become more organized

I don’t know why it took me so long, but I tried http://www.mint.com. I had been using http://www.pageonce.com, but not really actively using it anymore. However, thanks to Pageonce, I found out that Capital One has a credit card which does not charge transaction fees for overseas purchases… Could easily save me over $100 per year.

Anyway, with Mint.com, it allows you to organize all your transactions, whether by credit card or check. That’s the big difference with Pageonce. The UI for Mint.com is very smooth so that you can actually get a good overview of your transactions across many accounts, rather than just one account at a time. In addition, you can categorize your transactions.

Now I know how much how much I am spending eating out… or more importantly how much more I should be spending on my beloved tech gadgets…

From what I can tell so far, Mint.com is exactly what I’m looking for. 1 week ago

quit procrastinating is something I need to dearly accomplish.

Usually, for people who do not necessarily take care of everything right away, when there’s something which is a bit of an annoyance, we put off doing something about it until it gets so annoying, we finally do something about it.

One example may be on the computer where there’s some default setting you can use to make your life easier, but it’s “easier” to just go ahead and keep doing it every time… But at some point, you may get fed up and decide to find how to set the default. (Hopefully this made sense.)

At any rate, I’ve now gotten fed up with procrastinating. It’s now left me with way too many things to do because I kept putting them off. This doesn’t mean I can suddenly do everything at once, but at least I have come to the point where I need to change the way I do things. I think my recent inspiration to put everything in a sequential list will help me. I am able to slowly cross items off, but I also know that I need to put everything on the list which I need doing, or else, I may forget. And I know I need to put it on the list right away… so even if I put it on the bottom of the list, I know it is there, and I can forget about it until it’s time to work on it.

Wow… Being organized… This is pretty exciting! 1 month ago

Not yet sure how this will be organized, but likely by projects.

• Update with Flashback
• Order new tablet stand
• Find HDMI cable (only one seems to be LinkIT)

• Security camera / motion triggered lights at side of house
• Motion triggered lights over garage
• 2nd camera at front door
• Motion triggered recording for front door
• Decide what to do about front door intercom
• Have door bell button moved?
• Put warning indicator for first front door step
• Shorten bed for bushes to not obscure front entry way
• Determine best lock for gates
• Smart lock for front door
• Notification for mail
• Fireproof box
• Safe / safe room
• Fireproof hard drive / server

• Compare difference in interest using current rates vs current proposed rateRates range quite a bit from 3.148 from no name companies to 3.598 from ViewPoint, 3.598 is only $2000 different of life of loan to planned rate
• Why does WordPad no longer show recent files?Caused by some corruption in C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations, also used tip found at http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-desktop/want-to-change-wordpad-defaults-for-font-type-size/a99d61f2-1bc7-4f98-ba98-a30acc932e16 to pin template upon right click.
• Why does Skype phone in Japan not appear as active on Android app?For some strange reason, if Skype is also logged in on computer, then Android will not report as the phone in Japan as being connected
• Multi-person Skype, Google+, ooVoo, Windows Live Messenger video call
• Recipes to mix with Gluhwein (not gluhwein recipes but given a bottle of gluhwein, different ways of making drinks with gluhwein as an ingredient)
• Does old SlingPlayer still work?
• Can the hard drive from Mom’s previous ReplayTV be recovered?
• Selling on Amazon 1 month ago

- Need to find sites and tools that seamlessly merge, clean-up and update my contacts as needed.
- Edit and evaluate contacts
- Reconnect with those I haven’t touched base with in a while 1 month ago

Perhaps if I lay out the questions I have, I can slowly find the answers and then have a clearer vision:

Computer storage backup:
Q: How to back up recorded TV shows and movies
A: I could use the NAS as RAID 5 to provide automatic backup, but I am hesitant to depend on NAS for backup. I may need a second NAS.

Q: How to back up recorded TV shows and movies for my mom
A: Perhaps utilize spare external drives freed up by second NAS/Drobo.

Q: How to back up pictures from phone
A: All pictures automatically go to Google+ first. However, copying to Picasa would allow for automatic face recognition…

Q: How to back up pictures from camera
A:

Q: How to back up scanned pictures
A:

Q: How to back up phone data
A:

Q: How to back up scanned documents
A:

Q: How to back up personal softcopy files
A: All personal softcopy files should be in Google Docs.

Q: How does SkyDrive fit into backup strategy?
A:

Q: How to back up work softcopy files
A:

Declutter
Areas to declutter: Boxes, documents, clothes, gifts, ...

New computers and gadgets
Q: What are the tasks which I need for computers
A: Printer/scanner/fax, home automation, WiRNS, DVArchive, x10, Skype, document scanner, golf simulator, monitor security cameras…

Q: What are price targets for new purchases?
A: Ultranotebook $599, 10” tablet $299, 7” tablet $199, 5” tablet $149

Q: What is the criteria for a new ultranotebook?
A: Multi-touch, USB 3.0, built-in webcam, 2GHz dual-core…

Q: What is the criteria for a tablet?
A: Upgradeable to Android 4.0, USB host, front-facing camera, rear-facing camera, image stabilization, 3D camera, 3D video recording, 3D viewing (image and video), bluetooth, wifi g/n, GPS, multi-touch, gesture recognition, dual-core processors, contactless charging…

Q: What is the criteria for a new phone?
A: Same as tablet, works overseas including Japan…

Q: What’s missing by being on Android 2.1 instead of 2.3?
A: Skype video support, Google Music, any.do (but not robust enough anyway)

Q: What are the requirements/uses of a home phone system (presumably Android)?
A: Single contact list maintained online, use of Call Filter, ability to screen calls as with current answering machine, caller announcements (verbal), caller ID on TV, phone for use with front door intercom, front door and house video, house intercom system, handsets with same capabilities, Skype calling including video

Home entertainment, automation, phone
Q: What are some options for home entertainment center?
A:

Q: What are the streaming requirements?
A: Streaming from Japan, streaming to my mom

Q: What are some streaming or remote DVR options for above streaming?
A: ReplayTV (DVR option), PC, Vulkano, SlingBox

Q: How to store and play music?
A: Local media through XBMC? DLNA? Google music through Google TV?

Q: What boxes are part of home computer set up?
A: ReplayTV, Verizon STB, GoogleTV?, Slingbox

Q: What are remote control options for above boxes?
A: PC-operated? Android device for GoogleTV? Lenovo bluetooth keyboard for PC-based? Slingbox app on Android device?

Q: What are controller options for home automation?
A:

Q: What are some replacement options for cable premium movie channels?
A:

Golf club making
Q: What are the steps required prior to working on the golf clubs?
A: 2 months ago

This goal will be forever ongoing,but i’ve become more organized in the last 6-8 months of my life.But like everything else in life,There is still work to do. 7 months ago

I did a bunch of organizing this past week. I have a few bags set aside of donation items, stuff I have probably needed to part with for awhile but never really found the time to dig it out. Isn’t it a bit silly how some people have so little yet some of us have so much stuff our homes are cluttered and we can’t even recall what all it is we do own? (maybe awkward grammar in that question, but you know what I mean.. right?)

I’ve been making an effort lately to have less stuff. Less books, less clothes, less EVERYTHING. I don’t have a lot of space that’s just for myself, so I need to use what I do have responsibly—and that means I need to get rid of some stuff!

One thing that challenges me again and again is clothes. Yes, I’m donating some, but I still have a bunch more that I’m not willing to part with. I’ve put a fair amount of money into my wardrobe, it’s such a dumb thing to spend money on though, right? Of course clothes are necessary, but not as many as I have. Not as many as most people have. I think one problem with clothes though, is that after a while I’m tired of wearing the same stuff and I want new, different clothes. Fashion changes too quickly too. I don’t even buy all the trendy stuff that goes out of fashion that fast, yet I STILL feel tired of my clothes. Hm.

I’m rambling.

What I did buy this past week is containers to hide stuff away that I do use on a regular basis, but shouldn’t be out for all (mostly, me) to see. When it’s out, it just looks like clutter and that’s stressful. So—containers, then I was careful about what I put in them, and I feel better since I’ve set aside stuff for donations and what I do have is finding its very own place. 7 months ago

Get rid of everything I don’t need. (e.i. bills, clothes, junk, incoming mail, negative people, clutter…) 7 months ago