Selecting Tax Software, 2018

Posted by Justin A. Parr on February 13, 2018
Posted in: The Light Side. Leave a Comment

Selecting Tax Software, 2017 (Tax year 2016):

Do you need to file a State income tax?

  • Yes:  TurboTax Deluxe
  • No:  TurboTax Deluxe

 

Selecting Tax Software, 2018 (Tax year 2017):

  1. Pick a Kanji pictogram
  2. Convert it to ancient Chinese
  3. Speak it in hushed whispers to Cthulhu
  4. Cthulhu will, in turn, flash a gang sign to the ancient Egyptians
  5. The ancient Egyptians randomly pick a hieroglyph
  6. The hieroglyph has nothing to do with anything
  7. Pick some TurboTax edition at random
  8. Pay $30 more than you planned.

 

Password Commandments

Posted by Justin A. Parr on January 18, 2018
Posted in: Tech Support. Leave a Comment

Thou shalt protect your data.

Passwords are the most versatile and effective way to protect your data, but most people break these simple rules.

Using a weak or ineffective password strategy in an always-connected world means that your money, data, and identity are at risk.

Thou shalt follow these commandments in order to protect yourself, both online and offline.

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Cranberry Sunrise

Posted by Justin A. Parr on November 27, 2017
Posted in: Other Stuff. Leave a Comment

Do you have some leftover cranberry sauce?  Make a Cranberry Sunrise!

(For Shannon, with love)

Ingredients and Supplies

  • Large Pilsner glass
  • 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce (preferably home-made, not that canned crap)
  • 2 oz vodka (substitute rum or tequila)
  • 8 oz (1 cup) orange juice
  • 1/2 cup of ice, cubed
  • Small Measuring cup

 

Instructions

  1. Add 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce to empty measuring cup
  2. Add 1 oz vodka to measuring cup
  3. With a spoon, blend cranberry sauce and vodka to form a syrup
  4. Put 1 oz vodka in an empty Pilsner glass
  5. Add 1/2 cup ice to Pilsner glass
  6. Pour 8 oz (1 cup) orange juice over the ice, in to the Pilsner glass
  7. Gently pour cranberry syrup on top of the floating ice – it will slowly sink to the bottom, forming a magenta layer at the bottom of the glass.

Garnish with orange or lime

Remember: There are NO TECH DEALS on Black Friday

Posted by Justin A. Parr on November 20, 2017
Posted in: Tech Support. Leave a Comment

Many retail stores want you to go out early on a cold Friday morning to stand in line for that TECHNOLOGY DEAL THAT’S TOO GOOD TO PASS UP.

There are no good technology deals on Black Friday.

Watch Out for Personal Computing Door Busters

Regardless of what you see on TV, or what it says in the newspaper flyer this week, DON’T BUY IT.

Don’t buy:

  • Tablets
  • Phones
  • Drones
  • Televisions
  • Computers
  • Laptops
  • Monitors
  • Robots

The retail stores know how to manipulate the specs so that they can sell you a cheap piece of crap at a “discounted” price.

  • That tablet for $150?  Yep, it’s worth $150 – it’s not “discounted” from $300.  It’s a CHEAP PIECE OF CRAP.
  • Buy your loved one a new phone for $200?  Yep, it’s the one with 32GB of memory, the crappy camera, the short battery life, and no external memory card.  It’s not the $500 phone you think you’re buying.
  • Every kid wants a drone!  I’ll get one for little Timmy!  Timmy is going to HATE a crappy little 3 inch drone that he can’t fly very well because it sucks.
  • YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT A 4K TV!!!!!  Yes, you can.  Wait until the new models come out in February.  Right now, you’re buying last year’s model at this year’s price, at a slight discount because they have to get rid of it anyway.
  • Time to upgrade to a state of the art computer!  A 16GB Chromebook is NOT AN UPGRADE from anything!
  • You get the picture

Instead, all online retailers, including the brick and mortar stores, are offering great deals online all week, and you can probably get a “real” deal next week during Cyber Monday as well.

Use an Android App to View or Take Pictures of the Solar Eclipse

Posted by Justin A. Parr on August 6, 2017
Posted in: Math and Science. 1 comment

In 1984, there was an annular solar eclipse visible from Texas, and every school-aged student made a pinhole projector, that allowed you to view a representation of the sun and the shadow of the moon as it passed in front.

Now, everyone has a smart phone, so in honor of the upcoming August eclipse event, why not make “an app for that”?

Update:  Now takes time-lapse photos

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