Commentary

Get free help, tips and tricks from ‘MakeUseOf’

It never ceases to amaze me how much reliable and quality help is available on the Internet. One of my favorite resources for tips, tricks, cheat sheets and apps is the Web site at www.makeuseof.com. Hosted in the U.K. but with an international staff, MakeUseOf has established a reputation of excellence in terms of tips and tricks to improve our cyber lives, regardless of what operating system we choose or devices we own.

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Show love, keep folks in your life

We all have experienced the loss of a friend or a relative. And while those instances are truly sad, there might come a time in our lives when we have to say “Goodbye,” “I’m sorry” or “I will miss you” and move on to ensure our lives and our family’s lives are safe.

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Divorce does not affect your obligation on a mortgage

Q. In my divorce settlement, my spouse received the home that we owned. She also is required to make all the payments. My name, however, is still on the mortgage. What do I need to do to remove my name from documents pertaining to this home?

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Track hurricanes on your computer and smartphone

We are now well into hurricane season, and tropical storms started early this year. Compared to just a few years ago, when we had to manually plot storms on a map provided as a free hand out from the supermarket, today there is a plethora of hurricane tracking and information sites available online, and as apps for our Android devices, Windows phones, Blackberry devices, iPads and iPhones.

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God’s plan for our lives by way of ‘the scenic route’

After writing about the subject of faith last week in my column, a dear friend sent me this quote: “Faith is the bridge between where I am and the place God is taking me.”

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Small Claims Court is the real ‘People’s Court’

Q. I have a dispute with a small business that I want to resolve in small claims court. I know I can sue for up to $10,000, but I have some questions. Do I need an attorney? What is the statute of limitations in small claims court? How do I get my money if I win?

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Get your real credit report and score for free

You have undoubtedly seen countless TV and print ads for a service that promises to give you a “free credit report” but requires a monthly or annual membership for credit monitoring in order to get your “free” credit report. According to the Federal Trade Commission, many people did not realize that in order to get their “free” credit report, they were committing to a $79.95 annual fee for credit monitoring.

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Letter to the Editor

May 24, 2012 Open letter to incoming BISD Superintendent Timothy Chargois

 

I want to thank you for taking the time to visit (me) yesterday morning, (May 23). I think our meeting was productive and I hope you were left with a sense that it is our mutual and earnest desire to see BISD truly become one of the best school districts in the United States.

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Yahoo! Axis

Despite the term “Google” becoming somewhat synonymous with the term “search,” where people say “Go Google this” meaning to do an Internet search, Google is far from a monopoly. I sometimes have a hard time convincing others that Google is not the only search engine available, and that Yahoo!, Bing, and others are highly competitive and in some cases superior to the ubiquitous Google. Of the major search engines today, Yahoo! is the oldest, starting operations in early 1994, when the World Wide Web was in its infancy.

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Grandfathers: Best friends and fishing partners

I started writing a Father’s Day column, but somehow in my mind, and with my fingers on the keys, I ended up with thoughts of my grandfathers, the two men that loved me without reserve, judgment, or ill will. Carl Henry Cannon and Marshal Eli Cole both loved me with wild abandon and made me know I was special to them. Every child needs that, and I was blessed to have it from two men that were as opposite as any two could have ever been. Granddaddy Cannon was fun and filled with mischief, and he laughed a lot. In fact, he laughed so much that his face had creases just from the smiles.

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