Yearly Archives: 2016

What Does Amazon Prime Give You?

Get Amazon Prime pictureWhat does Amazon Prime give you? I thought… free shipping and a few free kindle books?

I have had Prime for a month (I bought it on a special discount deal for $73.00). I really wasn’t sure if I ordered enough from amazon to just not to have to pay for S&H.

Amazon Prime Member Benefits

I went back over my previous year’s orders and by May I’d paid $50 in shipping costs. One of the best Amazon Prime account benefits is free two day shipping.

You can even defer the forty eight hour shipping if you want, for five days – and get a one dollar or equivalent credit toward a digital order. I didn’t look further – I just ordered it! Obviously it was going to pay for itself and more!

Amazon Prime Video Benefits

I have been cramming in time for movies and television shows that I’ve wanted to see for ages! I had no idea there was so much included in Prime membership!

I have watched:

  • Extant two seasons
  • Humans first amazing season!
  • Orphan Black three seasons
  • Bosch two seasons
  • Interstellar (watched twice!)

And there is so much more! I no longer pay for any television packages on cable or Direct TV. I couldn’t get the channels I wanted.

One particularly great benefit is being able to watch some HBO series, if you haven’t been able to pay for HBO in the past. The Americans and Boardwalk Empire,  to name two.

Amazon Prime Student Benefits

The incredible cost saving here is a free six month trial. There are some limitations with the free trial:

  • No live streaming movies and television
  • No sharing your Prime Account
  • No access to Prime Music
  • No access to the Kindle Lending Library

A student must have a .edu email address. Considering every small thing one can order with free shipping – what a deal!

You do not have to wait for the six month no-cost period to end, to buy a standard Student account for $49, or about half the regular price.

Prime Pantry! Take a look at all of those groceries and household products!

Amazon Prime Sharing Benefits

An adult account holder can add another adult in the household to their account. Up to four children can have their own profiles, book and movie collections.

Now adults don’t have to hear the kids arguing about what to watch or read. Most children have their own devices these days. Even the younger ones might have a Kids Edition Kindle 7 with the built in parent’s programming options.

Music!

Millions of songs and thousands of play lists are yours to access. And with no ads to interrupt your enjoyment.

Account participants can listen to Prime Stations on:

  • Fire tablets
  • iOS
  • Android devices
  • A PC or Mac
  • Your Music Library on the Web Player.

I feel like a kid in a candy shop, sugar rush overloaded! This is so much fun!

Plus there’s the unlimited amount of space for photos – photos I’m taking with my new Kindle Fire 7!

800,000 Kindle Library books included – borrow one a month with no due date.

Prime members get early notification of Lightning Deals!

Amazon Prime

Check Prime

Those are the ways you can save money with your amazon Prime account. Factor in how much more time you will spend at home with no need to go out for all the entertainment. Cook at home, save on gas, and get the laundry done while you’re watching. You will save time too.

All in all, for the reasons cited above, I think Prime is a wonderful gift to give!

And below is another wonderful deal, and it caught my eye because a close friend of mine – whenever I recommend a book – asks me “Is it on audible?” She loves to listen to books as she goes around the house tidying and what not. 30 days free!

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Jim Rickards Fraud?

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I was surprised to see the phrase “jim rickards fraud” when I did a casual search of Jim Rickards reviews about The New Case For Gold, which will be available on April 5. So I decided to look into this bizarre search result.

Was I completely scammed when I read The Death of Money last year? I am not an experienced investor so it was a hard study for me, yet it was too fascinating to give up on.

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In that book, the author advises having gold as part of one’s portfolio. It is a given that all of one’s eggs should not go into one basket. Other types of investments could be in fine art, or antiques.

Market instability is scary for most, yet it seems those who truly understand how money works (or does not) can take advantage of crises. That does not make someone a fraud.

Jim Rickards Reviews

  • The “scam” and “fraud” discussions go back as far as 2014 and don’t seem to have continued. The supposed red flags were:
  • Jim Rickards having been an advisor to the CIA
  • He had been interviewed on ‘alternate media’, like the Alex Jones show

Firstly it is no secret that he was/is an adviser to the CIA. He says so! That fact is part of his credentials, and credibility. It is pure mental clutter to have this converted into a distraction of conspiracy theory and “woo-woo” material.

One trashy web site even had a discussion of his The Death of Money associated with Alistair Crowley (witchcraft) and a rising sun or Golden Dawn symbol of The New World Order.

Jim Rickards fraud? I don’t see any.

It is my personal opinion that there is no fraud or scam involved. Jim Rickards sells books and he also sells reports on investing systems he has developed. No deception there either. Investing is everyone doing the best they can with the information they can get. And each investment has to be the weighing of that information.

I will be pre-ordering this to be delivered to my Kindle Fire on April 5!

 

Computer Glare Eye Strain

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Do You Have Computer Glare Eye Strain Symptoms?

  • Soreness of the eyes
  • A dry or grainy feeling while working, and sometimes while sleeping
  • Blurry or watering eyes
  • Difficulty in focusing, especially when you’re starting to get tired
  • Photo sensitivity, or sensitivity to light
  • Neck pain, shoulder pain or back pain
  • Headaches

Eye strain doesn’t necessarily trigger any disease, but there is no reason to suffer or prolong the uncomfortable symptoms.

If you are over 40, or over 50, you may have bought some reading glasses, or magnifiers, to read fine print. Often people do this before they ultimately go in for an eye test and purchase prescription lenses.

Sometimes an eye examination will reveal that each eye needs a different magnification. If the difference is great enough, the eye strain may continue to some degree with non-prescription magnifiers.

Ultimately, the ideal computer glasses would be prescribed for you, and also would block UV rays.

Computer Reading Glasses VS Reading Glasses

Computer reading glasses, whether tinted or clear, block UV rays. Just as sunlight can strain the eyes, computer screens emit blue rays that are harmful to the retina in the eye.

The lens and cornea both filter UV rays to some degree. Yet, think about how you strain your eyes if you spend eight to twelve hours a day in front of a computer, tablet, or phone screen.

Most people would not spend all day in sunlight without a brimmed hat, a visor, or sun glasses.

People trekking across snow wear UV blocking goggles, or they will develop snow blindness from the reflection, increasing the glare of the sunlight.

Now we do virtual trekking working, reading and watching television shows or movies on an electronic device. Every day!

When I first started reading most of my books on my Kindle Fire, I was aware of the eye strain and would switch out reading on it, and reading printed books. I thought this would help with my eye fatigue.

(Now that I have found the right reading glasses, I can read Kindle books on the tablet, or on my laptop,  all I want.)

What Are The Best Anti Glare Computer Glasses?

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Eye Strain And Computers – If you are older (over 40) you may mistakenly blame aging with blurry vision, dry eyes or sore eyes. There are different kinds of eye drops that sooth the eyes. Some are saline solutions and others are homeopathic or herbal (eyebright).

The eyes do age, but even cataracts rarely interfere with vision before the age of about eighty.

Do You Watch TV On The Computer Software?

If this is true in your case, you are adding additional hours to your computer glare eye strain! Why do people use the computer to view television shows and movies?

  • Cable contracts are too expensive
  • Netflix is way cheaper
  • Hulu is way cheaper
  • Amazon Prime includes entertainment as just one of its benefits and the per month expense is still a great savings

Does TV Emit Radiation? Alert To Gamers!

First, an urban myth about televisions emitting x-rays was perpetuated after an actual event in the 1960’s. GE had a recall of televisions that were emitting radiation. The most exposure went to children who sat close to the screens.

After that event, there was no more significant danger. CRT (cathode ray tube) televisions had lead in the screens for consumer protection. But –

Gamers And Old Monitors

Gamers are a discerning group when it comes to definition of image and their gaming speed. LED screens produce a slight input delay and have decreased definition, probably invisible to the non-gamer eye.

[easyazon_infoblock align=”left” cart=”y” cloak=”y” identifier=”B010B5GUH0″ key=”image” locale=”US” localize=”y” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ballweddflat-20″]That is why many gamers prefer old CRT monitors for gaming, and yes they are receiving considerably more radiation because of this. Gamers really need the best anti glare computer glasses they can get.

Reading glasses with UV protection – Tried Them And Love Them!

I still have my first pair, the tinted glasses and I love them! I got a pair with tortoise shell type frames and my boss told me I looked like a rock star. I laughed my head off at that! And that style of eye glass frames is still popular, but eventually it will look goofy.

So I searched for new ones and found clear computer reading glasses with the same ultra violet ray protection. Those show at the top of this article.

They come in a variety of frames. And these glasses have 100% five star amazon reviews! I don’t find that common.
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The 18 Inch Fluorescent Light Bulb Glare

I used to work for a doctor who disliked the typical office tube lighting with the purplish glow. The ubiquitous 18 inch fluorescent light bulb.

Doc Kym explained that the fluorescent lights flicker constantly, which keeps our brain adjusting, just as constantly. And she thought that is why people experience fatigue unnecessarily in office spaces that use them. And they all use them!

Those lights (and the compact fluorescent bulbs that are heavily promoted to replace incandescents) also emit uv rays, harmful to the eyes.

This reminds me of a ballet teacher I once had many years ago – Monsieur Daniel Seillier. In our large studio we’d had hanging lights, probably installed in the 1930’s. They used incandescent bulbs.

Those vintage lights were left hanging, but fluorescent tube lights were added on the high ceiling, to be an improvement. M. Seillier hated them and would wear sun glasses when teaching in that particular ballet studio. We didn’t know that the modern lighting was indeed bad for the eyes.

The Cons To The Best Anti Glare Computer Glasses

Quite honestly – why would there be any? O.K., maybe one more thing to carry in one’s laptop bag, back pack or purse? Unless you have a pair in a few places. That’s my strategy anyway.

I just don’t see a real “Con” in preventing computer glare eye strain.
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Click here and you’ll see all the Amazon pages of the best anti glare computer glasses!

Best Kids Tablet

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It is one quarter the cost of an iPad mini yet has all the technical bells and whistles. It is not a plaything even if it is pink or blue framed with a foam protector.

It is a real Kindle Fire! It comes with all the parental controls pre-set so that your young ones can browse and choose through Amazon-filtered appropriate content. This handy across the boards censor/nanny includes the Netflix application.

One meticulous reviewer explains ” For example, you can limit videos to one hour a day, but give unlimited reading, and shut down at 7pm.”  Read more details from the “IT” review parent!

Learning words and numbers apps are included – users being considered three years old and up. It is for much more than entertainment.

It is recommended to add 32-64 GB with a card, but it’s well worth it. Movies, games, music, camera and videos run smoothly.

The two year accident damage replacement is a great assurance with this product. It is further buffered from mishaps with the carrying case and handle for a little hand!

I have actually seen a two year old spelling out five to eight letter words on one. That really made me wonder what she is going to do in kindergarten! She’s way ahead… I think it’s the best kids tablet to enhance their development.

 

 

The Man In The High Castle

[easyazon_infoblock align=”left” cart=”y” cloak=”y” identifier=”B00JV1CG6A” locale=”US” localize=”y” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ballweddflat-20″]This series on Prime Video was a real temptation for binge watching but one can’t spend all the time in front of a screen. Theoretically…

The Man In The High Castle was published in 1962. It is one of a few Philip K. Dick books made into movies and it won a Hugo Award in 1963, the only one of his 44 novels to do so.

Since 2009, the movies produced from Dick’s books have made over a billion dollars, yet like many writers this author lived a life of constant financial struggle. Certainly drug use and abuse would not have helped that factor.

Philip K. Dick experienced a variety of mind sets and perceived reality — differently and in fact questioned “reality” all his life.

His experiences give his stories and characters a multi-layering of depths and qualities.

“The Man In The High Castle” at first appears to be a story of a very hard set society. The Axis powers have won WWII and divvied up the US. Conformity is one hundred percent demanded, on pain of death.

Ironically one of the highly placed controllers throws the I Ching and meditates for mental clarity, going against the rigid no-need-to-think political cult of fascism.

The readers’/viewers’ sympathies follow the Resistance fighters in their struggles to find a way to overcome their domination.

The Prime Video series was produced by Electric Shepherd Productions, a company owned by the author’s estate. Ridley Scott is an executive producer and his influence is very apparent in the look and feel of the ten episodes.

Philip K. Dick died of two strokes in 1982. His ashes were buried next to his twin sister Jane’s, who had died shortly after their birth 53 years earlier.

The novel is available in hardback form, paperback and on Kindle. The First Book Club Edition, 1962 is a collector’s item.

The Man In The High Castle

A First Book Club Edition