The Lifelong Learner :: Do what you can, with what you have, where you are -Roosevelt ::

Archive for the 'Off Topic' Category

Best Bargain Sites January 25th, 2004
MikeRoweSoft.com ??? January 19th, 2004
Where the Jobs Will Be January 7th, 2004
Best Comparison Sites December 29th, 2003
Merry Christmas! December 24th, 2003
First Anti-Spam Bill: CAN-SPAM November 26th, 2003
Largest Mall November 23rd, 2003
Finalists in the World Trade Center competition November 20th, 2003
Switch Cell Carrier and Keep Your Number November 18th, 2003
Mind Games November 15th, 2003

Best Bargain Sites

This is a list of bargain-listing sites, as listed in PC Magazine. Check these sites for lists of sales, coupons, and rebates, browse. You should be able to find some good deals. (I have not checked all of them, but I check DealCatcher, SlickDeals, DigitalDeals & SlickDeals constantly.)

-> DealsofAmerica.com

-> SlickDeals.com

-> Amazing-Bargains.com

-> CleverMoms.com

-> Bargainshopping.org

-> DealCatcher.com

-> DealHunting.com

-> Getmeadeal.com

-> RefundSweepers.com

-> Techbargains.com

-> xpbargains.com

-> fatwallet.com

-> cheapdeals101.com

You’ll find both new stuff and old clunkers at these sites, many of which link directly to deals featuring the latest products at the manufacturers’ sites.

MikeRoweSoft.com ???

Is there such a domain name? You bet, a high schooler Mike Rowe owns it. What’s interesting, though, is that Microsoft is trying to force him to give it up: they offered him $10 for the domain — they must be out of their minds. This is a funny story. Must read.

Microsoft takes on teen’s site MikeRoweSoft.com

Where the Jobs Will Be

Over the next 10 to 20 years, skilled jobs will be firmly on the rise, offering opportunities to people of all ages. But some old standbys, like manufacturing and secretarial work, are in long-term decline.

Fortunately, my skills, as a software programmer/engineer and a web designer, should be in demand (that’s what they say). The one thing, in all of this, is for sure (and you’ve probably noticed): the world is getting more and more complex, and as mentioned above, skilled, more technical jobs will be in demand — that is, in any area. If you don’t see your profession there, don’t worry: just concentrate on being the best in whatever you do. Good workers are always in demand.

FAST GROWING:

Registered nursesPhysicians’ assistantsMental health workersHealth-services entrepreneursBiologistsNeurologistsWeb designersMarketing professionalsAdvertising writersComputer programmers, systems analystsFinancial planners, personal bankersAssistant morticiansTelevision personalitiesActors and directors (movies, TV)Athletes, coaches, umpires, refereesGaming industry croupiers

——————————————————————————–

JOBS IN DECLINE:

ButchersBarbersManufacturing workersAgricultural workersSecretariesClerks

Source: Barron’s

Best Comparison Sites

These sites let you find shopping bargains.

MySimon.com * Buying advice through Shopping Picks* Brief descriptions, pros, cons, and tips

NexTag.com * Intuitive but text-heavy* Shows recent price drops and a graph of price change over time (pretty cool)

PriceGrabber.com (Best Bet by PC World)* Efficient use of space thanks to text-heavy listings* Indicates whether the best deal found is refurbished or used

Shopping.com * Clean and simple* Front page displays fewest number of product categories and subcategories* Posts user reviews from Epinions (its sibling company)

Merry Christmas!

Holidays are around the corner! (Hopefully, you’re not buying gifts today :-( )

Anyway, I wish everybody Happy Holidays and a successful, joyful, and happy 2004!

First Anti-Spam Bill: CAN-SPAM

Days for the spammers are limited — I doubt it. Nevertheles, history has been made for anti-spam law: senate approved the law, Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM), today and should be signed by Bush early december (he said he’ll sign it).

The law, basically, makes it easier to get the bad guys. Is it going to stop the spam? Most likely not. It is, nonetheles, a step in a right direction.

See the whole story on News.com here.

Largest Mall

It’s not in the US! It’s in Canada, and it’s Alberta’s No. 1 tourist spot.

West Edmunton Mall covers 5.3 million square feet on two levels — the equivalent of 115 footbal fiedls — and cost about $800 million to build. The largest in US, in Bloomington, Minn., has 4.2 million square feet.

So what’s in the mall? It is listed in Guiness World Records for housing the planet’s largest parking lot, with 20,000 spaces. Besides its 800-plus shops, and more than 110 eateries, it also has seven major attractions, including the world’s biggest indoor amusement park, and six major retail franchises.

Wow! Seems like a city in itself! Visit WestEdMall.com

Finalists in the World Trade Center competition

Finalists have been picked. The top design, out of the eight (listed below), will be chosen by the end of the year. Take a look at pictures of the designs.

Suspending Memory

The designs by name:

1) Dual Memory — pic

2) Gardens of Light — pic

3) Inversion of Light — pic

4) Lower Waters — pic

5) Passages of Light — pic

Reflecting Absence6) Reflecting Absence — pic (plus the small image)

7) Suspending Memory — pic (and the big image, above)

8) Votives in Suspension — pic

Switch Cell Carrier and Keep Your Number

Starting Monday, 11/24/03, when you switch your cell-phone carrier you will be allowed to keep your old phone number. Good news!

Should you rush and switch right away? No, you’re better off waiting for couple of weeks, or even couple months. Why? Here are couple of good reasons (taken from WSJ.com).

1) The first few days under the new rules — possibly even the first few weeks or months — will likely be filled with technical glitches, long lines and confused customer-service reps.

2) The deals that carriers have been throwing at consumers to keep them from jumping ship are expected to get better once subscriber defections mount.

So, yeah, those seem to be valid points. So just wait a little before you switch (I know I will.)

11/25/03 — Update on the switch on News.com.

Mind Games

What do you see on the following picture?

When I looked at it I saw 2 horse heads. Well, see for yourself — you’ll be surprised. Pretty cool!

Other ones: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

(Right click on the pic and save it to your computer, open with Picture Viewer and turn clockwise.)

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