SpitzTunes -- Bring on that New Year!

The holidays is a musical season ... can we continue that in the New Year? I wish I could ... I try ... but so often the non-musical parts of my life takes over. I really believe that if I could increase the musical me by 10%, I'd reap more than a 10% benefit in my life.

So, What Do You Think of Payday Loans?

We're in a global financial crisis, which has the potential to cause personal financial crisis for you. We're all searching for those alternatives that will allow us to continue without dire actions. Maybe a payday loan could be one of those alternatives.

Uncovering Opportunity in a Crisis

Tough times ... would be nice to have a financial institution that gives back its earnings to its customers and local communities. "It's true with a credit union you give up convenience, but in return, you get better deals," says Clark Howard, author of Get Clark Smart: The Ultimate Guide for the Savvy Consumer and host of a nationally syndicated radio talk show on finances.

SpitzTunes -- Happy Holidays!!

Music is part of life, and as far as I know, music has added something to everyone's life ... but right there the similarities cease ... we all seem to have some go to music that may be different at different times ... in a crowd, on holidays, in the shower, at work, traveling, on a date, at a funeral, watching TV (all the popular shows now have background music), shopping, studying, exercising ... well, I'm sure you get the idea.

Random Christmas Thoughts

Well, we're almost there, and maybe this year will be a bit tougher than past years to really get into the joy of the season , but, heck, what have you got to lose? "Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind." ~Mary Ellen Chase~

It's About the Wicking!

We've run several conversations about sports clothing because, overwhelmingly, dNeero-ites agree that working out, exercising, or competing is important to health. In our marketplaces we all see the evolution of products ... sometimes it's just for a new trend, and other times it's because of new technology ... maybe high performance sports clothing fits both those reasons.

Christmas / Holiday from dNeero-ites

We composed this survey entirely from questions from our dNeero respondents ... many thanks to all of you whether we used your question or not. We truly appreciate your involvement with dNeero and hope that these conversations generate some thought and some fun ... and we hope that you and your network of friends and associates use dNeero to start up conversations and learn a bit more about one another. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Credit Unions are CREDIT-able

Right for the times? "A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members, and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at reasonable rates, and providing other financial services to its members." (Wikipedia)

SpitzTunes - Cheer & Fear

This is the third in our SpitzTunes series ... holidays are upon us, and so is the global financial crisis ... let's get to more cheer, and less fear! "The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." ~Benjamin Franklin~

It Drives Us Nuts!

President-Elect Barack Obama spoke with Tom Brokaw on NBC's Meet the Press. A hefty portion of time was spent talking about the U.S auto industry. "Is a dead horse a waste of life support?" ~Joe Reger, Sr.~

SpitzTunes Without a Cause

Spitz speaks ... start ove, satisfy, ideas, rebellion, smokin' guitars ... who the heck knew that Red Hot Chill Peppers are a bunch of light bulbs!? "The marvelous rebellion of man at all signs reading "Keep Off." ~Carl Sandburg~

About You ... dNeero-ites

This convo is specifically about you ... remember when you joined dNeero we presented you with the "Get it going with dNeero" convo ... users asked many wonderful questions, so the following convo is an extension of that convo that includes many of the user questions ... and to qualify for this convo, you must have already joined 15 others ... keep asking those great user questions that challenge your fellow dNeero-ites to exclaim "I hadn't thought about that!"

Spitz Tunes Now

He'll will host a weekly convo that will bring the old to the new ... he'll provide some facts, he'll ask about the present, he'll get us thinking, wondering, explaining ... and it all revolves around music ... and most importantly, he's looking for your questions -- so have at it, and have fun, and talk to Spitz!!

From dNeero-ites about Christmas

From dNeero-ites about Christmas "The manner of giving is worth more than the gift." ~Pierre Corneille~

A Yo-Yo Holiday

Christmas/Holiday music cuts across all genres ... is it the go to music when you exercise, clean the house, shop, surf the Web, travel ...? A Yo-Yo Holiday "Christmas ... We start drinking early. And while everyone else is seeing only one Santa Claus, we'll be seeing six or seven." ~W. C. Fields~

Sports Clothing for exercise, play, and ...?

Get that extra edge ... pro athletes wear the stuff ... performance clothing must be good on the field of athletic competition ... but does it show up other places? Sports Clothing for exercise, play, and ...? "I have about 100 pairs of pajamas. I like to see people dressed comfortably." ~Hugh Hefner~

Yes, we did!

The U.S. Presidential Election is over ... he did it ... Barack Obama won! What did editorials across the world say, imply, question, disparage, hope, ...? Yes, we did! -- Editorial Comments "We are, and always will be, the United States of America." ~Barack Obama~ Nov 4, 2008

Zoo - You're animals!

In addition to their status as tourist attractions and recreational facilities, modern zoos may engage in captive breeding programs, conservation study, and educational outreach. Zoo - You're animals! "Zoo: An excellent place to study the habits of human beings." ~Evan Esar~

Carlsberg launches Web-TV for football fans

Carlsberg. You know Carlsberg? That nice golden beer that some men and women absolutely love? Well, alcohol companies have traditionally been linked with sports events such as football. This time, Carlsberg is again at the forefront with a strike of their own. They have recently launched a Web-TV channel about football and fan life at partofthegame.tv . They have 5 channels showing all aspects about football from the classic football matches to life as a fan. So for you crazy fans out there, you know where next you can tune in to. Go check out Carlsberg Web-TV, cheers. :D www.partofthegame.tv

Movies Stuff

Movies touch a cord in most of us ... drama, comedy, suspense, romance, sports, documentary ... you name it ... the following questions just keep the conversation going!

Power dNeero-ites -- 100+ convos

Thanks to each and everyone of you for continuing to join convos and giving us feedback. We're in the process of bumping dNeero up a level or two -- has to do with some behind the scenes things like adding physical servers, and clustering & segmenting the database. On the front end you've seen the User Questions, and the ability to edit your answers, and some of you may have experienced our process of reviewing your answers (we affectionately call it "dPolice" and our reviews are a multi-step process aimed at maintaining the integrity of dNeero for serious bloggers and social networkers).

Tell Me Something I Don't Know - Sunday, October 26th

On the on The Chris Matthews Show, October 26th Chris Matthews leads with: "A different country. America changes. It did in 1932 with the coming of New Deal and in 1980 with the Reagan era. Will the election of 2008 bring an American epoch of Obama? Frustrated by a fitful war. Shaken by a financial free fall. Is the country turning to something truly new?" The panelists: -- Anne Kornblut is covering the campaigns for The Washington Post. -- Clarence Page is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. -- Andrea Mitchell covers the race for NBC News. -- John Heilemann covers politics for New York Magazine, which has his latest story on the cover this week.

Yoiks, I lost my files!

Ye, it can happen ... and our first reaction is a blank stare that says "What do I do now?" ... and then, we kick ourselves "Why didn't I backup my files?" "For want of a Nail the Shoe was lost; for want of a Shoe the Horse was lost; and for want of a Horse the Rider was lost." ~Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, June 1758~

Google Image Search may not be as efficient as hoped

I was writing about that scam site, Olympicbux. Hoping to adorn my post, I tried searching for its original banner (but failed) on http://images.google.com.sg . I used the keyword olympicbux . For http://images.google.com.sg , somehow my 3 posters on peace, loneliness and wealth came up as part of the search results on the first page. For http://images.google.com , the one on peace came up on the first page. The ones on loneliness, wealth, driving, existence, time, game over and flexibility are on the second. Together with these, 7 more pictures from my blog appeared. I practically monopolize this search word olympicbux that I really have no "connection" with. Isn't Google efficient? O.o

Yea! We've got another scam! - Olympicbux

Enters Olympicbux. This one has been down for quite a while but I had delayed a bit as I don't want to assume the worst just because a site possibly e.g. delayed/forgot in paying the hosting fee. The last message I remember reading was "We are temporarily off-line for the new script. Come back soon." But I don't know how long this "temporarily" is. Whether you are changing script or not, it is easy enough to maintain your site and put an Under Construction sign. Not to say this means you are therefore impeccably trustworthy but at least, you give us reason to extend the grace period. Anyway, now that the China Olympics 2008 is over, I guess the scammer(s) saw it fit to call it a day. I really don't quite understand what is in it for scammers. I just need you to email me (yes, I am sure you have my email) to let me know that e.g. you have tried your best but you did not manage to make the business work. That's fine. I will try to give you the benefit of the doubt and understand. I might even lend you my shoulder to cry on. You don't just go disappearing without a word. That only screams scam.

GiantBux - kaboom

There goes GiantBux. This isn't really a scam but an example of how people can go rushing into setting up a PTC site then claim that they don't have time, need to walk their rabbit, feed their roaches, whatever, etc. There is now a new owner for GiantBux who is possibly banned by both PayPal and AlertPay. I mean, why else would he/she only pay by Liberty Reserve? PayPal is strict - I can somewhat (but not really) understand but AlertPay? I really wonder what the new owner has done to get banned (I am just speculating). So now, the payment mode is changed to Liberty Reserve only. You know, I am really tired of getting an account with every single shady payment processor in the world. It has taken me quite a while to overcome my resistance to AlertPay - and that is only because I have an arrangement with a friend to combine our earnings, forgo the exorbitant withdrawal fee then use the money to have a little meal together. So until GiantBux starts offering PayPal, AlertPay or even e-gold, I will pass on this freedom-not-reserved opportunity. Adieu.

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

October 12th, on The Chris Matthews Show, Chris asks his roundtable to "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" ... this weeks roundtable: Gloria Borger of CNN Howard Fineman of Newsweek Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution David Ignatius of The Washington Post

AlertBux - one of the lamest scam PTC sites

I don't know why I was hesitating. Probably I wanted to give this site a chance since there have been too many revealed scams recently. Well, I guess my patience has finally run out. I can't remember if AlertBux was supposed to go on vacation for a while but placing a blog post discussing whether Bux.to is a scam is already real lame * 10. Here, we can aptly use the idiom, "Pot calling the kettle black". But they did not just stop there. They scammed and continue to laugh at us like how a hyena would cackle as it sinks its teeth into your flesh and gobble you up while you are still alive. (Yes, hyenas are perfectly capable of that. They have a very powerful digestive system with highly acidic fluids, making them capable of eating and digesting their entire prey, including skin, teeth, horns and bones. Source: Wikipedia) They must be enjoying the confusion among their members and relishing every moment of their anticipation. Today, they placed another overriding ad on their site, beyond the usual Google Adsense ones. Perhaps that was the last straw and final trigger I need to declare AlertBux a scam. PTC clickers, be warned!

Fall 2008 TV: dNeero-ites want to know

Many, many good questions from dNeero-ites about TV shows and viewing habits ... '24', House, genre, time, hi-def ... we'll do more in future convos. "Today, watching television often means fighting, violence and foul language - and that's just deciding who gets to hold the remote control." ~Donna Gephart~

Find the best prices with ShopWiki!

Wow wow, what do we have here? Christmas is coming and ShopWiki comes in just handy! This is a search engine dedicated to sniffing out the best deals in shops everywhere on cyberspace. Granted, we have the all-imposing Google search engine but that is really not niche enough if we want to look for the best deal for a specific item. Yes, for those super geeks out there, I know you can enter a Google command such as "toothbrush $105...$150". This neat trick will basically grab you all mentions of toothbrushes costing between $105 and $150. I have tried searching this way on occasions too but it isn't really the best way. 2 quick reasons. One - you will see a lot of "junk" sites that are not even selling any products. Two - you can't sort the items in any order. ShopWiki is neat in that it only searches online stores and it allows you to sort the prices in ascending/descending order! Beyond this, you can also drag a slider and set the price range you desire. We online shopaholics all know how important such filtering is. If it is not important, we would just paint our glasses black and skip looking at the price tags. Geez, I think even Bill Gates looks at the price tags sometimes - not that he can't afford things but if only he doesn't get cheated! As my experiment, the key phrase I tried was "rune rings". Well, I have been eyeing one for some time but have not made up my mind yet. Out came the results and wow, there's one going for $4. I was excited... 7 stores... they turned out to be all from the thehungersite network of shops but the correct price is really $19.95. I clicked on the link showing $4 and it was directed to the one costing $19.95. There isn't really an error here. I suspect this item has been offered at a discounted price before (geez, I must have missed it... sob...) but here, it seems I have stumbled upon a drawback of ShopWiki. Apparently they do not check the validity of the items. That said, I do not think it is that big an issue. Prices of items once placed online seldom change and besides, with much of the filtering already done, we just need to click away those with no longer valid prices. If you prefer to just surf around and let inspiration come to you (perfect for Christmas shopping), you can just scan through the ready categories such as Board Games, Laptops, Kids' Clothes, whatever! Or if you want to search for DVD players in cars, just go look. In fact, you can even shop by brand if you so prefer. So run along and give ShopWiki a try the next time you need to do some shopping. :D * This is a sponsored post.

New scam minted - Isabelmarco

Isabelmarco, whether you are one Isabel and one Marco or one Isabelmarco or just a sick, stupid and screwed-up bot running on tainted fuel, I condemn you. It hurts me almost as much (or perhaps more) as it might possibly hurt you (if you have a conscience) as I really prefer to extol the virtue of people (yes, I hope to place you in this category) than to expose their true, ugly and blemished selves. A few days back, there was a sneaky announcement on your homepage that you will stop further payments to members who are not your paid intimates. Today, you emailed your decision to all your members. Are you aware that this latest action of yours is lame? I quote you, "Our recent announcment to not pay standard members was a hard decision for us to make however due to the volume of cheaters in the system this was the only method we feel that will work at the moment." This is so funny. Really funny. Instead of trying to find a way to solve the problem, you ingeniously use it as an excuse to penalize the non-cheaters who did not pay to make you richer. So if cheaters and non-cheaters all get the same treatment, why didn't you just tell me to cheat in the first place? This way, I might have made off with tons of payout already. Again I quote, "Also, premium members are the investors that keep IM running." OMG, your ploy at pretentious honesty really slammed the guillotine for you. Do you know what this means? It means that you are really taking money from one premium membership to pay another premium member. So basically, as long as people stop becoming premium members or quit renewing, your entire scam tapestry will unravel and we will then see a 404 error on your website. Many of those who have paid to become premium members will finally cry if they did not manage to pull back their investments in time. Granted that you would have made some people very happy but I don't see this as a plus point on your karma score sheet. For every 1 person you make happy, you probably tip the balance the other way for many more people. You are a PTC site. Do you know that your main income should thus come from ads? That is the only true way to be self-sustaining. By relying primarily on premium fees as you so mock-innocently admit, you also admit to making money as the middleman shuffling money around. You know, I almost invested in your site. I am glad I didn't. And did you mention some of your partner sites - PimpBattle, IMfriends, IMsMilliondollarhomepage and ArcadeLounge? Goodness! How many times do you want to scam people? Have a care before you fall into the deep abyss of no return! To all who have an account with Isabelmarco, I urge the following: If you are a premium member, quickly break even then run. If you are a non-premium member, just stop clicking unless you are almost reaching payout and want to convert your earnings to ads. Please do not for enlightenment's sake pay to become a premium member! That would just sink yourself into that cycle of making the site richer at your expense. There is no way premium membership fees will continue to get into the site's coffers perpetually. Since you are not trapped yet, don't dash forward and impale yourself. Blessed be.

Fall TV Season Has Begun

We're roughly two weeks in to the new Fall TV Season. What have we seen? What do we like?

Election 2008: Issues, issues everywhere ... Will They Help The World?

This convo is for U.S. citizens. The election of the next U.S. President is a few weeks away. U.S. voters are battling with many issues. Let's talk about the issues. "The most important political office is that of the private citizen." ~Louis Brandeis~

U.S. Presidential Politics ... OMG!

McCain and Obama clashed over taxes, war and the economy in the first of three debates. The financial crisis shifted the initial focus from foreign to domestic issues. U.S. Presidential Politics ... OMG! "All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field." ~Albert Einstein~

Run for the Impressions!

A Visual Talking "Run for the Impressions!" bonus ... $1,000 total ... we want you to be one of the lucky ones!!

Windy Alternative

One of the fastest growing segments of the power sector, wind generation capacity is expected to more than double between 2006 and 2011 worldwide "Youth is like spring, an over praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes." ~Samuel Butler~

Your Eyes, Your Mind ... Primetime TV - Fall 2008

Settle in, fire it up, enjoy ... Primetime TV (8 -10PM) ... do you watch shows during that time, do you record some and watch others, do you record 'em? it's Primetime because advertisers not only want our eyeballs, but they want our minds ... our minds are there for them to imprint their messages upon ... our minds guide our purchases ... do you feel used, or is it OK for them to pay us by giving us the TV show?

It's TV Time 2008!

Leno's leaving Tonight, Idol is adding a fourth judge, and there are a bunch of new shows. "Television has done much for psychiatry by spreading information about it, as well as contributing to the need for it." ~Alfred Hitchcock~

Top Five Music

The Top Five shows us the most poular music ... so, what is popular music? From Wikipedia.com: "Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media."

dNeero-ites want to know!

Questions in this convo come from the User Questions asked in our last five convos. Our peeps continue to amaze us with their insight into the core of dNeero conversations ... keep it going!! "It is better to stir up a question without deciding it, than to decide it without stirring it up." ~ Joseph Joubert ~

1st day evaluation of Google Chrome Browser

One word. Disappointing. Yesterday when I read about the launch of the Google Chrome browser, I was excited. I am quite a fan of Google products and I anticipated good stuff. Especially when it claims to use memory more efficiently, I thought I would be hooked. To put things into perspective, I am currently using Mozilla Firefox 3 as my primary browser and keep Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 for certain obstinate websites. And so, let's proceed though I scarcely know where to begin. As the points come to me then. As it turned out, the promise regarding more efficient memory usage did not materialize to my satisfaction. I observe significant discrepancies between the memory usages reported by Windows Task Manager and Google Chrome's own task manager. The former reported more. Chrome's task manager in nerd mode also does not allow us to sort in order of ascending/descending memory usage. Apparently, it is not nerdy enough. No sorting is available for the simple mode too. When listing the activated plugins, it also does not show which particular tabs activated them. Like right now, I have active-x and shockwave initiated and I don't understand why they are being used. Contrary to Google Chrome's claim that it would be faster, I find the speed only as good as Mozilla Firefox's. Of course, if it is trying to beat Microsoft Internet Explorer, well, practically all popular browsers beat it. I find Chrome's options panel to be ridiculously simplistic to the extent that only a few things can be customized. For instance, it is currently opening all new tabs to the right of the active one. I hate this. My current Firefox setting is such that new tabs are spawned towards the end. This makes more sense to me since we can then intuitively know where the new tabs are. With Chrome, you need to first find where your active tab is in the hierarchy of tabs then click the tab on its right. You also cannot choose to automatically delete browsing data upon browser closing. You also cannot choose to be warned when you close with multiple tabs on (multiple tabs on tend to imply you have exited accidentally). There is another disturbing thing. In Chrome's options panel, under "Change proxy settings", this actually links to the settings for Microsoft Internet Explorer! I am not sure if this is a bug but it certainly rocked my assumption that Google Chrome is a standalone browser. It also feels that Google is ripping Microsoft and being so clumsy at that. To clear my browsing data In Firefox, I can simply press Ctrl-Shift-Del. This shortcut is so neat and makes things efficient. I do not know if there is a similar one for Chrome - I tried the same command and it didn't work. And so, we have to rely on the "Clear browsing data..." link accessible from the spanner icon. Even in this "Clear browsing data..." panel, I find issue. The "Clear saved password" box is not checked by default. No "last setting" is remembered either since I checked it once and the next time round, the box is unchecked again. Granted that I have opted to never save passwords in the options panel but a more reassuring way is to gray out that box with a default check. There is also no about:config or similar for Chrome, unlike Firefox. You can customize so few things that Chrome is beginning to feel as stifling as Internet Explorer. For instance, I can't choose to open my internet radio tab as a tab in the same browsing window. By default, it "pops up" as a separate stand-alone window on Windows Taskbar. It does allow me to "Show as tab" but that just endows the additional window with browsing capability. No sane person would enjoy cluttering his Windows Taskbar; I am no different. I prefer to keep everything within one browser window which Google Chrome fails at this point. With my internet radio playing, I notice that while I am doing things in other tabs such as inspecting element or even when I am just closing a tab, the radio window will hang. I will then have the music repeated in an irritating fashion till the hang passes. Occasionally, it hangs too when I initiate or switch to other Windows applications. In case anyone asks, I still have loads of free memory. Currently, double-clicking on the empty space on the right of tabs gives a new tab in both Firefox and Internet Explorer. In Google Chrome, it shrinks the browser window which is so meaningless. To open a new tab, you have to click on the small "+" icon which is dangerous near to the "x" of the last tab. Right clicking on the empty space does not provide any shortcut to open a new tab too. Unlike both Firefox and Internet Explorer, we also cannot choose which icons we hope to include on the toolbar. Other than the addition or exclusion of the home button, you have to take the default icons as they come. I find the "New tab" shortcut icon I added to my Firefox toolbar to be extremely useful. Chrome does not allow me to add that. Firefox has its star on the right of the address bar - the one that allows you to quickly add bookmarks (Internet Explorer does not have this). Please make up your mind, Google. If you want to convert Firefox users as well, moving the star to the other end is not gonna win you points. One reason why Firefox is so successful among power users is its accommodation of extensions. Given Google's support of Firefox, I don't understand how it can miss this point. I would hope to see all the Firefox extensions ported over to Chrome. For instance, one of the extensions I rely heavily on is one that gives me mouse gesture capability. For those who make more efficient use of their mice, this definitely breaks Google Chrome. This is also one of the main reasons why I would not want to make Chrome my main browser. I may still keep it around for occasional variety sake or when I feel like having simultaneous browsing sessions (e.g. Firefox + Internet Explorer + Chrome). I love the awesome bar that comes with Firefox 3. To fully utilize it, I added sites I want to keep to my bookmarks. However, I deliberately leave them "unsorted" as I do not relish having an overflowing bookmarks list. When Chrome imported all my bookmarks from Firefox, all the unsorted ones got added to the bottom of the list. The result? A hideous mess. At the bookmarks bar (this is the one on top which is enabled by default), it permanently shows "For quick access, place your bookmarks here in the bookmarks bar". I don't practice favoritism for certain sites. All my favorites are on my bookmarks list. What now? I can't choose not to have favorite favorites? That permanent line, even if in gray, only serves to irritate. The only reason I enabled the bookmarks bar is because there is no other way to get to my bookmarks! Google took away that important icon/link and placed it on the bookmarks bar. In case you have not noticed, this bar eats into the real estate it freed by omitting the Title bar which I do find useful for showing complete page description. The navigation toolbar which provides quick access is also gone. If you open Internet Explorer and Chrome side by side, you will see that this design is obviously an attempt to clone Internet Explorer in a better way. I also don't understand why the Google Installer process is running. Further to that, it repeatedly asked my firewall permission to access the internet. As far as I can see, it did nothing before I gave it permission and it still did nothing after I consented. I wonder what the jiggery pokery is. When I accessed "About Chrome", the installer asked permission again and it checked the Chrome version - this at least is understandable. The incognito mode may seem like a nice touch at first glance but is it really useful? As it is, we can always clear the data after use. Like I mentioned, a simple Ctrl-Shift-Del in Firefox would do the trick. It might be useful only if I choose to surf sensitive and mass sites in the same session. Normally I don't do that anyway. If say, I need to log on to Internet Banking, I rather play it safe by doing it in a standalone session. If you are sure you will always remember to go incognito when need be, then fine, this feature of Chrome might suit you. But hang on, most banking sites do not support non-IE browsers. Ever since I switch to Firefox 3, I can no longer do banking with it (Firefox 2 can). My testing shows that Chrome is also not supported by my banks. I also don't like the way Google Chrome displays the downloaded files. Chrome keeps the files on the download bar on the tab they were downloaded from. The history is not synchronized across all tabs which is kinda counter-intuitive. For instance, I am downloading something from one of the many sites I am surfing - I can't see it immediately. I need to find the tab I downloaded from or go to the download manager which breaks the "flow" of things. There is also no option for me to clear the history of a particular downloaded file. I am pleased though that Ctrl-J is still the shortcut to call up download manager. Alright, I have said so many bad points so let's be fair and touch on the good. I like Chrome's clean overall design. When you press Ctrl-f, a cute find box would appear but it is really no biggie and I much prefer Firefox's find as I type. The status "bar" is also dynamic and this frees up space at the bottom which increases page real estate. I also like that we can search directly in the address bar. This is neat and Firefox should incorporate it in the next build. I like to touch on the incognito mode again here. Previously, if you want to log on to multiple Gmail accounts at the same time, you have to use different browsers (after Gmail changed things). So you can log in to account A using Firefox and account B using Internet Explorer. With the incognito mode, you can initiate two separate sessions (one using normal mode and the other using incognito). Unfortunately, only one incognito window can be opened. When you try to open a second one, it just opens a new tab in your current incognito window. Perhaps, Chrome may want to introduce an always-incognito mode to compensate for its lack of auto-clear history upon exit. Final thought Quite disappointed. I had considered switching from Firefox to Google Chrome but now that I have finally accessed the ware, I think it still has quite a way to go. It might possibly steal away Internet Explorer users (which I think is Google's main aim anyway) but for those who are Firefox fans, Google still has to try harder. If I give Firefox 5 stars, I would give Google Chrome 3 stars at most. If you are using Internet Explorer and thinking whether to switch to Chrome, I would say go ahead. But if you are on Firefox, hold tight for your ship is still the studier one.

No Sweat

Today?s miracle sweat-wicking micro-fibers hide a dirty little secret that serious athletes know about. They?re great at wicking away moisture. But they embed perspiration residue deep into the fabric. The result: musty, stubborn sweat odors that linger no matter how hard you try to get them out. "I would have thought that the knowledge that you are going to be leapt upon by half-a-dozen congratulatory, but sweaty team-mates would be inducement not to score a goal." ~ Arthur Marshall ~

2008 Movies

Good year? Bad year? Who really cares ... we just want some entertainment ... to get out of the home, have the lights go down, see the upcoming trailers, be told to turn off our cells, and then settle in to having the big screen take over for a couple of hours. "A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it." ~ Alfred Hitchcock ~

** McCain runs with Palin **

Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, was named by John McCain to run as the Republican's Vice Presidential candidate ... it is conservatives who think they have seized the political advantage.

Eat healthier, not cheaper

By just about any measure, global food prices rose significantly over the past two years. It's not your imagination. Eating right is costly. In fact, you may pay more than $30 more per day on food if you make healthy choices.

Happy talkie, talkie ... Visual Talking

"What the heck are you saying?" Ever heard that before? Maybe Visual Talking can help. It's like the Twitter of PowerPoint presentations. Combine words and pictures to communicate -- it's that simple. In your user question please consider asking something about a current event and how/if VT would apply, e.g., ?Should the Olympic athletes use VT to help communicate?? or ?Now that Britney has her bod back, should we send her VT messages to get her to quit smoking?? or ?Should Homeland security include VT as part of their interagency communications package??

What shall be your first purchase at DealExtreme?

Pertaining to my previous post on DealExtreme, I thought I would put together some possible choices for your "first purchase". I have set an upper limit of $10 and here are 20 possibilities. =) Cool Ring-Style Fingertip USB Optical Mouse Price: $6.92 - Allows you to control the cursor/mouse and type at the same time - Perfect for using in constrained areas (airplanes, trains and buses) - 75% lighter than typical optical mouses (~1oz weight) - USB powered Plug and play - Scroll wheel feature available as well, just like regular mouses Digital Mosquito Repeller Keychain Price: $2.71 - Drives away annoying and harmful mosquitos and similar bugs - Powered by CR2032 cell battery (included) - Effective range: 6~10 meters diameter (manufacture rated) - LED indicator comes on when device is activated Hyundai Soft-Neck Laptop Microphone Price: $3.03 - Perfect for internet telephony (VoIP)or speech recognition - Plug & play with every sound card - Flexible microphone arm Solar Powered Sports Watch (Black) Price: $5.83 - Alarm function - Rechargeable Li-On Battery inside -Water Resistant -Dual Powered (Solar/Battery) Mini Tritium Glowring Keychain (10-Year Green Glow) Price: $9.80 - Completely contained and self-powered - Glows continuously for 10 years (even in 10 years of complete darkness) - Ultra bright green glow - Perfect for tagging zippers (on tents, bags, etc), tying on keychains, flashlights, etc - Learn more about Tritium on Wikipedia.com Smiley Face Badges (Mega 48-Pack) Price: $7.69 Roll and Tap Activated Digital LED Dice (4-Pack Assorted Colors) Price: $4.98 - Cell batteries included - Simple tap on the dice or roll it to activate - Plays sound effects while randomizing for a result - 7 Bright LEDs displays highly visible dice digits Reusable Double Eyelid Makers (4-Maker Pack) Price: $3.32 9 LED Flashlight 20000mcd 2-pack Price: $5.48 - Custom built with LEDs rating 20,000 mcd - Best use for all Indoor and outdoor activities - Durable waterproof aluminum body Real+Growable Lucky Bamboo Plant In-a-Bottle Keychain (2-Pack) Price: $2.64 - Real, Live Lucky Bamboo inside the keychain - The Bamboo can be taken out from the keychain and put into gardening pots to be grown Imazine Ion Sports Watch (with Ionizer) Price: $6.60 - Large-digit digital clock - Awarded by Korea Institute of Design Promotion (manufacturer claimed) - Built with high quality silicone rubber - Ionizer (1900 ions/cc) and "far infrared ray" (>90%) help reduce fatigue and stress(manufacturer claimed) - Comes with batteries In-Ear Stereo Earbuds (3.5mm Metallic Orange) Price: $3.83 - Excellent attenuation of ambient noise - Extremely small and lightweight - Come with spare Ear buds and Versatile ear buds fit comfortably in your ears - In-ear designed Mini Pucca Clock Keychain Price: $4.86 Likon 7x18 Monocular Price: $6.66 Desktop Newtons Cradle (Large) Price: $8.86 - Every action has an equal but opposite reaction-right before your very eyes - Science demonstrated clearly and simply and with a touch of a amusement - To play with the balance ball is a game of fun. If you pull up one ball and release, you will see only one ball move from that reaction. If you pull up two balls, two balls will react Precision Magnetic Screw Drivers 9-Piece Set with Internal Tip Storage Price: $4.04 - Full Metal Construction - Magnetic Tips - Handle with Pen Style Clip - Handle's body can store all detachable screw driver tips - Screw Drivers: T3, T4, T5, T6, T8, Star 1, Triangle 2.3, M 2.6, Cross 3.0 USB SIM Card Reader Price: $3.63 - USB SIM card reader and phonebook. - Copy your SIM card to your computer for easy editing, transferring of information and safekeeping. - PC address book included. - Back up several SIM cards to one location. - Load information from your PC to your SIM card. - Information back-up includes address book and SMS messages. - USB 1.1 interface of fast reading/uploading. 3M Scotch Brite Hi-Tech Cleaning Cloth for Gadgets Price: $2.98 - Great performance in wiping off oil stain and absorbing tiny dusts - Washable and long-lasting - Can be used to clean LCD's, computer screens, camera lens, the surface of precise instruments, cars and disks Classy Black Business Card Case Price: $3.82 - High quality and durable - Sleek design and compact size - Durable construction and elegant outlook Microwave Potato Chips Maker with Slicer Complete Set Price: $7.99 - Make yourself oil-free, low calorie crispy potato chips - Easy to use potato slicer included - Chips maker maximum heat allowed: 200'C - Slicer maximum heat allowed: 80'C

DealExtreme - Free shipping worldwide

Recently, I was recommended to DealExtreme by a friend. This place is truly a shopping paradise that has items from many categories such as Computers, Electronics, Car Accessories and Toys, to name but a few. To make the deal sweeter, can you believe that it offers free shipping worldwide? And in case you are wondering, there is no minimum spending amount required. If this item you have your eye on costs 1 buck, DealExtreme will still ship it to you FREE. All you pay is that 1 buck. Don't stare, I am serious! The first item I bought was this 3.5mm Audio Extension Cable that cost a mere $1.60. I got it neat and all it cost me was just that amount. With it, I can now easily switch between my PC speakers and earphones. If you are skeptical that there is probably only that cable that costs little, here's a link that will make you think again... check out these gift ideas that are all in the $2 range. Since you are at it, go browse the top sellers too. Yea, go gawk. Another plus point about DealExtreme is that users get to post reviews about the products. You can read and evaluate if a particular product is worth buying. In case you think the reviews are cooked up, I really doubt it. I find the reviews too genuine and the pros AND cons of the items don't seem filtered. And so, it is up to you whether you want to buy e.g. something not totally perfect but relatively dirt cheap. There are really many things available on the site and I literally spent hours browsing the variety. I would suggest you search using keywords or through their categories and sub-categories (hover your cursor over the categories). By now, I hope I have got you a little excited... if you are not, you probably don't like to shop anyway so scram. :P Just one piece of advice, you may wish to start your first purchase with something cheap so that if you do not like the DealExtreme experience for whatever reason, at least you won't lose much. This was the approach I took... with that $1.60 cable before I went on to other things (shhh...). Enjoy your shopping! :D PS.: There is an affiliate program for those who are interested. You may notice that I have included my referral code as part of the links above so if you really hate me to the core, then use the "clean" links instead. *pout* PPS.: You can actually opt to buy something withOUT registering for an account (e.g. those who want to stay anonymous) so it is entirely up to you.

** Obama runs with Biden **

Barack Obama named Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues. "I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed." ~ George Carlin ~

Phelps is a Tiger

Olympic legend Michael Phelps will appear on boxes of the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes ... what happened to Wheaties and going to Disneyland? "If you want to learn to swim jump into the water. On dry land no frame of mind is ever going to help you." ~ Bruce Lee ~

Do you buy or pay for ...?

Let's see what popular applications, devices, services, etc. you use.

Talk it up!

We wave our arms, we inflect our tone, we reach out, we open our eyes, we lean in ... we do a lot of things to get our message across ... and then when we send a text message we abbreviate -- "OMG PAW KYFC" ... does our real message, our real intent, really get across to our online friends? They, (whomever 'They' are) say that a picture speaks a thousand words ... hmmmm, maybe if we could combine text and pics, our messages would be more complete ... and a lot more fun. Is that what a movie producer does, takes a text message and adds pics? How often have you read a book, then seen a movie and come out of the movie saying "that's exactly what the author meant" ... or "not exactly" ... the written word is powerful in the hands of powerful writers, but even that is left open to our interpretation.

I got paid by NeoBux!

I have been made so paranoid by scams recently that when I requested payout from NeoBux just now, I took 2 screen shots as evidence (for whatever worth they may be). But geez, what a pleasant surprise that NeoBux turned out legitimate (as least for now) and that it paid me via PayPal (another alternative is AlertPay) instantly. Granted that this is only $2 but it is actually a plus point of this PTC site. The minimum payout for NeoBux relies on a graduated scale. For the first payout, the minimum you need is 2 bucks. Then it is $3, then $4... all the way till it hits $10 and stays there. You may note that this contrasts with other typical PTC sites that set their minimum at $10 or even $50 (the latter reads ridiculous). So, have you joined NeoBux? You might like to consider it if you are already clicking at PTC sites. Cheers. :D NOTE: This site has been tagged as a scam. Please refer to my post at http://lordwarwizard.blogspot.com/2009/03/does-neobux-think-it-is-mafia.html .

What's Happening - August?

We each get bombarded with over 5,000 marketing messages each day ... to which do we pay attention? Our interest in major events and news determines where marketers go to place their messages.

Another scam - ClickBux

This is getting lame... yet another scam - ClickBux. This PTC site has very few ads when you log in but it has quite a few rather regularly via email. I have clicked faithfully and accumulated enough for a payout which I requested donkey ages ago. I didn't get paid. I wrote in to inquire about it. No reply. Finally today, when I went to the ClickBux site, I was directed to a "Suspended" page by Get Paid Solutions (http://saturn.getpaidsolutions.com/suspended.page/). These scammers probably ran away or did something wrong. The page was subsequently redirected to some lame advertising. In a way, I feel cheated of my time. In another way, I feel good. Though I did not get paid, ads for ClickBux were still coming in and I was in a quandary whether to write off this site altogether. So finally, there is a closure and for that, I am glad.

BlogChex is a scam

Geez, here's another scam - BlogChex. I was first introduced to this blogging style platform via one of the forums I was on. I was then encouraged to move my blog (this one on Blogger) to BlogChex because the place has integrated advertisements that bring me earnings without me needing to do more - the shoutwords then were SEAMLESS and FUSS-FREE. The site failed to attract many advertisements and I only got cents every now and then. Still, I check it from time to time to monitor the progress. Well, it is a good thing I didn't jump ship. For whatever reason, BlogChex has now wiped my record. When I tried to log in just now, it simply declared my username invalid. Wow, the power of words (lol). I didn't lose much so I am not feeling sore. What bothers me is how companies (like Advercash that I previously wrote about) can just zap you out of their databases in such a high-handed manner. A simple thing they could have done was to politely email me to ask if I might like to delete my own account. But of course, it is just my own wishful thinking and I can't expect swindlers to do such a thing. So just watch out, my friends... if you are already on BlogChex and relying on it primarily, I urge you to switch platform or at least backup your blog postings. If you are thinking of getting on the boat, beware!

Celiac Disease ... Did you know?

A lifelong autoimmune intestinal disorder, found in individuals who are genetically susceptible. Celiac disease has been described as a rare disease of the small intestines in 1/135 individuals. It is screened by antibodies to serum transglutamase (ttg) an enzyme that transports an essential amino acid glutamine from the intestine to the body. A diagnosis is made by a small bowel biopsy. Treatment is a diet absent in wheat and cow milk. The glutamine in those substances may bind and react in the intestine. Recently there has been information that autism might respond to a celiac diet and that vaccinations might contribute to the frequency of celiac disease. New tests and books have appeared about an epidemic of celiac disease (1/10) by a serum antibody to gliadin (wheat) or a stool antibody to ttg or gliadin (3/10). The strictness of the celiac diet may influence the clinical improvement to diet. The disorders that are reported to improve include IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, sinusitis, arthritis, tremors, balance, and the range of ADD, ADHD and autism.

Breast Cancer

Christina Applegate has been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer her rep confirmed Saturday. "Benefitting from early detection through a doctor ordered MRI, the cancer is not life threatening," the Emmy nominated Samantha Who? star's rep said in a statement. "Christina is following the recommended treatment of her doctors and will have a full recovery." Applegate's mother is a breast cancer survivor.

HammeRuler ... Redesign almost ready!

The previous conversation asked for your help with the HammeRuler commercial ... well, there's a tie, so we need you to break it. The HammeRuler is convenient. Our research shows that when you're hammering you are more likely to next use a ruler than any other tool. But so what? Well, that's the metric we've found ... it's called Short Measure Acceleration or SMA for short ... SMA says that you can complete your job faster, and get back to the music, the sports, the cooking you enjoy!

Paintings - Oil on Canvas - What do u think?

Which painting should Chrissy show to judges? The judges will choose artists' work for a showing in a gallery in Atlanta. Go to Chrissy's blog.

It's about you

The following questions from dNeero-ites that have joined the the "Get it going with dNeero" conversation. When asking your User Question please make it relevant to the questions below ... e.g., "What's your morning routine?", "Do you cook for pleasure or necessity?", "When do you like to listen to your favorite music?", "Does your Zodiac sign affect your life?"

Citizenship Marketplace

This is a follow up to the "Citizenship For Sale?" conversation. In the first conversation, many folks were concerned about the morality of selling their own citizenship ... that concern is right on target and it was pleasant to see our dNeeroites question that possibility. However, Nobel Laureate Gary Becker's proposal has to do with the U.S. government selling the right to legal immigration. Can such a proposal work in the U.S. ... could it work for other countries? Can the law of supply and demand work to solve immigration problems?

Advercash is a scam

Everyone, please be careful. Advercash is a scam. Earlier when I logged in, it insisted that my password was wrong. After I submitted my email for a forgotten password, it said that my email was not in the database. Clearly, because they are "enthusiastic" about paying me, they have decided to wipe my account. Cheers to that, Advercash... and good riddance! :D

When gas prices go up, you ...

A fllow up to the "Gas Prices on the Rise" conversation ... so, what are you doing about it? When gas prices go up, you ... "Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers." ~ George Carlin ~

It's a hodgepodge, a mishmash, a salmagundi

Just some items of interest from the popular press ... Britney, Heath, Eva, Barack, Zimbabwe. It's a hodgepodge, a mishmash, a salmagundi! "It has ever been my experience that folks who have no vices, have very few virtues." ~ Abraham Lincoln ~

Think Again

Please listen to Lori Brainard's video "Think Again" at You Tube. We'd like to know what you think.

dNeero pays, and ...

Whenever money is introduced into a process there is the risk of creating bias. dNeero works hard to reduce and remove that bias. We want you to score us and share your thoughts on how money and blogging interact. As always, be honest! "We want you to score us and share your thoughts on how money and blogging interact in the dNeero model." ~ Joe Reger, Jr., CEO

Cyber Relationship

If they make you happy without transgressing on other people?s feelings, then they should be good, right? "Having someone wonder where you are when you don't come home at night is a very old human need." ~ Margaret Mead ~

HammeRuler ... The Commercial

The HammeRuler will run a new commercial on TV and since dNeero users have made such great recommendations already we'd like your suggestions. Basically, our advertising firm has brainstormed a few ideas and we're at the point where we need to narrow things down. That's where you come in! Tell us what you think would be most effective for you and your friends.

Citzenship For Sale? (Immigrant Viewpoint)

What if the United States began charging for the legal right to immigrate? Nobel Laureate Gary Becker (University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business) came up with the idea. Becker's not trying to eject illegal workers; in fact, he said, they could pay to stay. The idea is to upend the existing black market that exacts a high price for illegal immigrants -- some who pay with their lives.

Offshore Drilling - You want it?

As gas prices continue to increase, Congress continues to blame others while ignoring practical steps to stop the pain Americans are feeling at the pump. To lower gasoline prices and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we need real solutions to our energy challenges.

Your firsts

Most of our 'firsts' made some sort of impact on us ... they have become the fabric of our lives ... I don't remember my first romantic kiss, but I do remember my first beer ... it was with my dad at a Knights of Columbus event ... so, dig back and remember. Many thanks to Joan Batanes for suggesting this conversation!!

Home Computer Security

No matter how a home computer is connected to the Internet, intruders? attacks are often successful. Many home computer owners don?t realize that they need to pay attention to computer security. In the same way that you are responsible for having insurance when you drive a car, you need to also be responsible for your home computers security.

Where's Your Loyalty?

Brands don't compete directly with each other when they are in different brand categories ... but they do compete for your attention, money, and loyalty. "Loyalty in a free society depends upon the toleration of disloyalty." ~ Alan Barth ~

HammeRuler ... It's new, really new!

We often come across products that initially look like a good idea, but then we realize that the inventor, producer, and marketer really haven't asked those that will use it to get involved in the development. So, we're going to avoid this mistake -- with your help, of course.

Massage

There are over 80 types of massage therapy. In all of them, therapists press, rub, and otherwise manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body, often varying pressure and movement. They most often use their hands and fingers, but may use their forearms, elbows, or feet. Typically, the intent is to relax the soft tissues, increase delivery of blood and oxygen to the massaged areas, warm them, and decrease pain.

Lying

Liars signal that they're lying. Some folks have suggested these clues: - Liars change the subject quickly. - Liars look up and to their right when they speak. - Liars use fewer contractions. - Liars will sometimes stare straight at you and employ a dead face. - Liars never touch their chest or heart except self-consciously. - Liars place objects between themselves and you during a conversation.

Brand Loyalty

It tells a lot about who you are and where you came from.

Headlines

Headlines of articles in USA Today on Friday June 6th ... what interests you? "In the spider-web of facts, many a truth is strangled." ~ Paul Eldridge ~

Who's Fit?

Fitness can effect your relationship ... you want your partner to be healthy ... you want your partner to want to be healthy ... and ? let?s face it ? you want your partner to look good.

Should Hillary concede?

"Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton," Obama said Tuesday night. Clinton Aides say that not conceding is a strategic decision to preserve her leverage to negotiate over policy disagreements and the possibility that she would join Obama's ticket as the vice presidential nominee.

PC vs. Mac

For the most part, PC and Mac systems are both very good. For the most part, both systems are infuriatingly bad. It really depends on what you are trying to do at a given moment.

Earn money at Webcosmo forums with Google Adsense

WebcosmoForums.com is a webmaster forum offering help and resources on marketing, search engine optimization, link development, graphics design, hosting, HTML, CSS etc. With the Revenue Sharing system you can earn while you are having fun posting. There is nothing like feeling at home in any place, whether virtual or real, and this is where my heart is at and if you are looking to perfect your webmaster skills, or share your knowledge then please do drop by and I promise you... you will get hooked. * This is an advertisement.