Ironically, this is not the first time I am blogging about air filters. Before I start, I should disclose that I am a partial owner in the company I am writing about - so yes, it is something that is awesome. ;-)

RustyBrick recently launched a site named On Time Air Filters - guess what they/we sell? You got it, air filters for your home!!!

I am the type of guy that hates going out to stores to buy stuff like this. To me, air filters are one of those things that should be done like water delivery. You schedule it to be done and someone delivers it to you when you need it.

That is how On Time Air Filters works. You go to the air filter wizard, select the number of filters you want (and sizes), the quality and frequency you need them and they are delivered to you - when you need them. So when you get a new air filter delivered, you know you need to swap out the old, and pop in the new one.

BTW - got air filter questions? You can ask merv via email or on Twitter or Facebook.

Posted at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Category: Business , Homey | Comments (0)

Back when I was younger, about 20 or so, I did some stock trades here and there. Not day trading, but buying a few companies I liked, mostly tech related, and selling them several months later. Then I got really busy and rarely made any stock trades.

In the past week or so, I have begun dabbing in the market again. Not cause I am any less busy, just because I feel I am missing out. Whenever I login to my trading account, I get depressed looking at stocks and funds that I have no love for. I own companies I feel to be failures and in many cases, those stocks are still up from when I bought them, but still, they feel like failures.

This week, I made it a goal to clean up those stocks and move them to companies I like. When I am done, who knows, I might not look again for another ten years or so. But the recent buying and selling is fun.

There is a bit of that thrill you get when you gamble (win or lose). I don't gamble, but I guess this is how it would feel if I did. Clearly, it would have made sense for me to start the buying process a few months ago, but hey - why not now?

Do I know anything about trading stocks? No, not really. That is exactly why I don't play with what I cannot afford to lose.

Posted at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Category: Business | Comments (0)

My accountant sends me an envelope that says I need to pay a nice amount to the Commissioner of Finance for the "Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax." I paid it, but I have no clue what it is about. So of course, I "google" it and find tax.state.ny.us/mctmt.

What does that tell me? Not much, it just says this is a new tax that has to be paid by my company.

The metropolitan commuter transportation mobility tax (MCTMT) is a new tax imposed on certain employers and self-employed individuals engaging in business within the metropolitan commuter transportation district (MCTD). This department administers the tax for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. (The MCTD includes the counties of New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), Rockland, Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester.)

I then see two video links, so I get excited. Maybe the video's tell me what this tax is about. I watched both videos on the New York State Tax Department's YouTube Channel and learn nothing more than I already know.

(1) I have to pay it
(2) How to pay it online

So I assume it is some type of commuter tax but why am I paying it now, what does it cover?

So I dig even deeper and find a press release on NY Senate's site that this tax is to cover the $2 billion deficit from the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority). Great, I never use the MTA, nor do 99% of my employees, but I got to pay for it.

Faced with devastating cuts to services and fare increases, Senate bill S5451, sponsored by Senator Martin Malavé Dilan (D-Brooklyn), passed Wednesday, May 6 bringing financial solvency and accountability to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The package closes a more than $2 billion operating deficit incurred by the MTA with a two-year $2.9 billion revenue stream covering operational costs and capital. It also puts in place measures to ensure that the public authority operates under the light of day, and incorporates sound accounting practices.

One more tax to the pile of government services I do not use.

Posted at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Category: Business | Comments (1)

I have a UPS account, even though I rarely mail things. Okay, so I might use it once a month and then during the holiday gift season, use it a lot.

When I get invoices from UPS, I schedule them to be paid the day before, via my bank's bill pay system. This works flawlessly with all my bills that I cannot pay via credit card. So I got a bill that was due on August 1st from UPS. I scheduled the check to be received at UPS on that date. That date turned out to be a Saturday. UPS tells me they did not get it until the fourth. I am sure what they mean by "get it" is "process it."

In any event, I received a bill today from UPS for the amount of $1.11. Yea, the postage was about 42 cents to mail me the bill. I called, asked if I can either pay it via credit card or if they can reverse the charge. They said they can't do either. I would have to call a special department to ask if I can be approved for credit card payment (which I called, and was approved). But they could not reverse the charge because this happened once before, I was late (by a day, due to their processing schedule) once before.

UPS said, their policy is one late fee reversed for the life time of the account. You hear that, "life time" of the account, one late fee can be reversed. It is their policy.

How dumb. So we waste 94 cents worth of stamps, to mail a bill and a payment for a $1.11. That makes sense.

Posted at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Category: Business | Comments (0)

It is customary for Jewish boys and girls in some communities to spend a year learning in Israel prior to attending college or university. I personally had the privilege to experience a year in Israel, as did many of my friends.

I recently learned that the place I spent most of that year learning, Ner Yaakov, is not opening this year. Ner Yaakov is a Yeshiva (Jewish school) for American Jewish boys between high-school and college. The news of them not opening this year was released on July 15th and came as a shock to many. The reason they did not open this year was mostly due to economic hardships. The Rosh HaYeshiva (head of the school), Rabbi Yehoshua Liff wrote a letter explaining his decision.

I believe the school has been around for at least twenty-years. Plus, my brother, Adam, attended the school several years before me, and really never left. Yes, he went home to complete his secular education, but he went back and worked with students in the school since. This will be his first year in probably, well over a decade, not teaching at Ner Yaakov.

The popular Jewish blog, Yeshiva World News covered the news as well.

In any event, it is a shame to see the Yeshiva not open this year. The web site, which RustyBrick hosts and built, will remain up for as long as requested.

Posted at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Category: Business , Religion | Comments (1)

For the first time in my life, I actually booked tickets for a flight for the wrong day. I am actually not to blame, because the SES site does say Monday through Thursday, but I didn't realize that Monday is a training session day and not really part of the conference.

Since I booked the flight a few days ago, I was hoping pushing the day forward would not cost me too much. I dialed the main line to Continental Airlines and spoke to four people, with hold times of about 7 minutes (on average) before speaking to each person. Each person said, we can't change your flight without a change fee, plus your fair is going to be much higher. I said, I then asked if they can do something, so I was transferred twice before speaking with someone who was basically yelling at me for the mistake.

I won't say her name, because I forgot it and I don't want her to get fired. But she was like, "Why are you asking me about this?" I said, I don't know, I was transferred here by the other person. She asks me again, "why would you speak to me about this, I can't help you!" I kept saying, I didn't ask to speak to her, but they transferred me to her. She just kept on going, making me feel stupid that (1) I was speaking with her and (2) I booked the wrong flight. Okay, I was stupid for #2, but still.

I then apologized to this customer service person. I told her, I am sorry if I am making your day turn out bad. I added that I really didn't mean to be transferred to someone who cannot help me. I just want to find out if I can do something about my mistake. She basically grunted and asked again for my confirmation number, so I gave it to her. Then the shocker....

She said, "Your elite access," I said yes, I know. She then began apologizing to me for the trouble and said she would transfer me to the "elite desk." She then apologized three more times and transferred me. Wow!

The elite desk answered right away, made the flight change for free, with a slight cost for the flight difference. And I was all set within minutes after being transferred to the "elite desk."

I was shocked to see how Continental treats their "average" customer, compared to those that have "elite" access (i.e. fly more than 25,000 miles a year with them). I know you treat your better customers better, but to virtually yell and belittle the "average" customer and then treat your best customers like gold, seems way off to me. There has to be a better balance between the two.

And if you are off to SES San Jose, double check the agenda and make sure you are flying in and out the correct days.

Posted at 7:25 AM | Permalink | Category: Business , Travels | Comments (4)

Okay, so I ordered my Google Profile business cards and the only issue is that they don't work. Here is a picture of the card:

Technically, you are now suppose to enter into Google the name Barry Schwartz and then see my Google Profile in the search results. But when I search for that, I don't see a Google Profile, I see search results! Why would I give this card to people if it doesn't work?

Here is a screen capture of the search results. For more screen captures of me unboxing my Google Profile Business Cards, see Flickr.

I actually ordered two, I got two profiles one at google.com/profiles/cartoonbarry and the other at google.com/profiles/barry.schwartz.

Posted at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Category: Business , SEO Tips | Comments (11)

Back in the day, savvy email server admins use to respond to email spammers with a nouser command. That would then get bounced back to the email spammer and some spammers would drop that email off the list. It was basically detecting spam emails and faking that your real email account was not valid.

I just received a call from someone I rather not talk to. It happens occasionally, be it telemarketers or annoying people. It occurred to me, why don't I do the same for those people. I.e. pretend that my phone is no longer active.

So I found a sound bite that says:

We're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. if you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again.

Here is the sound byte:

Now, if you use a PBX like service, including something like Google Voice, you can set this up to work easily. I use it with Fonality, my Astersik based PBX (is it an open source PBX system) to set it up. But I figured more of you have Google Voice (aka Grand Central), so here is how to do it on Google Voice.

Stopping Annoying Calls with Google Voice:

1. Go to Google Voice
2. Add a new "group" to your contacts named "Annoying People"
3. Add a new contact(s) and assign that contact to the "Annoying People" group
4. Then go to Settings >> Groups and "edit" the "Annoying People" group.
5. Where it reads "When people in this group go to voicemail" add a new voicemail greeting by clicking on "Add."
6. It will ask you to dial a phone number, enter your phone number and Google will call you.
7. Answer the phone and play this voice byte (the one above) in the speaker of the phone
8. Save the voice prompt.

Here is a screen shot of the group edit page:

Here is a video of me dialing a Google Voice number I own but do not use. I added myself as an "annoying people" contact, to demonstrate how this actually works.

Now, it appears that Google will eventually allow you to port your main number to Google Voice. Plus, Google will soon open Google Voice to everyone to use. When that happens, I assume there will be greater adoption of Google Voice. This may come in handy for me in the future or possibly yourself.

Posted at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Category: Business | Comments (8)

The big news today is that the market sunk under 7,000. Right now, we are at 6,815 on the DOW and there is no end in sight. It is scary and it is taking a toll on virtually everyone...

When I was looking at the chart on Google Finance, I decided to max out that chart. I was looking to see, when did we become so rich and wealthy?

Some time in 1985, the market just started to grow. Look back, the line between the 70s and about 1985, it was somewhat flat. Basically between 800 and 1,100, give or take. Then sometime after 1985, it exploded. From 1,200 to 4,500 or so between 1985 and 1995 and then almost 11,000 between 1995 and 2005 and then over 14,000 in 2007. Wow, we have grown a lot, incredibly quickly.

Someone told me, they fear that American's will have to get used to living the lifestyle we did, during the 1980s. We simply won't have as much "stuff," this person told me. Our homes will become smaller, our cars will be slower, our needs will be less and what is important to us will become more focused.

All I know is the late 80s, mostly the 90s and now. I was born in 1980, so I don't really know what it means to return to our lifestlyles of that generation.

It is just amazing to me, how we became so wealthy so quickly and so much of it is gone. Where did all that money go? Or did it simply never truly exist?

Posted at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Category: Business | Comments (6)