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 true An Educational Voyage 2005-12-23T22:07:00-08:00 2005-12-24T06:08:14Z 2005-12-24T06:08:14Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16886166.post-113540449419228183 Computer Slang and Monitoring Children on the Internet <h3 class="post-title"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> A Teacher & Parent's Primer to Computer Slang and Monitoring Children on the Internet</span> </h3> <p> </p> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">Looking over my friend's child's shoulder while she chatted via Instant Messenger, I realized how out of touch I really am. I th</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">ought I was hep, cool, hip, with it, and had it together with the online stuff. After all I can whip up a web site in ten minutes flat with word pad, run a search engine, own my own business, ran a computer lab and have been coding since the Vic 20 landed. So you can imagine my surprise at finding out that I had practically no idea of what the shorthand (acronyms) she was typing in the chat</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"> box were! After a little surfing on my own, I understood that this 8 year olds chat was quite benign, but it did spark a wake up call.<br /><br /></span> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/276/1519/1600/parent_child_computer.0.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/276/1519/400/parent_child_computer.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br />How could I, the bit and byte diva, get lost in cyber translation? Well, to my defense, there were no chat clients in my school lab, and I actually chat (and rarely at that) mostly in standard English, with adults who also chat in kind. My cyber-chat acronym list consists mainly of:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BYB</span> = Be right back<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BTW</span> = By the way<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BBI5</span> = Be back in 5 minutes<br /><br />So here's the question parents-<br /><br /></span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">Do you have any idea of what your kids are talking about <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">online</span>? </span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">I mentioned in a previous post about the problem of online predators and the importance of monitoring your children no matter how smart or advanced they are. Emotionally, even the most brilliant 13 year old is still emotionally just a 13 year old!<br /><br />My children are grown up and I do not have grandchildren. However, there are places to go online that can help all of us un-cool folks catch up on the current chat lingo, <span style="font-weight: bold;">cyber-speak</span> for your <span style="font-weight: bold;">newbies</span>.<br /><br />It is a real eye opener to read these web pages. Have you ever seen any of these? Some are obvious but some require some prior knowledge, as the educators say, to derive meanings:<br /></span><br /><table style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" width="99%"> <tbody><tr><td width="9%"><p class="sm"><b>AITR</b></p></td> <td width="3%"><p align="center">=</p></td> <td width="39%"><p class="sm">adult in the room</p></td> <td width="49%"><p class="sm2">- What don't they want you to know?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p class="sm"><b>A/S/L</b></p></td> <td><p align="center">=</p></td> <td><p class="sm">age, sex, location </p></td> <td><p class="sm2">- Sexual reference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p class="sm"><b>PLOS</b></p></td> <td><p align="center">=</p></td> <td><p class="sm">parents looking over shoulder</p></td> <td> <p class="sm2">- What don't they want you to know?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p class="sm"><b>PHAT</b></p></td> <td><p align="center">=</p></td> <td><p class="sm">pretty hot and tempting</p></td> <td><p class="sm2">- Sexual reference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p class="sm"><strong>E or X</strong></p></td> <td><div align="center">=</div></td> <td><p class="sm">ecstasy</p></td> <td><p class="sm2">- Drug reference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p class="sm"><strong>420</strong></p></td> <td><div align="center">=</div></td> <td><p class="sm">to smoke pot</p></td> <td><p class="sm2">- Drug reference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><span class="sm"><strong>HI-5</strong></span><strong><br /> </strong></p></td> <td><div align="center">=</div></td> <td><p class="sm">H.I.V</p></td> <td><p><span class="sm2">- Sexual </span><span class="sm">reference</span></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p class="sm"><strong>METH</strong></p></td> <td><div align="center">=</div></td> <td><p class="sm">crystal methamphetamine</p></td> <td><p class="sm2"><em>- </em>Drug reference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p class="sm"><strong>NINE</strong></p></td> <td><div align="center">=</div></td> <td><p class="sm">nine millimeter</p></td> <td> <p class="sm2">- Weapons reference</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="sm" height="21"><p class="sm"><strong>8 ball</strong></p></td> <td><div align="center">=</div></td> <td><p class="sm">eight ball</p></td> <td><p class="sm2"> - Drug reference: an eighth of an ounce</p></td></tr></tbody> </table> <p><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Surf over to these sites for a walk on the other site of the monitor! </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><br />* <a href="http://www.missingkids.com/adcouncil/lingo.html">The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Campaign: HDOP: Help Stop Online Predators</a>, and <a href="http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/ServiceServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=178">NetSmartz</a>. Explore their Teen component. These are great resources! </p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/children/kidtalk.mspx">A parent's primer to computer slang</a></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">* <a href="http://www.sharpened.net/glossary/acronyms.php">eMail and Chat Acronyms</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;">* </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.solscape.com/chat/acronyms.html">Chat-O-Rama</a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;">* </span><a href="http://www.rollanet.org/chat/acronyms.html">Welcome to the World of Acronyms</a><br /></p> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">We tend to think that just because our kids speak well and have a good vocabulary that they are grown up. Wrong. As a parent it is your obligation to make good use of parental monitoring software. Some come free as included components of an Internet Access package and some as stand alone programs. Make sure you do not overlook or underestimate the value of the old fashioned <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">keep an eye opened, and talk to your child</span>. The last is not high tech, but is the a time tested method of parental intervention.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />For the record I am definitely NOT an AOL fan, but those of you who use it should take advantage of the built in <a href="http://site.aol.com/info/parentcontrol.html">AOL Parental Controls</a>. Check out download.com's selection of <a href="http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.html?tag=srch&qt=parental+controls&amp;tg=dl-20&search.x=0&amp;search.y=0&search=+Go%21">Free Parental Controls Software</a>. Remember to check whether it is free or offered only for a trial period before purchase. Scan all new software immediately after downloading (before installing) to make sure it is virus free, and then run a spyware program immediately after installation to make sure you haven't invited in any unwelcome ad-ware or</span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> spy programs.<br /><br />Some great free antivirus programs are:<br /></span></span> <ul style="font-family: verdana;"><li><a class="l" href="http://housecall.trendmicro.com/">Trend Micro - Free online virus Scan</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/ww">AVG Free Edition</a></li></ul> <span style="font-family: verdana;">The Trend Micro program is done while you a</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">re online connected to their web site. They will ask to install a small program on your computer that will enable them to access it for scanning. Other than that it will not take up much memory. Frankly, computers today usually ship with a minimum of 40 gigs, so it shouldn't be an issue.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><br />You can also get quality anti-spyware from the following sources:<br /></span></span> <ul style="font-family: verdana;"><li><a class="l" href="http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/">Ad-Aware SE Personal - Software - Lavasoft</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://spybot.safer-networking.de/en/index.html">Spybot-Search & Destroy</a></li></ul> <span style="font-family: verdana;">Personally I use both anti- spyware progr</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ams! One final piece of advice. Make sure you update each program daily to make sure your programs have the latest definitions.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ok parents, so you <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> feel uncomfortable checking up on you kids while they are online? Then perhaps you'll find comfort in the knowledge that <span style="font-style: italic;">government and private companies</span> feel it is necessary to keep tabs on their <span style="font-weight: bold;">adult</span> employees! Ask any network administrator and they will tell you that all their company's email and chats are sent through stringent filters and are very closely monitored for inappropriate contacts and content.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Schools utilize sophisticated monitoring tools to block possibly offending web sites. While some folks will argue against such censorship, it must be understood that these protections are for all students while they are on school property. Schools have an obligation to do their best to ensure student safety I personally found it frustrating at times because I wnted to use some java heacy sites with my students, but the Department of Education filtered them out. I managed and my students were able to access them at home or in the public library. That's life. Those who work for an employer must follow the rules of the job. Teachers understand that. They also know, that no matter how hard you try, some child, somewhere, will land on an inappro</span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">priate site. After all, even though computer filters are much better these days, than when they first came out, none of them are 100% error free. Note the image below:<br /><br /></span></span> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/276/1519/1600/for_dad.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/276/1519/320/for_dad.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mom's Row Boat</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Notice that the caption <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">does not</span> match the picture</span>. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also note the the image is named </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">for_dad.jpg</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">If the above picture had an <span style="font-style: italic;">offensive image</span> on it, filters might not block it.<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">The image name seems safe enough, and so does the caption.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">Yet, it could be a very inappropriate image for your child to view.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: verdana;">Lesson: No filters are 100% effective!<br /><br />Children must be supervised.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div> <span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />So now you've got the inside scoop on where to go to make children safer online. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Surf's up! </span></span></span></span> false An Educational Voyage 2005-11-28T22:20:00-08:00 2005-12-24T06:21:01Z 2005-12-24T06:21:01Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16886166.post-113540526103661018 JRY: Cheapskate Monthly <h3 class="post-title"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Cheapskate Monthly</span> </h3> <p> </p> If you are looking for an online calculator to use with your class, you may not need to look further than the <a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/member_tools_calculator.asp">Cheapskate Monthly</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">. It is a web site with online calculators for dozens of uses! </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There are calculators to enhance loads of math and science lessons. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is enough to make a lab teacher jump with joy! Ok, it is also a terrific site for teachers, parents and everyone else too. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;">"It was developed for the purpose of helping fellow cheapskates in their financial</span><img style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;" src="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//images/toolbox.gif" align="right" height="103" width="210" /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;"> number-crunching. No longer is it necessary to take all the time and trouble to learn all of the complex formulas necessary for successful financial management. From now on, all you have to do is to visit this ever-growing list of calculators, plug in the numbers as instructed, and let the calculators perform all of the complex calculations for you."<br /><br /></span> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcelec.asp">Appliance Operating Cost Calculator</a>: <span id="calculatorInfo"> This JavaScript calculator will help you to estimate the cost of operating <span id="calculatorInfo_link"> ... <a onclick="calculatorInfo_link.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo_more.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo_collapse.style.display='inline';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Read full description</b></a></span> <span id="calculatorInfo_more" style="display: none;"> any given electrical appliance, based on the average KWH (kilowatt hours) used per day, and on the average cost per KWH charged by your electric company. <span id="calculatorInfo_collapse" style="display: none;">... <a onclick="calculatorInfo_link.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo_more.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo_collapse.style.display='none';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Hide full description</b> </a> </span> </span> </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcAvgInt.asp">Average Interest Rate Calculator</a>: <span id="calculatorInfo02"> This calculator will help you compute the average combined interest rate <span id="calculatorInfo02_link"> ... <a onclick="calculatorInfo02_link.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo02_more.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo02_collapse.style.display='inline';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Read full description</b></a></span> <span id="calculatorInfo02_more" style="display: none;"> you are paying on up to fifteen of your outstanding debts. 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But, as you're about to discover, you will certainly notice the increased cash flow that will occur when you pay your lean off well ahead of schedule! <span id="calculatorInfo03_collapse" style="display: none;">... <a onclick="calculatorInfo03_link.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo03_more.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo03_collapse.style.display='none';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Hide full description</b> </a> </span> </span> </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcbdgt.asp">Budget Percentage Calculator</a>: <span id="calculatorInfo04"> This calculator will compute your recommended budget amounts for an income <span id="calculatorInfo04_link"> ... <a onclick="calculatorInfo04_link.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo04_more.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo04_collapse.style.display='inline';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Read full description</b></a></span> <span id="calculatorInfo04_more" style="display: none;"> period you enter. The suggested percentage guidelines are based on net income compiled by Dave Ramsey, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670873616/cheapskatemonthl" target="new">Financial Peace</a> (Viking, 1997, $21.95). <span id="calculatorInfo04_collapse" style="display: none;">... <a onclick="calculatorInfo04_link.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo04_more.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo04_collapse.style.display='none';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Hide full description</b> </a> </span> </span> </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_carcalc.asp">Car Cost Comparison Calculator</a>: <span id="calculatorInfo05"> When buying a car most people fail to consider ALL of the expenses that will be <span id="calculatorInfo05_link"> ... <a onclick="calculatorInfo05_link.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo05_more.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo05_collapse.style.display='inline';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Read full description</b></a></span> <span id="calculatorInfo05_more" style="display: none;"> generated by their purchase. 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This calculator will not only help you to forecast the REAL COST of buying and owning a car, but it will also help you to more accurately compare the real cost of one car-buying scenario with the real cost of a second car-buying scenario. <span id="calculatorInfo05_collapse" style="display: none;">... <a onclick="calculatorInfo05_link.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo05_more.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo05_collapse.style.display='none';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Hide full description</b> </a> </span> </span> </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcplan.asp">Cash Flow Calculator</a>: <span id="calculatorInfo06"> Since cash inflows and outflows vary in amounts and intervals, it can be <span id="calculatorInfo06_link"> ... <a onclick="calculatorInfo06_link.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo06_more.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo06_collapse.style.display='inline';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Read full description</b></a></span> <span id="calculatorInfo06_more" style="display: none;"> extremely difficult and confusing trying to come up with the amount of money you can afford to spend during any given month. 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You can then print out the results and refer to it when creating each month's spending plan. <span id="calculatorInfo06_collapse" style="display: none;">... <a onclick="calculatorInfo06_link.style.display='inline'; calculatorInfo06_more.style.display='none'; calculatorInfo06_collapse.style.display='none';return false;" href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//#"> <b>Hide full description</b> </a> </span> </span> </span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_mathtutor.asp">Children's Math Tutor</a>: Since addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are skills children need to know in order to become successful money managers, this interactive tool was created to give CM children an interesting way to hone those all-important math skills. If you have children and any of them haven't yet memorized the math factors for their age group, simply make using this tool part of their required daily homework.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_college.asp">College Funding Calculator</a>: This calculator, based on The College Board's Annual Survey of Colleges for the 2000-2001 school year, will help you to determine how much money you need to invest on a monthly basis now, in order to be able to pay for your child's college education by the time he or she is ready to start college. The calculator allows you to choose between In-State and Out-of-State, between Resident and Commuter and between Public or Private -- and adjusts the estimated costs according to those selections. Plus, the calculator even adjusts the future cost of attending college based on your own estimated rate of inflation.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_cc_compare.asp">Credit Card Comparison Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to compare the long-term costs of credit cards that have varying interest rates, annual fees, introductory rates and compounding intervals.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_cc_earlyPmt.asp">Credit Card Early-Payment Savings Calculator</a>: Since most credit card companies compute interest charges based on your average daily balance, making your payment early in the billing cycle will not only reduce the chances of getting hit with late charges, but it will also save you money. This calculator will help you to determine the interest savings that will occur if you make your monthly credit card payment earlier in the billing cycle rather than at the end. Savings will be computed for both your next payment, and for all remaining payments (assumes a fixed monthly payment amount).</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcDebtConsol.asp">Debt Consolidation Calculator</a>: When the typical debt-consolidation company advertises that they can "save you money," what they are most often referring to is simply a reduction in your total monthly debt payments -- not a savings in the cost of paying off your debt (interest charges). Sure, by consolidating your payments into a single loan, you might be paying one monthly payment that is smaller than the sum of your current monthly payments, but if they stretch your loan out for a longer period of time you could actually end up paying more interest by consolidating. This calculator will help you to determine whether or not consolidating will actually reduce the cost of retiring your debts.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcdebt.asp">Debt Investment Calculator</a>: Before you go throwing darts on Wall Street, check to make sure you can't earn a higher rate of return simply by investing in your own debt! For example, if you have a credit card balance that's costing you 19% per year, and you increase your payment, you will get a guaranteed 19% return on your investment. What's more, your earnings will be tax-free! So use this JavaScript Calculator to see how much you could be earning if you increased your payment on any one of your debts.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_dollarPercent_convert.asp">Expense Percentage Calculator</a>: This tool will help you to determine what percentage of your income you are currently spending on each of your various expense categories (food, clothing, etc.).</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_gas_budget.asp">Gas Budget Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to estimate your annual gasoline cost given the type of car you drive, the number of miles you drive per year, and the price you are paying for a gallon of gasoline.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_gas_station.asp">Gas Station Savings Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to determine whether or not driving the extra miles to a cheaper gas station will actually save you money.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcsave.asp">Generic Savings Calculator</a>: This calculator will show you how much you'll save over the course of your lifetime when permanently switching from any given high priced buying habit (name brand) to its functional, less expensive equivalent (generic). Plus, it will also show you how much interest you could earn if you were to invest all or part of those savings as you realized them. As you're about to see, "a penny saved" can REALLY ADD UP!</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcireg.asp">Irregular Payment Calculator</a>: This calculator will convert your non-monthly payments into their monthly equivalents, and then provide you will a total. This total will represent how much you will need to set aside each month (into your Freedom Account) in order to make your non-monthly payments as they come due. A great budgeting tool!</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_lifeEarn.asp">Lifetime Earnings Calculator</a>: The purpose of this calculator is to make you aware of just how much money you (and your spouse/mate, if applicable) will have the opportunity to manage between now and when you retire. And the point this calculator will attempt to make, is that if it turns out you end up broke at retirement age, it won't be because you didn't make enough money, it will because you did not successfully manage the abundance of income (potential wealth) you managed to create.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_loanBalance.asp">Loan Balance Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to determine the current balance of a loan when payments that have been made have been different from those stipulated in the original loan terms. This may be especially helpful if you have sold something on Contract for Deed, but the borrower has not made the regular payments as stipulated by the loan agreement.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcamdt.asp">Loan Calculator w/Amortization Schedule</a>: This calculator will compute a loan's monthly payment amount based on the principal amount borrowed, the length of the loan and the annual interest rate. Then, once you have computed the monthly payment you can also create and print out the loan's amortization schedule.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_loancomparison.asp">Loan Comparison Calculator</a>: This calculator will not only compute the payment amount and interest charges on any given loan, but it will also allow you to see what effect changing any of the four variables has on the cost of the loan.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_phone.asp">Long-distance Cost Calculator</a>: This calculator will not only assist you in calculating the average cost per minute of one or any number of calls, but it will also keep track of the cost of your long distance phone call (including state and federal taxes) based on either the calculated average cost per minute or on the actual cost per minute -- if you happen to know it.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_meatCost.asp">Meat Cost Per Serving Calculator</a>: Price-per-pound can be misleading because all cuts of meat will not yield the same number of servings per pound. This calculator, based on the information provided by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cooperative Extension (<a href="http://ianrwww.unl.edu/pubs/foods/g947.htm">Buying Meat by the Serving</a>), will help you to calculate and compare the cost per serving of up to five different cuts of various types of meat (110 selections overall). You can also use this calculator to determine how many pounds of a selected meat to buy based on the number of servings you need.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_cci.asp">Minimum Payment Credit Card Interest Calculator</a>: This calculator will show you how much credit-card interest you'll pay if you continually make only the minimum monthly payment on your credit card.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc3of4.asp">Missing Loan-Term Calculator</a>: If you know any 3 of a loan's 4 terms (principal, interest rate, payments remaining, and payment amount), this calculator will help you to find the missing term. For example, if you know the interest rate, the payments remaining, and the payment amount, this calculator will compute the current payoff amount of the loan.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_fv2.asp">Monthly Deposit Savings Calculator</a>: This calculator will show you how much a periodic, interest earning investment will grow to, based on the entered interest rate and length of time.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_fv3.asp">Monthly Deposit Time Calculator</a>: This calculator will compute how long it will take you to reach your desired savings goal, based on three factors: the amount you currently have set aside, the amount you can add to your savings each month and the annual interest rate you expect to earn.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcmtggoal.asp">Mortgage Payoff Goal Calculator</a>: This calculator will show you the additional monthly payment you will need to make on your current mortgage in order to pay if off within a specified number of years. It will also show you how much interest you will save if you make the calculated additional payment each month, from now until your mortgage is paid off. Special thanks to online subscriber Lyle Crafton for presenting the idea for this calculator.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcmtgq.asp">Mortgage Qualification Calculator</a>: This calculator was designed to allow you to see what size mortgage you can afford based on comparing your present financial condition to mortgage lending-industry standards.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_mtgrefin.asp">Mortgage Refinancing Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to decide whether or not you should refinance your current mortgage at a lower interest rate. Not only will this calculator calculate the monthly payment and net interest savings, but it will also calculate how many months it will take to break even on the closing costs.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_nw.asp">Net Worth Calculator</a>: This calculator was designed to help you to take a "snap-shot" of your current financial condition Whereas an income and expense statement shows you your financial picture for a given period of time (month, year, etc.), this Net Worth Calculator will show you your financial picture at a single point in time (a specific date). That way, if you compute your Net Worth now, and then again 3 months from now, you will then be able to tell whether your financial picture is improving or getting worse.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcpmt.asp">Payment Breakdown Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to determine the principal and interest breakdown on a loan's given payment number. Simply enter the loan's original terms (principal, interest rate, number of payments, and monthly payment amount) and the payment you want broken down.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcportmix.asp">Portfolio Mix Calculator</a>: This calculator is based on Author Austin Pryor's "Just-the-Basics" investment strategy. Upon selecting your life-phase and investing temperament, this calculator will not only tell you the exact portfolio mix you should strive for, but it will even calculate the specific dollar amounts based on the amount of money you have available for investing.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_pv1.asp">Present Value of a Single Amount Calculator</a>: Use this calculator to compute how much you would need to invest now in order to have your investment grow to a specific amount within a specified time-frame.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_rdrp.asp">Rapid Debt-Repayment Calculator</a>: In a single click this calculator will: calculate the number of payments remaining and interest charges for each debt with a separate chart for "Falling," "Fixed," and "RDRP" payments, sort the debts by order of payoff, create your Rapid Debt Repayment Plan, summarize all three payment plans, and finally will create a "Schedule of Payments" chart that you can use to mark off each payment as you make them. The RDRP result page will also tell you how much interest you will save as a result of following through on your plan. Plus, on the bottom of the RDRP Plan you will also have the option to see how your freed up debt payments will grow if you start investing them once you become debt free.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_rhw.asp">Real Hourly Wage Calculator</a>: So your boss told you that you were getting paid $10 an hour? Don't believe it! This calculator will show you how much you're REALLY profiting (after-tax, after work-related-expense takehome) from each hour you devote to working--both paid and unpaid.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_rentVsOwn.asp">Rent Vs Buy Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to compare the costs of renting to the costs of buying a home. Since there are all kinds of forces at work behind the scenes (interest, property taxes, tax savings, appreciation, opportunity costs, closing costs, selling costs, etc.), comparing the cost of renting to the cost of buying is a lot more complicated than just comparing the monthly mortgage payment to the monthly rent payment. This calculator attempts to forecast the net effects of all the hidden forces so you can make an informed decision.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_pv2.asp">Retirement Savings Calculator</a>: Use this calculator to compute how much you would need to have invested in order to withdraw a specified amount each year over the course of a specified period of time.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcgoal.asp">Savings Goal Calculator</a>: This calculator to will help you to figure how much your current savings will grow and how much more you'll need to save each month in order to achieve a given savings goal within a given number of years.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calcdebt2.asp">Single Debt-Payment Investment Calculator</a>: This calculator will compute how much interest you will save by adding an additional principal payment to the next regularly scheduled payment on any given debt. For example, if you find yourself with an extra $20 this month, this calculator will tell you how much interest you will save (guaranteed, tax-free return on your investment) if you add that $20 to the next payment of one of your debts (preferably the one with the highest interest rate).</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_fv1.asp">Single Deposit Savings Calculator</a>: This calculator will show you how much a single, interest earning investment will grow to, based on the entered interest rate and length of time.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_OppCost.asp">Spending Cost Calculator</a>: When you spend money on non-essential, non-investment type products or services, you simultaneously give up the right to earn interest on the money you spent ... for the rest of your life. The total of the money you spend unnecessarily, plus the forgone interest earnings, represents the real cost of spending (usually an amount much higher than is actually printed on the price-tag). Therefore, in order to make wise purchase decisions (expenditures that return a benefit of equal or greater value than their real cost), you must be aware of -- and give full consideration to -- the real cost of each purchase. This calculator will help you to do just that.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_trans_savings.asp">Transportation Savings Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to determine any savings that might occur if you were to choose a transportation alternative (walking, biking, bus ride, etc.) to driving your car. You can either compute your savings for a one-time trip or for multiple reoccurring trips over any number of years. Plus, you can choose whether to compute the savings using the Gasoline Method (cost of gasoline only) or using the Mileage Method (average cost per mile to own, operate, maintain and insure your car).</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_invest.asp">Variable Compounding & Deposit Savings Calculator</a>: This calculator not only allows you to compute and compare the forcasted interest earnings on various investment scenarios, but it also allows you to choose the deposit and compounding intervals. No longer will you need to wonder if an investment offering a 6% return, compounded daily is better than an investment offering a 7% return, compounded annually.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com//member_tools_calculator_calc_wage_convert.asp">Wage Conversion Calculator</a>: This calculator will help you to quickly convert a wage stated in one periodic term (hourly, weekly, etc.) into its equivalent stated in all other common periodic terms. This can be helpful when comparing your present wage to a wage being offered by a prospective employer where each wage is stated in a different periodic term (e.g., one is listed as an hourly amount and the other is listed as an annual amount).</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">New Calculators Are Added Often!<br /></p> <span style="font-family: verdana;">~JRY<br /></span> false An Educational Voyage 2005-11-11T23:11:00-08:00 2005-12-24T06:17:00Z 2005-12-24T06:17:00Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16886166.post-113540502075053620 Your Privacy and The National Do Not Call Registry

Your Privacy and The National Do Not Call Registry

As the New Year gets closer, it brings to mind the buzz from last year about the national program to get rid of annoying telemarketers. So if you make only 1 resolution make it to register at the link below. Then 31 days later sit back and enjoy your undistrubed dinner!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE:
NATIONAL DO NOT CALL REGISTRY

As of January 1, 2005, telemarketers covered by the National Do Not Call Registry have up to 31 days from the date you register to stop calling you.The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home.

Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this Website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free. Your registration will be effective for five years .

Bon apetit!
false An Educational Voyage 2005-10-21T21:07:00-04:00 2005-10-22T01:09:34Z 2005-10-22T01:09:34Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16886166.post-112994337405120523 Flock Challenges Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, and Firefox! <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">From <a href="http://janetryoung.blogspot.com/">En Educational Voyage</a>:<br /><br /><br />Yes, I admit it, I'm hooked on FireFox. I left the Internet Explorer fold and converted to the Mozilla FireFox camp. I fell in love with the myriad of extensions freely offered by the open source FireFox devotees!</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br /><br />Oh, the extensions! Tabbed browsing, light and easy on my system. Google search tools, Blogger integration, RSS/XML plug ins, Editing extensions, side bars... oooooooooh, I tingle from it all. </span> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br /><br />Then in April, the unthinkable happened! Security exploits were made public. Now my safe haven of Internet bliss seemed to come crashing down upon my cyber self, dashing my delusionary world of browser safety that until that moment was Firefox.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">But alas, all good things come to an end. Reality steps up to show it's ugly face and now my guard is back up. I'm still in love and am unable to part with my dear Firefox. However, an article: </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.publish.com/article2/0,1895,1868207,00.asp" target="_blank">PC Magazine: Flock To Offer More Social Web Browsing</a></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"> purports a new browser on the block to offer not only new security but better integration of perks- including blogging </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://del.icio.us/doc/about" target="_blank">del.icio.us</a></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">, and </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;">. Flock apparently is not ready for the general public, and is making it's debut with the brave souls willing to grapple with crashes and snags just to be in on the development stage ground floor.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.flock.com/" target="_blank">Well the Flock Developer Preview is now available.</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 100%;"><br /><br />So, will I give in to temptation? Will I just make a little secret download to play around on the sly?<br /><br />What do you think? :)</span> false An Educational Voyage 2005-09-23T18:39:00-04:00 2005-09-23T22:40:20Z 2005-09-23T22:39:04Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16886166.post-112751514472183493 Avidly Seeking Wireless Clues From Google - New York Times <a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/21/technology/21google.html?ex=1284955200">Avidly Seeking Wireless Clues From Google - New York Times</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This folks, will make dial-up and DSL fees unnecesary. Now it is just in the San Francisco Bay area, but this author hopes it will creep east real soon.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wow! Come to the Big Apple Google. This gal is ready. Free WiFi! <br /><br />Ya-hoo!</span> false An Educational Voyage 2005-09-19T03:54:00-04:00 2005-09-19T16:17:03Z 2005-09-19T07:55:47Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16886166.post-112711654721650332 Big Blue Back to School: Generous or Down-Sizing Smoke Screen? <b style="font-family: verdana;">(<A HREF="http://janetryoung.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">This is from my other blog: An Educational Voyage</a>)<br /><br /></b> <span style="font-family: verdana;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/dw_blog.jspa?blog=533"> Article: Big Blue Back to School</a> : </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">"On a completely related note, IBM announced a "Transition to Teaching" initiative today to help transform IBMers into U.S. schoolteachers in an effort to stave off teacher attrition and boost interest and aptitude in math and science among American students.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Cliff Notes version: IBMers would be given financial assistance in the form of tuition reimbursement and stipends while they take a leave of absence from the company to seek teaching credentials and begin student-teaching, before ultimately becoming full-time teachers and leaving IBM's employ. Datamation </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://blog.datamation.com/blog/archives/2005/09/looking_for_a_f.html">blogs it here</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and hints we could quickly be moving to the top of our class.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">"<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/dw_blog.jspa?blog=533"> Article: Big Blue Back to School</a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Opinion?<br /></span> </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This will be nice for those close to retirement or dissatisfied with corporate life. However, I think in the long run, IBM is planning to terminate a nice number of employees and thinks it has figured out a way to </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">not announce a need to down-size, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(ie. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">overseas outsourcing</span>) while being helpful to employees whose heads are on the chopping block by </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">providing new career training</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. No <span style="font-weight: bold;">red</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">white</span> in Old <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blue</span>... </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh, the miracles of modern "spin!"<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a really lucky project for "soon be let go" IBM employees. However, they probably land better paying, moe respected jobs anyway- after all they landed jobs with Big Blue to start with, right?<br /><br />A word to the wise IBMers heading for the Big Apple: Sometimes the devil you know is better than the NYC devil you don't know. Switchers beware.<br /><br />Hey, IBM, can you send us a quality Chancellor?</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><br /></span> false An Educational Voyage 2005-09-18T11:58:00-04:00 2005-09-19T19:24:47Z 2005-09-19T19:13:34Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16886166.post-112715721470180651 Analog Folks in a Digital World I have been a technology teacher for the New York City Department of Education, own my own technology company, run and moderate an online educational discussion list, have numerous web sites, and am here to tell you, technology can be quite useful.<br /><br />Believe it or not there are still some people out there who have resisted as much technology as possible. You know who they are. They are the ones who scoffed at the Casio calendar watches, digital alarm clocks, tone rather than pulse telephones, etc. They are our loved ones, the business down the block who still used the old cash register, and the wonderful aunt who still writes wonderful handwritten birthday cards! <br /><br />Perhaps you are a closet technophobe. Just maybe, you are thinking of coming out of the closet. Well relax. You have a friend. I'm here to introduce you to the wonderful world of technology, in little baby steps. In posts here, I'll discuss a little snippet of technology in a gentle, non prodding way. You can read and digest it, then decide if you want to take the plunge little by little.<br /><br />I always said, that if God didn't want us to use dishwashers, they would never have been invented. So with that in mind, de-stress yourself, and take comfort that technology is here to serve you. Not the other way around. You can take control and improve your life in itty bitty ways, and not feel a bit of pain along the way.<br /><br />Whether its getting a digital answering machine, buying that first PDA, cellphone, or computer I'll lead you down a neat, clear path.<br /><br />Trust me- <span style="font-weight:bold;">Technology Rocks!</span> false