The Best Web Stuff

I've been thinking about getting a netbook recently. The only thing I use my 3 year old Dell laptop for is checking email and browsing the web. Occasionally I will use it for giving presentations - usually PowerPoint. If I can replace my big old Dell with something much smaller and nearly as powerful pretty inexpensively then I would.

Based on the specs and the reviews that I have read the MSI Wind may be the netbook I need. A 160GB hard drive and the 6 cell battery would be nice. I've read that upgrading to 2GB of RAM is fairly simple. Check out the MSI Wind on Netbook Roundup and see what you think.

Any thoughts?

There is a new web site for reading information about Netbooks. It compares specs between each manufacturer/model, provides reviews, price comparisions, deals and links for shopping online.

Check out Netbook Roundup for netbook reviews, news, deals and more!

Planned additions to the Netbook Roundup site include NetbookComparisons.com, NetbookGuides.com and NetbookShowdown.com.

With the Christmas and holiday season coming to a close it is once again time to turn our attention to another of our annual festivities... income tax filing! Do any of these ring a bell: 1040, W-2, child tax credit, earned income credit, self employment tax, eFile, gift tax, the IRS? They may have slipped your mind since last year, but they are in your future. Hopefully a big income tax return is in your future, too. Hopefully a big income tax return is in my future!

I have been using TurboTax for years and I highly recommend it. I use the TurboTax software for my preparation and filing, but there is also a simple online version, too. TurboTax is second to none and I believe I get back more money by using it versus using an income tax professional.

My wife and I used to file separately. I would do my returns with TurboTax and she would use a local tax preparation company. Several years ago for a comparison I did her return and compared it to what her professionals came up with. The results were close, but TurboTax was a little better and quite a bit cheaper than the fees the professionals charged. Since that time I always prepare both our returns using TurboTax.

Give TurboTax a try. You'll be glad that you did.

(Your mileage may vary. I am not a legal professional do not take this recommendation as legal advice, etc.)

If you're like me you still have tons of Christmas shopping left to do. If, like me, you like to do a lot of your holiday shopping online then you, too, are facing the upcoming impending doom that is the "last day to guarantee delivery by Christmas". That date is coming soon for some stores and may have already passed for others. There is one quick-shipping gift left that is great for everyone on your list: an Amazon Gift Cards and Certificates!


Everyone loves Amazon and Amazon Gift Cards and Certificates are a welcomed gift for all.

On the heels of recommending one wooden toys site, I'm recommending another: BuyWoodToys.com



Their motto is: "We take pride in offering safe, lead free, non-toxic wood toys that are made in the US."

Check it out!

Some friends of mine are preparing to launch a new site, FavoriteWoodToys.com.



All their products are hand-made in the USA. The colored pieces are a waterbase, child safe toy enamel applied by a factory in the USA. All of the wood used to product the toys comes from sustainable forests in the USA. The oiled finish is also on the "safe substances" list.

As of this writing they are nailing down some final details to their ordering system and they should be taking orders soon. I'm also told they will be adding many more toys to their catalog soon, too.

If you're looking for safe, non-toxic wooden toys for your child this holiday season then make sure you give FavoriteWoodToys.com a look.

For the beer lover there is no gift nearly as cool as a beer brewing kit. Mr.Beer has sold over 650,000 kits and has become  the most popular home brewing system worldwide! Any kit would make a great gift. All the kits are designed for simplicity and ease of use for reliable results every time. I would love one of these:

MR. BEER Deluxe Beer Kit Brewing System $39.95 With this Mr. Beer Kit you can brew 2 gallons of great tasting brew in seven days and you can drink the first batch in 14 days.	MR. BEER Premium Beer Kit Brewing System $49.95 This kit is the best starting for beginning home brewers. It comes with everything you need to brew and bottle your first two gallons of great quality home brew. You can reuse this kit many times with refill brew packs that come in many flavors so you can discover a favorite brew.
MR. BEER Pro Beer Kit Brewing System $99.95 This kit comes with everything you need to brew and bottle three awesome batches of beer. It contains all of the tools necessary to make your beer brewing hobby easy.	MR. BEER Ultimate Beer Kit Brewing System $149.95 This is the complete kit that comes with everything you need to brew and bottle seven batches. It contains every brewing tool you'll ever need plus lots of extras.

More information about home beer brewing kits.

GPS systems will be hot this Christmas. Get this inexpensive stocking stuffer now and forget the last minute over-priced shopping in the mall:

It's never too early to think about Christmas and a Barnes and Nobles Gift Card is a great gift for all ages. They are redeemable online and in stores, are available in any whole dollar amount from $10-$250, have no hidden fees and never expire.

While you're at Barnes and Noble you should think about becoming a member. A membership costs just $25 a year and as a member you'll save up to 40% every day in stores and online. Plus, save even more with special Member e-mail offers and money saving coupons.

One last High School Musical item for today... Troy Bolton High School Musical Life Size Stand Up: