Tricia's Musings

Random Thoughts about life in general, living in the big city of Toronto



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Weird sounds from our computer speakers

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I think I’ve got to move somethings further away from my desktop computer. It’s really strange. If I happen to turn our cellphone on or off when I’m within a few feet from our computer our the computer speakers make a weird do do do boop boop noise. It’s kind of an alien sound.

The speakers have power going to them, but I always have them turned off because I hate it when I hit a website with autoplay music or video so I only turn the speakers on when I really want to hear something. I can only imagine what kind of sound the speakers would make when I turn the cell phone on if the volume was turned on!

I think they need better EMI Shielding or something. I have no idea why the cell phone and speakers interact that way.

The other strange thing that happens is the infrared controller on our desktop computer (it has a remote but I almost never use it) flashes on and off when we use the cable remote for our TV. As in when we are changing channels on the TV. Weird eh?

Does your computer do anything strange when you’re cell phone or other electronics are near it?





Get cash for your old cellphone and protect the environment at the same time

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If you’ve spent any time reading my various blogs you already know that Chris and I try to live “green”, or as green as possible, and I write about the various things that people can do to save energy, lessen pollution and just make the world a “greener” place on my various sites. I’ve written articles about organic gardening, energy saving bulbs, and how to dispose of old computer and now I’d like to tell you how to recycle your cell phone properly.

Did you know that each year there are over 140 million cellphones retired, yet only about 5% are recycled? The various components in cell phones can leach hazardous chemicals and minerals such as lead into the environment when they are disposed of in landfills. If you don’t believe me you should read this article – Why should I recycle my cell phone?. Just look at all the toxins that are in the circuit boards and batteries of cell phones. Do you really want that stuff getting in your water supply?

It really is a shame that so many cell phones and other electronic items end up in landfills when it’s so easy to recycle them properly.

Perhaps companies such as CellForCash.com will help turn this bad practice around when people learn that they can actually get cash for their old cellphones.

That’s right. CellForCash has a program that allows US residents to easily recycle their old mobile phones and even pays them cash for over 600 models of cellphones. If your old cellphone qualifies for a rebate you could get between $4 and $300 for your old phone.

I think this is a wonderful program. I mean, how many times have you either changed to a different cell phone service provider or wanted to upgrade your cell phone? How many times have you been told that your current cell phone is obsolete and won’t work with the new cell providers system or services? Quite often I presume. I know it’s happened to me.

When you decide to get a new cell phone you’re often left wondering what to do with the old cell phone. Most cell phone service providers don’t let you trade in old phones. That’s why so many cell phones end up in landfills.

Bookmark the CellForCash website as I’m sure that if you don’t currently have a phone you could turn in for cash right now you will sometime in the near future.

The CellForCash site is very easy to use. Just visit the main page and select your cellphones make and model, click “go” and then you’ll find out how much of a rebate you can get for your old phone. Just be sure that the phone actually works and that it hasn’t been damaged. Follow the instructions and request free shipping materials and soon you’ll be able to send your old cellphone to CellForCash and get your rebate. You’ll be given other options to try if your phone isn’t listed or is deemed to old and doesn’t qualify for the rebate program.

The old phones that are collected by CellForCash are sometimes used in other markets or even in other countries.

Now, don’t you think that getting some cash for your cellphone is much better than possibly polluting the environment?

Don’t forget to bookmark CellForCash.com.

Gain some Buzz for your Business or Product by Holding an Instant Win Promotion

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Having once been a small business owner, and now being a webmaster with several websites I guess you could say that I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the last decade or so thinking about sales, marketing and promotion.

Certainly many of your reading this post have your own blogs or websites, and I’m sure you try to think of new ways of promoting them from time to time in order to bring new visitors to your site. I’ve noticed that several blogs have taken to holding contests, both large and small in order to get peoples attention.

The reason why I’m thinking about business, sales and promotion is because I’ve just visited a website called Instant Win Promotions. Companies hold sweepstakes, contests and or even mail or scratch and win cards all the time in order to promote their business or a specific product that they sell.

I think Instant win cards are a great idea.

I know that there’s been times when I’ve gone to a store purposely because I knew they were giving out scratch and win cards that would give me a certain percentage off whatever I was purchasing. Most of those types of scratch and win cards only give you 10% or 15% off, but the promotion often states that some of the cards will give you and even higher percentage off. I’m sure the stores that hold these kind of promotions end up getting more customers visiting their store when they’re giving out scratch and win cards.

I’ve also received scratch and win cards in the mail. Occasionally those scratch and win cards have made me consider visiting a store, or signing up with the fitness club that was holding the promotion.

Those are just a few ways that businesses could use scratch and win cards to promote their business and draw in more customers. It’s certainly worked on me on more than one occasion.

Instant Win Promotions specializes in the creation of custom scratch off cards, pull tab cards, scratch and sniff cards, bingo cards, phone cards, and internet access cards.

If you own a business or if you have a special event coming up such as a fund raiser, and you’d like to try promoting your event or rewarding a few of the people who attend your event with great prizes via scratch and win cards, you should visit the Instant Win Promotions website. You can request information or contact the company to discuss your particular promotion. The staff will help you come up with custom instant win cards that will be sure to generate some buzz for your company or product.

Instant Win Promotions can make custom designed scratch and win cards in any color, shape or size. Along with being able to print in any quantity, their printing capabilities include custom prizes, design consultation, and even seeding $1,000,000 winners.

The company is also able to guaranteed the integrity of all promotions from start to finish as they have a series of checks and balances in place. Instant Win Promotions have multiple lockable storage areas for the scratch and win cards that they are producing, a controlled prize seeding environment and 24 hour camera surveillance.

If you click on the “Why Choose Us” link at the bottom of the main page you’ll be able to read in detail all of the features and reasons why choosing to work with Instant Win Promotions would be a smart promotional move.

It’s International Left handers Day!

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Did you know that today, August 13th 2007, is International Left handers Day? Yes I’m a lefty, a southpaw, a port sider, a sinister being and I’m in my right mind and proud of it!

I actually wish I’d been aware of this special day earlier as I would have let all my fellow lefties know.

Many lefties suffer in silence most of their lives living in a right handed world. Today we rejoice!

We often have to become quite ambidextrous in order to survive. I mean, if we use a computer in our work place or in a public library or internet cafe it’s set up for right handed people. Can openers, scissors, gardening equipment such as pruners and so many things are made mainly for right handed people. Sure – in some cases we can get left handed versions, but not always, so we must adapt. Plus buying items that are made only for left handed people can be expensive too.

Throughout school I always had teachers come and try to turn the angle of my paper to a right handed angle (which is to the left). Uh … if you want to read what I wrote on a drastic slant to the left sure … otherwise leave the paper that I turned at a right angle alone!

I also always had ink on the pinky side of my hand when I’d come home from school. Now, as an adult that still happens occasionally, but I use better pens with faster drying ink or perhaps my technique has improved as I don’t have a messy left hand quite as often unless I’ve been writing a lot.

My husband has been pretty good about my being a lefty. The only scissors we have in our home are for lefties and we have can openers, veggie peelers and serrated knives that are sharp on both sides so they are easy for both of us to use. I guess you could say that he probably knows better than some what a left handed person has to go through since our house has a lot of things set up for my ease of use and he’s the one who has to adapt.

I like being a lefty though, even though it hasn’t always been easy.

We’re said to have a tendency to be more creative and I believe that I am a fairly creative person.

There are also quite a few genius lefties – perhaps some lefties are smarter because of all the adaptions we have to make in this right handed world. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this, but I’ve had my IQ tested a few times and it’s in the genius level at 163. (blush). If you want to find out if your a genius you can take this Mensa Quiz for high IQ geniuses. The top of the Mensa Quiz has some interesting facts about lefties and intelligence. Apparently in a test conducted by researchers there were more lefties with IQ’s over 140 (genius level) than right handers.

I also am in quite good company with fellow lefties. Here’s a list of famous left handers. I bet you didn’t know that some of those people were lefties did ya?

Unfortunately lefties also seem to be prone to some disorders that aren’t particularly nice ones such as Crohn’s disease and autoimmune disorders …. hmmm that’s me too. Darn!

How many of my fellow readers are lefties too? I should add a poll thingy to this post to find out. Perhaps I’ll do that later.

Challenge for my Right Handed Readers:

Right handed readers … want to know what it’s like being a lefty? Why don’t you try doing everything that you would normally do with your right hand for just one hour. Try to cut something with a sharp serrated knife (don’t cut yourself please, and notice that most serrated knifes are only serrated on one side! the wrong side for most lefties), try using scissors (don’t get blisters!), open a tin of food, try to write or draw with your left hand and try using your computer mouse with your left hand. Report back to this post as to how you did. I’m curious. I’d also be curious if you lasted the whole hour.

I wonder how long it will take Mr. Fab to come along and say something interesting about my being a lefty.

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