[WS:] Which also tells you something about the nature of this whole security business, doesn't it? It is all about creating illusions of security by making people perform security rituals that involve minor sacrifices. In the "good old days" this would entail sacrificing a chicken or burning incense but we, the modern people, are above such superstition. We do elaborate internet rituals, scanners, security protocols, electronic alarms and what not - which are just as effective as sacrificing a chicken but so much more hi-tech and cool.
Also thanks everyone who provided suggestions about the password storage/retrieval. Electronic wallet is the solution that I am currently using, but it is not foolproof, especially if I forget to record a password change or if I mix up upper and lower case (this did not used to matter but some moron in the security business wanted to leave his mark and changed that, and now more and more sites distinguish between upper and lower case letters.)
While we are at this, I have a question to the computer geeks out there. Why do not they implement a solution that is similar to what most people use in their homes - a key. Why not using, say, a USB memory stick with necessary encryption that stores all password and credentials and provides them to applications that need it? This is probably far more secure than writing passwords on a piece of paper, especially if it is write-protected and requires user consent each time it is accessed (the way Windows 7 requires consent each time a program is run). And it also does not require internet access, which makes it more reliable than all this "cloud" bullshit.
Wojtek