Suzanne's Biztalk posts

Internet Access Speed Test

Over the years, I’ve checked the speed of my Internet connection using various websites. The other night, someone used a website I’d never seen before — and I neglected to get the URL.

Here’s what I know:

He had to log in.

The “Start Test” button was on the center right edge of the window.

The results were shown in a bar graph.

In addition to showing the usual results (my upload/download speeds and how my ISP compares to the average T1, T3, etc.), it showed the average speeds in my region, my state, my country, and other countries. All of this on one simple bar graph with a white background. No clicking around the site for comparisons.

If you know what he was using, please post here.

Items for a Non-Profit

When I travel, I use my own soap, shampoo, etc. but I always bring back the sample-sized items from the hotel rooms.

In the past, I’d give them to a co-worker who belonged to a group that supported a shelter for battered women but we no longer work together.

This is what I have right now:

39 soaps
18 shampoos
11 conditioners
17 lotions
11 miscellaneous items (shower caps, mouth washes, etc.)

If you know of a non-profit group in the Puget Sound area that could use these items, please send me a private message.

Attention: Amy, Brian, Dana, Joanna, DonKokko, Sarah, Charles, et al

I was cruising HGTV last night and found a new program, Extreme Homes.

One of the homes was the Fab Tree Hab, a still-on-the-drafting-board "house" built out of trees -- living trees, still planted in the ground. The plan is to plant and train the trees to form the structure of the house.

Designed at MIT, it's a totally recyclable structure.

Emergency Email and Wireless Network

I've only begun to use this free service so I don't have a really good feel for it; if any of you are using it, do you have any feedback?

Emergency Email and Wireless Network

Business mileage rate increases eight cents

The IRS has raised the optional standard mileage rate for business travel from 50.5 cents per mile to 58.5 cents per mile, effective July 1, 2008.

IRS

Biznik on PBS!

Tomorrow evening at 7:30, the local PBS station in Seattle will repeat their Web 2.0 program, "Social Networking: How social networking websites have transformed the way we live and do business." Biznik is one of the featured sites.

About the Money #214

...and it looks like another repeat on June 29th -- in Seattle and Yakima.

Fuel Economy

Due to my current contract and school schedule, I have a gigantic carbon footprint. It’s my nature to “figure out stuff” so I’ve been testing fuel economy for the past few months.

My car is a 2002 Kia Spectra and I’ve tested the Regular and Plus grades at 76, Chevron, and Shell, with a minimum of five fill-ups of each fuel.

Here are the results:

MPG & Fuel

30.68 Shell Regular

30.44 Chevron Plus

29.32 76 Regular

29.09 Shell Plus

28.44 Chevron Regular

23.46 76 Plus

On 1,000 miles, 76 Plus would cost forty dollars more than Shell Regular; to equal Shell Regular, 76 Plus would have to be 94 cents per gallon cheaper.

Of the two fuels closest to Shell Regular, Chevron Plus would need to be three cents cheaper than Shell Regular to match the cost per mile and 76 Regular would have to be 18 cents cheaper.

The Kia service department says to check the owner’s manual and don’t use anything with an octane lower than what is recommended (87 for my car) but higher octane is OK. They will not recommend a specific brand.

Once was enough: Chevron Performance got 26.90mpg and Arco Regular got 17.05mpg.

I’ve used the online fuel logbook at Gas Buddy for about two years.

If any of you have tested fuel economy, please post your results. It would be interesting to see if vehicle make and model make any difference between fuel brands and grades.

If you want a copy of my spreadsheet, send me a message though Biznik.

The Best Alternative to No Agreement

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a sales professional.

But last week someone mentioned The Best Alternative to No Agreement (BATNA) when negotiating over mission creep.

Research came up with the following:

This site uses BATNA in actual selling scenarios: BATNA

Apparently, this 17-year-old book started it all: Getting to Yes

I recently heard about this site, which isn't specifically for selling or negotiation, but I can see where framing is so important in every day conversation: Tech Tact

Speaking of framing, George Lakofff will be in Seattle on June 11th at 7:30pm: George Lakoff at Seattle's Town Hall

Even if you aren't a salesperson, every entrepreneur negotiates at some point and I'm interested in your negotiation experiences, professionally or personally.

Improv Everywhere

I know there are some (Burning Man) "burners" here.

Are there any Improv Everywhere Agents present?

Improv Everywhere

This looks like so much fun!

Website Help for Established Website

I have a client in the Seattle area who owns a small retail store and an associated website. She has to move her website within the next month.

She needs: New host with unlimited pages New shopping cart with unlimited items

She doesn’t need: Website template Online payments (she processes through her shop’s merchant services)

If you might be able to help her, message me and I'll send you her contact information.

Toll-Free Service

We are currently using TollFreeMax but want to make a change.

Any recommendations?

-- Suzanne

Mexican Vanilla

If you are located in the Seattle/Eastside area:

I'll be traveling back and forth between Yuma, AZ and Los Algodones, BC for the next couple weeks.

If you'd like some real vanilla (as opposed to the extract found in American grocery stores), send me a message.

A pair of eight ounce bottles (one regular, one clear) for five dollars.