quick peek reviews

Tips For a Trouble-Free Vacation

2011-01-18T10:11:00.002-05:00

Do your homework, and shop around. Air fares and tour package prices can vary widely.

Check out the country you are planning to travel to. Language, culture and friendliness towards foreigners should be considered.

Do some research into safety, hygiene and quality of medical care.

Make sure you have adequate travel insurance, and get any required vaccinations.

Pack carefully. Make sure you take everything (especially passports and any other required documents) that will be needed, while keeping in mind restrictions on weight and prohibited items.

Arrive at the airport early, leaving plenty of time for unexpected delays.This can be particularly true for discount airlines.

Follow procedures at security check-in, as failing to do so will lead to hassles and wasted time.

Big airports in foreign countries can be intimidating. Pre-arranging transportation from the terminal to the final destination can save a lot of frustration.

When in foreign countries, be aware of your surroundings. Find out what areas are safe and which should be avoided.

Leave valuables in the hotel safe, and don’t carry a lot of cash.

If unsure of the tap water, stick to bottled. Avoid food from street vendors.

If traveling alone stay in places where there are plenty of foreigner visitors.

When it comes time to return home, make sure you know how to get to the airport, and how long it will take to get there.

Relax and enjoy your trip! With a bit of planning and common sense, travel to most parts of the world can be safe and enjoyable.

The Joys of Freeware

2011-01-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

I tried several accounting packages, and watched my computer crash every time. Adminsoft Accounts finally proved to be the solution. It does it all without hogging resources, and best of all it doesn’t cost a penny.

This got me to thinking that most of what I actually use was downloaded without cost. Many programs that I paid for are rarely run or have been uninstalled.

For writing blogs go with Microsoft Live Writer. Others I’ve tried include BlogDesk, Qumana and Scribe Fire. All do the job but all have their quirks. For straight text editing NoteTab Light handles all but the most demanding tasks, while being simple enough to quickly master. A wide variety of word processors are available, from the most basic, to those that rival the big boys such as Word. Having tested a few I rely mainly on Jarte which consumes little real-estate but does all that I require of it. for heavy duty jobs go with OpenOffice.

Firefox is the browser of choice.It offers robust features with excellent security, is open source and has endless add-ons available. Chrome is a contender to push it out of top spot. Both place a burden on system resources. Opera has a dedicated following. I loved its use of tabs, but ended up back with Firefox. K-Meleon is a super lightweight browser.
Avira provides anti-virus protection,and the firewall is courtesy of PC Firewall Plus.Spyware Terminator handles the malware, as long as it is updated regularly and run often.There is no reason to pay for Email these days. In fact it is better, for portability, to go with one that is not tied to your ISP. Gmail comes out ahead, but has the minor drawback of displaying ads.

Other utilities abound but it would be impossible to deal with more than a few in a single blog. A few of my picks are: Agent Ransack(searches); CCleaner(history cleaner), and LeechFTP(ftp).
Windows displays a warning when you attempt to run unknown software. Download only from trusted sources, such as Tucows.com, Nonags.com etc. If you have any suspicions about a new program, get rid of it and scan for malware.

The joy of freeware is that you won’t waste money on software that doesn’t meet you needs. Simply download as many packages as you like and try them out. You end up with what you truly need, and it costs nothing.

Choosing An Overseas Resort

2010-12-31T09:34:00.004-05:00

When choosing a resort hotel, extra care must be exercised when the destination is overseas.
Safety issues:

How secure are the facilities?
Is it close to a high-crime area?
Is this part of the world safe to visit?
Does resort had any security issues?

Distance and ease of access:

How many hours of flying time are involved?
Are direct flights available?
Is the resort convenient to the airport, or will more travel be required?
Does the resort provide transportation?

Health Issues:

What diseases are common to the region?
Are inoculations required?
Are modern hospitals nearby? hospitals?
How accessible are health care facilities at the resort?
Do you have adequate health insurance?
Have there been reports of health related issues at the resort?

Language and culture issues:

Does the resort have adequate English staff?

Are there cultural issues to be aware of?

Are some types of dress unacceptable?

Traveling overseas can be a rewarding experience. Some basic homework will aid in choosing the right resort hotel. As with any destination, one of the best ways of assuring the right choice is to speak to somebody who has been there. First-hand knowledge beats slick brochures every time.

Package Trip or Independent Travel

2010-12-24T10:21:00.003-05:00

Package tours can be escorted (a guide accompanies you throughout), or the tour operator simply makes all the travel arrangements. This is less costly, and offers more flexibility.
The more adventurous traveler can opt for making all the arrangements independently, using a travel agent, internet, or dealing directly with airlines, hotels,etc.

Pros of package tours:

The tour operator makes all the arrangements. An escorted tour has the benefit of a guide throughout the trip.
There is the safety and convenience of traveling with a group.
Can be cheaper than trying to purchase all services separately..

Cons of package tours:

Friction in the group can make for an unpleasant trip.
The tour operator delivers what is described in the itinerary, but can’t guarantee that it is to your liking.
You are locked into a schedule.

Pros of independent travel:

You have the freedom to explore on your own.
There is no need to stick to someone-else's schedule.
You can set your own itinerary.
Freedom to meet others, rather than being confined to the same group.

Cons of independent travel:

A number of countries, airlines and hotels, can make for difficult planning.
Language, culture, etc. can provide obstacles, that are avoided with an experienced guide.
It can be more costly without the advantage of volume purchasing.

International travel without a guide is best left to the experienced traveler. For the novice, it is wise to leave the arrangements to an experienced tour packager.

10 Tips For Commenting

2010-12-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

Everyone, at sometime, leaves comments on articles on the web. The reasons range from wanting to have some input on a topic that interests them, to a desire for backlinks to their own site. Following a few simple rules can make the process more rewarding.

Provide all requested information (URL, EMAIL, name, etc.) It increases the chances that your comment will get published.
Don’t leave generic comments (e.g. “Nice Post”). They are a waste of everyone’s time, and usually get deleted as spam. Say something specific that shows that you actually read the article.
Stick to the facts. Personal attacks aren’t allowed on most sites, and they only cause you to lose credibility.
Dismissing the author as ignorant, or blind to the truth, only shows that you have no real knowledge of the subject yourself.
Write at least 2 or 3 full sentences, but don’t ramble on forever.
Even if you disagree, try to say something complimentary as well. Don’t just trash the article, and avoid offensive language.
Encourage dialogue, don’t act as if your opinions are irrefutable.
Don’t confuse opinions with facts. Facts are provable, opinions are just one possible viewpoint.
Comment on sites related to your own. It provides more meaningful links.
Leave comments that will interest readers in visiting your site.

K-Meleon –- The Light-weight Champ

2010-12-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

In the battle of the browsers the main contenders are the heavyweights – Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer having most of the market share.
These are robust, full featured browsers, which can satisfy the most demanding user. All this power, however, comes at a price, and that is in the form of system resources.
For someone with the latest CPU and lots of memory, this shouldn’t be an issue, but for those with older computers and limited resources, the big-boys can slow down browsing to a crawl, hang, or even crash.
Fortunately there are alternatives, and one of the best of these is K-Meleon.
Pros:

Small footprint enables it to run well on almost any computer.
Very fast start-up
Fast browsing
Tabbed browsing
Customizable toolbar and menus
Pop-up blocking
Open-source

Cons:

Doesn’t work with all web sites
Cut and paste functions work with some applications, but not others
Doesn’t offer the huge selection of plug-ins available for Firefox
Java and Flash need to be installed separately

If you are a power-surfer, who needs all the bells and whistles, along with unlimited expandability, then best go with Firefox or Chrome. For those with less demanding needs, then K-Meleon is a winner.
Pros far outweigh cons, and as it is free, it cost nothing to test drive it.

Review of "Tokyo Station"

2010-12-10T09:17:00.000-05:00

Title: Tokyo Station
Author: Martin Cruz Smith
Publisher: Pan Books; 2003
ISBN: 0 330 48881 3

The story sees Harry Niles trying to stay alive in Tokyo during the days leading up to the start of WWII, with flashbacks to his youth.

Life for a gaijin (non-Japanese) in a Japan gearing up for war with the West isn’t easy. Although well known, Harry is a person of suspicion to the authorities, and even the Americans and British stationed in Tokyo.

The enigmatic Michiko is the “Record Girl” at his club, and his live-in lover (who thinks they should commit suicide together). Harry also finds solace in the arms of the wife of the British Ambassador.

Classmates from his student days, different police agencies, the military, and a colonel determined to behead him keep him looking over his shoulder.

His only hope of escaping, and returning to freedom in California, is the last Nippon Air flight to Hong Kong.
Does Harry make it onto that final flight to freedom? The outcome remains uncertain right up to the last moment, and the tension is maintained throughout.

What can you say in praise of Martin Cruz Smith that hasn’t already been said? Every book he writes is a winner, and this one is no exception.

Dealing With Airport Security

2010-12-07T12:28:00.001-05:00

Because the threat to fliers is constantly evolving, fliers must be aware of the latest changes, if they are to make it through airport security without needless delay. A few simple precautions after purchasing your airline ticket, will speed up the process.

Tips to avoid hassles:

Leave yourself plenty of time.
If you aren't sure what to do, ask someone.
Have all documents ready,
Follow the instructions of security personnel.
Make sure you remove metal objects, as well as belt and shoes, if required.
Don't complain or argue, they are just doing their job, and you will only incur further delay.
Arrive at the airport sober, if they decide you are a threat to on-board security you could miss your flight.
Above all, stay calm. Allowing the frustration get to you will make your trip miserable.

Knowing what to expect, and keeping your cool, will make airport security less of an ordeal, and enable you to reach your seat in a better frame of mind.