Overall, I have no clue as to which development will have the most influence. However, the possiblity of the death of the newspaper would be tragic for me. It starts my day -- a video format (I don't even turn on the TV in the morning) cannot cover all the news a newspaper does and it is hard to scan!

My kids say I live in the past and they are probably right. I adopt to new technology "kicking and screaming". I finally bought an HDTV the past month but it took years to convince me to buy it. One "new" technology I do like is the GPS. We used one on a trip to Florida this past Christmas and it was wonderful. Now only did it get you where you wanted to go, it also entertained you. We especially like the Daniel voice, a wonderful British gentleman!

I have two outdated technologies that are my favorites. Number one would be the Fax machine. Back in the early and mid 90's when I was doing the scheduling of workshops for a national youth gathering, the Fax machine put me in touch with the world and delivered the materials I needed quickly and easily (for then). The other outdated technology I liked is the VHS format. Just pop it in the machine and it goes --- no menus, no choices to make. Just sit back and watch.

This componet was fun. I visited Hulu first and watched several things. I watched the last episode of "Alf". I didn't know what movie to watch so I just browsed and found a 1962 movie: 3 stooges in orbit. I remember watching it as a child, not as funny now but I was curious to see which of the 3 stooges it featured. It was the originals: Curly, Larry and Moe. I liked the extras: full screen option and the lower lights (adjusting the brightness of the screen, Hi Res, etc. I have never been a fan of watching videos/movies on my computer (screen is too small and no place to get comfortable) and probably still won't but at least I know what options are out there.

For fee paying options I would probably use the Red Box. The convience is there and you can get a DVD on the spur of the moment. My new TV had the capability to stream movies but it is not hooked up. I guess I will just continue to check out most of my movies from the library!

I also used IMDB and watched several trailers. That is a site that could become very useful in my life. Perhaps I will bookmark it. I watched a trailer for Alice in Wonderland (had several to choose from). The appeal for me is the many titles they have trailers for. I didn't know that Diary of a Wimpy Kid was coming out until I watched IMDB.

Module 79

I looked at Hulu TV. I have never been interested in watching tv episodes on my computer, so this is all new. I had heard of You Tude and watch a few of those but that's it. I looked for America's Next Top Model, cycle 14. There were no full episodes avalaible "at this time" however there are previews for cycle 14, which starts March 10, which I could watch.

I have never watched a TV show on a cell phone. I am really not interested in watching a show on a 2" - 4" screen. These old eyes need something bigger!

The streaming is not something I have watched and I have never posted videos.

Money and Finance #59

I read the info about credit scores. I already know alot about them. I did learn however that your score can change as quickly as every month. I also learned what FICO stands for ( the originator's name). I took the quiz and scored 9 out of 10. (I missed the FICO question.)

I write out a monthly budget on a form I develped based on our common bills. It is mainly used to help me pay our bills on time. I do not save them. It might be interesting to start saving them and compare them, noting trends. I should also be a little more accurate and include things such as food costs, and other incidentials. It might be eye-opening!

I am not covered by the county retirement plan. However, I am vested in a plan in the state of Florida and I make a point of checking their website about once a year.

Money and Finance part 1

This is an interesting exercise. I am really old school and this exposes me to the "new stuff".

My bank does offer on line banking for free but I do not participate. It took me a long time to get brave enough to shop online so it's not surprising I am not online banking. They provide great services such as round the clock access, electronic statements and bill pay features. Their security measures appear strong. They use Pass Mark images, specific types of passwords, challenge questions. In their down loadable brochure they give tips for safeguarding your information when using the Internet. These include never providing your user name or password to anyone who asks, using encrypted websites and using unique passwords and changing them regularly. This is a service that I actually might try in the near future.

I looked at the budgeting websites and they do not interest me at all. To me it is too complicated and time consuming. I prefer paper and pencil.

I like reading articles on saving money. This one gave many ways to cut costs. Ones that I might try include:
buying non-grocery items a discount stores, I tend to buy these items at the
supermarket only because it is convenient
install a few more compact florescent bulbs, I have already changed a couple
but have more places that could be changed
investigate switching my TV provider and bundling it with my phone and Internet
(which is already bundled)

All in all, this was an interesting module. I look forward to the second part.

Facebook part 2

I forgot to answer a couple of questions in my first post. Yes, it was easy to sign up for Facebook. I tried a couple of applications: Flair (I love reading) and Library gifts. I sent a library gift to my daughter but have not heard back yet on if she liked it or not. I am really not into applications. They seem to be just little time wasters.

Facebook

I have just completed enrolling in facebook and playing around with it. I must say it is interesting. I added four friends, including my daughter (in college) and heard from all to them. My daughter laughed at the fact that I was on facebook; after all I am a parent and soooo old!
A pleasant surprise came in the form of reconnecting with a relative I lost track of. You know how all those potential friends pop up? Well Robert's name and picture popped up. Our families have not seen each other in a couple of years (and we both live in Houston) so I emailed him. Lo and behold it is "Bobby Lee". We hope to get together soon.

I will probably keep this facebook account for at least a couple of months, despite my daughter's objections! It is a vast networking site and there is a lot to learn.