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Solving Password Overload

It is incredible the number of web sites that a person might go to that require registration and log in.  For each such web site that might mean keeping track of

• User Name
• Real Name (or the one you gave them)
• Password
• Email address

If you are like me, you might have different email addresses that you use for different purposes.  Pretty soon, it becomes mind-boggling to keep track of which web site uses which user name, which password, and which email. Previously, I had been keeping the information for each web site in a text file.  But I have also been nervous about the fact that a plain old text file is not secure.

Personally, I like using tools-at-hand to solve problems.  Keeping track of this type of data can be done very easily with a spreadsheet. Many people use Microsoft Excel and those who don’t use Excel can get OpenOffice’s Calc for free. Both enable you to save a file which is encrypted with a password.  When that is done, you will have to enter the password when you open the spreadsheet.  [Tip: Keep that password in some other place.]

I created a spreadsheet with the following column headings:

• Type – Financial, Software, Blog, Wiki, etc.
• Title – Name of the web site
• Web site – The web site address
• User Name – user name you used when setting up account; also know as login name; some web sites have you log in with your email address
• Password – um, password?
• Email – your email address
• Notes – notes about the web site

From there I can sort or filter on any of the columns.  If you haven’t learned to sort and filter, features that are available in both Excel and OpenOffice Calc, it is well worth the time to learn.

Weighty Matters

The following are some tips that I have gathered over the years regarding maintaining proper weight and losing weight.

1. Weight alone is not the issue.  One hundred pounds of muscle takes up less space than one hundred pounds of fat.  A person of the same height and weight will be able to wear a smaller clothing size if they have a higher muscle content than one who has a higher fat content.
2. When you attempt weight loss through only diet, you lose not only fat but also muscle. Weight loss programs should involve exercise as well as diet modification.
3. Don’t try to lose weight through deprivation (for example, skipping meals, especially breakfast). Skipping meals leads to snacking and over-eating at meal time.
4. Don’t go on any diet that you can’t stay on for the rest of your life. That is, start eating a healthy diet, getting the foods your body needs.
5. Your body only needs so many calories per day based upon your activity. Your body also needs nutrients. If your diet doesn’t contain the proper nutrients, your body will say, “I’m hungry” even though you may have consumed a great deal of calories. Excess calories turns into fat.
6. Stay away from empty calories, like candy, pop and flavored drinks (also known as juice, which it rarely is). Why? See the previous tip. Drink water with your meal.
7. Snacking
   1. If you are hungry and it is not mealtime, drink a glass of water.
   2. If you need to snack between meals, try to determine what time of day that typically is and schedule a snack before that time so that your stomach doesn’t start growing.
   3. Have snack alternatives like nuts or whole grain products or some sliced turkey. If purchased in large bags (like nuts), at the beginning of the week, put snack-size portions in small baggies or containers.
   4. Don’t buy and keep food in your house that is not part of a healthy diet or are a particular weakness for you.
8. Eating Habits – Tips to reducing calorie consumption
   1. Don’t eat standing up. If you are going to eat, sit down. A lot of excess eating occurs when you are standing up.
   2. Don’t eat while cooking. Many cooks eat two meals: one while cooking and another when the meal is served
   3. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.
   4. Don’t eat in the three hours prior to going to bed.
   5. Don’t decorate your house with food (that is, having bowls of candy on the coffee table, etc.).
   6. Portion control – if you like to fill up your plate, use smaller plates.
   7. Don’t eat out of large bags of food (for example, a bag of chips). You become oblivious to portion control.
   8. If you are having a problem reducing intake, keep a pad of paper for a week and write down everything (what and when) you put in your mouth. Some people are deterred from snacking if they know they have to write it down. Consider having an accountability partner to review the list with you

Now, if I could only put all these tips into practice.

Best Free Process Viewer

Ever get suspicious about what is running on your computer?  A process viewer will answer that question.  Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete (don’t do this on Windows ME and earlier) will bring up the task manager built into Windows, but there are many third party alternatives that provide more functionality and information.

I have been using “What’s Running,” a piece of freeware recommended at Gizmo’s Tech Support Alert. There you can read more about “What’s Running” and another suggested process viewer. Several times, as my computer slowed to a crawl, I was able to start-up “What’s Running” and there I could see what was consuming all the CPU time.  Of course, if your computer is running slow, you might want to stretch your legs as you wait for the program to start running.

The Best-ever Freeware List

Looking for some software but don’t have any money in the budget?  Take a look at Gizmo’s Tech Support Alert where you will find two or three recommendations for each of over a hundred types of freeware and/or open source software.

There are a lot of great freeware products out there. Many are as good as or better than their commercial alternatives. But with so many great free products, how can you quickly find what you want?

That’s what we do at this site: in each program class we select the “best of the best” for you.

The name would indicate that it started out as a problem-solving site.  It has grown from a one-man operation to a community of people who report on various types of software.  The home page is titled “The Best-Ever Freeware Utilities,” but the list of categories goes from simple single-use utilities to full-featured applications such as Open Office (a worthy rival to Microsoft Office).

As always, use the typical precautions when downloading software.  That said, I have never found a virus in any software that they have recommended.