Paint.net is a great, free, photo-editing program. It was originally
intended as a replacement for the Windows ‘Paint’ feature. Since
discovering it a couple of months ago, it has become my favourite
photo-editing software.

Paint.net has many features included, and in many ways,
is similar to Photoshop, although it is, in my opinion, an
easier program to learn. Of course, since it is free, that
is another great benefit!

Paint.net includes all of the tools which we have come to expect
with this type of photo editing suite, and there is an excellent
help feature on their website.

You can have several images open for editing at any one time, and
can merge parts of each to a new window to create a new image.

There are tool bars for adjustments, effects, layers, utilities, and
other features. You’ll also find pallets, text, lassooing tools, and
many other useful items.

Adding text to images is pretty straightforward, and there is a
simple red-eye removal tool to improve those flashlight shots.

Although I’m not getting anything from this, as the program is free,
it’s too good a tool not to recommend it to anyone who is looking
for a free replacement for Photoshop, or other similar programs.

I recommend Paint.net and will certainly be keeping it as one
of the tools I frequently use on my computer.

Naturally, as soon as I’d moved it, in came the cat,
ready to lie down on it after breakfast. She was
not amused, to say the least.

The spare bed, with a roof, which she refuses to
go into, was rejected without a thought, and she
spent time lying in the spot where the bed should be.

The bed which is in the wash is a really nice fake fur
bed, but puss has decided she does not like the feel
of the fur at all, and will only use the bed when it
is upside down, as in this picture.

Who am I to argue with a cat? If that’s the way she
wants it, that’s how it is! Aren’t cats wonderful?

There are various reports that the captain sailed too
close to the island, after diverting from his proper
route. One report says he went close to the island
as a favour to his head waiter who came from there,
while another claims that he wanted to give the
islanders a light show of the ship’s lights.

Whatever the truth of the matter, it is certain that
the Cost Concordia was not in the usual deep water
channel proper to the ship’s size.

After the order to abandon ship was given, the Captain
is alleged to have been in a lifeboat, claiming to be
co-ordinating the rescue of the passengers from there.

Whatever happened to the captain being the last person
off a stricken ship, or even going down with it?
Not that one would have expected him to die, when he
could have been rescued, but surely he could have done
more to rescue the passengers?

The Italian Coast Guard appears to be incensed by his
behaviour, according to reports in the press.

Most passengers who died were trapped in their cabins,
because of a card key system which failed when power
was lost after the ship ran aground. Surely the
default position for no power could have been “Unlocked”
instead of “Locked” to ensure passenger safety?

The captain is currently under house arrest, and further
investigations are being undertaken. We shall await
with interest the outcome of this tragedy, which by all
accounts seems to be caused by human error, if not by
dereliction of duty.

From now on I’ll be writing about anything that interests me,
either personally, or in the news. Some of the posts may be
controversial, others pretty vanilla, but whatever they are,
please feel free to leave comments.

Want, Need, or Greed?

This morning I was thinking about going shopping,
after reading some of the hand-delivered catalogues
that are put into my letter box.

While wondering how much of a certain item to buy,
the thought crossed my mind, “Do I want it, or do
I NEED it?”

This is a good maxim to go shopping with.  After
thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided not
to go shopping after all.

Why not?   Because I realised it was want, or maybe
even greed, not need at all.

This can apply to what we purchase or which programs
we join online also.

Have you ever joined a program online because it
offered you a lot of money for little effort?  Was
this need. or want, or greed?   To be honest, many
of us would have to answer “greed” to this question.

Perhaps the next time we go shopping or are tempted
to buy something online, we should ask ourselves the
question:
“Is this need, want, or greed?”

You never know, if you answer honestly, you might
even save yourself some money, not a bad thing in
the current economic climate!    Who doesn’t need
to save money?

Some of the time, I’ll be talking about my experiences with business
online, and at others I’ll be giving hints and tips, and maybe the
occasional review of a program or website about business online.

Please let me know if there is any thing you’d like me to write about.