Renton, WA

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.

Summer starts today, according to IKEA. I decided I had better check with them, since last year summer was over, and I missed it. So I visited the local shrine of inexpensive Swedish furniture to consult their authority. Their posters informed me that summer starts March 7th. I snapped a picture with my cell phone.

I think I’m starting to get the hang of this. I’ll buy my new patio furniture, and put it outside while it is still raining. While I’m at it, I’d better buy a new swimming suit. When I ready to actually sit outside and use the new patio furniture, the store will be selling winter coats. Got it.

Related articles:
Get creative with your IKEA household, with ideas from ikeahacker.

If you want to help save the world, but aren’t willing or able to risk infecting yourself with malaria to do so, there still may be a way. The Gates Foundation has dedicated $100 million to encourage innovation in global health research, offering grants to those with innovative ideas on four topics: Tuberculosis, HIV, infectious diseases and drug resistance.

They plan to give $100,000 each to 60 new projects. Proposal applications are short - only about two pages long - and preliminary data is not required for the applications due at the end of May. They’ll be accepted beginning March 31. The projects can be unproven, and unorthodox, but each applicant will need to be a scientist and have a lab in which to do the work.

The foundation is already spending about $450 million to support 40 bigger projects focused on preventing infectious diseases, creating drugs or delivery systems that limit resistance, creating new ways to prevent or cure HIV infection, and understanding latent TB infection.

A flashlight egg hunt sounds like a blast; since my family won’t be able to attend I hope someone can leave me a comment and let me know how it goes. Sometimes an egg hunt just turns into a mad dash over in seconds, but the flashlights add a fun twist. The egghunt will be at Liberty Park. If you’re mapping it, that’s at 1101 Bronson Way North, at the intersection of Bronson Way N and Houser Way N.

There will be separate hunts for ages 7-10 and for ages 11-15. The event starts at 8pm March 7, and should last about an hour. Bring flashlight and bag.

For younger children, try the Hip Hop Egg Hunt and Carnival. The egg hunt for ages 6 & under (with parent), so they can have fun without being run over by older children. The egg hunt is free, and the carnival is $6. This will be at Renton Community Center on 3/15 from 10AM to 12:30.

For something you can do at home, try this Easter Egg Tree from Creative Mom Cafe.

I’ve heard of paid research studies, but Seattle Biomedical Research Institute is about to take it to the extreme. Finding a vaccine for malaria is very important for third-world countries, where millions die every year of this mosquito-borne illness. So why would any amount of money tempt you to expose yourself? Well, the good news is, we don’t live in a third world country. If the test vaccine is not effective, and you do develop the disease, it would probably be similar to the flu. In a similar project at Walter Reed, not one person has gotten “seriously ill”.

You may be motivated by the $2,000, or by a sense of helping the global community, or by a combination of both. But don’t get too excited. The first trial will be held more than a year from now, with six volunteers.

Additional trials would require about 26 volunteers each. All of this is being funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. I could make a joke here, like “First they brought us Windows, now they bring us malaria” but this seriously is a great cause. Bill and Melinda Gates announced in October they would seek worldwide eradication of the disease rather than just control. Their foundation has committed $860 million to malaria programs and another $650 million to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Seattle volunteers will be paid an estimated $2,000 or more to hold a paper cup containing infected mosquitoes against their arm, waiting for the insects to bite. Symptoms usually develop within nine to 11 days, and volunteers will be treated for malaria when the first parasites show up in their blood. The treatments last three days. At this time the SBRI website only has information on how to donate money, not your body, so stay tuned for more information.