Personal Web Pages

These were quite popular about 10 years ago.  I learned just enough HTML to create a few simple pages in Notepad, then used an HTML editor (Front Page). I also had a I had WS-FTP lite to manage my site.  I built several PWP when I was on Prodigy Internet, then I moved it to my cable internet server.  The Prodigy pages were viewable up until about a year ago, and today, I can no longer access my page on the cable internet server.  There was no notice.

Hey gas station owner, if you charge extra for credit/debit, you have lost my business

Several local gas stations have started charging anywhere from 3 cents to 10 cents more per gallon if you use a credit or debit card.  I understand the benefit of cash only sales to the vendor, using credit or debit benefits both the purchaser & the vendor.  The purchaser gets the convenience and the vendor gets increased sales. The cost to the vendor comes at the point of sale and the cost to the purchaser comes when they pay interest. These stations have decided to push their costs on to the purchasers; however, this is a bad business decision.  If they were the only station in town, or if all the others were adding this cost, I suppose they would not lose any business.  But there are many stations I can patronize, without going our of my way, that do not add this charge.

Sword of Truth

One of the first books I purchased for my Kindle was Wizard's First Rule, Book 1 of the Sword of Truth series.  I have had this on my reading list for a long time.  I first discovered this series while reading the Wheel of Time. Many of the reading & literature bulletin boards indicated similarities between these two series, and  I hesitated to begin another epic fantasy series while the other one was unfinished.   I became more interested during the TV series Legend of the Seeker which ran 2 seasons from 2008-2010.  Legend of the Seeker was loosely based on the Sword of Truth.  I loved the show, but had not yet read any of the books other than a short prequel called Debt of Bones.  So this week, I got into Book 1 & could not put it down. 

Multiply is closing, no export feature

I started posting a blog on Yahoo 360 in 2006.  When that closed, I exported the posts to Multiply.com.  They are closing their social network feature including the blog, as of December 2012, and there is no export feature.  Blogger appears to be the most stable blog, so I will be using it for posting my future random thoughts. 

Amazon Prime

I got 1 year free Amazon Prime when I signed up for Amazon student. I really appreciated free 2-day shipping, especially at Christmas time  When it came time to renew Prime, I was offered 1/2 price.  This year, I kept getting a notice that I needed to update the card, but no mention of whether the renewal was still 1/2 price.  I did a little searching, and the Amazon student membership is good for 4 years, after which I will have to pay full price for Prime.  I have discovered many benefits to having a Prime membership. I use the Kindle lending library, and now I found free Instant video.  

Online calendars

I have a calendar in Outlook, one on Yahoo, one on Google & one on Windows Live.  They are not coordinated in any way; I have the birthday list on Yahoo, & a daily prayer set up on Google; not sure what I have on Windows Live, and nothing set up on Outlook.    I send reminders to myself, but I never set up sharing.  I recently started using the Cozi Home Calendar. I added some events today & downloaded the iPhone app. I like it, but I am only using it for a personal calendar. 

Kindle edition vs paperback/hard copy

I bought a used 2nd generation Kindle, and I really like it.  Especially now that I actually have time to read.  One thing bothers me about Kindle e-books (don't know if this is true for Nook or other formats but it probably is).  Why do so many Kindle books cost as much or more than the paperback?  Some titles are available for borrowing if you have Amazon Prime, and there are many books available for $2.99 or less, and some are available for free. But many titles I have searched for cost as much or more than the paperback edition.  OK, I understand that with a Kindle edition, I have a copy that does not take up space in my bookshelf or wear out, but I can't lend it to anyone. I used to share my paperbacks & book club editions with my father or my sisters.  If the Kindle edition is more than $2.99, I prefer to get it from the library and return it when I am done.  Supposedly, my library offers e-books including Kindle versions, but the wait list is very long, and it seems like I can get the paperback or hardback copy much faster.  I asked the librarian about this and he told me it was a statewide wait list, and it moves faster than I thought, so I will try requesting a Kindle book.