelling 50 concerts in Londons O2 Arena, I believe he would still be alive today.

During the last weeks and months of his life, Jackson made desperate attempts to prepare for the concert series scheduled for next month a series that would have earned millions for the singer and his entourage, but which he could never have completed, not mentally, and not physically.
Michael Jackson with face mask

Ailing: Michael Jackson may have worn a mask in public to protect his diseased lungs

Michael knew it and his advisers knew it. Anyone who caught even a fleeting glimpse of the frail old man hiding beneath the costumes and cosmetics would have understood that the London tour was madness. For Michael Jackson, it was fatal.

I had more than a glimpse of the real Michael; as an award-winning freelance journalist and film-maker, I spent more than five years inside his camp.

Many in his entourage spoke frankly to me and that made it possible for me to write authoritatively last December that Michael had six months to live, a claim that, at the time, his official spokesman, Dr Tohme Tohme, called a complete fabrication. The singer, he told the world, was in fine health. Six months and one day later, Jackson was dead.

Some liked to snigger at his public image, and it is true that flamboyant clothes and bizarre make-up made for a comic grotesque; yet without them, his appearance was distressing; with skin blemishes, thinning hair and discoloured fingernails.

I had established beyond doubt, for example, that Jackson relied on an extensive collection of wigs to hide his greying hair. Shorn of their luxuriance, the Peter Pan of Neverland cut a skeletal figure.

It was clear that he was in no condition to do a single concert, let alone 50. He could no longer sing, for a start. On some days he could barely talk. He could no longer dance. Disaster was looming in London and, in the opinion of his closest confidantes, he was feeling suicidal.

To understand why a singer of Jacksons fragility would even think about travelling to London, we need to go back to June 13, 2005, when my involvement in his story began.

As a breaking news alert flashed on CNN announcing that the jury had reached a verdict in Jacksons trial for allegedly molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo at his Neverland Ranch in California, I knew that history had been made but that Michael Jackson had been broken irrevocably so, as it proved.

Nor was it the first time that Michael had been accused of impropriety with young boys. Little more than a decade earlier, another 13-year-old, Jordan Chandler, made similar accusations in a case that was eventually settled before trial but not before the damage had been done to Jacksons reputation.
Michael Jackson is pushed in a wheelchair

Michael had not helped his case. Appearing in a documentary with British broadcaster Martin Bashir, he not only admitted that he liked to share a bed with teenagers, mainly boys, in pyjamas, but showed no sign of understanding why anyone might be legitimately concerned.

I had started my investigation convinced that Jackson was guilty. By the end, I no longer believed that.

I could not find a single shred of evidence suggesting that Jackson had molested a child. But I found significant evidence demonstrating that most, if not all, of his accusers lacked credibility and were motivated primarily by money.

Jackson also deserved much of the blame, of course. Continuing to share a bed with children even after the suspicions surfaced bordered on criminal stupidity.

He was also playing a truly dangerous game. It is clear to me that Michael was homosexual and that his taste was for young men, albeit not as young as Jordan Chandler or Gavin Arvizo.

In the course of my investigations, I spoke to two of his gay lovers, one a Hollywood waiter, the other an aspiring actor. The waiter had remained friends, perhaps more, with the singer until his death last week. He had served Jackson at a restaurant, Jackson made his interest plain and the two slept together the following night. According to the waiter, Jackson fell in love.

The actor, who has been given solid but uninspiring film parts, saw Jackson in the middle of 2007. He told me they had spent nearly every night together during their affair an easy claim to make, you might think. But this lover produced corroboration in the form of photographs of the two of them together, and a witness.

Other witnesses speak of strings of young men visiting his house at all hours, even in the period of his decline. Some stayed overnight.

When Jackson lived in Las Vegas, one of his closest aides told how he would sneak off to a grungy, rat-infested motel often dressed as a woman to disguise his identity to meet a male construction worker he had fallen in love with.

Jackson was acquitted in the Arvizo case, dramatically so, but the effect on his mental state was ruinous. Sources close to him suggest he was close to complete nervous breakdown.
Michael Jackson's rental home

The ordeal had left him physically shattered, too. One of my sources suggested that he might already have had a genetic condition I had never previously come across, called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency the lack of a protein that can help protect the lungs.

Although up to 100,000 Americans are severely affected by it, it is an under-recognised condition. Michael was receiving regular injections of Alpha-1 antitrypsin derived from human plasma. The treatment is said to be remarkably effective and can enable the sufferer to lead a normal life.

But the disease can cause respiratory problems and, in severe cases, emphysema. Could this be why Jackson had for years been wearing a surgical mask in public, to protect his lungs from the ravages of the disease? Or why, from time to time, he resorted to a wheelchair? When I returned to my source inside the Jackson camp for confirmation, he said: Yeah, thats what hes got. Hes in bad shape. Theyre worried that he might need a lung transplant but he may be too weak.

Some days he can hardly see and hes having a lot of trouble walking.

Even Michael Jacksons legendary wealth was in sharp decline. Just a few days before he announced his 50-concert comeback at the O2 Arena, one of my sources told me Jackson had been offered £1.8million to perform at a party for a Russian billionaire on the Black Sea.

Is he up to it? I had asked.

He has no choice. He needs the money. His people are pushing him hard, said the source.

Could he even stand on a stage for an hour concert?

He can stand. The treatments have been successful. He can even dance once he gets in better shape. He just cant sing, said the aide, adding that Jackson would have to lip-synch to get through the performance. Nobody will care, as long as he shows up and moonwalks.

He also revealed Jackson had been offered well over £60million to play Las Vegas for six months. He said no, but his people are trying to force it on him. Hes that close to losing everything, said the source.
michael jackson this is it tour

Indeed, by all accounts Jacksons finances were in a shambles. The Arvizo trial itself was a relative bargain, costing a little more than £18million in legal bills.

But the damage to his career, already in trouble before the charges, was incalculable. After the Arvizo trial, a Bahraini sheikh allowed Jackson to stay in his palace, underwriting his lavish lifestyle. But a few years later, the prince sued his former guest, demanding repayment for his hospitality. Jackson claimed he thought it had been a gift.

Roger Friedman, a TV journalist, said: For one year, the prince underwrote Jacksons life in Bahrain everything including accommodation, guests, security and transportation. And what did Jackson do? He left for Japan and then Ireland. He took the money and moonwalked right out the door. This is the real Michael Jackson. He has never returned a phone call from the prince since he left Bahrain.

Although Jackson settled with the sheikh on the eve of the trial that would have aired his financial dirty laundry, the settlement only put him that much deeper into the hole. A hole that kept getting bigger, but that was guaranteed by Jacksons half ownership of the copyrights to The Beatles catalogue. He owned them in a joint venture with record company Sony, which have kept him from bankruptcy.

Jackson is in hock to Sony for hundreds of millions, a source told me a couple of months ago. No bank will give him any money so Sony have been paying his bills.

The trouble is that he hasnt been meeting his obligations. Sony have been in a position for more than a year where it can repossess Michaels share of the [Beatles] catalogue. Thats always been Sonys dream scenario, full ownership.

But they dont want to do it as theyre afraid of a backlash from his fans. Their nightmare is an organised 'boycott Sony' movement worldwide, which could prove hugely costly. It is the only thing standing between Michael and bankruptcy.
Pop star Michael Jackson (centre) holds the hands of his two children Paris Michael, four, and son Prince Michael, five, with their faces covered during a visit to Berlin Zoo.

The source aid at the time that the scheduled London concerts wouldnt clear Jacksons debts estimated at almost £242million but they would allow him to get them under control and get him out of default with Sony.

According to two sources in Jacksons camp, the singer put in place a contingency plan to ensure his children would be well taken care of in the event of bankruptcy.

He has as many as 200 unpublished songs that he is planning to leave behind for his children when he dies. They cant be touched by the creditors, but they could be worth as much as £60million that will ensure his kids a comfortable existence no matter what happens, one of his collaborators revealed.

But for the circle of handlers who surrounded Jackson during his final years, their golden goose could not be allowed to run dry. Bankruptcy was not an option.

These, after all, were not the handlers who had seen him through the aftermath of the Arvizo trial and who had been protecting his fragile emotional health to the best of their ability. They were gone, and a new set of advisers was in place.

The clearout had apparently been engineered by his childrens nanny, Grace Rwaramba, who was gaining considerable influence over Jackson and his affairs and has been described as the queen bee by those around Jackson.

Rwaramba had ties to the black militant organisation, the Nation of Islam, and its controversial leader, Louis Farrakhan, whom she enlisted for help in running Jacksons affairs.

Before long, the Nation was supplying Jacksons security detail and Farrakhans son-in-law, Leonard Muhammad, was appointed as Jacksons business manager, though his role has lessened significantly in recent years.

In late 2008, a shadowy figure who called himself Dr Tohme Tohme suddenly emerged as Jacksons official spokesman.

Tohme has been alternately described as a Saudi Arabian billionaire and an orthopaedic surgeon, but he is actually a Lebanese businessman who does not have a medical licence. At one point, Tohme claimed he was an ambassador at large for Senegal, but the Senegalese embassy said they had never heard of him.
MICHAEL JACKSON AND CANCER SUFFERER GAVIN ARVIZO

Tohmes own ties to the Nation of Islam came to light in March 2009, when New York auctioneer Darren Julien was conducting an auction of Michael Jackson memorabilia.

Julien filed an affidavit in Los Angeles Superior Court that month in which he described a meeting he had with Tohmes business partner, James R. Weller. According to Juliens account, Weller said if we refused to postpone [the auction], we would be in danger from 'Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam; those people are very protective of Michael'.

He told us that Dr Tohme and Michael Jackson wanted to give the message to us that 'our lives are at stake and there will be bloodshed'.

A month after these alleged threats, Tohme accompanied Jackson to a meeting at a Las Vegas hotel with Randy Phillips, chief executive of the AEG Group, to finalise plans for Jacksons return to the concert stage.

Jacksons handlers had twice before said no to Phillips. This time, with Tohme acting as his confidant, Jackson left the room agreeing to perform ten concerts at the O2.

Before long, however, ten concerts had turned into 50 and the potential revenues had skyrocketed. The vultures who were pulling his strings somehow managed to put this concert extravaganza together behind his back, then presented it to him as a fait accompli, said one aide.

The money was just unbelievable and all his financial people were telling him he was facing bankruptcy. But Michael still resisted. He didnt think he could pull it off.

Eventually, they wore him down, the aide explained, but not with the money argument.

They told him that this would be the greatest comeback the world had ever known. Thats what convinced him. He thought if he could emerge triumphantly from the success of these concerts, he could be the King again.

The financial details of the O2 concerts are still murky, though various sources have revealed that Jackson was paid as much as £10million in advance, most of which went to the middlemen. But Jackson could have received as much as £100million had the concerts gone ahead.

It is worth noting that the O2 Arena has the most sophisticated lip synching technology in the world a particular attraction for a singer who can no longer sing. Had, by some miracle, the concerts gone ahead, Jacksons personal contribution could have been limited to just 13 minutes for each performance. The rest was to have been choreography and lights.

We knew it was a disaster waiting to happen, said one aide. I dont think anybody predicted it would actually kill him but nobody believed he would end up performing.

Their doubts were underscored when Jackson collapsed during only his second rehearsal.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley

Collapse might be overstating it, said the aide. He needed medical attention and couldnt go on. Im not sure what caused it.

Meanwhile, everybody around him noticed that Jackson had lost an astonishing amount of weight in recent months. His medical team even believed he was anorexic.

He goes days at a time hardly eating a thing and at one point his doctor was asking people if he had been throwing up after meals, one staff member told me in May.

He suspected bulimia but when we said he hardly eats any meals, the doc thought it was probably anorexia. He seemed alarmed and at one point said, 'People die from that all the time. Youve got to get him to eat.'

Indeed, one known consequence of anorexia is cardiac arrest.

After spotting him leave one rehearsal, Fox News reported that Michael Jacksons skeletal physique is so bad that he might not be able to moonwalk any more.

On May 20 this year, AEG suddenly announced that the first London shows had been delayed for five days while the remainder had been pushed back until March 2010. At the time, they denied that the postponements were health-related, explaining that they needed more time to mount the technically complex production, though scepticism immediately erupted. It was well placed.

Behind the scenes, Jackson was in rapid decline. According to a member of his staff, he was terrified at the prospect of the London concerts.

He wasnt eating, he wasnt sleeping and, when he did sleep, he had nightmares that he was going to be murdered. He was deeply worried that he was going to disappoint his fans. He even said something that made me briefly think he was suicidal. He said he thought hed die before doing the London concerts.

He said he was worried that he was going to end up like Elvis. He was always comparing himself to Elvis, but there was something in his tone that made me think that he wanted to die, he was tired of life. He gave up. His voice and dance moves werent there any more. I think maybe he wanted to die rather than embarrass himself on stage.

The most obvious comparison between the King of Pop and the King of Rock n Roll was their prescription drug habits, which in Jacksons case had significantly intensified in his final months.

He is surrounded by enablers, said one aide. We should be stopping him before he kills himself, but we just sit by and watch him medicate himself into oblivion.

Jackson could count on an array of doctors to write him prescriptions without asking too many questions if he complained of pain. He was particularly fond of OxyContin, nicknamed Hillbilly heroin, which gave an instant high, although he did not take it on a daily basis.

According to the aide, painkillers are not the only drugs Jackson took.
michael jackson

He pops Demerol and morphine, sure, apparently going back to the time in 1984 when he burned himself during the Pepsi commercial, but theres also some kind of psychiatric medication. One of his brothers once told me he was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was younger, so it may be to treat that.

His aides werent the only ones who recognised that a 50-concert run was foolhardy. In May, Jackson himself reportedly addressed fans as he left his Burbank rehearsal studio.

Thank you for your love and support, he told them. I want you guys to know I love you very much.

'I dont know how Im going to do 50 shows. Im not a big eater. I need to put some weight on. Im really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do ten.

One of his former employees was particularly struck by Jacksons wording that day. The way he was talking, its like hes not in control over his own life any more, she told me earlier this month. It sounds like somebody else is pulling his strings and telling him what to do. Someone wants him dead.

'They keep feeding him pills like candy. They are trying to push him over the edge. He needs serious help. The people around him will kill him.

As the London concerts approached, something was clearly wrong. Jackson had vowed to travel to England at least eight weeks before his first shows, but he kept putting it off.

To be honest, I never thought Michael would set foot on a concert stage ever again, said one aide, choking back tears on the evening of his death.

This was not only predictable, this was inevitable.

On June 21, Jackson told my contact that he wanted to die. He said that he didnt have what it would take to perform any more because he had lost his voice and dance moves.

Its not working out, Jackson said. Im better off dead. I dont have anywhere left to turn. Im done.

Michaels closest confidante told me just two hours after he died that Michael was tired of living. He was a complete wreck for years and now he can finally be in a better place. People around him fed him drugs to keep him on their side. They should be held accountable.

Michael Jackson was undoubtedly a deeply troubled and lonely man. Throughout my investigation, I was torn between compassion and anger, sorrow and empathy.

Even his legacy is problematic. As I have already revealed, he has bequeathed up to 200 original songs to his three children, Prince Michael, aged 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II (also known as Blanket), seven. It is a wonderful gift.

Yet I can reveal that his will, not as yet made public, demands that the three of them remain with Jacksons 79-year-old mother Katherine in California. It promises an ugly row.

Ex-wife Deborah Rowe, the mother of the eldest two, has already made it clear to her legal team that she wants her children in her custody, immediately.

The mother of the third child has never been identified. I fully expect that it will emerge that the children had a test tube conception, a claim already made by Deborah Rowe.

Michael Jackson may very well have been the most talented performer of his generation, but for 15 years that fact has been lost to a generation who may remember him only as a grotesque caricature who liked to share his bed with little boys. Now that hes gone, maybe its time to shelve the suspicions and appreciate the music.

* Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson by Ian Halperin is published by Transit Publishing in the UK at £14.99 and Pocket Books in the US at $24. To order your copy at the special price of £13.50 with free p&p, call The Review Bookstore on 0845 155 0713.

Shut up already about firing Letterman already

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:13:21 GMT

This topic has been shot to hell but figured I'd join the thousands who posted this question ahead of the planned rally Tuesday outside the Ed Sullivan Theater to fire David Letterman. If we should fire Letterman for the bad joke he made why not Leno too?

Jay Leno said:
Gov. Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. And you thought John Edwards was in trouble before! Now he has really done it. -- "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," 9/2/08

This joke is practically the same as Letterman's joke.

Wait, think we can rid the late night of comedy, we have grounds to fire Conan too!

Conan Obrien said:
"Sarah Palin is going to drop the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' hockey game. Then Palin will spend the rest of the game trying to keep the hockey players out of her daughter's penalty box."

Hey let's not stop there. We should impeach Obama for his joke about special Olympians:

Obama on the Tonight Show said:
When Obama told Jay Leno that he had recently bowled a 129 score, Leno replied dryly, "That's very good, Mr. President." Obama chuckled and said it's "like the Special Olympics or something."

No actually my thoughts on this if you don't want to hear bad jokes then get rid of your TV or keep it tuned into your FOX news channel. I wish these uptight people could find something else to spend their energy on and maybe do something that could benefit society.

Have a company provided Cell Phone? You might be taxed on it.

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:19:10 GMT

The government plans to start stringently enforcing a 1989 rule that classified employer-provided mobile phones as a taxable benefit if they employee uses the phone for personal use as well as business use.

The portion used for personal use should be included on your annual W-2 as taxable wages. The IRS requires employees to keep records distinguishing the personal and business portion of your bill. To make reporting easy the IRS would allow employee to adopt a simplified method which would tax employees on 25% of the monthly cell phone bill under their plan. So if your employer pays $1500/year for your cell phone you would be taxed on an additional $375 of income. Not much really on the individual level but the IRS expects this to generate millions of additional tax revenue.

source: IRS Notice 2009-46 [irs.gov]

Job Scam: Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd Account Clerk Position

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:07:04 GMT

Note: This is part 16 in the Job Scam Series.

This is a new being sent in reply to ads placed on Craigslist. Give thanks to Camille Kalash for sending this one in.

Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd

Do not cash any checks received from the this "job". They are fake or fraudulant

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @aol.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
9.) The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

recruitingdptms@aol.com said:

Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd.
Marathon House
Rubislaw Hill, Anderson Drive
Aberdeen, AB15 6FZ, Scotland.

Hello Camille,

ACCOUNT CLERK POSITION/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE POSITION.

This is to notify you that your response is highly appreciated and has been given consideration for further information.

INTERVIEW FORM

To be qualified for working in Marathon Oil Ltd, fill out this FORM and submit. Your resume is still on pending till you have completed the form.

Before I confirm to you that you have secured the Position with Us, We need you to provide answers to these Interview questions. For us to test your abilities and IQ. Which is very Important to the Management Team

* Why do you want this Job: ______________________________

* Do you have professional Reference which I can go
through:__________________________

* Have you worked as an accounting assistant/administrative assistant before: ______________________________

* Privacy and code of conduct....explain the
phrase:______________________________

* What do you understand by petty cash: ______________________________

* Have you every worked from home: ______________________________

* How would you describe yourself: ______________________________

* Do you know your clerical speed? What is it: ______________________________

* Do you have an idea of how to use microsoft excel: ______________________________

JOB DETAILS:

Marathon oil plc, is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, color, sex, religion, nation origin, marital status, ancestry, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation or preference, or physical or mental disability.

Marathon Oil, including its consolidated companies and its share inequity companies, is one of Europe's leading oil and natural gas producers, natural gas marketers, gasoline marketers and petrochemical manufacturers.

Marathon Oil, a leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of London, is a recognized pioneer in oil and=2 0il,gas exploration and production technology. Marathon Oil is an affiliate of the Marathon Oil Group, which operates in over 140 countries and territories employing more than 109,000 people.

I am Mr,Johnson Spencer and i am the Human Resources Manager for Marathon Oil Ltd.We are search ing for financial payment contrac tor (Accounts Receivable) for our company who are willing to work for us from home and get paid weekly without leaving their present Job.Our clients shall be making payments to us for supplies in money orders so you shall help in the processing of the payments to us.

Subject to our satisfaction you will be paid %10 on any transaction you are involved in.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

1. Receive payments from our Clients.
2. Cash the chack at your bnak and Process the Payments.
3. Deduct %10 for yourself on each transactions.
4. While you send remaining balance to any of the company's regional warehouses that will be given to you later.

APPLICATION FORM

Please fill out the form accurately with correct information and send back via email.

CONTACT NAME: _____________________________________________________

PHONE #'s ______________________________MOBILE#:____________________

Address: _______________________________ City ___________________ State _____

Zip_____________ Age: ____________ E-MAIL:_____________________________________

SEX: ________________ OCCUPATION: ______________________________ _________

ATTESTATION

I ___________________________________hereby accept the job as a representative of the above mentioned company here in the United States, to receive payments on behalf of the company. Payment received by me shall be processed, make deduction of %10 as agreed and forward the remaining balance to any of the company's regional warehouses that will given to you later. I shall also inform the company a week ahead if eventually l want to discontinue this job, so as to terminate all payments coming my way to avoid conflict.

Waiting to read from you.

Best regards,

Johnson Spencer
Human Resources Manager
Staffing and Recruiting
Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

MY Rss Subscribers have some catching up to do.

Wed, 20 May 2009 16:25:09 GMT

Oops, if you subscribe to my .rss you have some reading to do. I messed up the php query for the rss a while back and limited the rss to blogs with id<180. This means none of my blogs were getting added to the feed. Sorry for the millions of people I inconvenienced.

Colorblind Selftest discussion

Sun, 17 May 2009 22:58:45 GMT

Here you can discuss your results from the colorblind selftest. Let us know what you expected and what the results were.

Note: Post your comments below using the "Post a comment form". The form does not accept html code.

Links:
Take the test: http://tjshome.com/selftest.php
My Answers: http://tjshome.com/mysanswers.php
Colorblind Facts: http://tjshome.com/colorblind.php

Let me start off this with a message from a visitor which prompted this post:

Mr. Kelly McClanahan said:
I took your test, knowing already that I was colorblind. I would like to pass on how I explain to people what it is like. I liken it to reading a foreign language. You can make out certain words, and perhaps make out what is trying to be said, but since you do not read it, you cannot fully understand what is being said.

Of the six questions, I only got 2 correct, 1 and 4. Being red/green colorblind, and now 40, I have learned to deal with this in my own way. I see bright colors better than dark, and I am used to asking what a color is, even a stranger.

2009 Making Work Pay Tax Credit a headache for some filers

Sun, 17 May 2009 22:26:28 GMT

Obama issued the "Making Work Pay" tax credit for 2009 and 2010 tax payers as a form of stimulus which would increase the paychecks of workers through 2009 and 2010. You may of noticed that your paycheck has increased this year due to this credit. This credit could be headache for some filers come April 15th.

The credit changed the withholding tables that employers use to calculate your withholdings. Since your employer doesn't know your tax situation you should always keep an eye on your withholdings.

With the new credit the federal withholdings tables are adjusted so that if a single filer makes less than $75,000 his withholdings are lowered by $400 and a married filers withholdings are decreased by $600.

If you are single you will be able to claim the credit on your 2009 tax return for $400 (if you made less $75,000). If you are married you can claim a credit for $800 (if you made less than $150,000).

This could be lead to a problem in the following circumstances:

You earn income from more than one job. Both employers will give you the withholding deduction when in reality you can only claim one credit, $400 if single, $800 if married.
If you are married and both you and your spouse work you will each have received $600 more in 2009. However the credit is only $800 for a joint filer making your withholding's less than the tax anticipated.
Over the limits -- The credit starts to phaseout at $75000 adjusted gross income for single filers ($150,000 for Joint filers). If you are over the limit you employer may still give you the credit if you are not over the limit for that one job leading to your withholdings being less than they usually would.

Note that this credit may also lead to additional late payment penalty if your withholdings are less than the tax due with your 2007 tax return. The IRS requires your withholdings (or estimated tax payments) to be 100% of the previous year tax liability or 90% of the current year tax due.

----------------
Circular 230 Disclaimer: Please be advised that, unless otherwise stated by the author, any tax advice contained in this message is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by the recipient to avoid any federal tax penalty that may be imposed on the recipient.

Google... Always Thinking... Bah...

Sat, 02 May 2009 00:56:48 GMT

Google has decided to fire it's lawn landscaper and call a goat herder to bring in 200 goats to eat it's lawn. They take about a week to mow its lawn at its Mountainview, CA headquarters and Google claims it costs the same as mowing. Nice approach on going green guys...

source: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/mowing-with-goats.html

Job Scam: Recruiting Officer - Wagner Mill Inc.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:51:10 GMT

Note: This is part 15 in the Job Scam Series.

This is a wide spread job scam. Most of the time the scammers gets your email address from ads placed on Craigslist. Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from Wagner Mills Inc. If you already sent an email with your information they will promptly send you check to deposit once your job application is "accepted". Do no cash any checks received from the this "job". They checks will be canceled and the money will be taken from your account. The scammers are issuing fraudulent checks using real companies. Once the bank finds out the the checks are fake or fraudulent they will reverse the deposit even know the money may show in your account it will soon be taken out.

If you received another job scam featuring another company please forward the email to

.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
9.) The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Donstone Eric said:

Reference No: - LSLCA/2031/ 8161/05 HO Ref:99645
Batch No: - R4/A313/2-60 Port
Ref:87023124
Application No: LSLCA/2031/ 8161/05 FCO Number: 812374
Respondent: Recruiting Officer

Dear Applicant
We received your resume and your application on Craigslist on the
April of this year but we are really sorry to inform you that this
Position as been filled, it is no more available. Our HR
Managers have gone through your resume and due to some certain
factors you have been picked as one of our possible candidate
to be one of our Accounts Payable Specialist which is the post
That is available right now.
ABOUT US:
We strive to ensure quality from crop to counter.
end, Wagner Mill Inc. requires the highest standards and
specifications, not just for product ingredients; every detail
of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is
Also exhaustively monitored.
A focus on quality permeates every aspect of the business.
Wagner Mill Inc. standards lead the food industry, and we
continue to work with government and health officials to
Investigate improvements.
Wagner Mill Inc. also recognize the importance of a balanced
diet and lifestyle and continues to seek quality new products
Which satisfy customers expectations for taste and value? We
Are independent and privately owned.
We serve the entire United States, Your primary task for now,
as an Accounts Payable Specialist of this company is to
coordinate payments from clients and help us with the payment
Process. You are not involved in any marketing. You would be
responsible for receiving payments after we have offered our
professional services to our numerous clients. After this has
been done the customer has to pay for the service but in most
Cases we make our clients prepay for services. About 90 percent
of our clients prefer to pay through Certified Checks or Money
Orders drawn from the United State based on the amount
Involved. We have decided to open this new contract -to-hire
job position for solving this problem pending the time that we
Will open a branch office in this state.

Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments):
1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank.
3. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay on Payment
processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of
the offices you will be contacted to send payment to, you have
a lot of free time doing another job, because this job is part
Time, you'll get good income. But this job is very challenging
And you should understand it. We are considering your
application because you satisfy our requirements and we are
sure you will be an earnest assistant till we start running our
Branch office in your state.
ADVANTAGES
-You do not have to go out as you will work as an independent
Contractor right from your home office.
-Your job is absolutely legal.
-You can earn up to 3000-4000 dollars monthly depending on time
you
Will spend for this job. You do not need any capital to start.
-You can do the Work easily without leaving or affecting your
present Job. The employees who make efforts and work hard have
A strong possibility to become managers. Anyway our employees
Never leave us. But the problem we have is trust but we hope we
Can trust you.
Get back to us with the requirements below if you are
interested so that we can add your mailing address to our
Regional database and forward it to our customers for them to
Send payments after conducting background checks.
REQUIREMENTS:

Full Names_______________
Mailing Address (Not P. O Box) _________________
City__ ___________________
State____________________
Postal Code______________
Phone Number____________________
Email Address____________________
Age______________________
Occupation_______________
Marital Status___________
Sex______________________

Send the requirements we asked for to this email address

We are not asking for your bank info neither are we asking for
your social security number, we are only asking for the name of
Your bank and that is all.
Your response to this email is needed, so that we can
reconfirm your mailing address details we have in our
Database.
We will be updating you as soon as the payment is being sent to
you and you will be directed as to where to have the remaining
90% of the money sent to, after the deduction of your 10% pay
On any payments received and processed by you.
A swift acknowledgment of the receipt of this email will be
Appreciated.
Thanks For Your Total Understanding and Moral Cooperation.
Wagner Mill Inc. is an equal opportunity employer!
I can best be contacted by email as I am on computer every time.
I will be expecting your respones

Regards,
Eric Dennis
Recruiting Officer
Wagner Mill Inc.

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

Capital Lease Test

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:08:26 GMT

Below is outline of test to determine whether a lease should be accounted for as a Capital Lease per the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

A lease should be treated as an capital lease if it meets any one of the following four conditions -
(a) If the lease life exceeds 75% of the life of the asset
(b) if there is a transfer of ownership to the lessee at the end of the lease term
(c) if there is an option to purchase the asset at a "bargain price" at the end of the lease term.
(d) if the present value of the lease payments, discounted at an appropriate discount rate, exceeds 90% of the fair market value of the asset.

Source: FASB Statement No. 13 Accounting for Leases
You can download electronic version of all FASB statements on the FASB.org website.

Status Message Page Discussion

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:28:41 GMT

Rules and updates for the status message page.

Rules for Status Message Submissions:

Do NOT post messages containing unnecessary offensive language.
Do NOT use the status submission form to comment on other peoples messages. Use the comment feature to do that.
Do NOT use the message submissions form to comment on the Tjshome.com webpage (including your hatred for this site or any feature request).
Posting a status message that violates any of the simple rules above will result in a ban and you will no longer be able to submit any messages.
Messages that contain excessive grammar errors, duplicated messages, or message not relating to someones status may be deleted upon moderator review.
If you would like to comment on the page or comment on a specific status messages use the comment form below (Not the status submission form).
If you find an offensive message and want to report it make sure to vote "thumbs down" for the message and post about by submitting a comment below or send an email to a webmaster . If you are reporting a message YOU MUST provide the exact message you are referring to, otherwise, we will not be able to respond and your comments will be discarded.
If you submitted a message that you think was unduly deleted, or have any other comments regarding the page please post a comment using the form below.

Status Page Changelog:

** House Cleaning 03-03-2010
Yes, I deleted about 5 pages of status messages. I need your help to get back to 300 pages so start posting some good messages! I deleted messages mostly based on poor ratings. How the administration works is when a message is submitted it is automatically added to the live site, however, it sits in a bin for me to review. I review new messages daily and delete the ones that are inappropriate, however, the messages that aren't immediately deleted still sit in a bin until I click them off to be added permanently. For this step I like to wait to the messages get enough ratings to help determine whether the messages should be deleted, be filtered, or be permanent. Well... The bin was getting quite large and slowing the administration page so I finally went through all the messages again (about 1000+) and deleted those with terrible ratings and added the others.

** Notice 03-01-10
How to properly report a message
If you find a duplicate message or overly offensive message please either post a comment in the message you are reporting. If you want to refer to another message such as "RERUN same as [[other message]]" use the message ID number. You can find a messages ID # by clicking the comment(#) indicator under each message and looking in the address bar of your browser you will see http://tjshome.com/statusmessageid.php?id={{message ID #}}. Use this unique id number to refer to a message.

** Update 02-14-10 New Page Added: Latest Comments. I put this together really quick so it's not too easy on the eyes. This page lists the 50 last comments posted.

** Update 02-14-10
New Comments feature - You can now comment on individual status messages. Below each message is the "comments (0)" indicator. Click the number to comment on an individual message. This feature is in BETA mode and we will monitor its use and decide whether to make it a permanent feature in the next few weeks. It will be removed if it's not used or if it is abused.

** Update 1/20/10
I don't know why so many people think politics make good FUNNY status messages. This site is not a political forum. Tjshome does not take sides, we will delete every message that involves politics (unless it's funny, which is unlikely given the topic).

** Update 1/03/10
Happy New Year Everybody! I have improved the system for banning people who are using the submission form incorrectly. The submission form is for Status Message only! Anybody who post comments relating to other messages or comments regarding the website will be swiftly banned from posting additional messages. I don't want the status message page to turn into a chat session. If you have any comments regarding a particular message or this site post using the comment form below NOT the status submission form.

** Update 11/29/09 - Bandwidth Exceeded no more -
I hopefully have put an end to the "Bandwidth Exceeded" notices. On Saturday and at the end of last month the website went down because it exceeded the bandwidth limits set by my host. This means Tjshome.com is generating more traffic then ever before (which is a good thing). Last month the host increased my bandwidth limits and they have again agreed to allocate even more (a lot more this time) since we broke the revised limit. With the new increased limits we will be able to provide adequate bandwidth for the future and hopefully we won't be seeing these notices again. My suspect is that some of this bandwidth usage is malicious and we will be examining our logs to ban suspicious ip addresses from accessing the site.

** Update 11/16/09
I'm playing around with the ratings. Instead of displaying two amounts for the total up votes and down votes I want to display as one total. It's working and so are the votes however I didn't get it yet to update the total upon clicking yet. So for now your votes will count but you won't see the number change unless you fresh the page. I have to get javascript to automatically update... Fans didn't like this idea :(

** Update 11/16/09
I fixed an IE bug which was graying out all messages after a messages without a name. I was missing a span close tag. If you notice any bugs please report them below.

** Update 11/03/09
I banned more people who were posting offensive comments or posting comments relating to the page or other messages. Please follow the simple guidelines above. If problems persists I will have to make messages subject to moderator approval before being shown.

** Update 11/3/09 - Automod
I've been testing an automod script I wrote to help me out a little bit with the moderating. The script will automatically set a message to "filtered" if it receives a certain amount of "thumbs down". The messages won't get deleted but you would only be able to see these message if you turn the filter off. Also, messages that were previously set to "filtered" will automatically be unfiltered if they receive a certain number of "thumbs up". You can help by rating messages with their appropriate rating!

** Update 11/01/09
I deleted all racist messages and all messages relating to the racist messages. There were about 3 racist messages and 20 messages talking about those messages. Please people if you have an issue with a message post it here using the comment for below... not as a status message submission. By posting here your concerns will be dealt with quicker.

** Update 10/07/09
Ratings are back... blame my crappy coding.

** Update 10/6/09
1.) You can now use your twitter username to submit status messages. A link to your twitter page will be included with the message.
2.) I added a character counter to the status message submit form. Messages are, and always have been, limited to 255 characters. I may add an option filter for only messages that are less than 140 characters for twitter users.

** Update 5/18/09:
1.) I deleted (permanently) a few pages of messages. These contained duplicates and nonsense messages (uncreative messages about poop, doing someones mom, and one word messages)

** Update 5/20/09
1.) I made it so you can now search by submitters name. To search by submitters name click the name on a status message (which is after the date submitted). Note that all messages do not have a submitters name. This feature makes it easier to keep track of all your submissions, just make sure you use a unique name when you submit messages. View TJ's submissions
2.) I also fixed the bugs in the search.

** Update May 15 2009
1.) You can now turn the filter off. This will add more messages. Be cautious though as there will be a lot of profanity, duplicates, and grammar errors.
2.) Search Messages -- You can now search messages.
3.) Sort by Rating

Other Updates:
** I fixed the bug that was deleting words on some message submissions.

** I started logging IP addresses and will start to ban people who keep posting comments/discussions using the status message submission form. I do not want the page to become a discussion about how much my site sucks, use the comment form below for that if you feel that way. I have a feeling it's same couple of people posting everyday.

**I am saving all the deleted messages and will post a link in the next couple days so anyone can view them. I am not sure what I should call it: (Recycle bin? Deleted status messages? Unfunny status messages?)" Any suggestions?

** I deleted all duplicate messages. If you notice a duplicate I missed please post it below.

Status Messages

New Page: Status Message Generator

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:21:46 GMT

I made a page with a form that you enter your name and gender and it will create 5 random status messages for you. Have fun!

http://tjshome.com/statusmessagegenerator.php

NYC Board of Education employees are not subject to Form 1127 (Sec. 1127)

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:51:03 GMT

NYC Board of Education employees are not subject to Form 1127 (Sec. 1127)

I was looking this up for a client and confirmed on phone with NYC department of finance and on their website.

If you were a nonresident of the New York City while working for certain city agencies you are subject to
1127 of the New York City Charter
and must file Form NYC-1127

If you are subject to that law, you are required to pay to the City an amount by which a City personal income tax on residents, computed and determined as
if you were a resident of the City, exceeds the amount of any City tax liability computed and reported by you on the City portion of your New York State tax return.

Department of Education
City University of New York
District Attorneys Offices
New York City Housing Authority.

Also, you are exempt if you are a NYC Housing Authority or Transit Police transferred into the New York Police Department.

source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/opa/html/faqs/tax_related_2.shtml

USPS Holidays 2009 - 2010 Postal Holiday schedule

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:54:29 GMT

2009 Postal Holidays

* Thursday, January 1 - New Year's Day
* Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
* Monday, February 16 - Washington's Birthday (President's Day)
* Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day
* Saturday, July 4 - Independence Day
* Monday, September 7 - Labor Day
* Monday, October 12 - Columbus Day
* Wednesday, November 11 - Veterans Day
* Thursday, November 26 - Thanksgiving Day
* Friday, December 25 - Christmas Day
* Friday, January 1, 2010 - New Year's Day

2010 USPS Holidays

* New Years Day Friday, January 1st
* Birthday of Martin Luther King Monday, January 18th
* George Washingtons Birthday (commonly known as Presidents Day) Monday, February 15th
* Memorial Day Monday, May 31st
* Independence Day Monday, July 5th ¹
* Labor Day Monday, September 6th
* Columbus Day Monday, October 11th
* Veterans Day Thursday, November 11th
* Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 25th
* Christmas Day Friday, December 24th ²

¹ July 4, 2010 (the legal public holiday for Independence Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees including postal employees, Monday, July 5, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See section 3(a) of Executive order 11582, February 11, 1971.)

² December 25, 2010 (the legal public holiday for Christmas Day), falls on a Saturday. For most Federal employees, Friday, December 24, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).)

Insulated Garage Door installations eligible for tax credit in 2009 and 2010

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:23:20 GMT

Elgible Insulated Garage Doors may qualify for a ta tax credit if installed in 2009 or 2010

The new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama on Feb. 17, 2009, U.S.

Tax credits are available for qualifying garage door purchases placed in service from Jan. 1, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2010. The maximum tax credit a taxpayer may claim is 30 percent of the cost of each product and $1500 over the lifetime of the tax credit periods (2009 and 2010).

A qualifying garage door installation is all of the following:
* The door must be an insulated residential garage door, installed on an insulated garage.
* The door's U-factor must be less than or equal to 0.30, even if the door contains windows.
* The door perimeter must be able to control air infiltration.
* The door must be expected to remain in service for at least five years.
* The garage must be part of the taxpayer's principal U.S. residence.

As well as receiving the credit a new garage door can also significantly improve a curb appeal and value.

Other Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency includes:

* Tax Credits for Consumers
o Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 & 2010 (for existing homes only) for:
+ Windows and Doors
+ Insulation
+ Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)
+ HVAC
+ Water Heaters (non-solar)
+ Biomass Stoves
o Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016 (for existing homes & new construction) for:
+ Geothermal Heat Pumps
+ Solar Panels
+ Solar Water Heaters
+ Small Wind Energy Systems
+ Fuel Cells
* Cars
* Tax Credits for Home Builders
* Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings
* For More Information

As you may know, a tax credit is more advantageous than a tax deduction since it decreases your tax liability dollar for dollar, as opposed to a tax deduction which decreases your taxable income subject to tax.

Source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credit

Let's all support Earth Hour

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:05:48 GMT

This Saturday 28 March At 8.30Pm You Can save Earth By Switching Off Your Lights For One Hour.

According to a Zogby International online survey 36 million people participated in Earth Hour 2008.

Link: http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction 2008 2009

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:25:21 GMT

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Most people are able to deduct fully the amount of mortgage interest paid during the year as an itemized deduction any mortgage paid during the tax year. Mortgage Interest is deducted on Lines 10-14 of Schedule A of Form 1040.

However, the deduction does have some limitations. The deduction is limited to mortgages you took out after October 13, 1987, to buy, build, or improve your home (called home acquisition debt). You also can only fully deduct mortgages that had balances totaling $1 million or less ($500,000 if married filing separately). If the balances on your mortgages totaled $1,000,000 million or more see the table below to see if you qualify for a partial deduction. Read More...

Job Scam: Dear Jobseeker Part-time employment: Accountant (Remote vacancy; 2500 USD/month, No investment)

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:26:04 GMT

Note: This is part 14 in the Job Scam Series.

I just received this another job scam offer. Now I don't usually post them unless a company name is listed in the email. But this email was targeting accountants and being an accountant myself, I figured it's my obligation to post this one. If you have a job scam to submit send it here.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A Google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
9.) The email fails to mention you by name. Starts off with generic opening (ie: Dear job seeker, Dear applicant).
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Yesenia Albert said:

From: Yesenia Albert
Subject: Part-time employment: Accountant (Remote vacancy; 2500 USD/month, No investment)
Sent: Fri 1/23/09 9:43 AM
Dear Job Seeker,

Due to converge of our mutual interests within the boundaries of the employment process, we'd like to manifest provision of the newly opened entry, available for your immediate contemplation.

An expansion process, has inevitably triggered the underscored insurance company to form complementary positions within the market of operation.

We're providing a feasible opportunity to put your legal background to use in the insurance/accounting sphere. Undoubtedly, our ultimate aim is to bring the confort work environment, stimulating a reciprocal leap towards beneficial and justifying operating conditions.

Informational table is presented below, to briefly outline the opening.

* Benefits and privileges:

-Feasible career advancement opportunities.
-Extensive tutelage (probation period) for the first two months.
-Fixed payout, resulting in 2000 USD monthly.
-Outstanding reimbursement plan.

* Requirements:

- Accuracy and leadership in the assigned operations
- Interpersonal and communication skills.
- Swift decision-making.
- Honesty and law obedience.
- Proficient use of Microsoft Office.

* Primary responsibilities:

- Preparing invoices, compiling itemized charges and submitting bills concerning insurance reimbursement enquiries.
- Commencing insurance operations (reimbursement cases).
- Consolidating viable documentation, records and paperwork.
- This is not insurance sales position and you don't need to sell insurance, this is Money Manager vacancy.

If you want to apply please send all your questions and contact information ONLY to e-mail: HRManagerPIC31@gmail.com
We're looking forward to our further communication.

Julie Mathews. HR department.
ID: 2516963186206132183223

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:32:30 GMT

Hey, I just realized the lyrics to Peter Gabriel's song "Don't Give up" can be used as an anthem for today's economy:

Peter Gabriel said:

In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail

No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
Ive changed my face, Ive changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose

Dont give up
cos you have friends
Dont give up
Youre not beaten yet
Dont give up
I know you can make it good

Though I saw it all around
Never thought I could be affected
Thought that wed be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn

Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground

Dont give up
You still have us
Dont give up
We dont need much of anything
Dont give up
cause somewhere theres a place
Where we belong

Rest your head
You worry too much
Its going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Dont give up
Please dont give up

got to walk out of here
I cant take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That rivers flowing
That rivers flowing

Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs

Dont give up
cause you have friends
Dont give up
Youre not the only one
Dont give up
No reason to be ashamed
Dont give up
You still have us
Dont give up now
Were proud of who you are
Dont give up
You know its never been easy
Dont give up
cause I believe theres the a place
Theres a place where we belong

2009 Payroll Tax Limits - 2009 FICA tax limits

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:07:45 GMT

Below is a table summarizing the numerous payroll limits for 2004-2009. Read More...

What were you thinking?

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:27:26 GMT

Hmmm... this happened not too from not too far from me.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20090227/NEWS04/902270400 said:

Troopers: Man covered in red paint was carrying deer parts on I-84 median

By Terence Corcoran
The Journal News February 27, 2009

EAST FISHKILL - State police arrested a Dutchess County man yesterday after they found him walking on the median of Interstate 84, covered in red paint while carrying a deer head and leg.

Police said that James Carlson, 19, of Hopewell Junction had a spray can or red paint along with the dead deer parts when was found around 11:25 a.m.

"Mr. Carlson could not give any reasonable explanation for walking out on the highway, carrying paint and dead deer parts," police said in a release today.

He was charged with possession of graffiti instruments, a misdemeanor, being a pedestrian on a controlled access highway and disorderly conduct, violations, police said.

He is due March 12 in East Fishkill Town Court.

Scam: Starco company Limited

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:19:12 GMT

Note: This is part 13 in the Job Scam Series.

This was submitted by an anonymous visitor. If you have a job scam to submit send it here. Include the headers of your message and any additional information you have.
Thanks!

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Starco company Limited said:

Dear Candidate,
We got your resume and your application for our ad. We are
sincerely sorry to inform you that the position for the Data Entry has
been occupied. Our manager went through your resume
and you have been picked for an alternative Job which is the Payment
Personnel. The Customer Service/Receptionist position has been
occupied and now what we need is a representative and Account
Receivable / Payment Personal manager for the company on financial
issues.
About The Company : Starco company Limited
(Starco group of company)is a U.K Company and with
established, leaders in innovative Art Works Technology, providing art
materials worldwide. We serve the entire United States and a growing
export market. Your primary task for now, as a representative of the
company is to coordinate payments from customers and help us with the
payment process. You are not involved in any sales. Once orders are
received and sorted we deliver the product to a customer. After this
has been done the customer has to pay for the products but in most
cases we make our clients prepay for orders or items they ordered for.
About 90 percent of our customers prefer to pay through Credit Card
Transfers,Cashiers Check , Certified Checks or Money Orders drawn from
the United State based on the amount involved why Only few decides on
Bank Transfers which is not also a Suitable. We have decided to open
this new contract to hire job position for solving this problem. Your
First Primary task (Collection of Payments)
WHAT YOUR NEED TO DO FOR US
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank or Deposit payment and let us know how
long its going to take before it clear the Bank
3. Deduct 10 % which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the
offices you will be instructed to send payment to, You'll have a lot
of free time doing another job, because this is a part time job,
you'll get good income. But this job is very challenging and you
should understand it. We are considering your application because you
satisfy our requirements and we are sure you will be an earnest
assistant till we start running our branch office in your state. For
example if you receive 4000.00 USD and your 10% should be 400.00 USD
Plus your basis monthly salary is 1000.00 USD here are the information
you are to provide then we will get back to you after we must have
gone through it all. Get back to us with information below
information, so that we can add your mailing address to our Regional
database and forward it to our customers as one of our Payment
Personnel and Account Receivable Official.
Please Apply by filling the Requirements Below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Full Names:_______________
* Address:__________________
* City:_____________________
* State:____________________
* Zip Code:_________________
* Home Phone:____________________
* Cell Phone:____________________
* Email:____________________
* Present Occupation:_______
* Sex:______________________

Thanks for your anticipated action. And we hope to hear back from you.
Regards,

Mandrack
Starco company Limited

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

New Page: Funny Wifi names

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:13:49 GMT

I am always looking for funny creative cool names to rename my wireless internet router. So... I created a page so you can submit the funny wireless WIFI networks around you.

Check it out:
Funny WiFi Network Names

Please , submit your funny wifi name!

Mortgage stimulus: I like this guys thinking...

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:06:22 GMT

I just ran article from Times.com that had an idea for a possibly more effective stimulus plan. How about we just cut every US mortgage by 30%. For example if you owe $250 today you will then only owe 175,000.

Here what this could do for the economy:

all mortgage-basedsecurities will become less "toxic".
Less forclosures .. with a lower balance more people can refinance to get lower rates/payments making it easier to afford payments.
More money to spend elsewhere - People will spend more which benefits every business

The cost:
US Home mortgage debt is approximately 12 trillion dollars which would amount to mortgage write downs of approximately 3.6 trillion (or 3 trillion per the article). This is more than the 800 billion dollar stimulus currently being debated in congress however if the current stimulus does not significantly lower the rate of foreclosure (which is likely) the price tag could be significantly higher.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1879270,00.html said:

A Better Bank Fix: Cut Every Mortgage's Principal
By Ari J. Officer Friday, Feb. 13, 2009
fixing banks trimming dollars
Images.com / Corbis

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has unveiled a new plan to combat the financial crisis: convincing private financial institutions to buy up "toxic assets" with the government's backing. While this is a step up from former Secretary Henry Paulson's original bailout planin which the government itself would buy up the bad securitiesit is still not the right approach.
More Related

* 18 Tough Questions (and Answers) About the Bailout
* Homeowners Ask: Hey Washington, Little Help?
* How to Stop the Banks Bleeding: No Easy Choices

Instead, there is a better, cheaper, less risky, more direct way to improve banks' balance sheets and restore confidence. Here's how:

Reduce the outstanding principal on every single mortgage to, say, 70% of the original value. Yes, you read that correctly: Lower every single American's mortgage debt by a fixed percentage. (See 25 people to blame for the financial crisis.)

If homeowners owe less money on their mortgages, they will be less likely to stop making their payments. The plan is equivalent to a universal renegotiation of terms that improves the situation for both homeowners and banks. As a bonus, mortgage-backedand, indeed, all mortgage-basedsecurities will become less "toxic" by virtue of a trickle-up effect.

Experts have pointed to a $30.6 billion deal between Merrill Lynch and the Lone Star group of private equity funds as a model for the new government plan. Lone Star purchased that amount of Merrill Lynch's portfolio of asset-backed securities. Merrill Lynch reduced Lone Star's risk by financing three-quarters of the purchase. Therefore, Lone Star had limited risk, similar to how funds would have limited risk buying the bad securities with government backing. But the most important part of the deal was not Lone Star's risk; it was the price. Lone Star paid 22 cents on the dollar. This means that Merrill Lynch had priced its asset-backed assets somewhere around 22% of their original value. (Watch a video of a car dealer staying optimistic in tough times.)

Geithner hopes to encourage private investors to buy these asset-backed securities, giving the banks cash and eliminating further downside risk to their portfolios. But why not try to actually make the securities more valuable, in reality, so that investors want to buy them from the banks, without the need for government support?

Thus far, the government has focused on trickle-down solutions: dealing with complicated assets like mortgage-based securities in the hopes of stabilizing the values of more concrete assets, such as homes. In contrast, my approach addresses the root of the problem. Thus, the government would help ensure that the mortgage-based securities find a stable price via a trickle-up effect. After all, it would take an inconceivable number of foreclosures at 70% of principal to justify the assets' trading down to 22% of their face value.

This plan costs the governmentand the American taxpayernothing but a trivial amount, the operating costs. Again, it is nowhere near as complex as what the government has done so far. It carries a small price tag compared to the massive, mostly ineffectual spending that has been the basis of the current policies. (See pictures of the global financial crisis.)

Why lower the principal of the mortgages instead of reducing the interest rate of the loan? Because it creates far more incentive for homeowners to continue mortgage payments. Moreover, with all the "exotic" loans out there, many with adjustable rates, the principal component is the only standard across all mortgages. Adjusting the remaining principal, then, is the most general way to renegotiate all mortgages as equitably as possible.

Further, there is currently a crisis of confidence in the banking world. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the future of asset values and the prices of complicated derivatives like mortgage-based securities, the banks are hoarding money. They lack trust even to lend to each other. Reducing mortgage principals addresses both of those problems directly. By stabilizing the mortgage markets, much of the uncertainty will vanish. Banks' balance sheets could stabilize. And confidence may very well return.

Implementation is the most difficult part of this proposal. While many financial institutions would immediately discount the plan, ultimately convincing them to accept it is not unreasonable. It is true that for those institutions that hold physical mortgages, their maximum potential profit will go down by the discount. For a 30% decrease in principal, the math works out to some $3 trillion potentially lost on residential mortgages, as of mid-2008, according to the Federal Reserve. But if Americans keep defaulting on these mortgages, and asset values continue to crash, the total loss to the financial world will be far greater than $3 trillion.

It is also true that the banks will probably want to discriminate: Why should they lower the principal on "good" mortgages? Why not just on those most likely to foreclose? Thanks to tranches, the "good" have been rolled together with the "bad", and specialized renegotiation is easier said than done. That is why banks have not already renegotiated loans on a large scale. But with the government's pressure, lowering the remaining principal on every mortgage could easily become a reality.

The only banks that could legitimately lose on this are those that hold nothing but "good" mortgages or tranches of "good" mortgages, with no "bad" assets. Since TARP has attracted such interest from virtually every bank, we can conclude that such "good"-mortgage banks exist only in small number.

Other advantages of this solution are that it is universal and non-discriminatory: every mortgage holder in the United States gets a break. Homeowners without mortgages also benefit, as foreclosures directly lead to deflated home values, and foreclosures will be reduced considerably. At the same time, the banks' assets will have a greater inherent value: their balance sheets will improve, and they are likely to begin loaning sooner than with the government plans.

Unlike Geithner's plan, this solution is simple and transparent. It does not require the government to price complicated derivatives. It requires only one decision: by what uniform percentage to reduce mortgages. And unlike all of the other plans out there, it does not require significant government spending. It is also politically palatable, as it does not discriminate and does not rescue certain institutions over others. Homeowners get the most direct benefit, and the solution is efficient because of its flat-tax-like nature. Just about everybody wins.

Job Scam: Hl Plastics - Customer Service Position

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:57:35 GMT

Note: This is part 12 in the Job Scam Series.

This is a wide spread job scam. Most of the time the scammers gets your email address from ads placed on Craigslist. Avoid any association with this scam and do not respond to any emails from HL Plastics If you already sent an email with your information they will promptly send you check to deposit once your job application is "accepted". Do not cash any checks received from the this "job". The scammers are issuing fraudulent checks using accounts of real companies. Once the bank finds out the the checks are fake or fraudulent they will reverse the deposit. Even know the money may show in your account initially, it will soon be taken out.

If you received a scam from a different company please forward the scam to:

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Hl Plastics (jobs.resumes10[at]yahoo.com) said:

From: Hl Plastics (jobs.resumes10[at]yahoo.com)
Sent: Fri 1/23/09 9:43 AM
Dear Applicant,

Thanks you for applying for the job Customer Service in our Company posted on Craigslist. You are getting this email in regards to the resume you sent us on Craigslist for the Customer Service. We are sincerely sorry to inform you that the position for the Customer Service has been occupied. Our manager went through your resume and you have been picked for an alternative Job which is the Payment Personnel. On Craigslist you can find more details about our company and we are very sure you would want to read more.

ABOUT US : (HL Plastics)

HL Plastics manufactures an impressive array of standard and bespoke products such as bespoke plastic extrusions and plastic piling. The products manufactured utilize both extrusion and molding technologies, supported by a range of secondary processes for specialist finishing. In-house design, tool making and manufacturing are all housed in our state-of-the-art factory near Derby, which contains some of the most advanced extrusion and molding equipment available. Well known for our capabilities as a trade supplier of extruded profiles and injection mounded products, HL also manufactures PVC u decking, fencing, and caravan veranda products.We serve the entire United States and a growing export market.

We have accepted your application for the job and We have your information in our database. The HR Managers checked your resume and you have been picked as one of our possible candidates for Accounts Receivable Manager due to some factors of the Company, Your primary task would be receiving payments for our company and Customers.We are about to open a representative offices or authorized sales centers in some local city in the States. Your Accounts Receivable Clerk duty would be that you become our Account Receivable Manager (ARM) and its a contract -to-hire position which is a 1 month trial after which the position is made full time.Please be advised that we need total dedication for the job. Interview and Instructions will be scheduled for you when you get payment for the company, get payment from our client and customers as your first assignment for the Account Receivable Manager.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR US:

Your First Primary task (Collection of Payments).
1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients.
2. Cash Payment at your Bank or Deposit payment and let us know how long its going to take before it clear the Bank
3. Deduct 10 % which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be instructed to send payment to, you¢ll have a lot of free time doing another job, because this is a part time job, you'll get good income. But this job is very challenging and you should understand it. We are considering your application because you satisfy our requirements and we are sure you will be an earnest assistant till we start running our branch office in your state.

For example: if you receive 4000.00 USD and your 10% should be 400.00 USD Plus your basis monthly salary is 1000.00 USD here are the information you are to provide then we will get back to you after we must have gone through it all.

You have to fill the information given to you below so that we can add your mailing address to our Regional database and we have to re-confirmed the mailing address in our Database.

Please apply by filling the Requirements Below:

* Full Name_______________
* Address_________________
* City____________________
* State___________________
* Zip Code________________
* Home Phone______________
* Cell Phone______________
* Age_____________________
* Email___________________
* Present Occupation______
* Sex_____________________

Your response to this email is needed, so that we can reconfirm your mailing address details we have in our data base. I will let you know what to do please we need total dedication to this Job. Your prompt reply will determine how hardworking and fast you will handle the Job (Account Receivable Position).We will be waiting for prompt reply from you if you are really ready for the job position and I will let you know when the payment has been sent and i will let you know what to do please we need total dedication to this Job. We will be looking forward to hear from you for the job position.

Thanks for your understanding and we look forward for your quick reply with contact information requested from you and get it sent for the Human Resources Manager and Company Headquarter to have in the Company Database.

Human Resources,
HL Plastics.

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

Job Scam: Santos Textile Company Limited - Adjustment Clerk

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:52:08 GMT

Note: This is part 11 in the Job Scam Series.

This was submitted by "Steve" from here. Thanks, Steve

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

Vicki Moore (m.vicki[at]rocketmail.com) said:
EMPLOYMENT FORM
Dear Applicant,

You are getting this email in regards to the resume you sent us through Cragslist, for the Position of a Adjustment Clerks. We have accepted your application for the job and We have your information in our database. The HR Managers checked your resume and you have been picked as one of our possible candidates for Accounts Receivable Manager due to some factors of the Company, Your primary task would be receiving payments for our Company and Customers. We are about to open a representative offices or authorized sales centers in some local city in the States. Your Adjustment Clerks duty would be that you become our Account Receivable Manager (ARM) and its a contract-to-hire position which is a 1 month trail after which the position is made full time.

ABOUT US
Santos Textile was established in Lurgan in 1981, and named after Santos House in Lurgan, County Armagh. Santos Textile specializes in fine household linens with a strong ethnic Irish appeal. We regard each of our pieces as a potential heirloom for future generations. Like all heritage, Santos Textile should be treasured, treated kindly, and above all enjoyed. Our product range includes tablecloths, napkins, tray cloths, placemats, table centers, table runners, coasters, trolley cloths, tea towels, and bun warmers, for the kitchen or the dining room.

We serve the entire United States and a growing export market. Your primary task for now, as a representative of the company is to co-ordinate payments from customers and help us with the payment process. You are not involved in any sales. Once orders are received and sorted we deliver the product to a customer. After this has been done the customer has to pay for the products but in most cases we make our clients prepay for orders or items they ordered for. About 90 percent of our customers prefer to pay through cashiers check Money Orders and certified checks . United States based on the amount involved, only few decides on Bank Transfers which is not also suitable. We have decided to open this new contract to hire job position for solving this problem

JOB SUMMARY
1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients..
2. Cash Payment at your Bank or Deposit payment and let us know how long itʼs going to take before it clears at the Bank
3. Deduct 10 % which will be your percentage pay on Payment processed
4. Forward balance after
deduction of processing charges to any of the offices you will be instructed to send payment to, youʼll have a lot of free time doing another job, because this is apart time job, you'll get good income. But this job is very challenging and you should understand it. We are considering your application because you satisfy our requirements and we are sure you will be an earnest assistant till we start running our branch office in your state. Here is the information you are to provide then we will get back to you after we must have gone through it all. Get back to us with the information below, so that we can add your mailing address to our Regional database and forward it to our customers for them to send payments.

Please Apply by filling the Requirements Below:
First name: ..................
Middle name: ...............
Last name: ....................
Address Line 1: ............
Address Line 2: ............
City: .........................
State: ........................
Zip/Postal code: .........
Home phone: ...............
Cell phone: ...................
Recent occupation: .......
Personal Email Address: .....

WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS WORK:
(1) You are not investing any money in this.
(2) Your BANK account information is not needed.
(3) You are not to pay any fee on application/confirmation.
(4) You don't need any special knowledge in the field of accounting or Book-keeping.
(5) No special membership is incurred.
(6) This work will take about two hours per day and is not tiresome.
(7) Your work will start immediately after going through the employment processing and there is a satisfactory from the company.
(8) You'll have a lot of free time doing another job.
(9) You'll get good income and regular
job. But this job is very challenging and you should understand its requirements.
We are looking only for the worker who satisfy our requirement and will be a serious assistant.

Santos Textile Company Limited
Registered in N.I. No. R713
VAT No. GB 251785447
HIRING MANAGER,
Vicki Moore.
http://www.santos-textiles.com

Their website doesn't even work!

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

Job Scam: Position with Softtehnics IT-Company

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:40:07 GMT

Note: This is part 10 in the Job Scam Series.

This is a very poor attempt at a job scam. It's too vague and nonprofessional written. Nonetheless, it got past my filters so its worth noting.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

bobby.smith.bsn@gmail.com said:
Found Position for You

Hello,

I am Denis Lavrov, manager of Softtehnics IT-Company, we are specialized in enterprise application development, system integration, corporate networks and other software solutions for business, finance and for various types of problems.

Today our company is searching for employees for our company to improve the quality of service and to speed up the processing of orders. It is not important where did you work before or where are you working now, but if you have combination possibility, you are sociable, responsible and self-exacting, you have a magnificent opportunity to become our employee and to receive high income.

Salary: $ 3000 a month + 5 % from each operation

Your job will be to accept funds in the form of wire transfers and check payments forwarding them to us. We also consider in opening an office in your country in the nearest future where you will have certain privileges if you decide to apply for a full-time job.

Requirements: the age from 21, communication experience, operational experience with documents, operational experience in management, advanced level in using personal computer, constant access to the Internet for working in the Internet office, more than 3 free hours a day.

Please send the resume on the E-mail: bobby.smith.bsn@gmail.com

If you received this please post a comment so I know posting these warnings are useful.

Prepare for meeting with your tax preparer

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:55:58 GMT

Here are tips to save time and money by preparing to meet with your CPA professional tax return accountant:

Take your documents out of envelopes - neatly organized files saves you time.
If your going to new preparer bring copies of prior year return (fed and state)
Unless you want to pay your preparer to sort, organize, and add up receipts. Have your receipts organized and totaled by category. Have other relevant documents organized by category.
Provide relevant computer data files - If you track your finances with a program such as Quicken or Excel, bring the data file with you OR provide category reports to the accountant. He may see a deduction you missed or need additional information then. You also may want to provide a year end credit card statement for same reason.
have SS#, birthdate, and names of all dependents
Have your bank account information (routing# and account#) for direct deposit of refunds
Have cost basis of any stocks sold
Provide closing documents if you bought/sold home.
A summary sheet with all information you are providing is always helpful but not necessary. This will make sure we don't miss anything.

Songs with helicopters in them

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:29:27 GMT

I am trying to come up a music playlist of songs that have helicopter noise in them.

Here is what I have so far:

Metallica - One (beginning)
Pink Floyd- Another Brick in the Wall 2 (end)
Def Leppard - Die Hard the Hunter
Pink Floyd - The Happiest days of Our Lives
Rush - Countdown
Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon (beginning)

Update 2/13/09:

Audioslave - Cochise (beginning)
Aldo Nova - Fantasy (beginning)

Please add any other tracks that you know of with helicopters in them.

Google breaks the internet.

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:13:14 GMT

According to Google tjshome.com may harm your computer. If you do a search for tjshome.com you get the following warning message under each result "This site may harm your computer"

Apparently it's not just Tjshome.com a Google search for "Google" turns up the warning message as well.

I guess billion dollar companies don't test their code before they implement it either.

IRS: The security policy for your network prevents your request from being allowed at this time.

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:03:51 GMT

First person to read this please tell me if you are able to access http://irs.gov.

I receive the following:

IRS.gov said:

ERROR
Access Denied

* Access Denied by security policy

The security policy for your network prevents your request from being allowed at this time. Please contact your administrator if you feel this is incorrect.

Thanks.

GPS Stupid : Three cars struck by train at same intersection in separate incidents.

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:36:38 GMT

GPS Stupid is when people place too much reliance on their GPS (Global Positioning System) and do not rely on common sense when driving.

To give you more of an idea let me tell you about an intersection with a train crossing in my home. In the past year there have been three incidents where a train hit a car because they got stuck on the tracks. In two of the incidents the drivers admitted that they turned onto the tracks because their GPS told them too.

The intersection is located in Bedford, NY on Green Ln just before the entrance to the Saw Mill River Parkway:

View Larger Map

Incident #1: 1/3/08 GPS mishap caused Bedford Hills train-car crash - NY Journal News

Incident #2 - 9/30/08: Car GPS blamed for train accident ABC News

Incident #3 - 1/9/08: Driver whose car was hit by Bedford train: Signals were late (appears non GPS related but same intersection)

Shout out to emtbravo

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:09:17 GMT

I want to give a shout out to emtbravo for being fast to the scene. EMTbravo provides fire and police incident reports in Westchester and NYC's other Northern suburbs.

I just heard a siren hear in Mount Kisco and again we have a fire:

emtbravo.net said:

Date: 1/13/09
Time: 0030
Location: 70 Boltis Street Mount Kisco
Frequency: 46.2600 - County Trunk System
Units Operating: Mount Kisco FD / Bedford Hills FD
Description Of Incident:structure fire
Writer: Crime Cop

0028 Command O/S reporting a working structure fire
0030 Command requesting Bedford Hills F.A.S.T. team to the scene
0036 Chappaqua one engine and one truck relocate to Mt. Kisco Station 1

There was a fire not far from here in Bedford on my birthday that completely gutted a house not far from here:

Quote:

Date: 12/30/2008
Time: 1334hrs
Location: 411 Bedford Rd
Frequency: 46.26, Trunk 16 FG 1
Units Operating: Bedford Hills E-198, 199, TL-57, T-5, Car 2032, 2033; Mount Kisco FAST, E-104; Katonah Engine.
Description Of Incident: Fully-involved 2.5-story frame 20X40 P/D.
Writer: EJS1810, Truck4

EMTbravo had the incident report almost immediately after I heard the fire alarms which was pretty impressive. So if your looking for westchester county fire incident reports check out emtbravo. They are an excellent resource when your wondering why the hell you heard all those sirens or why a house in your neighborhood you saw up yesterday is burned down today.

Job Scam: Career Builder Position349

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:04:44 GMT

Note: This is part 8 in the Job Scam Series.

This is the most complex job scam email I received so far. The email does not contain a reply to address and they ask you to complete your application through a form on the website. The whois data shows the website is registered to a NY marketing company however is probably not a legit company.

Other than this being a work-at-home position I noticed the email came from the @googlemail.com domian and that the website was only register 9-23-08 which are some of the give aways that this is a scam.

It seems as though this may be an attempt to harvest data to send marketing to you based on the information you provide but it could also be used for indenty theft.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your states attorney general's office
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

smallnah@googlemail.com said:
CareerBuilder Home Based Job Position ($2K/mo)

Applicants applying should be based in the United States.

Prospective Hire,

Our Human Resource Staff has reviewed your contact details for employment consideration. The vacancy available with our Company is an admin position which allows the assistant to work from home. This is primarily an online job paying a guaranteed $2,000 each month. After a 6 month probationary period benefits will be available to each assistant. These benefits include life insurance, dental, and health. Select assistants will be eligible for advancement to a staff position after 6 months.

This employment offer is serious and only serious individuals need apply. If this position is a great way to complement your income needs then you should apply NOW. This is a part-time position offering full time benefits and pay. Only a few hours of your time each week is required. Work schedules can be flexible. Or management and staff are willing to work around nearly any schedule. Thank you for your time and we hope to be welcoming you to our Company.

Important Note:
All interested applicants should complete the employment application located on the website at www.Position349.Com
under the Employment Section.

If you feel you received this email in error please accept our sincere apology. No further action is needed on your part and you will be removed from our system automatically if you do not respond to this offer for employment. Thank you for understanding and sorry for any inconvenience.

Applicants applying should be based in the United States.

--
Best Regards,
Hiring Management
www.Position349.Com

Web Designers: Update your copyright years!!

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:17:32 GMT

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:

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 ";
?>

Taking a short break from posting

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:32:34 GMT

TJ hasn't been posting lately so I thought I'd provide a link you can visit during intermision:

http://shortformblog.com/ - Here's an interesting way to style your blog to attract attention.

I'll be back next week.

He's a grinch: Let's all boycott the Salvation Army Santa's

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:45:56 GMT

Among several holiday traditions I can't stand are those Salvation Santa Clauses that appear way to early in the holiday season outside the local supermarket, Walmart, city corner, or shopping mall. I find them equivalent to the homeless panhandler and find the bell irritating. My deep despise of these Santa has led to my boycott of their purpose and their change kettles. I ask that all my readers join me in my boycott and maybe we can eliminate this holiday tradition like the way of the fruit cake.

But WAIT before you call me a self centered prick read on...

I am not saying don't donate to the salvation army. Actually, I want to encourage you to donate to them. With the current state of the economy charities or having a particularly difficult time. So donate... please donate just don't give it to Santa use other means. Use their website to make a donation or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY to donate by phone. If you donate just $10 you probably make up for 20-30 people who add their spare change into the red kettle. If you and everyone donates $10 through the website instead of the red bin the Salvation Army Santa's will have no reason to stand in the cold ringing that annoying bell. You can finally exit your shopping mall without the guilt because you walked right passed Santa without even establishing eye contact. People you can gain your sanity back and you CAN make a difference, it's Christmas for god sakes.

Donate Now

Effectively using google analytics event tracking.

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:35:05 GMT

Google is constantly monitoring my site and issuing new features to me daily through their ton of services I use from them. We all know I need Google to survive and Google needs me to survive. Okay well maybe not the latter.

Most recently they enabled event tracking on my Analytics account. Analytics tracks visitors data and Event tracking adds the ability to track interactions with Web 2.0 style content such as Flash, AJAX, Silverlight, social networking apps. Unfortunately tjshome.com isn't exactly Web 2.0 style so I probably have little use if any for this. But wanted suggestions from other web developers on how to make use of this feature from others and see how you putting this feature to use. So is anyone using this? It's only available to select account as of yet and I couldn't find much helpful information with a google search.

Here is the email I received:

google.com said:
Greetings from Google Analytics,

We are happy to let you know that the Event Tracking feature is now available in all profiles for the following Google Analytics Account ID: 624085. Please note that you are receiving this email update because you are an 'Admin' or designated contact for the account listed above.

When you log in to these profiles, you will see a new set of reports called "Event Tracking" under the Content section. As posted on our blog, this is a limited release currently available only to select profiles.

Event Tracking allows you to track interactions with Web 2.0 style content such as Flash, AJAX, Silverlight, social networking apps, etc. We recently made tracking Adobe Flash even easier with the release of a new Flash Tracking client library. It allows for much simpler tracking of Flash content with drag and drop functionality and an open source framework.

To use Event Tracking, you will need to upgrade your site to use the new ga.js javascript. Detailed instructions on how to set up Event Tracking on your site are available on our CodeSite.

To find your ga.js code snippet, edit the settings for your profile and click the "Check Status" link on the upper right corner of the page. You can now track interactions beyond just pageviews.

Sincerely,

The Google Analytics Team

2008 (and 2004) election results by IQ

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:07:17 GMT

This time the smart ones win.

Below you will see 2008 election results sorted by ID. As you can see for some reason or another the smart states voted for Barack Obama while the less the IQ the more likely you voted for John McCain.

The turn out for 2004 was a little different. The lower the IQ the more likely you voted for Bush as opposed to Kerry. In this election the lower IQ prevailed in that Bush was elected president for another 4 years of torture.

After the 2004 results maybe we need implement a IQ requirement before allowing the privilege to vote.

Your way over your head in debt

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:43:58 GMT

The Gross National debt continues to rise at alarming pace.

There are currently 300,000,000 citizens in the United States so with national debt of more than 10,600,000,000,000 (see actual figure) that means that each persons share of this debt is around $35,333. Read More...

All Mystery Shopper Job Opportunities are scams

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:36:48 GMT

Note: This is part 7 in the Job Scam Series.

These are big scam and most likely any mystery shopper job is either going to require you pay a fee for information that is otherwise free, is going to try and get you to wire money, or steal your banking information. You would never have to pay an upfront fee to apply to a legitimate job.

How do I spot a job scam?
1.) The message is for a position that you did not apply for
2.) The message is from or asking for a reply to an email address from a free email provider (ie: @yahoo.com, @gmail.com)
3.)The position is for a work at home job. Let's get real here most of these positions are hard to come by.
4.) The message provides no phone and/or no mailing address
5.) The company does not have a website or the website was created in the last year. Do a whois lookup to see when a domain was created.
6.) The job has few qualifications
7.) The message is written with poor english
8.) A google search for the company finds little or no history for the company
*** This list is not all inclusive. Remember if you have to ask yourself if it's a scam it probably is!

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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.
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

If you also received this scam please post a comment below, so I know these warnings are being read and I will continue to keep posting in future. Thank you.

some scammer said:
Thank you for your interest in the Mystery Shopper position.

Our company conducts surveys and evaluates other companies in order to help them achieve their performance goals.
We offer an integrated suite of business solutions that enables corporations to achieve tangible results in the marketplace.
We get hired by other companies and act like customers to find out how they are handling their services in relation to their customers.

Mystery Shopping is the most accurate and reliable tool a business can use to gather information regarding their actual customer service performance at the moment of truth. This moment of truth is not when the staff is on their best behavior because the boss is around - it is when they interact with customers during their normal daily routines.
This is where you, the Mystery Shopper, come in. You pose as an ordinary customer and provide feedback of both factual observations (ex...the floor was free of debris) and your own opinions (ex...I felt that the temperature in the establishment was too cold).

Mystery Shoppers must remain anonymous. You must act as a regular customer and be careful not to do anything that would reveal you as a shopper. An inexperienced shopper could tip off the staff to his/her identity by asking for the manager's name for no clear or appropriate reason. If you are going to be bringing someone with you on the shop, make sure you educate them about the process as well. Beware that even whispers can be overheard by employees. If anyone notices you are a shopper, you can bet that word will quickly spread around the establishment and you will get some of the best customer service in town.
No company can afford to have a gap between the promise of quality and its actual delivery, that's why leading corporations look to us, the nation's premiere mystery shopping and customer experience measurement company.

In order for a business to effectively compete in today's economy, they must be prepared to meet the challenge of increasing sales by:
* Retaining existing customers
* Acquiring new customers
* Creating word-of-mouth advocacy
* Improving customer loyalty

Once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase merchandise or require services), after which you would
write a detailed report of your experience.

Examples of details you would forward to us are:
1) How long does it take to get served.
2) Politeness of the attendant.
3) Customer service professionalism.
4) Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they deal with difficult clients.

Then we turn the information over to the company executives and they will carry out their own duties in improving their services.
Most companies employ our assistance when people complain about their services, or when they feel there is a need for them to improve upon their customer service.
Our company partners with you to implement proven mystery shop auditing and surveying strategies that provide critical information about customer experiences.
You will be paid a commission of $100 for every duty you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance.
Your task will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of restaurants, retail stores, casinos, shopping malls, banks and hotels in your area.

Qualities of a good Mystery Shopper:
* Is 21 years of age or older
* Loves to go shopping
* Is fair and objective
* Is ON TIME
* Is very observant and able to focus on details
* Is fairly intelligent
* Has patience
* Is detail oriented
* Is practical
* Types well
* Is trustworthy
* Explains well in writing
* Is discreet
* Loves to learn
* Handles deadlines
* Has full internet access (at home or at work)

Mystery Shopping is fun and exciting but also must be approached very seriously and is definitely not for everyone.

If you are interested in applying for consideration as a Mystery Shopper do send in your information only at our e-mail: michael.bernard58@gmail.com

Full Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone Number:
Age:
Occupation:

As soon as we receive your information we will add you to our database and we will look for locations in your area that needs to be evaluated.

If you have any questions please reply on our e-mail: michael.bernard58@gmail.com

Thank you,
Michael Bernard
Best Surveys
505 Barranca Parkway
michael.bernard58@gmail.com
Irvine, CA 92604-3703

Scam: Job Opportunity with Business Monitor International

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:30:35 GMT

Note: This is part 6 in the Job Scam Series.

some scammer said:
Job oppotunity with Business Monitor International Our corporation actively is looking for Private client managers to deal with our virtual on-line team. Professional skill isn't required. Employment: Employee Part-time Preferable time: Mon-Fri; 9:30am � 12:30pm; Country: The US Description: private service support in financial assistant of our clients Salary: $ 1200 + 5% commission Education andor Experience: High school, college or equivalent of education and experience Requirements: 1. MS Office skills 2. US authorized work status 3. Adult age 4. E-mail and Internet access 5. Cell phone for urgent duties Now you are only one step away from successful career. Interested? Apply now and get reply in 24-48 hours. Send your 4-contact information to our Hiring Department: Try us and you will be glad you did! Thank you in advance. Regards Career Center of Business Monitor International

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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.
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

If you also received this scam please post a comment below, so I know these warnings are being read and I will continue to keep posting in future. Thank you.

Famous People from Mount Kisco NY

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:55:18 GMT

Here are some famous people/Celebrities from my Mount Kisco, NY (10549). I just moved here so I really didn't know any of these until now (except DMX).

* Michael Eisner was born here.
* John Schneider, TV actor, (The Dukes of Hazzard) was born here.
* Gavin McLeod, actor, was born here
* DMX owns a house here and the Mt Kisco, Applebees is is among his favorite hangouts.
* Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) lives here.
* singer Mariah Carey lived here
* Actress Susan Dey best known for her roles in The Partridge Family and L.A. Law grew up here.

There's a lot more who live in Bedford which I live of on the border of:
* Billy Baldwin
* Mariah Carey, vocalist, actress
* Chevy Chase
* Glenn Close
* Peter Frampton, Grammy-award winning musician
* Felicity Huffman, Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning film and television actress
* John Jay, founding father, diplomat, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, co-author of the Federalist Papers
* Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., environmental activist and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy
* Ralph Lauren, fashion designer and business executive
* Jennifer O'Neill, actress, accidentally shot herself at her residence in the hamlet of Bedford Hills
* Martha Stewart, business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate; owns a home in the Katonah hamlet
* Donald Trump, business executive, entrepreneur, television personality and author
* Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, resident of Bedford, 1941-1971
* Roone Arledge, sports broadcasting pioneer, resident of Bedford late 1960s - early 1970s.

I only listed the one's I knew so there are plenty more.

What famous people live in your town?

Best Song Lyrics - 2008

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:15:49 GMT

I am trying to come up with a list of the best lyrics from 2008... not necessarily the best song but best lyrics...

So far I have

Counting Crows - You Can't Count on Me

Flobot - Handlebars The premise of this song seems simple but if you dig into the lyrics it something much more.

Port O'Brien This song has the shortest lyrics but yet still good.

Okay so these are pretty lousy... anybody have better selection?

CargoNow jobs are a scam

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:23:24 GMT

Note: This is part 4 in the Job Scam Series.

scam email said:

Open position: Shipping/Receiving Clerk

CargoNOW! can handle all your transportation and logistics needs. We offer truckload, less than load, consolidated shipments, airfreight and expedited services; cross-country and worldwide.
Our company is looking for hard-working and smart professionals who can contribute to the companys production and success. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. If you're looking for short-term or long-term assignments, competitive pay rates and a variety of shift options that fit your needs.

The Shipping & Receiving Clerk is required to perform a complete range of shipping and receiving tasks. These tasks will include but will not be limited to receiving and checking shipment, packing boxes, breaking down shipments as directed by the Shipping & Receiving Supervisor

This Job will require that you have:
Attention to detail
- Warehouse experience
- Basic math skills
- Understanding of basic inventory control processes and cycle counting.
- Good understanding of Microsoft Excel and Word
- Stable internet connection at home/work computer
- All applicants applying for USA job openings must have the ability to prove eligibility to work in the United States

Duties:
Confirms shipping information by answering and relaying telephone, fax, and e-mail inquiries
Maintaining organization of all incoming and outgoing products
Prepares shipments by assembling, packing, protecting and labeling
Package and weigh orders for shipping
Ship all orders on time and with no mistakes.
Tracking incoming domestic and international shipments
- Other duties as assigned

Salary: $70 per package
Position Type: Full Time, Temporary/Contract/Project
Location: USA, Any state
Relocation: Not available

Contact:

For immediate consideration please email your resume in Microsoft Word or TXT format only to e-mail: ShermanFaulkner59@gmail.com

Chris Keller
ShermanFaulkner59@gmail.com
Human Resources Department

All resumes remain CONFIDENTIAL. To properly response to your resume, please place CN-2839 in the subject of your email.

This is a great opportunity with a growing company that cares about there employees!

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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.
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

If you also received this scam please post a comment below, so I know these warnings are being read and I will continue to keep posting in future. Thank you.

Scam: Canon Oil Inc accounts payable careers

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:01:21 GMT

Note: This is part 4 in the Job Scam Series.

It has been brought to my attention that scammers are emailing people job offers for "Canon Oil Inc" accounts payable positions. These job offers are scams. In some instances they are receiving your email information from Craigslist.org.

Here is a copy of the email received from one of our visitors:

nigerian scammer said:

Dear Applicant,

Your resume was sent to us through craigslist Recuiters Platform, we viewed
your resume and we think you are more than qualified for what we are looking
for. We are sorry for the late reply of the resume you sent to us .

The positions include Accountant, Sales and Marketing Executives in the US. Our
representative will be responsible for meeting with clients in their locality
and receiving payments on our behalf and remitting the payment to Head of
Accounts. This is a contract-to-hire position which is a 1 month trail after
which the position is made full time and you can work from home and this might
not affect your current job status. You can visit our
website on http://canonoilinc.vndv.com/career.html to learn more about the
open job position.

These scammers are probably going to either get you to wire them money or steal your bank information. Do not reply to these emails. Never send your bank information or wire money to people you met through the internet.

They stole most of the text on their website from a reputable company : ramosoil.com

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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.
Post a comment below with any information you have on this scam to inform other people to try and avoid any future victims. Post the email you received with exact wording if different from original posted so when people search for terms they find this warning.

If you also received this scam please post a comment below, so I know these warnings are being read and I will continue to keep posting in future. Thank you.

Apparently Facebook is down... Yahoo Answers is up

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:47:26 GMT

Some clicking in my referral logs led me to Yahoo Answers. Now if anyone doesn't know Yahoo Answers is where anybody is allowed ask a question for the internet public to answer. The questions are usually some of the stupidest questions (EX: Why is the Sky blue? is asked 2400 times) and the answers usually are no help either. I think they have users who have competitions (with themselves, I guess?) to see how many questions they can answer, because most answers are too general with no effort to be any help any way. The link I clicked was for questions relating to Facebook. Well, apparently Facebook is down because it led to about 200 questions on yahoo asking "Is Facebook down?". This is funny because first the need to ask this question more than once is stupid and second the panic that one website can evoke on the internet. Read More...

Why do a lot of cereal commercials advocate stealing cereal?

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:11:55 GMT

I mean what are we really trying to teach our kids here? Maybe video games aren't to blame for all the issues with kids today its the damn cereal commercials and their serial capers.

To list a few of the cereal villains:

1.) Trix - the rabbit is always trying to steal the Trix from the kids. The kids never share saying Trix are for kids.

2.) Lucky Charms - Here you have the iconic "Lucky" the leprechaun always running from the kids who are trying to steal his charms. Aren't we all suppose to get along?

3.) Fruity Pebbles - Here we have Flinstones Barney always trying to deceive a friend Fred to get his Fruity Pebbles... some friend heh?

4.) Cookie Crisp - Cookie Crisp has had a series of crooks as mascots to represent its cereal. From 1982-1997 it was Cookie Crook who was always getting arrested for trying to steal from kids and in recent years its been Chip the Wolf.

5.) Waffle Crisp - In a 1996 ad Grannies disguised as girls try to steal a stash of the cereal from their unsuspecting grandchildren... with a rifle.

Idiots Guide to Posting an Ad on Craigslist

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:02:14 GMT

Okay lets say you want to sell something on Craigslist. How about we say it's refrigerator.

A good description to sell this is not:

"White refrigerator for sale"

This is missing a lot of information and you are not going to get a lot of serious replies. You may also miss serious takers because they are not willing to email every ad asking for more details.

Here is some important information that should be included in every ad:

Brand
Model #/Part #
Photo ... if you do not have a digital camera find a stock picture of item off the internet... do a Google image search.
Color
Size
Price
Condition (good/decent/bad/like new)
What is included? (list all separate items included/power cord/ice tray/)

If you do not want to list all this information and the item is still for sale find the item on Amazon.com or other retailer and link to it.

If applicable:

List if the product Manual is included. If you don't have manual you can usually find the manual on manufacturers website. Find the manual and include link to it in your ad.

Spend a little time on your advertisement and you will be surprised at the responses you receive.

Running the Marathon is more dangerous than parachuting

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:52:20 GMT

I just saw that a second runner died after running the New York City ING marathon. There were about 38,000 people who ran in the race in NYC. I think this makes running the marathon more dangerous than parachuting. Of 2.2 million jumps by parachuters there were only 18 reported deaths according to the US Parachute Association USPA.org. Going by these statistics alone you are 15 times more likely to die from running in a marathon then by jumping out of a airplane.

NY Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/sports/othersports/04marathon.html?ref=sports

McCain and Obama Tax Policies

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:06:38 GMT

Okay so you really can't believe everything the candidates are saying now will actually happen. But the differences in both McCain's and Obama's tax policies is quite alarming. I can only hope that the candidates have such a wide variance to swing voters to their side. On this policy alone McCain would definitely win the high earners and Obama would win middle class voters and lower class.

	MCCAIN	OBAMA
Income	Avg. tax bill	Avg. tax bill
Over $2.9M	-$577,148	+$699,872
$603K and up	-$109,214	+$121,689
$227K-$603K	-$15,877	+$942
$161K-$227K	-$6,322	-$2,796
$112K-$161K	-$3,736	-$2,135
$66K-$112K	-$1,487	-$1,264
$38K-$66K	-$608	-$1,118
$19K-$38K	-$259	-$892
Under $19K	-$65	-$567
* Not all proposals are slated for 2009. Example: Obama's proposal to increase what high-income earners must pay into Social Security. The campaign said such a measure wouldn't take effect for 10 years. Source: http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/29/news/economy/candidates_tax_plans/index.htm?cnn=yes

Considering only my own tax bill I can be considered quite bias on the issue as either candidate for me would lead to modest tax cut on both sides (less than $300 difference). From my standpoint it does seem that Obama has more sound and realistic ideas to back up his policies.

Obama plans call for increasing the cap on Social security to $250,000. This would lead to and extra 9,000 of tax to individuals who make more than 250,000. In my view the only way to cure the social security issue is to raise this cap or raise the rate (which increases tax for everybody). Increasing tax on everybody does not sound like a good idea. McCain plans to privatize Social security a plan that is risky, controversial, and not a sure cure to the issue.

The nation is in debt... more debt than ever. We have more 10 trillion in debt. Is cutting taxes going to pay off the debt? I am really tired of the government giving tax incentives and then not curving the government spending.

We really need the guy who is going to give real answers -- who is going solve the social security issue, help pay down our national debt, and stop government overspending. I will gladly pay more tax if it's going to help these issues and not go towards some politicians vacation in the Hamptons or a government subcontractors mansion in California.

Accounting, for the most part is not effected by the economy

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:39:57 GMT

A lot of people are telling me my job must be tough with the stock market and all. And I heard comments that accounting is a bad career move currently with the economy in shambles and everything.

In reality the state of the economy has the same effect on accountants as it does other business. People/businesses have less money so they less spend money to spend on you. Demand for accountants stays relatively stable though. The need to file tax returns, prepare financial reports, perform audits, bookkeeping, stays the same.

Current Price of stamp - USPS

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:13:27 GMT

US First Class Stamp: 44 cents

Effective May 12, 2008: the current price of a stamp is 44 cents. First-Class Mail Letter (1 oz.) is 44 cents. Each additional ounce costs 17 cents. Postcard stamps are now 28 cents.

Update: On May 11, a first-class stamp will go up by 2 cents to 44 cents. Other rates are set to rise as well. The updated prices are reflected above.

The post office adjusts rates each May, but any increases must be at or below the rate of inflation under a 2006 law.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09101/962044-28.stm#ixzz0HxzFnoH3&D

Source: United States Postal Service (USPS.com)

The price of a stamp increased 1300% from the value of $.03. in 1917

However, this increase is in line with increases of other items as well....

a Dodge Sedan was $1,185 in 1917, that's also 1300% less than today

You could also could buy a pair of men's shoes for less than $6

And your local paper for $.01
Eggs were .39/dozen

A color TV cost.. oh wait a minute...

Okay now I will stop sounding like your grandpa.

1917 Prices from survey in Morris County, NJ

101 Different Ways to Annoy People...

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:20:58 GMT

I found this list when looking at some old files. This list of way's to annoy people was a favorite of the Jokepage. I stopped updating the jokepage so I figured I'd resurrect the list for you to enjoy.

101's Different Ways to Annoy People - Tjshome.com

Sing the Batman theme incessantly.
In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sensual massage."
Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."
Learn Morse code, and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeep Bip Bip Beeep Bip..."
If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
Amuse yourself for endless hours by hooking a camcorder to your TV and then pointing it at the screen.
Speak only in a "robot" voice.
Push all the flat Lego pieces together tightly.
Start each meal by conspicuously licking all your food, and announce that this is so no one will "swipe your grub".
Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 98 copies.
Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
Sniffle incessantly.
Leave your turn signal on for fifty miles.
Name your dog "Dog."
Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think."
Claim that you must always wear a bicycle helmet as part of your "astronaut training."
Declare your apartment an independent nation, and sue your neighbors upstairs for "violating your airspace".
Forget the punch line to a long joke, but assure the listener it was a "real hoot."
Follow a few paces behind someone, spraying everything they touch with Lysol.
Practice making fax and modem noises.
Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc:" them to your boss.
Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
Invent nonsense computer jargon in conversations, and see if people play along to avoid the appearance of ignorance.
Erect an elaborate network of ropes in your backyard, and tell the neighbors you are a "spider person."
Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
Wear a special hip holster for your remote control.
Do not add any inflection to the end of your sentences, producing awkward silences with the impression that you'll be saying more any moment.
Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.
Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
Give a play-by-play account of a persons every action in a nasal Howard Cosell voice.
Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
Drum on every available surface.
Staple papers in the middle of the page.
Ask 1-800 operators for dates.
Produce a rental video consisting entirely of dire FBI copyright warnings.
Sew anti-theft detector strips into peoples backpacks.
Hide dairy products in inaccessible places.
Write the surprise ending to a novel on its first page.
Set alarms for random times.
Order a side of pork rinds with your filet mignon.
Instead of Gallo, serve Night Train next Thanksgiving.
Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a "croaking" noise.
Honk and wave to strangers.
Dress only in clothes colored Hunters Orange.
Change channels five minutes before the end of every show.
Tape pieces of "Sweating to the Oldies" over climactic parts of rental movies.
Wear your pants backwards.
Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints by the cash register.
Begin all your sentences with "ooh la la!"
ONLY TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
only type in lowercase.
dont use any punctuation either
Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
Pay for your dinner with pennies.
Tie jingle bells to all your clothes.
Repeat everything someone says, as a question.
Write "X - BURIED TREASURE" in random spots on all of someone's roadmaps.
Inform everyone you meet of your personal Kennedy assassination/UFO/ O.J Simpson conspiracy theories.
Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, its gone now."
Light road flares on a birthday cake.
Wander around a restaurant, asking other diners for their parsley.
Leave tips in Bolivian currency.
Demand that everyone address you as "Conquistador."
At the Laundromat, use one dryer for each of your socks.
When Christmas caroling, sing "Jingle Bells, Batman smells" until physically restrained.
Wear a cape that says "Magnificent One."
As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
Stand over someone's shoulder, mumbling, as they read.
Pretend your computer's mouse is a CB radio, and talk to it.
Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "no, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
Drive half a block.
Inform others that they exist only in your imagination.
Ask people what gender they are.
Lick the filling out of all the Oreos, and place the cookie parts back.
Cultivate a Norwegian accent. If Norwegian, affect a Southern drawl.
Routinely handcuff yourself to furniture, informing the curious that you don't want to fall off "in case the big one comes".
Deliberately hum songs that will remain lodged in co-workers brains, such as "Feliz Navidad", the Archies "Sugar" or the Mr. Rogers theme song.
While making presentations, occasionally bob your head. like a parakeet.
Lie obviously about trivial things such as the time of day.
Leave your Christmas lights up and lit until September.
Change your name to "AaJohn Aaaaasmith" for the great glory of being first in the phone book. Claim it's a Hawaiian name, and demand that people pronounce each "a."
Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
Chew on pens that you've borrowed.
Wear a LOT of cologne.
Listen to 33rpm records at 45rpm speed, and claim the faster speed is necessary because of your "superior
mental processing."
Sing along at the opera.
Mow your lawn with scissors.
At a golf tournament, chant "swing-batabatabata-suhWING-batter!"
Ask the waitress for an extra seat for your "imaginary friend."
Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
Ask your co-workers mysterious questions, and then scribble their answers in a notebook.
Mutter something about "psychological profiles."
Stare at static on the TV and claim you can see a "magic picture."
Select the same song on the jukebox fifty times.
Never make eye contact.
Never break eye contact.
Construct elaborate "crop circles" in your front lawn.
Construct your own pretend "tricorder," and "scan" people with it, announcing the results.
Make appointments for the 31st of September.
Invite lots of people to other people's parties.

Finance Soltions Ltd (Finance Solutions) is a scam

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:34:54 GMT

Note: This is part three of the job scam series.

Ok this scam is too easy to spot. I give it an F for no effort. Why? He spelt his company name wrong (soltions??) in the email subject line. I guess if that was intentional that would be creative but I have an inclination this was not. These are becoming no challenge. Also, these scammers should read my post on using free email providers for their professional business.

This is an obvious scam and an attempt to steal your personal information.

some nigerian scammer said:

Dear Partner.

I have reviewed resume which You recently posted online. I've thoroughly examined Your qualifications and experience. And I have concluded that you may have the skills needed to fill an Customer Service Representative position.

The FINANCE SOLUTIONS LTD operates with many full service web-portals, largest, most well-known brands in the retail FX space, provides customized tools & services specifically for self-directed retail traders. The company's flagship service focuses on the needs of professional traders.

Customer Service Representative with FINANCE SOLUTIONS LTD are responsible for business development in local area and helping clients and independent contractors get the maximum possible help at all aspects of Processing, in the fastest time.

Candidates for the Regional Business Representative position with FINANCE SOLUTIONS LTD must be hard working and employ communication skills,highly motivated individual willing to work a flexible schedule. Responsibilities include managing all aspects of Processing [funding, settlement & reconciliation] and Operations.

I hope you'll apply for the Customer Service Representative at FINANCE SOLUTIONS LTD.

To request an application, please REPLY to:hr.fsdep@gmail.com

FINANCE SOLUTIONS LTD, Personnel Department.

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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.
Please let me know if you received this email too.

Free Microsoft Excel Master Help Provided

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:44:30 GMT

Let's see how this goes...

I am a CPA and use Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software everyday. Being advanced in Excel makes my job extremely easier. I figured I'd see if there is anyone out there who has quick questions in excel that I can help. Hey what can I say I'm a generous guy.

To ask your question, use the comments form below! I will post responses to your questions below. I do not answer replies through email, as posting the answer here will help others who may have the same question as you.

Ask away...

Note: Please provide enough information for me to be able answer your question (the more info the better). The more effort you put into your question the more effort I will put into my response.

Every tech blog has Gmail goggles post

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:43:10 GMT

Every tech blog has had a Google Goggles post. Now I don't think many would consider this a tech blog and I am late to the game but here it is:

If you haven't heard Gmail Goggles prevents sending regrettable drunk emails by requiring you to take a quiz before sending emails during set times.

Now this is pretty clever. Who would of thought the email would have such historical advances in 2008?

I think that Google added this feature as more as gimmick and publicity stunt than usefulness. But what I wonder is why instead of a quiz why can't they add an "unsend" button to emails. I understand that they are unable to retrieve emails that have already been sent, however, they could hold the emails for a set period of time (set by user) on their servers before sending them. Or what's stopping you from being able to retrieve an email sent to another gmail user that hasn't been read? Has this feature been considered?

The best song ever /sarcasm

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:41:05 GMT

Quote:

Sunshine
I'd really like to tell you
Oh my sunshine
Even though your skies are blue
You're drying up my bed
How can I get any rest now?
Sha la la la la la la la

Someday
You will get the best of me
Oh someday
Probably when I'm old and grey
I'm lying in my bed
And I will soon be put to rest now
Sha la la la la la la la

Sunshine
I'd really like to tell you
Oh my sunshine
Even though your skies are blue
You're drying up my bed
How can I get any rest now?
Sha la la la la la la la

Someday
You will get the best of me
Oh someday
Probably when I'm old and grey
I'm lying in my bed
And I will soon be put to rest now

I'm lying in my bed
And I will soon be put to rest now (Ooh ooh) [x2]
Sha la la la la la la la

Okay so I figured out what happened with this song, this guy, we'll call him Matthew Costa sits down and starts to write a song but then he gets writers block, doesn't feel like writing songs no more but still needs that song to fill up his album. So this genius of a guy just repeats the only paragraph he did have ambition to write 5 times to make into a song.

Attention Professionals your @aol.com address is repulsive

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:51:50 GMT

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

Advan LTD. AKA Advan Group LTD Careers are a scam

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:14:40 GMT

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, dont 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?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
You should consider signing up for automatic credit monitoring LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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.
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!

Incoming Asteroid October 7th 2008 - We're Screwed

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:28:46 GMT

spaceweather.com said:
A small, newly-discovered asteroid named 2008 TC3 is approaching Earth and chances are good that it will hit. Steve Chesley of JPL estimates that atmospheric entry will occur on Oct 7th at 0246 UTC over northern Sudan . Measuring only a few meters across, the space rock poses no threat to the ground, but it should create a spectacular fireball, releasing about a kiloton of energy as it disintegrates and explodes in the atmosphere. Stay tuned for updates

Okay so according to this report it doesn't look like were actually screwed, however, as a coincidence The Time Monks has also chose October 7th as the beginning of a period of extraordinary event that will surpass 9/11. The Time Monks is a computer based project that is basically computers analyzing data to predict the future.

http://rstr.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/100708/ said:

The Web Bots see September 22-27, 2008 as precursor dates to the main turning point date of October 7, 2008. Closely watch events during September 22-27, 2008 for hints as to what to expect on October 7, 2008.

Cliff said whenever it happens, and whatever it turns out to be, it will be a date in history you remember like 9/11, we will remember 10/7.

The Web Bots foresee that October 7, 2008 to February 19, 2009 will be filled with emotional intensity, and the length of the release period will be extraordinary. The Web Bots have never picked up any event lasting this long. In comparison, 9/11 length lasted about 10 days. This event will be four months of high emotion.

Based upon the September 22nd interview on Coast to Coast radio with the Time Monks, here is an outline of what the Web Bots have uncovered for the following weeks, months and years:

The next year will get very ugly and will change your life worse than 9/11. It is important to understand the magnitude of the data. The sort of agony, grief, pain and rage that was felt the six days following 9/11 will be felt for five and a half months. From October 7th, 2008 until March of next year.

* Will there be a total economic collapse?

Yes. 2009 will be a year of transformation. The keyword monumental shows up as how the future will view our current situation. Time Monks describe this as an epic situation

And add to this my blog post how the stock market actually decreased drastically 2-3 weeks before the September 11 events, speculating you may be able to see a huge drop in the stock market as predicting a huge event.

So all these commingling events seem to all add up, and I think it's as a good time as any to get your tinfoil hat on. No?

And as if this is not enough to worry about we also have a UFO and some aliens visiting us on October 14th. Blossom Goodchild, a physic says she has been visited by the Federation of Light. The FoL gave her a message that speaks of giant lightships appearing and humanity will be rocked by the sightings. She stresses they come in peace. Here's the exact message she said she received.

http://www.blossomgoodchild.com/ said:

***The Lightships are there in our skies
Connected to the thoughts and wishes and hopes of humanity
They are indeed higher self consciousness aspects of humanity
Or could be referred to as "us in the future"
First contact individually has already occurred
It is First contact globally that has not occurred yet
This First contact globally shall be in response to the consciousness level of humanity
Discernment must be used as darkworkers try to counteract everything that the Light brings in (yet they are failing in this)****

Boy are those aliens going to be mad when they finally decided to come visit us and we are no longer here.

Obama and McCain masks $12 - Don't just vote for em.. be them

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:13:13 GMT

Obama & McCain Costume Masks $11.24 - 55% off at Amazon
Put on your party face!

Amazon.com has the Obama and the McCain Costume Masks for $11.24 each. Put on a suit and tie and you're all set!!

Obama Mask

McCain Mask

Amazon also has the Palin mask for $29.99 (no discounts)

Enjoy!

Finally I am getting the respect I deserve

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:54:16 GMT

Today I was going through a pile of old mail I have yet to open and found an notice that I was selected for inclusion into the "famous" Strathmore's Who's Who. Wowzer's!! Right?

Now at first I figured this is probably a scam, the same as when I poem I wrote got selected to be included in a special edition collection of elite authors by poetry.com. All you need to do is pay some elaborate fee for the "publishing".

But then I thought hey maybe they saw I received my CPA or maybe saw this website which would definitely earn me a spot on any list(Ok that's an embellishment).

So I did a search and found it was definitely a scam.

What makes me wonder most about these scams is how do the people... the owners, the sales people, or even the secretaries of this company ... how do they wake up everyday and knowing that they are going to work for a company that is completely worthless to the society and just a fraud to the American dream? A cashier at the McDonalds, a disgraced politician, hell even staff at an abortion clinic earn more admiration then these people do, I just can't imagine the type of people who could make a career doing stuff like that.

And what sucks more is people actually fall for this type of scam. This press release by Wayward Community College congratulates a professor for their successful induction (buying) into the list.

Paul Newman is colorblind... Paul Newman was colorblind

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:11:26 GMT

I added Paul Newman to the list of famous colorblind people on the colorblind facts YESTERDAY. I checked the news today and the poor man died of cancer. Talk about weird coincidence, huh.

RIP Paul Newman January 26, 1925 - September 26, 2008

PHC consulting Careers are a scam

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:40:13 GMT

Note: This is part one of the Job Scam Series

I just received an email offering a career with PHC Consulting and confirmed that this is a scam. Despite it's elaborate looking website I'm 99.99% positive this website is a scam.

How do I know this is a scam?
It's registry data says the website was registered/create September 21 2008. No legitimate business can be created in 2 days.

Why am I writing about this?
Hopefully I 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 send them money somehow or another.

Here's a copy of the email I received:

Quote:

PHC Consulting has an opening for a TRANSACTIONS SPECIALIST position. We do our best to fit all our customers' needs as soon as possible. That's why all are staff is a professionally trained and can solve any problem that occurs on their way. We are not just a set of people, we are a family. We offer you, our potential colleague, to join us. See below, what we offer you.

General Requirements:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Not special Qualifications Needed.
- Have a minimal experience and knowledge of basic bank operations.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of all information.
- Willingness to work from home, take responsibility, set up and achieve goals.
- The Ability to create good administrative reporting.
- Honesty, responsibility and promptness in operations.
- The ability to operate with more than one task effectively, and have an adaptable, flexible, professional attitude.
- The ability of stable communication with our company and on
-time and detailed reporting.
- Familiar to working online, Internet and e-mail skills.

What we offer:
- Generous salary (over 3,000.00 USD monthly).
- Social benefits and medical insurance. - Free training and seminars.
- Paid Holidays plus 2 weeks of Paid Time Off (PTO).

This is easy job, but your help is very important for us and our clients. This job does not require any special education. You wouldn't have to pay us for taking you on our list. However we guarantee stable income.

Please send your answer letter or resume to our e-mail: makovski@phcconsulting-inc.com
(!) Add ours e-mail in your Address Book!!!

Best regards,
Linda Makovski.
phcconsulting-inc.com

What should I do if I provided my information to scammers?

Do not respond to further communications.
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.
If you are still concerned you might want to enroll in credit monitoring such as LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention
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.

Famous Celebrity Plane Crashes

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:28:24 GMT

Okay I feel like traveling by airplane is getting a lot more dangerous while advances in technology should be making it more safer. Below is a list of plane crashes involving famous people. Note that these are all private planes so don't worry commercial airlines are probably still the safest way to travel, however, it does seem like a lot more famous people die from private airplane crashes then car accidents.

James Stephen Fossett (April 22, 1944 - missing September 3, 2007, declared legally dead February 15, 2008) was an American aviator, sailor, and adventurer who became the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon. Partial remains and wreckage of his plane was not found until a year later on September 29th 2008. Source
Cory Fulton Lidle (March 22, 1972 October 11, 2006) was a Yankee right-handed baseball pitcher who died when the small aircraft he owned crashed into a residential building in New York City. Source
Peter David Tomarken (December 7, 1942 March 13, 2006) was an American television personality primarily known as the host of Press Your Luck. Tomarken, a private pilot, and his second wife, Kathleen, were killed when his Beechcraft Bonanza A36, N16JR, crashed a few hundred feet offshore in Santa Monica Bay during climb-out from the Santa Monica Airport in California on the morning of March 13, 2006 Source
John Thomas Walton was a decorated American war veteran, and a son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. On June 27, 2005, Walton died when the CGS Hawk Arrow homebuilt aircraft that he was piloting Crashed shortly after takeoff. Source
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 August 25, 2001) was a Grammy-nominated American singer, dancer, actress, model, teen idol. Aliyah's plane crashed shortly after takeoff killing all 7 on board citing overweight cargo (sound equipment) and an unqualified pilot as the cause. Source
John F Kennedy Jr, the third son of the late president JFK. On July 16, 1999, at the age of 38, Kennedy died along with his wife and his sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, when the aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. Source
John Denver (December 31, 1943 October 12, 1997), One of the most popular artists of the 1970s, was an American Country Music/folk singer-songwriter and folk rock musician. On October 12, 1997, Denver was killed when the Long-EZ aircraft he was piloting crashed just off the coast of California at Pacific Grove, shortly after taking off from the Monterey Peninsula Airport. Source
Thurman Lee Munson (June 7, 1947 August 2, 1979) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Yankees from 1969 to 1979. Munson was killed at age 32 while trying to land his personal airplane during a test fligh. Thurman is one of three Yankees who died in aviation accidents, including pitchers Jim Hardin in 1991 and Cory Lidle in 2006. Source
Lynyrd Skynyrd was an American Southern rock band that would be later inducted into the Rock and Roll of fame in 2006. Their plane crashed October 20, 1977 due to low-fuel killing 6 including the lead vocalist, guitarist, and road manager. Source
Rocky Marciano (September 1, 1923 August 31, 1969), born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was the heavyweight champion of the world from 1952 to 1956. In August 31, 1969, on the eve of his 46th birthday, Marciano died when the small private plane crashed in bad weather with an unqualified pilot. Source
Otis Redding is best known for his hit, Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay, which was released after his death. Redding had recorded the song just three days earlier. Him and and four members of his band were killed when their Beechcraft H18 plane crashed during a fog. Source
Buddy Holly (Holley), the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) , and Ritchie Valens all Rock and Roll Hall of famers died on February 2, 1959 when their Beechcraft Bonanza crashed during a winter storm "The day the music died". Source

Other interesting incidents:
Travis Barker, Adam Goldstein (DJ AM) Four people died but Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein survived when their private plane crashed off a runway on September 20, 2008. Travis Barker was best known as being former guitartist for the rock band Blink 182.

Barak Obama was a passenger in private plane on January 12, 2008 that clipped another airplane on the ground source

Patrick Swayze survived a emergency landing on June 1, 2001 Source

Sandra Bullok Survived a crash landing on Decmeber 20, 2000. Source

Update to status message page

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:10:03 GMT

The status message page has become pretty popular. I figured since Facebook has eliminated the condition that status messages start with "X is" a long time ago (Myspace never had this provision) I would finally eliminate the restriction from my site. So you can now add your favorite status messages that start with additional prefixes like "x was","x has","x was", or the favorite "x ".

I had originally held up on making this change because I felt removing the "x is" start would lead to more erroneous submissions that do not fit the definition of a status message (the status message should give you some idea of what the author is doing) I currently remove about 90% of submissions because they are either unoriginal, not a "status" message or contain vulgarities. But hopefully by adding more prefixes it will lead to more of the original and funny status message submissions that makes Tjshome the best source of status messages on the internet.

Check it out:

Status Messages

TJ's Book club.. or books I think you should read even though I didn't

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:23:17 GMT

Someone bought a book from my amazon affiliate link (thank you by, the way). "Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World" looks like a very interesting read, especially if you're a teacher. I believe teacher's have the opportunity to affect our nation's future by investing time, energy, and wisdom in our students. Pretty important role I'd say. I think it's also interesting when teacher's step out of the textbook and teach stuff based on current issues. This book is written by by Bill Bigelow, Bob Peterson and received excellent reviews.

So here it is the first TJshome book club nomination #1...

Find out how much your coworkers get paid...

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:08:38 GMT

If you want to find out how your salary compares to others in your field or even at your company there are website's to help.

Payscale.com
Glass Door New site with even more information.

Three is a magic number

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:42:04 GMT

Here is a glimpse of what is going on in my mind...

Three is a magic number
Ya it is, its a magic number
Somewhere in that ancient mystic trinity
You'll get three
As a magic number
The past, the present, the future,
Faith, and hope, and charity,
The heart, the brain, the body,
Will give you three,
Its a magic number

It takes three legs to make a tripod or to make a table stand,
And it takes three wheels to make a vehicle called a tricycle
And every triangle has three corners,
Every triangle has three sides,
No more, no less,
You dont have to guess
That it's three
Can't you see?
Its a magic number

A man and a woman had a little baby
Yeah they did
And there were three in the family
And thats a magic number

3, 6, 9,
12, 15, 18,
21, 24, 27,
30

Now multiply backwards from 3x10
3x10 is 30
3x9 is 27
3x8 is 24
3x7 is 21
3x6 is 18
3x5 is 15
3x4 is 12
And 3x3 is 9
And 3x2 is 6
And 3x1 is 3 of course
(now dig the pattern once more!)

3, 6, 9,
12, 15, 18
Oh yeah

3x10 is 30
3x9 is 27
3x8 is 24
3x7 is 21
3x6 is 18
3x5 is 15
3x4 is 12
And 3x3 is 9
And 3x2 is 6
And 3x1
What is it?
3

A man and a woman had a little baby
There were three in the family
And that's a magic number

Upromise (upromise.com) --- Free money towards your families college tuition

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:44:22 GMT

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...

I found what Google used to value youtube.com

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:13:07 GMT

I think I found the site Google used to value youtube before purchasing it for $1.65 billion. The website Sootle has a algorithm to value website automatically. I do not believe the algorithm is near accurate however. Tjshome.com is currently valued at $33,000k....any offers? Read More...

How to save on your dental bills.

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:10:09 GMT

Like alot of people I don't have dental insurance. My office is too small for it to be worth the cost for my boss. Dental insurance is a huge expense and could cost $1,000's.

What can you do if you don't have dental insurance?
Bargain with your dentist.

Huh?
There are dental plans available which essentially say that you will go to a specific dentist if they offer you discounted rates. This helps you because you are not stuck paying huge rates and helps the dentist because the gain referrals.

How much?
I am single and pay $115/ year for my dental plan. There are family plans available for $45 or so dollars extra. That means you can sign up your whole family for less than $160.

How much do I save?
You save about 50% on semi-annual checkups upto 30%-50% on all other expenses.

How does it work?
You will receive an ID card. Show that ID card to your participating dentist and the dentist will automatically apply the discounted rates to your bills. You do not need to wait for reimbursements you are billed the discounted rates..

How long do I need to wait to use it?
You can start to use your plan immediately after activation (1-3 business days).

Sample Plan Savings for Careington:

Procedure Description	Usual Fee	Discounted Fee (for Plan Members)	Member Savings
Routine 6 Month Check-Up	$43	$16	$27
In Depth Check-Up	$69	$20	$49
Full Mouth X-Rays	$114	$50	$64
Four Bitewing X-Rays	$55	$25	$30
Panoramic Film	$97	$50	$47
Adult Teeth Cleaning	$83	$36	$47
Child Teeth Cleaning	$62	$31	$31
Protective Sealant / Tooth	$46	$24	$22
1 Surface White Filling for U or L Front Tooth	$135	$64	$71
Single Crown - Porcelain on High Noble Metal	$981	$561	$420
Single Crown - Porcelain on Noble Metal	$912	$545	$367
Core Build-Up With Pins	$238	$117	$121
Root Canal Treatment - Front Tooth	$636	$320	$316
Root Canal Treatment - Bicuspid	$757	$384	$373
Root Canal Treatment - Molar	$919	$487	$432
Perio Scaling and Root Planing (Per Quadrant)	$217	$111	$106
Full Upper Denture	$1,353	$722	$631
Tooth Replacement Part of Permanent Bridge	$911	20%	20%
Single Tooth Removal - Simple Extraction	$138	$64	$74

Sign up now...

Enter your ZIP code to
view plan details, savings information and participating dentists for all available discount dental plans in your area.

Washington knew more about computers than McCain

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:55:13 GMT

It has been reported that John McCain reads his emails everyday. However, how he reads them is his staff prints them out on paper then hand them too him. McCain is just computer illiterate as George Bush who was amazed by cash registers. He does kinda seem like that type. He seems like the guy who likes to reminisce about the good ole days. Perfect for a US president... lets Nuke them like we use to...

Two important websites for the new car buyer

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:25:31 GMT

I am not currently in the market for a new car but if you are, here are two important websites you should checkout:

Fueleconomy.gov Compare the miles per gallon and annual fuel cost between models before making your decision which model you buy.

Edmunds This has everything from reviews to price quotes. I suggest you get a price quote for the model your interested in and bring this to dealer with you as it could be used in negotiations. Also determine the value of your used car before you trade it in.

Yippee... I have 2 subscribers

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:42:56 GMT

I checked Google webmaster tools and it let me know that I have 2 subscribers to my blog.

The good news is Google only counts subscribers using its rss readers (ie: Google reader and igoogle.com). The bad news is I know who the two subscribers are... me and my brother, haha.

I submitted my blog to RSS Hugger, a site I find other interesting blogs at to see if that increases my blog's visibility and I will update you on any results.

Best Firefox Extensions for the Techy

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:57:16 GMT

Here are are the best firefox extensions for the techy. If you don't yet have firefox or don't know what it is then you are probably not a techy.

Read More...

TJshome dates back to 1938

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:01:23 GMT

TJShome is not by far a new concept to America. Research into national newspaper archives show that "tjshome" appeared in american culture as early as March 23, 1938.

Source: Newark Advocate, March 23, 1938

Or is this just another example of the still imperfected OCR (Optical character recognition) technology? ... Maybe...

Who benefits from a struggling economy or a recession?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:01:18 GMT

Who will benefit from the falling economy and fears of recession?

Internet advertisers, thats who. Gas prices have increased dramatically and so has all prices in general which have led to some people skipping their vacations, trips to shopping malls, leisure activities to spend more time at home. What do people do at home? Browse the internet. And there's only so much someone can do online before they will click an advertisement, even if they have a strict no click policy against advertisements.

Now some may also argue that this increase in internet users will be washed away by others who cancel their internet because of the economy. Don't kid yourself... it's impossible to live without internet in this day and age...right?

Update
Apparantently internet auction websites benefit as well. eBay's profit increased 22% in the last quarter. I guess everybody is buying is used gas on there or something. What ever happened to the purported boycott of eBay to due the site's change in fees and feedback policy??

Source: EBay profit jumps 22% CNN.com
Source: EBay seller boycott set to start Monday CNN.com

Warning for Parents: Is your son a tagger?

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:25:17 GMT

Is your son a tagger? I saw this while doing a Google Image Search. It comes from the website of the City of Santa Ana, California.

This is not only ridiculous because all of these points are obvious. If my child had any of these things it would lead to ask him "what the heck are you doing with that?

Source: http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/pd/Graffiti.asp

TJ's Home

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:50:42 GMT

Okay this domain never was more relevant as I am in process of purchasing my own home, a 2 bed 1.5 bath Condo in Mt Kisco. I am set to close any where between 7/31 and 8/15. Here's a first sneak peak of my new home, let's call it TJSHOME.

Debt free by 2028?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:56:14 GMT

My whole life I've never was in debt. Living paycheck to paycheck just wasnt my style. I've never carried a balance on my credit card. I did use student loans while in college but only to take advantage of the low interest rates and was sure to pay them off within 6 months of graduating.

Now I did make some concessions to avoid debt for 27 years:

I went to Community college,
I started out with a crappy car once I got my license even though I had 30k available to me. In fact the car couldn't even go more than 3 miles or else it overheated
I got a job as soon as some one would hire me at age of 16 and even had two part time jobs for most of the time while still juggling high school and college.
I was had to endure my friends and family calling me the cheap one because I never spent wads on toys or electronics..oh the pain.

Well now I enter the debt zone in a couple months with my first house. The 30 fixed mortgage is sure to put me in debt for along time. And the state of the economy and the housing market doesn't help ease anything. I will still not be living paycheck to paycheck as I made sure to keep more than 3 months emergency fund (on top of money for closing costs and furnishings), however, I think that I am going to make it my sole objective to pay off the mortgage in as little time as realistically possible. Now looking at my savings over the last month I could have possibly afforded a 15 year mortage, or $753/month more in mortgage payments. This of course leaves little room for unforseen circumstances and wouldnt be that smart of financial plan. But I think what I am going to do is save my money at the same pace I always have been and once I saved enough to make an extra payment I will (for instance make two payments in one month) and if I average at least 6 extra payments a year I would not only be financially free in half the time but save my self ~200k in interest. During my loan prequalification I made sure to clear up that two things were available with my loan online payments and no prepayment penalties to make paying off early easier.

Judge Orders Viacom to hand over youtube user data (name and ip addresses)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:57:05 GMT

Wired.com said:

Judge Orders YouTube to Give All User Histories to Viacom
By Ryan Singel July 02, 2008 | 7:16:54

Google will have to turn over every record of every video watched by YouTube users, including users' names and IP addresses, to Viacom, which is suing Google for allowing clips of its copyright videos to appear on YouTube, a judge ruled Wednesday.

This can't be anything but bad news for the future of youtube.com. I think this is a huge evasion of privacy as the judge should at least ordered a censored list with no name or ip addresses.

Link: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/judge-orders-yo.html

Slow news day on CNN.com

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:06:23 GMT

It must be a slow day over at CNN he is what the professional journalist are reporting in today...

Wow, now I left out a few that were actual news stories but these are the actual headlines posted on cnn.com homepage

I'm Going on a cruise to see penguins ..I tell you

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:30:45 GMT

If you are going to go on a cruise you mine as well use this company. Quark expeditions is a national tour company that offers cruise expeditions to the antartic. Their fleet of ships includes icebreakers and boats with helicopters. You can go see penguins at a rate of $8,000-$30,000

http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/

George Carlin May 12, 1937 June 22, 2008

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:51:57 GMT

What a funny guy and influence to the world of comedy

George Carlin said:
I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death. What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch and you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities. You become a little baby, you go back into the womb, spend your last nine months floating... and you finish off as an orgasm.

I will turn my car in a mobile billboard

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:53:24 GMT

I am accepting applications to turn my car into a mobile billboard. I have a 2007 Honda Accord and will be willing to advertise any company you so choose in Westchester County, NY. I also frequently drive my car (about once per Month) to the NYC to visit clients.

I will charge between $100-500/Month based on size of advertisement.

Send applications to helpmygasbill@tjshome·com

Track your Income Tax Refund

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:19:37 GMT

Below is handy drop down box which will open up the website to find where your federal or state income tax refund is and when you can expect to receive your tax refund.

_ Read More...

Word of Day: egregious

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:25:45 GMT

I think "egregious" is a great word and should be used more often in everyday society.

dictionary.com said:
e·gre·gious (ĭ-grē'jəs, -jē-əs)
adj.
Conspicuously bad or offensive.

As Used in sentence:
"His conduct was egregious," she said.

Source http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806170346

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is deductible on mortgages signed for years 2007-2008-2008-2009-2010

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:06:51 GMT

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

Free stuff on Craigslist

Mon, 26 May 2008 15:55:35 GMT

Oddly enough craigslist is a cool place to find free stuff. Most people post the stuff because it is more convenient to give it away then throw it away. Here is some things I found:

To find whats free in your town browse the "free category" under "For Sale"

Take the Driving test to see if you still can pass

Fri, 23 May 2008 09:36:50 GMT

Think you're smarter than the average driver? When's the last time you took a written drivers test? When you were 16 getting a permit? How do you think you'd score if you took it again today? Take the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test and see if you pass with flying colors, or if you could use a little brushing up.

I got 19 out of 20 correct.

NY was rated second worst drivers as NJ was #1 for being the overall worst drivers. GO NY!

Crap blog - a cure for nervous shits?

Fri, 16 May 2008 18:28:28 GMT

Okay so I got nervous shits a lot and I finally took it upon myself to search the internet for more information on the causes and potentials cure. It really sucks when you have an event/meeting/interview/test/date to goto and your ready to walk out the door and you suddenly feel like you have to crap. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything very useful except for link below. If anybody has experience or information please post as I'd like to hear your crappy stories.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the crap post.

link: http://azwebpages.com/bass/nerves.htm

EDIT: Limited the profanity in this post to get the ads to show up. Hey if I'm gonna devulge personal information about my bowel movements I should get revenue from it right?...right?

It looks like white's are gaining ground in the racism war

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:19:43 GMT

It only took 141 years but finally a white person, Joshua Packwood will become the valedictorian for Morehouse College. Joshua says that he is frequently referred to as "White boy" and has been fighting with racism all his life since he grew up in a predominantly black area. Even after being awarded as valedictorian he still his frowned upon by some of his peers, Muhammad, a junior said "I just kind of wish he had done it at a different institution."

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/16/white.valedictorian/index.html

Alright I'm quitting to go work for NASA.

Thu, 08 May 2008 21:32:49 GMT

NASA is offering $17,000 for a test (human) subject to stay in bed for 90 days. This is according to their website:

Participants will spend 90 days lying in bed, (except for limited times for specific tests) with their body slightly tilted downward (head down, feet up). Every day, they will be awake for 16 hours and lights out (asleep) for 8 hours.

Hmm... this could work for me as long as there is internet provisions haha.. bonus if the 90 days fall during tax season. I find it rather appalling that the price is so set so high anyways I'm sure they can really find a good subject for less than their offer. It's good to know our tax dollars go towards paying for someone who's only duties are to sleep on the job. This is the best use of tax dollars yet.

Link: Application

Ultimate list of weird and interesting lists on Wikipedia

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:56:18 GMT

Below is a list of humorous,interesting, or just plain useless lists found on wikipedia.org... Read More...

The Best Booze/Beer

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:37:32 GMT

Here is a good list if you're lookinh for good beers. I'll have to check if any of these are available near me.

link: http://beeradvocate.com/top_beers?this_cId=&this_style=&cId=US&style=

I love XM radio and bargaining

Fri, 02 May 2008 23:04:03 GMT

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.

Amazon Kindle now in stock

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 01:16:20 GMT

The Amazon Kindle is now back in stock... $399. This was out of stock for a long time. This a new revolutionary way to read books. Save paper and become green with this ebook reader. It has free wireless!

link: Amazon.com: Kindle

Product Overview

* Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper.
* Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing.
* Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindlewhether youre in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed.
* Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.
* More than 110,000 books available, including more than 90 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.
* Download New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases for $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
* Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.
* Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbesall auto-delivered wirelessly.
* Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Timesall auto-delivered wirelessly.
* More than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Postall updated wirelessly throughout the day.
* Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces.
* Holds over 200 titles.
* Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours.
* Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phonesso you never have to locate a hotspot.
* No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitmentswe take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read.
* Includes free wireless access to the planet's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopediaWikipedia.org.
* Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.
* Included in the box: Kindle wireless reader, Book cover, Power adapter, USB 2.0 cable

link: Amazon.com: Kindle

It's fine to shut down computer with the ipod connected

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:06:42 GMT

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.

So thank god it's friday

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:54:33 GMT

Ok so I don't normally post about my daily life in this blog because that'd probably get boring as my life is pretty boring. However yesterday was so assiduous I just to have post about it. It all started with going to work this morning. I knew my boss or other manager wasn't going to be in today so I took upon myself to issue a dress down Friday and parted from my normal business casual attire. It's kinda weird on Fridays anyway becuase my office has two firm's working side by side and one has dress down fridays and the one I work for doesn't. So it's kinda like going to a party overdressed every friday. But you know how they say it's to be over dressed than under and I sole heartedly agree in this situation. Like always I left my house at 9:00 am to be to work at my start time of 9:00am (notice something weird here?). I just finished with tax season so I didn't feel like working much. However, I received an alert that we had to get schedules to an IRS auditor for one of big corp's. So I prepared these at a leisurely pace. Once 5:30 hit I made sure I was on my way to my car. I got in the apartment and felt tired so I took a nap until about 8pm. This was perfect becuase my roomates have left by then and I'm anti-social so I having the place to my self. I then sat down and put a netflix movie in the DVD and watched it on the $1,000 TV DVD setup that I purchased last year. The movie was "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" and was turned off quickly becuase I realized that I already seen this movie. I found another movie laying around in the apartment movie and put this in. Around 11 o'clock I realized I forgot to eat dinner and developed a perfect craving for the perfect meal Ramon Noodles. So I cooked up a package. So then I cooked up a package. No I did just repeat that unintentionally as I cooked two packages one after the other as I was more hungry then I thought and those ramon noodles are so damn good. I finished out the night by drinking a bottle of beer. Now I know drinking alone is a sign of alcoholism but so is denial and I just told all the world that I drink alone so that's not denial. Now why I am I writing this again? Oh yeah ... to tell you just how exciting my friday was... that will have to wait till next friday I guess

A red corrective clip on over eye glasses.

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:24:07 GMT

I received this email from someone today regarding the colorblind page. Can anyone help this poor guy out?

From: lkbossong@[REMOVED].COM
Subject: A RED CORRECTIVE CLIP ON OVER EYE GLASSES
Date: 04-18-08 07:27 AM
Referral: http://tjshome.com/selftest.php
IP: [REMOVED]

i HAD A PAIR OF RED CLIP ON (SUN GLASSES TYPE) TO PUT ON WHEN I WORKED IN QUALITY CONTROL IN ORDER TO SEE COLOR AND WOULD HELP ME IN PASSING THE COLOR BLIND TEST.
LADIES AND OR GENTLEMEN

I LOST THESE IN A RECENT MOVE AND LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT PAIR, AND AN ASKING IF YOU MAKE OR KNOW WHO MIGHT MAKE THIS TYPE OF CORRECTIVE GLASSES.

A BRIGHT RED LENS ABOUT THE COLOR OF THE OLD ANUS CANDY PAPER WRAPS

LARRY K. BOSSONG
PHONE NUMBER [REMOVED]

You're doing a phenomenal job

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:38:27 GMT

At my real job, I've been working a lot lately on an small internet start up that is slated to get really big in the next year. Well last week I had an interview with my boss and the CEO and during the meeting the CEO told my boss that "I am doing a phenomenal job" and "he's lucky to have me" on the account. That made my day. And then to top it off same week I was on a conference call with another client doing some consulting for a business aquisition and the client said to my boss "Make sure you keep him around" referring to me of course. Wow... those are nice comments. Now I still have a big head from all that... and I know I might be boasting here but this is MY BLOG what you expect me talk about?

Useful stuff from the United States Postal Services (USPS.com)

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:17:42 GMT

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.

Save on your cell phone bill with your work or school email address

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:54:57 GMT

A lot of employers and colleges sign agreements with Verizon wireless to get employees savings. You can see if your employer participates by following the link below. It's very easy you just need a qualifying work or school email address. Enter your emails address that uses your schools or job domain (IE: you@yourcompany.com,you@school.edu). I saved 19%!!

Verizon Subscribers: https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/employee/emaildomainauthentication.jsp

AT&T Subscribers:
https://www.wireless.att.com/business/authenticate/index.jsp?zipCode=null&bref=IB00010007900004&_requestid=27105

Wow if I only had a few dollars back in 2005

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:11:57 GMT

News Corp bought Myspace back in 2005 for $580 million dollars. It is estimated that myspace is worth over 15 billion now. That greater than a 100% return each year. Forgot stocks.. from now on I'm buying whole companies.

This comes as AOL agrees to buy other popular social networking site for $850 million. I never heard of this site till today but I'm thinking of trying to outbid AOL. Any one want to fund this?

Link: MSNBC: AOL to buy Bebo for $850 million

Myspace and the media and Ashley, Spitzer callgirl Identified

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:38:14 GMT

I am not much of an myspace fanatic like a lot of people these days. However I do like hows it's a great way to get a glimpse inside people's minds. When I see a name in the news I often find myself going quickly to myspace and doing a search on the name to see if I can spot their profile before its put to private. I had success numerous times including this one just now.

Here's the link to the Spitzer call girl who got the governer of NY, Elliot Spitzer in hot water and caused him to step down.

link: Ninavenetta's Myspace

I normally wouldn't post a link for this as I think it's disrespectful for the person involved. However, she has had ample time to set her profile to private. Frankly I think she wants the attention as this may be the perfect opportunity to jump start her music career. Listen to her song its not bad.. if you're into the Britney spears type anyways.

I've been doing a lot of work the site lately...

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:17:12 GMT

I've been doing a lot of coding for the site lately. However, no one probably has noticed or cared, except for me, of course.

The biggest change is I removed all the <Table> tags from the header and footer. The page layout is strictly done with cascading style sheets (css) and div's tags. This was done for to help rank in search engines, allow for easier mobile viewing, and to confirm with the latest coding standards. If you view the code source on any page the code that comes first is the page content and not the menu or other meaningless layout code. The content is what you want search engines to read so it helps if it's at the top of you page.

I also been working on getting rid of depreciated html tags from my code. This includes <center> and <font> tags which I had a lot of. I've replaced <center> with css style "text-align" and defined font styles in the <span> tag or sytlesheet.

Furthermore, my php is a mess. I've been trying to clean it up, however it's alot of code. I've started using indents and more code comments to to make the code look neat. I also started using more defined functions, templates, and variables to get rid of duplicate code.

Also I made more logo's so every selection on the menu now has a different logo. This is rare feature you do not see on many site's so I hope you enjoy it. :P

So one thing I noticed after the layout is now when someone does a Google search for "Tjshome" they get a list of links to my popular pages and a link to view more results from my domain. This makes me happy as this is something you can't request and it's not known how to get listed like this. I am not sure if my code changes is how I got listed , it could also be that I search for "Tjshome" or tjshome.com a lot to see my search results.
Screen shot:

Booking Hootie and the Blowfish for a concert

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:48:49 GMT

I always dream of hosting a huge bash and booking a popular band for entertainment. Of course, I'll have to become rich first. My pick would probably be Hootie and the Blowfish. They have a sound that almost everybody likes, they seem like a cool band to meet, their music is perfect for a party, and they are not too popular anymore so their prices shouldn't too high. Right?... they can't be too expensive? Well according to Clear Channel College Entertainment Guide at least you will have to drop $100k for a performance. So it looks like I may have to win the lotto first.

School Shooters are Getting Older

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:22:06 GMT

The school shooters seem to be getting older. A decade ago it seems every week there was another shooting at a high school in the news ... currently it appears as this is the case with college's.

I say this as the AP reports at least 18 Injuries in shooting at Northern Illinois University

Link: QC Times Article

This is quite scary as are they going to graduate and start shooting up the workplace?

Can the video games generation be to blame? Could it be that the kids who grew playing the violent video games now are in college? I never believed that whole argument but it makes you think there could be some correlation.

Before the Virginia Tech you barely heard about university shootings in national news. I however, was on the campus of Westchester Community College (NY Times Feb 8 2000) when a non-student shot his ex girlfriend then killed himself on campus. That was the worst college shooting I ever heard about before the Virginia Tech Massacre.

Lawmakers pass the stimulus tax credit

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:25:34 GMT

Most people will be receiving a credit from the Government as they hope to stimulate the economy and reduce fears of recession. Will it work? Probably not, but that's a whole other story. Here is the lowdown on the credits.

When will I get the check?
If you are eligible you will most likely see your check in May or July.

Your credit is $600 if single and $1,200 combined if married. You also receive an additional $300 per child.

Calculating the credit
Add $600 - If you filed Form 1040 for the 2007 tax year
Add $600 - If your married
Add $300 - for each of you dependent children
Total = Your potential household refund (see partial refunds below)

To be fully eligle
Your 2007 adjusted gross income(AGI) has to be less than $75,000 single or $150,000 married. You can find your AGI by look on line 7 of Form 1040.

Partially elgible?
If your adjusted gross exceed 75,000(single) or 150,000 (married) you may still receive a partial refund.

Take your Adjusted Gross income from your 2007 1040, Line 37
Then subtract $75,000 if you filed single or $150,000 if you filed a joint return
Now multiply the result by 5%. This is the amount you reduce your credit by (see "calculating your credit above").

What's the deal with the cut undersea internet cables?

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:34:26 GMT

Is it just a weird coincidence that four backbone net cables to the mideast have cut within a single week? Or could it be some malicious sabatage or ... terrorist? One thing is it doesn't effect the United States that much as almost all the internet content is located in the States. I do feel bad though for all my Iranian viewers as they can't read my blog!!

Anyway, here is some links:

World Map of Undersea Cables

News Story

Giants Win... Superbowl Shoutouts

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:21:41 GMT

Shout outs to Eli Manning keeping his composure and leading the Giants to victory

Shout out to James Tyree and his circus catch. You barely heard his name until today

Shout to Burress for coming close to his predicted score of 23-17

Shout out to Giants Defensive cordinator, Steve Spagnuolo and the defense for constantly pounding Tom Brady and keeping the game a low scoring game. Too bad he probably wont be with the Giants next year as he will likely get a head coaching position.

Shout out to Tom Petty for playing his best songs at half time and after all these years still sounding great

Shout to coach Tom Coughlin for not turning red

Shout to Kevin Boss for filling in for Jeremy Shockey as almost an exact replica.

Shout to Bud Light for having the best commercials.

Shout down to Bill Belichick for leaving the game before it was over and for giving the worst press conference... What was that mumbling?

It pays to be Whistleblower : Reward for reporting tax evasion to IRS

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:34:46 GMT

Want to be an instant millionaire?

Report tax evasion to the IRS.

Under IRC Section 7623 the IRS authorizes the payment of awards from the proceeds of amounts the IRS collects by reason of the information provided by an individual (aka the Whistleblower). The reward is between 15-30% of the tax recovered depending on the amount of information you provide. So if you provide information that leads to the IRS recovering $10 million in taxes you could be an instant millionaire!

To be eligble the amount in dispute must exceed $2 million dollars (including tax,interest,penalties, etc.) and taxable income for the violator must exceed 200k in any year of issue.

Oh and don't forget to claim your reward on your tax return, as yes... it is subject to income tax.

To file a claim use Form 211 Download Here

New Yorkers Free Unclaimed Money Search

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:55:11 GMT

Here is a link that you can search the NY registery of unclaimed money due to you. Most is due from insurance companies, state dept, stocks, or banks. Check it out and give me some if you find anything.

link: New York Unclaimed Property search

Bobby Fisher dies at the age of 64 and theres how many squares on chess board?

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:16:38 GMT

That's right,
The chess-king dies at age 64 and there's 64 squares on the chess board.**

For the tin foiled headed conspirarist this is the perfect concidence for a conspiracy theory.

RIP to Bobby Fisher 1/18/08.

**Some could argue that the chess board actually contains 204 squares if you count the squares made by individual squares, but let's not get too technical here. 8x8 + 7x7 + 6x6 + 5x5 + 4x4 + 3x3 + 2x2 + 1x1=204

Americans: Register to Vote for the Next President- Takes 5 minutes

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:32:50 GMT

You can't complain at the president if you don't do your part in selecting the right one!

To register: Use the link below and select your state and fill in web form. It will generate a customized PDF which contains your registration form. Print it and follow the directions to sign, fold, put on a stamp and mail it in. Include a photocopy of your identification (a drivers license or US passport) with it if you can. You can without sending in a copy of your ID, but you will have to show ID when you vote the first time (bring your ID to the polls regardless, just in case). You should get a conformation mailing back from your state.

To Register:
http://www.registrationbyworkingassets.com/register/

Who can Register?

A United States citizen
At least 18 years old at time of election
A resident of state you are registering in

Who should register?

Any one who meets the requirements above
Any one who moved or changed their address and did not register

State specific information

In Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming you may register to vote at your polling place on election day.
In Maine, you can register up to and on election day in person at your town office or city hall
North Dakota does not have voter registration. If you do not have a government issued ID, call your states election office

You can register to vote online in WA and AZ - You won't even need to leave the confines of you computer chair to place your vote:

Washington State:
http://secstate.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx

For Arizona State:
http://www.azsos.gov/election/VoterRegistration.htm

Songza.com - Does it work? I can not get it to play

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:42:51 GMT

Songza.com is supposedly a revolutionaly site that offers a searchable and playable database of music and songs. The search is free and could be used as an alternative to youtube when trying to play that one song you just want to hear on demand. However I have not been able to use it. I goto the site and find my song and never hear the song. It stops on "loading.." and if you click the song again it says "now playing" but nothing plays. Is the service broke already? Or am I just dumb? I tried it on two computers.

Try it: Songza.com

TJ's 2007 In Review

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:46:27 GMT

Cool things happening in 2007

Coney Island for the 1st time
Atlantic City - Bachelor's party
40% raise
Snow boarding for the 1st time
Hiking Breakneck Ridge Trail
Got my CPA license
Clubbing in NYC
Six Flags

Things learned in 2007

Don't let your meter expire if you have an expired NYS inspection
I'm allergic to breakfast

Things heard too much in 2007 but hopefully forgetten by 2008:
Britney Spears
Paris Hilton
Steroids in baseball

Thinks to look forward to in 2008:
Soon to be former president bush.

Worst thing to happen in 2007:

End of the Torre management of Yankees
Shootings at Virginia Tech

TJ's Site of the Year:
Pandora.com : You can select an artist and it will create a music station with songs by the artist and similar sounding music

Things to do in 2008
It's kind of a shame I do not already do some of these...

Smile when ever I meet someone
Do more bike riding
Drink more water
Sleep at least 7 hours a day
Strengthen my handshake
Win a million dollars (at least)
Buy a house/condo
Take a week vacation
Don't let my job get in my way of having a good time
Eat three meals a day
See a doctor (I haven't in at least 5 years)

Some links

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:04:09 GMT

Useful and interesting Links:

Real estate price search Find out how much you are your neighbors house is worth

Late Night Guest - guest line up for all the popular talk shows

Flickrvision you can watch, in real time, the photos that are being uploaded to flickr.

Free fonts 10,000 of them

Yourip - information on the IP address your computer is broadcasting

ebuddy Aim, MSN, Yahoo in your browser

Pandora Radio Name a band and listen to custom radio station online for free

Who Called Get information about that unknown number on you caller id

Logmein remotely access your computer - free with the basic plan

Bugmenot.com Logins for popular websites so you do not have to sign up.

Funniest thing overheard in the office

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:57:59 GMT

Okay so I was just sitting in my cubicle minding my business when one of our clients/friend of boss comes in and talks with the manager....

(Client arrives unexpected)
Cleint: Hey George
My Coworker : Hey you off from work today?
Client : yeah I'm on vacation... They told me I have 6 days left so I figured I'd should take em now
My Coworker : Oh no, really?
Client : yeah they expire at the end of year
My Coworker : Oh.. now I get it... for a second I thought you meant your doctor told you that.

How do I spend my time

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:16:57 GMT

It's interesting to see how much time you spend doing minuscule things over the course of a year. I have estimated just that, I tried to account to every hour of the year, however, some where about 950 hours are unaccounted for.

Statistics up in the air 2007.

I spent 2652 hours sleeping or 7 hours/day sleeping
I spent 365 hours in a car or 15 days
I spent 182 hours or 7 ½ days in the shower
I spent 364 hours updating my website averaging about $9/hour
I spent 2527 hours working @ $$/hr
I spent 400 hours watching sports (Yankees/Giants)
I spent 200 hours with family
I spent 130 hours with friends
I spent 16 hours playing Madden 2008 PC
I spent 730 hours lunch/eating/preparing food
I spent 210 hours watching movies

Disclaimer: amounts are estimated and subject to error

Thats 7796 hours out of 8,760 total hours accounted for. 964 hours are lost in oblivion.

Troubleshooting and finding solutions to all your windows and program errors

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:51:37 GMT

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.

Rancid - Sidekick lyrics

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:23:25 GMT

Cool song by Rancid...

I had a dream I was a vigilante's side kick
My name is Tim I'm a lesser- known character
I had a dream I was a vigilante's side kick
Fighting crime in the streets together

Down in Oakland
Off of West Grant
St. Joseph relief poor program
A good place where good people get food
Help your fellow man a good thing to do
Government agency said be afraid of me
I'll shut your doors down and it won't phase me
Wolverine came through left the agent for dead
Put the doors back up, everyone was fed

I had a dream I was a vigilante's side kick
My name is Tim I'm a lesser- known character
I had a dream I was a vigilante's side kick
Fighting crime in the streets together

Do not build them abandoned buildings
It's nice to sleep when you got a ceiling
Neighborhood watch said we gotta put a stop
Can't have people living for free call the cops
Here come the swat team and the M-16
Shoot the walls in and destroy the building
Wolverine was sad and it made him mad
Every single cop got a bullet in the head

I had a dream I was a vigilante's side kick
My name is Tim I'm a lesser- known character
I had a dream I was a vigilante's side kick
Fighting crime in the streets together

I never broke or sprained a bone(that I know of),

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:42:53 GMT

This is one of those stories I never told anyone. This is an Tjs Blog exclusive. Grab some popcorn sit tight in your chair and read the intense story.

I never broke or sprained a bone(that I know of), however, when I was still in grade school.. probably 3rd or 4th grade we were at recess and was on a swing with a couple other classmates. The other two jumped off and as I was about to follow the counselor said "don't jump off you're going to hurt self" well me being the show off and juvenile I jumped off anyway and landed on my arm and hurt it quite badly. I however didn't tell anyone because I was embarrassed at my stupidity and too young then to have my masculinity scarred. Well anytime someone simply brushed aside my arm or I moved it the wrong way the pain shot through like hell. That made walking the halls hard as people would frequently banged their book bags against it. I remember needing to run to the bathroom so no one would notice the pain I was in. Fortunately it eventually (maybe about a month or two) healed by itself.

Okay I apologize for embellishing the drama for such a boring badly told story ... I just needed to get that. I feel so relieved now.

200 Word Home - Win a new house

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:21:32 GMT

200 Word Home

I love how the web promotes creative minds to find new ways to earn income. A new genuine idea I just discovered was from a couple who wanted to a find a way to get a more than decent price for their home in Cleveland. Instead of selling their house for a fixed amount on the market they decided to raffle it out. Offering anyone to join in the raffle with a 200 word essay and a $199 fee. They are expecting at least 3,000 entries that would net them $597,000 for the "sale" of the house. Now I congratulate them on their originality, however choose not to even bother submitting my entry for these reasons:

1.) Legality - is this even legal? Have they consulted a lawyer and abided by local and federal laws for conducting a lottery? Are they legally obligated to transfer over the house? What happens to my entry fee if this is found to be illegal.
2.) According to the pictures the Kitchen consists of a table only... where am I going to cook dinner?
3.) What kind of story are they looking for and what will determine who is the winner? What's to stop them for awarding the house to a friend? Can someone lie in their essay? Will they verify the authenticity of someone's sob-story to win the house? My story so far is "I lost three limbs in war, my wife and kids were killed in a home invasion"

Check it out your self: 200wordhome.com

Ripoff? Pirateaccess.com

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:44:41 GMT

The website (pirateaccess.com), I believe has found a way to get the best search rank for a number of popular programs including Microsoft money, and office. Offering unlimited free downloads of popular software, videos, and Mp3's for a one time price of $4.87. Seems like a real steal, doesn't it? Not really since a quick google research determine's that they only thing they are offering to paid members links to other sites that are offering these file's for download. Meaning you probably have just as much luck doing a google search yourself. I do applaud them though for being able to get high up on the search rank scale, I wish I new how they accomplish it. They only registered the site in June 2007.

EDIT:
DO NOT POST A COMMENT TO A REQUEST REFUND FROM ME
I am not the company scamming you therefor I can not give you refunds. Feel free to post your experiences with this company to deter others from signing up with this company. However do not give your order # and request a refunds from me as again, I am not the the company who screwed you.

1st Annual Tjshome.com Status Report by Page

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:14:29 GMT

I have done some analysis on my website based on visitor statistics and other merits. You will notice some pages will be shut down upon review because they are not worth keeping as I lost interest in them and so did the rest of the viewing audience.

Free iPod - It's taken me over a year to get a free iPod so it may not be worth it to keep these pages around much longer. Offercentric has made it very difficult to earn referrals since they keep adding more site's which take referrals away from each offer. They have 4 different site's with separate requirements for iPod's alone. We will see how is doing in Q1 2007. 8.560k

Cool AIM Smiley's - For some reason people still love these. Here to stay, at least for this year. 36.5k Hits in 2007

Surveys for Myspace - Created in November 2005 and is one of the most popular pages so it definately is staying. Could use enhancements such as interface, ability to add more questions on a survey, and tracking. 2007 Hits 1,270k

Polls for Myspace - This site was created in May 2007 and although not as popular as I would like it's going to stick around for at least another year. Enhancements may include ability to add more options and interface. 2007 Hits 12k

Away Messages- This page has good page rank and is quite popular. Sticking around for a while. Enhancements may include ratings and using database for all away messages (not just the submission). 91K

Funny Status Messages - This page is new so not enough data for analysis. Only 1,100 Hits so far.

Famous Quotes - Quotes are a personal favorite of mine so this is here to stay. 2007 Hits 83k

Cool AIM Screennames - Created in 2004 with the intention of never actually selling any screen names, however, this site does draw in visitors so its going to stay. Also, I love the hate mail I receive from this site, so keep it coming. 65k Hits

Buddy Icons - A popular favorite and I think its a great page if you're looking for an icon because new additions are submitted daily. 132K hits in 2007

Avatars for Myspace - An even more popular page and I think its a great page if you're looking for an avatar because new additions are submitted daily. Enhancements may include ratings. 994K hits in 2007.

Dumb Laws - This page has great page rank and is here to stay - enhancement includes researching actual new laws to add with real sources. 74k hits in 2007

A Joke Page- This page has poor statistics and will be shut down due to lack of interest by me and others. 8k hits in 2007

Weird News - Poor statistics but I like to view these myself every so often so I will keep it for a while

Pic of the Month - Created in 2005. This page will stay. I would like to add additional material. 7k hits

Color Blindness - Created in May 2005, this page will stay. 42.5k hits.

Today in History - This page will be shut down due to lack of interest.

Great Amazon Deals - I like this page for finding good amazon deals however it has low popularity at 3.5k hits

Online Image Editor - Created in Feb 2006. Future enhancements include better user interface and more options. 120K hits in 2007.

Song Lyrics - Song lyrics are here to stay (unless I get sued). 34k hits in 2007

Acronym Dictionary - Added in July 2006, this page is still relatively new and here to stay. I like the design of this page, so I am not willing to see it go no matter how poor the popularity. Unfortunately, there is no room to grow as I think I have all the most popular acronyms. Someone make some new acronyms, quick! 4.1k hits in 2007

In the News - With less than 7,000 hits in 2007 this site is slated for removal. :(

About TJ - We need to keep this site as everybody (361 hits in 2007) is looking to read about TJ

TJ's Blog - The first post was made December 31, 2006. I am keeping this as it's relatively new and I need it to vent my frustrations and let someone hear what I have to say. Just think you wouldn't be able to read the 2008 edition of this post if I got rid of it.... now would you? 2.5k hits in 2007

Popularity Test - Created in May 2007. I am not sure why but I am not willing to let this page go. Enhancements may include more profile options and user comments feature. 3.3k hits in 2007.

Companies That Suck - Created in Jan 2007, this page is here to stay. I love writing about companies that suck and passing the information to millions (2.5 k visitors in 2007).

We recevied 3,402,391 pageviews in 2007. Of those, 1,709,455 were unique visitors. That is more visitors than people living in Maine!

Look for many new pages to come to Tjshome.com in 2008!

What's That suppose to mean?

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:08:14 GMT

What's That suppose to mean?

That's gooing to be my new favorite question.

I'll expand later

Verizon is going to sell your privacy unless you opt out

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:24:32 GMT

Verizon has been known to have no corporate social responsiblity. They recently released their latest scheme for earning the extra buck at your expense. They have included a notice in recent billings that they will sell subscribers their Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) to third parties and affiliates unless you opt out in 30 DAYS.

Adobe PDF version of the notice

CPNI is (Customer Proprietary Network Information) is information that telecommunications services such as local, long distance, and wireless telephone companies acquire about their subscribers. It includes not only what services they use but their amount and type of usage.

Third parties can use this information for targeting solicited text messages and phone calls to you.

I advise all Verizon subscribes to opt-out by calling:

1-800-333-9956

You will need to enter your #, billing zip code, and last four digits of your SS# into the automated system.

New Page: funny facebook status messages

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:49:16 GMT

I created a page so you all can submit your best facebook status messages. I started it off with some good ones so check it out!

Link:Funny Status Messages

About Status Messages:

A status message is a function of some instant messaging applications whereby a user may post a message that appears automatically to other users if they attempt to make contact. It is analogous to the voice message in an answering machine or voice mail system. However, status messages may be displayed even if the person is present. They are often updated much more frequently than messages in answering machines, and thus may serve as a means of instant, limited "publication" or indirect communication.

Whereas answering machine or voice mail messages often have a generic greeting to leave a message, status messages more often contain a description of where the person is at the moment or what they are doing. Because most instant messaging clients indicate to users when their online contacts are away before they send a message, more often than not away messages are meant to be read in lieu of sending a message, rather than a response. Away messages are not to be confused with idle messages, which is an automatic reply to a message when the messaging client has determined that the replier is not at his or her computer.

Link:Funny Status Messages

What side of the brain do you use? left or right?

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:43:10 GMT

Neat little test. Which side of your brain do you use, Left or Right?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

Left Brain
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

Right Brain
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Somebody send me a luelinks invite

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:00:03 GMT

Occasionally I check my referral logs to see which pages are linking to here. I hate it when I see a page but I am not able to view it because the site needs a login. I recently got a good quantity of referrals from Luelinks. I had no idea about this site until then but a quick Google search turns out it is apparently a "secret" invite-only community. I like being associated with these things ... so if someone can please send a FREE invite to http://tjshome.com/mailto.php?to=TJ it'd be much appreciated. I'm good with secrets!

However on topic, with the recent shutdown of the UK file sharing site http://oink.cd/ and arrest of its webmaster (News story) it could be a risk to be a member of these communities. But don't let that deter from sending me a link!

Oh and let us get this out of the way "Luelinks doesn't exist" lolol lolz rofl

Google 101 - An introduction to the google search engine

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:38:09 GMT

I wrote this article years ago but am reposting it here so it will have perpetual life...

Google 101 - Brief Intro to the Google Search Engine

	The Logo: You may notice a different logo on some day's, and this because they create a new logo for every holiday. See Past logo's
	Google Images is an awesome tool. Need a picture of a "guy with a fro"? Type that into the the search bar then hit the images tab to get one.
	Google Video: Search through 1000's of TV programs and web videos or share your own videos with the world.
	Google News: This is another feature I use almost every day. Search thousands of current and past news stories. Search for your hometown to see your local news.
	Google Maps: View maps, satelite photos, or get directions and never get lost again
	More: Books (Search through hundreds of published books), Froogle (Shop for the best prices), Groups (search Usenet posts)
	Advanced Search: Pretty self explanatory. You may want to use this feature to narrow the results of a basic search. Check it out
	Preferences: Choose your default language, select to filter out explicit results, and select how many results google shows per page. Google remembers these settings Check it out
	Language Tools: Translate whole pages to another language. Search for pages in specific languages. View this page in German
	I'm Feeling Lucky: This is for when your search terms are precise, you can hit this button and Google will forward you to the one site that best fits your search terms.
	Services & Tools: Check out other cool features

Disclaimer: Tjshome.com is not affiliated or endorsed by Google.
Google is a trademark of Google Inc. .

The answer to who really had advance warning of the September 11 attacks...

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:36:20 GMT

Everyone is pointing fingures at the government, how they should have been able to prevent the attacks and had information beforehand that could of helped prevent the attacks on America.

On the other note what we learn in economics about the stock markets is you can not use currents news to base your decision on whether to buy or sells stocks becuase that news is already reflected in the price of stock.

If you look at a graph of the stock market 2-3 weeks before the September 11, 2001 you will see a gradial decline the market. Starting on August 24, 2001 and decreasing all the way through September 21, 2001. We all know why the stocks decreased after September 11, 2001 but made the stocks decrease before the attacks? Was a steep decline bound to happen anyway? Or, did investors have advance knowledge of these attacks?

Just something to think about next time the market is in a gradial decline.

2007 Original Halloween Costume Ideas

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:08:45 GMT

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

Interesting Meat for sale on Amazon.com

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:24:42 GMT

Amazon certainly has an interesting variety of meat available for shipping to your home.

Elk Carcass $1,225.00

Price based on 225 lb. hanging carcass weight
USDA Inspected farm raised Rocky Mountain Elk
Shipped to your door in an insulated container 7-
14 days after ordering
Carcass cut to your specifications
Less cholesterol than skinless chicken and one half the fat of beef

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006RU5B...

And if you don't have enough money for an Elk you can always get the less favorable Venison. It;s picture is the same so it may taste the same as well.

Venison Carcass $269.00

Price based on 50 lb. hanging carcass weight
USDA Inspected farm raised Fallow Deer Venison
Shipped to your door in an insulated container 7-14 days after ordering
Carcass cut to your specifications
Less cholesterol than skinless chicken and one half the fat of beef

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product//B000IDQDYQ...

And finally for those with no appetite for deer meat there always Fresh Rabbit.

Fresh Whole Rabbit $29.50

Approx. 3lbs / 1.4kg
Product of the USA

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product//B00012182G...

For even more fun check out the comments related to each...

How to be a professional office cleaner

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:26:27 GMT

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

Fill up all soap/paper towel dispensers (and lock if available) and but make sure that you do not feed into dispenser.
If you have to vacuum make sure to vacuum but only vacuum center of rugs to save time.
Spray a lot of Lysol and put blue dye into toilets but never actually clean the toilets
Empty all garbages, but don't pick up anything that fell out of garbage, that's too much work
Wear a lot of perfume/cologne. Be like most cleaners and smell like you just knocked off the perfume display case at department store.
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.
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.
There's no need to clean every space every time. If you alternate missing spots people may never notice.

Update on TJ

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:34:00 GMT

I havent been able to do much of anything lately as I've been spending my time at my office filing tax extension due September 15, 2007. Thanks to the internet though I have been able to keep up with most things. I have been buying new boxers and tshirts on the internet as needed since I have no time to do laundry and Every night I log onto youtube and watch the hottest tv shows I missed (yeah I saw Britney bomb). I also have a blockbuster online rental membership so I can even rent movies and return them (unwatched though).

Next I'm gonna start Google Image Searching beds instead of sleep.

The website changed servers and as a result the Rss feed was down due to technicalities but it is live again so make sure you resubscribe.

After tax season I plan on adding a couple new pages so stay tuned.

In response to your question

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:06:53 GMT

Yes, I think have good people skills, what kind of idiot question is that?

Use google alerts to keep track of your clients

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:03:29 GMT

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.

Excel: Macro for automatically saving filename with date

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:04:59 GMT

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

"It is what it is"

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:28:06 GMT

I am sick of hearing this phrase. Although the phrase is nothing new, for some reason I have been hearing this phrase way too much lately too keep my sanity. I first noted hearing it when the Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees used it to describe his relationship to Derrick Jeter during the 2007 off season and then from there it seems I have been hearing the phrase at least once a day in my office.

I think the phrase is perfect for those times when you need to say something but have nothing to say. But really people stop using it for your answer to everything.

Athlete's have been using this phrase for years in an attempt to sum up their troubles. Infact USA Today awarded the phrase the #1 Cliche of 2004. (USA Today)

The many meanings of "it is what it is":

A phrase that seems to simply state the obvious but actually implies helplessness.
Meanings it is not going to change, so deal with it or don't.
Do not over think the situation. a reminder to keep things simple, dont over analyze things, or a way to put a definition on something thats hard to explain.
Normally used to describe something of irrelevance or an acceptance of the situation.
Used primarily to cause confusion to the listener.

--Compiled from UrbanDictionary.com

Why there's no cure for cancer yet...

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:10:25 GMT

The reason scientist have yet to find the cure for cancer is they are too busy doing studies on preposterous points. Take this article for example:

Study: T-rex could outrun David Beckham
CNN.com

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- The smallest dinosaur could reach speeds of nearly 40 miles per hour and even the lumbering Tyrannosaurus rex would have been able to outrun most modern-day sportsmen, according to research published on Wednesday.

Even T-rex, who wasn't incredibly fast, could chase down footballer David Beckham.

Scientists using computer models calculated the top speeds for five meat-eating dinosaurs in a study they say can also illustrate how animals cope with climate change and extinction.

The velociraptor, whose speed and ferocity was highlighted in the film "Jurassic Park", reached 24 miles per hour while the T-rex could muster speeds of up to 18 miles per hour, the study published in the Royal Society's Biological Sciences showed.

"Our research, which used the minimum leg-muscle mass T-rex required for movement, suggests that while not incredibly fast, this carnivore was certainly capable of running and would have little difficulty in chasing down footballer David Beckham, for instance," said Phil Manning, a paleontologist at the University of Manchester, who worked on the study.

The smallest dinosaur -- the Compsognathus -- could run nearly 40 miles per hour, about 5 miles per hour faster than the computer's estimate for the fastest living animal on two legs, the ostrich.

A top human sprinter can reach a speed of about 25 miles per hour.

The researchers used a computer model to calculate the running speeds of the five dinosaurs that varied in size from the 6.6 pound Compsognathus to a six-ton Tyrannosaurus.

They fed information about the skeletal and muscular structure of the dinosaurs into the computer and ran a simulation tens of millions of times to see how fast the animals moved, said William Sellers, a zoologist at the University of Manchester, who led the study.

They checked their method by inputting data of a human with the muscle and bone structure of a professional sportsman and found the computer accurately spat out a top running speed just behind T-rex's pace.

"People have estimated speeds before but they have always been indirect estimates and hard to verify," Sellers said. "What we found is they were all perfectly capable of running."

Looking at how these ancient animals lived and died out is also important in trying to predict how modern day species may cope with future climate change, Sellers added.

This study helps to build a biological picture that scientists can use to better understand how dinosaurs adapted to changes in the weather just before they went extinct some 65 million years ago, he said.

"Knowing how these animals coped over the past millions of years will give us clues to what is going to happen over the next thousand years," he said. "That is why there has been more recent interest in biology of these animals." E-mail to a friend

Okay so maybe the point of the study was not to determine if the T-rex could outrun the popular soccer star David Beckham. But why did they put that in the title? To get people like me to read it, and I felt for it and now you did to

Save Trees by changing your settings in Office and Adobe Acrobat/Reader

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:03:24 GMT

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.

Domains

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:35:18 GMT

I happen to own the domain name www.thesitename.com . I picked it up on eBay a couple years ago for $10. I think the domain name is actually pretty clever since you often get extra hits from tutorial websites that have the text "thesitename.com" any where on it. I figured this extra incentive will raise the asking price so I have have listed my domain name for $25,000. Am I crazy for asking that much? Probably, however, less popular domains have gone on ebay for much higher and crazier domains are listed on ebay for millions more. I figured why not give it a shot. Next I try selling it on Sedo the premier domain auction site.

Some newsworthy domain sales:

Business.com (news article) sold for $350 million

GayCalifornia.com (news article) Sold for $250,000

Travel.info (news article) sold for $117,000 - Wow I didn't know .info domain's were worth anything.

Comfirmed: Sex does sell:
- Sex.com sold for a rumored $12M in cash and stock last year.
- Sex.net sold for $450,000 last year.
- Porn.com sold for 9.5 million in 2007 (news article)

thesitename.com On ebay now for a starting price of only $25,000. Bid and make history!

My timesheet

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:06:46 GMT

My timesheet is what I use at work
My timesheet is the toughest part of my job
My timesheet needs to have at least 7.5 hours of work on it a day
My timesheet tells my boss what i did that day
My timesheet has my favorite code which is holiday
My timesheet has to be done on monday of everyweek
My timesheet is an excel spreadsheet
My timesheet has macro's
My timesheet has formulas
My timesheet rollforwards by itself

yeah... thats my timesheet. I perfected the timesheet over the course of my employement so now when I hit a button it saves the current week, ads the current week to a log of all time, clears all data, updates the dates for the new week and saves the new week file with the date in the filename. Yup that is my timesheet. Why are you interested in my timesheet anyway? Why did you read this whole thing?

The Wallstreet Journal is trying to get into the technology market...

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:25:06 GMT

The Wallstreet Journal is trying to get into the technology market...

...and they failed.

Below is an article from the Wallstreet Journal<(WSJ.com)

Office Technology
Ten Things Your IT Department Won't Tell You
By VAUHINI VARA
July 30, 2007; Page R1

Admit it: For many of us, our work computer is a home away from home.

It seems only fair, since our home computer is typically an office away from the office. So in between typing up reports and poring over spreadsheets, we use our office PCs to keep up with our lives. We do birthday shopping, check out funny clips on YouTube and catch up with friends by email or instant message.

And often it's just easier to accomplish certain tasks using consumer technology than using the sometimes clunky office technology our company gives us -- compare Gmail with a corporate email account.

Security expert Mark Lobel of PricewaterhouseCoopers describes the most common things employees do on the internet to jeopardize company security.
There's only one problem with what we're doing: Our employers sometimes don't like it. Partly, they want us to work while we're at work. And partly, they're afraid that what we're doing compromises the company's computer network -- putting the company at risk in a host of ways. So they've asked their information-technology departments to block us from bringing our home to work.

End of story? Not so fast. To find out whether it's possible to get around the IT departments, we asked Web experts for some advice. Specifically, we asked them to find the top 10 secrets our IT departments don't want us to know. How to surf to blocked sites without leaving any traces, for instance, or carry on instant-message chats without having to download software.

But, to keep everybody honest, we also turned to security pros to learn just what chances we take by doing an end run around the IT department.

For hacking advice, we asked Gina Trapani, editor of Lifehacker.com, an online guide to being more productive on the Web; Leon Ho, editor of Lifehack.org, a blog with a similar mission; and Mark Frauenfelder, founder of the wide-ranging blog BoingBoing.net and editor of the do-it-yourself technology magazine Make.

To find out the risks, we talked to three experts who make a living helping IT departments make the rules and track down the rogue employees who break them. They are: John Pironti, chief information risk strategist at Amsterdam-based IT-consulting firm Getronics NV; Mark Lobel, a security expert in PricewaterhouseCoopers's advisory practice; and Craig Schmugar, a threat researcher at security-software maker McAfee Inc.

* * *
1. HOW TO SEND GIANT FILES

The Problem: Everybody needs to email big files from time to time, everything from big marketing presentations to vacation photos. But if you send anything larger than a few megabytes, chances are you'll get an email saying you've hit the company's limit.

Companies cap the amount of data employees can send and store in email for a very simple reason: They want to avoid filling up their servers, and thus slowing them down, says messaging-research firm Osterman Research Inc., of Black Diamond, Wash. And getting your company to increase your email limit can be a convoluted process.

The Trick: Use online services such as YouSendIt Inc., SendThisFile Inc. and Carson Systems Ltd.'s DropSend, which let you send large files -- sometimes up to a few gigabytes in size -- free of charge. To use the services, you typically have to register, supplying personal information such as name and email address. You can then enter the recipient's email address and a message to him or her, and the site will give you instructions for uploading the file. In most cases, the site will send the recipient a link that he or she can click to download the file.

Because these services send your files over the Web, they're outside of your company's control. That makes it easier for a wily hacker to intercept files during their travels.

How to Stay Safe: Some of the services are more reputable than others. YouSendIt, for instance, is a start-up run by a former Adobe Systems Inc. executive and funded by well-known venture-capital firms. Others offer little information on their sites about themselves and could be more susceptible to security holes that could let a hacker steal your information.

If the site's backers aren't immediately apparent, there are other clues that can help. Look for a "secure" icon -- in Internet Explorer, it's a little lock on the bottom of the screen -- which signifies that the site is using encryption to protect its visitors' confidential information. A logo from a security company such as VeriSign Inc., meanwhile, means VeriSign has confirmed the identity of the site's owner.

* * *
2. HOW TO USE SOFTWARE THAT YOUR COMPANY WON'T LET YOU DOWNLOAD

The Problem: Many companies require that employees get permission from the IT department to download software. But that can be problematic if you're trying to download software that your IT department has blacklisted.

The Trick: There are two easy ways around this: finding Web-based alternatives or bringing in the software on an outside device.

The first is easier. Say your company won't let you download the popular AOL Instant Messenger program, from Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit. You can still instant-message with colleagues and friends using a Web-based version of the service called AIM Express (AIM.com/aimexpress.adp). There's also Google Inc.'s instant-messaging service, Google Talk, accessible at Google.com/talk. There are Web-based equivalents of software such as music players and videogames, too -- typically, skimpier versions with fewer features than the regular programs.

The other approach to this problem is more involved but gives you access to actual software programs on your computer. All three of our experts pointed to a company called Rare Ideas LLC (RareIdeas.com), which offers free versions of popular programs such as Firefox and OpenOffice. You can download the software onto a portable device like an iPod or a USB stick, through a service called Portable Apps (PortableApps.com). Then hook the device up to your work computer, and you're ready to go. (But if your company blocks you from using external devices, you're out of luck.)

The Risk: Using Web-based services can be a strain on your company's resources. And bringing in software on outside devices can present a security problem. IT departments like to keep track of all the software used by employees, so that if a bug or other security problem arises, they can easily put fixes in place. That's not the case if you've brought the program in on your own.

Another thing to keep in mind: Some less reputable software programs, especially underground file-sharing programs, could come loaded with spyware and make it possible for your own files to leak onto the Web.

How to Stay Safe: If you bring in software on an outside device, says Mr. Lobel, make sure you at least tweak the security settings on your computer's antivirus software so that it scans the device for potential threats. That's easy to do, usually through an Options or Settings menu. Likewise, if you use a file-sharing service, set it up so that others can't access your own files, also through an Options or Settings area.

* * *
3. HOW TO VISIT THE WEB SITES YOUR COMPANY BLOCKS

The Problem: Companies often block employees from visiting certain sites -- ranging from the really nefarious (porn) to probably bad (gambling) to mostly innocuous (Web-based email services).

The Trick: Even if your company won't let you visit those sites by typing their Web addresses into your browser, you can still sometimes sneak your way onto them. You travel to a third-party site, called a proxy, and type the Web address you want into a search box. Then the proxy site travels to the site you want and displays it for you -- so you can see the site without actually visiting it. Proxy.org, for one, features a list of more than 4,000 proxies.

Another way to accomplish the same thing, from Mr. Frauenfelder and Ms. Trapani: Use Google's translation service, asking it to do an English-to-English translation. Just enter this -- Google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.blockedsite.com -- replacing "blockedsite.com" with the Web address of the site you want to visit. Google effectively acts as a proxy, calling up the site for you.

The Risk: If you use a proxy to, say, catch up on email or watch a YouTube video, the main risk is getting caught by your boss. But there are scarier security risks: Online bad guys sometimes buy Web addresses that are misspellings of popular sites, then use them to infect visitors' computers, warns Mr. Lobel. Companies often block those sites, too -- but you won't be protected from them if you use a proxy.

How to Stay Safe: Don't make a habit of using proxies for all your Web surfing. Use them only to visit specific sites that your company blocks for productivity-related reasons -- say, YouTube. And watch your spelling.

* * *
4. HOW TO CLEAR YOUR TRACKS ON YOUR WORK LAPTOP

The Problem: If you use a company-owned laptop at home, chances are you use it for personal tasks: planning family vacations, shopping for beach books, organizing online photo albums and so on. Many companies reserve the right to monitor all that activity, because the laptops are technically their property. So what happens if your -- ahem -- friend accidentally surfs onto a porn site or does a Web search for some embarrassing ailment?

The Trick: The latest versions of the Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers both make it easy to clear your tracks. In IE7, click on Tools, then Delete Browsing History. From there, you can either delete all your history by clicking Delete All or choose one or a few kinds of data to delete. In Firefox, just hit Ctrl-Shift-Del -- or click Clear Private Data under the Tools menu.

The Risk: Even if you clear your tracks, you still face risks from roaming all over the Web. You could unintentionally install spyware on your computer from visiting a sketchy site or get your boss involved in legal problems for your behavior. If you're caught, it could mean (at best) embarrassment or (at worst) joblessness.

How to Stay Safe: Clear your private data as often as possible. Better yet, don't use your work computer to do anything you wouldn't want your boss to know about.

* * *
5. HOW TO SEARCH FOR YOUR WORK DOCUMENTS FROM HOME

The Problem: You're catching up on work late at night or over the weekend -- but the documents you need to search through are stuck on your office PC.

The Trick: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ask unit have all released software that lets you quickly search your desktop documents. On top of that, some will let you search through documents saved on one computer from another one. How does it work? The search company keeps a copy of your documents on its own server. So it can scan those copies when you do a search remotely.

To use Google's software -- among the most popular -- follow these steps on both your work and home PC. First, you'll need to set up a Google account on both machines by visiting Google.com/accounts. (Be sure to use the same account on both computers.) Then go to Desktop.Google.com to download the search software. When it's up and running -- again, do this on both machines -- click on Desktop Preferences, then Google Account Features. From there, check the box next to Search Across Computers. After that point, any document you open on either machine will be copied to Google's servers -- and will be searchable from either machine.

The Risk: Corporate technology managers offer this nightmare scenario: You've saved top-secret financial information on your work PC. You set up desktop-search software so that you can access those files when working from home on your laptop. Then you lose your laptop. Uh-oh.

Getting hold of your company's internal documents could give others insight into your plans, and losing certain information could have legal repercussions. In particular, myriad state laws regulate how a company has to react when it loses private information about customers or employees; most require notifying those people about the breach in writing. Sending those notifications can be costly for your company -- not to mention damaging to its reputation.

On top of that threat, researchers have found vulnerabilities in Google's desktop-search software that could let a hacker trick a user into giving up access to files, says Mr. Schmugar of McAfee. (Those vulnerabilities have since been fixed, but more could crop up, he says.)

Matt Glotzbach, product management director for Google Enterprise, says there are bound to be vulnerabilities in any software and that, to the best of his knowledge, none of the Google Desktop vulnerabilities were exploited by hackers. He adds that when Google finds out about a vulnerability, it quickly fixes it and notifies users.

How to Stay Safe: If you have any files on your work PC that shouldn't be made public, ask your IT administrator to help you set up Google Desktop to avoid accidental leaks.

* * *
6. HOW TO STORE WORK FILES ONLINE

The Problem: Desktop search aside, most people who often work away from the office have come up with their own solution to getting access to work files. They save them on a disk or a portable device and then plug it into a home computer. Or they store the files on the company network, then access the network remotely. But portable devices can be cumbersome, and company-network connections can be slow and unreliable.

The Trick: Use an online-storage service from the likes of Box.net Inc., Streamload Inc. or AOL-owned Xdrive. (Box.net also offers its service inside the social-networking site Facebook.) Most offer some free storage, from one to five gigabytes, and charge a few dollars a month for premium packages with extra space. Another guerrilla storage solution is to email files to your private, Web-based email account, such as Gmail or Hotmail.

The Risk: A bad guy could steal your password for one of these sites and quickly grab copies of your company's sensitive files.

How to Stay Safe: When you're thinking about storing a file online, ask yourself if it would be OK for that file to be splashed all over the Internet or sent to the CEO of your company's top rival. If so, go for it. If not, don't.

* * *
7. HOW TO KEEP YOUR PRIVACY WHEN USING WEB EMAIL

The Problem: Many companies now have the ability to track employees' emails, both on work email accounts and personal Web-based accounts, as well as IM conversations.

The Trick: When you send emails -- using either your work or personal email address -- you can encrypt them, so that only you and the recipient can read them. In Microsoft Outlook, click on Tools, then Options and choose the Security tab. There, you can enter a password -- and nobody can open a note from you without supplying it. (Of course, you'll have to tell people the code beforehand.)

For Web-based personal email, try this trick from Mr. Frauenfelder: When checking email, add an "s" to the end of the "http" in front of your email provider's Web address -- for instance, https://www.Gmail.com. This throws you into a secure session, so that nobody can track your email. Not all Web services may support this, however.

To encrypt IM conversations, meanwhile, try the IM service Trillian from Cerulean Studios LLC, which lets you connect to AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and others -- and lets you encrypt your IM conversations so that they can't be read.

The Risk: The main reason companies monitor email is to catch employees who are leaking confidential information. By using these tricks, you may set off false alarms and make it harder for the IT crew to manage real threats.

How to Stay Safe: Use these tricks only occasionally, instead of as a default.

* * *
8. HOW TO ACCESS YOUR WORK EMAIL REMOTELY WHEN YOUR COMPANY WON'T SPRING FOR A BLACKBERRY

The Problem: Anyone without a BlackBerry knows the feeling: There's a lull in the conversation when you're out to dinner or an after-work beer, and everyone reaches for their pocket to grab their BlackBerry, leaving you alone to stir your drink.

The Trick: You, too, can stay up to date on work email, using any number of consumer-oriented hand-held devices. Just set up your work email so that all your emails get forwarded to your personal email account.

In Microsoft Outlook, you can do this by right-clicking on any email, choosing Create Rule, and asking that all your email be forwarded to another address. Then, set up your hand-held to receive your personal email, by following instructions from the service provider for your hand-held. (That's the company that sends you your bill.)

The Risk: Now, not only can hackers break into your personal account by going online on a computer, they can also break into it by exploiting security vulnerabilities on your mobile device.

How to Stay Safe: There's a kosher way to access work email on some devices, by getting passwords and other information from your IT department.

* * *
9. HOW TO ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ON YOUR BLACKBERRY

The Problem: If you do have a BlackBerry, you've probably got a different problem: You want to get your personal email just as easily as work email.

The Trick: Look at the Settings area of your personal email account, and make sure you've enabled POP -- Post Office Protocol -- a method used to retrieve email from elsewhere. Then log in to the Web site for your BlackBerry service provider. Click on the Profile button, look for the Email Accounts section and click on Other Email Accounts. Then click Add Account and enter the information for your Web-based email account. Now your personal emails will pop up on the same screen as your company email.

The Risk: Your company probably uses a whole bunch of security technology to keep viruses and spies out of your files. When you receive personal email on your BlackBerry, it's coming to you without passing through your company's firewall. That means viruses or spyware could sneak onto your BlackBerry via a personal email, says Mr. Schmugar of McAfee. Worse yet, he says, when you plug your BlackBerry into your work computer, there's a chance that the malicious software could jump onto your hard drive.

How to Stay Safe: Cross your fingers and hope that your personal email provider is doing a decent job weeding out viruses, spyware and other intruders. (Chances are, it is.)

* * *
10. HOW TO LOOK LIKE YOU'RE WORKING

The Problem: You're doing some vital Web surfing and your boss turns the corner. What do you do?

The Trick: Hit Alt-Tab to quickly minimize one window (say, the one where you're browsing ESPN.com) and maximize another (like that presentation that's due today).

The Risk: The good news is that there are no known security risks.

How to Stay Safe: Get back to work.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118539543272477927.html?mod=todays_us_the_journal_report

Wallstreet Journal is for wallstreet not h4ck3rs 4 dummies.
The wallstreet articles should be professional and not a guide how to circumvent your companies internal security measures.
It is not good advice to put confindential files up on a website for download.
A person who wants to keep their job should not upload their companies files to a third party website for searching while they are at home with out permission by their employers.
Some of these "hints" could lead to violations of the Sarbanes Oxley act. Sections 302(a)(4) and 404 require a public company to make disclosures and certifications to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the company's system of internal controls.

I think WSJ should stick with Wallstreet.

Amazon Purchases 2006 - 2007

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:27:55 GMT

I do a lot of shopping online because I hate stores. Today I decided to see exactly how much I spend at my most common online stop... here's the list

2006

KRZR USB Cable	22.95
Bluetooth-Headset	49.99
Sweater	17.89
Sims 2 (gift)	25.82
Tommy Hilfiger Belt	19.99
Nautica Polo	27.89
Ethernet card	17.99
Kenneth Kole shirt	29.90
Polo	16.89
Polo	8.89
Geoffrey Beane Dress shirt	29.99
Izod Dress shirt	9.88
Geoffrey Beane Dress shirt	11.25
Geoffrey Beane Dress shirt	11.25
Geoffrey Beane Dress shirt	11.25
Norelco Elec Shaver	30.75
Logitech Mouse	12.90
Skagen Watch	73.00
MVP Baseball	29.99
Tools:Level	5.94
Utility Knife	9.99
Plier Set	13.96
	------
Total	$488.35

2007 (Through July 27th 2007)

iHome clock Radio	99.99
Monitor Cleaning Wipes	7.75
Wired Magazine Subscription	5.00
Bike Rack	99.99
PC TV-Tuner	49.99
	------
Total	262.72

I got some pretty good deals on name brand items. You can too by using the Amazon Deal Finder Here

Amazon Deal Finder

Freeware You Can Not Live Without and other Free Software

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:11:29 GMT

I am going to do a reinstall of my computer and started making a list of all the programs I need to reinstall once I am ready. Not all of these I use as I added some programs I intend to use or other suggestions that may be useful for others but not for me.

Thanks to the SAforums and Steve for letting me know about these programs.

Paint.Net - a free Adobe Photoshop alternative
Firefox - better alternative to internet explorer
Gmail notifier - for gmail users, alerts you when you have new Gmail messages.
OpenOffice - replaces Miscrosoft Office
PuTTY - SSH and telnet
Rainlendar - a neat little desktop calendar
FileZilla - the full-featured FTP client
Process Explorer - - replacement for windows task manager
Startup Control Panel - Configure which programs run when your computer starts.
Startup Monitor - monitors changes to your startup program list
Thunderbird - email client, to replace outlook
GAIM - AIM without ads
ISORecorder - powertoy to burn CD and DVD images; create an ISO from any folder.
ckrename - batch file renamer
launchy - enter in the name of an application and it finds it.
Weather Watcher - Weather in your system tray - I do not use this program but this may useful for those looking for something like this.. as this one does not contain spyware/adware like most of them do.
Irfanview - Awesome image viewier (crop/resize/rotate)
Webmon - A program that will monitor a webpage and notify you when it changes
Dscaler For those who have a TV tuner installed this is the program to watch it with.

Security/Cleaners
Spybot S&D - Search and destroy adware and spyware from your computer
CCleaner - alternative to Windows Add/Remove, clean logs/cache's and temporary files
CORE FORCE R0.95 - replaces Windows Firewall
Avast! Antivirus - Best antivirus scan
Erasure - Deleting files in windows leaves traces left on your harddrive, this program really deletes those traces

Media Players
Media Classic Player - Light Weight DVD and media player
GOM Player - play media files
VLC Player - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_media_players (same as GOM but not as nice interface)

Firefox Add-Ons
Web Developer Toolbar
FireBug
Adblock
Flashblock
NoScript

Steve, have any to add? (Other than Linux)

Understanding Your Income Taxes 101

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:04:13 GMT

Here is how your Taxes work out in a very summarized manner.

+ Income
Earnings from wages, dividends, interest, capital gains

- Less: The greater of the Standard or Itemized Deductions
Here's where you can deduct Medical, State Income and Property taxes, business expenses, and mortgage interest

- Less Dependency Exemptions (in 2006 this was $3,300 per dependant)

= Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

X Tax rate

= Tax Liability

- Less Tax Credits (Foreign tax credit, Child and dependant care expenses, education credit, child tax credit)

- Less Withholdings during the year

= Total Due (refund)

This formula should help resolve a couple misconceptions about your income tax including:

Misconception #1 All tax deductions are a direct deduction of my tax liability - This is not the case. Most tax deductions are 'above the line' deductions which means they reduce the amount of income subject to tax. A tax credit only reduces the amount of tax you pay dollar-to-dollar.

Misconception #2 Tax refunds are a good thing - not necessarily. A tax refund is an interest-free loan to the goverment. A tax refund does not reduce the tax you pay during the year it only effects the time you pay it. If you owe money at the end the year, this means, that you did not withhold enough from your paychex during the year, if you get a refund you withheld too much taxes during the year. If you are good with savings, a refund means that you lost out on the interest that refund would of earned had it been in your bank account the whole year.

Disclaimer: Any tax advice included in this written or electronic communication was not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by the taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by any governmental taxing authority or agency.

TJ's Late Show Wrap Up

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:49:33 GMT

Here is my take on the various Late Night Talk Shows.
I dedicate this to the late Tom Snyder who died on July 29, 2007 from complication with leukemia. Snyder was one of early pioneers of late night talk shows with "Tomorrow" in the 80's and 90's and was host of the CBS's The Late Late Show in 1990's.

CBS - The Late Show with Dave Letterman
I find Letterman extremely funny. Being from NY definitely makes his show even better to watch as he frequently does local stuff involving the city and surrounding area. Dave has a way of making ordinary people into comic geniuses as he has done with stage manager Biff Henderson, Handyman George Clark and Deli owner Rupert Jee, these sketches are what make the late show original and funny. What I do not like about the show is the numerous pointless unfunny skits that are done from time to time like "will it float?" , stump the band, and "Is this Anything", and most of Alan Kaulter's skits. Dave's show is well known for the Stupid Human Tricks and the Top Ten list.

NBC - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
This is most watched late show and has surpassed the late show every year since the 90's. I am not sure why as I don't really find Jay funny. He gets old ripping on the band leader Kevin Eubanks. I find that the writers for the show aren't that good as his jokes often get no laughs and Leno is not that great with covering it up. His most popular feature is headlines on Monday and this a rip off of David Letterman's skit "Dumb Ads" that Dave introduced in the 80's. Yes that is right, Leno is actually ripping off Dave, not as you may have thought as Letterman re-introduced this skit under the name "Small Town News" in 2004 to compete with Leno's segment.

CBS - The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Craig's Gig is "Let's repeat the same sayings every episode that make people laugh" This is how a normal episode of CBS late late show goes. 1. Craig Ferguson enters saying to the audience "Enjoy the show, sit down , lay down...take off your pants." 2. Craig opens email bag tell audience to email him at "Craig@internet........com" 3. Craig Calls voice mail and pertains to dial 10,000 numbers just to get to his voice mail as if this demands laughter every single time. I do not know how people can watch his show every day with out getting annoyed at the amount of the stuff he repeats each day. I get tired of it after watching twice in a week. This show would be funny if it didn't have the repetitive crap.

NBC - Late Night with Conan O'Brien When I heard that O'brian was replacing Leno on the Late show in 10 years (less now) I was not that excited. Conan to me was the combination of "Let's act stupid and people will laugh" and "Lets make of fun of myself so people laugh". However Conan has some great monologue's and skits and they never get old.

Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC There is nothing much to say about this show. When I watch him he always look as if he doesn't even know why he's there, and with good reason. The show does not have much content and Carson is just so bleh. The only good thing about this show is it pulls in some good music talent.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Comedy Central I think Jon Stewart is great and I'm not sure why but I do not watch his show much. I think a lot has to do with the fact his show is on Comedy central and not a major network. His show is more geared toward turning current news into humor and does a great job at it! I feel Stewart would make a great replacement for Letterman.

EBay Auction Template

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 17:44:58 GMT

I put the eBay auction template back online. The template enables you to make a professional looking ebay auction with out any html knowledge. I took it off line due to lack of interest but I might as well at least still link to it from here since it takes up very little space on the server.

Let me know what you think and if I can make any improvemetns.

link: eBay Auction Template

Tjshome.com - Site Update

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:49:29 GMT

I made a couple updates to the website. Here's a list of those updates made in the last month or so.

Now with the Image Converter you can add your picture to an iPod and the classic Etch-a-Sketch frames.
Changedthe background color -- let me know what you think.
Limited the blog to 25 blogs per page since the page was getting too long.
Deleted the Guestbook -- to much spam and securities holes - not enough time for me to fix those.
Removed the eBay auction tools from the menu... Not enough traffic.
Added a webmaster todo list. This you can't see but it will help me manage changes that I want to implement to the website. There's so much to do that sometimes I think of changes that need to be made but forget about them later. I am quite happy with the code so I may post the source for web designers to use on their page.
Added Dumb law Submissions page - See the stupid laws submitted by visitors to this site.
Fixed browser layout issues and validated front page and css.

Simple solutions - Disabling flash sounds in IE7 and firefox

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:24:40 GMT

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.

Open the Internet Explorer or Firefox installation folder.
The default path for IE is C:Program FilesInternet Explorer
and Firefox is C:Program FilesMozillaFirefox".
Create an empty file in this folder with the name msacm32.dll. (IE: open Notepad and do save as msacm32.dll).
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.

Great Gift Idea's Site - redenvelope.com

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:51:34 GMT

I am always looking on the net for the great gift site. A site where you can go and find something for anyone. A site with products sorted by catogory of need. I found this site while looking on Amex.com and it looks to be pretty close to what I am looking for.

site: Red Envelope

It has really cool... original gift ideas and looks like you can find a gift for anyone. The only thing it needs is more gift suggestions.

Nickelback - Rockstar Lyrics

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:39:11 GMT

I don't really like Nickelback because every song sounds the same.. but this song actually has some cool lyrics and a good sound...

Rockstar
by Nickelback Lyrics

I'm through with standin' in line
to clubs I'll never get in
It's like the bottom of the ninth
and I'm never gonna win
this life hasn't turned out
quite the way I want it to be
(Tell me what you want)

I want a brand new house
on an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king size tub big enough
for ten plus me
--(Yea, So what you need)--

I need a credit card that's got no limit
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it
Gonna join the mile high club
At thirty-seven thousand feet
--(Been there done that)--

I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard
Somewhere between Cher and
James Dean is fine for me
(So how you gonna do it?)

I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and change my name

[CHORUS]
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars and
Live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
in the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blonde hair
And well...

Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar

I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes
Sign a couple autographs
So I can eat my meals for free
--(I'll have the quesadilla, ha-ha,)--

I'm gonna dress my ass
with the latest fashion
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion

Gonna date a centerfold that loves to
blow my money for me
(So how you gonna do it?)

I'm gonna trade this life
For fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair
And change my name

'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars and
Live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
in the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blonde hair
And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary of
today's who's who
They'll get you anything
with that evil smile
Everybody's got a
drug dealer on speed dial, well
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar

I'm gonna sing those songs
That offend the censors
Gonna pop my pills
from a Pez dispenser
Get washed-up singers writing all my songs
Lip --sync-- 'em every night so I don't get 'em wrong

Well we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in Hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
in the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair
And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary of
today's who's who
They'll get you anything
with that evil smile
Everybody's got a
drug dealer on speed dial,well

Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar

Spoof Phone Cards: Spoof the Caller ID and give your mom a heart attack

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:08:21 GMT

With the use of cell phones phone cards and pay phones have become a novelty. However this company has found a new use for phone cards. You can use these things to spoof the caller id and have any name show up on the caller id display. So do not wait any longer... buy one... call your mom with County Prison showing up on the display and ask to her bail you out.

Multi-billion dollar company hires middle schooler for web design

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:39:17 GMT

Berkshire Halthway is a holding company which manages companies like Geico, Benjamin Moore, and Pampered Chef and had a revenue of $98.5 billion in 2006. Warren E. Buffett, CEO is the third richest man in the USA (Forbes, April 2007). Buffet is known for his cheap and frugile lifestlye and this is probably why he will not invest in a web designer for his multi-billion dollar company. The website for Berkshire Hathaway looks as though a middle school student prepared for a Miscrosoft Word project. I guess in their line of business they do not need to impress but really only a couple dollars and you can atleast get a professional look.

Hint: I need some side work

Link: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com

Why are you so quiet? Why don't you talk much? Are you okay?

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:48:29 GMT

I've been quiet and reserved for most of my life. I can not remember exactly when it clicked in or if its just been there forever. I've thought about it and I'm sure a lot of those close to me think about it...what makes me so damn quiet? So here's an attempt at list that I will start and add to as time goes on.

I do not like to ask stupid questions - most people like to ask questions just to make conversion, I only like to ask questions when I really want to hear the answer.
I do not like to lie - It seems, at least to me, that most big talkers are also big liars. Half the crap coming out of their mouths is either lies or big exaggerations of what really happens. I keep it real and to the point.
My mother named me Tim - So I took it upon myself to be Timid
I'm an introvert - Most people think this is the same as being shy but they are wrong there's a good article here:

http://giftedkids.about.com/od/glossary/g/introvert.htm
Abraham Lincoln is my role model: He once said "'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."

There are some times I think of something to say but quickly put in reserve.

I may add some later.. but yeah... now you know and do not have to ask.

A real stiffler...

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:16:24 GMT

Some one from the sellers of this energy drink must of urged this guy to file this suit. Just think of the sales increase.

A man has sued the maker of the health drink Boost Plus, claiming the vitamin-enriched beverage gave him an erection that would not go away and caused him to be hospitalized.

The lawsuit filed by Christopher Woods of Manhattan said he drank the nutrition beverage, which is made by the Novartis pharmaceutical company on June 5th, 2004.

Novartis' Boost Plus Web site describes the drink as "a great tasting, high calorie, nutritionally complete oral supplement for people who require extra energy and protein in a limited volume."

Woods' court papers say he woke up the next morning "with an erection that would not subside" and sought treatment of the condition. The 29-year-old says he underwent surgery that day for implantation of a Winter shunt, which moves blood from one area to another.

The lawsuit, filed late Monday, says Woods had problems that required a hospital visit and medical procedures to close blood vessels on his penis.

Woods' lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A spokeswoman for the drug company says the company did not comment on pending litigation.

source: http://www.myfoxny.com/

I'm out to get me some now... ah maybe not

The most sad songs playlist

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 02:28:10 GMT

Here is my Sad Songs playlist straight from iTunes. Am I missing anything...?

Click for Lyrics (when available)

Artist

Song

2 Pac

Dear Mama

A Perfect Circle

Imagine (Cover)

A Perfect Circle

Three Libras

Al Green

Tired Of Being Alone

Allison Krauss & Nickel Creek

The Lighthouse's Tale

Audioslave

Show me How to Live

Barenaked Ladies

I Live With It Everyday

The Beatles

Hey Jude

Beck

Lost Cause

Ben Folds Five

Fred Jones (part 2)

Ben Folds Five

Fair

Ben Folds Five

Brick

Billy Joel

Paino Man

Blink 182

I Miss You

Blink 182

Adams Song

Blue October

Hate Me

Bob Dylan

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Breaking Benjamin

So Cold

Carbon Leaf

When I'm Alone

The Carpenters

Goodbye To Love

Cat Stevens

Father and Son

Counting Crows

A Long December

The Cure

Lovesong

Dropkick Murphys

The Green Fields of France

Dropkick Murphys

I'm Shipping Up to Boston

Elton John

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Flogging Molly

Far Away Boys

The Fray

How to Save a Life

Gary Jules

Mad World (Tears for Fear Cover)

Gilbert O'Sullivan

Alone Again Naturally

Godsmack

I Stand Alone

Goo Goo Dolls

Iris

Gordon Lightfoot

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald

Green Day

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Guns N' Roses

Don't Cry

Hank Williams

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

James Taylor

Fire and Rain

Jet

Look What You've Done

John Lennon

Imagine

Johnny Cash

Hurt (NIN Cover)

Jon Bon Jovi

Dry County

Joy Division

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Karaoke All Stars

Two Beds and a Coffee Machine (key of A)

Kid Rock

Only God Knows Why

Marvin Gaye

Lean on Me

Metallica

Tuesday's Gone (Cover)

Metallica

Mama Said

Metallica

Fade To Black

NewSong

The Christmas Shoes

Nine Inch Nails

Hurt

Nine Inch Nails

Something I Can Never Have

Nirvana

All Apologies

Our Lady Peace

4:00 AM

Ozzy Osbourne

Dreamer

Pearl Jam

Daughter

Pink Floyd

Comfortably Numb

Poison

Every Rose Has It's Thorn

Puddle of Mudd

She Hates Me

Radiohead

Creep

REM

Everybody Hurts

Simon & Garfunkel

I am a Rock

Smashing Pumpkins

Mayonaise

The Smiths

Asleep

Staind

Epiphany

Stone Sour

Bother

Sufjan Stevens

Casimir Pulaski Day

Third Eye Blind

Slow Motion

Tracy Chapman

Fast Car

Ugly Kid Joe

Cats in the Cradle

The Velvet Underground

Candy Says

Favors are like money

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:40:11 GMT

What? .. Let me explain...

First before you spend(ask for) a favor you have to make sure you enough in the bank. Ask yourself have I done something for this person that would make them want to help?

Bank your favors Always invest your favors so when you'll need a favor you can withdraw.

Make sure your investing in the right favor funds
Ask yourself: Has the fund helped me when in need? Am I just putting all my favors in and not getting any favors in return? You want to make sure you your getting a good return on investment.

Limit your loans Nobody likes debt. If you have a a favor loan make sure to repay quickly. Interest does accrue and is unfortunately not a viable tax deduction.

TJ's blog now availabe in rss

Tue, 29 May 2007 10:07:51 GMT

I made my blog available in rss so it would be searchable with Google Blog Search. It seems like I have to design my whole site around google's antics :/.

The next upgrade might be to add smilies to the blog so when I feel like making stupid faces like :O it changes it to a face.

Here's the link to the .rss until I add a permanent link.

http://tjshome.com/tjsblog.rss

Update:
I updated the rss feed so the format is nicer and easier to read. Before the html was showing as text.

The key to weight loss is .... fidgeting

Mon, 28 May 2007 04:07:51 GMT

I've been thin all my life. And by now, since I am 26 years of age, am tolerable to the fact that I will never be of average weight but slightly less. A lot of people made riches off publishing their guide to weight loss and often people encourage me to do the same. I've meant for years to do so however have come to a block in the road on all occasions. However I do now know the recipe and will now write it here for free without any published book title "Tjs Diet" or ever clever naming scheme. The secret to thinness is to fidget for whatever worth. Never stay still.. if you sitting move you are leg up and down in a fast uncontrallable motion ...if you are waiting for company to arrive walk around your house in circles to they arrive...if you are sleeping, move around the bed so much that when you wake your sheets are no longer on the bed... chew your pens to the ink fills your mouth... when you are nervous have your hands tremble in an uncontrollable fashion so when your passing a drink to a friend the drink splashes to the ground... make constants trips to the fridge open it, see nothing you like and close the fridge, open again and repeat just to close again and take nothing...

These are some of the things I do every day without noticing. These are the things I think make it impossible to gain weight. Unfortunetely for those who do not fidget I do not beleive that controlable fidgeting is a weight loss possibility.

I'll try to conitinue when I'm sober...

I've got Joost Invites

Sun, 13 May 2007 14:14:51 GMT

Joost (pronounced 'juiced') is a system for distributing TV shows and other forms of video over the Web using peer-to-peer TV technology, created by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis.

Watch your favorite shows from MTV, Comedy Central, and WB on your computer.

I have the program and I gotta tell you I'm quite impressed. There's not that much programming available but they do have some cools shows and the quality is decent too.

Joost sign up is currently an invite-only basis.

The good news is I got invites so leave a comment with your email address and I will be nice enough to send you an invite.

Update: The Joost software seems to be very tempermental and will no longer load up. I checked the forums and it seems a lot of users are having the same issues as me. It's not worth the hastle so I uninstalled the program and will wait for

a.)better software AND
b.)more programming.

Unfortunately, I can no longer offer invitations as you need the program installed to send invitations. The alternative is to goto Joost.com and "Sign up for Joost beta" and you should receive an invite in a couple days.

Track visitors hitting tjshome in real time on google maps

Fri, 11 May 2007 17:45:51 GMT

Watch the map as it pinpoints the locations of Tjshome.com visitors live in real time action! This should provide hours upon hours of in home entertainment for you and your family.

http://statisfy.net/tjshome

John Stewart is the best Journalist

Tue, 08 May 2007 22:27:51 GMT

John Stewart of the Daily Show is the smartest journalist on TV and here is the video to prove it.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04272007/watch.html

Everything he says is absolutely true.

Tjshome Sponsors I Love New York 2 Contestant

Sun, 06 May 2007 17:22:21 GMT

I'm from New York so I would like to take this moment and announce that fully support "Thefireman" to win VH1's I Love New York 2 TV contestant search.

Vote now for thefireman:

http://ilovenewyork2.com/people/TheFireman

You must vote for this man

Don't watch the show?
Who cares... you must vote for this man

Don't live in New York?
Who cares... you must vote for this man

Vote Now: http://ilovenewyork2.com/people/TheFireman

There are other sites such as somethingawful.com supporting this guy and we could actually win.

Top Ten signs you need a new accountant

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:25:05 GMT

Top Ten signs you need a new accountant
by TJ

10. He still does not have a email address
09. He claimed your pet hamster as an dependency exemption
08. You call him on March 10th and only receive a message that hes on vacation and will return on April 18th
07. The office watercooler is filled with vodka
06. Counts your traffic tickets as a charitable donation
05. He called you on Easter to talk about your tax return
04. He tells you can get a huge refund if you move to the Caymans
03. He answers every question with "Well I'm not good with numbers"
02. Tells you he donated your refund to the Hillary Campaign
01. Files your tax return with amounts marked "roughly a few thousand"

The most annoying web trends

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:53:05 GMT

Disable Back Button - This is very annoying and I hate site's that do this. If you have to trap people from exiting your site you have a problem. The hits you gain from this practice is not worth the visitors you piss you off by doing this.

Sound - Sound from a website is very annoying when its unexpected. A lot of pages are starting to put movies and songs on their main page. This trend defitinely does not bring in more visitors but it sure does lose visitors. Just think of the person viewing a page at work and then hears music - right away they close the page never to go back to the site again.

Pet Peeve's

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:33:14 GMT

Girls who do not wash their hands It took me a long time to figure out that like boys, girls poop too, however I just noticed that like boys, girls do not wash their hands after they go to the bathroom. I am not saying that it's okay for guys not to wash their hands but I think it's especially gross for girls to engage in this unhealthy behavior. And if you're not going to wash your hands at least wait to the toilet flushes before you exit. A toilet flush and the door opening is a dead give away that you do not wash your hands, and I'd rather not know. Here's a tip don't just wash your hands after the bathroom, wash your hands every chance you get, especially before eating and maybe you won;t get sick so much. I have not been sick in 3 years and haven't been to a docter in 5 years.

The Acccounting FAQ's

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:33:14 GMT

I have a snow day today so... I figured I'd put together a frequently asked question (AKA FAQ) about accounting. Oh my.. My life is so intense.

Who are you to be able to address this important issue? I have a B.S. in accounting, am a CPA and have been working in public accounting for 3 years

Does the musical "The Producers" accurately describe the accounting profession?

In some regards yes. My boss treated the whole office to this musical in NYC and we found the musical quite funny in how accurataly it really was. We were of course all drunk though since we were drinking in our limo on the ride down.

Accountants only do taxes... right? Right?
NO. Taxes only make up about 20% of an the average public firms revenue. There are audits, consulting, and other services that accountants perform. Engaged accountants can be responsible for a company accurately depicting their financial condition, this has nothing to do with taxes.

Accountant are always dull, boring, and like to pick their nose
There are some people like this that we work with, but not all of us are like this. Though you probably run into these people in every profession.

Is the work always repetitive, mundane work?
Not always. It all depends where you work. If you work in at a large CPA firm your probably specialize in one department and maybe be doing the same everyday. However if you work for a small firm you may get to do a little bit of everything. I work for a small firm so one day I could be doing a tax return and the next I could be auditing a corporations books, it keeps it interesting.

Will you do my Taxes?
Yes sign up for 2007 will begin after April 15th, 2008 once I'm done with the busiest time of my work year. Late fees may apply.

Calling Webdesigner to XXXX.com

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:27:54 GMT

I spend a lot of time on the coding of my website to make the design appear somewhat presentable. I find it very amusing that some sites that bring in millions of visitors each day do not put any effort into their appearance. With a little bit of designing I bet these site can increase their visitors by at least 10%. Here is a list of offending sites:

myspace.com Besides their very poor services they also have very poor design problems. You never know when you're logged on and page transition in the member's area is very slow. You think one of the most popular sites on the web can I spend a little money to make their site appear top notch. Have at least their main page appear presentable will lessing the nuisance of viewing those awful teeny boppers myspace profile pages.

Drudge Report Drudgereport.com is a popular U.S.-based news website run by Matt Drudge. The site consists primarily of links to stories from the US and international mainstream media. The site looks like it was designed in MS Word html editor. One think I hate worst when visiting a website is having to scroll. I like all the main content to be in one viewing area. I understand this can't only happen but this site makes you scroll left->right and up->down... doing this loses the readers attention. Viewing the website is worst then having to flip through pages of the NYTimes on a crowded subway. The viewing area spreads will easily extend over a virtual football field. This site is in dire need of a overhaul.

Craiglist is a centralized network of online urban communities, featuring free classified advertisements. This site has made the owner (I forget his first name) a millionaire. The site however is plain, in fact I do not think theirs an image hosted on the Craigslist servers. Their HTML links everywhere and often you find yourself getting lost because there's no defined menu.

Ingdirect.com For a multi-million dollar financial institution this bank has a very fake looking design. I just can not trust the security on a site with poor design.

Snopes.com a website dedicated to determining the truth about many urban legends, Internet rumors, email forwards, and other such stories of uncertain or questionable origin. Snopes design hasn't been updated even after they current receive millions of hits each day. How can Webmaster be so ignorant to the fact that a good design = more visitors? More visitors = more profit from ads.

IMDB The International Movie Database needs some organization work. It just a bunch of text spread throughout.

The Internet renders things useless

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:27:57 GMT

So here's my second attempt at this article the first was accidentally deleted...

The internet is responsible for a lot of things that didnt happen 10+ years ago. Among the most interesting is how the internet has managed to effect the market of the following print media that you basically do not need anymore as the internet is a much more resourceful in obtaining the information the media had to offer.

Yellow Pages: The only thing these are good for these days is allowing my mom to see over her car steering wheel. Who needs this when you can just type in what your looking for into Google? Need a barber search for "Barber [your city]" need a contractor search for "contractor [your city]" Not only will you get a list of phone numbers but you should also get links to the business web pages which provide a lot more info than an ad in the newspaper. With the internet you can also do a reverse telephone lookup. Have a weird number on your called id... type the number into Google (ie: XXX-XXX-XXXX) and find out who called you. You would have to look through the whole white pages to achieve this with the Yellow Book.

Encyclopedia: There is no longer a need for these unless they are for show and you want people to believe your scholarly. You have sites like Wikipedia or just search for what your looking for and find out up to date information quickly.

Dictionary/Thesaurus: No sorry, Webster your going to have start writing comics or something. Just type any word into Google and not only will Google define it but it will correct your spelling if it is spelled wrong.

Classifieds: Newspapers are having trouble maintaining profit with the proliferation of online classifieds, site's like eBay, Monster (Help Wanted), and Craiglist.org (classifieds) are among the most popular. Why post a classified in a newspaper and only reach the local area when you can post it on the internet and reach the World?

Newspapers: I just mentioned classifieds above but hey who still needs to read the newspaper? Besides keeping people awake when on the train or toilet there is not need for newspaper. Google News provides news articles from 4,500 sources around the globe. The news is easily searched which beats trying to fold any paper page so it's just the article you want. What's another great thing about the internet news? It uses 100% less trees. Go me on saving the enviroment one step at a time. Now we just need to figure out how the internet can reduce the need for fuel... hmmm.

Cliff Notes: Students no longer need to pay money to cheat on that book exam. Just type in your book title to goolge and get tons of reviews, summaries, sample exams.

Wait... for my next article how the iPod not only destroyed the market for music CD's...

There is many more anyone care to add...?

I just lost the entired blog

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:24:12 GMT

Grr... I hate php now... I made one little mistake in the code and I went and edit this blog and now its gone... it was really good too but now you'll never read it becuase I'm to tired to type... why the heck am i typing...stop typing...stop...grrr.

NYC Commute Photo blog

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 21:54:12 GMT

So I have a pretty interesting commute to work. I drive from Westchester NY to NYC about 4 times a week to go to my clients. A couple days ago I decided to take pictures along the way and will share them here. Now the pictures were taken by me while I was driving so do not expect great quality or even that interesting...

Here is where I start out, Westchester avenue in Purchase. Not the cloudy skies :/

Here is NYS newest monument along side the Hutchinson river Parkway. A cell tower that suppose to look like a tree but looks more like an over obtrusive cell tower.

If you can see the fog that is the George Washington bridge.

Now were on 9A, this is where you would usually hit traffic, but none today...yay!

Random image of the West Side parkway...

The A-rod parkway is on the list of NYS parkway names too...

This truck must of made a wrong turn somewhere.

My next car is going to be a helicopter

Chelsea Piers

This is where I get my Oil Change

Car Wash + Vacuum + Oil Change + Free Parking = $30

How do you work this Ski?

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 11:22:33 GMT

I was going to try and post every blog with my mood as blah. I thought that would be original and fun. And I am always in that mood anyway. Blah is always my demeanor... not too excited, not too depressed(just mildly apparantly). Writing about this made me look up the word on dictionary.com:

blah   /blɑ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[blah] 

Pronunciation

 Key - Show IPA Pronunciation Slang. 

noun 1. nonsense; rubbish: What they say is blah. 

2. the blahs, a feeling of physical uneasiness, general discomfort, or mild
 depression; malaise: After the long weekend many workers had the

 Monday-morning blahs. 

adjective 3. insipid; dull; uninteresting. 

Synonyms 1. bunkum, humbug, hooey, eyewash, twaddle, bosh.

Great so that means my mood fits the perfect stereotype for an accountant as insipid, dull, and interesting..What a great word and great new phrase "Monday Morning Blahs" I will have to use that one around the office.

Well the reason I did not set my mood as blah today is my leg is freaking killing me. And my whole body feels like its sleeping. I am either not getting enough sleep or I sit too much. I guess sitting while working a 7.5 hour shift, driving two hours/a day then sitting doing B.S on the computer for another 3 hours while at home can not help my fitness.

On Saturday I am going skiing for this first time. I am going have to do a Google search on tips because I do not know what the heck it is all about. I figured I will try it out though because it is one of those things everyone should do at least once. You know what I think the scariest part is getting of the ski lift the first time. I can just see me falling on my ass or having them have to stop the thing for me to get off. It should be fun though and besides the fact that I have to wake up at 6am I am looking forward to it.

Well I gotta get some sleep...

So it's finally done...

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 11:11:11 GMT

Yeah I bet you thought I was going just make the first post and never post again. Actually, I probably have better odds if I bet that no one read my blog yet. Though, that is how 90% of blogs probably end, one post and the blogger forgets about it and never post again. Well I made it to two blogs now so I beat that already.

I just finished the blog.. and you can now add comments! Please comment so I know some one reads this thing...

I mean I am also doing this for my personal use any way. Next year I think it would be cool to look back and say , oh last year on January 2nd the most entertaining thing I had going on was I cashed in my change for $375... Whatta loser! heh.

Any way thanks for reading... uh.. me.. thank me for reading...

So I decided to start the new year off with a blog...

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:56:11 GMT

I have been wanting to start posting a blog for a while now. I just needed the time and more importantly the ambition to create the code. Yeah that's correct, most people just write in their blogs.. I write the code for the blog then write in the blog.

What people do not realize is how much trouble it takes to create each new page on Tjshome.com. I create, manage, and run everything on Tjshome.com myself. To give you an idea of the work that goes into each page here are the components this blog needed to get up and running:

Database - This is where the data is stored
Form - This is the form that I use to write a new blog (162 lines of code)
Processor - This previews the blog and processes the submitted dated. Here we puts the blog into codeable content and adds it to the database so the data can be recalled later. (172 lines of code)
Administration - This will have a list blogs so I can go back and edit/delete blogs at a later date. I still have to create this. I still have to code this page. (100-150 lines of code)
Main page - this is page you;re reading now. Here we recall the data from the database and put it into a nice readable layout. (250 lines of code)

So yea that's what takes to create a new page. It is a lot of typing, coding, testing, and recoding. But I hope it was worth it and at least some people will read my useless ramblings. The ability to add/post comments will come within the next few days.

And on a fun note...
Over the weekend I went to Commerce Bank and used their Penny Arcade to cash all my change. The machine counts all your change for you and then you goto the teller to get your money. Those people at Commerce Bank sure are helpfull and friendly too, seriously. It is a lot better than those machines you see at the supermarket because the bank does not charge a fee.
Here is a pic of the change bottle before I cashed it in:

This netted me $375.11 ... Woot!

This is a just a test

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 18:21:11 GMT

This is a test
had this been the real thing hopefully it would be more entertaining.
Thanks for reading.

Let's now test an update