Mosquito Ringtones

From the site:

What is the Mosquito Ringtone?

The short version, A tone outside the audible range of hearing for most people over the age of 30. This means that you can get phone calls and receive text messages in class or school without teachers hearing it.

Mosquito Ringtones

Lots of other fun stuff on the site; mosquito games, printable mosquito coloring pages even some variants of the mosquito ringtones available for download.  One useful thing is the Hearing Test.

When I first came across this site, I thought "Oh, I bet my hearing is still pretty good...I certainly don't have "old" ears." I was wrong; I couldn't hear the upper ranges of the tones and after checking out the Hearing Test, I was dismayed to find that the only sounds I could clearly hear were the 10000 and 8000 Hertz Tones.

Dismayed, but not totally surprised. After the years of working on extremely loud drilling rigs, some hearing loss is to be expected. Up until a few years ago, I suffered from Tinnitus but that's gone away to where it's nearly unnoticeable. (I think getting control of my blood sugar has something to do with it, but I'm not sure.)There were times, however, during the dead of night it was maddening.

So, I guess I DO have "old ears".  I might not be able to hear like the young whippersnappers, but I bet most of them can't wiggle my ears like I can!

---

EDIT TO ADD: I had several tabs open and before closing the Hearing Test tab after posting, I tried a few more frequencies; I could barely hear some of the others, then thought to check my volume control.

Duh.  I had it turned down quite a bit while listening to online radio earlier. I could clearly hear the 14000 Hertz Tone. I can barely hear the next one, but not well enough to use it as a ring tone.  I don't need a ring tone anyway...don't have a cell phone, for one.  No one ever calls me, so I hardly need a land line except for my DSL. 

Anyway, good news and bad news:  the good news is my hearing isn't as bad as I thought it was.  The bad news?  Not checking my volume control means my mind is slipping.

Find A Grave

Find A Grave

Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials, add 'virtual flowers' and a note to a loved one's grave, etc.  See the graves of thousands of famous people from around the world.

Find A Grave

Google Alerts

A few years ago, I discovered a very useful feature of Google, the Google Alerts. With it, I can keep up with the topics that interest me, such as specific news items, articles about Hank Skinner or anytime this blog is mentioned or linked to. (very rare).

Some webmasters also use the service to check for plagiarism or backlinks to articles they've written.  Companies can use it to see what others are saying about their products, especially useful when someone is unjustly smearing their reputation.

You can configure the results to show up in your reader feed or delivered to your email inbox.

From the site:

Monitor the Web for interesting new content

Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your queries.

Enter a search query you wish to monitor. You will see a preview of the type of results you'll receive. Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:

    *monitoring a developing news story
    *keeping current on a competitor or industry
    *getting the latest on a celebrity or event
    *keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams



Google Alerts

Newsola

Color coded by category, Newsola shows the top news stories from around the world at a glance with a treemap visualization using Google News

(click for larger view)

http://www.newsola.com/

Block Posters

Block Posters

Create any size wall posters from any size images. Upload an image from your computer and chose how many sheets wide you would like your poster to be printed. Totally free to use!

http://www.blockposters.com/

Reusing

I got an email from Amazon earlier; once you look at something and are signed up for their email alerts, they practically bombard you with suggestions of that item. I've received at least one mailing a week since I looked at cell phones.

A few weeks ago I was checking into the price of peanut oil, having heard of its high smoke point and health benefits. As I often do on Amazon, I then went on to look at other related items, mostly outdoor deep fryers.

After looking at a few of the suggestions on Amazon, I started wondering if peanut oil can be reused. Before we were married, my ex managed a seafood restaurant that had daily specials on many menu items with both fried catfish and shrimp being the most popular. After a few days of use, they "rejuvenated" their oil with a nifty filter machine; you drained the oil into the machine, then it was filtered and pumped back into the deep fryer.

As I was typing in "reusing cooking oil" into Google, the auto-complete gave me suggestions. I've seen quite a few humorous screen shots of those in various websites, some laugh-out-loud funny and others making me shake my head. This time was a little bit of both.

I know about reusing things - mostly because I try to make it a habit, both from an ecological standpoint but also from an economic one. I've read about some of the suggestions Google was giving me; from my homesteading and survival Facebook groups, I've seen quite a few ways to reuse old wood pallets, from making furniture to filling them full of potting soil and making small herb gardens. One of the best uses I've seen for them was sinking them in a pond for what I call "minnow motels" - minnows lay their eggs on the underside of wood and the relatively small openings in the pallet keeps the larger predator fish out.

I've also seen a bunch of different ways to reuse plastic bottles;  just the other day I saw a photo of a raft someone had built out of 2L bottles.  Not sure if I would want to cross the ocean on one, but....  I have been known to reuse a tea bag, but it's certainly a weaker "cuppa" the second time.  I've read that earthworms love old tea bags and they also degrade well in compost heaps.  I've also read that they're good to mulch into the soil under acid-loving plants such as blueberry bushes.

I also belong to a canning group on Facebook and the general consensus there and elsewhere is that one should NOT reuse canning lids.  The rings, yes, but new lids should be used.

It was the third entry in the auto-complete form that really threw me for a loop.  I'm sure that, if refrigerated, it would last for a day or two, but how the heck can you reuse it?

Blogger Bookmarklet

I have a "Share This" bookmarklet for Facebook, but since I've decided to do less there and return to my blog, I wanted a way to share articles in here without having to come to the blog and starting a post, then adding the link. There are add-ons for Firefox that will do that, but I wanted an easier way. I did a search and found a bookmarklet that allows me to do that.

What is BlogThis! ? - Blogger Help

Just go to the above page and drag the link to your browser's bookmark menu. It should open up the menu and just drop it in, easy!

The only thing that the Blogger post window lacks that the regular one has is the add photo feature, but that's not really a problem unless I was wanting to upload a screenshot. (which I was going to do for this post to show the way to add the bookmarklet) There's also no preview feature, but that's just a minor inconvenience. It's still a nifty way to share, though, and if you have multiple blogs, there's a drop-down menu to choose to which blog you wish to publish the link.

Learn Chinese Everyday

Learn Chinese — Learn a Chinese Character a Day

I stumbled across this website the other day and immediately subscribed to the feed. The site's premise/purpose is to provide all the information and tools to learn a single Chinese character each day. Seeing as how the Chinese pretty much own America - or its GDP for the next hundred years - I thought it prudent to learn how to communicate with our future overlords.

For example, today's word is pronounced - mén - meaning:

1. door. (n)
2. valve; switch. (n)
3. knack. (n)
4. school of thought. (n)
5. (measure word) used for subjects of study, cannons, marriage, relatives. (n)

They even show how to draw the character with a nifty little animation:



The site also has sound files to listen to the word, plus gives examples in translated-to-English sentences such as these:

Open the door, please.

That's the least of what we'll have to do for our Chinese bosses.

How many courses did you select?

I don't think this will mean anything to do with education. No, I think it will be pertaining to food. "How many courses...?" will be a subtle (in the Chinese way) but stern reminder that we Americans don't need all that protein we're accustomed to. One small bowl of rice, two or three dehydrated minnows and a half-cup of pickled frog intestines will be three courses.

I just hope they don't insist upon me using those damn chopsticks. I always get splinters in my lips when I've use those.

He finally got the hang of repairing computers.

That's what I might hear my own personal master say to his boss while pleading that my life should be spared. I've earned the death sentence by insolence, laziness and possession of a banned firearm as well as a prohibited radio found tuned to decadent Western rock and roll .

He has already converted to Buddhism.

Again, he's arguing my case. I haven't converted, I just shave my head in hopes they'll think I'm a monk. (the celibate part is in my favor, too)

The first thing we shall do is to turn on the switch.

That's probably one of the last things I'll hear as they strap me into the electric chair.

(just kidding on that last...everybody knows the Chinese just shoot you in the head)

---

Sorry, couldn't help but crack wise on this site, even though it's very informative and useful and I DO plan on trying to learn a little bit of Chinese. (I recently read it's much, much easier learn than is Polish)

Still, there's a grain of truth to what I wrote, the hyperbole regarding the US and China and our future relations. I'd like to take this time to point out that Ron Paul has been warning us of this for years.

Regardless, this site is still worth featuring.

Learn Chinese Everyday

helioatry

heliolatry \hee-lee-OL-uh-tree\ , noun;
1. Worship of the sun.

---

I bet there are millions of people who now regret their helioatry from years past.

Well, maybe there's a few that don't....



Watch this Sun-Damaged Skin Pictures Slideshow on the effects of sun damage to your skin such as wrinkles, moles, melanoma (skin cancer) and more.

How Secure is Your Password?

Find out at the aptly named How Secure is My Password?

I'll admit I use only a few different passwords for nearly all my sign-in websites, a mixture of words, dates and places that mean something to me. I guess ONLY to me because the site says it'd take quite a while to bust it.



How Secure is My Password?

spokeo

"Not your grandma's phone book"

This link was posted in a political forum I sometimes frequent and people got all up in arms over the supposed invasion of privacy, but after visiting I saw much of the information was wrong and other had to have been gleaned from online public records.

For example, it lists my age as several years older than I am and takes about fifteen years off the length of time at my current residence. Not only does it get the time wrong, it lists my house value at 1 million dollars.

I wish. (it also says my neighborhood is "under average", which is correct, but what am I doing in a mansion in a lower middle class neighborhood?

The most annoying thing about my personal info on the site is the list of interests. Some things are true and must have been shared from websites I've joined and surveys I've taken. It has a lot wrong, such as I like country music and that I own dogs, among other erroneous "facts". It also under-represents my education level.

I checked several members of my family, and found the same pattern of wrong information. I also plugged in the names of a few of my online friends and found what I think are errors. Under the photos tab I did see my sister's picture, but there are no photos of me online, at least none that are connected with my "real name".

Of course, to get the sensitive data such as credit reports and criminal background, you'll have to pay. If they get the simple stuff wrong, it makes me wonder about the validity of those "private" things.

spokeo

Plugin Check

See your Firefox plugins and update them at this handy Mozilla site: Plugin Check

From the site:

What is a Plugin?

* Plugins power videos, animation and games.
* They're built outside of Firefox by companies like Adobe Systems and Apple.
* Plugins don't always update automatically.

Why should I update my Plugins?

* Old Plugins can interrupt browsing and waste your time.
* Old Plugins increase your risk for attack by malware, viruses, and other security threats.
* Updated Plugins have improvements that make the web better and safer for you.

Plugin Check

I Do Now I Don't

Wondering what to do with that returned engagement ring? Left at the altar and now have no need for that wedding dress? Sell it at I Do Now I Don't

From the site:

People buy and sell diamond rings, jewelry, even wedding dresses and collectible watches on I Do Now I Don’t. Diamond rings worth as much as $75,000 have been sold successfully on I Do.

You too can buy and sell on I Do Now I Don’t with complete and total confidence.

Here’s why:

Our highly and GIA-accredited gemologist verifies gemstones are exactly as described by the seller Buyers’ money is held in escrow and only released to the seller pending our expert’s verification Buyers of diamond rings receive an on-site buy-back guarantee.

I Do Now I Don't

Random Password Generator

From the site:

This form allows you to generate random passwords. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs.

The passwords generated by this form are transmitted to your browser securely (via SSL) and are not stored on the RANDOM.ORG server. Nevertheless, the best data security practice is not to let anyone but yourself generate your most important passwords. So, feel free to use these passwords for your wi-fi encryption or for that extra Gmail account, but you shouldn't use any online service to generate passwords for highly sensitive things, such as your online bank account.

Random Password Generator

Texas Unclaimed Property

From the site:

One in four Texans has unclaimed property from forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, security deposits and utility refunds. It’s your money, and we want you to get it back.

Texas is currently holding more than $2 billion in cash and other valuables waiting for the rightful owners to claim. It’s never too late to make a claim, and we are committed to ensuring hardworking Texans don’t lose a penny. Find out what you may have been missing by searching our unclaimed property database

Texas Unclaimed Property

Email Cover

This free service hides your email address in a CAPTCHA image to help prevent spam email being sent to your email address.

The service also provides text and image links to use in forums and msg. boards.



emailcover.com

Resistor Color Coder

Resistor Color Coder is free, and is very useful for determining the color codes or values of 4 and 5 band resistors.

To select the mode, click on the 4 or 5 band resistor icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

The lefthand 3 or 4 bands determine resistor value, the righthand band resistor tolerance.

Download Resistor Color Coder

Simple Desktops

(click graphic for larger view)



From the website:

A collection of desktop wallpapers curated by Tom Watson to make your computer beautiful without distraction

Simple Desktops

Online Barcode Generator

Online Barcode Generator

Unless you have something you need to barcode, the free service wouldn't be much use except as a novelty. Considering that I'm easily entertained....

You could make a small banner for your blog:



Or a cute email sig:



Or stir up the conspiracy nuts:



Online Barcode Generator

How Many People?

Are in space right now?

If you're curious, go to howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com and find out!

As of this writing, there are:



howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com