What's New? Updated December 28, 2011

New as of  November 27, 2011

Try this Christmas Quiz and see how savvy you are about Christmas facts and traditions. There's a novice quiz - and then, for the adventurous, there are others which are more advanced! The link is here only to Trivia Park. Have fun!

New as of  October 16, 2011

As close to Mars as you're likely to get: NASA presents Rover's Eye View of the Three-Year-Trek on Mars in a collection of 309 images taken during the 13 mile journey between Victoria Crater and Endeavour Crater. The clarity of the photos is amazing, and you'll better appreciate the technology from good old Planet Earth that put together this clever little robot-photographer-explorer. The link is here only.

New as of  October 9, 2011

Business Writing Assistance: Writing@CSU (Colorado State University) provides online Writing Guides. You'll find the following covered: Business Writing: An Introduction, Business Letters, Formatting Business Letters, Writing Business Memos, Writing Business Email, Electronic Mail, Business Press Releases, Executive Summaries, Resume Writing. If you already know all the info contained in these helpful guides, great -- but chances are, you'll learn something -- how to refine your technique, or how to do something completely new. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: WRITING. Check it out!

Help Your Parents Online and other relatives and friends who are always asking you how to accomplish various standard things on the computer. Ghacks.net has provided "Teach Parents Tech, Tutorial Videos for Common PC Issues." You can complete a form at the site, select your recipient, fill in a short introductory sentence, and select the tech tutorials you want included, and some closing lines. Straightforward videos are sorted into categories such as The Basics, Media, or World Wide Web, and each category has about ten videos you can select. What could be easier? And when they receive the tutorials, they can view them over and over again until they get them correct, instead of asking you over and over again how to complete the task. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  October 2, 2011

Mega Guide to Freebies: WealthInformatics.com's "Where to Get Free Stuff: Mega Guide to Freebies" includes the following categories: Travel Resources, Entertainment, Samples, Birthday Stuff, Knowledge, Technology, Financial Resrouces, Free Stuff (Just One Time), Hobby-related Stuff. Be aware that while offerings are "free," you are most likely trading your e-mail address and some information on yourself for whatever it is you are getting. Just to keep "free" in perspective! The new link is here only.

New as of  September 25, 2011

Yale, for Free: Yale lectures, online, for free - yes, really! Open Yale Courses offers courses in Astronomy, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Classics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Economics, English, Environmental Studies, History, History of Art, Italian Language and Literature, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Spanish and Portugese. What's not to like! Download and put on your phone or MP3 player and listen while you're commuting. The link to Open Yale Courses has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE.

New as of  September 18, 2011

Interesting info: "25 CEOs Who Made More Than Their Companies Paid in Taxes" is a very interesting read, from Consumerist.com. While we have almost violent disagreements over who should pay more and who should pay less in taxes to support our very large and increasingly needy country, here is a riveting look at what 25 CEOs were paid, matched with the amount of taxes their companies paid. This is truly astonishing. Obviously, business has all it needs to survive and to luxuriate, and if not, it is business' fault, not the government's. Always remember to search for the truth, instead of settling for lobbyists' versions of what their wealthy clients want. The link is here, and it will likely change or clarify your viewpoint on the subject. Remember that closing loopholes in the tax code would not raise tax rates on the business giants, but merely mean that they end up paying something for the privilege of being a company here. These business giants have already decided to impoverish American workers by taking many jobs overseas. It is only right that they pay taxes here. There are many advantages to being an American corporation, but paying nothing for the privilege should not be one of them.

A Clean Sweep: "25 Things to Throw Out Today" from Wisebread.com offers you a great checklist for disposing of things you really don't need and don't use any more. Chances are good that you know about a few of these, but some will be news to you, and prove helpful. The link is here.

New as of  September 11, 2011

A different kind of loss from 9-11: While we are all, most appropriately, observing 9-11 as the anniversary of a horrific tragedy which took thousands of lives, and forever affected hundreds of thousands more, there is one loss from that event which is not often the subject of reflection, but should be, for it represents a loss of great magnitude from our civilization: that of the tremendous number of works of art which were housed in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

Visitors to the Trade Center will recall seeing various of these, but the tragedy is that these are no longer able to affect new viewers. Some were completely destroyed, some partially destroyed, and some went missing after the collapse of the buildings even though they had been seen after the events of that day.

Wikipedia lists the following works of art as missing, totally or partially: "Ideogram" stainless steel sculpture by James Rosati; "Cloud Fortress," a large black granite piece by Masayuki Nagare, destroyed in the rescue and recovery efforts; "The World Trade Center Tapestry," a 20'x35' tapestry by Joan Miro; "Sky Gate, New York" by Louise Nevelson; a memorial fountain for the victims of the 1993 WTC bombing by Elyn Zimmerman; "World Trade Center Stabile," a 25' red steel sculpture by Alexander Calder (about 30% recovered); 300+ sculptures and drawings by Auguste Rodin, part of the Cantor Fitzgerald collection; "Needle Tower" by Kenneth Snelson; "Recollection Pond," a tapestry by Romare Bearden; "Path Mural," by Germaine Keller; "Commuter Landscape," a large mural by Cynthia Mailman; "Fan Dancing with the Birds," a mural by Hunt Slonem; "The Entablature Series" by Roy Lichtenstein; approximately 40,000 negatives of photos by Jacque Lowe documenting the presidency of John F. Kennedy; "The Sphere," an abstract sculpture by Fritz Koenig, partially recovered and now serving as a memorial.

To learn more about works of art lost at the World Trade Center, you may visit the links here: (1) Lost World Trade Center Art, a compilation of information about works of art lost and unaccounted for, including links to images of them; (2) NPR's Lost Art: Hundreds of Works Were Destroyed in the Trade Center Attack (dated October 16, 2001); (3) Current (July 2011) article: "Thousands of Records, Irreplaceable Historical Documents and Art Still Missing from 9/11;" (4) "Lives and Treasures Taken in 9/11." As art is a measure of civilization, we are diminished by the loss of these amazing resources. It is important not to forget them, nor that for a decade, we have all been deprived of their presence. As we mourn the loss of human life, we must also mourn the loss of amazing handiworks which helped define the human spirit.

New as of  September 4, 2011

What's hazardous? Haz-Map Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents website from Specialized Information Services of the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health will provide helpful answers. Locate hazardous agents by type, by effect, or alphabetically; search occupational diseases by type, by jobs, symptoms, or alphabetically, and see types of jobs considered to be high risk. Better to know than not to know! The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE. But before you click through, see the new addition below, added to the same section of the site.

Don't pay! "Top 10 Repair Projects You Should Never Pay For" from Lifehacker may save you some money. Categories include: bike repairs, headphone cords, common plumbing problems, sewing on buttons, laptop power cord repair, phones and other mobile gadgets, LCD monitors/TVs, changing a flat tire, changing oil, replacing brake pads, fixing walls and floors, and some computer repairs. Never undertake what you don't feel competent to do, but Lifehacker provides some great how-to information which should provide some confidence. The new link has been added, also, to TO DO: REFERENCE, so click through and see both of the new additions.

Note: No update on August 28, 2011 because of Hurricane Irene and extensive power outage which lasted much of the week!

New as of  August 22, 2011

What's Ripe and What's Rotten? "The Produce Workers' Guide to Choosing Fruits and Vegetables" from Wisebread.com will tell you what's right, what's ripe, and what's rotten. You will learn something new, whether it's how to choose avocados (which you may not regularly buy) to how to select your more frequent fruit and vegetable purchases. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE. But before you click through, see the new addition below, added to the same section of the site....

Remedies at Home for the home: "Grandma's Home Remedies" offers time-honored and quite simple rememdies from days gone by. With today's focus on chemicals in everything around us and our families, it's time to learn safer ways to do things. The new link has been added, also, to TO DO: REFERENCE, so click through and see both of the new additions.

New as of  August 14, 2011

Reach Tech Support Faster: PC World is a respected source for all things computer. You can see many of their helpful how-to's by clicking on the link that is here only. In the September 2011 print edition of PC World, a helpful article called "Reach Tech Support Faster" notes the following helpful tips (would have included a link to it, but it's not on the website): (1) "beforehand, go to Dial a Human (dialahuman.com) which lists phone numbers and button sequences that can get you to a real live voice. Once you connect, be nice, and the rep handling his/her 500th call may actually want to help you; (2) If you have the option of instant-messaging a rep, it could help the conversation go more quickly. You'll have no accent or dialect issues over IM. For computer hassles, you can attach screenshots that illustrate the problem, so you can avoid trying to explain your nightmare over and over again."

New as of  August 7, 2011

Emergencies: Food Safety: With all the power outages during summer storms (and hurricane season really just gearing up), it's important to learn how to keep your food safe, if at all possible. The link, which is here only, shows you basic steps to do this. Hope your power stays on, but if it doesn't, plan ahead, and perhaps print out these fact sheets so they will be handy!

New as of  July 31, 2011

Gizmodo: The NYT's Top 50 Words You Don't Understand:But don't worry, you're in good company. Here's the list of the Most Frequently Looked-up Words on NYTimes.com, 2011. Panegyric, immiscible, Manichaean, inveighs, crepuscular, legerdemain, churlish and risible are the top 8. If you knew these, plow on. There are more….The link is here only.

Save the Coles Point Post Office! The Coles Point Post Office has "lost its lease" at its present location in beautiful Historic Downtown Coles Point. A new nonresident landlord doesn't want to renew the lease, causing the USPS to consider consolidating or closing our historic 127-year-old Post Office at 22442. What can you do to help? Plenty. You can sign and circulate petitions, and write letters to help out. This little best small place on the planet has lots of friends, and most of them want to help. There's a Facebook page called Save the Coles Point Post Office, and a website online by the same name. Go see the website - the link is here only. And thank you in advance for any help you can give!

New as of  July 24, 2011

Online Spell Check & Grammar Check from Gingersoftware.com bills itself as the "most accurate spell checker available." It provides immediate feedback and is free to use, online. The link is here only. Try it and see!

Befuddled about the debt ceiling? The US Department of the Treasury has a site which provides accurate (not political) information on the debt limit, what it means, and also has a helpful section on Myth vs. Fact, which provides accurate and helpful information. So before we all sail off the cliff like lemmings to the sea, it does pay to at least know what the facts are. Again, the link is here only. Go ahead, learn something!

New as of  July 16, 2011

Video Lectures from VideoLectures.Net are free, online, and most informative. Billed as a site where you can "exchange ideas and share knowledge," it categorizes the lectures as Architecture, Arts, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computers, Computer Science, Criminology, Economics, Education, Environment, Events, History, Humanities, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Science, Society, Technology. I checked out, under Arts, Lecture 9, Paradise Lost,Book I - a lecture by John Rogers of Yale's English Department and found it to be quite good. You'll find something, too. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE, your online links library to an amazing variety of resources.

Secure Web Access from Anywhere: How-To Geek presents "Setup SSH on Your Router for Secure Web Access from Anywhere," which allows you to to "configure your router to support a secure tunnel and shield your remote browser traffic" when you connect to the 'net from Wi-Fi spots, or anywhere you may be away from home, which might expose your data to risk. This helpful resource tells you why you need to do this, and what you need to accomplish it. The link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  July 10, 2011

Stickies for your desktop! Download this PC utility and you can have stickies which will stay on your desktop until you remove them, right through reboots and all. There link is here only, to Zhorn Software's Stickies download page. Enjoy!

New as of  July 3, 2011

History Cookbook: "Do you know what the Vikings ate for dinner? What a typical meal of a wealthy family in Roman Britain consisted of, or what food was like in a Victorian Workhouse? Why not drop into history cookbook and find out? This project looks at the food of the past and how this influenced the health of the people living in each time period. You can also try some of the recipes for yourself." The History Cookbook has a wide range of recipes from which to choose, and time periods from Prehistoric to Post-WWII. Check it out in TO DO: RECIPES TOO GOOD NOT TO BE SOUTHERN, one of the recipe archives on this site. (In this case, they may just be "too interesting" not to be Southern!

2010-2011: Earth's Most Extreme Weather since 1816? Read Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog on Weather Underground, and learn some startling facts about the weather extremes, and exactly how extreme they have been recently. The link is here only, and you're sure to learn something you didn't already know!

New as of  June 26, 2011

The CSI Effect: "The popular TV shows portray scientists working in labs and solving crimes at rapid speeds, with technology that isn't yet available." This site "looks at the difference between how real forensic scientists work and how they are shown on TV." Useful to help you figure out what's fact and what's fiction. The new link is in LAW LIBRARY: CRIMINAL LAW.

New as of  June 19, 2011

Researching medical info for personal reasons or for case background is made easier when you have reputable sources from which to choose. This week, links to MedLinePlus sites on Atrial Fibrillation, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Bronchitis, and Aspergillosis have been added to TO DO: MEDICAL INFO ONLINE.

New as of  June 12, 2011

Boating Safety: Sea Tow Foundation for Boating Safety and Education has a worthwhile site of safety resources. Sections include Aids to Navigation, Boater's Safety Checklist, Boating and Alcohol, Fishing Reports, Float Plan, Navigation Test, Rope Works, Rules of the Road, Safety on the Sea, Weather and more. A good resource for novice boaters, but experienced mariners will find lots of helpful information as well. The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE:EVERYDAY LIVING RESOURCES.

Behind the Scenes: "Influence Explorer" does just what it says. You search by name of a company, a lawmaker, a prominent individual to learn how they are influencing the political system. This site is where you need to be, checking on how things are going, and why they are heading in certain directions. It never hurts to follow the money trail, and this site is a valuable resource in doing just that. You will likely be surprised at some things you learn. The new link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: US GOVERNMENT.

Amazing Free Books: The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council have made all of the more than 4000 pdf versions of National Academies' books downloadable for free. The site is itself searchable, and has a genius feature for recommending more books like the one you located in your search. The new link is in TO DO; REFERENCE: SCIENCE RESOURCES.

New as of  June 5, 2011

Master Index of Forensic-Evidence.com provides "an information center in forensic science, law and public policy for lawyers, forensic scientists, educators, and public officials" and is divided into categories: Evidence Law News, Of Interest to Testifying and Consulting Experts, Behavioral Evidence, Biological Evidence, Law Enforcement Procedures, and more. The new link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: CRIMINAL LAW.

New as of  May 30, 2011

Vegetarian? Or, just thinking about becoming vegetarian? Many of your questions can be answered at "Veg Online," a site for anyone interested in a vegetarian diet. Sections include vegetarian entrees, sides, recipes, lifestyle, vegetarians & sustainability, becoming vegetarian, vegetarian nutrition facts, health & nutrition, and more. Check the new link through TO DO: REFERENCE:DIET.

New as of  May 22, 2011

Holy cow! Check out the website called The State of Our Bridges: Transportation for America, where you can instantly check on bridges near where you are, and find out how safe they are. This will give you pause. The Tappahannock Bridge is "dangerously deficient." Holy cow! We all have to cross that one regularly. Next time you think we don't need government to do so many things, remember that private enterprise does not build bridges, fix potholes, etc. These things we need! The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: EVERYDAY LIVING, because it affects all of us, especially those of us who live in waterfront and water-bounded areas!

New as of  May 15, 2011

Ship Captain's Medical Guide: What? It's billed as useful for not only ships, but other places and situations where professional medical advice is not readily available. So even if you aren't a ship captain, you might find it useful. An interesting first aid resource, its link has now been added to TO DO: MEDICAL INFO.

Handy New Image Search: "BestPicturesOf" combines search results from Google, Bing and Flickr in one place. This handy photo, image, illustration and caricature search has been added to the NET SEARCH page on this site.

New as of  May 8, 2011

Climate Central is "an independent, non-profit journalism and research organization, helping mainstream Americans understand how climate change connects to them, and arming our audiences with the knowledge they ned to make informed decisions about their future." You'll learn about dollar-cost of climate change, climate problems in the various states, and whether and how the violent weather we've had recently can be attributed to climate change. The site features graphics, maps, animations, videos, podcasts. Can you afford not to learn more? The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: SCIENCE RESOURCES.

New as of  May 1, 2011

The Plum Book: Every four years, just after the Presidential election, the United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, commonly known as the Plum Book, is published. The Plum Book lists over 7,000 leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to noncompetitive appointment (that is, the positions are filled by appointment rather than by civil service competition.) Check it out through this newly added link which will also give you access to the 2004, 2000, and 1996 Plum Books. The new link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: U S GOVT.

New as of  April 24, 2011

Important info: If you have found a great absence of information in mainstream media about the effects of radiation from the Sendei earthquake and subsequent nuclear reactor problems there, you should check out this YouTube video. Too much information never killed anyone, but too little likely does on a regular basis.

New as of  April 17, 2011

Glowing in the Dark Yet? The information which has been coming our way since the Sendei disaster's nuclear plants' problems can be confusing, to say the least. Here is a chart (link, here only) which will help clarify the risk we all face in getting through daily life. It appears there is no more reason to panic than usual (but you may be surprised at why what you usually receive, radiation wise, is likely higher than you think.)

New as of  April 10, 2011

Financial Documents You Need in a disaster might actually be where you can find them if you read "What Financial Documents Do You Need in a Disaster?" from MoneyNing.com. This short but important blog post gives you several basic things to do in preparation. Then, if a disaster occurs, you will be better prepared. The new link has been added to TO DO:REFERENCE; FINANCE.

New as of  April 3, 2011

How to Improve Your Email Etiquette: WikiHow, which bills itself as "The How-To-Manual That You Can Edit," offers this handy 21-step guide to improving your e-mail etiquette. When e-mail was new, and not so numerous, it didn't matter so much. Now that everyone is absolutely inundated, being competent and courteous with e-mail is not only preferred, it's a survival skill. The link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  March 28, 2011

Top 10 Nuclear Nightmares: Gizmodo has compiled a listing of the top ten. See where the current disaster in Japan ranks, and read some perhaps surprising info about other incidents which may have been almost swept under the rug (at least not making national headlines, so far as I recall.) The link is here only, and should prove informative.

New as of  March 20, 2011

Facebook Tips: Gizmodo.com presents "The Ultimate Facebook Tips and Tricks Guide," which will be of use to FB users, and also interesting to those considering joining the giant social network, now numbering around 500 million users. Clear concise guide provides tips and illustrations to make social networking easier. The link is here only.

New as of  March 13, 2011

Tax Tips: SmartMoney.com provides a helpful article, "7 Tax Tips for your 2010 Return." You may already know about them, but it never hurts to check. The link is here only, and might provide some savings to you!

New as of  March 6, 2011

15 Ways to Be More Productive on Your Mac: Control-Clicking Hints include desktop, files, the dock, toolbar, text, compressing files, Safari, webpages, mail, mail messages and more. This handy article, called "15 Control-Clicking Hints to Make You More Productive on Your Mac," has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

Writers' Conferences and Retreats, a list with many choices and links, is provided by ShawGuides.com. The link to this feature has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: LANGUAGE: WRITING. It's just one more way to provide you with resources which may get you closer to your goal of being published.

Treasure Trove of Genealogy Links from a well-respected source, the Eastern Shore Public Library. The two counties of the Eastern Shore of Virginia have carefully preserved records which establish long lines of family histories in that area. These links will be helpful to anyone who finds their family history quest leads them across the Bay. The link has been added to the GENEALOGY PAGE on this site.

New as of  February 27, 2011

Google with Recipe View helps you find recipes across the web. This amazing mew search feature from the popular search engine will make your recipe search simpler than ever. The link has been added to TO DO: RECIPES TOO GOOD NOT TO BE SOUTHERN, where you'll also find lots of other links to culinary treasures.

2 Handy Calculators: (1) Blood Alcohol Calculator lets you see online what your BAC will be after consuming several drinks. Better to know ahead than to be explaining it in court! (2) Calorie Calculator lets you see how many calories you need to consume to maintain your weight, or to lose weight. Both of these have been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: CALCULATORS.

New as of  February 20, 2011

Goodies for Oldies: Senior Discounts in the following categories: Restaurants, Travel, Clothing, Grocery Stores, and Other Discounts. There are many different stores and vendors listed; you may find some of your favorites here. At any rate, it doesn't cost to take a look! The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: EVERYDAY LIVING.

The Sound Before Silence: Dread Clicks and Whirs - How to recognize whether or not your hard drive is failing, complete with sound samples. BoingBoing provides this helpful resource. If you have ever experienced hard drive failure, you know it's very important to be aware of the signals your computer is sending you before the disaster happens. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  February 13, 2011

Not Lost Forever: "How to Recover The Photo, Picture or File You Deleted Accidentally"  by HowToGeek.com shows you ways to recover what you thought was gone forever. The link to this helpful article has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  February 6, 2011

Your webmaster's best friend, Gizmo, died on February 4, 2011, in her 15th year. A splendid companion and a knowledgeable ally, she will be greatly missed. For the week of February 6, this photo was available as a wallpaper. Now it's just a memory....

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recently issued by the USDA. Not yet perfect, still marred by the obvious footprints of various sectors of the food lobby, it is getting slightly better. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE:DIET.

New as of  January 30, 2011

10 Best Part-Time Jobs With Benefits, as located by PTMoney.com. Whether you're a college student or a retiree who needs more income, take a look at this list of ten employers who will give you more than just a paycheck. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: EMPLOYMENT.

New as of  January 23, 2011

Worldwide ETD Index: Electronic Theses and Dissertations is a global index providing searchable abstracts, subject headings, keywords, authors, schools, publishers. While the texts of these documents are not searchable, the locations of them online are provided. A great research help! The link is now in TO DO: REFERENCE:SCHOOL/STUDY.

"8 Things to Do After Losing Your Wallet," stolen or not! The info is from GovGab: Your U.S. Government Blog. A handy checklist to be aware of, it provides a list of 8 things to do to safeguard your identity and your money. While you're on the GovGab site, check out other categories such as Money, Health, Travel, Home/Family and more. The link is in TO DO: REFERENCE:EVERYDAY LIVING RESOURCES.

New as of  January 16, 2011

Complete List of iPad Tips, Tricks and Tutorials from HowToGeek.com will give you the latest info on how to make your newest tech purchase even more effective. The link to this lengthy list of tips, tricks and tutorials has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP, SIMPLIFIED.  Before clicking through, read on....

Windows 7 Tweaks: Ways to make Microsoft's newest operating system function faster and more efficiently for you. Especially note how to make IE8 faster and better! The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP, SIMPLIFIED. Now, click through!

New as of  January 9, 2011

How to Get Creative and how to stay there! CreativityGames.Net provides games to improve creative thinking. Some recent projects over the past few weeks include: (1) What would I do? Hypothetical question to get you started; (2) No questions allowed - flips the usual rules; (3) Riveting Read - you get to create the name of a best seller book; (4) Santa's Ideal Toy Workshop - where would it be, and what would it be like, and more. The link has been added to GAMES on this site.

New as of  January 2, 2011

Best "Explainer" Topics for 2010 chosen by How-To-Geek; "explainer" topics are those where the question was answered but you were given a bit more than just the answer. Topics include "What is Cloud Computing and What Does This Stupid Buzzword Mean?," "What's Wrong with Writing Down Your Password?," "What's the Difference Between JPG, PNG, and GIF?," "LCD? LED? Plasma? The How-to-Geek Guide to HDTV Technology," "How Do You Make Upside Down Text?," and many more. The link has been added to TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. But before you click through, read on.....

101 Most Useful Websites from Digital Inspiration are lesser known or undiscovered websites. Most solve at least one problem very well. Things like how to print web pages without the clutter, the best place for searching web videos, your favorite blogs delivered as PDFs, sharing really big files online, and more. The link is now in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. Click through to see the new links....

Pocket Guides for Judges (Federal Judicial Center): What federal judges read for managing class action litigation, sealing court records and procedures, keeping government secrets (the State-Secrets Privilege, the classified Information Procedures Act, and Court Security Officers), managing discovery of electronic information, elements of case management. From the Federal Judicial Center website, the link is now added to LAW LIBRARY: FEDERAL COURTS

New as of  December 26, 2010

Christmas Fun 2010 is a rhyming poem written in 2007. The page with the poem can be accessed by clicking here or on the waving Santas at the top of this page and on the Home Page.

New as of  December 18, 2010

Christmas Poem 2010: Regular visitors to the website know that each year the webmaster prepares an original Christmas poem which appears here on the website. Some years they show up earlier than others - this year's did not make its appearance until December 18, which is a bit of a squeaker! Enjoy reading the poem by clicking on the link here or the snowflake links at the top of this page and on the Home Page. Happy holidays!

New as of  December 12, 2010

Christmas crafts and printables online (free) from NorthPoleChristmas.com. Free Christmas crafts include snowman and Santa patterns, Christmas signs, gingerbread crafts, nativity pattern, Christmas blocks, angel patterns, Christmas ornament crafts and primitive Christmas stitchery patterns. Free Christmas printables include basic shapes for Christmas crafts such as Christmas tree shapes, gingerbread man patterns, mitten patterns, Santa Claus patterns, snowman shapes, star shapes and stocking shapes. The link is here only.

Christmas trivia quiz from TriviaPark.com is fun: try the ten questions and see how you do. Illustrated online quiz takes only a few minutes - the link is here only! 

New as of  December 5, 2010

Yummy Cookies for the holiday: ChristmasCookies.com has a browseable list of great selections for Christmas as well as for other celebrations. If sugar is not a problem, dive right in. If it is, you may try substituting Splenda in various recipes to see what works best for you. The new link is in RECIPES TOO GOOD NOT TO BE SOUTHERN.

"Starts with a Bang" is the name of an informative and interesting science blog which covers life science, physical science, environment, humanities, education, politics, medicine, brain & behavior, technology, and information science. It's hard to imagine they left anything out! The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE.

New as of  November 28, 2010

Getting Things All Wrapped Up for the holidays can be easy, or not-so. WikiHow helps with this helpful article on how to wrap a present. Simple instructions for first time gift-wrappers, but great reminders of techniques that are helpful to all. The link is here only!

New as of  November 21, 2010

New as of  November 14, 2010 (13th Anniversary of Website!)

A Humor-Filled List: "50 Novels to Read When You Need a Good Laugh" is categorized into sections: Classics, New & Old; Science-Fiction & Fantasy, Fractured Love Stories, American Life, British Humor, Coming of Age, Mystery & Adventure. No matter which genre you gravitate toward, you'll find something amusing here. The list is by BestCollegesOnline.com, and the link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: ELECTRONIC TEXTS ONLINE.

This website began on Nov. 14, 1997  and on Nov. 14, 2010, it turned 13 years old! That's a total of 676 weekly updates, including weekly wallpapers which are generally photos of local places. Sometimes the website has been updated from places far from the Northern Neck, but in all of the 13 years, there has never been one week which has been missed. Thank you so much for being a visitor, for being a return visitor, and for spreading the word about the NNVA Law Page!

New as of  November 7, 2010

English Grammar: Lessons, exercises, and rules for everyday use! You're never too old (and rarely too young) to brush up on how to use this marvelous language of ours. Check out the new link to EnglishGrammar.org in TO DO: REFERENCE: LANGUAGE, where you'll find other interesting and helpful resources.

New as of  October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween! If you're a frequent visitor, you've probably seen the Halloween poem I wrote some years back, but guess what - it's good enough for you to see again. I've double checked the links and it's ready for your tour. Click here!

New as of  October 24, 2010

Free E-mail Reminder System: Followupthen.com provides an ingenius system. "On your next e-mail just include "time-interval@followupthen.com" and a follow-up will be sent after the time interval you specify. What could be easier? Go check it out through TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

100 Photography Tutorials: Photo-Tuts. No matter how you assess your photo skills, you'll likely find something here you don't already know. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE EVERYDAY LIVING RESOURCES.100 Helpful Photography Tutorials for Beginners and Professionals."

New as of  October 17, 2010

Small Business Help you may not know about which is available from the US Government include these four resources discussed in OpenForum.com's article "Let Uncle Sam Work For You," which provides links to well established but little publicized programs available. The link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: BUSINESS.  Before you click through, read on....

Lost/Stolen/Destroyed Paperwork: This "Money Talks News" article provides info and links re how to replace lost, stolen or destroyed personal paperwork. Hopefully neither you nor your family nor friends will ever need to know this, but if you do, it's online. The new link has been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: HOW TO.

New as of  October 10, 2010

How to Find Health Care Insurance Options: No mystery here, you can check it out online through Healthcare.gov - fill in the blanks to indicate your status, situation, age, special needs, and if you've had difficulty obtaining insurance. You will see a range of private and public options, each linked to available plans in your state. The link is here only.

Global Rich List:Even though you may feel a bit pinched from time to time, you will be amazed at how your income stacks up against the rest of the world. Check it out through the "Global Rich List" -- the link is here only.

New as of  October 3, 2010

Changing of Colors in autumn takes place in dramatic fashion in Virginia. Curious about what's going on now along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Shenandoah Valley? Check out this map from the Weather Channel - the link is here only.

What are intelligent YouTube Channels? Take a look at this list from OpenCulture.com and see what they think they are. You might find things on YouTube that surprise you in unexpected ways, not just the current popchart videos or fad humor. The link to OpenCulture's Smart YouTube has been added to TO DO:COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  September 26, 2010

Some key health insurance changes took place on September 23. Read up on them through this CNN Money article - the link on this page only. The changes include (a) coverage expansion for dependents until age 26; (b) children no longer denied coverage for pre-existing conditions; (c) insurers are prohibited from rescinding coverage if you become sick; (d) free preventative care; (e) no lifetime limits on coverage; (f) unrestricted doctor coverage; (g) level charges for emergency room care; and (h) patient-friendly appeals process. So what's not to like? If you're an insured, these are good things. Here's the link: CNN Money: Big Changes to Your Health Insurance.

New as of  September 19, 2010

Psychology Resources: (1) The Jung Typology Test, an online test which provides type formula according to Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers typology, and (2) BBC Surveys and Psychological Tests, a page with a variety of tests and resources, including exploring your memory, art and personality, memory training and much more. These two new links have been added to TO DO: REFERENCE:HOW-T0.

New as of  September 12, 2010

150 Free Textbooks from OpenCulture:A Meta Collection provides a little bit of everything. Categories are Art History, Biology, Business and Management, Chemistry, Computer Science and Information Systems, Earth Science, Economics & Finance, Education, Engineering, History, Linguistics, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology. Literally, almost something for everyone. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: SCHOOL/STUDY.

New as of  September 5, 2010

World Shipping is something that those of us who live along rivers and waterways often wonder about: what ships are those passing by our communities? Check it out through MarineTraffic.com which provides marine traffic maps worldwide. The North Atlantic Region will get you to the Chesapeake Bay. The new link is in TO DO: REFERENCE: LOCATER.

"Ultimate iPhone Tips and Tricks" from ImTOO is a helpful resource. You'll find 59 tips to help with your iPhone. You can always search the web as well, but start with ImTOO's selection first and you won't go wrong. The new link is in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. Before you click through, read about the other new link added to the same section.....

"How to Transfer Your iTunes Collection from One Computer to Another" from How-To Greek will show you some of the easiest ways to accomplish this task. Step by step directions are almost foolproof. Check it out in TO DO; COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED. Now click through!

New as of  August 29, 2010

Literature Classics from the Chinese: (1) "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, translated by Lionel Giles; (2) "The Great Learning," by Confucius, written ca 500 BCE; (3) Chuang Tzu, (4) "The Analects," by Confucius; and (5) "The Doctrine of the Mean," by Confucius, written ca 500 BCE, have all been added to LAW LIBRARY: ELECTRONIC TEXTS ONLINE.

New as of  August 22, 2010

Games People Play: Some think they're games, and others don't. Foretelling the future, whether in a whimsical 8-ball prediction, or in a spread of cards interests a wide variety of people. Two new choices have been added this week: (1) The Magic 8-Ball answers your question instantly; it's based on a 1950s fad. (2) Virtual Fortune Teller from Tellfortunes.com provides different card spreads, and offers interpretations instantly: Celtic, relationship, birthday, star, astrological, planetary, mandala, tree of life, and cross and triangle. Both have been added to TO DO: PREDICTIONS-PERSONAL where you'll find other interesting resources.

Fastcase Public Library of Law says it is one of the "largest free law libraries in the world," and includes federal statutory law and codes for all 50 states, regulations, court rules, constitutions, cases from the Supreme Court, federal appeals courts, and state courts back through 1997. Caveat: make sure that the code section or reg or rule you're looking at is the most current. The new link has been added to LAW LIBRARY: CODES ONLINE.

Convert Files Online: This free online file converter site converts media files from one format into another: audio, video, image, document, ebook and hash generator. Try it out through the new link in TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  August 15, 2010

Dealing with an Accident: This article from FiveCentNickel.com provides a simple checklist of things to do, and when to do them if you are involved in an automobile accident. No, this lawyer doesn't handle personal injury cases. However, since this may come in handy, you're welcome to the information. The new link has been added to REFERENCE: AUTOS. Before you click through, read on....

How Your Resume Looks to a potential employer: "Notes on Reading Resumes," from Swiss Army Librarian. This helpful article provides information on how others see what you have prepared, and provides some very helfpul tips. Consider that "applying for a job isn't about you" but rather how your abilities will help the potential employer fill a need. The new link has been added to REFERENCE:BUSINESS.

Exercise Your Brain! The webpage with that name reminds you that exercising the brain keeps kids sharp, but also if you maintain this habit lifelong, it will be a major prevention to cognitive deterioration which can appear with aging. Good enough reasons to start today! The link has been added to TO DO: JUST FOR KIDS, but obviously, it's for kids of all ages!

New as of  August 8, 2010

"How to Get Started with Usenet in Three Simple Steps" may be just the article to demystify one of the internet's great resources. Lifehacker reminds you that Usenet is "a wonderful service for finding and downloading digital media, giving you speed and reliability you won't find with other file-sharing options." This quick guide for setting up and getting started on Usenet is now linked through TO DO: COMPUTER HELP SIMPLIFIED.

New as of  August 1, 2010

Free Online Language Texts from Wikibooks: Here are links to three you might enjoy: (1) Old English: you might not find anyone to converse with, but learning how things were said is still interesting - and it's free, and it's online; (2) Louisiana French: online textbook explains this variation of French; (3) Spanish - this online text will get you started or help you review. The three new links have been added to TO DO: REFERENCE: LANGUAGE.

Thanks to Anna Kec for pointing out the new link to Rainer Maria Rilke Archive of poetry and quotations on the LAW LIBRARY: ELECTRONIC TEXTS Page of this site. The new URL has been added, and thanks again for letting me know!

New as of  July 25, 2010

"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

New as of  July 18, 2010

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.

New as of  July 11, 2010

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.

New as of  July 5, 2010

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.

New as of  June 27, 2010

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.

New as of  June 20, 2010

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.

New as of  June 13, 2010

"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.

New as of  June 6, 2010

"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.

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THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT! You are the most important person in the world to this web site. Come back often, and bring your friends and family... Take me to the Home Page! c2007 SG Rager unless otherwise noted herein.  Send e-mail to Webmaster here! THE NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA LAW PAGE , online since 11/14/97 SUSAN GODMAN RAGER, P.C., ATTORNEY AT LAW VA-MD-DC, P. O. Box 117, Coles Point, VA USA 22442-0117.