I'll jump on the "let's bash MediaMax" bandwagon too - but that's only because I remember how good their service was when they were Streamload.
Honestly, even if you have just a free account, don't trust them with your data. There are plenty of horror stories of people not being able to download files after Mediamax took over. My own experiences tell me I can't trust them.
I'd also like to point out something to be cautious about - these online services can go out of business at any time and then what happens to your data? Several online photo places have done this already, and generally you are offered an opportunity to pay to get your data back, and you have to do so in a pretty short time period.
I'm not saying online storage is a bad idea - I still use some services, and you can get a lot for free - just make sure you understand the risks.
I am concerned about the safety of keeping copies of my home inventory, personally, but there are very few foolproof options out there. I do like the thought of an encrypted flash drive, and may go that route.
I've been on Postcrossing for more than a year already. I've gotten postcards from almost everywhere in the developed world. The only thing that could be a problem with this hobby is the cost of postage. The international postcard rate is now 90 cents and will rise to 94 cents in the upcoming postal rate hike.
On my blog, I'm also exploring work-at-home opportunities - particularly online ones ... real or scam ... I'm still undecided, how about you?
The financial key, though, is if you do find an opportunity that makes you money to save at least 10% of it (if it is your PRIMARY source of income) or at least 50% of it (if it is a new /additional source of income) ...
This article is so good...
I can't understand why it hasn't reiceved more diggs... i guess it's just because of the more tech-oriented nature of Digg...
Thanks for sharing a great tip, i'll try it asap! :)
I agree with someone else here -- I use Google to store most of my important documents. docs.google.com is currently good for text documents, excel spreadsheets and presentations, and anything else (PDFs, music files, what have you) I simply email to my Gmail account, and stash in folders until I need them. There's also Google's Picasa for free photo storage. Several Gigs of space that's increasing all the time -- you could even create a Google login specifically for storage.
Procrastinators, take note: For stimulus payments to be part of this delivery schedule, the IRS said tax returns must be "processed" by April 15, not "filed." That implies that a later timetable may apply to taxpayers who mail their returns on or close to April 15, leaving little time for the returns to be processed by that date.
Amazon's S3 storage is one of the only online data storage systems I can recommend, because it's aimed at serious users. Use something like JungleDisk to interface with it, and you're set.
"I talked with my son about the shows too. In life, there are many chances for people to try to go behind your back to hurt you. Perhaps someone feels that watching it happen, over and over, will make one more prepared for if it happens to them. However, I feel that what you pour into yourself, through TV or music or food or conversation, etc., is what you are becoming."
Excuse me while I search for signs of intelligence on this blog.
Obviously things like monetary policies, inflation, and general economics are not even considered. Possibly because you are drinking too much tap water and the fluoride has killed off too many brain cells. Probably are oblivious to that too.
However let's just take a common sense approach...
what is value?
has the cost to produce and manufacture gasoline increased or decreased with technology over the past century?
does the demand exceed the supply?
has the price of gas really changed all that much?
or just the amount of gas you can buy with with a dollar?
how much gasoline could you buy with a dollar a century ago?
how much was gasoline could you buy with an ounce of gold a century ago?
how much gasoline could you buy with an ounce of gold today?
You can't make a horse drink, only lead it to water...
The wonderful Library system in San Diego will email you reminders when your items are due. Just give them your email address! I was pleasantly surprised when I got my first reminder!
Perhaps other cities have a similar service, or would start one if patrons were interested.
Why work for something when you can have your fifteen minutes and milk it?
It's engrained in younger generations from the beginning: you are all special, you are all equal, everyone gets a trophy and gets and "A" because we don't want to offend anyone and make them feel bad.
Later on, these people believe that they "deserve" huge salaries as a reward for going to college. Their back up plan failed: being a talented athlete in order to get a free college education, make it in the pros, and get paid). They deserve large TV's and fancy cars because they believe they are all unique people.
It's no wonder that traditional blue-collar jobs can't be filled because no one wants to get their hands dirty. They don't want to be professionals such as doctors because there's too much schooling involved. It's these same individuals that will make YouTube videos so that they can cash in.
Check out elephantdrive (www.elephantdrive.com). I have been using it for a few months now with great satisfaction. You can get a 1G Free account and HomeEdition (unlimited storage) for 9.99$ per month. I have been using the HomeEdition one.
This is an excellent article. Quality seems to be forgotten nowadays. It is so satisfying to have durable items, especially things that are designed to be repairable.
As ncbill says, old furniture from thrift stores is often better quality than the new stuff in some furniture stores. I'm always amazed to see sturdy old pieces that just need a bit of TLC and varnish, selling cheaply, while their previous owners are buying veneered particleboard with a doubtful lifespan.
I find LLBean clothes last forever, as several people have mentioned. We have Pyrex, Corelle, stainless steel; also some Flint vanadium knives that have never been sharpened in the 20 years, but still get used daily. A Singer sewing machine from the 1960's, an older Shop-Vac, plus the older furniture, still going strong. Fashion is just a game they want us to play... no thanks!
I talked with my son about the shows too. In life, there are many chances for people to try to go behind your back to hurt you. Perhaps someone feels that watching it happen, over and over, will make one more prepared for if it happens to them. However, I feel that what you pour into yourself, through TV or music or food or conversation, etc., is what you are becoming.
If I watch enough, will I start to try to find reasons to abandon the life I've worked hard to develop? The road isn't smooth - roads seldom are, without a lot of devoted work - and maybe I'd foolishly find some other route instead of take time to mend a pothole.
Even if I didn't act to harm my marriage, I can't imagine that filling my thoughts with things that don't affirm who I am and what I'm doing will make life any easier.
What would I do for money? Be myself, as truly as I can be.
I, too, have had Rubbermaid laundry baskets crack after only a few months. Then I discovered that a local greenhouse/nursery receives flower bulbs from Holland in very sturdy black plastic totes. They were selling the empty totes for $2. I have had mine for about 10 years; they are great for laundry, gardening, etc.
Willow laundry baskets last a long time, too, although they are more expensive to buy.
They were spot on. Way back then they said, and I'm paraphrasing "We don't have to fix the shows, we'll just make the questions easier. People tune in to see the money." Look where we are today...pick a case, win a million bucks. A monkey could do it.
I have been using Mediafire for several months now and I love it. I have never had any problems with it and it is very easy to share files with people. www.mediafire.com
Any good thing if taken to its extreme can be harmful. Extreme generosity is not healthy for the giver or the receiver of the gifts. Explaining this balance to your friend is important but getting him/her to grasp it may not be so easy. A person who is unable to balance the financial aspects of their life may have emotional issues that are the root cause (in this case therapy can be very helpful) and they may not (in this case being firm with your friend may be the solution). It isn't easy to change someone so I recommend just being a good friend to them and doing your part to boost them up emotionally while not draining them financially.
a married couple both under age 65 generally is not required to file until their joint income reaches $17,500.
(Children and students often fall into this category, but so can people who simply don't want to be in the money economy, such as subsistence farmers.)
This year, of course, you should file a return anyway, to get the tax rebate. And there are sometimes other reasons to file--if you had income taxes withheld, you'd have to file to get them back; if you qualify for the earned income tax credit, you'd want to file to get that.
These days the way to make a wad of cash is obviously not to work hard for it. What happened to using your abilities to do something meaningful for society so that in the end you will EARN you wealth. It is just sad that every wants to be rich but they'd rather prostitute themselves on the path of least resistance, also known as reality TV or underwear free paparazzi photos, than start a company or complete a challenging degree.
Shows like Jeopardy reward intelligence and broad knowledge, whereas shows like Survivor reward manipulation and lies. Even The Price is Right has [some] redeeming value because it reinforces being an informed shopper. Playing Deal or No Deal is no different than a simple numbers game, gambling, and sadly it ultimately reveals that most of the public lacks even a basic understanding of probability and statistics. Anyway, I just feel our society moving toward the lowest common denominator rather than trying to move forward. It is sad, and TV is a big part of the problem.
I'll jump on the "let's bash MediaMax" bandwagon too - but that's only because I remember how good their service was when they were Streamload.
Honestly, even if you have just a free account, don't trust them with your data. There are plenty of horror stories of people not being able to download files after Mediamax took over. My own experiences tell me I can't trust them.
I'd also like to point out something to be cautious about - these online services can go out of business at any time and then what happens to your data? Several online photo places have done this already, and generally you are offered an opportunity to pay to get your data back, and you have to do so in a pretty short time period.
I'm not saying online storage is a bad idea - I still use some services, and you can get a lot for free - just make sure you understand the risks.
I am concerned about the safety of keeping copies of my home inventory, personally, but there are very few foolproof options out there. I do like the thought of an encrypted flash drive, and may go that route.
I've been on Postcrossing for more than a year already. I've gotten postcards from almost everywhere in the developed world. The only thing that could be a problem with this hobby is the cost of postage. The international postcard rate is now 90 cents and will rise to 94 cents in the upcoming postal rate hike.
On my blog, I'm also exploring work-at-home opportunities - particularly online ones ... real or scam ... I'm still undecided, how about you?
The financial key, though, is if you do find an opportunity that makes you money to save at least 10% of it (if it is your PRIMARY source of income) or at least 50% of it (if it is a new /additional source of income) ...
People that give away money are happier...
http://www.livescience.com/health/080320-happiness-money.html
This article is so good...
I can't understand why it hasn't reiceved more diggs... i guess it's just because of the more tech-oriented nature of Digg...
Thanks for sharing a great tip, i'll try it asap! :)
I agree with someone else here -- I use Google to store most of my important documents. docs.google.com is currently good for text documents, excel spreadsheets and presentations, and anything else (PDFs, music files, what have you) I simply email to my Gmail account, and stash in folders until I need them. There's also Google's Picasa for free photo storage. Several Gigs of space that's increasing all the time -- you could even create a Google login specifically for storage.
This stimulus package really couldn't be any easier. File a return... get the money.
Per MSN:
Procrastinators, take note: For stimulus payments to be part of this delivery schedule, the IRS said tax returns must be "processed" by April 15, not "filed." That implies that a later timetable may apply to taxpayers who mail their returns on or close to April 15, leaving little time for the returns to be processed by that date.
Amazon's S3 storage is one of the only online data storage systems I can recommend, because it's aimed at serious users. Use something like JungleDisk to interface with it, and you're set.
"I talked with my son about the shows too. In life, there are many chances for people to try to go behind your back to hurt you. Perhaps someone feels that watching it happen, over and over, will make one more prepared for if it happens to them. However, I feel that what you pour into yourself, through TV or music or food or conversation, etc., is what you are becoming."
Absolutely true!
Excuse me while I search for signs of intelligence on this blog.
Obviously things like monetary policies, inflation, and general economics are not even considered. Possibly because you are drinking too much tap water and the fluoride has killed off too many brain cells. Probably are oblivious to that too.
However let's just take a common sense approach...
what is value?
has the cost to produce and manufacture gasoline increased or decreased with technology over the past century?
does the demand exceed the supply?
has the price of gas really changed all that much?
or just the amount of gas you can buy with with a dollar?
how much gasoline could you buy with a dollar a century ago?
how much was gasoline could you buy with an ounce of gold a century ago?
how much gasoline could you buy with an ounce of gold today?
You can't make a horse drink, only lead it to water...
The wonderful Library system in San Diego will email you reminders when your items are due. Just give them your email address! I was pleasantly surprised when I got my first reminder!
Perhaps other cities have a similar service, or would start one if patrons were interested.
Why work for something when you can have your fifteen minutes and milk it?
It's engrained in younger generations from the beginning: you are all special, you are all equal, everyone gets a trophy and gets and "A" because we don't want to offend anyone and make them feel bad.
Later on, these people believe that they "deserve" huge salaries as a reward for going to college. Their back up plan failed: being a talented athlete in order to get a free college education, make it in the pros, and get paid). They deserve large TV's and fancy cars because they believe they are all unique people.
It's no wonder that traditional blue-collar jobs can't be filled because no one wants to get their hands dirty. They don't want to be professionals such as doctors because there's too much schooling involved. It's these same individuals that will make YouTube videos so that they can cash in.
A sad, sad reality we're being faced with.
Check out elephantdrive (www.elephantdrive.com). I have been using it for a few months now with great satisfaction. You can get a 1G Free account and HomeEdition (unlimited storage) for 9.99$ per month. I have been using the HomeEdition one.
This is an excellent article. Quality seems to be forgotten nowadays. It is so satisfying to have durable items, especially things that are designed to be repairable.
As ncbill says, old furniture from thrift stores is often better quality than the new stuff in some furniture stores. I'm always amazed to see sturdy old pieces that just need a bit of TLC and varnish, selling cheaply, while their previous owners are buying veneered particleboard with a doubtful lifespan.
I find LLBean clothes last forever, as several people have mentioned. We have Pyrex, Corelle, stainless steel; also some Flint vanadium knives that have never been sharpened in the 20 years, but still get used daily. A Singer sewing machine from the 1960's, an older Shop-Vac, plus the older furniture, still going strong. Fashion is just a game they want us to play... no thanks!
I talked with my son about the shows too. In life, there are many chances for people to try to go behind your back to hurt you. Perhaps someone feels that watching it happen, over and over, will make one more prepared for if it happens to them. However, I feel that what you pour into yourself, through TV or music or food or conversation, etc., is what you are becoming.
If I watch enough, will I start to try to find reasons to abandon the life I've worked hard to develop? The road isn't smooth - roads seldom are, without a lot of devoted work - and maybe I'd foolishly find some other route instead of take time to mend a pothole.
Even if I didn't act to harm my marriage, I can't imagine that filling my thoughts with things that don't affirm who I am and what I'm doing will make life any easier.
What would I do for money? Be myself, as truly as I can be.
I, too, have had Rubbermaid laundry baskets crack after only a few months. Then I discovered that a local greenhouse/nursery receives flower bulbs from Holland in very sturdy black plastic totes. They were selling the empty totes for $2. I have had mine for about 10 years; they are great for laundry, gardening, etc.
Willow laundry baskets last a long time, too, although they are more expensive to buy.
They were spot on. Way back then they said, and I'm paraphrasing "We don't have to fix the shows, we'll just make the questions easier. People tune in to see the money." Look where we are today...pick a case, win a million bucks. A monkey could do it.
Keep those suggestions coming, they're great.
I have been using Mediafire for several months now and I love it. I have never had any problems with it and it is very easy to share files with people. www.mediafire.com
Any good thing if taken to its extreme can be harmful. Extreme generosity is not healthy for the giver or the receiver of the gifts. Explaining this balance to your friend is important but getting him/her to grasp it may not be so easy. A person who is unable to balance the financial aspects of their life may have emotional issues that are the root cause (in this case therapy can be very helpful) and they may not (in this case being firm with your friend may be the solution). It isn't easy to change someone so I recommend just being a good friend to them and doing your part to boost them up emotionally while not draining them financially.
According to the IRS:
(Children and students often fall into this category, but so can people who simply don't want to be in the money economy, such as subsistence farmers.)
See the IRS's Should you file a tax return page for more information.
This year, of course, you should file a return anyway, to get the tax rebate. And there are sometimes other reasons to file--if you had income taxes withheld, you'd have to file to get them back; if you qualify for the earned income tax credit, you'd want to file to get that.
ugh, no. i could actually go into just how wrong you are, or i could just redirect you to the third paragraph of this post.
These days the way to make a wad of cash is obviously not to work hard for it. What happened to using your abilities to do something meaningful for society so that in the end you will EARN you wealth. It is just sad that every wants to be rich but they'd rather prostitute themselves on the path of least resistance, also known as reality TV or underwear free paparazzi photos, than start a company or complete a challenging degree.
Shows like Jeopardy reward intelligence and broad knowledge, whereas shows like Survivor reward manipulation and lies. Even The Price is Right has [some] redeeming value because it reinforces being an informed shopper. Playing Deal or No Deal is no different than a simple numbers game, gambling, and sadly it ultimately reveals that most of the public lacks even a basic understanding of probability and statistics. Anyway, I just feel our society moving toward the lowest common denominator rather than trying to move forward. It is sad, and TV is a big part of the problem.