{"id":34835,"date":"2016-06-08T10:47:33","date_gmt":"2016-06-08T14:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=34835"},"modified":"2016-06-08T10:47:33","modified_gmt":"2016-06-08T14:47:33","slug":"facebook-shines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=34835","title":{"rendered":"Facebook shines"},"content":{"rendered":"

“You’re supposed to know when your taxes are due.”<\/p>\n

With those delicious words, Yewsenia at Riverside County Teasurer’s Office explained why they only mailed one notice for taxes due in December and April.<\/p>\n

If you were stupid enough to forget the second set of taxes — the April one — they’d remind you in June with a notice adding a 10% “penalty.”<\/p>\n

To my brain, it looks like a brilliant scheme to rip their home owners out of extra monies.<\/p>\n

When I complained about the lack of notices, I was officially told to go pound sand.<\/p>\n

My friend said “Welcome to socialist California.” He’s wrong. That practice is very capitalistic, and brilliant, to boot.<\/p>\n

The moral of this story: Pay all your real estate taxes in one go upfront. Don’t pay them in installments.<\/p>\n

Is Microsoft harassing you to “upgrade” to Windows 10?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Don’t answer the pop-up box. Hit the X in the top right hand corner of the box and close the box.<\/p>\n

2. My computer whiz tells me:<\/p>\n

I use a program called GWX Control Panel, by Josh Mayfield, http:\/\/ultimateoutsider.com\/downloads\/<\/a><\/p>\n

It prevent Windows 10 from installing and blocks it and its files from inhabiting my customers’ computers. You may have to run the program after a Windows Update as Microsoft can re-inject the Windows 10 install files back onto the computer.<\/p>\n

GWX Control Panel is a very comprehensive program that should keep Windows 10 off your PC.<\/p>\n

Mary Meeker’s most important slides.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Remember Mary Meeker’s 219page Internet slide deck I instanced several days ago? Click here.<\/strong><\/a> Here is my take on her most interesting slides. If you can’t see the entire slide, click on it.<\/p>\n

\"Meecker6\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Meecker5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Meecker4\"<\/a> \"Meecker3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Meecker2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Meecker1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

About the only investment tip I got out of Meeker’s slides was Facebook (FB). Look at how much faster it’s growing than Google or the others.<\/p>\n

Amazing fact: I have friends who own businesses, which sell things, but don’t have a web site. WIX.com is probably the easiest cheapest way for Blind Freddie –i.e. anyone without technical savy — to create their own attractive web site.<\/p>\n

Country mice revisited. <\/strong><\/span>My son Michael, the punster, says “You’re running a real mice Airbnb there…”<\/p>\n

To repeat, these are the condensers in my back yard:<\/p>\n

\"Condensers1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My field mice made their mice AirBnB inside the top of each of the condensers. Here’s an inside peek at one:<\/p>\n

\"MiceAirBNB\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Once this nest is cleaned out with a shop-vac and the chewed wires re-connected, there are five long-term solutions:<\/p>\n

1. Turn off power to machines. The power keeps the circuit boards warm during the winter and attracts the mice. The big nice nest adjoins the warm circuit boards.<\/p>\n

2. A barn cat. The best solution.<\/p>\n

3. Cotton balls impregnated with essential mint\/peppermint oil and stuffed among the wires.<\/p>\n

4. Spray essential mint oil everywhere regularly. Amazon sells the stuff.<\/p>\n

5. In winter, wrap the units in industrial-grade plastic wrap — like the stuff they use at airports to wrap around flimsy suitcases and large packages. Check the packages regularly for mice breaches.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Do not use mouse-traps baited with peanut butter. They will attract and kill zillions of mice. But that’s not what you want. You want to deter.<\/p>\n

How to avoid speeding tickets:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Stay within ten miles an hour of the limit.<\/p>\n

2. Drive with cruise control.<\/p>\n

3. Use WAZE to alart you to police.<\/p>\n

\"HarryNewton\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Harry Newton, who asks to be woken up when this awe-uninspiring election is over.<\/p>\n