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Newsletter 7-29-07
I presume that most of you that read this newsletter have some form of Windows on your computer. For those of you that do, this site is a real help.
“Annoyances.org is the most complete collection of information assembled for and by actual users of Microsoft Windows. Explore this free web resource by selecting one of the destinations on your left, or use search to find a specific solution.
Stomp out annoyances (such as the stupid paper clip) with the topics on this site. Check out the various Annoyances books for more advanced, in-depth solutions. Use the discussion forums (links to your left) to talk annoyances and solutions with other annoyed users. “
http://www.annoyances.org/
There are 6,800 known languages spoken in the 200 countries of the world. 2,261 have writing systems (the others are only spoken) and about 300 are represented by on-line dictionaries as of May 11, 2004. This site will help you with the translation of the 300 languages represented.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages.html
I know we all have friends that are glad to help us out when we are buying a new computer. Why not go to one of the most trusted sources for all things that any consumer needs. The Consumer Reports. They explain the how, what, when, and where of purchasing an new computer.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/computers/
Most of you know of the great resource that is available from the US Library of Congress. But did you know that they have an information bulletin that keeps you up to date on the latest happenings? The section of the Library of Congress is formatted similar to a newsletter and makes for interesting reading.
http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0703/index.html
Did you know that Google has a dedicated US Government search index? Next time you need to search for anything that the US government has to offer, try the Google government search.
http://www.google.com/ig/usgov
“People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall”.
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Newsletter 7-22-07
Now that summer is here I know a lot of you will be doing home improvement projects both outside and inside. This site from Better Homes & Garden is a source for step by step guides for project you might be undertaking. My favorite section is shelves and storage. Now that I am living in a condo, storage is at a premium.
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jsp?catref=cat10002
“The Home Energy Saver is designed to help consumers identify the best ways to save energy in their homes, and find the resources to make the savings happen. The Home Energy Saver was the first Internet-based tool for calculating energy use in residential buildings. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as part of the national ENERGY STAR Program for improving energy efficiency in homes, with previous support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s PATH program, and the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program.”
http://hes.lbl.gov/
“The New7Wonders organization is happy to announce the following 7 candidates have been elected to represent global heritage throughout history. The listing is in random order, as announced at the Declaration Ceremony on 07.07.07. All the New 7 Wonders are equal and are presented as a group without any ranking.” What I want to know is why we needed a new 7 wonders of the world? The other 7 have been around and in our history and encyclopedia books for many years.
http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=633
How many times have you called a company and had to talk to a computer, run through phone number jungle, wait on hold, and still didn’t get to talk to a human. If this is the case, check out this web site. It has the phone numbers of most of the US large corporations, agencies, etc and instruction on how to get a human and not the voice mail jungle.
http://gethuman.com/us/
If you are thinking about buying a house now that the market is definitely a buyer’s market, there are a number of good starting points to help you check prices, from thousands of brokers from across the country.
Trulia is a good start as they have a good search engine that lets you define the criteria you are looking for such as number of bedrooms, etc.
http://www.trulia.com/
Another good site is Zillow. Zillow tries to give you an estimate on each house that you are interested in buying. Put in the zip code you are looking for a map showing the location of many homes for sale. Click on the flag and get pricing details.
http://www.zillow.com/
One more place to check is eprasials.com. Enter your address and this site will give you 3 values for your house or the house you want to purchase. The low, medium, and high price. You can decide for yourself how accurate this site represents the house prices. The map showing the house and other in the areas for sale is a nice touch.
http://www.eppraisal.com/
“Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.”
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Newsletter 7-09-07
Bartleby.com combines the best of both contemporary and classic quotations collections into a searchable database of over 87,000 entries, the largest of its kind ever compiled. You can also find dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, quotations, and English language usage items here too.
http://www.bartleby.com/reference/
The USDA has an interesting site on nutrition. It covers, what is in food, weight management, shopping cooking and meal planning, dietary supplements, and food assistance programs just to name a few areas provide here. Just remember it is sponsored by the US Gov so take the information accordingly. <grin>
http://www.nutrition.gov/
From the site on children’s health, “These guidelines (topics) are intended to help you determine how sick your child is and if you need to call your child’s doctor. Their second purpose is to help you treat your child at home when it is safe to do so. “ It look to be a good resource find out the how, and what of how sick you child might be. Definitely worth a look.
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/child_health_safety/health_advice/
Continuing with the health theme…
WebMD always has great information on just about everything medical. This section covers dealing with emergencies. It is always best to read this section now because in an emergency you do not have time log in and find what you need. Be sure to bookmark this in case you need fast access.
Some of the topics they cover in the emergency area are: bleeding, chest pain, cuts, confusion, head injury, poisoning, shock, stroke, and much more.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Dealing-With-Emergencies-Overview
There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Schedule 30 of them for physical activity!
Regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. People who are active live longer and feel better. Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can delay or prevent diabetes, some cancers and heart problems.
Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming for recreation or bicycling. Stretching and weight training can also strengthen your body and improve your fitness level.
The key is to find the right exercise for you. If it is fun, you are more likely to stay motivated. You may want to walk with a friend, join a class or plan a group bike ride. If you’ve been inactive for awhile, use a sensible approach and start out slowly.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseandphysicalfitness.html
While you are visiting the NIH, check out this section of ‘Interactive Health Tutorials.’
The tutorials listed below are interactive health education resources from the Patient Education Institute. Using animated graphics each tutorial explains a procedure or condition in easy-to-read language. You can also listen to the tutorial.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials.html
“Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.”
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Newsletter 7-01-07
“On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain and Democracy was born. Every day thousands leave their homeland to come to the “land of the free and the home of the brave” so they can begin their American Dream.
The United States is truly a diverse nation made up of dynamic people. Each year on July 4, Americans celebrate that freedom and independence with barbecues, picnics, and family gatherings. Through the Internet we are learning about and communicating with people of different nations, with different languages and different races throughout the world. Bringing the world closer with understanding and knowledge can only benefit all nations.
We invite all nations to celebrate with Americans online this Fourth of July. “
Happy Birthday, America!
http://www.usacitylink.com/usa/
Links to 4th of July celebration around the US and the Internet.
http://www.mpls4thofjuly.com – Minneapolis Riverfront District
http://www.nc4thofjuly.com/ – North Carolina
http://www.yakima4thofjuly.org/ – the State of Washington
What do Ann Landers, Neil Simon, Gina Lollobrigida, Calvin Coolidge, and Louis B. Mayer have in common? Apart from being recognizable figures in American popular culture and history, they share a birthday with our country: all were born on the Fourth of July.
Despite their patriotic birthdays, some of these folks weren’t even born in the United States. Gina Lollobrigida was born in Subiaco, Italy, and made several Italian films before launching her career as a star in American movies in the 1950s.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/july4th.html
We can’t have a great national holiday without great food. So check out this site for some traditional and other great summer picnic food.
Do you know where the word picnic come from? The answer is at this site too.
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Holidays/4thJuly.htm
For your very own web based 4th of July fireworks celebration on the web. This site has a nice JavaScript fireworks display you can copy for your own web site of personal viewing.
http://rainbow.arch.scriptmania.com/scripts/4thjuly_fireworks.html
This tribute to the 4th of July would not be complete if we did not feature the nation’s capital.
Constitution Avenue and the Monuments in Washington D.C. form the setting for this National Parade. Find out more about this wonderful event. Nowhere is there greater excitement on America’s birthday than in the nation’s capital.
http://www.july4thparade.com/
James Heintze of American University wrote a book and compiled a huge database of 4th of July facts and other interesting stuff. This database was begun in 1995 by James Heintze, Librarian at American University, Washington, D.C. Its purpose is to bring together in one source selected examples of Fourth of July celebrations that have occurred throughout our nation’s history from 1776 to the present. The goal is to capture a slice of the American cultural tradition–its pageantry, spectacle, music, and symbol in order to enhance our understanding of the American character and heritage.
The range of observances is broad and include unique, unusual, and little-known events. The selections represent both major cities and small rural towns throughout the United States, as well as some foreign countries, and are arranged by year and alphabetically by location. Entries include outlandish and unusual pyrotechnic displays, parades and processions, speeches, battle enactments, musical events, information on rabble-rousing, gun-toting crowds and protesters, balls, artillery salutes, mishaps and accidents, and expressions by ethnic groups. Currently the database includes hundreds of different celebrations, and its content is continually under development. Examples of what readers may expect to find include one of the last parades of War of 1812 veterans and the staged battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac in New York (1862), a grand explosion on top of Pike’s Peak (1901), the reunion of Confederate soldiers in Chattanooga (1890), the mock atomic bomb explosion before a crowd of 25,000 in Baltimore (1951), and the Oklahoma City Fourth that included the raising of the American flag back to full-staff after the bombing of the Federal Building earlier that year (1995). Citations are taken from primary sources, such as newspapers, and other reliable resources.
http://www.american.edu/heintze/fourth.htm
“TVWorldwide.com, Inc., a fast-growing web-based global TV network and streaming video service provider, in cooperation with the National Park Service, will webcast the Washington, D.C., 4th of July Fireworks Celebration live for American civilian and military personnel stationed overseas.
The broadcast begins at 7:45 PM (EDT) on Thursday, July 4, with a pre-event show, and is being produced in cooperation with the National Park Service and sponsored by Base Technologies, Inc. and SOZA & Company, Ltd.
People around the world can tune to www.tvworldwide.com to view our nation’s brilliant fireworks display firsthand. The interactive webcast will also honor fallen son, U.S. Army Captain Rocky Versace captured by the Viet Cong in 1963 and executed in 1965. On July 6, the Alexandria, Virginia, Vietnam Memorial is being dedicated to Captain Versace and at a White House ceremony July 8, President Bush will award Versace, posthumously, the Congressional Medal of Honor.”
http://www.tvworldwide.com/event_020704.cfm
“Living The American Dream”
On July 4, 2007, the Department of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will host a giant U.S. Citizenship Ceremony at the Magic Kingdom at WALT DISNEY WORLD.
Over 1,000 immigrants, from over 50 countries, will be sworn in as American Citizens on Main Street USA .
The ceremony will include all the key elements of a traditional citizenship ceremony including the formal Presentation of the Colors, the National Anthem performed by Gloria Estefan, Oath of Allegiance and Pledge of Allegiance. The program will conclude with LEE GREENWOOD singing “God Bless the USA’.
The program is expected to commence at 8:00 am Eastern Daylight Savings Time and televised. around the world by all the major news media.
When asked about the event, Lee’s response was “I feel honored and privileged to be part of this event because these immigrants obeyed our laws and played by the rules to meet the requirements for citizenship”.
Just in case you forget the lyrics of the Lee Greenwood song:
If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.
And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:
I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.SA.
God Bless The U.S.A. Words and Music by Lee Greenwood
© Copyright 1984 by MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA, INC. & SONGS OF POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
All Rights Controlled and Administered by MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA, INC.
