One of the coolest things on the web. National Geographic's webcam at an African watering hole. Watch elephants, zebra, giraffes, and more. Turn up the sound. 0 comments

Remember the donkey in Shrek? He's based on Perry, a real donkey who lives in Palo Alto. His stable is in a park a short walk from my home. When Pacific Data Images (PDI) of Palo Alto was making Shrek, they needed a donkey. They found Perry nearby. He's a minature donkey and very lively; he thinks he's a dog and likes to jump around. They photographed him and videoed him, and with those images, they were able to create the digital donkey. 0 comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote about affiliate programs. Here's more details on LinkShare.com. To be a merchant (a supplier to the affiliates), there is a $5,000 setup fee, a $2,000 per month account fee, and the fee to the affilliates for each click/purchase. It can take about four months before the merchant begins to see traffic. This can be $12-18,000 before you make any sales. They recommend you try smaller programs first and then build up to them. 0 comments

Lost? Don't stop and ask for directions! Get directions on your cellphone! If your celly can do SMS text messaging, you can ask Google Mobile for directions. Try it (free) and see how it works. Read more about Google Mobile. On your celly, use SMS, type the query, and send to 46645 (that's Google). (Thanks to Silvia for asking about this.)

You can also use Google SMS to check prices. In a store and wondering if it's cheaper elsewhere? Use SMS, send the ISBN or bar code number to Google, and get a price check. Folks, this will save you quite a bit of money.

Google SMS also gives you movie times. Enter the movie title and your zipcode to find movies nearby. 0 comments

How to Recharge Your Cellphone with Common Batteries

1) Turn off your cellphone. Reserve battery power as much as possible. Turn down screen brightness, turn off vibrate, turn down sound.

2) To recharge a cellphone with ordinary batteries, cut the power supply cord near the charger. Strip the ends of the wire. Start with a 1.5v battery. If this isn't enough to start the recharging display, add another 1.5v battery. If that's not enough, add yet another 1.5v battery. If the cellphone requires 3v, two 1.5v batteries will work. If the phone requires 4.8v, three 1.5v batteries will work. Start low and add batteries.

3) If cellphone system is overloaded, use text messaging. Learn how to use text messaging (SMS). Add a friend's email address to your cellphone's contact list. Be sure it's a friend who lives outside of your region. 0 comments

How to Purify Water

1) If the water is cloudy, strain it. Take a tall plastic water bottle, cut off the bottom, invert to make a funnel, and stuff it tightly with clean cotton cloth, paper towels, etc. Strain the water over and over until it is clear.

2) Disinfect the water. Use regular, unscented Clorox liquid bleach. Four drops of Clorox in one quart of water. Use an eyedropper or a straw. Shake the water. Let it stand for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor. If not, add four more drops and wait another 30 minutes. Do not use crystal chlorine (for pools). This is poisonous.

3) Purify only enough water for 48 hours.

4) If you can boil the water, boil for at least one minute.

This removes bacteria and microorganisms from water. But it won't remove chemicals. In floods (such as New Orleans), refineries and chemical plants were flooded and many chemicals were released into the water. If the water has a chemical smell (not the chlorine), don't drink it. 0 comments