Fun on the Web May 7 '10 Webby Awards

14th annual nominations and winners
http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?media_id=96&season=14

Fun on the Web May 6 '10 Ebay Price Structures

As you may or may not know Ebay has once again raised the fees charged to the sellers. This means they must raise the prices they charge you just to remain at the same place they were before!

To demonstrate these changes I am showing just a few of the more outrageous inflation of the fees here:
the cost to the seller of a
$50 item went from $3.06 to $4.50 that is an increase in fee of $1.44 or 47% and for a
$75 item went from $3.94 to $6.75 that is an increase in fee of $2.81 or 71% and for a
$100 item went from $4.81 to $9.00 that is an increase in fee of $4.19 or 87%

If the seller has a store they fare slightly better with only a 43% increase at $50, 37% increase at $75, and 32% at $100 price point. This is in addition to store fees and those can change at anytime too.

Auction Bytes (which has been around for years providing advice and forums to online sellers) has a few interesting choices for alternative venues here
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/sc_venues_10


and Powersellersunite has a day by day listing of who has how many listings and if they are trending up or down which of course is not the only reason to use a particular venue to sell or buy from since ease of use and reliability play such key roles.
http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php

Fun on the Web May 5 '10 Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This celebrates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. A regional holiday in Mexico, it has been embraced in our own melting pot kind of way; many here will explore Mexican cuisine today or enjoy old favorites. As for myself, I'm hoping for homade tamales at our local Farmers Market.

To explore more history on this:
http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm

Bilingual history
http://www.nacnet.org/assunta/spa5may.htm

Send a card:
http://www.123greetings.com/events/cinco_de_mayo/
http://www.care2.com/send/Cinco-de-Mayo-eCards.html
http://www.higreetings.com/holiday/cinco_de_mayo/
http://www.cincodemayocards.com/

Activities for kids
http://holidays.kaboose.com/cinco-de-mayo/
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/cinco-de-mayo/

Recipes for your own celebration
http://recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/cinco-de-mayo-recipes
http://bbq.about.com/od/seasonal/tp/top_10_cinco_de_mayo.htm
http://www.mexican-barbecue-recipes.com/cinco-de-mayo-recipes.html
http://www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/menu_planning/cinco_de_mayo.cfm
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/holiday-recipes/cinco_de_mayo_recipes.html
http://chicagonista.com/featured/cinco-de-mayo-recipes-from-chicago-chefs/
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/cinco-de-mayo/main.aspx

http://www.examiner.com/x-1673-Baltimore-Food-Examiner~y2009m5d4-Celebrating-Cinco-de-Mayo-recipes-for-the-Mexican-holiday

Fun on the Web May 4 '10 Reuse Plastic Bottle

Reuse Plastic Bottle plus links to other recycling ideas
http://www.wikihow.com/Reuse-Empty-Water-Bottles

Fun on the Web May 3 '10 Free Ice Cream May 4th

Use the shop locator to find a Ben & Jerry's near you to get free ice cream samples of BonnarooBuzz and other give-a-ways on May 4th from 5 - 7 pm
http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/feature/bonnaroo/

Fun on the Web May 2 '10 Grammar Girl

Ever wonder about words? Affect vs Effect . . . Farther vs Further
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

For more general tips try
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

Fun on the Web May 1 '10 Kentucky Derby

Racing in Louisville started around 1783 when it was reported they raced through the downtown streets. A course was developed around 1805, with many courses in between, but the Churchill Downs was not in evidence till 1883. This info was gleaned from the history section of the Kentucky Derby site which has hours of interesting reading to keep you in the horse race mood until the eighth race is finally run today.

The first Saturday in May is always reserved for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. I have had the privilege of being at several Kentucky Derby's including one where the rain came down so hard the race was almost called and there were tornado sitings the night before the race. (BTW It has rained on 61 of the 136 Derby Days.)

Although its always an amazing spectacle, that occasion was quite different with the fashionable Southern ladies providing comic relief instead of their usual elegance. Virtually all of them had been in the rain and their usual attire in Millionaires Row had dissolved with the running of dye from their huge hats and the ruining of many a pair of Minolo Blahnik's and Jimmy Choo's.

We however, were not in Millionaires Row but in the more casual section right up against the rails. These are truly better seats than the ones in Millionaires Row but without the demands of getting all gussied up. We had brought ponchos and umbrellas (umbrellas were legal then but not now) along with our more usual coolers and cushions since sitting there all day can make their wooden chairs really hard.

The vast majority of the crowd will have done some celebrating, which occurs everwhere in Louisville but particularly around Churchill Downs where people are on their lawns making and selling barbecue meats of all kinds, as well as drinks, desserts, and race paraphernalia. BTW around Derby Day go to the local KMart or WalMart and the imprinted stuff is available for less than you buy it near the track. Hmmm I wonder if I still have those glasses somewhere.

To explore the fashion, the history of the Derby, or just follow the action today see:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/

If you have never been there, then you may not know that it's really celebrated for more than a week with fancy parties, another race day called The Oaks, and now the Taste of the Derby sponsored by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. The 1,480 acre estate, located in the scenic foothills of the Andes, is home to a legendary Thoroughbred breeding farm and some of the best vineyards in South America.

Partial proceeds of the event benefit Dare to Care Food Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme. The event was scattered with celebs including Diane Lane, Andy Cohen from Bravo’s "What Happens Here", Jeff Lewis & Jen Pulos, from Bravo’s "Flipping Out", Dina Manzo, from Bravo’s "Real Housewives of New Jersey", a few Top Chef contestants, and several Derby trainers. For more info on the renowned chefs and how this event combined food and racetracks see http://tickets.churchilldowns.com/kentucky-oaks-derby/2010/taste-of-derby

If you are more interested in the betting side of the races try this site
http://www.kentuckyderby.info/