Where's the best free place to host your blog?
Beats me!
But I can tell you where several million bloggers are hosting theirs. Using a combination of metrics from Alexa and Compete.com, and some lists of popular blog sites, here are the...
Top 20 Blog Platforms Where You Can Host For Free
1. Blogger/Blogspot (which is where you are this very moment!)
2. Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org
3. Tumblr
4. Typepad
5. Weebly
6. LiveJournal
7. Multiply
8. SquareSpace
9. Xanga
10. Bebo
11. Blog.com
12. Edublogs
13. Thoughts.com
14. Blogsome
15. DreamWidth
16. Insane Journal
17. Blogster
18. Blogetery
19. Aeonity
and last but certainly not least
20. tBlog
and I can resist runner-up
21. Greasy
See ya on the blog circuit!
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools.
If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What's the Best Free Site to Find People?
Well, that's easy. The best free people-finder site is Google, of course.
Sort of.
Depending on who, and what, you're looking for, and how common or unusual their name is.
Try three types of Google searches: the name, the name in quotes ("John Smith"), and the reverse name in quotes ("Smith John"). And remember that someone you know as Bob or Mattie may be listed as Robert or Mathilda in various places, so play around with that first name.
Search Google News as well, and while you're at it, search at NewspaperArchives.com (search is free, but there's a charge to retrieve articles). You'll be amazed at how many people get mentioned in newspapers for all sorts of reasons, from weddings to arrests!
Try your search at Pipl.com, one of the best web-scraping sites that shows a scary collection of personal information from Facebook, Linked-In and elsewhere on the Internet. Don't forget a search in the phonebook, too...I usually use SuperPages.com for both people and business searches.
Look in specialty databases. CriminalSearches.com has pretty deep arrest records. Jigsaw.com for business listings (free search, but pay for full records), and MissingMoney.com for (believe it or not) people with abandoned bank accounts (search for your own name...you never know!).
Check the Social Security Death Index if you think the person you're seeking may have gone to the great beyond.
Intelius is the best of the commercial people-finders. They have the largest dataset and, in my experience, produce the most reliable results. You can do a preliminay search for free and get some pretty useful information, but you have to pay for a full record. Be forewarned...I've heard complaints about their customer service, so be careful with the site.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Sort of.
Depending on who, and what, you're looking for, and how common or unusual their name is.
Try three types of Google searches: the name, the name in quotes ("John Smith"), and the reverse name in quotes ("Smith John"). And remember that someone you know as Bob or Mattie may be listed as Robert or Mathilda in various places, so play around with that first name.
Search Google News as well, and while you're at it, search at NewspaperArchives.com (search is free, but there's a charge to retrieve articles). You'll be amazed at how many people get mentioned in newspapers for all sorts of reasons, from weddings to arrests!
Try your search at Pipl.com, one of the best web-scraping sites that shows a scary collection of personal information from Facebook, Linked-In and elsewhere on the Internet. Don't forget a search in the phonebook, too...I usually use SuperPages.com for both people and business searches.
Look in specialty databases. CriminalSearches.com has pretty deep arrest records. Jigsaw.com for business listings (free search, but pay for full records), and MissingMoney.com for (believe it or not) people with abandoned bank accounts (search for your own name...you never know!).
Check the Social Security Death Index if you think the person you're seeking may have gone to the great beyond.
Intelius is the best of the commercial people-finders. They have the largest dataset and, in my experience, produce the most reliable results. You can do a preliminay search for free and get some pretty useful information, but you have to pay for a full record. Be forewarned...I've heard complaints about their customer service, so be careful with the site.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Beer-Fi?!?!? Can I Really Boost Wi-Fi With a Beer Can?
Yes indeedy, you certainly can with a can! Boost wi-fi that is, with a homemade beer can antenna. Or soda can. Doesn't make a difference (I don't think a can of tuna will do the trick, though).
Your wi-fi router -- you know, that little dojigger that sends wireless signals throughout your home or office -- is omnidirectional. That is, it's sending out its little electromagnetic waveforms every which way it can, including down into the earth, straight up to the sky and over to your neighbor's house (who loves having free access to your wi-fi, by the way).
A properly-formed, thoughtfully directed and nicely smooth aluminum reflector can help your router focus its signal strength exactly where you want it focused, leaving a much weaker signal in the areas behind the reflector.
Your friendly beer/soda can is easily snippable, lending itself to a quick, five-minute transformation into an ideal wireless booster (once it's been emptied, of course...select the beverage of your own choosing). And since the can already comes with a hole in the lid, where the pop-top used to be, you can slip your reflector right over your router's antenna and voila...a stronger wireless signal. Instant extra bars!
You know that spot in your living room where you can never get a reliable signal? Try it now! I used it on my Belkin wireless-N router and it worked like a charm.
The proper can-snipping technique is something where pictures do a better job than words, so have a look. And enjoy your new found freedom.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Your wi-fi router -- you know, that little dojigger that sends wireless signals throughout your home or office -- is omnidirectional. That is, it's sending out its little electromagnetic waveforms every which way it can, including down into the earth, straight up to the sky and over to your neighbor's house (who loves having free access to your wi-fi, by the way).
A properly-formed, thoughtfully directed and nicely smooth aluminum reflector can help your router focus its signal strength exactly where you want it focused, leaving a much weaker signal in the areas behind the reflector.
Your friendly beer/soda can is easily snippable, lending itself to a quick, five-minute transformation into an ideal wireless booster (once it's been emptied, of course...select the beverage of your own choosing). And since the can already comes with a hole in the lid, where the pop-top used to be, you can slip your reflector right over your router's antenna and voila...a stronger wireless signal. Instant extra bars!
You know that spot in your living room where you can never get a reliable signal? Try it now! I used it on my Belkin wireless-N router and it worked like a charm.
The proper can-snipping technique is something where pictures do a better job than words, so have a look. And enjoy your new found freedom.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
What are the Best Resources for Finding Old Newspaper Articles Online, for Free?
Warning!
Online newspaper archives are sort of addictive. Especially, free online newspaper archives. There's something about seeing history and life and even grocery store ads from bygone times, unfolding as it appeared in real time back in the day. Here are the best sources for online historical newspapers, most of them free:
U.S. newspaper archives...a comprehensive and regularly updated list of free newspaper archives throughout the country.
Europe newspaper archives...ditto, except it covers Europe, west and east, back to the 1600s, believe it or not.
Other international archives...Canada, Palestine, Indonesia, South Africa...you name it, it might be listed here.
Google news archives...Google keeps changing this around as they get sued by different publishers around the globe, so it may be a fantastic resource, it may stink. Have a look to see what's what.
Newspaperarchives.com...The absolute best of the archive subscription services. You can search for free, and some of their materials are viewable for free, but there's a charge to see most of their content. Totally worth it, though.
College newspaper archives...Were mom and dad streaking in their college days? Grandpa swallowing goldfish? Here's the page that tells all.
Magazine archives...not a lot of options, but you can get the full text of Time magazine, the Atlantic Monthly and even a bit of Life.
===
If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius...one of the deepest people-search tools available.
Online newspaper archives are sort of addictive. Especially, free online newspaper archives. There's something about seeing history and life and even grocery store ads from bygone times, unfolding as it appeared in real time back in the day. Here are the best sources for online historical newspapers, most of them free:
U.S. newspaper archives...a comprehensive and regularly updated list of free newspaper archives throughout the country.
Europe newspaper archives...ditto, except it covers Europe, west and east, back to the 1600s, believe it or not.
Other international archives...Canada, Palestine, Indonesia, South Africa...you name it, it might be listed here.
Google news archives...Google keeps changing this around as they get sued by different publishers around the globe, so it may be a fantastic resource, it may stink. Have a look to see what's what.
Newspaperarchives.com...The absolute best of the archive subscription services. You can search for free, and some of their materials are viewable for free, but there's a charge to see most of their content. Totally worth it, though.
College newspaper archives...Were mom and dad streaking in their college days? Grandpa swallowing goldfish? Here's the page that tells all.
Magazine archives...not a lot of options, but you can get the full text of Time magazine, the Atlantic Monthly and even a bit of Life.
===
If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius...one of the deepest people-search tools available.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Does GutterStuff Work? Does it Keep Your Gutters Clear?
GutterStuff is a highly porous foam-y, sponge-y sort of insert that you pop into your gutter. It's supposed to keep out leaves and such while letting water flow right through.
Does GutterStuff really work? Yep! I've had it in my front gutter for six months now and it works just fine. So much so, that I just installed it in the back gutter as well.
Water flows right through this stuff. No matter how heavy a rain you get, GutterStuff isn't going to cause your gutters to overflow. Leaves and twigs, on the other hand, just sit on top of the GutterStuff inserts. Most of the flow right off with the rain, a few might hand on and have to dry out in the sun before they blow or wash off. Some do get caught in the tiny spaces between GutterStuff and the edge of the gutter, but not so many that it's any sort of problem.
I don't have pine trees near my house, but I've heard that GutterStuff works well with pine needles too.
Installation is easy, or at least as easy as anything involving gutters and ladders ever is (and that's a particular challenge in my house, with my sloping grounds and shrubbery in all the places the ladder wants to be). Once you have access to the gutters, clean them out (yuck!) and just put the GutterStuff inserts in place, making sure they're all facing the same direction (GutterStuff is cut at an angle and leaves an open channel in your gutter for water to flow).
The stuff ain't exactly cheap. Expect to pay anywhere from $2-4 a foot, depending on how much you buy, whether there's shipping, etc. A 30-ft gutter can run you $75. But if it means not have to go up and down and up and down and up and down....you know what I mean....and deal with gunky gutter-cleaning, then in my book, it's worth it.
By the way, I used to have screens over my gutters, a much cheaper options. They worked well for a while, but eventually collapsed and had to be replaced. Give me the spongey stuff, any day.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Does GutterStuff really work? Yep! I've had it in my front gutter for six months now and it works just fine. So much so, that I just installed it in the back gutter as well.
Water flows right through this stuff. No matter how heavy a rain you get, GutterStuff isn't going to cause your gutters to overflow. Leaves and twigs, on the other hand, just sit on top of the GutterStuff inserts. Most of the flow right off with the rain, a few might hand on and have to dry out in the sun before they blow or wash off. Some do get caught in the tiny spaces between GutterStuff and the edge of the gutter, but not so many that it's any sort of problem.
I don't have pine trees near my house, but I've heard that GutterStuff works well with pine needles too.
Installation is easy, or at least as easy as anything involving gutters and ladders ever is (and that's a particular challenge in my house, with my sloping grounds and shrubbery in all the places the ladder wants to be). Once you have access to the gutters, clean them out (yuck!) and just put the GutterStuff inserts in place, making sure they're all facing the same direction (GutterStuff is cut at an angle and leaves an open channel in your gutter for water to flow).
The stuff ain't exactly cheap. Expect to pay anywhere from $2-4 a foot, depending on how much you buy, whether there's shipping, etc. A 30-ft gutter can run you $75. But if it means not have to go up and down and up and down and up and down....you know what I mean....and deal with gunky gutter-cleaning, then in my book, it's worth it.
By the way, I used to have screens over my gutters, a much cheaper options. They worked well for a while, but eventually collapsed and had to be replaced. Give me the spongey stuff, any day.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Why are Printers Cheaper Than Ink
I just purchased an HP Photosmart wireless printer for $29.99. New ink for the printer cost about $40.
What's up with that???
The printer, with a nifty LCD screen, prints loverly, full color inkjet pages. HP wants me (and you too!) to be a long-term buyer of their ink, which is where the big bucks come in when it comes making money on printers. That's right! Printers are sometimes cheaper than ink.
It's like the supermarket selling their soda really cheap to get you into the store, so you can buy other stuff. OK...maybe it's only a little like that! More like getting a cheap subscription to a magazine in the hopes you'll renew for years into the future...at full price, of course.
Whatever the reason, it is sometimes the case that you buy a new printer from HP, Epson, Lexmark, Canon and other major manufacturers and get the printer cheaper than you can get the ink.
So next time you need ink, think about buying yourself a new printer! Just make sure the printer comes with nice, new, full ink cartridges (and not some starter cartridge that some printers are rumored to carry).
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
What's up with that???
The printer, with a nifty LCD screen, prints loverly, full color inkjet pages. HP wants me (and you too!) to be a long-term buyer of their ink, which is where the big bucks come in when it comes making money on printers. That's right! Printers are sometimes cheaper than ink.
It's like the supermarket selling their soda really cheap to get you into the store, so you can buy other stuff. OK...maybe it's only a little like that! More like getting a cheap subscription to a magazine in the hopes you'll renew for years into the future...at full price, of course.
Whatever the reason, it is sometimes the case that you buy a new printer from HP, Epson, Lexmark, Canon and other major manufacturers and get the printer cheaper than you can get the ink.
So next time you need ink, think about buying yourself a new printer! Just make sure the printer comes with nice, new, full ink cartridges (and not some starter cartridge that some printers are rumored to carry).
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
How Much Does Central Air Add to Home Value?
You're thinking of spending thousands of dollars to retrofit your home with central air conditioning. And you're probably wondering, What will this mean when I sell my house? Does central air increase the value? How much? Enough to pay for itself (and maybe make a profit)?
All good questions. But of course, there's no simple answer about how much dollars to add to your home's value -- or what percent increase you will get when you sell your house -- once you install central air.
Rule of thumb used to be you could tack on $5,000 to your home's price by offering a central HVAC system (that's heating, ventilation, air conditioning, in case you didn't know) when you sell. But that old rule is probably (pardon the almost-pun) out the window these days. A good system can easily top $10,000 to install.
In some areas, and some neighborhoods, central cooling and heating may mean the difference between selling your house and not selling it. If buyers are expecting it -- and you don't have it -- finding a buyer can be a tough sell. Down south, where it gets awfully hot, or way up north, where winters are danged cold, buyers might be expecting central cooling and heating no matter what. Lack of central might reduce your home's price by 10%, according to some knowledgable folks.
So...think of your HVAC as a possible ten percent premium on your home's value. Not a bad bump, especially if you're in a high-priced area of real estate (there are some left, I believe!)
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
All good questions. But of course, there's no simple answer about how much dollars to add to your home's value -- or what percent increase you will get when you sell your house -- once you install central air.
Rule of thumb used to be you could tack on $5,000 to your home's price by offering a central HVAC system (that's heating, ventilation, air conditioning, in case you didn't know) when you sell. But that old rule is probably (pardon the almost-pun) out the window these days. A good system can easily top $10,000 to install.
In some areas, and some neighborhoods, central cooling and heating may mean the difference between selling your house and not selling it. If buyers are expecting it -- and you don't have it -- finding a buyer can be a tough sell. Down south, where it gets awfully hot, or way up north, where winters are danged cold, buyers might be expecting central cooling and heating no matter what. Lack of central might reduce your home's price by 10%, according to some knowledgable folks.
So...think of your HVAC as a possible ten percent premium on your home's value. Not a bad bump, especially if you're in a high-priced area of real estate (there are some left, I believe!)
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Is This Old Stock Certificate Worth Anything?
If you found an old stock certificate in your attic, your grandpa's papers or tucked between the pages of a long-forgotten book, congratulations! You may be a millionaire!
Or...it may be a quasi-attractive but relatively worthless document. In fact, the chances are good that's exactly what it is. But occasionally, old stock certificates do have value.
Search the company name on the web, for starters. You may find a quick entry (Wikipedia?) that gives you the company's complete history. If it's bankrupt or out of business, your certificate is worthless. If it was bought out or merged with another company, contact that firm's investor relations department to find out the worht of your certificates and how to cash in your stock.
See if your library has a copy of the Directory of Obsolete Securities, where you can look up the fate of old companies. The librarian can request some interlibrary loan research if they don't have their own copy.
Look online in old newspapers, too. Newspaper archives can detail the end days of a firm, and clarify whether they still exist under another name or have simply vanished into investment ether.
By the way, your nearly worthless certificate may have some value to scripophily collectors, who sometimes just dig the artwork. Contact one or two to see if there's any interest.
Good luck!
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Monday, August 29, 2011
How Can I Get a Free Website Without Ads?
A lot of companies will give you a place on the web to build your own site absolutely free if you're willing to make sort of a devil's bargain. We give a free site, the bargain goes, if you let us plaster advertisements all over your webpages.
"Plaster" may be a bit harsh, because some services are pretty discrete in their ad placement. Still...they're the ones earning ad revenue. Not you.
But your good friends at Google offer something different. Visit Google Sites and build yourself a nifty-looking website absolutely free. Free as in no charge and free as in no advertising, either. The sites are template-based and are pretty flexible in terms of what you can do with them and your overall control of site design. Here's an example of one of my sites, if you want to get a feel.
Your url isn't necessarily pretty, and will initally be something like sites.google.com/site/hereismysiteatlast. But as you can see at my example site, you can switch it to your own url (Google Sites makes it easy!) for about $10 a year.
And if you want to put in Adsense ads of your own...or any other ads for that matter...feel free. There's no problem as far as Google Sites is concerned.
I definitely think Google Sites is the best option around for a free website, no ads, but they're not the only game in town. Check out these other options for free websites.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
"Plaster" may be a bit harsh, because some services are pretty discrete in their ad placement. Still...they're the ones earning ad revenue. Not you.
But your good friends at Google offer something different. Visit Google Sites and build yourself a nifty-looking website absolutely free. Free as in no charge and free as in no advertising, either. The sites are template-based and are pretty flexible in terms of what you can do with them and your overall control of site design. Here's an example of one of my sites, if you want to get a feel.
Your url isn't necessarily pretty, and will initally be something like sites.google.com/site/hereismysiteatlast. But as you can see at my example site, you can switch it to your own url (Google Sites makes it easy!) for about $10 a year.
And if you want to put in Adsense ads of your own...or any other ads for that matter...feel free. There's no problem as far as Google Sites is concerned.
I definitely think Google Sites is the best option around for a free website, no ads, but they're not the only game in town. Check out these other options for free websites.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Is Microwave Cooking With Aluminum Foil Safe?
There's an almost mythical prohibition against using aluminum foil or aluminium containers in the microwave. Something bad will happen, right? Like the oven will explode!
Actually, aluminum can be used safely in a microwave oven. The key is to keep it away from the oven walls...at least an inch. Aluminum that is too close to the walls can cause electrical sparking which can cause a fire or damage the oven.
But aluminum away from the walls is fine, so much so that the Aluminun Foil Containers Manufacturers Association invented the lovely word tri-ovenable, to indicate that aluminum containers can be used in all three oven types -- conventional, toaster and microwave.
Microwaves don't penetrate aluminum, so remove any aluminum covers. But small cover patches of foil (to prevent foods from heating) or heating in open aluminum containers is fine. Just keep the metal clear from the walls.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Actually, aluminum can be used safely in a microwave oven. The key is to keep it away from the oven walls...at least an inch. Aluminum that is too close to the walls can cause electrical sparking which can cause a fire or damage the oven.
But aluminum away from the walls is fine, so much so that the Aluminun Foil Containers Manufacturers Association invented the lovely word tri-ovenable, to indicate that aluminum containers can be used in all three oven types -- conventional, toaster and microwave.
Microwaves don't penetrate aluminum, so remove any aluminum covers. But small cover patches of foil (to prevent foods from heating) or heating in open aluminum containers is fine. Just keep the metal clear from the walls.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Friday, August 26, 2011
How Can I Lookup Official Filings for 401k Plans, Pension Plans, and Other Company Retirement Plans?
If a company manages a retirement plan for its employees, it has to file some paperwork (surprise!) with the U.S. Department of Labor and the IRS as well. The plans are covered by federal law, chiefly the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The plan filings, generally known as Form 5500's (although there are actually a whole series of forms involved), cover retirement plans such as 401k plans, pension plans, defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans -- the whole ball of wax.
Form 5500's are public documents meaning you can look them up on the Internet. You might be surprised at how much financial detail you can find about a company (and sometimes, about individual employees) through their Form 5500 filings.
Take a look at the Department of Labor's Form 5500 Filing Search as well as DOL's Pension Plan Actuarial Information Search. Also run the same searches at BrightScope, as this site often has retirement plans listed that, for some reason, doesn't show up at DOL.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Form 5500's are public documents meaning you can look them up on the Internet. You might be surprised at how much financial detail you can find about a company (and sometimes, about individual employees) through their Form 5500 filings.
Take a look at the Department of Labor's Form 5500 Filing Search as well as DOL's Pension Plan Actuarial Information Search. Also run the same searches at BrightScope, as this site often has retirement plans listed that, for some reason, doesn't show up at DOL.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) History?
When the folks on the financial news tell you that the stock market went up 200 points today, or down 350 points, they are often referring to the daily changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (abbreviated DJI or DJIA), or simply The Dow, as it's commonly known.
The Dow is the most widely-cited stock market index in the world. It was created back in 1896 by your good friends Charles Dow and Edward Jones, of Wall Street Journal fame, who tallied up the prices of the largest American industrial giants then listed on the New York Stock Exchange. At first, 12 companies were listed and they were all heavy-industry (you know...smokestacks, pollution) like the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company.
There are still giant companies -- the blue chips -- listed on the Dow, but the composition has changed innumerable times over the years as corporate fortunes rise and fall. These days, there are 30 companies and in addition to heavy industry like Exxon, you also have banks (Bank of America), tech companies (Intel), retailers (Walmart), media (Disney) and so much more.
Here's the list as of 2012 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average:
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
The Dow is the most widely-cited stock market index in the world. It was created back in 1896 by your good friends Charles Dow and Edward Jones, of Wall Street Journal fame, who tallied up the prices of the largest American industrial giants then listed on the New York Stock Exchange. At first, 12 companies were listed and they were all heavy-industry (you know...smokestacks, pollution) like the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company.
There are still giant companies -- the blue chips -- listed on the Dow, but the composition has changed innumerable times over the years as corporate fortunes rise and fall. These days, there are 30 companies and in addition to heavy industry like Exxon, you also have banks (Bank of America), tech companies (Intel), retailers (Walmart), media (Disney) and so much more.
Here's the list as of 2012 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average:
- 3M
- ALCOA
- AMERICAN EXPRESS
- AT&T
- BANK OF AMERICA
- BOEING
- CATERPILLAR
- CHEVRON
- CISCO
- COCA COLA
- DISNEY
- DU PONT
- EXXON MOBIL
- GE
- H-P
- HOME DEPOT
- IBM
- INTEL
- J&J
- JP MORGAN
- KRAFT
- MCDONALDS
- MERCK
- MICROSOFT
- P&G
- PFIZER
- TRAVELERS
- UNITED TECHNOLOGIES
- VERIZON
- WALMART
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Insurance Scores vs Credit Scores...What's the Difference?
You know about your credit score, right? That number that credit card companies, mortgage banks -- even your landlord -- uses before deciding whether your a good or bad financial risk. Well guess what? Insurance companies take a peek at your insurance score for exactly the same reason -- to see if they want to sell you car insurance or homeowners insurance, and to figure out how much they're going to charge you.
You insurance score is based on the same information that's in your credit report, but with different weights and calculations because, well, insurance and credit are two different things, after all. As with credit scores, FICO is the 800-pound gorilla of the insurance score industry.
Are insurance scores fair? The FTC thinks they do a pretty good job...sort of!
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
You insurance score is based on the same information that's in your credit report, but with different weights and calculations because, well, insurance and credit are two different things, after all. As with credit scores, FICO is the 800-pound gorilla of the insurance score industry.
Are insurance scores fair? The FTC thinks they do a pretty good job...sort of!
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Can I Make and Post a Map Online Without Google Maps?
Sure you can! All you need is a spreadsheet file that lists your data in one column and your geography (from zip codes to states to country names) in another column.
Visit the very user-friendly TargetMap website and click the Create Your Own Map button. Then chose an option to either keep your map private or share it online, for all the world to see. If you choose Share, your map gets indexed by Google and other search engines and will show up in search results. Share or not, you do have to register at the site before going forward.
And just like that, you have a lovely state, country or world map, all without the (sometimes complex) interface of Google Maps.
Happy cartography, everyone.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Visit the very user-friendly TargetMap website and click the Create Your Own Map button. Then chose an option to either keep your map private or share it online, for all the world to see. If you choose Share, your map gets indexed by Google and other search engines and will show up in search results. Share or not, you do have to register at the site before going forward.
And just like that, you have a lovely state, country or world map, all without the (sometimes complex) interface of Google Maps.
Happy cartography, everyone.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Do I Have To Register a Sole Proprietorship in Pennsylvania?
Nope! Nah-hah! No way! The Pennsylvania government's Open For Business website is crystal clear on that point..."A sole proprietorship is not required to file organization papers with the Pennsylvania Department of State..."
A sole propietorship is essentially a business you operate under your own name. Legally, there's not much of a difference between you, the person, and you, the business proprietor, which may not seem worth worrying about but is actually quite important if one of you gets sued.
However, if you take on a fictitious business name (that is, if you opt for some dumb name for your business like Kyooenay), then Pennsylvania expects you to register your fictitious name with the state powers-that-be.
A lot of good background on sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLC, corporations and other forms of business is provided for you in a handy-dandy Pennsylvania state publication, Starting a Business in Pennsylvania -- A Beginner's Guide.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
A sole propietorship is essentially a business you operate under your own name. Legally, there's not much of a difference between you, the person, and you, the business proprietor, which may not seem worth worrying about but is actually quite important if one of you gets sued.
However, if you take on a fictitious business name (that is, if you opt for some dumb name for your business like Kyooenay), then Pennsylvania expects you to register your fictitious name with the state powers-that-be.
A lot of good background on sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLC, corporations and other forms of business is provided for you in a handy-dandy Pennsylvania state publication, Starting a Business in Pennsylvania -- A Beginner's Guide.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Where Can I Get a Free Website, No Ads or Banners?
For a really free website, one with no ads, no banners, and no gimmicks of any kind, I recommend Google (yes, Google!) and their Google Sites offer.
You can build a handsome, flexible website. You don't need to know HTML coding...just use the site templates to get started, and modify them to your heart's content as you get familiar with the website-building process.
If you opt for free hosting at Google Sites, then your website will have a pretty ugly but ultimately livable url like sites.google.com/site/yourwebsitename. But for a small cost, about ten bucks a year, you can easily host your free site at yourwebsitename.com. Here's an example of Digital State Archives, a free Google Site that I've been slowly building. One day, it will be done. I promise.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
You can build a handsome, flexible website. You don't need to know HTML coding...just use the site templates to get started, and modify them to your heart's content as you get familiar with the website-building process.
If you opt for free hosting at Google Sites, then your website will have a pretty ugly but ultimately livable url like sites.google.com/site/yourwebsitename. But for a small cost, about ten bucks a year, you can easily host your free site at yourwebsitename.com. Here's an example of Digital State Archives, a free Google Site that I've been slowly building. One day, it will be done. I promise.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Monday, August 15, 2011
What Is Mortgage Fraud?
If you're a criminal, mortgage fraud is great stuff! Big profits, short-term return on your investment, and very little chance of getting caught. The FBI says mortgage fraud is a big and growing business...no one knows quite how big, but it's well over $10 billion a year.
There are two main classes of mortgage scams. One defrauds the banks providing mortgage loans, and typically involves giving false information on a loan application, such as inflating one's income with false tax returns or pay stubs, or working with a crooked appraiser to overstate the value of a house. This type of fraud is known as loan origination fraud.
The other type of mortgage fraud, such as illegal property flipping and embezzelment of escrow funds scams the potential home buyers. This type of fraud can actually involve 'selling' the same house to more than one person!
Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Tampa, San Francisco, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, Atlanta, and Las Vegas reported the largest number of mortgage fraud cases in recent years, so be careful out there!
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
There are two main classes of mortgage scams. One defrauds the banks providing mortgage loans, and typically involves giving false information on a loan application, such as inflating one's income with false tax returns or pay stubs, or working with a crooked appraiser to overstate the value of a house. This type of fraud is known as loan origination fraud.
The other type of mortgage fraud, such as illegal property flipping and embezzelment of escrow funds scams the potential home buyers. This type of fraud can actually involve 'selling' the same house to more than one person!
Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Tampa, San Francisco, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, Atlanta, and Las Vegas reported the largest number of mortgage fraud cases in recent years, so be careful out there!
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Where Can I Get a Free Disposable Email Account?
Ah, the joys of the Internet. You can't get the information you need until you give the annoying website your email address and then verify the address by clicking a link they send you. But once you do that...it's spam for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of your life.
But there's hope. You can get a disposable email address for free. You don't even have to do anything...just make up whatever temproary email address you like. Mailinator provides just such a free service for throw-away email addresses. Just type in anything at all, followed by @mailinator.com. That's your disposable email address.
For instance, I could be david@mailinator.com or nonsense@mailinator.com or asdfljk@mailinator.com or any other email name I desire. Then...just visit mailinator.com, type in the made-up address, and voila...there's the message with the verification link. The "account" disappears in a day or so and you'll never have to see any spam sent to that address ever in your whole life.
Ah, the joys of the Internet.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
But there's hope. You can get a disposable email address for free. You don't even have to do anything...just make up whatever temproary email address you like. Mailinator provides just such a free service for throw-away email addresses. Just type in anything at all, followed by @mailinator.com. That's your disposable email address.
For instance, I could be david@mailinator.com or nonsense@mailinator.com or asdfljk@mailinator.com or any other email name I desire. Then...just visit mailinator.com, type in the made-up address, and voila...there's the message with the verification link. The "account" disappears in a day or so and you'll never have to see any spam sent to that address ever in your whole life.
Ah, the joys of the Internet.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Friday, August 12, 2011
How Can I Email a 1GB File for Free?
This one's easy. Your own email program might be just the ticket, even though it cuts off most attachments at some weenie number like 25MB. Look for a "Large Files" option (really!). For instance, Yahoo! Mail has a "Send Large Files" button over on the right-hand menu that lets you send attachments up to 2 GB. Perfect for sending videos, hi-rez photos, spreadsheets, databases or any other humongous files you care to transmit.
Or use an online large-file email service like YouSendIt or DropSend...you can try them both out for free.
Also, you can post a file to an upload service like Google Documents or SkyDrive, both of which accept pretty big files, but they do have some constraints on file size, so make sure you're not over their upload limits.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Or use an online large-file email service like YouSendIt or DropSend...you can try them both out for free.
Also, you can post a file to an upload service like Google Documents or SkyDrive, both of which accept pretty big files, but they do have some constraints on file size, so make sure you're not over their upload limits.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
How Can I Do a Stock History Lookup
Some days you just wake up and ya need to know: What was IBM selling for on February 12, 1974?
Well, good news. The Internet makes it super-easy to look up stock price histories. You can get tables of prices, pricing graphs, and even detailed histories of dividend payments and stock splits. My favorite resource is Yahoo! Finance because it's simple, comprehensive and flexible. You can adjust it to show daily prices, or average weekly or monthly price for long term charts. Google Finance (no exclamation point) also does a good job with its cool little click-and-grab slider graphs, but truth is, there are dozens of stock price history lookups you can find on the web. Pick the one that works best for your needs.
IBM on Feb 12, 1974? It opened at $228, hit a high of $230, a low of $226.50 and closed at $228.25 on volume of 489,600 shares. How's that for details?
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Well, good news. The Internet makes it super-easy to look up stock price histories. You can get tables of prices, pricing graphs, and even detailed histories of dividend payments and stock splits. My favorite resource is Yahoo! Finance because it's simple, comprehensive and flexible. You can adjust it to show daily prices, or average weekly or monthly price for long term charts. Google Finance (no exclamation point) also does a good job with its cool little click-and-grab slider graphs, but truth is, there are dozens of stock price history lookups you can find on the web. Pick the one that works best for your needs.
IBM on Feb 12, 1974? It opened at $228, hit a high of $230, a low of $226.50 and closed at $228.25 on volume of 489,600 shares. How's that for details?
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
How Can I Find the History of Calls Made on a Cell Phone?
Cell phones, like elephants, never forget. Or hardly ever. Your phone keeps history records of all incoming and outgoing calls, and even has a record of missed calls that were never answered.
You can find your cell phone history on the phone itself, usually by accessing Call Records (or something similar) in your phone's main menu. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Cricket and most other mobile phone service providers also list call records online on your billing account. Log into your phone account and click on View Full Bill rather than just the summary bill, to see a list of your calls. Some sites even offer a download function so you can store the list permanently on your PC.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
You can find your cell phone history on the phone itself, usually by accessing Call Records (or something similar) in your phone's main menu. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Cricket and most other mobile phone service providers also list call records online on your billing account. Log into your phone account and click on View Full Bill rather than just the summary bill, to see a list of your calls. Some sites even offer a download function so you can store the list permanently on your PC.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
How Do I Find a Lost Pension?
Your pension can be an awfully big pot of money that you and your employer set aside for your retirement. So it's kind of amazing how often people lose track of their pensions. Or maybe not so amazing. After all, when you spend four or five decades in the workforce, moving from employer to employer, it's not hard to lose records for a pension you started many years ago. Add to that the fact that companies merge, break up, change names or simply disappear through bankruptcy...and the situation gets even more complex.
Happily, there are are several tools you can use to track down a missing pension fund. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC, the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits (NRURB) and a few other online and offline resources can help you lay claim to any retirement money and pensions that are owed to you. And don't forget...next of kin can also claim pensions for a deceased worker, so it's worth searching for missing accounts if you're an heir.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Happily, there are are several tools you can use to track down a missing pension fund. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC, the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits (NRURB) and a few other online and offline resources can help you lay claim to any retirement money and pensions that are owed to you. And don't forget...next of kin can also claim pensions for a deceased worker, so it's worth searching for missing accounts if you're an heir.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Where Can I Find Solar Energy Grants?
Solar energy technologies -- to make electricity or provide heat directly from the energy of the sun -- are getting more affordable and more efficient, and some of them are danged good looking as well. As if that weren't enough, there are a number of government and private sources for solar energy grants. Free money for your solar projects.
Don't be fooled...grants are competitive and not easy to come by. But there are grants aplenty for solar projects in homes, schools, communities, farms and other places. You can fund photovoltaic projects (sunlight to electricity), energy storage, solar space heating, and solar water heating projects. You'll never know what's possible until you look. Check out the online grants resources at the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, or DSIRE as it's known, along with Grants.gov and Foundation Center for funding oppotunities.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Don't be fooled...grants are competitive and not easy to come by. But there are grants aplenty for solar projects in homes, schools, communities, farms and other places. You can fund photovoltaic projects (sunlight to electricity), energy storage, solar space heating, and solar water heating projects. You'll never know what's possible until you look. Check out the online grants resources at the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, or DSIRE as it's known, along with Grants.gov and Foundation Center for funding oppotunities.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Who pays more income taxes, people or corporations?
People pay way more income taxes than businesses as this Debt and Taxes article makes clear.
In 2010, individual and family taxpayers anted up a bit more than $898 billion in taxes, while business paid a mere $191 billion...just about a five-fold difference. Put another way, for every five dollars in taxes that people pay, corporations pay a dollar.
It wasn't always so. Back around the time of World War II, business income taxes and individual income taxes contributed about equally to federal revenue. But by 1960, individuals were paying twice as much, by 1970, three times as much and by 1980, you and I (OK...your parents and grandparents) were paying four times as much taxes as businesses. The ratio hit five times as much around 1990 and never looked back.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
In 2010, individual and family taxpayers anted up a bit more than $898 billion in taxes, while business paid a mere $191 billion...just about a five-fold difference. Put another way, for every five dollars in taxes that people pay, corporations pay a dollar.
It wasn't always so. Back around the time of World War II, business income taxes and individual income taxes contributed about equally to federal revenue. But by 1960, individuals were paying twice as much, by 1970, three times as much and by 1980, you and I (OK...your parents and grandparents) were paying four times as much taxes as businesses. The ratio hit five times as much around 1990 and never looked back.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
What is a Split-Interest Agreement?
Admit it. You think it has something to do with two people splitting the interest income on an investment. Sorry...that's not it.
A split-interest agreement is a way of giving money to a nonprofit organization (also called not-for-profits, or NFPs) where the organization gets some benefits now, and some later. In other words, their interest in the arrangement is split into a lead interest (now) and the remainder interest (later). If I was a rich old guy donating a gazillion dollars to my favorite NFP, I might set it up as an irrevocable split-interest agreement, where they get dividend income now and the full amount of the investment capital at some future date, like when I die. Irrevocable means we can't change the terms of the deal once it's been set up. It's all explained in excrutiating detail in Embedded Derivatives: Application of Statement 133 to a Not-for-Profit Organization’s Obligation Arising from an Irrevocable Split-Interest Agreement, from the FASB (the same folks who brought you GAAP).
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
A split-interest agreement is a way of giving money to a nonprofit organization (also called not-for-profits, or NFPs) where the organization gets some benefits now, and some later. In other words, their interest in the arrangement is split into a lead interest (now) and the remainder interest (later). If I was a rich old guy donating a gazillion dollars to my favorite NFP, I might set it up as an irrevocable split-interest agreement, where they get dividend income now and the full amount of the investment capital at some future date, like when I die. Irrevocable means we can't change the terms of the deal once it's been set up. It's all explained in excrutiating detail in Embedded Derivatives: Application of Statement 133 to a Not-for-Profit Organization’s Obligation Arising from an Irrevocable Split-Interest Agreement, from the FASB (the same folks who brought you GAAP).
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
How Do I Sign Up for PACER (and what is PACER, anyway)?
The Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER as it is affectionately known, is the online access system for dockets and other filings in U.S. courts. PACER includes filings from bankruptcy court as well as civil and criminal proceedings. Anyone can sign up. You don't need to be a lawyer, but it sure helps, as the PACER information contains a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo. But if you're willing to dig through it, you can find some pretty amazing information, or use the PACER Case Locator to see if your new business partner ever filed for bankruptcy.
You can sign up for PACER for free. There's a charge of 8 cents a page for every page you download (and that can add up for some of these dockets), but the fee is waived for minor users of the site.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
You can sign up for PACER for free. There's a charge of 8 cents a page for every page you download (and that can add up for some of these dockets), but the fee is waived for minor users of the site.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
What's the Legal Definition of a Full Time Exempt Employee?
There isn't one! "Exempt employees" are those exempt from the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, usually known as FLSA. If you're a manager, or belong to one of the exempt worker categories such as sales employees, no time-and-a-half for you! Some employees, like farm workers, aren't covered by FLSA at all!
FLSA requires overtime pay for nonexempt employees after they have worked 40 hours in a week. But there's no definition in FLSA for "full time". So technically speaking, there's no legal definition of a full time exempt employee. In common parlance, though, it means a full time (about 40 hours per week) worker who is not entitled to overtime pay.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
FLSA requires overtime pay for nonexempt employees after they have worked 40 hours in a week. But there's no definition in FLSA for "full time". So technically speaking, there's no legal definition of a full time exempt employee. In common parlance, though, it means a full time (about 40 hours per week) worker who is not entitled to overtime pay.
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Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
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