Vat19.com: Gifts That May Look Silly, But Are Functional-And Fun.

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As most people know, I collect frogs. I never intended to start the collection-it happened back in 1999 when I moved into an apartment and for some reason, the conclusion of myself and my friends-frogs were the answer for the decorating needs in the bathroom. I don’t have a huge collection, maybe 30 some odd frogs, both stuffed, ceramic and well, a shower curtain and tattoo. Not too obsessive. Ok, the tattoo may be a little eccentric, but, hey, it could have been worse.

The review I am providing on several products has nothing to do with free items, or the fact I was even asked to do a review: this is how I repay an advertiser I have written about in the past, who has contributed comments, not to get a backlink, but has participated with relevant input and not tried to spam my blog. This is what is expected of any person commenting on a blog. Participate, be relevant with your comments and you’re fine.

I know the products may seem quirky to some, but Vat19.com is about fun, but functional products. Take the frog bottle opener, for instance. I don’t drink anything which would require a normal bottle opener, however, this little gadget, ok frog, is functional. Ever have a heck of a time opening a 20-liter bottle of soda? Look at the hind legs-the ridges grab on to the lid and twist it right off-and yes it does work. I have it hanging on my fridge from a magnet, (it would be great if this was a magnet too). See, it’s all about functionality and cuteness.

Ah, yes. The frog tape dispenser. But look at it-cute, functional and the tape rolls off the frog’s tongue. I have it setting proudly on my desk, although at the moment I’ve yet to have a need for tape. I don’t care. It’s a frog, it’s me and it’s a conversation piece. Need I say more?

Last, but not least, my favorite item. I thought the tape dispenser would be my favorite, until I found another use for the frog potholder. Made from silicone, the potholder can withstand heat up to 446F and is dishwasher save. Slide your hand into the back of the head and the mouth opens, like a puppet. Inside the mouth are grips, so nothing will slide out of your hand. Two things I should mention about the product. When my mom tried it on, she loved it. She’s left handed and has always had to use a right-handed oven-mitt. We’ve never found a mitt for left handed people, but with the frog mitt, it felt comfortable since it will fit either hand. The one thing I didn’t expect to use the mitt for-of all things, gripping a jar of Ragu. I was making pasta the other evening and for the life of me I could not open the jar. I did the usual, run hot water over the lid, bang on the lid with a knife, almost tossed it across the room, until I remembered the frog oven mitt. The grips on the inside of the mouth, combined with the silicone, opened the jar with ease-mark this down as one more use for my little froggie mitt.

I enjoyed trying out all 3 products and really appreciated the chance to do so. Vat19.com has something for everyone, from office gear to items for the car. If you have someone in your life who has everything and you need a gift-this is one site to visit. Sometimes people like to receive a gift that’s a little out of the norm-even a box of frogs.

frog bottle opener, frog oven mitt, frog tape dispenser, frogs, gadgets, gifts, odd gifts, vat19.com

Shoot Me Like An Old Horse.

Just a quick update so people won’t think I’ve given up blogging- I haven’t-I know some are disappointed. I’ve been sick the last few days with, of all things, an abscessed tooth. I now have antibiotics and I’m inhaling a combination of Advil and Tylenol, and I should be back to speed in a day or two. I have several reviews to complete and they will be posted by tomorrow evening. Now, I’m going back to my icepack.

CCtoMany.com: The Answer To Managing Mailing Lists?

Many businesses, (online and off-line), and now bloggers, like to keep customers and readers up to date on the latest information. The solution-mailing lists. At first, you think, “Sure, I can keep track of 10 persons to email on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.” But before long, the original list of 10 grows to 20, then 50 and so on. Emails bounce back to your server, bogging down resources, customers requesting removal, change of email addresses and general questions. Before you know it, the simple mailing list is taking up more of your time than the real purpose of the list-to provide important information to your contacts, frying your brain and your computer.

As I have stated before, I never review a product or service unless I feel it will benefit myself, or those who read my blog. When I was approached by the company to look at the site I knew I would write a review. Why? Not for monetary reasons, not for any free gifts, but the service works. Oh, you may want to know the link, right? CCtoMany.com, although new, is well on its way to becoming one of the easiest and most reliable mailing lists services I have come across. To quote from the site, their, “focus is simplicity and ease of use.” Here is how it works:

1. Compose your email.
2. Send it to the account you set up, which consists of an email address along the lines of Send it To: control-thenameofyourlist@cctomany.com.
3. All recipients signed up for your list receive a copy of the email.

Recipients never see the email addresses of others, bounce-back emails are sent to the CCtoMany.com server- not your server, and those on the mailing list have the ability to remove themselves from the list, or update their information, without contacting you. Not only does this save you time in order to produce the information to send, but lessens the burden on you and your email servers.
Although the service isn’t free, the pricing is very reasonable. The lowest,at $15 per month, will give you the ability to create an email list for 0-1000 recipients. If you’re interested in other pricing options, take a look at the pricing page for additional details. One huge plus-CCtoMany.com accepts PayPal, and if security is a concern, your financial information will never be given. If you aren’t sure CCtoMany.com is the right solution for you, they offer a 14 day free trial. This will allow you to try the service and determine if it meets or exceeds the needs of your mailing list. Customer support is also a click away if you cannot find an answer to a question in the FAQs section. Lastly, the reason I like the concept and the company, they recommend using Thunderbird, (which is an open source email client), if you do not want to use a web-based email account. (Read the information under the Newsletter section for additional information), and I am always willing to give kudos to a company who is promotes the usage of open source software.

If you’ve been considering an email list, or already run a list, consider taking a look at CCtoMany.com-ask questions, interact and find the solution that is right for you.

cctomany.com, email listing, mailing list solutions, mailing lists, mass emailing solutions, newsletters

A Love Motel For Dogs?

I, for one, am all for free love in the animal world. However, when I was doing my daily, ok nightly browsing for anything funny, and found an article on Stunning-Stuff.com about a doggie motel which charges $41 for 2 hours so your canines can get their groove on-I laughed. Not a giggle, not a chuckle, but a full belly laugh. What made me laugh so hard? It had nothing to do with the actual concept, it’s what the owner of the motel said-and I am quoting:

“The owner has to know what kind of DVD will excite his or her dog. We also have a wedding agency that matches up dogs and if the female dog doesn’t get pregnant, we offer artificial insemination services”.

What kind of DVD excites the dog? Have I missed an entire porn genre? Are these available for download? Or, are the DVDs re-runs of Lassie saving Timmy from the well? You know what excites my dog? One-a pillow. Even at almost 11 years old, toss a pillow on the floor and she humps like there’s no tomorrow. Not to mention she can lick herself, which is why she’s still single. Sure, she goes a few houses down and visits her boyfriend once in a while, but she only uses him when she’s too tired to do the job herself. She then runs inside, and when I was living at the house with her, I’d toss a treat out to Jocko, her boyfriend, for services rendered. I taught her well. Seriously though. I was a night auditor at a hotel. A pet friendly hotel. If someone told me I had to take a cup of doggie sperm and insert it into Buffy the Maltese, I would have opened the door and walked out without saying a word. Would any of you go this far to get your dog some doggie nookie?

animals, bizzare news, odd news, odd stories, pet motel, pets

Selling My iPod Touch.

Yes, it’s come down to the point to where I have no choice. I have 2 weeks+ before I’ll get paid and I have an electric bill that is due next Monday-and I didn’t pay last month so, needless to say, it’s a big one. I’m selling the Touch through the PayPal Labs widget on my sidebar, (and below). Nothing is wrong with it at all. It has been Jailbroken, however if someone does buy it, I will reset to the original factory settings unless you are absolutely sure you know what do to with a Jailbroken iPod Touch. It is NOT recommended to upgrade iTunes, or attempt to Jailbreak to 1.1.3, (my version is 1.1.2), at the moment due to instability issues. Plus, you’ll be able to customize the iPod to your liking- honestly the only item I used that is not a part of the original software is the mail application-and this was very rare.

Earbuds have NOT been used because my ears are too small. All instructions and original box are included. It comes with a pink, leather case and the screen has the clear, cling-on screen protector in place. No marks, no scratches and works perfect. The price is comparable to the going rate on Ebay-you can check for yourself, not to mention the case itself cost $8+ shipping. If someone does buy the iPod and is unfamiliar with how one works with iTunes, (as I was unfamiliar), I will provide email/Instant Message support as well. If you plan on using wireless, I can give tips but due to differences in WiFi, I can only tell you how I set mine up, (this can be a little difficult if you are not familiar with WiFi).

I wouldn’t sell this for the world if I didn’t have to, but right now I have no choice.
Flat rate shipping of $10, which includes insurance, tracking number with signature confirmation if desired via USPS. No overseas shipping unless you notify me before purchasing since rates will be slightly higher.

My baby, the only thing I’ve ever won in my life:

apple, ipod, ipod touch, ipod touch for sale, itunes