Paint Shop Pro - Free Download?

While viewing one of the usenet newsgroups I saw that someone posted about free downloads of the current Paint Shop Pro graphics editing program. The latest version of Paint Shop Pro is over 130 MB's in size!

Unfortunately the person that posted this did not include a link to where the Paint Shop Program could be downloaded for free!

Free Download A Day Site

Free Download A Day

I just found out out this site today. It was included in one of my emails. I have just glanced over the site and haven't had a chance to really look at it but it seems to have a nice number of freely downloaded programs.

I also notice that they have a lot of free download programs for linux users as well.

The Internet Movie Database?

The Internet Movie Database (or IMDB for short) is a website that has a wealth of information about movies. You can find out almost anything about almost any movie from this website.

However I am a little disappointed because while the site has message boards and also gives you the option of adding your own synopsis and plotlines you must first "authenticate" your account by either giving them your credit card nomber or giving them your cellphone number - which I think is just too much to ask just to be able to have the priviledge of being able to post your opinions, etc.

Hover - Microsoft Game

Hover is a racing-type game that came with my Windows95 package. However I found out that you can still download this game and play it on almost all of the subsequent Windows operating systems. Here is a link to a site where you can find out more about this game and download it for free as well.

Hover Site

The game is available as a free download.

Google Earth

* There is a rule that Google images can't be posted to a site that has adsense on it so I'm putting a general picture of a globe here just to give you a general idea

Google Earth is a great website - or is it program? I didn't mention it before because I thought that one had to have a high-speed connection in order to use the program. But I found out from this discussion board that you can use a dial-up modem with Google Earth. Now some people say that they don't mind if it takes some time to actually use Google Earth because of their slower dial-up connection and some have been just too frustrated to continue to use it with their dial-up modem. But the general advice is to try it and see.

What is Google Earth? Google Earth is a free downloaded program that lets you "see the earth" - for lack of a better explanation. You can view the globe, view various locations and see maps of areas all around the world including your own neighborhood.

There is also a message board where people can post, ask and answer questions.

Once you start getting good at using the program you can make your own maps to send to others that have Google Earth installed so that they can see YOUR map(s). It even gets to be more fun because people have been making much more complicated maps that include everything from layers to overlays.

You can find download and find out more about Google Earth and the minimum system requirements that you have to have to install it by clicking the link below:

Download Google Earth

Would You Like To Share Your 3D Objects With The World? (And Earn Some Money Too?)

ShareCG is a site that will let you upload your own-created 3d objects so that you can share them with the world and let others be able to download your 3d objects! It doesn't cost you anything to sign up plus you get paid according to the number of times your 3d object page is viewed. You have to have a Paypal account in order to get paid

Free Astrology Program

Here is a link to a free astrology program called Astrolog

To see what kind of charts the program will make for you, you can see an example of Astrolog's chart by going to Rose's Astrology Page

My Blog Was Locked Over The Labor Day Weekend!

My blog was locked over the Labor Day Weekend but I'm glad to report that it is back now!

I also started a new blog called Philadelphia Native Blog. Originally this blog was supposed to be about me and the places and things I enjoyed in Philadelphia but somehow this blog turned into a blog talking about the free things that I have found on the internet.

So I started a new blog that will hopefully stay on the topic of Philadelphia and related stuff.

If not I'll just branch out and create another blog - LOL!

Daz Studio 1.7

One of the conditions of downloading this free 3d program is that I tell at least 2 people about it!

Daz Studio is a 3d program. I found it when I was looking for Poser! Apparently you can make some very good 3d renders with this program. It's so big that I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.

You can download this program for free by clicking here

BUT BE FOREWARNED THAT YOU HAVE TO REGISTER WITH THE DAZ 3D SITE IN ORDER TO GET THE REGISTRATION CODE

I love creating 3d models but I haven't had much time for it because I have been working. I have been intriguied by 3d modeling ever since I got my first Bryce program and the original Poser program.

3D graphics are realistic looking models of everyday objects. You can also create human objects and humanoid objects as well.

I have a long way to go but I have gotten to the point where I know that it will take a lot of time and patience to create 3d models.

Ultimately I would like to design human characters, hair and clothing for my 3d models.

Here is a picture that I made kind of fast using the program. I can see me spending a LOT of time playing around with this program.

Get 3D Models,

3D Content,

and

3D Software

at DAZ3D!

The Font Free Blog!

Here is a new blog that has free fonts download! I just visited this site today and saw some cute fonts and I actually downloaded one of the free fontsfree fonts that was on this blog.

Update!

March 17, 2011 - Unfortunately this blog no longer exists!

VUE - Personal Limited Edition

If you're into 3D graphics then this program is a definite MUST! But first let me warn you that this 3D graphics program is over 300 MB in size! It took me all night to download it and it took about 45 minutes to install! So make sure that you have enough hard drive space before you download this program!

Here is the link to download the program:

Download the VUE - Personal Limited Edition

I repeat - this is a very powerful (and very big) 3D graphics program! After I went through the torture of finally installing it and opening the program I realized just how big it is!

One of the best things about this free download is that the program is so powerful! Here is what the website says about this edition of this 3D program:

The Personal Learning Edition (PLE) is a fully functional version of Vue 6 Infinite/xStream (selection of Infinite or xStream is done during installation). With the PLE, you can:

• Create complete projects, save your work and export to other applications,
  

• Render stills and animations without size/length limit,
  

• Experience Vue’s power directly inside Max/Maya/LightWave/Cinema4D (XSI coming soon)
  

• Learn at your own pace (the PLE never expires)!

The PLE is for personal, non-commercial use only, files cannot be exchanged with other PLE users and are not compatible with other versions of Vue, renders may be watermarked and carry a logo.

I tried to make a "fast" picture so that I could show you what you can do with the program but its just too much for me to grasp since I just got it so here is a picture from one of their galleries:

Renderosity.com

If you're into 3D graphics then Renderosity.com is just the place for you!

Personally I love 3D graphics but I haven't had much time to work with them. I have a couple of 3D programs like Bryce (which I was able to get via a free legitimate download, Terragen which is also a free 3D graphics program that helps you to create scenic terrains and I have Wings3D which I haven't figured out how to work with yet. I would LOVE to have a copy of Poser! Poser is a 3D program that helps you to create human looking figures - but Poser costs a lot - but it's definitely worth it when I do have the money to purchase it.

But getting back to Renderosity.com its a great place for 3D artists and wannabe 3D artists. You do have to register and join before you can post to the forums but it is free to register. Once you register you will be privy to a welath of information concerning 3D art and artists. However 2D artists participate as well. They have message forums for software programs, 3d artists, writers and a whole lot more!

What I especially love about this site is the number of free 3D models that you can download and I will admit to downloading some of them myself! There are some great 3d models that you can download for free!

They also have contests and challenges. They also have an artists' gallery where you can showcase your work. You can sell your 3d-related work on Renderosity as well!

Renderosity.com is a great place for 3d artists and for people like me - 3d wannabe artists.

What?

Well it looks like my Adsense Consultant blog got classified as a spam blog. Now I have to prove to blogger that I'm human and not automated or a robot!

I went through the form process and now have to wait 2-3 business days for a reply!

Poser

This is definitely on my "wish list"!

Poser lets you create human figures. It's sort of like being able to sculpt a figure but Poser makes it better by letting you make clothes and even hair!

Even though it says "Poser 5" on the picture I believe version 7 is out now. I would love to have this program. It is quite costly but I still want it!

I have version 1 (LOL!) and I still use it.

Well THAT Was A Lot Of Fun!

I just spent the last half hour getting rid of some sort of "thing" that kept appearing in my browser. What it was was that any of the sites that had google's Adsense on it I couldn't see the ads. Instead what I got was blank "white" space where the Google Ads were!

Now I have downloaded only one thing in the past 3 days and I'm thinking that was the source of the problems that I was having.

I still have to test it out by looking at my blog - but so far so good.

I guess that should be a lesson to all of us - don't download anything that you are not sure of. You may get a virus, adware or even something worse that will really mess up your computer!

Well, I didn't win the lottery (again!)

I don't know why I keep playing the lottery! No, I change that - yes I do. I played it because #1 I had a coupon for a free lottery ticket (as long as I bought 1) and #2 I played it because I hoped I'd win!

I tell you lottery headquarters must be getting very, very rich off of the people (me included) who play the lottery!

I did see this television show about people who had won the lottery. One man killed himself and a woman who won the lottery ended up in jail! There were some good stories too. One couple manage to live quite quietly with their lottery winnings and one girl after she won the lottery got her friend out of the armed forces and they got married.

What would I do if I won the lottery? I would pay off my bills! After that I would just sit back and relax for a couple of hours secure in the knowledge that my bills were paid! (At least for a little while!)

A Pet Owner's Blog

Cripple Kitten - Updates 15June2007 - video powered by Metacafe

The video on this blog just tugged at my heart! If you are a pet lover then you will well appreciate this blog by a fellow pet owner. (To some it might be a bit graphic and if you don't like seeing animals in bad condition then I recommend that you don't go to this site because of the pictures)

but as heartbreaking as it might seem at first these pets look very happy and as pet owners that's what we want for our pets!

Little Vet Blog

If you are a pet owner like me then you may find this blog pleasantly pleasing. It's a new blog by a women vet and she talks about her job and her career as a vet. She also talks about how she has to deal with people which unfortunately is not always a pleasant task. After reading some of her posts I sometimes feel sorry for her all the stuff that she has to deal with!

So if you are a pet owner or just love animals here is a very good blog to keep your eyes on.

Self-Growth.com

Are you feeling depressed? Need something to help cheer you up? Then you should definitely head over to Selfgrowth.com!

This website contains a number of articles both inspirational and motivational. I myself go to this website alot! It has various articles on many things including how to help with your depression, financial advice and general over-all articles about feeling good!

You don't have to pay to join because this is a free site so you don't have to pay anything just to read the articles. If you find that they are helpful to you you can sign up to have their newsletter emailed to you every week.

Photobucket

You know it just occured to me that the name Photobucket is just what this site is all about. This is a place where you can store you photos. It is free to join. You can see my Photobucket album by clicking here

Just as their name says you can store your photos online. After looking at their main page today I see that they have over 2 Billion images stored! So you can upload your photos to your own storage space. There are other options and resources like turning your photos into a slide show and you will even be given the html coding to add the slideshow to your website or blog. I have seen an example of a Photobucket slideshow at this website

Photobucket also has their own blog, forum and tutorials to help you learn more about the site and what you can do with it.

IRC

IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. I was telling my brother about this and he wanted me to send him a link to where he could download a program so that he could participate in some chats. I thought of the popular program MIRC but I went to their main page and found out that the chat program is not a free chat program. You only get to use it for 30 days. However if you go to Download.com and enter "chat" in the search box you should be able to find one of the free chat programs to download.

Yahoo 360

I'm sure that most of you have heard of Yahoo. It is a very popular search engine website. But did you know that you can have your own free webpage on Yahoo? Here is mine:

My Yahoo 360 Page

If you take a good look at my Yahoo page you will see that you can add a lot of stuff to it. Like MySpace.com, it lets you have a blog too. You can also create and add an avatar likeness of yourself to add to your site.

I have to confess that I don't know all of the options that you can add to your Yahoo 360 page because there are a lot of them!

So if you're looking for (yet another) place to have your own website for free then you should check out Yahoo 360!

Widgets!

My brother has told me that his latest discovery online is widgets! What are widgets? They are these little boxes of programs and/or information that you can put on your website or or your desktop. I have a few of them on my blog here. For example I have a Twitter widget box that lets you see an update on what I'm doing. I also have a little widget box on my blog that tells you the current weather conditions in my area which is the Philadelphia area.

Of course these aren't the only kind of widgets out there. There are many, many more of them! You can add a clock to your website or desktop, you can add interesting facts and information about almost any type of subject.

Google has a whole lot of widgets that you can choose from! And if you want to find more widgets all you have to do is use one of the popular search engines (like Google or Yahoo).

Basically having a widget means that you add some programming code to your website or blog. Each should have their own instructions on how you can add them to your desktop or website.

Want To Check Your Lottery Numbers Online?

I was checking my lottery ticket numbers online

(I only got 2 numbers by the way )

But just in case you want to check your Pennsylvania lottery ticket numbers (to see if you are the next millionaire
here is the link:

Pennsylvania Lottery Website

Good Luck!

Terragen

This little picture I made with a graphics program called Terragen. I think its short for terrain generator. This program is a free download from here. This free 3D program helps you to create landscapes and scenery. Since I did this picture in a rush you can see even with that you can create some gorgeous scenery pictures.

Like I said before this is a free 3D program that you can download from the link above.

With this program you can create different kinds of terrain and even give them preset materials like grass and snow and you can also create your own materials. You can also change the look of the clouds and the atmosphere - for example you can make your scene look hazy, misty or even have a "sunset" appearance added to it.

So there you have it! Another free download courtesy of the Internet!

Bryce 3D

The above picture is from a 3D program called Bryce. I was telling my brother about this 3D program because I was able to download it for free (minus the complicated registration process). As you can see in the picture above you can make landscapes, ocean terrains and 3D objects! Now I just made this picture on the sly because I wanted to show my brother what the Bryce 3D program can do. The sky, the ground and even the foilage are all things that you can change!

When I finished installing this program I played with it for hours! I had an older version that I still keep but in this new version are trees that you can manipulate into different 3D models. The editor that is included with this program is something to behold! I can make grass that looks like stuff other than grass, I can give it different colors, different depths..................

Since Bryce is a great 3D program you can bet that it is kind of expensive and the reason I got the free download is because they are hoping that I like the program enough to buy the Bryce 6 program which costs over $100.

Need Help With Your Adsense Page?

I have just started a new website because of all the people asking about Google's Adsense program.

Adsense Help

I have just started this page but since there are so many people having so many problems with Adsense, this page will surely grow in no time!

My Other Blog!

My other blog is at MySpace.com

http://blog.myspace.com/sister2brother

Things are getting a little bit complicated so I'm going to use this blog for talking about things on the Internet - including websites and free downloads and such and the MySpace blog I'll use as a personal blog.

Well, we'll see how this works out.........................

MySpace - Part 2

I posted previously about Myspace.com. Here is a link to that post:

Previous Post About Myspace

Since then I have created my own Myspace page:

My MySpace Page!

I was watching Nightline and they were doing a story about MySpace. Two guys thought it up and then it became this global phenomanon(sp?). MySpace is in over 14 different countries and in a number of different languages. The two guys sold it for $600 Million Dollars! and from the Nightline story they are still working there.

The main thrust of the story was about how popular MySpace is. It started out as a social networking place and then the music bands got in on it to promote their music. Soon filmakers both new and experienced jumped in on the bandwagon and even the movie "Pirates of the Carribean" had a MySpace Page! The number of Myspace members has grown to 175 Million people! Now the politicians are getting in on the act by having their own MySpace page.

MySpace means exactly that - you get to have your space on the Internet. You get to have your own webpage and the best thing about it is that it is free! If you go and take a look at my MySpace page it will give you an idea as to what kind of page you can make. Some of them are very sophisticated but there's also a website where you can pick a layout and make it your own. Once you finished your page you can look around at other people's pages and ask them to be your "friend" and they will be added to your list of friends on your MySpace page.

Now you may wonder why would you want a MySpace page and the reason why most people have one is because it's fun. You get to have your own webpage (and blog), put on it almost anything you like including music and video clips - all told it's just like having your own space on the Internet!

So if you're looking for a site where you can make your own webpage for free (plus have a free blog) then a good place for you to start would be with

MySpace"

Twitter.com

Just found another interesting website called Twitter.com. Basically what it is a website where you can post what you're doing and when you're doing it. That way you can let people know what you are doing and when you are doing it. Besides updating what you're doing to the website you can also update it via your cellphone and/or your IM service. I haven't tried that yet as I just found out about the website and just posted one message.

It does fit in with the original intention that I had for this blog which was to let my brother know what I was doing and what was going on here in Philadelphia.

So far I see that a lot of people are using this site to let others know about what they are doing. Of course some people are using it for other things other than what the site was intended for but a lot of the people are posting their updates.

I know it may seem like a novelty kind of thing but I thought it was pretty interesting and let's see how long I can keep this up.

It is a pretty good idea for being able to keep track of another person.

8/28/08 Update! - Twitter Suspended Accounts!

It is quite possible that you might get your Twitter.com account suspended! I got an email saying that someone was "following" me on Twitter and when I went to check out their Twitter.com page the site said that the account was suspended! Here is an excerpt from the Twitter.com site:

"A Twitter account may be suspended for a variety of reasons. The most common of which is automated mass following or other types of spammy behavior."

You can find out more about this by clicking here.

8/6/08 Update! - If you belong to Twitter.com then you should definitely ead this blog post about a kind of spam-related link targeted towards Twitter users!

It seems that there are links provided in some Twitter messages that if you click on them will lead you to an adult-related site that you have to pay for in order to look at the adult pictures!

So Be Careful Out There!

Like My Blog?

I like my blog. I have a lot of fun posting to my blog. And since I started it with the purpose of letting my brother know how things were going in my neck of the woods, I'm sort of having fun posting to my blog. Of course I'm not alone. There are probably hundreds of thousands of people that have a blog. A lot of people use their blog just like an offline version of a regular diary. Some have a more serious theme to their blog. I believe the whole blogging thing started as just another fun thing to do on the Internet. But then businesses started having blogs and now the current thing seems to be about people making money with their blogs. So I guess that it really should be a surprise that now the law is getting involved! Here is a link to an article called:

12 US Laws That Every Blogger Should Know

I believe that everybody that has a blog should read this article!

Pets

I found this website that has a table listing lost pets. It's called Petfinder. They also will give you a code so that you can put it on your website. So I was going to post the code to one of my websites and I just thought "What the heck" I'll make a page for my own pet.

Rah Jah's Website

Would you believe that my cat also has a blog? There should be a link to it on the above link.

You'd be surprised at how many people have websites devoted entirely to their pets. I have even seen a few memorial websites that honor beloved pets.

Just another wacky example of the many things that you can find on a website!

Looking For An Apartment?

While I'm a "house" kind of gal, I found this website about apartments. This website contains a list of apartments and how other people have rated them.

Apartment Ratings.com

Even though there's a section for Philadelphia apartments I just put a link to the whole website (never know who's reading my blog and from where). Maybe you have a rating of your own that you would like to post.

I know that there are some apartments in Philly with some real high rents and the city is always building more! Most people I know couldn't afford to pay the high rents that some of these places charge. Hopefully if you are looking for an apartment you'll be able to find something that you can afford.

A Fellow Person That Works at The Grocery Store

Interesting blog I came upon today. Its from a woman that also works in a grocery store.

Click Here

She is really going through some drama but I did notice that she works at a grocery store and her entries brought back memories of when I worked at the Shoprite. She mentions things like "clocking out" and having to stay later because the person that's supposed to relieve her is coming in late.

Her posts are really interesting. There's this guy that she likes but she's afraid to ask him out. It kind of sounds like one of those romantic movies.

Anyway there are lots of blogs on the Internet (mine included) but it gets kind of frustrating when you visit one and the person hasn't posted for a few months. Some people forget about their blogs so they haven't been posted to in years.

But I thought that this one would make an interesting read for 'ya

Gimp

One of the best things about having an all-in-one printer is that it can act as a copy machine. Back a long time ago when I got my first scanner I was glad because now I didn't have to make unneccessary trips to the post office to make copies of something. Now I can copy, fax and scan at any time of the day or night! Once I had to go to a company that specialize in sending faxes because I had to fax a form to a company and of course they wanted it right away and mailing it wasn't an option they gave me - Grrrrrrrrrr! But any way I think it cost me something like $12 dollars to fax a few forms and that made me mad enough to say that I was going to get a fax machine!

Oddly enough my brother is just as computer crazy as I am and he told me of a recent problem that he had when he tried to send an attached file of some forms. It seems the program that he used to convert his documents would only convert them into a .bmp format and since .bmp formats can be huge in size he couldn't attach the file because it exceeded the size limit of his email. That's when I told him about the Gimp Program.

Gimp is a very powerful graphics program that is open sourced and free to download. Here is the website address:

Gimp

I downloaded this program myself and since it has so many capabilities it just confuses the heck out of me but I do use the program when I need the .html coding numbers for different color palets. I'm sure in time I will learn my way around this program. My graphics program of choice is Paint Shop Pro and for more simpler graphic work I will just use Windows Paint.

But the main reason I recommended the Gimp Program to my brother is because this program will let you take a .bmp graphic and convert is to a .jpg or .gif extension which will make the file a lot smaller in size. (I didn't mention the fact that to make a graphic file smaller that you could also reduce the number of colors if its a simple black and white graphic)

So there you have it - another freebie courtesy of the Internet!

Yes the Internet has SEX on it......

It's not everybody's cup of tea but the fact remains that there are numerous sex sites on the Internet. You can find a "friend", find women (or men) to "chat" with and there are chat rooms and webcam sites - especially adult webcam sites all over the Internet!

Just in case you're curious there is a banner on the top right side of this blog that will give you a peek inside the adult world of the Internet. But be forewarned - "dating" on these Internet sites can be just as dangerous as dating in real life! You never know who you will be talking to. Have you seen that Dateline show "To Catch A Predator?" It shows about the online world of the chat rooms and some of the things that go on there.

Now of course not all websites are sex/adult websites and not all chat rooms are about sex and adult subjects. I have participated in lots of chat rooms where sex wasn't even discussed - although that may be hard for one to believe!

So if its your cup of tea you can click on the banner. If it's not your cup of tea just ignore it and go on to the other stuff that's on my blog.

Free Ringtones Aren't Going To Do Me Any Good!

You want to know why? Because my cellphone doesn't accept ringtones other than the ones you have to pay for! So all those "free ringtone" ads won't do me any good! I would love to be able to get some of the free ringtones that are offered but I just can't do it! I did download that spooky music from "The Exorcist" but it just sounds so spooky that I don't want it suddenly ringing and scaring the beejeebees out of me but I'm not going to delete it 'cause I already paid for it!

Now this "bluetooth" thing is supposed to be able to let me record sounds and add them as ringtones but I haven't gotten it yet plus I don't know that much about it except that you can get some sort of headset attachment for your cellphone. So I have to learn more about this "bluetooth" thing before I get it.

The ringtones that came with my cellphone are kind of lame but I haven't deleted them yet.

The Hunt Is On!

Ok, so the indicator on my printer says that I'm running low on black ink! Besides this being another expense, I'm now going to have to figure out where I can buy it. I don't want to order it online - besides you can only pay by credit card if you order the cartridges online.

So I'm looking at the ads that come in the mail and the first place close is the Walgreens on Ogontz Avenue across the street from the Cheltenham Shoprite. Their advertiser says that they have printer cartridges there so I go there. Well they have about 9 different types of printer cartridges but wouldn't you know that the printer cartridge for my brand is all sold out and even if it wasn't it wasn't the printer cartridge for my printer. Now there is a Rite Aid near me right at Broad and Cheltenham so I may try there but I saw in a recent advertisement that Radio Shack sells printer cartridges and the Radio Shack is (kinda) closer to me than the Rite Aid so maybe a trip to the Cheltenham Mall will be necessary.

It's kind of odd now because I forget where I used to get my printer cartridges for my old printer (maybe I just blocked the whole thing out of my mind?) but I do remember one time that they were on sale at a K-Mart near the Willow Grove Mall. They were 2 for 1 so I most definitely got them but to make that trip again.......................................I mean its not like I don't need some other stuff that I could get at these stores. I just hate the fact that my printer has seduced me into needing it - like I'm a junkie or something - where I go into a panic when I run out of the ink in the printer cartridge.

There is a side note here and that is about those re-fill kits for printer cartridges. I really don't like them and I surely don't want to go messing up my printer!

Free Fonts! - A LOT of them!

My brother is always asking me to send him links to any free stuff that I think that he might like. I found a great one that has a lot of fonts that you can download for free!

http://www.webpagepublicity.com/free-fonts.html

I tell you that there are a lot of fonts on this page and they are free for anyone to download and use!

My Brother wants me to "Pimp" for him?

Now you know I thought this was a crazy idea when I first thought about it but later on (and it came to me while I was shopping at Shoprite) I realized that the majority of people I know are women because when I worked at Shoprite there were more women than men (except when I was working the overnights there). So I was shopping at the Shoprite and someone asked me how things were going and I started talking about my brother and then I remembered what me and my brother were talking about and I thought look at all these women here! I know a real smorgasbourd of women and some of them I KNOW that he would like. Some of them are young of course and I know that he would like them, some of them look like models so I know that he would like them too!

I'm not talking about dating. I'm talking about the "shipping" them off to him! Isn't it crazy what your mind can think about when you're not quite right?

I'm A M&M!

Have you seen those M&M commercials where people have made an image of themselves as an M&M? I was on another website when I saw a link to the M&M site so I decided to give it a try.

You can make a character M&M character of yourself at this website. You can decide body shape, skin color, hair and even other stuff like glasses (which I do wear). Bear in mind you should have a powerful computer for this (or at least have access to one or someone else can create the character for you and then email it to you.

So what do you think? How do I look?

What If You Don't Have A Computer?

Someone recently asked me about computers. They didn't have one so they are using the ones that are available at their nearest library. I think that this is a great idea for those that don't have a computer. The best thing about using the computers in the library is that you don't have to pay for using them. I understand that at some libraries you only get a limited amount of time to use the computer but that is definitely better than nothing. I know at least one library in the Philadelphia area will sign you up for an email address - again, something that you don't have to pay for. I did a little checking around and found out that there are at least 2 internet cafes in the Philadelphia area. Internet cafes do charge a fee for you to use their computers.

It all depends on what you want to use your computer for but I think that it would be a good idea to start saving money so that you will be able to buy your own computer. Computers have come down a lot in price since I got mine. And to be quite honest with you I got my computer from QVC. I think they offer the most "bang" for your money and with computers you get a good warranty and free technical support.

Now you may want to get your computer at a store and there is nothing wrong with that but do be careful. You will want to get the best computer that you can. A lot of it will depend on what you are going to be using your computer for. I do know that Aldi's (across from the Cheltenham Shoprite) has sales on computers from time to time. They are at a good price but you have to know what payment terms they are willing to take. The next time I see an Aldi computer sale I'll post about it here.

My brother does computer repairs. He also has some computers for sale. I just sent him a flyer from someone in the Philly area that also does computer work. I sent him the flyer because I wanted him to see how others are advertising the same thing that he is doing. It's not professionally done (which my brother agreed with) but it does have pictures of the kind of work that they do and having any kind of flyer is better than having none at all.

This particular business does free computer diagnostics, on-the-spot repairs and also has computers for sale - some are as low as $300! Sounds a lot like the same kind of work that my brother does!

I'm sure that there are many of these kinds of businesses in the Philadelphia area that has computers for sale. But again I say to be very careful when buying a computer. Consider it an investment and buy the best one that you can!

A Blast From The Past!

This black and white photo had to have been taken back in the late 1960's or early 1970's! Do I remember this picture being taken? No. But I do remember us having to have to go to church every Sunday. Back then the name of our church was Prince Of Peace Baptist Church and it was located right in the heart of North Philly at around 31st and Berks Street.

I'm in the middle and those two guys are my brothers!

They will probably both be tickled when they see this picture! We don't have very many family pictures so the ones that we do have are precious! We had a lot of family photos a long time ago but as time passed the number of them dwindled down to almost nothing.

But at least we have this one!

I guess I'm going to have to start a family photo album kind of thing and build up on the few pictures that I do have.

Powell Funeral Home

Powell Funeral Home Inc

2432 N 27th St

Philadelphia, PA 19132

(215) 229-5205

I have been meaning to talk about this place. People have asked me why I chose the funeral home that I did when my mother passed away. The answer is very simple - it was the same funeral home that took care of my father's funeral service. Now when my father died I was more than 20 years younger and I was kind of in a daze/haze about everything that was going on at the time but I do remember the service (although I don't even remember how I actually got to the service and about what happened after the service but I do remember the service. It was like everything felt like it was being taken care of and there wasn't no need to worry about pesky little details - that is what I remember about the service. I also remember just how dignified and respectful the service was. Later I just kept the name of the funeral home in my memory just in case that they were needed again.

Now when my mother died they were the first people I called. Kind of amazing that they were still in business after all these years. I mean I kept their name in my memory and later looked to see that they were still in business but I never called or found out if they were actually still in business because really who would want to jinx theirself by calling a funeral home and saying "Oh, I just wanted to know that you were still in business". But after my mother died and I called them again I wasn't 100% but they must have understood that when they talked to me on the phone. The plain truth is that they were more than just helpful! My mother's funeral service (just like my father's) was very dignified and the services provided were very professional.

Later, well after the service, I told them that and I also told them that I would talk about them and recommend them to everybody that asked me. Of course I didn't get around to mentioning it until now but that is because there was a descussion about funeral homes in the Philadelphia area and how professional they were (or weren't) and that's what made me remember about the Powell Funeral Home.

This is just a general post about them done on the fly because I was just thinking about them but I plan to add more info about them here. As far as I know they don't have a website but I have some of their literature and I will be posting more information about them here.

You hear abouut how everything is bad in North Philly but you rarely hear about the good stuff!

My Mother and Father

I just sent this picture to my brother. It's going to bring back a lot of memories for him!

As you can tell, this picture is very old! It was taken in 1955. There aren't many photos of my mother and father - especially both of them together in one picture so I know that my brother will be glad to get it!

If you're wondering why I'm not in the photo that is because I wasn't even born yet - smile

Here's What My Horoscope Said For Today...

CancerJune 21 - July 21

"Construction on streets or buildings might make it difficult for you to get around your neighborhood today, dear Cancer. Traffic might be backed up for blocks. If you must run errands, either walk or get them done very early in the day. The work could foul up the phone lines as well, at least for a while, so you might miss some calls you would have preferred to take. This could be a frustrating day. Keep yourself busy at home."

And this is exactly what I did today! It's a mess outside because of our recent snow. And to top it all off, the snow from the last snowstorm that we had hadn't completely melted away yet. So I kept myself inside. Not only is it cold with snow everywhere but its slippery snow! And I'm sure that there is some ice mixed in as well! Crossing Cheltenham Avenue is hard enough without having to worry about finding some ground without snow or ice on it!

So today I'm inside at my computer tapping away!

Drat!

Thomasina was nearby and she heard me when I bought a lottery ticket at the Shoprite. First I think she was surprised that I even bought a lottery ticket (I have to confess that I was surprised too - but hey - the jackpot was over a million dollars!) and it made her laugh which in turn made me laugh and I told her that if I won I'd be back to tell her! Well I finally got around to checking my lottery numbers online and I can tell you that out of the 5 numbers I got one right and I didn't get that extra number thingie so I don't win anything - Drat!

I figured "what the heck" because the buying the lottery ticket only cost me a dollar. Well that's another dollar that went down the drain! I think (though) that I'm going to try again!

Ringtones!

I'm still getting acquainted with my cellphone but one of the things that I have found out is that I can't get new ringtones unless I get them directly from Verizon and then I have to pay for the ringtone(s) that I download!

Other than that I'm still getting acquainted with the cellphone. Just today I figured out how to transfer the pictures that I take with the camera phone and transfer them so that I can either post or save the pictures (however there's a 25 cent fee everytime I do that! (Nobody told me about that!)

My brother wants me to send him a picture of myself - and that ain't gonna happen!

I'm bummed about the ringtone thing though. I got this great clip of music that I want to use as a ringtone and I have got to figure out a way to add it - cause I wanna use it!

I got teased a little when I first got the cellphone but then afterwards Teresa told me that my cellphone number was the lottery number! Too bad I didn't play it! (By the way, Teresa didn't play it either!

My Brother Called Me Brilliant!

I guess it runs in the family but my brother told me about this particular job that he had to do for a client of his. It seems that they wanted to transfer some files and my brother couldn't figure out how to solve the problem. I mentioned a solution and that is when he called me brilliant! Well after I got finished laughing I told him that he probably would of thought of it a little later and the only reason why he didn't at the time was because he was trying too hard!

He told me he was about to take the computer apart to solve the problem and again I laughed because there have been times when I have felt the exact same way!

But its an odd kind of thing seeing that we are both computer-crazy and we will try to solve a problem - so much so that it becomes a "personal" obsession until the problem is solved!

I don't solve the problems all the time but you can bet that I gave it my all!

WURD

Like I posted previously radio station WDAS is no more. I don't know if they are keeping the same call signal but their format has definitely changed. From what I remember the last time I listened to it it was urging people to "tell all their friends" about the new format - which I think is something like playing and promoting new and local artists - I'm not sure.

So I have since come to find out that there is another talk station call WURD and they call themselves "the information" station. They are very similar to what WHAT was in that they talk alot about the community, community news with listeners calling in. I think the owner (Cody Anderson) is the same guy behind WDAS! They are located at 900 on the AM dial and unfortunately depending upon where you are located the reception will not be clear all the time. I can get them pretty good during the daytime hours but not on all the radios - so it has a lot to do with where your radio(and its antenna) is located. But they also have a website (and a message forum) so you can listen to them via your computer.

Now I have to go and find out how WDAS is doing................................

I found this cool website that lets you make an animated copy of yourself and what you see on the left is what I came up with! I do wear glasses but didn't add them here 'cause who would wear glasses when they're meditating?

This pretty much summarizes how my room looks although its not as junky as the picture (but it is getting close!)

The name of the website is meez.com and you can make an animation of yourself by going to:

http://www.meez.com

What Happened to WHAT?

To find out what's going on you can read the news article link below:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/16454165.htm

I was shocked when I read it! The "voice of the African American Community" has been silenced! When I turned it on I thought that maybe the high winds had damaged the station's antenna and they were just playing filler music until it was working again. I even tried to find out online about what the problem could be and I couldn't find anything until today - and what a shock it was! Another radio station (its format anyway) has bit the dust! I can't believe it - I'm still shocked! What about Mary Mason? What about Al Butler?

I even tried calling the radio station but it just kept ringing. This radio station provided so much information about the community and people called in (including me) and talked all the time about the various issues of the community and I don't think there is another radio station in the area that has a similar format.

The news article didn't say why the format was cancelled and the air staff fired but usually when this sort of thing happens its because of low ratings.

I ranted before about how WJJZ and its smooth jazz format was cancelled but I have since found out that they moved down the dial to 96.5. Maybe the same thing will happen with WHAT?

Lard? - Yes I Cook With Lard!

So many people are surprised when they find this out! My neighbors, the people that I used to work with - even my brother! Its kind of what I'm used to because its what my mother used when she cooked. Of course my mother was born and raised in the south and that is what they used and most of the people I know have relatives from the south or are from the south themselves. Its not that the people I know don't know what lard is - its just that they are surprised that I use it for cooking. In fact some didn't even know that it was still available at the grocery store. Now I do most of my grocery shopping at the Shoprite and they do indeed still sell lard. (Its located near the butter.)


Now I know that there are (more healthy) alternatives to using lard - I just haven't gotten around to using them yet. I have used Crisco and am quite fond of that butter version of the Crisco and I know that there are other things like vegetable oil, etc. But I still cook the "southern" way.