Unfortunately Named Franchise – Mister Sparky

Believe it or not, a nationwide chain of electricians in the US decided to name themselves Mister Sparky. What were they thinking?

Visit the Mister Sparky site HERE.

 

 

FreeFile Review – Serif PagePlus Starter Edition

Serif PagePlus Starter Edition is generally concidered the best of the few free desktop publishing applications currently available. It is a stripped down version of Serif’s full PagePlus program.

The installation process may be the worst thing about this freebie. Serif requires that a user account be created (personal info is gathered). To activate the software, a 25 character key must be entered. A reboot was required before the installation, but not after the installation – WTF? If you successfully jump through Serif’s installation hoops, you are greeted with a very pleasant user interface. However, it soon becomes apparent that many of the program’s features have been disabled. Serif left the disabled features in the program so that you know what is gained with a paid upgrade. The application comes with 4 themes – these are nice enough, but very plain. More templates can be purchased for $5 or $10 each. The $5 templates are just bad. Here’s an example.

On the positive side – the program works well. I particularly like its Text tool. It is powerful and simple to use. The Drawing tools also are well done. The Photo Editing tools are lacking. Slider controls have been replaced with +/- buttons – simple and effective, but too simple for my tastes.  Drag-and-drop make page layout a breeze.

– – – The Bottom Line – – –

I’m not sure who would benefit from this program – perhaps someone who does desktop publishing very rarely. I can’t image that anyone would want to use such a limited program often. I can’t recommend this application because of Serif’s registration requirement. If that doesn’t bother you and your needs are simple, Serif PagePlus Starter Edition may fit the bill.

Download Serif PagePlus Starter Edition HERE

Get more FreeFile Reviews at DanKostecki.com

Belgium Has Been Without A Federal Government For More Than A Year – I’m Envious

Boston.com reported –

BRUSSELS – Belgium hit a new milestone yesterday – 450 days without a government – but still no one appears to be in any big hurry to resolve the situation. Europe’s financial crisis and feeble economic growth may scare governments from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean Sea, but in Belgium it is a sideshow. Talks on a new Belgian government, which have been going on since the June 13, 2010, election, were at a standstill yesterday for a third day running.

Continue reading HERE.

 

 

Social Media Explained in 1 Graphic

Gravity Is Broken [video]

America’s Future? A Mobile Home For The Homeless

An ingenious inventor has designed an improved shelter for the homeless. It combines a refrigerator box with a hotdog cart and a trailer home. I think it is a very clever design and with the way things are going, it could become quite popular.

Check it out HERE.

 

Cheech and Chong Are Now Pushing Fiber – WTF? [video]

Weird Fact – US and Europe Use Different Systems For Numbering The Floors of Buildings

According to Wikipedia –

Floor numbering is the numbering scheme used for a building’s floors. There are two major schemes in use across the world. In one system, used for instance in the majority of Europe, the ground floor is the floor on the ground and often has no number or is assigned the number zero. Therefore the next floor up is assigned the number 1 and is the first floor. The other system, used in the United States for instance, counts the bottom floor as number 1 or first floor. The next floor up then becomes the second floor and so on.

Read more HERE.

 

 

Lloyd’s Sues Saudi Arabia For Funding 9/11 Attacks

The Independent reports –

A Lloyd’s insurance syndicate has begun a landmark legal case against Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of indirectly funding al-Qa’ida and demanding the repayment of £136m it paid out to victims of the 9/11 attacks. The Brighton-based Lloyd’s 3500 syndicate, which paid $215m compensation to companies and individuals involved, alleges that the oil-rich Middle Eastern superpower bears primary responsibility for the atrocity because al-Qa’ida was supported by banks and charities acting as “agents and alter egos” for the Saudi state. The detailed case, which names a number of prominent Saudi charities and banks as well as a leading member of the al-Saud royal family, will cause embarrassment to the Saudi government, which has long denied claims that Osama bin Laden’s organisation received official financial and practical support from his native country. Outlined in a 156-page document filed in western Pennsylvania, where United Airlines flight 93 crashed on 9/11, the claim suggests that the nine defendants “knowingly” provided resources, including funding, to al-Qa’ida in the years before the attack and encouraged anti-Western sentiment which increased support for the terror group. The legal claim states: “Absent the sponsorship of al-Qa’ida’s material sponsors and supporters, including the defendants named therein, al-Qa’ida would not have possessed the capacity to conceive, plan and execute the 11 September attacks. The success of al-Qa’ida’s agenda, including the 11 September attacks themselves, has been made possible by the lavish sponsorship al-Qa’ida has received from its material sponsors and supporters over more than a decade leading up to 11 September 2001.”

Continue reading HERE.

NetForce – Internet Police – Ridiculous 1999 Miniseries [video]

Man Raised Arm in 1973 – Has Not Lowered It Since

BuzzFeed reported –

New Delhi clerk Mahant Amar Bharti Ji first raised his arm in 1973 in honor of the deity Shiva, and has never put it down since. His dedication to his religion has held, despite arm and hand deformation and pain. And exceptionally long, curled fingernails.

BuzzFeed report with more pictures HERE

 

 

Great Site – TuneIn.com – Web Feeds Of Broadcast Radio Stations

TuneIn.com provides an easy way to listen to virtually every ‘plain old’ broadcast radio station in the US (they claim over 50,000 worldwide stations). Stations are sorted by – Local, Music, Talk and Sports. It couldn’t be easier – just pick a station and click the ‘Listen’ button.

Go to TuneIn.com