So, what’s all the fuss about, you ask? Cisco announced today that they are opening up their line of Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) — a popular line of routers that include integrated modules for a variety of services — to third-party development. The move, dubbed the Cisco Application eXtension Platform (AXP) brings outside applications to the ISR via Linux-based open modules that allow developers to integrate their software more closely with the network than ever before.

Developers have access to a downloadable software development kit and application programming interface as well as an interface to the previously-closed off Cisco IOS software that runs the router. Modules, which are capable of running more than one application at a time, will allow programmers to develop software to run on the ISR and provide enhanced functions they way they want them to run, unlike in the past, where the only available modules were those Cisco approved. Among the services capable of running on the ISR are VOIP, wireless and WAN networks, security tools including intrusion detection & prevention, content filtering, network access control, and virtual private networking.

I spoke with Dave Frampton, Vice President of Product Management for Cisco’s Access Routing Technology Group along with Dave Bornstein, a Cisco Project Manager and Linux Team member prior to the announcement, and asked about the Open Source implications of opening the ISR. I asked specifically about Cisco’s willingness to embrace Open Source developers on the ISR and was told that Cisco is excited by the opportunities the Open Source community presents on the ISR, and that Open Source developers will most definitely be welcomed.

Asked about Cisco’s intent to exercise control over what modules could be run on ISRs, they set out a multi-tiered approach, with customers free to run whatever modules they desire on their ISR, and developers wishing to provide applications on a wider scale being invited to partner with Cisco, and the crème de la crème being identified and sold as OEM, along with packaged support. I asked if this meant Cisco would be controlling third-party ISR modules in the same way that Apple is controlling iPhone applications, and was assured that while Cisco will be vetting their partners to control the spread malware, it will be the partner, not their intended modules or code, that will be reviewed.

So, why is this so exciting? Several reasons. It’s further proof that Linux can do just about anything, and do it better to boot. It’s opened one more resource to Open Source developers, one that helps give Linux more of a foothold in enterprise computing. It means better performance and security for customers/clients/users, as it’s been demonstrated over and over that many eyes equal a better and more secure product. In short, it’s a triumph for just about everybody.

A special thanks to Fred Richards, CCNP for acting as a technical consultant.

Despite overwhelming evidence that the process had been corrupted, the ISO officially acknowledged yesterday that DIS 29500, better known as OOXML, has been adopted as an ISO standard. The news leaked Tuesday after what appeared to be an official voting record was posted to an email list. Some reportedly believed the announcement to be an April Fool’s Day joke — unfortunately, the only joke involved was the maligned and manipulated standards process that produced the result.

The OOXML adoption process has been rife with questionable and downright corrupt activity since the first vote in September. After stuffing committees , they earned themselves an investigation by the European Commission, quite possibly the only government body in the world they haven’t bought off. They’ve blamed IBM for the initial defeat, borked the BRM, slandered well respected men and women alike, planted wolves in sheep’s clothing — pretty much everything short of resurrecting Machiavelli, and we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they tried that too. Linux Journal’s Glyn Moody has an excellent commentary on the scandalous events which goes into far greater detail than we can in Breaking News.

Where does the mess go from here? A few places. The European Commission is, as we said above, already investigating Microsoft’s conduct, and are rumored to be looking into voting irregularities in Poland and Denmark. A formal protest has been filed in Norway seeking an annulment of the vote, and a complaint over the UK’s about-face is reportedly in the works. At the ISO, there is a two month window for appeals to be filed, though there’s nothing to suggest the same tactics won’t be used against an appeal. There’s hope — albeit faint — that the adoption of a second standard could be ruled a violation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, an international treaty to which the United States is a party.

A 2007 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit may end up coming back to haunt Microsoft in their ongoing U.S. antitrust battle. The case revolved around claims by Broadcom that Qualcomm had deliberately included its patents in the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System standard in order to create a monopoly for its products. The appeals court held that if a company acts deceptively to gain adoption of a standard that then results in a monopoly to their advantage, they can be held to have violated anti-trust laws, irrespective of their right to determine the use of their patents. Interestingly enough, the Court of Appeals ruling relies on a Federal Trade Commission ruling which in turn relied on — drumroll, please — United States v. Microsoft, the very case that put MS under supervision in the first place.

All we can say is, we hope that with this many available avenues, something is done to rectify the farce acted out over the last several months.

I think the Big Four are important to everybody, not just those in business, and I think there are two more that are just as important: a doctor and a therapist. Here’s why:

Attorney: Legal trouble lurks around the corner all the time. The fender-bender in the supermarket parking lot, a punch-up with some jerk in a bar, that missed payment from three months ago, and the burnt-out taillight you keep forgetting to fix; they’re all just waiting to pop up with threats of court attached. The last thing you have time to do when the law is looming is hunt for a good lawyer. If you have an existing relationship with a quality barrister, you have a lot better chance of preventing your legal headaches from becoming legal nightmares.

Accountant: Now, not everyone has complex finances that demand the attention of a CPA. Until I went into business, I’d never filed anything more than a 1040EZ at tax time. However, financial questions can pop up anytime. For me, it was how best to handle my business income; for you, it might be how to handle an unexpected inheritance, a superstar stock-pick, or your kid’s college fund. Knowing who you’ll go to when and if you need them is the first step to assuring yourself sound financial advice.

Insurance Agent: The need for insurance is a fact of life. From individual health coverage to providing for your final expenses through life insurance, you need someone who can help you navigate the ins and outs of being covered. Having a quality agent who understands your life and your needs is essential to getting the right coverage. When your needs change, you’ll know just where to go to keep yourself protected.

Banker: Most of the people I know don’t really have a relationship with their bank. Sure, they drop off the occasional deposit with a teller, and maybe the girl at the drive-thru remembers their name, but it really ends there. Most of them — and I suspect many of you — think having a banker comes with having lots of money to give them, but it doesn’t have to. When I opened my business accounts with Chase, and moved my personal accounts there too, I was assigned a personal banker who handles everything I need. Because I knew how important it would be, I’ve nurtured the relationship. Now, no matter what I need — or what strangeness pops up — my personal banker handles it, with a smile, a wave, and a “Have a nice day, Justin!”

Doctor: We’re all going to get sick sometime — hopefully, it’ll just be the flu. When the time does come and you feel like death warmed up, you want to be sure you have a good physician to call. Sadly, these days it’s made harder by health insurance networks, but there are still good ones out there who can put even the most medi-phobic of us at ease. I’m going to toss a good dentist in under this category as well; if you take care of you’re teeth, they’ll take care of you.

Therapist: All of us are a little bit crazy. I don’t think there is anyone out there who couldn’t benefit from at least a couple sessions with a good therapist — some of us need a few more than others. I believe that having someone you can call on, someone who listens without judging, is an invaluable resource. If you start your relationship with a therapist early, they’ll know who you are and hopefully what makes you tick long before you need them to help you through life’s twists and turns.

So, where do you find the Super Six?

With the Big Four, my advice is to start with what you have. If you have an existing relationship with a pro you really like, then ask them for recommendations. I personally went for young professionals, because my work is tech-heavy and I wanted people who would understand what I do. A nice bonus came along with choosing young professionals: lower rates. Both my attorney and accountant are associates with quite venerable firms; when I need it, I get the experience of the partners at the associate’s (much lower) rate.

I had an existing relationship with an attorney at the firm I chose; he recommended an associate who he felt would be a good fit. From there, my new lawyer was able to point me towards an accountant and an insurance agent that would understand my needs.

I didn’t have to hunt for my banker; when I walked in the door, they assigned her to me. However, if she hadn’t been up to snuff, I could have asked for any of the others in the branch, or opted for another local branch with a different staff.

As for your medical staff, you’re probably stuck with whomever your insurance has on their network. I recommend asking around about the ones on your provider list — it wouldn’t hurt to ask the Big Four, they’ll probably know who’s good — and then call to see if you can come in and meet the doctor in between appointments. Once you’ve met him or her and feel like you’ve found a good fit, schedule a physical (which most insurance will cover 100%).

Once you’ve found your Super Six, you’ll have a leg up the next time you hear trouble come knocking.

No, I don’t mean the white shirt and black pants you wear to work every day, and I certainly don’t mean that powder blue leisure suit you still have hanging in the closet from your Saturday Night Fever days. I mean real, classic dressing, the kind of style that made Cary Grant the model for James Bond. If you’re lacking a bit when it comes to suave style, keep reading, this one’s for you.

I’ve written before about spotting fashion staples and what to wear when you go to the mall. Now it’s time to talk about putting what you’ve learned to good use.

1. Invest in quality. Quality clothes stand the test of time. Conservative suits, traditional shoes, and elegant accessories never go out of style. Sure, the width of ties changes every few years, and wild trends come and go, but the classics stay forever. It may cost you a little more to buy up front, but when you can pull your best black suit out of the closet ten years from now and still look as sharp as you did the day you bought it, you’ll be glad you coughed up for the good stuff.

2. Find a tailor and make friends. Getting the right fit on your clothes is essential. A good tailor can make the difference between a shirt that resembles a parachute and one that looks like it was made for you. Real tailors are a lot harder to find these days than they used to be. However, they’re still out there. Find a good men’s store (preferably a local, traditional outfitter, not a mall chain store) and ask them who you should go to.

3. Dare to be daring. Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor, is the patron saint of classic style. Many of the elements best known in classic style started as flights of fancy when he was Prince of Wales. One of the things he knew best was that a bit of adventure is good for the soul, and so it is for your clothes. Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns, stripes, and solids. If you’re a bit skittish, find someone you can trust and have them proof your ideas before you put them on.

4. Shine your shoes. It used to be said that the first thing a woman looked at was a man’s shoes, and if they weren’t up to snuff, she wouldn’t think he was either. I don’t know that such is the case any longer, but a well-shined pair of shoes is still a mark of a man who cares about how he looks. Buy quality (remember what happened to me) and find out where you can have them looked after.

5. Never, ever, ever underestimate your accessories. A man who accessorizes poorly looks sloppy, and one who doesn’t accessorize at all looks worse. At the very least, your belt should match your shoes, and your socks should coordinate with your trousers. Note I said coordinate, not match. Matching things makes us look like we just stepped out of a shop window, or in the extreme, like Johnny Cash; coordinating makes us look stylish. If you’re wearing black pants, a black or dark gray sock with a light pattern is appropriate (note: the bright red socks with Santa on them are never appropriate); if you’re wearing brown, something in tan would be nice.

5. (Part II) Things like pocket handkerchiefs, tie-tacks, and lapel pins (among other jewelery) are dangerous territory. You don’t need a collection of silk handkerchiefs in three dozen colors. A nice white linen hanky in your top pocket is very stylish; your choice on whether you fold it and show a straight line or “floof” it. Tie tacks and lapel pins are, for the most part, well, tacky. I’ll let you get away with a small one on your lapel if it’s for a good cause. As for other jewelry, just be careful. Big sports watches have no place with suits. Neck jewelery, if worn, should only be known to you and God. (That means tuck it out of sight.) Wedding bands are permitted by default, and a family or signet ring would be okay — more than one ring, though, is too much. As for earrings, they look great — on the right person — with casual clothes, but have no place with a suit. Sorry, not even a diamond stud, stud.

6. Sweat isn’t sexy. Always, always, always wear a t-shirt under your dress shirt. White is nice, but has a tendency to show through light shirts. If that happens, wear a light gray one instead; for some reason, gray doesn’t show through. A-shirts (you know, those white, ribbed things with the domestic violence associations) won’t cut it — they don’t reach under your arms. You should also carry a white cotton handkerchief folded in your pocket — if it gets warm and you start to resemble a fountain, you can mop your brow with it. It’s also useful if nearby ladies, overcome with emotion, burst into tears — but for heavens sake, only offer it if you haven’t had to dry off.

7. Speaking of moisture, get an umbrella. Gene Kelly got away with singin’ in the rain, but you won’t if you turn up looking like a drowned rat. Keep a small umbrella in your briefcase at all times, and use it. A quality raincoat — gabardine, please — is also a good idea, but won’t protect you when that beautiful day turns unexpectedly drizzly.

8. Leave the flair to Chotchkie’s. If you’re in a profession where you’re expected to look a bit odd, we’ll let this one slide, but for the rest of us, err on the side of conservative. Wild print ties, socks, and yes, even boxer shorts, have no place in classic style. If you work in an artistic setting, but still want to look classic, choose classic items and give them a bit of artsy flair when necessary.

9. Look for clues. If you want classic style, pay attention to what people with classic style are wearing. Ask where they shop, and if you’re comfortable with it, what advice they might have for you. Look to your boss — provided he knows how to dress — for guidance on what’s best for work.

10. Never, never, never wear something you’re not comfortable with. Being at ease in your skin, and by extension, in your second skin, is essential to looking good. If you feel uncomfortable in what you’re wearing, people will pick that up, and you won’t end up looking classic — you’ll look comic. That’s not what we want.

If you follow these suggestions — and know when it’s okay to bed them a bit — you’ll be sporting classic style in no time.

New software can be a scary proposition. Even I get nervous when installing something for the first time. The questions race through your mind: “Is it going to work?” “Will I understand how to use it?” “Will there be evil gremlins who jump out of my monitor and bite me?” We all have these questions when facing a freshly installed program for the first time.

When it comes to Firefox, the best thing to do is explore a bit. It’s Open Source software, so you aren’t going to get in trouble; Mozilla (unlike the manufacturers of certain other popular browsers, who shall remain nameless) won’t come knocking at your door because you took a peek under the hood. Firefox comes with a bunch of amazing features built-in, as well as the possibly for endless new features through extensions (or “addons”). My goal today is to introduce you to some of the neat features built in to Firefox, as well as a few extensions I think are important for newbies. There are thousands of extensions available through Mozilla, and probably an equal number — if not more — available from other developers.

I’m not going to go into all the features of Firefox here; there are things like increased security and cross-platform compatibility that I could preach on for hours, but I’m going to spare you guys that and just hit the highlights.

I think the biggest seller for Firefox is tabbed browsing; however, by default you might not notice Firefox provides tabs. Under the “File” menu, you’ll find an entry for “New Tab.” Click that and you’ll get a tab-bar, and will be able to switch between pages. No more needing an extra browser window to work on multiple pages. (You can set the tab-bar as always visible in the preferences menu.) I personally have a half-dozen tabs that I keep open all the time, and then open more as I need to. (I have an extension that lets me have multiple rows of tabs; the most I’ve ever had is six rows of twelve tabs each. But, that’s something for another post.)

Also helpful is the restore tab function. If you accidentally close a tab before you’re finished with it, you can go to “History” and then “Recently Closed Tabs” to see a list of, surprise, your recently closed tabs. Click on any of them and they’ll reopen themselves where they were before you closed them. I use this feature at least twenty times a day.

Along with the tab restore is the built-in session restore. If your browser crashes, or if you close it accidentally, your previous session will be saved, and you can reload it when you open the browser. (I can’t remember if it does this automatically, or if that’s a setting I have turned on. Check in the “preferences” menu.) If Firefox thinks your previous session might have caused a crash, it will ask you if you want to reload the previous session, or start a new one.

Live bookmarks are another great feature in Firefox. Most of us are familiar with bookmarks (or “favorites” in that other browser), where you save pages you want to be able to find again in the future. Live bookmarks, however, work with RSS feeds to provide constantly updated pages. (See the little orange box up in the address bar? That’s for a feed of all the content on the site.) If you have certain sites you check regularly, you can set a live bookmark with Firefox, and have all the updates to the site show up in your Live Bookmarks folder. (If you get really into RSS, you’ll probably get too many feeds to handle comfortably with Live Bookmarks. At that point, you’ll probably want to consider one of the RSS reader extensions for FF, or a stand-alone feed reader.)

The best part of Firefox, though, are the extensions. There are extensions to do literally just about anything, and you can search for then at the Mozilla Addons page. (You’ll also find themes there, if you don’t like the default look.) Just put in a keyword related to what you want an extension to do — for example, “gmail” if you’re looking for extensions that enhance Google’s Gmail service — and if there is one, it’ll come up. They’re self-installing, too, so no messy code to play with. You can also search for extensions on the web, though you should be careful that they come from reliable sources. (By default, Firefox will prevent you from installing extensions from any source besides the official Mozilla page. You’ll get an “information bar” pop-up with instructions for how to add other sites to your safe list if that happens.)

My recommended extensions for the beginning Firefox user are:

Adblock: Allows you to block annoying ads on websites. Just right click on the ad and select “Adblock Image.”

Advanced technique: When you click to block an ad, a box comes up showing the address of the ad. You can replace the specific ad URL with the ‘*’ wildcard character to block any image from a given site. For example, if you try to adblock the main Wisebread logo, the URL is “http://www.wisebread.com/files/wisebread/wisebread-logo.jpg.” If you select “Okay,” you’ll block that image, but only that image. If, instead, you change the URL to read “http://www.wisebread.com/files/*” you would block all images from Wisebread. This is very helpful for large, popular ad-servers where there are thousands of URLs; if you wildcard the site that serves the ads, you’ll eliminate all ads, instead of having to block each one individually.

Finjan SecureBrowsing: Warns you about potential unsafe content at a destination page before you click the link. Other services (like WOT, below) use a database of user reports to suggest unsafe content; Finjan actually scans the destination page in real-time, each time the link is displayed on a page you’re viewing.

The red “x” symbol designates a possible threat. The green checkmark designates the page is safe. A brown question mark indicates the page could not be scanned.

Forecastfox: If you’re a weather nut, ForecastFox gives you the current weather in the statusbar for whatever location you specify. Also, notifies you of severe weather alerts.

Secure Login: Protects your passwords by preventing them from being autocompleted. Autocomplete is great, but if your password is accidentally autocompleted on a malicious site, it can be stolen. Secure Login prevents this, instead providing a gold key icon on the statusbar. Once you’re sure you’re at a legit site, you click the key and your username and password are autocompleted for you.

WOT: Browser security. Adds colored icons beside links to indicate trustworthiness. Uses a database of user reports in order to warn you of potentially unsafe sites. While Finjan (above) scans the page for malicious code that might harm your system, WOT provides information like reliability as a business partner, security of private information, and safeness for children.

The green check on the left is the result of Finjan’ss scan. The green circle on the right indicates a positive review in WOT’s database. The circle also appears orange and red as the reviews grow less positive.

Now, there are thousands of other great options out there. There are extensions for developing webpages, for checking your email, keeping track of stock prices, tracking AdSense earnings, showing the time in anywhere in the world, making your tabs turn different colors, and just about everything else you could imagine. These just happen to be a select few I think are important/useful for the average new user in the Firefox world.

If you’re an established Firefox user, tell us what extensions you use, and what features you love. If you’re a newbie, tell us what drew you to Firefox, and feel free to ask about features you’re unsure of or extensions you wish you could find.

Note: All screenshots were taken by Justin Ryan in Firefox running on Ubuntu 7.04. Windows users may experience slightly different views.

This afternoon, my office phone rang. It was an 800 number that I didn’t recognize. When I answered, there was a recorded message identifying it as Chase, my bank, and requesting that I call them back on the same number.

Being a fairly savvy individual, I found this rather strange. Usually, when you answer an automatic call like that, you’re either immediately transferred to a live rep, or asked to push a particular key to be transferred. My scam-senses were triggered, so I called the number back to get to the bottom of things.

My call was answered with an automatic menu purporting to be the Chase Collection department. I listened to the message, then pressed “1” for “all other calls.” A few moments later, a female voice came on the line, identified herself (unfortunately, she spoke too quickly for me to get her name) and asked for my telephone number.

At this point, I was really skeptical. It was odd enough that they called me and asked me to call them back, but now they wanted personal information. I’ve seen enough scam alerts to know that the bank doesn’t call you and ask for personal information. It’s almost always the case that large companies have a caller-ID-based recognition system, and since I called from my business line, I found it very odd that they didn’t already know who was calling.

I expressed my concern to the representative, expecting her to offer some form of validation that she actually was a Chase representative. Instead, she got an attitude! Now, collections agents don’t have a reputation for particularly spectacular customer service, but I certainly don’t expect them to become abusive with a customer concerned about being scammed.

She informed me that she was a Chase representative, and that I needed to give her my information now. I responded that I was uncomfortable with the process, and wanted confirmation that I was actually dealing with Chase. I indicated that my account is serviced by a personal banker, and that if there was a problem with my account, my banker would be able to resolve it. Now, I’m not a high-roller by any stretch of the imagination, but I have several business and personal accounts with Chase, as well as some investments, and there is one personal banker at my branch that always handles my accounts.

Instead of taking the approach I expected and encouraging me to contact my local branch for confirmation, the representative announced that I had no choice but to deal with her directly, and that I had better give her my information immediately. At that point, I was ready to call the Federal Trade Commission to report a banking scam, so I informed her that I would handle the issue with my local branch, and hung up.

I called my banker at the local branch immediately, and explained what had gone on, much to her shock. She checked into it and discovered that the number is indeed a valid number for Chase collections, though she couldn’t imagine them acting in the way they did.

After a little checking, she was able to find the source of the matter: one of my infrequently-used accounts (an escrow account of sorts) was overdrawn by $0.11, due to a computer glitch, which she immediately corrected. As it had only been overdrawn for a couple of days, and was a minuscule amount, she couldn’t figure out why collections would have been involved. Indeed, there hadn’t even been time for their system to generate and send a notice to me. It was all very strange.

She promised to investigate further, and refer the nasty treatment by the collections rep to the branch manager for resolution, which I appreciate. However, I have to wonder, how many other people out there have been subjected to the same process?

Banks are charged with safeguarding our money, as well as our personal information. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for them to take steps to provide a sense of security when calling their service numbers. When it comes to the point that you can’t tell the difference between a real bank representative and someone trying to steal your identity because of what the bank is doing, there is a serious problem.

I’ll be considering whether I want to continue my relationship with Chase. I’d like to hear from others, particularly those who have had similar experiences with Chase or another bank. I really have to say, I expected more.

On my list of free software options are:

• Firefox. Firefox is an alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer. It’s standards-compliant (IE isn’t), it has thousands of extensions to do everything you could ever want to do with a web browser (IE doesn’t), and it’s secure and easy to use out of the box (IE wouldn’t be secure if you installed armed guards).
• Thunderbird . Thunderbird is an alternative to email clients like Microsoft Outlook. Thunderbird is to email as Firefox is to the internet: it has thousands of extensions to meet all your email needs, it’s good at what it does, and it’s secure. It’s the Ferrari to Outlook’s Gremlin.
• OpenOffice. OpenOffice is an alternative to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice includes all the great things MS Office does, and it doesn’t cost a dime (unlike office, which runs several hundred dollars). It’s also fully compatible with all Office documents (.doc, .xls, .ppt, etc).
• The GIMP and Inkscape. The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a raster-graphics editor, an alternative to Adobe Photoshop; Inkscape is a vector-graphics editor, an alternative to Adobe Illustrator. For those of you still using MS Paint because you won’t spring for Photoshop, get The GIMP and do everything you could in Photoshop without having to spend a penny.
• VLC Media Player. VLC is an alternative to Windows Media Player and Real Player. It plays all the standard file types, has a variety of available skins, and most of the other features that you need in a media player.
• UltraVNC. UltraVNC is a Virtual Network Computing application, a program that lets you control another computer remotely. Once UltraVNC’s server is loaded on the destination computer, UltraVNC lets you log in from anywhere – either from home through the UltraVNC Viewer, or from any Java-equipped web browser, just by typing in the IP address of the remote computer and the UltraVNC password. Once you log in, you see exactly what is displayed on the remote computer’s monitor, and you can control it with your mouse and keyboard. UltraVNC is perfect for accessing your work computer from home, accessing your home computer from anywhere, or helping grandma when she calls with a computer question.

And of course, the godfather itself:

Linux

Linux isn’t a program, it’s an operating system, an alternative to Microsoft Windows. Linux scares a lot of Windows users, because they imagine a command-line operating system where everything is done with text commands. That couldn’t be farther from the truth – almost every Linux distribution (there isn’t just one Linux, there are hundreds) comes with a snappy graphical interface, just like Windows. Now, not everyone can switch to Linux – some of you have to use Windows. However, if you’re not tied down, you should really think about giving it a spin.

My favorite flavor of Linux is Ubuntu, and you can order a “Live CD” from Cannonical (the distributor of Ubuntu) that will let you try out Linux without ever having to change anything on your system. You just pop it in your CD drive, start your computer up, and you’re running Linux. When you take it out, your regular Windows system is right there waiting for you, just like it was before! There’s no reason not to give it a try, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

You’re probably asking, why would you want to give up Windows? Well, there are a lot of reasons. whylinuxisbetter.net has a good, if a bit ugly, overview of why Linux beats Windows to a pulp.

So, take some time today to celebrate the the people who volunteer their time to kick corporate butt and provide free alternatives to proprietary software. Send a signal to the software giants that you won’t be subject to their whims, you won’t pay their outrageous prices, and you won’t submit to playing second-fiddle to their bloated bottom lines. Take back your power - download free software.

You can find out more about Software Freedom Day at www.softwarefreedomday.org. You can find free and open source software at the Free Software Directory, a joint project of the Free Software Foundation and UNESCO. And don’t forget to support the volunteers at the Free Software Foundation, the Mozilla Foundation, and all the other developers of great free and open source software.

Several dozen bloggers have posted apologies in the last couple of weeks after Quechup scammed them and spammed everyone in their address books. According to reports, the spam scam works like this:

1. Someone you know “sends” you an invite to join Quechup. The email contains the comforting line “You received this because [name of contact who is soon to be quite perturbed] knows and agreed to invite you.” (Emphasis mine)
2. You, your interest piqued, wander over to the site and, in a moment of weakness, sign up.
3. During the sign-up process, you see this message: Forget searching to see if your friends are on Quechup, check your Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, Outlook or Outlook Express address book to see who you know on Quechup. (Users of other social networks will recognize this; you enter your login information, and the service searches for any of your contacts who are on the service.)
4. Maybe you find someone you know, maybe you don’t. You go on to do other things, unaware.
5. Within minutes, you start receiving out-of-office notices and angry replies from everybody you’ve ever emailed, because Quechup just spammed them all.

Apparently, in addition to using your address book to help you find your friends, Quechup also takes the opportunity to send them all a message, just like the one you received. Even worse, they have the gall to say you agreed to it!

Most social network sites have some sort of address book lookup feature. However, reputable ones report back who is and isn’t on the service, and then give you the choice to email some, all, or none of the contacts that aren’t. Quechup saves you time by skipping that bothersome “obtaining consent” step.

Some of the bloggers who have written about this have had commenters respond that there is a disclaimer about the invitations. A quick review of the privacy policy and terms of service make no mention of this practice. Below is the actual text you receive before beginning the address-book search:

Congratulations! Welcome to Quechup. Find out which of your friends are already members. Choose the address book with the most contacts and we’ll search for matches so you can add them to your friends network and invite non Quechup members to join you. By inviting contacts you confirm you have consent from them to send an invitation. We will not spam or sell addresses from your contacts. See our privacy policy.

In the strictest possible interpretation, yes, it does say they will invite non-members. Anybody who has used address book search on another social network, will be expecting the opportunity to select which addresses are invited. The only way to prevent someone from receiving a message from Quechup is to remove them from your address book before starting the search: That just isn’t kosher, as far as I’m concerned.

As evidenced by the large number of intelligent individuals currently issuing apologies for accidentally spamming everyone they’ve ever known, I’m going to declare this one a deceptive practice. The average user - indeed, even the above average user - is unlikely to interpret the “warning” to mean “We will send an invitation to everyone in your address book without any further action on your part.” It’s deceptive, it takes advantage of users’ good faith, and it’s creating a lot of headaches.

So, dear users, you’ve now been warned. If you receive an invite to Quechup from anyone, delete it. If you’re really outraged, drop them a message (privacy@quechup.com or spam@quechup.com). If you’re unlucky enough to have already been scammed, share your experience in the comments.

The moral of the story: Spam sucks, even if you smother it in Quechup.

In the past, I’ve always bought used cars; my Dad is a bodyman, and it’s always been less expensive to buy used and let him tinker than to buy new. However, having had a few incidents in the past – like having an engine explode on a busy Interstate highway at 5:30 on Friday – I’ve decided to go with a new car.

The question I’m left with is: Do I buy or lease?

I personally favor leasing, because I can give it back after two years, when all the problems are starting to happen and the warranty is running out. Because I run my own business, and I spend much of my time in the car, I can deduct about 75% of the cost of the lease from my taxes. However, I’ve never leased before, and neither have any of my friends, though I know several of my clients lease vehicles through their businesses.

The idea of buying worries me, as vehicles are terrible investments. I know that as soon as I drive it off the lot I’ll start losing money, and I worry that as the warranty gets close to expiring I’ll either have to take a loss on what I still owe to get rid of it, or keep it past the expiration and risk having something fail catastrophically, forcing me to spend more to fix it.

So, readers, I’m putting the question to you: What do you think? Should I buy or should I lease? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Coupons Craze collects coupon codes for over 400 online vendors, and makes them available to you through their website. They also track special deals, weekly ads, and other online discounts. A cursory glance at the available options revealed these discounts with popular online stores:

• Buy three get one free on select books, DVD’s, CD’s, and Home & Garden products at Amazon.com
• 1-800-Contacts has $20-$80 rebates on dozens of contact lenses
• $5 flat shipping from Adidas.com
• Brookstone is offering $10 off a $100 purchase
• Free shipping on any $9.99 purchase from Art.com
• Disney.com is offering $5 shipping on any $50 purchase

These are just a sampling of some of the discounts available – there are also a variety of deals from Dell, Circuit City, CompUSA, and others. None are “run out and buy this minute” deals, but you certainly wouldn’t want to miss them if you were in the market. The next time you find yourself shopping online, check with Coupon Craze first and you might just end up with a pretty sweet deal.

An added bonus for Firefox users: Coupon Craze has a Firefox extension that shows all the deals available for the site you’re surfing, right there in the taskbar. Just one more reason to make the switch to Firefox.

Screenshot by Justin Ryan

Jen was a bit taken aback at the suggestion, so I explained further: The goal wasn’t to actually cancel the service, but to get a retention special. Most companies offer deals just for new customers, and seem to forget that existing customers want a good deal too. However, some more aware companies have figured out that it costs a lot more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one, and when they think they’re going to lose you, they pull out the special deals.

This can be a good way to get yourself a good deal – provided you’re willing to play it right. (I should admit at this point that I’ve not ever called with the express intention of getting a deal, but I have been offered some very nice retention specials when I called legitimately to cancel service.) The important part is to remain calm, and be dedicated to canceling. If you come across as angry or abusive, you won’t get anywhere. If you jump at the first thing they say, you’ll never see the big offers.

Call up customer service, and when you end up on the line with an operator, tell them you’d like to cancel your service. They’ll probably ask why, so have an answer ready. (In Jen’s case, I suggested she tell them that it was because of the bill increase.) At this point, they’ll probably give some scripted patter about the benefits of retaining their service, and possibly switching to a cheaper plan if that is an option. Stand firm with canceling. More patter may follow, but eventually, usually a few repetitions of “No, I just want to cancel” into the conversation, they’ll pull out the specials (if they offer them).

Specials can vary; sometimes it’s the same special they are offering to new customers, sometimes it’s a percent off your bill, sometimes it’s a free upgrade. I’ve been offered free premium channels when canceling cable, free upgrades to new equipment and service packages when canceling satellite, discounts when canceling cell phone service, and free upgrade from the “lite” package to full speed when canceling DSL. I was even offered a free upgrade to a premium account when switching banks – I didn’t take that one, though, because their customer service was terrible.

Later in the day, Jen called me back ecstatic: She called the company and requested to cancel, telling them she felt the extra $60 was too much to pay for the internet service, when she could save money by switching to a different company. (Which she was prepared to do.) She had to wade through a bit of sales patter about why their company was so much better than the competition, but eventually the specials came out: They reduced the internet service by $5 (back to the original price) and gave her $5 off her cable TV bill. All total, she saved $10 off a bill that generally runs about $50 per month, making it a savings of 20%. Not bad for one phone call!

If you’re going to try this, you have to be prepared to actually have your service cancelled if they don’t offer a deal, so don’t do it for anything that you can’t afford to lose. Also, you’ll have to decide for yourself what your ethical line will be – I personally won’t call just to get a discount (I call only if I actually want to cancel the service) but I know of others who will call just to try and get a discount. (If they end up having to cancel, will call back and “uncancel” with another rep.)

If you’ve been thinking about getting rid of some services you could do without, give this a try – you just might end up with a deal!

Apparently, recently-graduated law student Lauri Apple, who is currently unemployed, is an avid dumpster diver, and runs her own blog – the aptly-titled FoundClothing – about her dumpster-diving adventures.

The Chicago Tribune featured Lauri on August 5th, and the ABA picked the story up from there, expounding on the money-saving and environmentally-friendly practice.
According to Lauri, the dumpsters of New York City are overflowing with designer duds waiting to be dived, but Chicago has it’s own sartorial treasures. “I see something every day, and a lot of the stuff, it miraculously fits.”

I’ve personally never gone fashion fishing in File 13, but I have found some wonderful couture castoffs in my local Goodwill. If Lauri’s blog is any indication, America’s dustbins are brimming with designer clothes just waiting to be rescued.

Lauri’s story moves me to ask: Have any of you guys out there been dumpster diving, and if so, what’ve you found? Share your “trashy tales” in the comments.

Two weeks ago, fellow Wisebread blogger Jessica Okon suggested that I give readers a chance to ask my mom questions about the frugal things she does. Last week I gave readers a chance to submit their questions for Mom to answer. Today’s FTMD is devoted to her answers. (My editorial notes and suggestions are in italics.)

Kyle asked:

Okay so Here it is. We live in a small apt. With 2 kids and 2 cats. We have an odor issue not that things are dirty, we clean quite reguarly. I call my wife the Phatom sniffer there always seems to be a lingering litter box smell, combined with 2 boys who are apt to drag just about anything in in their pockets we seem to be in constant need of air freshener. Most commercial stuff just doesn’t do it (Litter and roses mmmmm!)How about CHEAP EFFECTIVE air freshener? TY Kyle

Kyle:

Get rid of the kids and keep the cats!

Seriously, the best household deodorizer is baking soda. To tame litter box odors, add baking soda to the box regularly. Every time you change the box, dust the bottom with soda, add the litter, then shake more on top. In between changes, sprinkle the top with additional soda to keep odors in check. (You might consider an automatic litterbox as well – they keep the clumps in a sealed compartment which helps keep odors to a minimum. – JR)

Baking soda can help to get odors out of other areas, too. Sprinkle the carpet with baking soda before vacuuming to eliminate any odors in the carpet. Odors can linger in fabrics, so make sure to wash all the curtains and linens regularly, and add a little soda to the wash. You can also sprinkle fabric upholstered furniture with baking soda and then vacuum it to freshen it without the need of chemical sprays. (Be sure to test on a hidden area first to be sure the fabric won’t be damaged. – JR)

Always keep a dish of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer to eliminate lingering odors, and one in the microwave and conventional oven to clear out odors there too. (Just be sure to remove them before starting to cook!) Any other trouble spots, especially cabinets and pantries, will benefit from a dish as well. (My grandmother keeps dishes of baking soda in the air conditioning vents to avoid musty smells. – JR) A little soda or cornstarch in smelly shoes will help keep them dry and odor free.

Smelly closets can be freshened by hanging dryer sheets from the hangers, or better yet, making fragrant oil sachets. (Fragrances like apple cinnamon work very well.) As a general home air freshener, simmer two cups of water in a sauce pan on the stove and add whole cloves and orange slices. The fragrance will fill the house and cover a multitude of sins!

Guest asked:

Is you mom techie? If so, I would imagine that she has a great ideas for printer cartridges. They run out fast, and are as expensive as hell to replace. Does you mom have any ideas?

Also, any great frugal ideas for kitchen cleaning? It is proving to be an expensive pain. Have you priced Lysol lately, OMG!

Guest:

Justin is the tech guy in the family – I do good to remember how to turn the computer on! The only suggestion I have for printer cartridges is to refill them with the refill kits you can find on the internet.

Kitchen cleaning, though, is my area! The two power kitchen cleaners are baking soda (it just does everything!) and vinegar. Use baking soda like a scouring powder to clean almost anything, as well as to deodorize. Vinegar is great for anything that you’d normally use a spray cleaner on, as well as for cleaning out the coffee pot. (Run a full carafe of vinegar through the regular cycle several times, then cleanse with several cycles of plain water.)

Salt and lemons are great for tough spots (use coarse kosher salt – JR) and to scour tough pans. Just cut the lemon in half, dip in the salt, and scrub away. Salt is also great for drying out wet wooden items like cutting boards; just cover the item with salt and leave to dry out. Lemon juice is great as a cleanser, and can be used to clean tarnished copper. (Ketchup also works great – the acid in the lemons or ketchup dissolves the tarnish. – JR) Salt is also great to clean out glass containers; fill with salt and ice and let sit.

Bleach works well to disinfect, though you have to be careful not to ruin clothes or other items with it. Also, some people (like Justin) are allergic to it, so be careful you don’t accidentally gas someone out of the house.

Finally, plain old water is the best cleanser there is!

Thanks to Kyle & Guest for submitting questions, and if you guys enjoyed this, share your thoughts in the comments and we’ll try it again in the future. And of course, tune in next week for more frugal things my mom does!

However, if you have a bunch around the house, here are twenty five ways to put them to good use.

Around the house

• Use as trashbags. I keep one under the sink in the kitchen, especially for food waste that needs to go outside the same day. They’re also great as an ad hoc wastebasket, when you need one on the fly. (I keep one behind the passenger seat in my car.)
• Use the smaller bags to ripen fruit. Place an unripe fruit in the bag with a banana or apple. Both produce large amounts of ethylene, which helps ripen fruit.
• Line cabinets and drawers with bags cut to size. It’s much easier to replace than contact paper.
• Make a quick funnel. Cut the bag and roll up into a cone. Best for dry products (like flour or birdseed) but will hold together long enough for quick wet use.
• Use anywhere you need an instant drop cloth. Craft projects, peeling produce in the kitchen, even underneath a small touch-up painting project.
• Paper bags also make a nice palette for painting. Plenty of space to mix colors, and when you’re finished, you just toss it in the trash.
• Remove candle wax from the carpet. Scrape off as much as you can, then place a sheet of brown paper bag over the spot and run a warm iron over it. The paper will absorb the wax.
• Keep bread fresh. Store loaves of bread (not the pre-sliced stuff) in a paper bag and it won’t mold as quickly. I can’t explain why, but it works.
• Refresh dried out baked goods. If your muffins or cookies dry out, stick them in a small bag with a slice of white bread or an apple slice. The hydroscopic baked goods will suck the moisture out of the slice and back into themselves. (Also works with a plastic container and for hardened brown sugar.)
• For loves of bread and bagels, put them in a bag, wet the outside, and heat them in a warm oven. Keep a close eye on the bag so it doesn’t dry out or burn.
• Line flower beds to keep out weeds. The bags will degrade over time, making them better for the environment than plastic bed liners, and will help keep weeds from growing up in your flower beds.
• For a special event, place votive candles (in holders, the bottom of a half-gallon milk jug works great) underneath white paper bags to line a walkway or driveway. If you’re feeling particularly industrious, you can cut designs in them.

Kids

• Cut open and let the kids draw on them. Much cheaper than art tablets!
• Make masks. Cut out eye holes and let your kids draw, glue, cut, and otherwise decorate them, then wear them until they wear out.
• Make puppets. Smaller lunch-sized bags work great for decorating as hand puppets.
• Kids book covers. Book covers don’t seem to be very popular anymore (I can’t remember ever seeing them when I was in school) but they’re really useful.
• Use to make a road for kid’s cars. Let the kids be adventurous in creating their own superhighway system or racetrack on the bags, then spend all afternoon racing toy cars.
• Use to hold individual portions of popcorn or other treats at children’s events.
• They’re great at Halloween for treat bags. As an extra bonus, let the kids decorate them to match their costumes.
• Kindergarten teachers have been making Thanksgiving “Indian” costumes for years. Cut arm and neck holes in a bag, slit up the front like a vest, and let kids decorate. Don’t forget to fringe the ends for authenticity.
• Kids can use paper bags to make paper-chains to decorate the Christmas tree. Cut into strips and let the kids decorate one side, then glue the ends into interlocking circles.
• Make quick gift wrap. Wrap the present in a bag, then let the kids decorate. Be careful with items like Sharpies and paint that could damage the package underneath. (Or let them decorate first and wrap when it’s dry.)

Pets

• Cats can’t resist a paper bag. Leave one open on it’s side and kitty will enjoy it for days.
• Make a birdcage cover. My grandmother always used paper bags to cover the birdcage at night, because they could be thrown away when the birds got them dirty.
• On the subject of birds, use to line the bottom of the birdcage. The stiffer paper will be less likely to fall apart when you’re cleaning it out.

Bonus

• If you’re adventurous, you can make paper bag clothes, as shown in the photograph above. Excellent for making a fashion, industrial, or green statement.
• Fans of the BBC series As Time Goes By may remember Geoffrey Palmer as Lionel fighting off the application of a goose fat and brown paper home remedy for a twenty-four-hour bug. No clue if it works.

Of course, there’s always the most obvious use: Use them to carry things. I’ve used them extensively when moving to pack up things, and to carry kitchenware and ingredients when cooking away from home. One thing to avoid, though, is the frequent tip about cooking with paper bags: Aside from using wet bags to freshen breads, putting paper in the oven is a bad idea. The bags can ignite in the oven (especially a gas oven) and cause a kitchen fire. If you are going to risk putting dry bags in the oven, be sure to stand guard and have a fire extinguisher handy.

If you have brilliant uses for paper bags, drop them in the comments.

What makes Thunderbird rock so much?

• It’s easy. Thunderbird is easy to install, easy to set up, and easy to use. It includes all the popular features (folders, message tagging, templates) as well as a powerful search feature out of the box. And, if you have problems, there’s a nice big development community that will be happy to help you . (Instead of telling you to call Dell. )
• It’s trimmed down. Microsoft Outlook can be scary: There are features and settings that look like they might launch nuclear weapons. Thunderbird doesn’t do anything but email (by default), and it does it really well.
• It’s extendable. Do you actually use the calendar in Outlook? No problem, there’s Lightning, a calendar extension for Thunderbird . (Yes, Thunder(bird) and Lighting. We’re geeks, remember?) Use Google Calendar? There’s an extension for that . There are also extensions for commonly used signatures and even one to associate pictures with your contacts!
• It’s secure. Thunderbird has increased security by default, including phishing protection, remote image blocking, junk mail filtering, and automatic updating. It also has plenty of extensions to make it more secure: I like the Sender Verification extension , which uses a variety of security frameworks.
• It’s free. That’s right, it doesn’t cost a cent.. It’s also free as in open source, which is even better.

If you’re sick of Outlook, or have just been looking for the perfect email solution, give Thunderbird a try . (While you’re at it, check out the family superstar, Firefox .) And, of course, if you like it, consider supporting the work of the Mozilla Foundation.

Disclaimer: As always, I’m not affiliated with the Mozilla Foundation or any of the extensions I’ve recommended, I’m just a regular user.

A few days ago, I had breakfast with a friend, and our conversation turned to inheritances. We were discussing how our parent’s interests have left us with things that are very important to them, but aren’t to us, and that when our parents pass, it will fall to us to dispense with them. In my case, my father has been building classic cars for fifty years, and my mother shares my late grandmother’s fondness for antiques. My brother and I don’t share our parents’ interests, leading to my expectation that we’ll likely liquidate their estate.

The conversation turned, however, when I did a quick enumeration of the various things that would need to be liquidated, and estimated the value. My friend’s eyes went wide over her pancakes, and it caused me to stop mid-thought. When I asked what was the matter, she replied that she didn’t realize I came from a wealthy family. Given that I most certainly don’t come from a wealthy family, I responded that I wasn’t sure what she meant. Her response shocked me as much as she had been: “Do you realize you just counted out over a million dollars?”

In truth, I really hadn’t realized I’d counted out over a million dollars. I would never think of my parents as millionaires – they pay the bills every month, but certainly aren’t carrying on like Paris Hilton. Mom carries a balance in her checkbook, but it’s nowhere near seven figures, and our house is still under mortgage, though it’s due to be paid off this year. The reality is, however, that between real estate, vehicles, antiques inherited from my grandmother, investments, and their insurance, my parents’ net worth has passed the one million mark, without any of us ever really thinking about it.

I thought a long time about this, especially whether or not to write on the topic, and eventually decided that while I’m a bit uncomfortable with the realization, there are probably many others out there who have no idea how wealthy they really are. When all we focus on is bank balance, we can tend to forget that wealth builds in many other ways, and could even fail to notice that we’ve become millionaires. I think in the end, I find that a very comforting thought, that money really doesn’t have to change us.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

How so indeed!

Men and women, in my experience, tend to have very different approaches to shoes. Most of the women I know have dozens, sometimes hundreds of pairs of shoes, while most men have less than a dozen. (I’ll admit it: I love shoes, and have about two dozen pair, but I’m rarely the norm.) When you only have one or two pairs of dress shoes, especially if you wear them a lot, it’s important to buy quality. (Not that I don’t think ladies should buy quality as well.) My current situation provides a stunning example of this.

I have two pairs of dress shoes I regularly wear: I pair of Cole Haan black cap-toe oxfords and a pair of cordovan Johnston & Murphy wing-tips. I admit to having paid more than usual for both pairs, and I did so because they’re quality shoes that will last for decades. However, they’re also very comfortable shoes, a point I hadn’t really considered until this weekend.

Being that I run my own tech consulting business, I spend a lot of time meeting with clients. A sizeable amount of that time is spent crawling around on floors and under desks installing and servicing equipment, so I generally wear blue jeans and trainers along with a company shirt. About once a week I meet with a new client for the first time, and generally wear a suit on those occasions. However, this past week was filled with client meetings that involved wearing suits every day. As it just so happened to coincide with my Cole Haans being sent out for repairs, I replaced my trusty cap-toes with the inexpensive patent leather oxfords I wear with my tux, shoes that make their way out of the closet about twice a year, maximum.

I now find myself out of commission for the foreseeable future, struck down with a bout of sciatica. The cause, of course, is the cheap shoes I spent the week in, which have left me unable to sit upright for more than five or ten minutes at a time. I’d never noticed any problems with the shoes, probably because I’ve never worn them for more than a couple of hours at a time. When I can finally bend over and pick them up, I’m going to have some rather nasty things to say to them.

I’ve learned an important lesson about taking care of yourself: It’s important to be careful with your money, but it’s more important to be careful with your health. If you’re going to be spending more than a few hours in your shoes, make sure you’re buying ones that have proper support and are built to endure the punishment of heavy wear. If not, you might just end up like me, counting cracks in the ceiling and praying for it to be over.

The Mozilla Foundation was established in July 2003 to provide open-source software for the public benefit. Mozilla’s best known product is the open-source Firefox web browser , holding about 15% of the web browser market. However, Mozilla produces a number of other excellent products , including the Thunderbird email client, SeaMonkey , an all-in-one internet application suite, and Bugzilla , a popular web-based bug-tracking tool.

I’ve written before about the greatness of Firefox and the many reasons to use it, so I won’t repeat them here. (There are similar great reasons to use Mozilla’s other products, which I’ll cover in future posts.) Unfortunately, great software doesn’t develop itself, so keeping the projects going falls to donations from appreciative users. As an appreciative user, I send regular donations to the Mozilla Foundation , and I encourage others to do so if you enjoy using Mozilla’s products.

And of course, for those of us inclined towards the geekier wing of fashion, there’s always something great to be found in the Mozilla Store , so have a look, and tell the world you browse smartly and support the best in free software.

“A man must have invented panty hose. No woman would do such a thing to other women. I mean, nobody in their right mind takes something that is six inches wide and tries to squeeze their fat self into them. You have to lay down on the bed, throw your legs up in the air, and pray you get them all the way on in one pull. Then, they don’t even last that long, one run and their ruined. We have envelopes you can’t rip with a lawnmower, but my panty hose shred like tissue paper. It simply couldn’t have been a woman’s idea.” – Mom

My mother hates panty hose. Now, I don’t think this is particularly odd in itself, as most women I know hate panty hose. However, I think Mom’s hate may run a bit deeper than normal. (Yes, that is a real quote from her on the subject.) However, being the frugal maven she is, Mom has plenty of ideas for what to do with them once they’ve run their course. I solemnly swear she’s actually done all these (obviously, after they’ve been thoroughly cleaned):

• Save the cotton balls from bottles of pills. Pick up bottles of scented oil from Walmart for $1 and dip the cotton in the oil. Make sachets from old pairs of panty hose, put the cotton in them, and tie the ends with ribbon. Use them as closet deodorizers, and of course, give them as gifts to friends. Saves money on dry-cleaning! (Bonus points if you use ribbon you bought for 75% at last year’s after-Christmas sales.)
• If the elastic at the top has given out, cut off the legs and make them into knee-highs. Use one-inch elastic to hold them up – don’t try rubber bands, they have a bad habit of bursting at inopportune times, and can cut off your circulation.
• Cut quarter-inch strips and use them to tie back plants. Because the hose are stretchy, they won’t cut into tender plants. Especially good to tie back tomatoes and roses.
• Cut off the legs and use them to store onions and garlic. Drop an onion down into the foot, then tie a knot above it, then repeat until you’ve filled the leg with onions, each with a knot in between it and the next. Hang them in a cool, dry place, and when you need an onion, just cut off the bottom one. The knots keep the rest from falling out!
• Use sections instead of cheesecloth to sift or infuse. Fit a section over the end of a coffee can and secure with a rubber band to make a quick sifter. You can also use to decant red wine heavy with sediment. In a pinch, you can even use them to replace a coffee filter!
• Cut off the legs and fill them with charcoal briquettes, then sprinkle liberally with baking soda. Put them inside the refrigerator and freezer when putting them into storage to absorb moisture and prevent mold and mildew. (You should leave the doors open a couple of days before storing them to air out first.)
• Use strips to dry chilies. Put them in the feet and hang in a warm dry place to dry out.
• Cut off the legs, put a bar of soap down into the foot, and tie off. The soap can be used right through the hose, and you never have to worry about dropping it. (Also a great way to use up those bits and pieces of a bar that are always left over – put several into a foot and use like a larger bar.)
• Cut rings from the legs and use to hold gauze in place for bandages. The hose will stretch, unlike tape, but will still hold the bandage in place. A whole pair with the legs tied together also makes a quick sling in an emergency.

I can’t say I’m particularly eager to replace my coffee filter with pantyhose, but some of these are really helpful. And of course, they’re all frugal things my mom does.

Note: Fans of FTMD are invited to submit questions you’d like Mom to answer for next week’s edition.

It’s a bit of an investment – around $85 – and unless you reuse the receptacles (by flushing the clumps when it’s full), you’ll have to buy new receptacles (around $5 for 12, which lasts 3-6 months depending on your cats). I’ve always used the flush method (be sure to Lysol the toilet afterwards, just in case) so one box of containers usually lasts me about a year. You will save on litter: I used to use a container every two weeks, which has now cut down to one every two months. For me, the convenience of not having to scoop or change the box all the time, as well as the cost saved in litter makes it a worthwhile investment for me, and over the three years we’ve had it, I’d estimate I’ve recouped the cost (through litter savings) and saved about $200 on litter purchases.

If you hate cleaning the litter box and have a love of gadgetry, give the automatic box a spin – it’s the next best thing to getting the cat to use the toilet!

Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with any automatic litter box manufacturers.

Several people have shared their enjoyment of the FTMD series, and this past week, fellow blogger Jessica Okon planted the seed for a future post. Now, I’m asking you guys for your help to make it happen.

Anyone who has enjoyed reading about my mom’s zany exploits is invited to pose a question (or two, if you like) that you’d like to have her answer. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about something I’ve written on, just a question about funny frugality that you’d like to have her answer. I’ll pick the best, put them to her, and post her responses here. I’m planning the post for Friday, August 10th (that’s a week from this Friday), so please post your questions in the comments by next Wednesday (August 8th).

I’m looking forward to this one, and I hope you guys are too! And of course, don’t miss this week’s edition!

Inkscape is a vector graphics editor (SVG files), while The GIMP edits raster graphics (JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF). Most people are familiar with raster (bitmap) graphics, which create images with pixels (familiar editors include MS Paint and Photoshop). Vector graphics are created with mathematical formulas, the primary benefit being that vector graphics can be scaled without losing definition (unlike raster images, which end up pixilated when scaled to larger sizes).

If you spend any time manipulating images, especially if you often need to scale images after you’ve created them, then here are nine reasons to check out this dynamic duo:

1. They’re free – yes, free as in beer, but most important, free as in speech.
2. They work – though they can sometimes grab a bit too much memory, they’re incredibly reliable.
3. They’re cross-platform – both run on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
4. They’re powerful – you can do things with the GIMP that you can’t do in most free image editors, and most systems have no native support for vector editing at all.
5. They’re extendable – being open source, anyone can grab the code and write an extension. Popular programs like Photoshop require special authorization to create plug-ins.
6. Inkscape is accessible – Inkscape follows standards for usability, and pays close attention to user feedback on accessibility. (The GIMP can be a bit obtuse, but is a pretty quick learn. For those more familiar with Photoshop, a variant called GIMPshop may be helpful.)
7. The GIMP is portable – you can load it on a flash drive and take it with you to any computer, unlike most image editors.
8. Free tech support – Both have active communities of users and developers, willing to help resolve problems and offer advice.
9. Did I mention, they’re free?

I personally use The GIMP any time I need to edit a bitmap image, and I use Inkscape extensively in my web design work. Both have powerful features that other free editors don’t, and being free, they save hundreds of dollars otherwise spent on commercial applications. I consider both absolutely essential to my business.

Both applications are free to download (and do pretty much anything else with) from gimp.org and inkscape.org , which also have links to various support options. If you have experience with either application, please share them in the comments.

Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated in any way with either of these products, and receive no compensation for recommending them.

Attackers are out there. It’s a fact of life for anyone who has a computer system: Somebody is always out there, trying to make unauthorized use of your system. Sadly, these days, it’s easier and easier for them to do it. Could they do it to you?

Malicious attacks take many forms: viruses, spyware, adware, worms, rootkits, keyloggers, unauthorized VNC systems, and a host more. Any computer can be cracked (ask the US Department of Defense about that one ) though some are obviously more attractive than others. As an IT professional, the most common response I hear to warnings about attacks is “I’m not worried, because I don’t have anything that anyone would want.” Though it doesn’t always do any good, I’m very clear with my answer:

Oh yes you do.

Black hats (another term for crackers) want to crack systems for a variety of reasons. I personally think the most common reason is curiosity: They just want to see if they can do it. Others do so in order to steal information from others, or to use the system for other illegal activities. Your quiet little Windows PC is incredibly valuable to a cracker looking for personal and financial information or quick zombie target (zombies are cracked computers that can be used by the cracker to launch attacks on other systems). I once was called in to investigate a “slow” system and ended up scrubbing 24,000 separate infections. (I honestly thought I might need to mix Clorox and Holy Water to get it clean.)

If all of us are at risk, and the attackers are only a breath away, what can you do? How do you protect yourself from the most common threats, especially if you’re on a budget?

• Be sure your system is up-to-date, and pay attention to software news. If you use Windows, be sure you are updating your system (either through Automatic Updates or manually). System updates are usually a good thing, but occasionally something goes wrong, so be sure you’re paying attention to tech news, just in case.
• Functional and up-to-date anti-virus software is critical, and be sure it is active anytime your computer is turned on. I recommend Grisoft’s AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition for home users, even if you can afford to pay for a pay program, because it works well, updates automatically, and you don’t have to worry about your subscription (and your protection) running out. Whichever program you pick, be sure to run only one anti-virus package, as running multiples can cause them to malfunction.
• Download a spyware utility and run it frequently. Grisoft’s AVG Anti-Spyware Free Edition and Lavasoft’s AdAware 2007 Free both scan and remove spyware infections. I recommend using both programs, as there is no danger from multiple anti-spyware packages: what one misses, the other will likely find. Be sure to keep them up-to-date and run the scans frequently. AVG also offers an anti-rootkit package that detects and removes rootkit threats.
• Get a personal firewall program and run it at high security. ZoneAlarm makes a good firewall that is free for personal and charitable use . Be sure to pay attention to the pop-ups requesting access – if an unknown program requests access, ZoneAlarm will offer advice about what to do.
• Secure your network, if you have one. Routers and switches have passwords, and some of them can be accessed from outside your network if you haven’t configured them properly. Wireless networks are even more vulnerable, as anyone can drive up and log on with a laptop, so be sure wireless networks are secure and password protected. Check with customer support for the company that manufactured your hardware if you aren’t sure how to configure your network properly, or hire a qualified technician to advise you.
• Get rid of Internet Explorer! I’ve written before about dumping IE for Firefox , and it makes good security sense. Most exploits are written for IE, because most people use IE, so getting rid of it increases your security immediately. Additionally, Firefox has built in security features (and even more security through extensions) to offer additional protection. (If you’re really daring, you can ditch Windows entirely for Mac’s OS X or a Linux distribution, but I can’t really recommend that for everyone.)
• On passwords:

• Choose good passwords. “Password” is the worst password you can pick, period. Even if you write it as p@$$w0rd, it’s an invitation to cracking. Anything related to you (your address, phone number, kid’s names) is bad. Lower-cased all-letter passwords, especially short ones (6 characters or less) can be cracked literally in minutes. All-number passwords are even easier.
• Always use long (10 character or more), mixed case passphrases with letters and punctuation marks. It doesn’t need to be hard-to-remember random text, something like J0hn_10v3$_8dri@n3 (“John loves Adriane”) is secure and easy to remember. If you have trouble translating letters to similar characters, try this English-to-Leet (“1337”) translator , set at about 15% to 25% leet. (If you don’t know what leet is, ask a handy teenager.)
• If you’re storing your user ID’s and passwords in your internet browser, make sure you’re using a master password, or else they’re available to anyone who gets control of your computer.
• Don’t write down your passwords, and certainly don’t leave it on a sticky-note on your monitor or desk. If you must write passwords down, keep them locked up somewhere secure (like a safe or a lockbox). If you use secure passphrases, you should be able to remember your password with little trouble.
• Change your passwords regularly. No, you don’t need to change them every week, especially if you’re using strong phrases, but every three to six months is a good idea.
• Finally, don’t use the same password for everything, and put your strongest password on your email account. Nearly every web application allows you to reset your password via your email, so if an attacker can get in there, all your web passwords are just a reset form away.

There is quite a bit more to say on the subject (and I’m sure plenty of it will come up in the comments) but this is a basic dip into securing your system from attacks. If you don’t come away with anything else, be sure to remember this: It can happen to you. Be vigilant, take steps to keep yourself secure, and be well.

If you’ve been the victim of an attack, or if you think I’ve left something out, please share it in the comments.

Disclaimers: With the obvious exception of Wisebread, I’m not affilia