Just Say No to Chinese Toys

Do you want your kids playing with unsafe toys? If not, JUST SAY NO to toys manufactured in China! They aren't concerned about safety or quality. China has a booming economy thanks to us Americans buying their sub-standard products.

We should demand our government totally close our border to Chinese toys until the Chinese government can demonstrate that safe guards are in place to ensure both quality and safety. The only way this can be safely accomplished would be to have an American panel of experts payed for by the by the American toy industry oversee the entire Chinese manufacturing process. any efforts less than this to ensure quality and safety would be questionable.


The term Just Say No came about to teach our kids to stay away from drugs. Now we as parents have to Just Say No to protect our kids from toys!


Don't wait for government to fix this problem. The best fix is to not buy these products!

We Should Be Using Computers More Part 6

Closing thoughts on this series Hopefully this series of blurbs have been informative. I personally have integrated computers into my life. I've saved money, made tedious tasks simple, absorbed vast amounts of knowledge, and gained many new skills all with the help of computers.
One final thought. Because of my involvement with computers I met and married my wonderful wife. But, thats a topic for a different post.

We Should Be Using Computers More Part 5

Home Improvement projects, your computer is a tool in your box. When taking on a home improvement project, planning and organizing is key. Let your computer help you along the way. For small projects that you've never done before, the internet is loaded with "how to" articles, forums on the topic as well as massive information from equipment manufacturers. Learn from the mistakes of others rather than make them yourself.

A bigger project requires even more planning and organizing. Everything from a bill of materials, setting a project schedule and timetable, calculating your budget and sticking to it can be done on your computer.
Equipment manufacturers, building centers and do it yourself web pages have free software to lay out a room, model it in 3D images, and pick colors and finishes. My only word of caution be careful of designing something far more expense than you can afford or more complex than you can accomplish.
One last thought, it's nice to take before, in progress and after pictures of your project. It's nice to share them with distant friends and relatives.
Does that laptop computer fit in your toolbox now?

We Should Be Using Computers More Part 4

Bill paying, a necessary evil. We all have to pay bills. It's not a fun task, but it can be made easier with online bill paying. I know many people worry about doing financial transactions online and yes there are incidents of stolen data, identity theft etc. However, for most people doing online business the chance of anything like this happening is a remote possibility that I wouldn't even dwell upon. Our personal information is already all over the internet. As long as you are dealing with reputable retailers, utility companies and financial institutions you will be fine. I've been using online bill paying for over 10 years and have never had a problem. The key is knowing who you are dealing with. It is far more risky to hand your credit card to a waitress or gas station attendant than it is to use it over the web. Do you pay for gas at the pump? That transaction goes over the web too.
What's the advantage? Not having to write checks, stuff envelopes, or buy stamps. In most cases you can also pick the exact day the transaction takes place. You don't have to worry about mail getting mis-routed or even lost.
There are a number of ways to pay your bills online. Banks offer various bill payer services. I don't find these services as flexible as just going to the merchants, banks or utilities website and paying the bill directly. Initially with each bill there will be an online registration process, but once it's complete, it only takes a minute or two to pay the bill.
Another thing to consider while signing up for online bill paying is getting an electronic bill. It works well. you receive an email from the creditor saying your bill is available, log into their website and view/pay your bill. This keeps a lot of your personal information out of your mailbox. It's far easier for a thief to get your information from your mailbox than it is off of the web.

We Should Be Using Computers More Part 3

Shopping - An exercise in time wasting. Drive to the store or mall, find a parking space, fight the rude unruly crowd to get what you want. This isn't a pleasant sounding experience. Throw in holiday shopping and the problem compounds itself. Why do it? Most of the time we know what we want to buy. Grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable in front of your computer and start shopping. All the major retailers have online shopping and quite often offer online incentives and coupons that exceed their offers in their store. Very often you can even get free shipping. Another option is to pick up your order at their nearest store.
Online shopping can be very cost effective. It's easy to compare prices at 6 or 8 stores in a matter of minutes. How long would it take to go to 6 or 8 stores to find the best price?
What might have been several aggravating hours at a mall turns into a much shorter time in the comfort of your home. While doing the online shopping, you could also be doing something else at the same time, perhaps having that quality conversation with a friend or relative that we discussed in Part 2.
Grab your mouse and go shopping.

We Should Be Using Computers More Part 2

Communications, one of the essentials of life. Communications or lack of it can cause problems and waste time. For the better part of the last 100 years, the primary form of communications has been the telephone. It's worked well and is constantly being improved. But it can also waste our time and interfere with other activities. How many times have you called someone to confirm an appointment, social event or other tidbit of information only to spend 20 or 30 minutes on the phone? While it might have been a pleasant conversation, it might not of happened at the best time for you or the person you were calling. A short and quick email or instant message could have taken a minute or so and you would have that 20-30 minutes of precious time for something else. The social aspects of the call could take place at a better time for both parties. If that call involved multiple people needing your information, you could invest even more time on the phone.
Many people find email overwhelming. Their mailbox is full of junk and they don't like sorting the important stuff out of it. There are many ways to filter spam out of your in box allowing you to see them mail you want without hassle. Learn how they work and use them.
There are a number of good instant messenger services on the web. They can be a great communications tool. If the contact you want to message with isn't there, you can leave them a message and as soon as they come online it will be there. You can quickly send and and receive messages and essentially carry on a conversation without spending non-stop time in front of the computer. I typically carry on messenger conversations while moving about the house. Type a question or response go back to what you were doing and look back the next trip through the room. It will surprise you how fluid the conversation will go. Don't let your typing skills deter you. I've been doing the 2 finger thing for years and have gotten quite fast.
In upcoming installments of this series I will be covering shopping, bill paying, home improvements and more.

We Should Be Using Computers More Part 1

So many computers are being under utilized. I have many friends and family that don't utilize the computers in their home. I'm constantly hearing "I don't have time to check my email" or "I don't have time to sit down at my computer". If the management of your time is so critical, you can't afford not to spend time in front of your computer!
This post is going to be the first in a series suggesting ways that the time spent in front of your computer will actually create time for other things, improve communications with friends and family and make some of the routine tasks of life easier.
The key to making your computer work for you is to totally integrate it into your life. The first step in making this happen is having the computer convenient. If it's in a spare room or basement that you spend minimal time in, you won't use it. It needs to be where you spend the bulk of your time. That might be the living room, family room or even the kitchen. If you don't want a desk full of computer equipment in one of these rooms, consider a laptop computer with a wireless connection.
In the next installment, we will discuss using the computer to improve communications. See you then.

Moratorium on Internet Tax

The Senate passed a bill extending the moratorium on State’s imposing taxes on taxing internet service. Congress has a similar bill and a compromise is expected as the main difference is the amount of time this moratorium is to run. This moratorium, first put in place in 1998 was due to expire Nov1, 2007. Depending on the compromise, it will be extended again between 4 and 7 years.

I was quite surprised to see the moratorium extended. Many states are writing their budgets in red ink and looking for ways to generate more revenue. I question why after 9 years of playing with a moratorium they didn’t just pass a law making it illegal for states to tax internet service. But, in typical political fashion, they want to leave a back door open.

But at least this is one tax we won't have to worry about paying for a few years.

When do you have enough computers

About the time I think I have all the computers I need, I find myself looking at more. I have computer rooms set up in two homes in two countries. We also have two lap tops for use while traveling, a day on the deck or whatever. So one would think all is good in the world of computers.
Not hardly, I watch intently as a new piece of hardware comes out. My first thought is usually how I sure could use that. It has to be a disease. I do everything I need and want to do with what I have. Fortunately with age comes a certain degree of self control (most of the time).
So the disease lives on. I still want to try a Mac. One of Intel's quad cores would be fun to get up and running. That little Eee mini laptop would be sooooo cool. Alright enough said, let me get back to work.

I Love Technology

Technology amazes me. One of the most significant advances has to be in military communications. No, I'm not talking about all the sophisticated modes of communications the military uses to accomplish the mission at hand. I'm talking about morale communications. Soldiers and sailors being able to email and phone home from the middle of a war zone.
Gone are the days of mail call every couple weeks with the hope you are getting a letter. Gone are the trials and tribulations of trying to keep a relationship strong while waiting on the response to a question or comment in a letter that takes weeks to get. During the Viet Nam era the best thing we got in communications was the ability to write "free" on the envelope in place of a postage stamp.
I can only imagine how great it is to get pictures or a video clip of your newborn child the day he/she was born. Hearing and seeing your spouse and kids on a video clip has to be a monster morale booster.
I love technology........

Border Crossing

It amazes me how efficient the Canadian Border people are. Living in 2 countries has mandated my crossing the border at least 100 times in the past 2 years. so I can say I am a frequent user.
Crossing into Canada from Michigan is extremely efficient. The longest wait is rarely over 5 minutes and quite often less. Crossing from Ontario into Michigan is a nightmare. It doesn't matter what time you cross, plan on being there for a while. What can they be doing so different to take so long? Both countries ask the same basic questions and require the same documentation. Something is wrong somewhere.

Lt Michael Murphy Awarded Medal of Honor

Today Lt Michael Murphy USN (deceased) was awarded the Medal of honor posthumously. He paid the ultimate price in service to our country.
What can I possibly say to express the gratitude that I as one American have for you. Go in peace shipmate.

Michael Wagner, USN (ret)


Click for Official Navy Tribute Page
Lt Michael Murphy