Thank God It Isn't Real

Just imagine, you have had a tough day at work, you are more than ready to go home and get into the elevator that goes down 6 floors...and then you see another button. Are you on the Hellavator? Okay, now how do you feel?





Big thank you to Conor for taking this cell phone pic and sending it to me.

Keep Your Stress Level Down - Webcams Help Keep You Out Of Traffic Jams If You Need To Travel In And Around Pittsburgh

Today is a perfect day to go out to dinner or visit friends and relatives. If your travel plan includes driving major routes in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and you would prefer not to spend your time stuck in a traffic jam, the website “Pittsburgh.about.com” is a great place to visit after you have your Mapquest directions. Parkway West, Parkway North, Parkway East, Fort Pitt Tunnels and Fort Pitt Bridge and more are all shown on traffic webcams. http://tinyurl.com/cmsse

Staffing Agency Found That Does Want Applicants Who Can Also Telecommute From Home

A search of the job base of Volt for telecommute brought up 7 jobs for people with administrative, accounting and advanced computer knowledge. Not all the positions listed are full-time telecommute, but if you live in the right area, you might want to consider a position. Strangely enough on searching the listings and looking at the requirements for Web Developer, it was listed as no telecommuting although it came up in the search.

It’s possible that as there are more requests for telecommuters, a better job filter will be developed.

Here’s one of the listings: Work at Home By Phone - Desktop Support - Levels I, II, III [Noted on the net on 5/19/07, job posted on 4/26/07). Qualified persons in the following states are wanted: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Florida, Texas and Utah. Oddly enough, it is noted that people living in New York, New Jersey, Ontario (Canada), Massachusetts, and California may not work on this. This particular listing is a temporary job.

Volt calls itself a staffing company which employs professionals in a wide range of job classifications. Visit and search telecommute at http://jobs.volt.com/

Where Are You Going To Live When You Retire? [Think: Taxation.]

My mother blissfully moved about 1300 miles away to sunny Florida – and she loves it. Gorgeous beaches, blue sky and sunshine, a ranch-style home and her property taxes are lower than what she would have been paying in Pennsylvania. What’s not to like, besides tornadoes, hurricanes, sinkholes and an abundance of large bugs with an occasional alligator that has walked along some nearby streets? In any event, she’s still very happy where she lives.

My thoughts are that I don’t want to move to Florida unless I can build a hurricane safe home and develop a more adventuresome attitude toward food – some of the bugs in Florida I have seen were large enough to be the entrée for dinner for two.

There’s just so much to consider with such a bold decision. Besides the usual considerations of quality available health care, desirable amenities nearby for enjoyment of retirement years, and weather conditions, the real cost of living on a retirement budget is a very big consideration.

Before you retire and decide where to move, it is also wise to learn everything about the taxing structures in effect or being proposed -- and how it will personally affect you. In many places of our nation, the taxing climates are changing.

Here in Pennsylvania a ballot question last Tuesday (depending on the school district that you live in) (i) to collect a personal income tax , ( this includes unearned income), or (ii) to significantly raise the school district percentage on earned income – either of these, if voted on favorably were supposed to lower only the school district property taxes.

Regardless in which school district you currently reside, if either of the above tax increases occur, it will have an adverse effect on many people, especially seniors who will be taxed on their personal income, many of whom do not own their own homes. I personally do not believe that most renters will benefit from a property tax reduction with an immediate comparative reduction in rent, and possibly will not see any real benefit at all in proportion to the extra taxes being paid.

This school property tax measure was basically voted down in most of Pennsylvania. The news at the Post Gazette online indicated that it was Chuck Ardo, spokesman for the Governor who said that the defeat of this referendum “wasn’t anything other than confusion” by voters. (See link to story below).

Honestly, I wasn’t confused at all, and I truly don’t know anyone who was. I can easily recognize a blatant attempt to raise my taxes that likely won’t actually result in benefit to me. I was personally insulted to read the purported statement on my apparent confusion that does not exist.

Pennsylvanians are also facing a possible 1% increase in sales tax, and for those living in Allegheny County, the sales tax will be 8%. Well, that’s understandable enough, isn’t it? No confusion there, Pennsylvanians will be paying more taxes and we will have less money. This too, has been loosely tied to property tax relief. Not so long ago, bringing gambling into Pennsylvania was supposed to have been what would help us with property tax relief.

There’s really no reason to take money out of the left hand so a small portion of it can be run through channels and then rerouted back into the right hand. There’s also no guarantee that property taxes won’t continue to rise.

When the day comes that I retire, there’s going to be a lot to consider about where to live.

http://postgazette.com/pg/07137/786716-178.stm

How Many People Share The Same First And Last Name As You?

This is fun – or maybe not, depending on your outlook!! The results can be surprising.

There are 232,451 (that were found and who knows how many it didn’t find) people in the United States with the same first name as myself, April. Well, at least I know who I am, but as for the other 232,450 I haven't got a clue. I would have liked to check my first and middle name to see what difference that would have made, but that wasn’t offered.

Using as an example the first and last name, James Smith, the results are over 5 million people with the same first name and over 50,000 people with the name “James Smith” in the United States. This is one where I thought there would have been a lot more.

Input just your first name to see how many people in the U.S. share your first name, or if you are really curious, your whole name to see how many people there with the same first and last name as you.

http://howmanyofme.com/search/

Yard Sales, Garage Sales, House Sales, Auctions – Protect Yourself And Your Family

It is almost summer and for many of us, it is time for our favorite sport: Bargain hunting. The thrill of getting to the sale early before all the good stuff has been tossed around, mangled, or already gone is one of summer’s delightful pastimes.

Take the danger out of the sport by frequenting nice, clean looking places in good neighborhoods with items that you want in good, safe, usable condition. Know in advance what you hope to find and leave places where items are overpriced.

Whatever your criteria for visiting a sale or buying something, keep one more thing in mind: Was this item recalled because of a defect? Everything from appliances, stools, tables, lamps, children’s items, et cetera have had recalls, and you really should know before you purchase an item with a problem. Here’s a website that will help. http://www.cpsc.gov/index.html Happy summer sale hunting!

Want A Free Program to Lose Weight And Buy Regular Food At Your Favorite Store?

Surfing the Kraft Foods site was a food lover’s delight. There’s a main menu on top with choice of Recipe Search, Community, Dinner, Food & Family, Cooking School, Healthy Living and of course, Kraft’s Products.

The left sidebar links were looking good as well, with information we all need, especially those looking for diabetic food choices or to manage your weight goals and it is free to join.

This looks worth your time. (Get a few friends to join as well with you and have your own personal, private club to watch your weight without fees and dues and meetings.) Sound interesting? Just access the Kraft Foods website at http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf and surf the links. Find new things to cook and enjoy at home, or use the search box when you can’t imagine what to make for dinner tonight!

You Want To Work At Home, How Fast Can You Type?

Most typing jobs where you telecommute require a great deal of typing at sustained speeds and often require you to test. Your ability to quickly and accurately complete the work required is of utmost importance. A fast search of the net brought up the sites below that offer quickie typing tests (there is no endorsement of any typing test site below for any reason other than they offer a typing test). Read my previous article http://livethoughtfully.blogspot.com/2007/05/taking-online-typing-test-for-work-at.html for more information. If you want to search for more sites that offer typing tests, just Google the words, typing test. Make sure your keyboard is on a solid surface. (Note that long fingernails often slow down speed and accuracy, so a manicure might be in order before taking one.) It is likely that you will find that your speed varies with the different sites. If you really want to make it more precise, get someone to help you with a stopwatch and compare the results.

http://www.learn2type.com/TypingTest
http://www.typingtest.com/contents/java/typetest/default.htm
http://www.computerlab.kids.new.net/typing_test.htm
http://www.careerstep.com/site/page=typingtest

Coupons for Dimetapp And Other Special Offers From Wyeth

Wyeth has a lot of special offers for those who sign up on the website below that can add up to nice savings if you use their products. Surf the site to see what might benefit you. [Noted on the web on 5/16/07.)

http://www.dimetapp.com

Important Matters To Consider About Your Home Ownership

Whether you are just getting ready to buy a home or have lived in your own for a long time, there’s always issues that can cause problems or unplanned financial burdens.

If you live in Pennsylvania, you can visit the website of the Department of Environmental Protection, Mine Subsidence Insurance page. Sinkholes are also a problem in Pennsylvania. Check your homeowner’s insurance policy first, but it likely doesn’t cover these issues. From a quick look at the DEP Subsidence page, it isn’t clear that insurance is available for sinkholes. However, there is enough information on this page, including a help desk phone number to answer questions about subsidence risk and insurance, etc. If you call, ask if they can give you any further information on sinkholes as well or how that risk might be insurable.

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/bmr/msipage/msi_info.htm
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/dep/site/default.asp
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/hazards/sinkholes.aspx

Taking An Online Typing Test For Work At Home Job?

Oftentimes companies that are hiring for transcriptionist work will want to test you for typing speeds. If you have read any of the requirements on the various websites, seeing the request for those who can type 75 or 80 wpm or more is not unusual. I've personally seen advertisements for over 100 wpm and know someone who got a job whose accurate wpm was way below.

Many homeworkers begin to hesitate when wanting to apply for work, but know their typing speed isn't anywhere close. If you have great skills and can meet all the other requirements, don't let the high wpm "requirement" cause undue concern. The high wpm can be on the list for a variety of reasons.

In the first place, companies hiring for transcription work really don't want to expend their time or applicant's time if the applicant's abilities are not a reasonable match with the actual work to be performed. It's just a good business practice not to waste anyone's time. On the other hand, that Company's customers just might be viewing these requirements and quite frankly, they look very good to any customer who views this information.

If you find you are hesitating because of this one requirement, there are some things you can do to make sure you reach your very best speed and accuracy level. Is the keyboard you are currently using the best one for you, or does it's design slow you down? Maybe you need a different keyboard that you can work on to speed up. Keyboards are very different and some are much more responsive and easier to use than others.

If your fingers are a bit stiff, perhaps you might want to use an arthritus rub several hours before testing? Can you take some type of ibuprofin a half hour or so before testing? What is your best time of day to take the test? Not all of us are morning people!!! Set up every advantage in your corner first before you do take an online typing test.

Get your desk/computer/keyboard, chair, mouse and pad arrangement to its most comfortable set up. The use of a friend or family member with a stopwatch for practice typing tests would help as well to build your confidence -- even if you can't reach the stated wpm.

If you otherwise have the equipment you need and your background and other skills are good, try going through the process. The typing speed is really only one of many criteria these companies will be considering when they hire independent contractors. Go for it. Just make certain that you have properly checked on the company for whom you would like to contract your services.

I’ll Make My Own Flavored Yogurt From Now On, Thank You

We all know that yogurt is a healthful food and it seems to taste best with various fruit and flavoring mixed in. Purchasing plain yogurt lends itself to your own creation of flavors (or use of left over fruits, etc.) to make combinations pleasing and enjoyable according to your personal taste. Plain brown sugar mixed into plain yogurt makes a tasty and enjoyable treat as well. Another advantage when creating your own mixtures is packaging it in the portion size you want.

In any event, I’m going to be very careful what I buy. The attached link to the news story might surprise you. http://www.wpxi.com/consumer/9895143/detail.html

Your Home Environment Often Determines Your Home Business Or Working Hours

Our home and our neighborhood are noisy. We love our dog, she’s cute and has a great personality. Lady was totally quiet for the first few weeks after we brought her to our home. It took her awhile before she realized she could bark. Slowly at first, a few growls and some snarling at a 5 lb. bag of potatoes, asserting herself to the cat who was the same size, and then finally a little barking at new noises.

It all escalated from there. She came to live with us in February when she was about 3 months old. Time moved along into spring and summer and we kept our windows open at every opportunity to let the fresh air inside. Lady discovered that our neighborhood was just full of dogs who loved to bark and lots of happy, noisy children too. It’s still that way. It’s joyful noise, but it can get to be a bit much at times.

There’s always someone walking their dog (or three) outside on the road and others dogs barking happily, playing with children in neighbors’ yards or a game of football or baseball out in the street and basketball in the driveways. Lady found that there were so many to “talk” to – from inside our house. She loves to stand up and bark replies (or orders) out through the windows. It’s definitely not ladylike noise.

If you want to work at home, your particular home noise levels might determine what you can do or when. If noise is too distracting, or your home business requires telephone service work, consider working late night through early morning. In the alternative, if a sound-proof room with a closed door is available, the choice of work time options is better. No one should permitted to come in during work time if your home business is answering incoming calls.

Many companies contract with independent contractors as call center operators. In many cases you can choose your own hours, and a quiet environment is required. LiveOps is one such company.

If you want to work as a contracted call center operator for Liveops, you will need more than just a reliably quiet space. As an independent contractor, you must have certain computer equipment which meets certain standards, a separate telephone line dedicated to business only, certification and training, as well as pay a $30 fee for a background and credit check among other requirements.

LiveOps has a high level of expectation for independent contractors and a rigorous screening process. The expected earnings range for new operators runs about $6.50 to $8.00 per hour. They note that their high and low seems to run an average of $6.00 to $15.00 per hour. Skilled agents can average $9.00 to $11.00 per hour, and exceptional agents can earn about $20 per hour. More calls are routed to the better agents.

Pay is earned by talk time, and more can be earned by selling additional items to the customer. Total pay depends on how many incoming calls you get and the particular type of job for the time you have committed to work.

These are customer service positions. Heavier call volumes for LiveOps are weekends for food service calls and informercial calls. It seems there are a lot of varied service positions available and you are able to choose the timeframes that you want to schedule to work in half-hour increments; which sounds great for those who need flexible hours.

LiveOps hires agents where there is need in the area. Obviously, if you are in a larger city, and you meet all of their specifications, you would probably have a greater chance of being accepted.

One thing that causes some concern is the low beginning earnings. The LiveOps website provides a great deal of information regarding expectation for independent contractors and it is worthwhile to read it to discern whether or not this work is appropriate for you.

You will still have to do your own research and ask questions before you commit to work for them. My own quick check of the website did not see any mention of having to deal with any adult items orders, although at least one of the other totally different company websites (not LiveOps) that also hired independent call center operators did have such expectations noted.

Always be well informed before you commit to any company what you are required to do and provide so you can make a well-reasoned choice and be happy and successful with it.

It is very good to see that there are companies contracting with American workers instead of outsourcing elsewhere. If this trend continues, it will enable Americans who need to work from home have more time with their families, and save on commuting and other costs incurred when employed outside their homes.

If you can make a serious commitment to professional work and you are satisfied with what you were able to search and find about LiveOps, there is an application on line to begin the process of a possible contract with them. www.Liveops.com

Purchasing A Vehicle? Do Your Homework FIRST Before You Commit To Buy.

Whether it’s new or used, purchasing a vehicle should never be a spur of the moment decision. Take the time to get full information first on total cost, warranty information, state (local?) sales tax, reliability, recalls, insurance costs, financing costs and terms, gas mileage, etc. Below are a few thoughts and websites to get you started with some of the information needed. Your newspaper(s) might be a good source of information on local dealers' current pricings and offerings. Many dealerships have their own websites.

Edmunds has a lot of information on their site, (recalls and technical service bulletins, etc.), it will show both the MSRP and Invoice prices (as well as with options you choose) and lots more. www.Edmunds.com

Kelley Blue Book also has a lot of information on new and used cars – you’ll find MSRP, Invoice, reviews and ratings, incentives and rebates, etc. http://www.kbb.com

Here’s yet another website with helpful information. When you click on this website be sure to also go to the Theft and Fraud Awareness link. That will give you access to the Flood Vehicle Database link. https://www.nicb.org

Now, you might find more discounts with ownership, as well. Or not. Once you have determined what you might buy, call your insurance company and ask about your selection(s): How will your choice(s) of vehicle(s) affect your premium and especially why, if the premium will be more. What features on your particular vehicle choice(s) will reduce the premium? (If you have your homeowner’s insurance with the same company, do you qualify for any further discount?)

Once you make your choices and have all your other information (and before you make any commitments with a dealer) check your local financial institutions (credit unions or groups you belong to) and determine what way is in your best financial interest to finance the vehicle. Most dealers can finance your car, but are often higher priced than you can obtain by your own efforts and the terms of financing might or might not be as flexible. Know the total costs of the loan privately obtained or dealership financed and compare them.

Once you purchase a vehicle, state (and/or local taxes) on the vehicle are due. The dealership should have state (and perhaps local, if any—ask first) authorization to collect taxes, but it’s always better to make out your own check directly addressed to the taxing body(ies) and then give that to the dealership.

Want A Different Kind Of Vacation? How About A “Finders Keepers” Trip?

This probably won’t remind you of gardening at home, but you’ll want to bring along extra clothing that is appropriate for the exciting part of the trip. The State of Arkansas (in Murfeesboro) is the location of the Crater of Diamonds State Park where you can go prospecting and digging for diamonds. Begin your search for diamonds over a 37-acre field that is plowed. It is the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic pipe that 95 million years ago, brought to the surface the diamonds and some of the semi-precious stones visitors might find. Here’s the link with a lot more information on what you might find and other links for facilities and tourism
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com to interest you.

Are You A Court Reporter Who Wants To Work From Home?

Part-time and Full-Time Captioners are needed to bring a world of information to the deaf and hearing impaired. Noted on 5/10/07, their website says they are hiring. If it looks like your abilities and their requirements are a match, begin your search to check them out. Compensation information is not provided on the website, although a lot of other information is presented. http://captioncolorado.com

Are You Curious?

Have you been wondering about how something works or what is involved? Now there’s a website that has some answers that can jumpstart you into further research. The articles presented aren’t overly technical, but still….interesting. It’s located here: http://www.howstuffworks.com and worth taking a look.

Pre-Meditated Acts Of Charity

Usually toward the end of each year through spring I receive a veritable deluge of requests for donations in my home snail mail. So many that it is totally impossible to respond or donate to the majority of them financially. The ones that I am very familiar with their work that I approve of will get something at some point. There are many charities that send requests that are unfamiliar to me.

While you won’t find every charity you would like to check on, the link below is a good site that will be of some help with a great many. You really have to read what is presented and visit the charity’s website for more information.

A star “*” rating system is used, a charity can rank from 1 to 4. One of my favorite charities is rated as a 2 star, but because I personally know many things about this charity, the work it is accomplishing and the way it is being accomplished, they really should be a 4 star, although Charity Navigator’s records don’t reflect that.

The http://www.charitynavigator.org is still a good tool to use in your search to check on charities who request donations and you want to make informed choices, or you can also search http://www.bbb.org although that probably has fewer listings.

The Land O’ Lakes Website Has Helpful Recipes For You – And They Are Free

Join their Simple Rewards Club and enter the Fiesta Sweepstakes – presently, there’s a chance to win a quesadilla grill. The Simple Rewards Club membership is also free. You can search for recipes, use the recipe box or surf through their recipe and meal ideas. Also provided is a long list of ingredient substitutions if you are cooking and find that you have run out of something essential.

What is commonly presented is not low calorie or low fat or low salt. However, you can use their search box for low calorie, low fat or low salt recipes. You can also look through some of the previous articles on my blog for suggestions, some of which are using Wyler’s no salt bouillon (which is very good) instead of canned and never use powdered onion or celery, etc. mixed with salt. My own personal cooking style also requires using only fresh garlic and never powdered or any type of mix.

This is a very nice and very helpful site, especially when you get home from work and can’t even imagine “what’s for dinner?” or how to start. It will also help because you can plan your shopping ahead by choosing recipes in advance for the week or special occasion. http://www.landolakes.com

Want To Check On A Movie To See If It Is Decent For You Or Your Kids?

Access the Decent Films website. It is the online home of the film writing of Steven D. Greydanus, who is a film critic for various publications. If your children are begging to you to buy or rent a movie for them, you might want to see a review first. http://www.decentfilms.com/

Planning On Traveling Out of the United States?

Here’s a source you might want to search to see what activity has been reported on in other countries. It is called the Overseas Security Advisory Council. The website says it is a Federal Advisory Committee with a U.S. government charter to promote security cooperation between American business and private sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State. Find out news and other information before you travel.

http://www.osac.gov/

Looking For Things To Do In Pennsylvania?

Explore your choices by visiting the link below. It is an official tourism Web site for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and can give you lots of ideas for food, fun and travel and even discounts. The link is http://www.visitpa.com/

Going On A Trip? Search For Severe Weather Conditions First

Take a look at the National Weather Service (National Hurricane Center) for lots of helpful information and especially if you need information regarding the Atlantic, Carribean Sea, Gulf of Mexico or Eastern Pacific areas.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Link of Possible Interest: Another Work At Home Transcription Site

The website says they are currently seeking general/corporate transcriptionists to work from home. The website has lots of “general” information. It is very light on the specifics that you would want to know, but that might be just to keep inside company information separate from their customers. That in and of itself is not unusual to keep proprietary information private. There is an email address to contact them.

To start checking, the best way I found for this particular company for a search on Google was to use the actual website name, including “.com” (you don’t need the “www.” in front of it) to bring up links with information to read. There were too just many unrelated links using the words “professional support service” alone.

Here’s the link to the Company website. This was noted on the internet on 5/5/07 – at http://professionalsupportservice.com/. There is a link on the site for employment you can click on to read their information and decide if you want to pursue checking on the opportunity presented any further.

I also did a “who is” search, which you can find at this link, or you could go find a different search for yourself. The phone number and address listed is different from the one at the BBB below.
http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=professionalsupportservice&tld=com

Here’s the information on the Better Business Bureau website.
http://www.lexington.bbb.org/commonreport.html?compid=90006034. Ms. Elizabeth Maracin is listed as President and the address given is 89 Kentucky Highway 34, Lancaster, KY 40444, Garrard County, Telephone listed is (859) 548-3002.

Dinner and a Movie: Night At The Museum and Pasta For Dinner All At Home

My friend, Sue (a mom with elementary school age kids). recommended this movie and we were able to find it in stock for rental and viewing today. Sue said her kids just loved it and that it was funny and held their interest.

Some well-known names, Stiller, VanDyke, Rooney, Williams and others team up for the movie, and it was entertaining enough for a PG rating. Stiller plays a bumbling divorced dad who needs a job and accepts a position as a night guard at a museum. Only, it’s not what he thinks it will be. During the night, all the exhibits come alive, people, animals, even a T-Rex and mayhem ensues along with various plot twists. All ends well. Cute for the kids, mildly entertaining for adults.

Pasta was on the menu for tonight’s dinner. Something simple and very filling. Here’s the ingredients, enough for about six to eight or dinner/lunches for several days (or cut back on the quantity of ingredients!).

16 oz box Penne Regate cooked to your specifications
16 frozen chicken breast tenders (2 per person) pan fried (don’t brown too much)
16 oz. frozen spinach cooked to melt in your mouth point (about 45 minutes) and drained.
1 regular size can petite diced tomatoes in juice, low salt, drained (or get three large fresh tomatoes, core and dice
8 large ribs celery sliced lengthwise, cut in 1 inch sections and one or two slices sweet onion (or more) stir-fried together until crisp tender (not browned)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced and stir-fried a few minutes until very hot, but not wilted
16 slices bacon well done and crisp – use paper towels to blot grease from them
1 jar Ragu light alfredo sauce (Keep a second jar handy for those who want heavy sauce)
Parmesan cheese/fresh ground pepper to sprinkle on top of dinner when assembled

Assembly. Place pasta in large bowls, add a serving of each vegetable, cut up chicken, 3 (or more) tablespoons alfredo sauce, crumbled bacon and sprinkle with the parmesan and/or pepper. Serve hot. Note that you don’t need a lot of the sauce, it spreads well when it is hot and you toss all together when ready to eat. It’s also best not to mix ingredients prior to serving and keep all the ingredients in separate containers for leftovers. One of the remarks made about dinner tonight was that the way it was made ‑‑ every item in there retained it’s unique flavor. I have leftovers!!!

Part-Time, Temporary Telecommuting Work Helping With Quality Evaluation of Websites For Google

WorkforceLogic is recruiting part-time telecommuters to help with Quality Evaluation for websites for Google Inc., the search engine company based in Mountain View, California. The first category is called Ads Quality Rater. There are other quality rater categories for specific bilingual abilities. Click the link and read the details. http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/topic.py?dep_id=1094&loc_id=1628
This was noted on the internet on 5/5/07.

Disabled And Want To Work At Home Telecommuting?

If you are not already working with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, contact the appropriate agency in your state and ask how you can (i.e., if you are eligible) register for Vocational Rehabilitation services. NTI Central claims around 30 or more states have a business relationship with them and there is help and training for disabled workers who want to work, and need to work at home telecommuting. If your state participates, your VR counselor should be able to counsel you and let you know if this is a real and viable option.

Check out this link http://www.nticentral.org/ to read all their links about what NTI Central does and how it works. It doesn't seem to be a place where you directly sign up for work, but read what is presented at this site and then contact your appropriate state agency.

This link shows you which states are claimed to already have a business relationship with NTI: http://www.nticentral.org/vr/v0040.shtm. Regardless of whether or not your state has a business relationship with NTI Central, your VR counselor might know of other companies that hire disabled telecommuters.

Sometimes A Little Help Is Just What We Need -- But If You Eat, You Qualify For This

A friend told me about this service last year when I was griping about how much it cost to grocery shop. My protest that my income was surely above what would be allowed was to no avail. There isn’t an income limit. If you eat, you qualify. I decided to locate them on the net.

This does not seem to be a food bank, you have to pay, but it’s not a lot. The basic package is $25 and once you purchase the basic package -- here is May’s menu all for $25 --

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
4) 5 oz. New York Strip Steaks(1) - 4 lb. I.Q.F. Chicken Thighs(1) - 40 oz. Beef & Bean Burritos - (1) 28 oz. Banquet Beef & Noodle Dinner - (1) 2 lb. Breaded Frying Chicken -(1) 1 lb. Ground Beef - (1) 12 oz. Pepperoni Pizza Sticks - (1) 2 lb. Popcorn Chicken - (1) 1 lb. Bean Soup Mix -
(1) 8 oz. Biscuit Mix - (1) 7.5 oz. Mac & Cheese - (1) 12 ct. Corn Tortillas - (1) 26 oz. Pasta Sauce(1) 16 oz. Pasta - (1) 24 oz. Hash Brown Potatoes - (1) 16 oz. Mixed Vegetables - (1) Dessert Item
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

you are then eligible to order various specials which sound wonderful, for about $18, such as a 2 lb package of breaded shrimp and 4 8 oz T-bones., or a 10 lb package of chicken tenders for $17.00, or a 5 lb grill box with a scrumptious sounding variety of steak, pork, burgers and sausage for $18.00.

April 30th or May 14th was the last day you could order for May distribution, depending on what state you live in. When you come on the pick up date, bring your own box or laundry basket to carry it home.

The food is promised to be very good. Apparently my friend has ordered from there as she was very enthusiastic when I asked about quality.

To locate a distribution center near you (many churches and other service organizations are involved in this) simply go to http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ then look at the top of the page for the host sites button. Choose your state, and search the list of locations.

Some of your location listings will have websites with direct information on it. Some sites you might have to call them for more information. These programs are run by volunteers and it certainly looks worthwhile.

Let me know if you try this and what you think. I live in a state where the deadline is May 14th (you pay and order first, then come back to pick up on another date.) If I can get there one of these months I hope to try it myself.

Are You Tired Of The Rat Maze And Lousy Music?

Just need to make a “quick” phone call to a company and your time on hold is too long or choosing from a confusing array of “press this number or press that number if” is aggravating? Need to find a number but don’t want to pay high charges through your own provider? Find lots of helpful information to get what you need. Try this link: http://www.gethuman.com/.

If You Save Pennies and Coins – Is That Just Another Way To Lose Your Money?

Get too many pennies, nickels or dimes in your pocket or purse and you carry a heavy load. It’s annoying. Pennsylvania has a tax rate that requires pennies when you pay with cash. It’s exciting to look at the pile of coins you have collected, maybe there’s even enough for a large delicious pizza or nice sandwich night out for two or three.

Our grocery stores are becoming one-stop shopping and convenience centers for whatever you need. That’s good and not so good. One of the “amenities” I have spotted lately is a free-standing mechanical bandit-type coin sorter where I could bring my stash of coins [mostly pennies and nickels]. It counts what you have and gives back paper money in return. It certainly looked like a great idea UNTIL you realize you lose somewhere around 9 or 10 percent of it for the service.

My frugal side [the one that saves pennies and nickels] said, “I’ll wrap those myself”. It isn’t necessary to buy the wrappers, some banking institutions will still give you wrappers. You could also ask for a few when you go into stores where the clerks know you – they might also have them to wrap coins when they balance out their registers.

You don’t have to count each coin by hand yourself. You can make it easy if you buy a coin sorter. The coin sorters are rather cheap and will save you money. You can find them as educational toys for kids; you can also find them on eBay. Searching on eBay on 4/30 under coin sorter, or coin counter or coin counter tubes, some nice possibilities came in at under $10 including the shipping. There were some very economical varieties for the sorter and shipping that were around $5.00 Just change the sort function at the top of the listings to: price, lowest first and you’ll probably find what you need very easily.

It’s also possible to ask your banking institution if they will run your coins through their sorter for free – some do this as a little perk to their regular customers, but you have to ask as one of them I found that did this limited it to a certain time and day.

Those you wrap yourself can be exchanged at you bank for paper dollars or just deposit them into your checking or savings. Stores that know you might also take some of the wrapped coins simply because they know you and because they too need the change.

If you take back paper dollars for your coins, put it in a special envelope marked for your pizza or sandwich night out. The plus or minus 10% you didn’t pay will help to leave a reasonable tip for some hardworking waitress.