Renton, WA

Just a quick Friday Freebie for some of you. This weekend is a Starz Free Preview weekend on Directv. So spend a few minutes setting up your Tivo to record all those movies!

The much hyped big, er Venti, surprise at Starbucks for yesterday, April 8th, turned out to be free samples of coffee. I was unimpressed with this event, and I was unimpressed with the coffee. This does not stop me from buying overpriced coffee drinks, but it wasn’t the great marketing maneuver I was expecting. Starbucks has recently announced a focus on the basics, even closing their stores for training, purchased new improved equipment, and announced $1 coffee, presumably to retain those Dollar Menu customers.

McDonalds, however, is fighting the good fight. I just got an email for a free espresso drink from them, and their marketing plan appears to be mocking “snobbish” coffee. I think that is a good tact for them to take. They also included in the email a coupon for two hours of free wireless access from their restaurants which have a hotspot, to go along with the coffee. If you did not receive such an email, just leave me a comment or use the email link, and I can forward you a copy of my email.

Certainly, hanging out in Starbucks is a world away from hanging out in McDonalds. You do those things on completely different occasions. However, McDonalds has the advantage of a playland in some locations. For example, the Maple Valley location has both a playland and wireless hot spot. I’ve never tested this plan, but theoretically I could have coffee and free wireless Internet access for 2 hours while my kids play, all at no charge. I’ll have to add this to my mental list of free kids’ activities for spring break.

Our local government has two plans to help regulate our traffic, and thus improve traffic flow.

First, the HOT Lanes are being implemented this month on HWY 167 (aka The Valley Freeway) using the Good to Go transponders to pay your toll. If you are a carpool, you do not need to pay the toll, and can cover the transponder with aluminum. I’m honestly not sure how this honor system is supposed to accomplish anything. It seems like it will be harder to patrol than a simple carpool lane. And I can see why some have called it the “Lexus Lane”. But people who are carpools, or willing to pay the varying fee (up to $9) can ride in the HOT Lane on 169 when it opens April 26th.
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Happy April Fools Day, I guess. I’ve never been a fan of Aprils Fools day, or understood the concept of playing pranks, so I’m going to ignore that pseudo-holiday and point out something better. April is National Landscape Month
The month encompasses Earth Day on April 22 and the birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted on April 26, founder of the American landscape architecture profession.

For most of us, we can celebrate this month by dreaming of what we will do when spring actually arrives. However, The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) wants to use this month to train up the next generation of landscape architectures. Which is ok by me as long as they come work on my yard. And I use the term “yard” loosely. It’s more like “nature outside my house”.

Eddie George is a Heisman Trophy winner, former NFL Pro-Bowl running back, and landscape architecture firm principal. Isn’t that an interesting combination? He is helping promote landscape architecture careers to young people. ASLA chapters across the country will host activities throughout the month of April, highlighting what landscape architects do and the broad range of careers available in the field.

ASLA would like to point out that “a recent survey” shows that the average landscape architecture student receives three job interviews during their final semester at school, resulting in two job offers. The starting salary for graduates with undergraduate degrees is $40,080 and with graduate degrees is $44,600. The annual salary and bonus for all landscape architects averages nearly $90,000, with experienced landscape architects and firm owners earning much more.

To learn more about landscape architecture or to find local events in your area, visit http://www.asla.org.  Renton Technical College offers a landscape design class which I highly recommend.  Since most of us don’t do “landscape design” nearly as much as good old fashioned “gardening”, check out Susan’s Earthly Garden, also on 451press.net

Stonyfield Farm is recalling 6oz non-fat blueberry yogurt because there may be glass in it. This is a nation-wide recall.

They state that “the problem is not widespread” but I’d rather not chance swallowing some glass. If you have any of the affected products, just return it or toss it:

Affected products would be 6-ounce Fat Free Blueberry yogurts carrying one of following product codes printed along the cup bottom that start with the following dates:

Apr 14 08
Apr 15 08
April 25 08
Apr 26 08

Today’s Friday Freebie is another free website: ebates.com.

It is a lot more frugal to focus simply not spending, rather than trying to find ways to spend money cleverly. However, if and when you order online, you can get rebates from this website, ranging from a few cents to a few dollars. Different websites offer a different percentage, some quite high. Ebates is one of many shopping portals that gives you a percentage of the purchase, in exchange for using them as the referral. It does not interfere with the use of coupons. And it does not matter what payment method you use (for example, a cash-back credit card).

You receive this rebate either by your choice of check or PayPal. The only catch is that there is a significant delay, and your money is sent quarterly if the amount is at least $5. I have earned over $190 since I joined, an undetermined amount of time ago. So it’s not a lot of money, but better than nothing.

Ebates has some software called Moe Money Maker, which you can download to “help” you save money by “remembering” to go through their portal, but it’s pretty bad. I tried to use it, I really did, but it would hijack my browsing in the most annoying way, and many people online think it is spyware. Fortunately, you don’t need to use it.

Generally I feel it is unethical to use referral links in a forum such as this, but I will provide a clearly identified referral link here, because you can get a $5 bonus (as do I) if you sign up this way.

If you have experience with Ebates you would like to share, or would like to suggest a future Friday Freebie, leave me a comment and let me know.

Just in time for spring break kids bouncing off the walls, comes the annual Seattle Center Whirligig! I’m normally not a fan of going “all the way downtown” (insert big sigh) but I may be desperate by this point. And the kids think going to the park ‘n ride and taking the bus downtown is a big adventure. (My real goal is to not have to drive and park downtown.)

The 2008 Seattle Center Whirligig is March 28 – April 13. There will be super-sized inflatable rides, roaming clowns, face painters and FREE entertainment, turning the Center House into a colorful house of bounce. A special Toddler Zone is also available.

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Make sure you wash those cantaloupes and other melons carefully! Many people don’t think of that, because of course you don’t eat the rind, but your knife will pick up that bacteria and bring it right into the inside which you do eat.

The FDA is urging consumers to discard Honduran cantaloupes after a salmonella outbreak sickened 59, including at least 14 in the Pacific Northwest. While the Honduran government argues about whether they should be blamed, or the cantaloupe picked up the germs whilst in transit, I say it doesn’t really matter to the consumer where it is contaminated. Either toss the fruit or wash it very carefully. Like you always do, right?
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This is not Renton-specific, but all of us tax-paying Americans will be receiving stimulus checks starting in May, and it is our patriotic duty to spend them! Then we will stimulate the economy, thus the “stimulus” checks.

For the few who haven’t heard, all individuals or married couples who filed their 2007 taxes will automatically receive the stimulus payment either by direct deposit, if you had a refund direct deposited, or by check to your mailing address. The amount for most people is $600 single, $1200 married, plus $300 per dependent. You can calculate your exact amount using the IRS calculator here.

People who file a return after April 15 will still receive their economic stimulus payment, but probably about two weeks later than the schedule shows. A return must be filed by October 15 in order to receive a stimulus payment this year. According to most reports, there will be an opportunity to claim this amount during the 2008 tax year filing.

And now for the payment schedule you have all been waiting for:

DIRECT DEPOSIT

PAPER CHECK

Related 451press articles: check out HomeBizNet’s review of tax prep software.

Now for the second installment of the Friday Freebie, my second-favorite freebie of all time. Mozy Online Backups.

The reason I love Mozy is that it is truly set-it and forget-it. I use my laptop for a home business, which makes backups even more critical, but all of us underestimate the importance of our files. Your email, those pictures you just took, and certainly your copy of Quicken. If your last backup was a month ago, that is not much better than no backup. What about the email you received yesterday about that thing you have to do, and do you want to re-enter a month’s worth of transactions into Quicken? I didn’t think so. Mozy can be set to backup daily, or whenever you computer is idle (based on your definition of idle). I don’t need to do anything, and I’ll never loose more than 24 hours worth of information. Data is well-encrypted, and if you would feel better about it, you can even choose your own encryption key.
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It’s that time, time for the Friday Freebie.

It was hard to choose what to do first, since I have several favorite freebies. One that I simply can’t do without is the freeware/shareware Roboform. There are many form fillers available, and basic functionality is built into most browser. The wonderful thing about Roboform is that you can save the settings for a particular form or login screen you need to fill out. For example, when you go to log into the library website at kcls.org you need to enter your library card. I don’t know about you, but this is not one of the numbers I commit to memory. I used to have to go find my library card and type in the numbers. No longer. My Roboform toolbar suggests which information I need (and it’s usually right). Then I just click that button to fill in my kcls login information. I can even save a step by selecting “fill and submit” with a single click.

Think of all the logins and passwords you need to commit to memory or write down. Now imagine saving all of them in the password protected Roboform program. You can login anywhere with a single click.

The free version of Roboform allows a limited number of “passcards” or website forms it will remember. The paid version of Roboform allows an unlimited number. You have nothing to loose by trying the free version, and maybe you can save your 10 most frequent or difficult to remember sets of information. As an avid sweepstakes entrant, I find the unlimited version priceless. Not to mention that I believe in paying shareware fees to people who have earned them by providing a great product. Roboform certainly has done this.

For next Friday Freebie, tune in next week.

Renton residents have been on TV quite a few times lately. First we had Tanji Johnson on American Gladiators. Then the Renton Hale-Jo family receiving an home makeover from daytime tv queen Oprah. Now, we learn that Miss Washington USA is from Renton also. Michelle Font graduated from Kentwood, and her parents live in Fairwood. Michelle attended the Kent School district from Kindergarten through High School, and then went on to the University of Washington. So she’s a real local girl. Now she is on her way down to Las Vegas to compete at the Miss USA pageant at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino.

You can watch the televised Miss USA 2008 pageant Friday April 11th at 9PM ET on NBC. Good luck, Michelle!

Renton Fire and Emergency Services is actively recruiting volunteers for the Spring 2008 CERT academy.  Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is a nationwide all-hazards program created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). CERT is part of a national effort to increase disaster preparedness and volunteerism in communities.

Graduates of the CERT program work with first responders to better prepare their neighborhoods and assist with local response efforts in the event of a disaster. CERT volunteers will be trained in fire suppression, light search and rescue, first aid, disaster psychology and neighborhood organization. Classes are taught by fire department personnel and local experts in disaster preparedness and response.

The Spring 2008 CERT academy begins March 19th. Classes are held on most Wednesday evenings through May 14th and conclude with a disaster simulation exercise on Saturday May 17th.

For more information about CERT, or to register for spring classes, call (425) 430-7041.

Set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. You effectively loose an hour of sleep, so you may want to go to bed a little early.

My strategy is to change my alarm clock when I get into bed, and leave all the rest of the clocks until the next day. Otherwise I confuse myself, wondering which clocks I have changed, and what time it “really” is. Computers and cell phones should automatically update themselves, so you can double-check what time it “really” is, if you need to.

If you have read this blog more than a few times, you have probably noticed that I am always interested in “free” stuff. Anything from free kids activities to free seminars in the Renton area will probably show up here. But sometimes there is great free stuff I want to share that isn’t a local event. I have decided to reach a little beyond my blog title and post a Friday Freebie.

The Friday Freebie can be anything I find cool and useful that is free. It might be a website, a great piece of freeware, a really good “free after rebate” offer. There are tons of blogs to show you deals and online shopping bargains. This is not one of them. I’m just going to share a personal favorite freebie on Fridays.

Starting next week.