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  • Are you photographs backed up?

    You must take steps to save your images for the future. Will the family photos you took be around for your children and even your grandchildren? Below from SaveMyMemories.org with some comments.

    Now, without delay, Protect your Pictures
    If you have all of your digital photos stored on your computer but have yet to do anything else with them, take steps to protect them right away. Make prints, copy to CDs or DVDs, a second hard drive, or upload them to an online service for storage.

    Then, Get Organized
    Whether you use a photo software program or create your own system based on folders and file names, your digital photos need to be organized in a way that lets you find them when you want them; Learn more here. You will also want to create a place or use a method that will help you to locate them easily and quickly so as to be sure not to lose them.

    And then as they say Stay Informed as technology changes
    Watch the industry for technology developments, always use proven technology and products based on well-established standards for equipment and media, including CDs or DVDs and the like.

    Though I would say, they contradict it in the next statement, as you can’t jump on each new thing, you need something that will stand the test of time.

    And finally, Stick To It
    Use the information on this website to develop a system that will personally work for you – and stick to it! Taking care of your life’s memories is an important and ongoing task, and not just a one time project.

  • Bill Gates keeps close eye on kids’ computer time

    This from articles last week online and in The Daily Star in Kuwait.

    Bill Gates keeps close eye on kids’ computer time
    OTTAWA (Reuters) – Just because you’re the daughter of Bill Gates does not mean you get to play on your computer all day long.

    The Microsoft founder said his 10-year-old daughter, his oldest child, was not a hard-core Internet and computer user until this year, when she started at a school where the students use tablet computers for almost everything.

    “She became very avid and discovered a lot of computer games, including one that runs on the
    Xbox 360 called Viva Pinata, where you take care of your garden,” he told a business audience in Ottawa.

    “She could spend two or three hours a day on this Viva Pinata, because it’s kind of engaging and fun.”

    Gates said he and his wife Melinda decided to set a limit of 45 minutes a day of total screen time for games and an hour a day on weekends, plus what time she needs for homework.

    Microsoft’s new Vista software enables parents to control the Web sites their kids go to but also includes an audit log that records sites they have visited and whom they’ve been Instant Messaging.

    “Up to some age, to be determined, it’s very appropriate for a parent to get a sense of what they’re seeing out there and be able to have conversations about it,” he said.

    “My son said, ‘Am I going to have limits like this my whole life?’, and I said, ‘No, when you move away you can set your own screen limits’,” Gates recounted, to audience laughter.

  • Experts: No cure in sight for unpredictable hard drive loss

    Experts: No cure in sight for unpredictable hard drive loss

    Read it all, or the moral of the story is, back up your data and you really should also do mirror backups of your operating system drive so if your drive fails it doesn’t take too much time to restore, relicense software etc.! Expect that if you keep your computer long enough the drive will fail.

    See more in misterian’s computer tips.

  • Lorem Ipsum – All the facts – Lipsum generator

    My wife had a laugh at a block of Ipsum Lorem and this is what they say about it.

    Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. From: Lorem Ipsum – All the facts – Lipsum generator

    Wikipedia further says:

    The text is derived from Cicero’s De finibus bonorum et malorum (About the Extremes of Goods and Evils, or alternatively [About] The Purposes of Good and Evil ). The original passage began: Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit (Translation: “Neither is there anyone who loves grief itself since it is grief and thus wants to obtain it”).

  • The difference between artificial vinegar and natural vinegar

    I saw the new bottle of vinegar from the grocery store in Kuwait today, and it said “Artificial Vinegar.” This may be due to Islamic interpretations of what is allowed and not allowed.

    Also, it is noteworthy that the Qur’an specifies intoxicants, as being Haram. An intoxicant is, by definition, a substance eaten, drunk or smoked with the sole intention of becoming intoxicated or a substance created with that purpose in mind. This means alcoholic drinks and narcotic drugs.

    Any food which was made with an alcoholic drink is Haram because, although the food itself probably couldn’t get you drunk, its alcoholic ingredient was made for that purpose. So make sure you check the ingredients label carefully!

    In contrast, alcohol can be found in some Halal foods, such as bread, soy sauce and vinegar (even cider vinegar or wine vinegar). These sometimes contain minute amounts of alcohol as a result of a natural reaction between certain chemicals during the manufacturing process (as opposed to alcoholic drinks being deliberately added to food to add flavour), and so couldn’t be classified as Haram. From: Islam Online

    Also Islam Online says:

    … What I see is that if wine changes into vinegar, it becomes pure and lawful as it has changed from its original state and this requires a new ruling as is the case with all other converted impurities regardless of whether this occurs naturally or by human interference. The wine itself is a pure substance as it was made from grapes. After becoming an intoxicant, it becomes prohibited. Once it changes and lacks the intoxicating characteristic, it regains its original ruling. …

    “Artificial vinegar” is acetic acid that is made by a chemical process. “Natural vinegar ” is acetic acid that is made in a biological process using the Acetobacter aceti bacteria. If the “natural vinegar” is distilled, it is very difficult to tell the difference between it and the “artificial vinegar.”

    From: The difference between artificial vinegar and natural vinegar

    There continues to be articles on the benefits of vinegar, though this is for apple cider vinegar.

    Article on bulletproof.com

      • Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can be an amazing addition to your health and beauty routines, and is packed with nutrients and beneficial bacteria and acid
      • Buy raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider v

    inegar with mother to maximize ACV’s benefits

    • Never take straight apple cider vinegar shots; instead, dilute 1 tablespoon in 8 ounces of water for a mild tonic

    Regarding health benefits, Mark Sisson’s excellent Daily Apply post states

    Vinegar itself, regardless of the origin, lowers the blood sugar response to a meal, improves the glucose tolerance and even increases the satiety of a meal when taken before or during the meal.

    And also Dr. Perlmutter notes that in a recent study published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism two teaspoons of vinegar with a meal lowers blood sugar. And he notes that only when complex carbohydrates were consumed, not if simple sugars were.

    I consume lots of apple cider vinegar on my salads almost daily. It has a strong taste, but you get used to it. I also like rice vinegar sometimes. Rice vinegar is tasty with tamari on a salad.

    There are many health claims for apple cider vinegar here. As far as being acceptable there may be more tendency for apple cider vinegar to have alcohol in it. More research is needed on this.

    A 2009 study in Japan which showed that vinegar consumption increased weight loss.

    Examine.com in October 2019 notes

    Benefits

    • It seems to have a modest ability to reduces the glycemic index of foods, making it a possible tool for helping to manage blood sugar.
    • Seems to be mildly appetite-suppressing and may assist dieting, with a little research finding a spontaneous reduction in food intake and body fat.

    However it notes side effects and drawbacks

    • Can damage various tissues and tooth enamel.

    • Application to sensitive skin, excessive consumption (especially of undiluted vinegar), and excessive consumption of pickled foods may lead to damaged tissue.

    Apple cider vinegar, has a rich concentration in acetic acid and other powerful phenolics. Dr. Nibber’s blog notes that.

    It seems to possess the ability to effectively ward off or wipe out pathogens of all kinds. An Italian study used an extract of fermented apple cider and confirmed that is was able demonstrate clear antimicrobial activity over all pathogenic strains used in the experiments. The bacterial strains most affected by the extract were E-coliand Bacillus cereus. It also showed promising results for inhibiting an emerging pathogen known as C.sakazakii.

    Moreover, this demonstrates clearly why apple cider vinegar is an effective, natural, safe, non-toxic disinfectant for our homes. Because E-coli and other pathogens can contaminate even organic, pesticide-free produce, using apple cider vinegar as a sterilizing wash is an excellent idea. The suggested ratio for this is 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water. Soak for 5 minutes and mix occasionally. Lastly, only buy organic, raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with the Mother. This is considered the whole food, therapeutic variety—the real deal.