Not everybody is happy about seeing messaging shortcuts pop up outside of the computer and cell phones. Since vanity plates became available, DMV’s have tried to screen applications for "inappropriate" plate requests.

With the widespread use of text messaging and the meaning behind the new acronyms, the problem of filtering out  unseemly applications is even worse. And not just for new license plates. There are plenty of news stories and videos about license plates getting cancelled months or years after they were approved.

The Detroit Free Press recently featured a story about a 60-year North Carolina woman caught in the license plate-text messaging controversy. Mary Ann Hardee instructs elementary school teachers on how to introduce computers and technology to students. But, she didn’t know what the  3-letter combination on her new license plate meant until her own grandkids started giggling and filled her in.

Turns out that her plate had a popular slang profanity combination "WTF". After Hardee found out, she was very self-conscious driving around, especially to school and church. The North Carolina DMV issued her a new license plate at no cost. And the DMV Commissioner offered to replace the other 9, 998 license plates with that letter combination at no charge.

It doesn’t stop there. A few weeks later, the DMV called back plates that start with XXX. Who would have thought?

If you’re curious about some of the text messaging acronyms, I found a big list at Netlingo. (This list is not filtered.)
 

     TTYT     

We found so many ideas for vanity plates that we had to stop!

We actually got hooked on one site that lets you create your own license plate instantly FREE. It was toooo much fun! Both of us played around and made about 7 different license plates. (Now I HAVE to get my vanity plate.)

Acme Labs has this cool license plate maker tool that lets you create your vanity plate for your state and offers a few different design choices from each state.

If you need help thinking of vanity plate names, check out the Top 100 Best Vanity License Plate Ideas at COOLPL8Z. There are over 400 pictures of real vanity plates on the PizzaBagel site, courtesy of Peter P. Szabaga who takes pictures of license plates in his travels.

Need more ideas? We found over 36,000 license plates and license plate displays on Flickr. If you’re interested in collecting license plates, Drewski’s Plate Stand has over 4,000 plates for sale (all types, U.S. and worldwide). 

If your state does not require you to have the same front and back license plates, check out Front License Plates for funny, patriotic, or sports themed plates.

Have a business? With the economy the way it is, any opportunity to advertise and get MORE exposure is good, especially if it’s cheap. Why not put your car to work and put your business in front of more potential prospects with a domain name and Free website? 

To see if the personalized plate you want is available for your state, this link will take you to a page showing 50 State License Plates links and the District of Columbia.

Check below for available domain names to register for your vanity plate.

Had another one of those "Ah-ha" moments after reading an article about time management and figuring out what your time is really worth. Whether you work for yourself or work for work a company, we all have those days and weeks where we wonder, "where did the time GO?"

I should have been asking "where did the time GO and how MUCH money did I NOT make?" Here’s WHY:

Let’s say you want to make $100,000/year. In 2008, there are 2,096 work hours according University of California Human Resources & Benefits. This is based on an eight-hour day, five-day Monday through Friday week, with holidays. That works out to $47.71 an hour.

If you want to make $200,000 in 2008 based on the same number of hours, then your work time is worth almost $95.50/hour. Think about this…if you spend 15 minutes doing something that could be delegated (for say $15/hour) then 15 minutes would COST you about $80.00.

You don’t have to become Scrooge-like to start paying attention to all the stuff that eats away at your time. I’m a LOT more conscious now, but I still work a LOT of hours including weekends. (In fact, I’m so far away from the 4 Hour Work Week, it’s depressing. First, I’ll get it down to 40, then I’ll work on getting to 4!

I found some great time-managing tactics and more resources in this free ebook, by Mark McGuinness (author and coach in the U.K.) I’m on the look-out for more sources…Tell me what you think.

Just as I was whining about email overwhelm, I ran across this great article by Michael Arrington from TechCrunch. It didn’t help me finish the emails, but it did cause me stop and laugh. Just like the guy in the story, as hard as I try…I have to admit sometimes I also suck at returning emails. Here’s the post:

2,433 Unread Emails Is An Opportunity For An Entrepreneur

Did you know that copyright protection is available for all unpublished works, regardless of the nationality or domicile of the author? Even minors may claim copyright, but state laws regulate the business dealings.

The U.S. Copyright Office  states that  "Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of ‘original works of authorship’, including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works." You can find out what works are protected and what is not at this site U.S. Copyright Basics.

I was surprised to learn that technically, copyright is secured automatically upon "Creation". A law went into effect January 1, 1978, that made publication or registration unnecessary. But, there are definite advantages to getting a copyright.

According to FindLaw, although registration is not a condition of copyright protection, there are advantages. A major advantage of registering a copyright is this: "Before an infringement suit may be filed in court, registration is necessary for works of U.S. origin."

On the web, just about anyone can take your material and claim to be the owner and without a federal copyright, it can be hard to prove otherwise. Copyscape offers a free service that helps you protect the information on your site with a warning banner. They also provide a web monitoring service for about $4.95/month.

If you want to take the next step and get a federal copyright, you can get forms from the U.S. Copyright Office, or get expert help with C-site services.

I couldn’t believe it. How did that slip past me? I’ve been online for years and own hundreds of domains. But, because my brain was focused on business, it just didn’t dawn on me to get domain names for the kids. Before I finished the article, I was on the phone calling my family and friends. Of course, they thought I was a little crazy (I could "feel" their eyes rolling at me through the phone.) They didn’t see the urgency until I explained that it just made sense because of scarcity.

How many babies are born every minute? (I later found out that about 250 babies are born every minute worldwide.) I asked them, "Don’t you want your kids to have their own Internet name when they grow up? What if they become famous?" And even if they don’t, you could hold the domain name for them so that they can put up a resume (hint – help them get out of the house) or use it for a business site. PLUS, it’s such a cheap investment (under $10/year), they could not afford NOT to get it.

Then, I had another brainstorm. My sisters felt so proud AFTER they got the domain names, I wanted to help them show it off. Showing kids a receipt is like showing them a can of corn, you get the same "so what" response. So we created Domain certificates with pictures. They loved them so we decided to offer them on this site, see sample certificates. Want to see if the domain names you want are available?
I found some interesting stories about domain names…more to come.