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c2009 S. G. Rager, unless otherwise noted. Site debut: 11/14/97. Updated weekly: refresh/reload pages to avoid viewing outdated pagtes

Weekly Wallpaper: A sampler with a message -- "To be a Virginian, either by birth, marriage, adoption, or even on one's mother's side is an introduction to any state in the Union, a passport to any foreign country, and a benediction from the Almighty God." See the full-sized version in WALLPAPER OF THE WEEK!

Monday's Midi is "Moonlighting," the theme from the long-ago TV series of the same name. It's your MONDAY'S MIDI!

"10 Ways to Use Google Books for Lifelong Learning and Research" from MakeUseOf.com gives you interesting and novel ways to use this excellent resource. As you already probably know, you can download the full text of books which are in the public domain, but this addresses other issues and provides solutions. Check it out through the new link to the article in COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. Before you click through, read on...

Advanced Facebook Search: What would you use it for? Are you on Facebook? How about your neighbor, or your cousin? Check it out through this newly added link in COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED

SITE UPDATED WEEKLY! Scroll down to recent additions, and go to the What's New Archive to see a history of older additions. REFRESH/RELOAD each page, so you're not viewing outdated pages stored in your cache. Visit the Wayback Machine to enjoy past versions of this web site and others. Donate to WENDY'S FELINE FRIENDS to help care for lost and abandoned cats in Westmoreland County (our county shelter doesn't handle cats, if you didn't already know). VA WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR Locations available through the link in TO DO: REFERENCE:MISC (VA Southeast region: Diana O'Connor, Oak Grove 804-224-0596, Wildlife Refuge 804-313-2240).

I Write Like is an interesting site which lets you "check which famous writer you write like." You enter any text in English (a few paragraphs will allow this statistical analysis tool to do its work). The analysis rates and ranks your word choice and writing style. The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE.

"Decrypt and Copy DVDs to your Hard Drive without Ripping" is a handy article from HowToGeek.com. No confusing software. Check out the details in this article; the downside: DVD43 only runs on Windows 32-bit systems. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTERS SIMPLIFIED.

How to Do Tasseography from WikiHow: Tasseography is better known as "tea leaf reading." This famous method of divination is simplified in this article which provides easy to follow steps. The new link is in TO DO: PREDICTIONS: PERSONAL.

Crisfield, Maryland's National Hard Crab Derby is the scene of fantastic crab-related events, but none is more anticipated than the contests to provide winning recipes using Maryland blue crabs. This week, I've added the recipes for Dixie Bounds' Crisfield Crab Roll, Jodi Jones-Smith's Blue Crab Cake Pannini, and Christine Dryden's Crab Chowder from the famous event. They join other famous Maryland recipes on the MARYLAND RECIPES PAGE.

Basic Computer Terms You Should Know Before Buying a PC is a great article from MakeUseOf.com for those who use computers but haven't invested a lot of time in understanding their innards. This won't make your buying experience flawless, but it will help you understand the various ways to compare systems you are considering. The link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTERS MADE SIMPLIFIED. But before you click through, check the next new listing below....

Don't Be Fooled: If you're not sure about a URL, don't open it. Check out this article, "Services to Check Whether a Web URL is Safe to Open," from the Technically Personal website. It gives you some options. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTERS MADE SIMPLIFIED.

Beat the Heat: Tips from LifeHacker will help you keep your cool all summer, a particularly "hot" topic at the moment. The Northern Neck has 90s predicted for every day this week, so read up and stay cool. The new article has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: EVERYDAY LIVING RESOURCES.

12 New Postcards have been added this week, for a new total of 1068 to choose from: (1) Water Becoming Wave; (2) Morning - 56th & Oceanfront; (3) Ocean Porch Print; (4) Oceanfront in Black & White; (5) Mystic Starburst Sun; (6) Beach Walk with Dog; (7) Ocean Waves; (8) Sunburst on Ocean; (9) Oceanfront Afternoon; (10) Team Tidewater; (11) A Day at the Beach; and (12)Thoroughgood House: Espaliered Fruit Trees. Most of these were photos from last week at Virginia Beach. Check out the full sized versions of the thumbnails at left in the POSTCARDS PAGE Section of this site.

Maryland Resources: (1) Maryland Historical Magazine website is a cooperative project just begun, which offers about 100 years of back issues of the print magazine online, and it's searchable; and (2) Maryland Land Records Online, which offers digital copies of original handwritten deeds and other property records from the late 1600s to the present day (free, but you need to register and receive a password). The links to these two helpful research resources are in LAW LIBRARY: GENEALOGY.

"AARP: A User's Guide to Health Care Reform" presents clear and concise information on what the Health Care Reform legislation really does do, mythology aside. Learn more about it through the newly added link to TO DO: MEDICAL INFO ONLINE. You'll be surprised at what it will do, as well as what it won't!

"How-To Geek: Scan Files for Viruses Before Using Them" is a most helpful article - because it gives you practical info on how to know whether or not the file will be harmful to your computer BEFORE you open it. It never hurts to be very cautious when opening files, and this article gives great information on how to keep your computer safe from viruses and malware which may be lurking! Check it out in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

"A Guide to Complaints That Get Results" is the title of this column from the NY Times' Haggler. Surprisingly effective techniques help you get remedies for wrongs you may have suffered. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE.

History of Memorial Day from History.com: while you may have observed Memorial Day for all of your lifetime, there are still things about this important national holiday you may not know. The link is here only. Make sure that in the other activities you have planned for this weekend, observance of its true meaning is among them.

Great Search Help: "3 Google Tricks When You Don't Know What to Search For." Well, I assume you know generally what to search for, but might need some direction. This short and helpful tutorial from MakeUseOf.com includes 1) Wildcard Search Operator; 2) Synonym Search Operator; and 3) Related URL Search Operator. Google is a really powerful ally if you really know how to use it! Check it out in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

See Climate Change for yourself with "Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth." See photos NASA has and other data that will help you define the reality of climate change for yourself. Among the statistics presented: 1) arctic sea ice minimum, down 11.2% per decade; 2) carbon dioxide, 389 parts per million and increasing; 3) sea level has risen 57mm since 1993. Check the new link for yourself in TO DO: REFERENCE.

Helpful Resource for inventors! The US PTO has created an Inventors Resource site, which contains valuable information on patent, trademark and copyright information. You know it's reliable because the information comes from the government's own patent and trademarks office. The new link is in LAW LIBRARY: US GOVERNMENT.

Quick Learn! 10 Free iPhone Apps to Learn a New Skill in 10 Minutes - from Mashable. Learn how to perform CPR, mix drinks, do magic tricks, and more! The new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Hone in on what you want to find: MakeUseOf.com's article "6 Ways to Reduce Irrelevant Results on Google Searches" will help you find exactly what you want, while eliminating lots of results you just don't need to sort through. The new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. But before you click through read on....

Pesky Computer Viruses can be lurking in that e-mail sent to you by your very best friend. How do you know? Read this helpful article from MakeUseOf.com: "How to Remove Computer Viruses at Home for Free." It's ever so much nicer to get rid of them before they open up and devour your files, and send nasty things to everyone in your contacts! The new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Frequent Readers of the News Section of this site have for years quickly scanned the Richmond Times-Dispatch Obits (the older we get, the more frequently we do this). In recent months, the format has changed to include memorial notices as well as death notices. So in an effort to get you to what you want to read faster, there's a separate link now to Death Notices in the R-TD. We do, after all, have less time to keep up with those who have departed before us! It's in NEWS.

The Federal Register, published daily contains rules, proposed rules and notices of US federal government agencies/organizations, and executive orders and presidential documents. The Code of Federal Regulations contains general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments/agencies of the federal government. These links have been added to LAW LIBRARY: CODES.

Tech Tutorials:in these times when tech support can cost an arm and a leg, you may be best served by seeing if you can do it yourself regarding computers and tech gadgets. Two good resources for tutorials are Wired How To Wiki, and PC World How-To Tutorials, both of which are now linked to through TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Forvo is an online dictionary of pronunciation which contains 583,137 words, 499, 547 pronunciations, in 240 languages. Chances are you will find what you are looking for here. Listen to pronunciations by speakers from different countries. A neat resource. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE:LANGUAGE.

Household Products Database from the US Dept of Health & Human Services provides info on products, manufacturers, ingredients and health effects of many items used regularly in homes, in yards, in hobbies, in pet care, and in home offices. You may be surprised at what's all around you. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: HOME.

A Recipe Journal called "101 Cookbooks" contains what Heidi Swanson says is an intersection of her life, travels and everyday interests. Sometimes the recipes are from her cookbook collection, sometimes they're her own, or a friend's. Focusing on natural, whole foods and ingredients, she shares vegetarian recipes which are good for you. The new link to 101 Cookbooks has been added to TO DO: RECIPES TOO GOOD NOT TO BE SOUTHERN.

20 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed is a great guide from Mashable - the link is here only. Are you a participant? How much do you know about this important phenomenon? Check and see....

Girl Scout Cookies to enjoy all year long, not just in the springtime! Who says you can't make versions of these popular favorites at home that rival (or exceed) the real thing? Chow.com has recipes for "Slim Mints" which are as good as (or better than) Thin Mints; "Fijis" which will make you think twice about Samoas; and "Left Behinds" which will make you likely not miss Tagalongs. Not only are there recipes, but photos as well. Go ahead, give them a try! The links to these recipes are in TO DO: RECIPES TOO GOOD NOT TO BE SOUTHERN.

"5 Free Ways to Identify that Sony Stuck in Your Head" from Mashable/The Social Media Guide! Midomi, Musipedia, Tunatic, Shazam and Name My Tune are five different sites which provide solutions - learn the differences - see what works best for you. The new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. Check it out!

Photography Tips/Classes: Two links for photographers which will prove helpful - (1) Photography CheatSheets from ThePhotoArgus, and (2) Photo Master Classes from BBC Wildlife Magazine (online). Check them out in TO DO: REFERENCE: MISCELLANEOUS.

Top 10 Tips & Tricks For Making Your Stuff Last Longer is a blog post from Lifehacker that has something for everyone: (1) Keep cell phone batteries working longer; (2) Extend life of razor blades; (3) Revive dead batteries and hard drives in the freezer; (4) Extend usefulness of your old mp3 player; (5) run Windows 7 longer without activation; (6) stretch life of laptop batteries; (7) keep food better longer; (8) make clothes last longer; (9) help fresh flowers last longer; and (10) get more life from your appliances. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: HOW-TO.

10 Money Saving IPhone Apps: (1) Quicken, (2) BillMinder, (3)Coupon Sherpa, (4)Grocery Gadget Shopping List, (5)AllRecipes Dinner Spinner, (6) Mixology, (7) Maps, (8)Gas Buddy, (9)TextFreeUnlimited, and (10)Skype. Read the article, learn more at TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFED.

Seven Foods Which Prevent Overeating: What are they? 1) Bananas, 2) Eggs, 3) Almonds, 4) Avocados, 5) Peanut Butter, 6) Oatmeal, 7) Apples. How do they work? Go read the article by Divine Caroline and learn why they do the job. Who knew it was this simple? The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: DIET.

Music! Puniz is a new site which indexes publicly available music. There are over 500 million audio tracks you can find. It says it's 100% free and legal. It works. Check it out on the NET SEARCH PAGE on this site!

Health/Fitness Info: ACE Fitness' site includes videos, articles, workouts (for every muscle group) and tips. Incidentally, this site provided your webmaster with info on the Vibram Five Fingers Classic exercise shoe which she has just ordered from Amazon. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: EVERYDAY LIVING RESOURCES but before you click through, check out the next 2 items, also added to the same section of the site....

Green and Good for You: Need to know what's safe in food (including baby food), personal care, household chemicals and toys? The Good Guide will provide the info. The link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: EVERYDAY LIVING RESOURCES, but check out one more new item added to the same section before clicking through....

100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World: "The world is full of ... people who want to make a difference . . . and many share their knowledge online through blogs." Here's a listing of the 100 best. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: EVERYDAY LIVING RESOURCES. Now, click through and enjoy!

Want the Big Picture? BigPicture.tv provides video clips from experts to help you understand complex issues in the news and in the world. Just when you're beginning to understand what an expert is saying, for instance, on a political news show, they switch off to another topic. Here's a way to do your own research. The link has been added to the NEWS Section of this site, a favorite reading room with links to many news sources.

3 New Postcards Added for a Total of 1056: New selections include a postcard of the Morris House in Reedville (submitted by Steve Jett), and two photos of recent snowy scenes at Coles Point. Check them out on the POSTCARDS PAGE!

Let's Play a Game: Mike Dooley, author of "Notes from the Universe" book series, challenges you "to pretend, just for today, all day long, throughout our every thought and decision, that life is easy, that everyone means well, and that time is on our side. Ok?" And the challenge continues, "And if we like this game, we'll play again tomorrow as well, and the next day, and the next, and pretty soon, it won't be a game at all, because life for us, will become those things." The YouTube video is embedded in this page, so you can see it by clicking on the Play symbol. It's just here because I thought you needed this this week (and so do I)!

10 Ways to Open .Docx Word Files: More than 3 years ago Microsoft rolled out the .docx format which replaced their long-standing .doc format in Word. The problem which is encountered now is that many who have earlier word processing software can't open .docx documents which they may need to access. Here are 10 Ways to do that, brought to you by Technically Personal. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLFIED. But before you click through, read on.....

10 Free Online PDF Creators: Adobe's PDF is widely recognized as the best. And even if you have the software at home to create them directly from other documents, you may not have that capability on the road. Check out Top 10 Free Online PDF Creators from Technically Personal. The new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLFIED. But there's one more addition to read about before you click through....

10 Things to Avoid in Social Media: So are you an early aadopter? A late adopter? Don't know the difference? Well, here's a great article to "break you in" on social media. What's social media? Things like Facebook. Check it out in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLFIED - and now you can click through to the Section!

10 Uncluttering Things to Do Every Day from Unclutterer.com: who couldn't use some hints in this category? Simple steps, daily steps to conquering the mountain of unorganized stuff in front of you. The link is now in TO DO: REFERENCE: EVERYDAY LIVING.

MakeUseOf.com: "12 Sites to Watch Videos That Are Better Than YouTube." See if you think so, too. The new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

A new weather map from Weather Underground shows Coles Point and the surrounding area with current temps displayed, as well as other weather conditions. The new link has been added to TO DO: WEATHER.

Find a new way to get done those things you just don't like to do, but need to get out of the way. The new link from "How To Get A Grip"has been added to TO DO:REFERENCE: HOW-TO.

Business Advice in Three Words from "Mind of an Entrepreneur" includes advice such as time is money, learn from others, stop thinking big, etc. Some you know, some you might not! Check it out. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: BUSINESS.

On-the-Job Training: Your Guide to Fighting Workplace Bullies - an interesting site which helps you identify problem people in your workplace, and gives tips on how to manage the situation. From Kickbully.com. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: EMPLOYMENT.

Virtual Piano is something for fun - check it out! The new link has been added to TO DO: RADIO/MIDI/MUSIC. Enjoy!

50 Banned Books That Everyone Should Read, from OnlineCollegeDegree.org, provides brief descriptions to entice you to read them. It's an interesting experiment in learning what limits others would place on your universe of knowledge. See if you agree! The link is in LAW LIBRARY: ELECTRONIC TEXTS.

ChoralWiki is home of the Choral Public Domain Library, which bills itself as one of the world's largest free sheet music sites. You'll find scores, texts, translations and more here. The link has been added to the TO DO PAGE.

New Law Resources Online: The following have been added to the site this week. (1) Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia; (2)Amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia; (3) Rules re Unauthorized Practice of Law; (4) UPL Opinions Online, Alpha Topic Index; (5) 2008-2009 Professional Guidelines; (6) Supplement to 2008-2009 Professional Guidelines. You'll find the new links in LAW LIBRARY: CODES/REGS.

Important Info: "How to Survive in the Wilderness Using Your Mobile Phone" from MakeUseOf.com addresses when you're out in the wild, but the wild may be a natural disaster as well. Learn important ways to survive. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE.

PowerPoint Search:"5 PowerPoint Search Engines to Seek Out Publicly Available PowerPoint Presentations" from MakeUseOf.com lets you find resources in unexpected places. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Genealogy Resources:"Top 10 Free Genealogy Websites to Find Ancestors" from MakeUseOf.com lets you explore many ways to learn from whom you're descended. The new link is in LAW LIBRARY: GENEALOGY.

Popurls - what's that? Pop URLs, the most popular locations on the 'net for each day. If you're tired of trying to keep up, Popurls does it for you in one massive page. Check it out in LAW LIBRARY: NEWS SECTION.

Top 10 Winter Survival Tips from Lifehacker include 1) lowering your heating bill; 2) Keep exercising; 3) Have emergency kits for home and car; 4) Really "use" your freezer; 5) Winter-proof your body; 6) Keep your hands warm (and useful); 7)Make your fireplace more efficient; 8) Make homemade cold and chill remedies; 9) Make shoveling a bit easier; and 10) Make your own lip balm. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE.

Its URL is Spock: Intelius People Search will zero in on who you're looking for. The new link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: SEARCH.

Food52.com is a site that provides not only recipes, but visuals on how to prepare them. On a recent visit, your webmaster found recipes such as Lavender Lace Cookies, Black-eyed Peas with Spinach and Dill, Breakfast Pita Pockets, Creamy Italian Wedding Soup with Ricotta and Honey. The new link has been added to TO DO: RECIPES TOO GOOD NOT TO BE SOUTHERN.

5 Online Tools To Help You Keep Your New Year Resolutions, from MakeUseOf.com. 1) 43 Things for the iPhone, tracks percentage completion of your goals, marks completed goals, and more; 2) Habitforge - based on premise that it takes 21 days to form a habit; 3) Joe's Goals- a plain interface with a great online habit tracker; 4) OneNote - dedicate an entire notebook to your resolutions, making separate sections for each; and 5) Google Calendar. The link to this blog post has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED, but read the other new addition to the same section below before clicking through.....

iFixIt: Fix it yourself: Mac, iPod, iPhone. There are sections on the iFixIt site for free manuals, parts store, teardown, and answers section. Not for the squeamish, or for the faint of heart - but for those who think they can do it, this may provide the knowledge to tackle repairs! The link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLFIED. Now, you can click through!

Juilliard Manuscript Collection presents works as old as Purcell, including multiple works by Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, and others. This link added in honor of my piano teacher of many years ago, Anna Dodson Duling Burke, a Juilliard graduate. The link is in LAW LIBRARY: HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

5 Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension, is a great resource from PickTheBrain. The five ways' titles are: 1) Pre-reading predictions; 2) Chunk summaries; 3) 3-step post-reading review; 4) Describe the reading to someone else; and 5) Make a mind-map. This interesting strategy is designed to help you digest even complex readings. The link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: LANGUAGE.

Funny Look at how when you're trying to help out with something simple, you suddenly become the "go to" person for everything. If you've been computing awhile and are usually good at figuring out your own problems, this will look familiar. It's been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

7 New Christmas Cards added! Check them out now on the POSTCARDS PAGE! They join the 110 other free Christmas cards on this site, for a total of 117! Free to send - no data kept by this site, delivery prompt and reliable. Enjoy!The Annual Christmas Poem is now on the site! You can get there directly from the Home Page or from the top of this page by clicking on the little Christmas tree icon - or just click here!

Special Christmas Wallpaper just added - (NOTE: no loner available as it's been replaced with new wallpaper, however it is available as one of the new Christmas e-cards) -it's a grapevine wreath with cranberries and real snow!! Add this festive look to your desktop from WALLPAPER OF THE WEEK.

10 iPhone Apps that bring holiday cheer: this helpful blog post covers both Christmas and Hanukkah, and lists the following apps -- (1) iCaroler; (2) Festive Holiday Baking; (3) Festive Holiday Cocktails; (4) Christmas Radio; (5) Christmas Sounds Free; (6) Santa Tracker 2009; (7) Hanukkah Envi; (8) Parents Calling Santa; (9) JingleToe; (10) Menorah - Chanukah. The link is here only - enjoy!

Criminal defense attorneys will appreciate the link to this comprehensive resource: "Developments in Federal Search and Seizure Law," by Stephen R. Sady, Chief Deputy Federal Public Defender, District of Oregon (October 2009). Main sections address the topics of search, seizure, standing, probable cause, searches/seizures pursuant to warrant, warrantless searches/seizures, and fruit of the poisonous tree. The new link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: CRIMINAL LAW.

How To: 5StarSupport.com's Free Computer Help Tutorials provides 89 tutorials that will help you with specific problems. Categories include Computer Maintenance, Software, Hardware, Networking, Security and more. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Points for Poinsettias: The Poinsettia Pages from the University of Illinois Extension provide helpful information on selection and care, plus history of the plant. There are instructions on how to get the plant to re-flower. If you're giving poinsettias to others this holiday, you might want to print out some of the material from this site and include it with your gift. The link has been added to TO DO: GARDENING & LANDSCAPING.

When You are the Geek Squad: Lifehacker's "How to Fix Your Relatives' Terrible Computer" may be a lifesaver this holiday. If you're visiting someone who depends on you for tech support (or if you need some assistance yourself) you will find this illuminating. It takes you step by step through the process of untangling the problem. The link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Thanksgiving Page is up, appropriately, on Thanksgiving Day! Celebrate the day with your family and friends in the midst of laughter and conversation, or quietly in reflection on the year past, or a combination of the two! Be thankful for both your challenges and your achievements, for both have made you who you are. While it's always easy to be thankful for the bright bubbly moments which bring everyone smiles, it is harder (but still important) to be thankful for the difficult times which have tested your strength and made you find new definitions of wisdom and perseverance. These have all made you who you are today. Get to the Thanksgiving Page by clicking on the icon below, or the icons at the top of this page, or on the Home Page --

Holiday Recipes: Thanksgiving Recipes from America's Past is a feature of the Pilgrim Hall Museum. Even though we all know that the first Thanksgiving was really here in Virginia on the James River many years before the little Pilgrim ships made their first landing, we'll still be glad to taste their sampling of recipes from past centuries. Recipes accompanied by illustrations. The link is here only.

New Resource Online: "Art and Architecture" from the Courtauld Institute of Art in the UK. Over 40,000 images you can search or browse. Entry to the site provides sections with links to more information on each. Hint: don't click on "Searches" as it's available only to those in the UK; click on "Advanced Search" which apparently is available to all - you can enter as few terms as you choose and it will work. The link is now in TO DO: ART.

12 Years! The Northern Neck of Virginia Law Page celebrated its twelfth birthday on November 14, with over 1,305,000 visitors! Updated every week, the site provides a great variety of links to many different resources. The site also features 52 wallpapers every year, many of them photographs of the Northern Neck waterfront and area. Thank you for being a visitor - your repeat visits are important and appreciated!

Engineering Dictionary from Babylon.com provides definitions for various engineering terms, with links to more information on words in the definitions. The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: DATABASES/REFERENCE.

Legistalker bills itself as "the latest online activity of Congress members" and lets you roam through various categories: AllStreams, News, Twitter, YouTube, Updated bills, and it's searchable as well. The new link has been added to the NEWS Section so you can check it daily.

Medline Plus: H1N1 (Swine) Flu includes overviews, latest news, diagnosis and symptoms, treatment, prevention, screening,and more. This link to info on this timely topic has been added to TO DO: MED INFO ONLINE.

Documents obtained through FOIA requests include "fascinating historical documents, ... oddities and fun stuff and government bloopers." The link to GovernmentAttic.org has been added to LAW LIBRARY: US GOVT.

Windows 7 Driver Downloads and Updates from RadarSync.com - if you're making the switch, you may need these. The link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Official Version: Read it for yourself - don't take anyone else's word for what's in the "Affordable Health Care for America Act." The link to the official version (H.R. 3962) is here on the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the U.S. House of Representatives' website, along with a summary, a detailed summary, and a section by section analysis. The link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: US GOV'T.

Helpful PDF files from MakeUseOf.com: (1) Guidebook for the Internet Audiophile; (2) Complete Guide to Twitter; (3)The Big Book of Bit Torrent; (4) Internet Guide for the Movie Addict. Simple, easy to understand. These links have been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Panoramas: If you can't be there in person, panoramas are perhaps the very best substitute. Go ahead, be impressed - here are: (1) Panorama New York Hotel View; (2) Panorama Grand Canyon; (3) Panorama Redwoods in California; (4) Panorama - Lafayette Square, Savannah; (5) Panorama - Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco; (6) New York, from the Queen Mary 2; (7) Panorama - Las Vegas, Eiffel Tower. They've been added to the TO GO section of the site. No passport required!

Research Goodies: (1) CiteSeerX-Beta Scientific Literature Digital Library & Search Engine, sponsored by NSF, Microsoft and NASA, contains over 1,424,701 articles and 27,498,385 citations; (2) DOE (Dept. of Energy) "Information Bridge" accesses over 210,000 full text documents and bibliographic citations of DOE research report literature, in physics, chemistry, materials, biology, environmental sciences, energy technologies, engineering, computer and information science, renewable energy and more; (3) Cornell University Library's arXiv.org has 566,637 e-prints in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Quantitative Finance and Statistics. These new links have been added to TO DO: REFERENCE.

Windows 7! New on the scene, Windows 7 brings promises and pitfalls. Check out Lifehacker's "Complete Guide to Windows 7," and find out everything you need to know about the new operating system, from first install to final settings change. Learn what you need to do first by visiting Lifehacker's "Prep Your PC for Windows 7," designed to let you boot into a clean, speedy system. Links to both of these helpful resources are now in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Facts, not Fiction: H1N1 flu is a serious illness, with the demonstrated potential of killing otherwise healthy individuals. Should you get the vaccine when it becomes available? Check out the new link that's been added to TO DO: MEDICAL INFO ONLINE and get answers to commonly asked questions about the flu vaccine and its safety.

Saving Money is always a good thing to do, but did you know Google can help in that regard? This helpful post from CNN details "5 Ways Google Can Save You Money," and includes things like free directory assistance, a tip jar about various kinds of savings, voice and video chat via Gmail, a calendar, and a power meter. Never hurts to learn additional ways to save! The new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. Before you click through, check below for another new addition to the same section of the site...

Apps Directory: iPhone devotees will tell you they love to learn about the apps which are available for their favorite phone. Apple has a new iPhone Apps Directory which is easier to navigate than the Apps section on iTunes. Check out the new line to Apple's iPhone Apps Directory which has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. Now, click through, and have a great week!

Why Leaves Change Color: We all know that autumn provides a spectacular show as leaves begin to change color. By the time they fall from the trees, they provide a carpet of golds, reds and browns. But do you really know why they change color? Visit this government site ("Why Leaves Change Color") which provides a lot of interesting info on the subject through the link here only.

Free Legal Forms automatically created online at WhichDraft.com where you can create forms, share forms, compare legal documents, or build your own legal form question and answer wizard. Caution: use only if you know what you're doing; for non-lawyers, it's not a substitute for legal advice. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE:BUSINESS. But before you click through, read about the new addition to the same section below ....

Guide to Doing Business in Virginia from LexMundi.com, compiled by Nancy Little of McGuire Woods LLP, revised November 2008. This 115-page PDF document gives in-depth information for business owners in the Commonwealth. The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE:BUSINESS. Now, click through and see both new additions to this section of the site!

Virginia State Police Forms and Publications are available online, including some you may know about and some you may not. They are downloadable from the new link added to LAW LIBRARY: CRIMINAL LAW.

Flu Activity is widespread in Virginia, and many other states. You need to know not only where it is, but how to prevent catching it, and what to do if you do come down with it. The government's own site on the Flu is Flu.gov, where you'll find helpful (and accurate) information about the seasonal flu and H1N1 Swine flu. The link is here and has been added to TO DO: MEDICAL INFO ONLINE.

Free Books, Online: (1) Readprint offers free online books for students, teachers and the classic enthusiast: over 8000 online books by 3500 authors. (2) Book Glutton currently lists 1473 books from public domain and independent authors. (3) Book-bot has over 14000 copyright-free items. These great resources have been linked to in LAW LIBRARY : ELECTRONIC TEXTS ONLINE, where you'll find lots of other interesting links to a great variety of reading resources.

Assisting Your Parents or Elderly Friends with their computers? If so, you'll want to read MakeUseOf's "7 Steps to Make Computers Accessible for the Elderly," which addresses (1) screen resolution adjustments; (2) contrast; (3) sizes; (4) start menu buttons; (5) magnifier; (6) keystrokes; and (7) mouse adjustments. Anything which makes computing more user friendly to seniors means they are more likely to be enthusiastic about computer use. The link to this handy posting has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

A Treasure Trove of Tutorials and Techniques on Traditional Drawing from Smashing Magazine, some intermediate and some advanced.

Tutorials include: (1) Marilyn Portrait Tutorial; (2) How to Draw Lips; (3) How to Draw a Car; (4) How to Draw Optimus Prime from Transformers; (5) Pet Portraits; (6) How to Draw a Ninja; (7) Portrait Tutorial; (8) Hair Drawing Tutorial; (9) Eye Drawing Tutorial; (10) How to Draw a Realistic Eye; (11) How to Draw a Mouth and Teeth; and (12) Traditional Sketch Rendering.

Also there are (13) Drawing Hands and Feet; (14) Drawing a Rose; (15) A Pseudo-Sugar Skull from Start t Finish; (16) Hair: Amanda Tapping; (17) From Sketch to Vector Illustration; (18) Manga Making Tutorial; (19) How to Draw a Fashion Figure; (20) The Dragon Tutorial; (21) Leather Wings; (22) Pencil Sketching by Max Bertuzzi; (23) Drawing Hair in Pencil; (24) Drawing Hands, (25) Clothing Tutorial; (26) Comic Story Step by Step; (27) How to Draw Marlon Brando Step by Step; (28)Face Drawing: The Heroic Male; (29) Evil Skull Drawing; (30) How to Draw a Female Anime Dark Angel; (31) Lone Wolf Pencil Drawing; (32) Making Manga 2; (33) Graphite Portrait; and (34) Dance of Spring Tutorial.

There's a whole section called Traditional Tips and Techniques, where you'll find (35) 9 Steps to Creating Better Compositions; (36) Drawing Clothes Techniques; (37) Editing Drawings; (38) Sketching Tips & Techniques; (39) Detailed Hair; (40) Hair Perspective and Lighting Tutorial, (41) Portraiture Lesson; (42) Proportions; (43) How to Draw Caricatures: the 5 Shapes; (44) How to Draw Caricatures: Head Shapes, and more.

Over 150 Heart-Health Topics from the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital's Heart Information Center will answer many questions in this highly-specialized area. Topics include Heart Conditions, Anatomy: Heart & Circulatory System, Glossary of Cardiovascular Terms; FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions; Medicines for Cardiovascular Disease; Diagnostic Tests & Procedures; Heart Surgery Overview, and more. The new link has been added to TO DO: MEDICAL INFO ONLINE.

Prepared by the House's Experts: You've heard lots about Health Care Reform. You're concerned about what it means to you. Here is the best resource to date on what EXACTLY it will mean to your individual district. The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives has prepared this website, called "H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009, District by District Impact." Look at the same information your legislator is reviewing.

Certainly, there are other pieces of legislation out there, but this is the one that passed the house. This website examines the district-level impact of the legislation, including the impact on small businesses, seniors in Medicare, health care providers, and the uninsured. It also includes an estimate of the impacts of the surtax used to pay for the legislation. So, don't get wrapped up in myth, rumor, and e-mail forwards that never were true. Go to the source, check it out. This link is here, as well as in LAW LIBRARY: US GOV'T.

News and Views on the latest innovations for the iPhone are yours with links to two different websites: (1) iPhone App Index, where iPhone app(lication) developers show off their works. While there, do look at the one called "OuttaMyWay" - there are days when we all could use this one; and (2) iPhones Talk - where you will find news and reviews on iPhones and accessories. These links have been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. But, before you click through, see the other new reference added below....

Almost Everything You Need to Know about Microsoft Access, Excel, FrontPage, Internet Explorer, InfoPath, Power Point, OneNote, Outlook, Project, Publisher, SharePoint, Visio, Windows, Word, all in free Quick Reference Sheets from CustomGuide. And there are sheets for Acrobat for Windows, Dreamweaver for Windows, Dreamweaver for Mac, Fireworks for Windows, Fireworks for Mac, Flash for Windows, Flash for Mac, Photoshop for Windows, Photoshop for Mac, Photoshop Elements for Windows, and more. Knowledge you need easily available in reference sheet format will save you time and exasperation. Check it out in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. NOW you can click through and see all the new additions!

Where's the flu now? Here's a link (here only) to the Flu View from the Centers for Disease Control, for the week ending September 12. As you can see, the beginning of school has had a dramatic impact on Virginia's H1N1 status - the illness is considered widespread at this point. Use your hand sanitizer, cover your mouth/nose when you cough/sneeze, and hope others do the same. Stay healthy! Get your regular flu shot, and when the H1N1 flu shot is available (around October 15th is the estimate), get that one, too!

Criminal Search: While it's true that only law enforcement agencies have access to the actual criminal histories, CriminalSearches.com does a fair job at it, and it's free. It is for all states. You can also enter addresses with the advanced search, and find out who with a criminal history might be living near you. It's a handy resource, and the new link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: CRIMINAL LAW.

19 Free Web Services: Really! From PC World: "19 Free Web Services That Keep Saving You Money" is an article you literally can't afford not to read! Money savers include Free Long Distance Calls, Send and Receive Faxes (Free), Videoconference (Free), Free Conference Calls, Free Directory Assistance, Automatic Transcription of Voice Notes (Free), Scanned Documents into Text (Free), Beat the Text Messaging Swindle, and more. This very helpful new link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

A Heap of Help from "Heapr" - a new search engine that simultaneously searches Google, Twitter, Flickr, Wolfram Alpha and other sites in a clean and fast interface all at once. You'll find it helpful to have Twitter results included for current topics in your searches. I think this is one of the more outstanding search engines to come along in some time, so it's been added to the NET SEARCH PAGE on this site where you'll find lots of other helpful search resources.

Get the Facts and Read the Speech: Think it through with the help of interactive resources on the Center for American Progress site. See how the reform legislation will affect your health care coverage and your taves. If you're a small business owner, calculate how it would work for your business. Forget the misinformation and the outright lies - get some straight talk about this all-important current issue! And if you'd really like to see what President Obama said when he addressed the joint session of Congress, you can click here to read the full text of his speech. If you're ready to learn more about the reform legislation and how it will affect you, check out the new link in LAW LIBRARY: NEWS -- where, on second thought, I've decided to add a link to the text of the Speech after all. Better to be informed than misinformed. There are many hundreds of millions of dollars being spent by the insurance industry and others who will profit if things stay the same. If you don't own stock in them, and you're not one of their highly paid CEOs, it would probably be to your financial health and to your physical health to read about what's really being proposed. The insurance folks would like to keep you quaking in your shoes. It's time to say, enough!

Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History presents "The Dynamic Earth" in multimedia or printable versions. Visit all 4 sections: Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes, The Solar System, Gems and Minerals, Rocks and Mining. "Nearly 4.6 billion years ago, within a vast cloud of interstellar space, a small pocket of gas and dust collapsed down under its own gravity, and our Solar System was born. In this interactive experience, explore the dynamic forces that formed and are continually reforming the Earth and our Solar System." The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: SCIENCE RESOURCES.

School's just started and it's time to look at good learning resources! (1) EPA Student Center presents information on ecology; (2) NASA Kids' Science News Network Grades K-2 Newsbreaks (Math & Science); (3) NASA Kids' Science News Network Grades 3-5 Newsbreaks (2 main categories include aeronautics, space operations, science, technology, math, more); (4) Uncle Al's Star Wheels for Northern & Southern Hemispheres (make your own star maps). These fun and interesting resources now have links added to TO DO: JUST FOR KIDS. BEFORE you click through, however, read on for more new links to the same section....

Reading begins when we are read to, of course. Then we begin to read for ourselves.

Here are some great resources to add to your home library, and the good news is there are no overdue fines on these, and you never have to wait for someone else to return them to the library before you can check them out:

(1) World of Tales: Stories for Children from Around the World: Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales (including The Little Match Girl, The Emperor's Clothes, The Red Shoes, and more);

(2) World of Tales: Stories for Children from Around the World: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm (including Rapunzel, Little Red Cap (Little Red Riding Hood), Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, and more);

(3) World of Tales: Stories for Children from Around the World: Fairy Tales from Charles Perrault (including Cinderella (The Little Glass Slipper), the Master Cat (Puss in Boots), The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods).

And when you tire of reading out loud yourself, you can listen to (4) Audio Books for Kids, which has over 300 MP3 downloads of such classics as Babar and Gerald McBoingBoing, folk tales such as Hansel & Gretel and Paul Bunyan, and even Mel Blanc readings of Warner Brothers cartoon stories. You can never read enough, and you can never start your kids early enough. Enjoy these resources! They are in TO DO: JUST FOR KIDS.

And whether you're a brand new student, a returning student, an older student, or a lifelong student, here's to a great year of learning ahead!

DailyLit lets you read books by e-mail or RSS - minutes a day of great reading in your inbox. Browse categories, look at featured books, recent titles, or browse all titles. You'll find the new link added to LAW LIBRARY: ELECTRONIC TEXTS ONLINE.

Update for Lawyers (added 8/25/09): The emergency legislation passed in response to Melendez-Diaz is "HB 5007: Evidence, testimonial; procedure notifying defendant of introduction of certificate of analysis." The Supreme Court website has posted PDF forms for "Objection to Admission of Affidavit," and "Objection to Admission of Certificate of Analysis" to relieve lawyers of the need to individually draft those motions. The links to HB5007 and to the two forms have been added to LAW LIBRARY: VIRGINIA COURTS and to LAW LIBRARY: VIRGINIA CODE and to LAW LIBRARY: CRIMINAL LAW.

Ship movements anywhere can be searched by ship name or just by zooming in on the map to a particular area. Shows cruise boats, cargo tankers, yachts, etc., some with photos, all with details. This new link has been added to TO DO: MARINE WEATHER where you'll find other sea-worthy links.

Earmarks: Those things that when it's in your district, it's a wise move, and when it's in other people's, it's a waste. Learn more about who's throwing around money, and where. Two new links will help: (1) Earmarks from Washington Watch, and (2) Earmarks: Office of Management & Budget, US Government. These new links have been added to LAW LIBRARY: US GOV'T.

A Rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way, it's been said. Usually, that's through e-mail, but sometimes through hapless people who don't know what they're saying on radio/TV/blogs. "Setting the Record Straight" is the Administration's answer to various rumors making their rounds about health care reform. If you care to know the truth, really, it's here. Go see through the link added to Hot Topics on the News page. Without the lies propagated by special interest groups, it might not be news. But it certainly is now.

Book Seer lets you enter the name and author of a book you liked, and you'll get recommendations for like titles from Amazon and Library Thing. Not foolproof, as it doesn't always find a match, but interesting. Try it out. It's in LAW LIBRARY: ELECTRONIC TEXTS.

Genealogy Forms help you organize all your family history research: (1) Six Genealogy Research Forms in PDF format to download and use, free; and (2) Documentation Essentials Form (how do you know what you think you know). Both from Genealogy Tutorial.com. These have been added to LAW LIBRARY: GENEALOGY.

Unmarked Cemeteries of Westmoreland County is a new web page researching and identifying mostly African-American cemeteries. Family historians, historians and genealogists always welcome information on unmarked graveyards, which are often in out of the way places. The link has been added to the GENEALOGY PAGE on this site, where you'll find lots of helpful links to resources in Virginia, Maryland and the District.

What are they saying? If you'd like to know more about the special language of texting, which shows up in teens' and pre-teens' texts and some of which you may be interested in learning for yourself, visit DTxtr.com where you can translate these phrases. There's also a glossary available at DTxtr. You may be surpised at some of the meanings. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Sometimes thought of as a vanishing art, the drawing of beautiful lettering is formally known as calligraphy. If you've ever wanted to learn, you'll likely be able to give it your best try through the helpful procedures outlined on "Learn How to Draw Beautiful Lettering: Calligraphy," a link to which has been added in the TO DO: ART Section of this site. Whether you're interested in addressing special invitations, or filling out a certificate, if you can master this, you will be able to add one more important skill to your resume.

Because it's summer and a great time to be silly, enjoy three ways to get back to the simple fun of just doing things for pure enjoyment. (1) Jiggling jello has been around awhile, but for those of us who can't have sugar, and for whom the lure of sugar-free jello has failed to materialize, JelloTime.com's "Virtual Jello" fills the bill. Just move your mouse over the jello and see! (2) "Make Music with your Keyboard" lets you have a fun romp through the keys, creating various band/instrument/drum sounds as you go; and (3) "Easy Magic Tricks" likely won't put you on stage but will amaze (or at least surprise) your family and friends. See these 3 summer fun additions in TO DO: GAMES where you'll find dozens of ways to waste the lazy hazy days of summer.

Pants on Fire: All this stuff floating around on e-mail about the health care bill - is it true? Check it out, and know for sure BEFORE passing on myths that may harm us all. PolitiFact.com has a page which rates the truthfulness of these circulating e-mails. Read it and know. Knowledge never hurt anyone, but the lies being passed around can be damaging to you now or in the future when you may really need better health care. Check it out in LAW LIBRARY:NEWS.

Big Huge Thesaurus: for when one way to say something just isn't enough. Big Huge Thesaurus' tag line is "Synonyms, Antonyms, and Rhymes (Oh My!). Also there are links to blog post ideas and story plot/logline resources for writers. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: LANGUAGE, and also in LAW LIBRARY: DICTIONARIES.

Fodor's Travel Tip of the Day brings you helpful info from professionals whose business it is to make your travels as painless as possible. The new link has been added to TO DO:TRAVEL INFO.

Your biorhythm chart for the day may tell you a lot about what's going on and why. Enter your birthdate and receive your chart for today or up to 7 days in the past or 7 days in the future. What've you got to lose? The new link is in TO DO: PREDICTIONS: PERSONAL. Before you click through, however, read on......

Palmistry for free: If you're reading your horoscope, checking your biorhythms, why not add in palmistry so you can say you've done it all? The Free Hand Analysis and Psychic Center offers you lots of ways to see what those hands of yours mean in deciphering what you're all about. Also added is the Layman's Guide to Cheirology: How to Read Hands and Palms, which has a lot of detail about the various features of the hands. The new links have been added to TO DO: PREDICTIONS: PERSONAL - go see!

Java Junkies will find CoffeeSeeker to be a handy thing. Of course, you've got to remember to do it before you're mobile, in order to use this link. Plug in a zip code and see where the nearest Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and others are located. Handy when you are planning your vacation, for example. Or traveling on business to a new location. The new link is in TO DO: TRAVEL INFO.

Computer Hardware Chart shows you exactly what those whatzamagizmos are called, so you know what to talk to Bryan, the perpetual Pakistani tech support, about when you call. Or, if you're farther up the food chain computer-wise, it will show you what part to order online. A little knowledge goes a long way. This hardware poster has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. (Tip: click on the poster to see a size that's big enough for you to really read)...

Lawyers preparing personal injury/medical malpractice cases, medical personnel and patients themselves can benefit by looking through the PubMed Bookshelf. It bills itself as "a growing collection of biomedical books that can be searched directly by typing a concept into the textbox." Or you can peruse the list of titles, and concentrate on one or more. The new link has been added to TO DO: MEDICAL INFO ONLINE.

Have fun! Remember -- if you haven't visited recently, you should refresh or reload each page, so you're not viewing outdated pages from an earlier visit stored in your cache. Find out what was new in earlier updates by visiting the What's New Archive! Or enjoy past versions of this web site and others as they were collected by the Wayback Machine!

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