ON ALL KINDS OF STUFF _________        On_Other_Stuff

This is presented as true to the best recollection and is offered for guidance with NO warranty expressed or implied.
Your mileage may vary.

Running Compilation of Stuff

These are archived copies of the Periodic E-Mails entitled "Compendium of Stuff".
Rather than re-distribute ever piece of goodies that comes my way which would take a lot of time and space on the Net and possibly bore some, now I try to find each of them out there someplace on the giant WEB and include their URLs in these monthy messages so everyone can select those specific ones which sound like they might be of interest.
My apologies for the links' no-longer being hot (you'll need to copy & paste) and for the need to scroll to the right for any UN-folded text.
2005 Feb
2005 Mar
2005 Apr
2005 May
2005 June
2005 July
2005 Aug
2005 Sept
2005 Oct
2005 Nov Happy Thanksgiving
2005 Dec Merry Christmas

2005 Feb

Hello, Seekers of Interesting Stuff:

If you enjoy diaplays of grass-roots patriotic feelings of America, then see the painted
rock at ...
   http://www.icwest.com/tc/adair_county_iowa.htm
   http://bubbazartwork.com/
   http://www.snopes.com/photos/patriotic/iowarock.asp

If you enjoy "Red-Neck" pictures or lifestyle or just want to refer your friends to some,
then see at ...
   http://ghengis-khan.com/page10.html
   http://www.haukenfrers.net/Giggles/Technology/
   http://www.lankatown.com/fun/technology.htm
   http://www.freebyte.com/jokes_humor_cartoons_fun/technology_for_country_folk.html

If somehow the earlier news about our grand-daughter skipped by, then see at ...
   http://lever.cs.ucla.edu/yarvis/Emily/

If you are a buff of REALLY SUPERB Photography, then be prepared for BIG files requiring
PowerPoint, but see at ...
    (caution: some sites may have files with the SAME name but which have DIFFerent pics
in the set)
 http://web.utk.edu/~shellnut/FantasticPhotography1.pps
 http://www.globetown.net/~yamanosun/FantasticPhotography.pps
http://www.depesf.state.pa.us/deepminesafety/lib/deepminesafety/training/ppt/FantasticPhot
ography1.pps
 http://www.fantasticphotography.4t.com/

If you enjoy scenic wonders, then you can't get much better than some of the following ...
   http://users.adelphia.net/~sismondo/Teton%20Sunset.gif
   http://images.google.com/images?q=teton+sunset
   http://www.raphaelk.co.uk/web%20pics/Canada/first/NIAGARA%20FALLS.JPG
   http://images.google.com/images?q=%22niagara+falls%22
   http://www.nps.gov/yell/tours/
 For places of your choice, or when in doubt, just go to ...
     http://images.google.com/
  and insert the desired location in the search field.  
 
If you are at all into astronomy and pictures of the universe, then see at ...
   http://wires.news.com.au/special/mm/030811-hubble.htm 
 for even more, you can spend a whole day at ...
   http://hubble.nasa.gov/index.php

For one of the better excerpts from Tonight/JohnnyCarson, with the inimitable JackWebb,
see at ...
      (caution LARGE file, but good goods)
   http://www.paddockdrayage.com/copperclappers.wmv

If you like to fly and can stand some humor about the process, then you'll likely enjoy
the sage wisdom found at ...
   http://www.wilk4.com/humor/humorm166.htm

If you'd like to see an aerial view of your house, just give your address to the site at
...
   http://www.terrafly.com/
 then you can move around, zoom in/out, and check what your neighbor is having for lunch.

If you've ever wondered why some bulbs and lamps make objects appear to have a slightly
different color, it's because NOT all lamps (especially fluorescents) give off the same
color of light; see more at ... 
   http://www.shatrshield.com/fr_index.html?/f-colorspecs.html
   http://members.misty.com/don/f-spec.html
   http://www.sizes.com/units/color_temperature.htm
   http://www.sizes.com/home/fluorescents.htm
   http://www.mts.net/~william5/library/sources.htm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=deluxe+cool+daylight+kelvin+color+temper
ature
  
If you'd like to have some balloons that make your car go faster, then see at ...
   http://www.knollcrest.com/bimmermail/balloons.jpg
     (use them as an excuse for speeding)
  more balloons at ...
   http://www.rocketballoons.com/

If you are contemplating names for new additions or just interested in a history of names,
see at ...
   http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html
   http://www.behindthename.com/
   http://www.babynamesearch.com/name-meanings.htm
   http://www.mysteries-megasite.com/names.html
   http://surnames.behindthename.com/
   http://www.surnameguide.com/surnames.html
   http://www.last-names.net/surname.asp
   http://www.mayrand.org/meaning-e.htm
   http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/bl_meaning.htm
   http://digiserve.com/heraldry/surnames.htm

If you are interested in seeing some really strange sea creatures which supposedly were
tossed up by the Tsunami in s.e.Asia, then see at ...
           (be prepared for a BIG file requiring PowerPoint)
 http://www.sunbelt-software.com/stu/DeepSeaPhotoAlbumviaTsunami.ppt

For the GUYS ONLY: if you find the typical QWERTY keyboard too awkward and the Dvorak even
worse, then consider the simplified version made especially for men at ...
  http://lostnomad.blogs.com/the_lost_nomad/2005/01/the_new_keyboar.html

For the GUYS ONLY: you may not need this info yet, but check this out and file this as a
bookmark for the future ...
   http://tinyurl.com/4yx2z

If you have ever wondered how to handle LARGE volumes of digital pictures until you return
home to your PC, then there are at least 2 ways to unload the chips so that they can be
reused ...
  .- take along a laptop and unload them to its harddrive or an external one.
  .- take along a special stand-alone harddrive designed for the purpose such as
SmartDisk's model FTX-20 FlashTrax, available at Samy's and elsewhere with 20 to 80-gig
capacity. It has a mini OS on it and can be used to store data from a PC on a temporary
basis; it's like an attached external hard drive when it's hooked up to the PC.
See more at ...
  http://www.smartdisk.com/
  http://focuscamera.com/sc/sub.asp?mainid=1&catid=5&subID=242&s2ID=&brand=SmartDisk
  http://www.samys.com/search.php?MANUFACTURER=SmartDisk 
Some photographers prefer multiple smaller chips rather than just a few LARGE chips,
because one lightning bolt (or other anomaly) can ruin all of the files on a chip. This is
somewhat akin to how a collision at sea can ruin your whole day.
________
WARNING -  Really GROSS Motorcycle Graphic. --  DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
  Rated "RU" - for  Really UGLY.
>The pic at the URL
>   http://tinypic.com/view.html?pic=1ihjwo
>is an actual emergency room photo of a gentleman who lost
>control of his motorcycle on a country road in West Virginia.  Troopers 
>believe that he was traveling at a speed of approximately 75 mph at the time 
>of the accident.  He was unable to negotiate a curve in the road.
>Unfortunately for him, upon striking the ditch and being ejected from the 
>bike, he landed back end first on a fencepost from an old barnyard fence 
>that was downed on the side of the road.
>
>You can probably imagine what happened next, but the picture really
>says it all.  This picture was obviously removed from the trooper's files 
>without permission. The good news is that after about 6 months, this man 
>made a full recovery after suffering a shattered hip, broken leg, several 
>broken ribs, internal injuries, and "soft tissue" damage.  Doctors credited 
>his recovery to the fact that the post lodged itself so tightly that there 
>was little or no blood loss.

The messages at ...
  http://www.car-groups.com/post/12510/Biker_vs._Fence_Post__-
_Warning_link_to_pic_is_graphic.html

claim that it's a FAKE, but it just shows how far some will go to produce a graphic
picture and story to go with it. Obviously a student of photo-journalism.
====================================================================

2005 Mar Back to Top

Faithful Readers: If you live in the Downey area, you might find it interesting to attend the Downey Historical Society meeting this coming Thursday 24 Mar 2005. Board Member Paul Yokota, Downey resident before and since WW-II, will discuss the life of he, his family, and many others in the "relocation camps" of that period. The meeting will be at 7:30pm at the Senior Center on the S.E.corner of Rives and Quill, just north of Imperial Hwy. near Rancho Los Amigos. If you've ever wondered about the REAL reason that it's called "Windows", see at ... http://radio.weblogs.com/0103807/images/titre.jpg If you've ever wondered about the arrangement of typical keyboards, see at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dcrehr/ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=qwerty but there were alternatives, as seen at ... http://hpricecpa.com/linowriter.jpg http://www.alphatronics.net/Photos.html http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak/layout.html and then, too, there is the most famous NON-word which often appeared in print in bygone years ... http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-eta1.htm If the hub-bub of the Los Angeles area is really of interest to you, then you might like to go to the site at ... http://www.kfwb.com where you can get the latest news, traffic, weather, and even listen to the radio station, but you may need some special software for the latter. If your PC is giving you a lot of trouble, then you might consider purchasing a new one, or upgrading your current one, or just tuning/tweaking it a little bit as per the instructions at ... http://www.ssiworld.com/watch/computers.htm for similar solutions with other equipment, see at ... http://www.ssiworld.com/watch/watch-en.htm If you are concerned about receiving viruses, spyware, and similar UNgood stuff, then perhaps you should RE-consider using support for HTML in BOTH your incoming and outgoing E-mails. For more about the reasons and pitfalls, see at ... http://www.birdhouse.org/etc/evilmail.html Turning off the feature should be easy, and it may avoid many problems down the road. Avoiding it will also speed up internet traffic and reduce mailbox overload. The only reason for it is to support cutsie audio/visual adjuncts to the message's text. For some local, Downey, nostalgia, see at ... http://www.downeyca.org/visitor_mcdonalds.php http://downeyca.com/braid.htm#jump_1 http://www.wemweb.com/chr66a/sbr66_museum/sbr66_museum.html For some general nostalgia, check in at ... http://www.singingman.us/DYR.htm For a good online dictionary with definitions AND PRONUNCIATIONS, check out the site at ... http://www.bartleby.com/61/ if you enter a word, then you get 1 or more definitions; if you select the definition, then you get more info; if you click on the tiny loud speaker icon, then you will hear it pronounced. E.G., see/hear a sample at ... http://www.bartleby.com/61/wavs/57/P0595700.wav http://www.bartleby.com/61/wavs/64/P0596400.wav For a broader selection of dictionaries, see at ... http://www.onelook.com/ -- this has wildcard support - good for crossword solving. http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml - give it a definition; it may find the word. If you think that you are a good driver and would like to qualify for helicopters, then try taking the preliminary qualifying test at ... http://www.hurtwood.demon.co.uk/Fun/copter.swf For some interesting twists on the turns of a standard phrase, see at ... http://images.google.com/images?q=%22ball+and+chain%22 http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=%22ball+and+chain%22+cake http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=%22ball+and+chain%22+wedding If you're tired of internet girlie poses, then check out the really great figures available at ... http://www.math.utah.edu/~alfeld/math/pi.html with more at ... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=pi+places Words or phrases which have the same letters forward and backward are call PALINDROMES; for an extensive list, see at ... http://www.palindromelist.com/ Strangely this list missed my favorite -- "Able was I, ere I saw Elba". To see how milk cows view the world, see at ... http://members.wap.org/jane.member/images/mapcow.jpg For a discussion of how the world views milk cows, see at ... http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/25125.html If you are thinking about a scanner, remember a few things .. .. some with buttons to support E-Mailing a scanned image, only support that via Outlook; if the use of another E-Mail program is important to you, then be sure to get a guarantee from the salesman and check it out soon after purchase. .. be sure to get one with support for "DE-SCREENING"; this will help to avoid problems when scanning images from newspapers or elsewhere that are made with dots of a different spacing than the scanner. If you'd like to sort a text document in MS-Word, then there is a marginally useful tool available. Just click on Table, then Sort, then enter the parms, and click OK. Word then considers everything between hard carriage returns as a separate item and sorts according to the text beginning in position 1 of each item. Be sure to save beforehand so you can easily go back if you do not like the results. Caution: all of the traditional blank lines separating paragraphs essentially disappear, as they simply go to the top. Conclusion: About as useful as a worn monkey wrench on a 5-sided nut. Your Mileage May Vary,, /s/ Hugh ====================================================================

2005 Apr Back to Top

Very topical and timely right about now, as we prepare to pay the last-year's taxes to the Feds and State, the next years taxes the same, and the property taxes to the county, is a short discussion of possible revelance at ... http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/posts/2005/0121.html If you like maps and kindred stuff such as aerial views, then you should take a look at the following ... http://maps.google.com/ be SURE to use the SATELLITE option to see the leaves on your roof. http://www.mapquest.com/ the old standby; used to have an aerial view but discontinued it http://www.terrafly.com/ seems a little awkward and less useful than Google's aerial views For less-detailed broad-scope maps of the world, you might consider the Microsoft(shudder) Encarta Virtual Globe, as reviewed at ... http://geography.about.com/library/misc/blencarta98.htm Speaking of the price of gasoline (everyone is so we must've been), see at ... http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/7916/jokes/highgasprice.html For a glimpse of the first actions of a newborn baby, see at ... http://rjr10036.typepad.com/proceed_at_your_own_risk/files/WhenJapaneseBabyisBorn.mpg If you think that you have a steady hand on your mouse, then try the experiment on the site at ... http://i.euniverse.com/funpages/cms_content/6489/a-maze-ing_new_cursor3.swf If you happen to have a yen for cutting your own trees, whether for Christmas or for firewood, then see the rules from the National Park Service at ... http://www.nhgazette.com/et_cetera/search_the_archives/local_news/LN_cut_firewood.html This really is amazing! This website actually has photographs of almost every School in the World. Unless you went to School before cameras were invented, you will likely find a photo of yourself or at least your classmates in a single or group photo from the massive collection of yearbooks on their site at ... http://www.worldschoolphotographs.com For the latest, most sophisticated, and precise test for D.U.I., see at ... http://www.phillytalk.com/media/video/DUIInfo.wmv For all of you Downeyites who are seeking refuge from the hustle-bustle and desire a return to the quieter time, see at ... http://www.downeyidaho.com/dacc2004.htm If your keyboard, printer, desk, office, or den need cleaning, then consider the new speciality tool from Europe as seen at ... http://www.furka-bergstrecke.ch/lokomotiven/r12_4l.jpg If you like BrownSugar and always have trouble with it's caking together in giant clumps in the box or jar, then you can partially solve the problem by increasing the humidity in the container -- possibly by affixing a sponge to the inside of the jar lid and keeping it damp. OR - you could just buy a different product which doesn't stick, e.g. the "Washed Raw Cane" available in "better stores everywhere" as noted at ... http://www.chsugar.com/Consumer/varieties.html#washed_raw FedEx essentially picks up packages at anyone's door and deliver's them anywhere in the world using a complex system of airplanes, computers, and scheduling. In India a group of mostly illiterate dabbawallas perform a similar task daily getting warm home-cooked meals to workers all over their metro-area; see more at ... http://www.uppercrustindia.com/11crust/eleven/mumbai3.htm If you're interested in comparing telephone rates in different parts of the country, then see at ... http://webshed.com/funny/listing12.htm for other customized results, see at ... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22decided+to+write+a+book+about+churches%22 If you've ever considered flying in a untra-light aircraft, then see at ... http://www.ultraflight.com/issues/oct2002/ultimate_ul_vacation.htm For a glance at how things used to be, see at ... http://hypocrisytoday.com/goodolddays.html and then wonder how in the world we managed to come out as good as we have. You've doubtless heard of the Lincon Head Penny test for automotive tire tread depth checking; right? Well, this has NOTHING to do with that, so ... If you think that you know USA coinage well enough to pass the real Penny-Test, then see at ... http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/common_cents/index.html more neat stuff at ... http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/ http://www.exploratorium.edu/ If you'd like to add 5 years to your life, then you might consider the recommendations at ... http://www.suddenlysenior.com/add5yearstolife.html also LOTSA links from there for Seniors. There are two versions of a touching story about life in the Great Beyond at ... http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/fork.html it does give one cause to pause and reflect on the past, the future, and the dessert fork. Most of us have seen at least pictures of an octopus in the ocean with it's 8 arms flailing around as in Jules Verne stuff; but if you'd like to see some use 2 of those arms as legs to run, then see at ... http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050321/full/050321-14.html If you enjoy Cat/vs/Bird/vs/Cat stuff, then see the DHL advertisements (items 2 & 3) at ... http://www.misterharold.net/joker/src/jkcamv02.htm also other stuff there and also at ... http://txc.net.au/~mapie/movies.htm If you are interested in Radio-Controlled model airplanes -- and who isn't -- then see at ... http://www.speedguide.net/~brian/F14.wmv (Caution: BIG file) and remember the old addage that the only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys. If you are interested in computer generated designs, then you might like the formula- generated Fractals at ... http://www.its.caltech.edu/~sgeier/fractals/ see also similar stuff at ... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=fractals http://images.google.com/images?q=fractals A friend sent me some SUPER pics of Spring Storm Clouds, and I tried in vain to find them already on a site, however you might find some similar stuff via ... http://images.google.com/images?q=spring+storm+cloud http://images.google.com/images?q=storm+cloud http://images.google.com/images?q=spring+storm If you'd like to automate your house somewhat, e.g. turn on the coffee maker from your cell-phone as you're leaving the market on your way home, then consider the VAST assortment of stuff at ... http://www.x10.com/ http://www.smarthome.com/ This could consume all of your time and income for a couple of years. Unless you're careful, you might even render your house UN-sellable to anyone withOUT similar interest and talent. If you'd like a list of the sex-crime offenders in your area, then see at ... http://www.criminalcheck.com names http://www.sexoffender.com/state.html if interested in California, then see at ... http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/ names and addresses if interested in L.A.County, then see at ... http://lasd.org/lasd_services/megans_law.html spots on a map For one of the better mind-readers to come along lately, see at ... http://digicc.com/fido/ Take your time and follow the instructions. After reading each window, click on the boy in the lower right corner. In the "finally" window, type in your numbers in the white box. Use the keyboard (there is NO cursor) You will be amazed -- maybe. To learn the scheme, see some of the references at ... http://www.google.com/search?q=difference+digit+multiple+of+9 ====================================================================

2005 May Back to Top

Hello, all: For a very poignant example of what Memorial Day is all about and how we should observe it, see at ... http://marinecorpsmoms.com/archives/2004/06/on_this_flag_day.html For a look at the programming profession and how to manage or MISmanage it, see the piece at ... http://www.sonic.net/~dwstark/email/software.companies For an insight to some problems with the language, see at ... http://www.egreeley.com/messages/335.html http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/wndarchive/19603.html perhaps other languages have similar problems. It's rather grewsome, but if you'd like to see what a snake can do to a kangaroo, then see at ... http://www.trippycountry.com/April/snakevskang.htm Guess that most professions have some boring meetings, but the guy shown at ... http://www.dangpow.com/~dayjob/2005/04/new-haircut-for-meetings.html seems to have it well in hand. Would have come in handy for some of those Rockwell baseline meetings. If you like to escape the hustle and bustle of wherever you might be, then you might consider the place described at ... http://www.theworld.ae/ but there may be some concerns about security from starvation, riff-raff, tsunamis, and lack of infrastructure. In case that you'd like to bone up for your next LAS or SAT exam and can't get to the store for a copy of the relevant Cliffs Notes, then just see at ... http://www.sparknotes.com/ If you have an interest in atomic energy -- bombs or otherwise, then you might find it interesting to visit the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation and Museum, as seen at ... http://www.ntshf.org/index.htm http://www.atomictestingmuseumorg/ They also run monthly tours from their Las Vegas city location to and all through the NTS. Could NOT find any mention on the site, but per their email response ... Return-Path: 2005 June Back to Top Hello, All: Childbirth-time Decisions that Might Save a Life Years Later- Highlighted by Father's Day this month, Baseball Hall-of-Famer Rod Carew Shares His Story of Fatherhood and Caring for Your Baby's Health - What New Dads Need to Know. While this might not have immediate application for those of you in my generation, passing on the concept and implications to the child-bearers in your family tree might help save a life. See at ... http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050606/65208.html?.v=1 http://www.finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?symbols=NASDAQ:CELG&story=200506061230_BWR __BW5208 http://www.thescizone.com/articles/32/1/Caring-for-Your-Baby&%2339%3Bs-Health---What-New- Dads-Need-to-Know Flag Day was celebrated on the 14-th of this month; we do this stuff BIG here in California as seen at ... http://community.webshots.com/photo/44242465/45066518dgIsHl http://www.spokane.net/channels/terrorism/photos.asp http://www.airforcechiefs.org/Events.html http://www.firstchristianchurchofnewton.org/prayer_request.htm For an overview of Senior's position on many subjects, see at ... http://www.libertyhigh56.net/special%20pages/seniors/seniors.htm If you are confused by some color names like December Flowers or Teaneck, then it's time for you to check in with the list of more evocative color names with reality connections at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/pucolr1a.htm A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science; see at ... http://www.fortliberty.org/patriotic-humor/governmentium.shtml Imagine walking into the bathroom in a party host's high rise apartment, (possibly a wee bit drunk), and seeing the scene which has been very carefully painted on the floor at ... http://photos1.blogger.com/img/162/4111/640/untitled1.jpg http://www.plus613.com/image/15485 If you've ever wondered as to whom tech support turns for THEIR tech support, then see at ... http://home.tiac.net/~cri/1998/smoke.html For the freshest salmon possible, consider the John West approach as seen at ... http://www.thefranklinclub.ca/john_west_salmon.htm http://users.esc.net.au/~mapie/salmon%5B1%5D.asf For all of you ugly guys out there or gals who think your guys are ugly, please note the male beauty product on the site at ... http://www.catsprn.com/male_beauty.htm http://www.wilk4.com/humor/humorm329.htm If any of you who are within a reasonable distance of Downey, still have an incererator in your backyard which you'd be willing to donate to the Historical Society, then please contact the President at ... "John Vincent" they'd like to keep it next to Society headquarters in the garden of the old Dismukes house as mentioned at ... http://thepaperink.com/1993/93tt0903.htm The general age of the local Downey residents is on the INcrease, so they are closing a few schools and erecting some new signs as seen at ... http://www.pianoladynancy.com/funnypics_toons/geezercrossing.htm It's amazing to me that anyone would attempt to create a work of writing that deliberately excludes particular letters; it's even more amazing that there is a word for it: it is called a lipogram. See parts or all of Gadsby by Ernest Vincent Wright at ... http://pages.ripco.net/~jums/gadsby.html http://www.spinelessbooks.com/gadsby/ Weather here in grater LosAngeles is AOK lately, but some areas have been feeling earthquakes as seen at ... http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/quakes0.htm Some will say that women drivers aren't all that bad, but the proof is in the pictures at .. http://funlist.funpic.hu/?page=attachview&message=5509&attach=1 Not to be forgotten are the cell-phone users, as seen at ... http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hthoskins/IMAGSET1/CELLFON1.jpg thru -6.jpg and then there's always the other things indexed at ... http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hthoskins/IMAGSET1/ The inter-relationship of Evolution, Politics, and Beer can best be described as seen at ... http://www.comefromchina.com/newbbs/archive/topic/364197-1.html http://boycottliberalstars.com/alessoninworldhistory http://groups.msn.com/WaynesPanPad/waynespoliticallycorrect.msnw * second item In case you ever feel the need to travel on a foreign-flagged airline, see at ... http://www.funnyhub.com/pictures/page.cgi/pre-flight-encouragement http://www.nickscipio.com/funstuff/archive4/2004-10-17_mandarinair.html http://webshed.com/funny/photo2.htm (second item) In case you ever feel the need to travel on Northwest Airlines, several correspondents have suggested that you suppress the urge and look elsewhere. ====================================================================

2005 July Back to Top

Hello: Sorry that this one is a bit short and late, but just returned from vacation. Some of you may recall seeing some of views of this thing before, but this brings a WHOLE NEW prespective to the mammoth size and power of some machinery, while at the same time it discovers the mystery of the disappearance of an ENTIRE bulldozer; see full expose at ... http://www.chromosphere.com/WhereismyDozer.pps http://www.burnum.com/downloads/WhereismyDozer.pps This'll take a while to download if you are dialup, but it IS WORTH THE WAIT. If you'd like to experience a really neat OnLine JigSaw puzzle, then see at ... http://www.brl.ntt.co.jp/people/hara/fly.swf Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's identity. You can make their job much easier with a simple idea that they are trying to get everyone to adopt: ICE. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE, with the name and phone no. of the person that the emergency services should call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of time and have your loved ones contacted quickly. It only takes a few moments of your time to do. Paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it immediately. ICE your cell phone NOW! /s/ Hugh ====================================================================

2005 Aug Back to Top

Hello: Am not accusing anybody, but if the gas companies were involved in a conspiracy to bilk the consumers, then the current situation could not appear much different. If it looks, paddles, smells, and quacks like a duck, then ___! Likely it will have little impact, but there is a wide-spread effort to NOT buy any gas on Thurs 1 Sept. just to show that the public is united. If you are interested in happenings in Downey, then please note that the weekly newspaper, "The Downey Patriot", has upgraded its OnLine InterNet presence as seen at ... http://www.thedowneypatriot.net/ As noted on their site, email (including Letters-to-the-Editor) may be sent to ... downeypatriot@yahoo.com Suggest that you send them an email thanking them for this new upgrade. This is the successor the "The Downey Eagle", which suspended publication after 29 Mar 2002 and still has a presence at ... http://www.downeyeagle.com/ which includes its archives back to Sept 1996 at ... http://www.downeyeagle.com/back/index.html which is also linked from the Patriot's site. Since the new site's archive begins with July 2005, therefore there is an UNfortunate 3.3-year gap in the archiving. PLEASE pass this along to anyone who might have an interest. From The Patriot issue of 19 Aug comes this item ... Downey High 30-year reunion planned. DOWNEY The Downey High School class of 1975 is looking for past classmates for its 30- year reunion, to be held Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Westin South Coast Plaza .A class golf tournament will be held Oct. 7 at Rio Hondo Country Club and '75 graduates also plan to attend the Downey football game that same evening. For more information, call Great Reunions at (714) 901-1035; Julie Taslitt Gross at 927- 8061 or visit www.downeyhigh1975.com. PLEASE pass this along to anyone who might have an interest. The Downey High Football field was dedicated in 1952 in honor of Percy John "P.J." Burbeck - a long-time teacher and devoted athletics timekeeper; it has recently been relocated to the west and is still "Burbeck Field"; the new stadium which was erected was named to honor just-retired Principal Allen Layne. If President Roosevelt met with the families of every casualty from WW-2, then he would still be doing so today. After looking at the SunRise/set tables in the Almanac, it concerned me that the day-to- day change in sunrise was not the same as the change for sunset. Since I figured that things in nature should be symmetrical, I started looking around for a reason. There is a site that will build a table of sunrise/set times for a whole year at ... http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html it matches the Almanac EXACTLY. There's a discussion and some really intriguing mathematics at ... http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~twatts/sunrise/sunrise.html it matches the Almanac very closely. Apparently the reason for the difference in the day-to-day change is directly associated with the last term in the last equation in the latter reference, but I am not able to understand the reasoning associated with it. Any help would be appreciated in fathoming what it says there. If you have any friends involved in astronomy who would be willing to chat with me about this, please give either of us the other's name and email address. A nearby area-code has just been authorized for an overlay by another area-code; the result will be that BOTH area-codes will serve the SAME geographic area. One of the facets of the implementation will be that everyone in both area-codes will have to dial 1+areacode+number to reach any phone number -- even the ones in their SAME area-code. The little-discussed reason for this additional dialing requirement seems to have no basis in technical necessity but rather is a fallout of some political correctness/progressiveness administrative decisions. Anyone who knows more about this should be encouraged to spread the word about such a cruel hoax being foisted on the public. If you are interested in sources of info for academic studies, possible for your kids/grand-kids in high-school, then you may find something useful in the applicable links compiled by a guy at the LA-Times; you'll need to register with a real email-address, elsewise there is no charge; see at ... http://www.latimes.com/technopolis http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-technopolis21aug21,1,1908834.column If you'd like to see some great images of the universe, then see at ... http://www.lfze.hu/letoltes/okt_anyagok/pandy/prezentaciok/vue%20de%20l'espace.pps If you'd like to see some great images apparently from the recent Shuttle Discovery mission, then see at ... http://blitter.nasty.free.fr/perso2/pps2/Espace.pps There's a new outfit hoping to make detailed digital records of big projects; using film and then scanning it, they are working with 1,000,000,000 pixel images; they have an exhibition in SanDiego ending in a few weeks; see more at ... http://gigapxl.org/ Speaking of digital photography, if you ever have problems with an apparent loss of images on your camera's memory chip, then STOP USING THAT CHIP IMMEDIATELY; further use may result in even MORE lost images. Rather consider the advice in the recent PC-Mag article at ... http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1842882,00.asp and their recommended tools at ... http://flashfixers.com/ and/or http://datarescue.com/ No mater how you pronounce it, there's a plethora of digital cameras out there with a half-gazillion of features; one of the latest is a nice small Olympus with 8.0 megapixel images; but in my opinion it lacks two must-have features (that their C-750 has had for over 2 yrs): (1) an optical viewfinder (preferably an electronic one - a.k.a. EVF), (2) plenty of zoom (only 3x where 10 or 12 should be considered). Why they even bother with such is beyond me, but see more at ... http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/stylus800.html If you'd like to get side-by-side comparisons of a WHOLE bunch of digital cameras, then do see the great bank of data at ... http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp For how to operate a tug boat in a fast stream, see at ... http://www.maritimeconsultant.com/tugboat.htm For a look at the arrest of an escaping Spanish hostage-taker, see at ... http://www.frozenfire.net/humour/howtomakeanarrest.wmv Wonder if we'd have the guts to do it that way here. There have been a LOT of E-Mails circulating about Earth's making a once-in-a-lifetime close encounter with Mars. Since this already happened in 2003, it is not likely again this year, but still they are close; see more at ... http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_mars_encounter.htm http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/a/175663.htm If you have a faint recollection of a sorta-comic song with the words "Happy Anniversary" in the lyrics, but can't quite place it, then you may be surprised by what you'll find at ... http://bedrock.deadsquid.com/information/lyrics.php?song=anniversary#anniversary For an interesting perspective of visual observations' being influenced by the surroundings, see at ... http://www.echalk.co.uk/amusements/OpticalIllusions/colourPerception/colourPerception.html which partially demonstrates the problems with color recognition by both normal and color- blind people. Speaking of color-blindness; see more at ... http://www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.html http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=ishihara+color+test There's been a lot said lately about free credit reports; let me share some observations. There are 3 major companies involved in this. If contacted directly, then they will attempt to give you your free report IF you accept another offer that you can cancel within a month or so; they are banking heavily that you will forget to cancel, and they will charge your account. If contacted IN-directly, thru ... https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ then they will give you a free credit report without your accepting any other offer, but they may still try to get you to accept such offers for a fee. The above site will offer you to select either of these companies (they list them in a different/random order each time that you use the site, so remember them by their name and NOT by their position in the list) and then transfer you per your selection. They all seem to be equally user-UNfriendly and contain some circular paths; if you need to dispute/correct anything, then the process may be very convoluted. Suggest that you save or print each step of the way if you are having any trouble. The companies, their URLs and phone numbers are ... Equifax - www.equifax.com 877-322-8228 Experian - www.experian.com 800/493-1058 TransUnion - www.transunion.com 866/744-8221 There may also be some helpful info at ... www.ftc.gov/credit but I don't know. If any of you who receive this are interested in contacting one of my HighSchool classmates in SouthWest Colorado via HamRadio, then you might check in with ... "Gary Garrett" /s/ Hugh Hickory dickory dock; Two mice ran up the clock. The clock struck one; And the other one got away. ====================================================================

2005 Sept Back to Top

Hello: As a partial answer to why I keep sending out stuff like this every so often, see at ... http://www.skankyflat.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-4752.html http://tbihome.org/cgi-bin/non.pl?read=1485 Pls note a couple of virus warnings, at ... http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/osamacaptured.asp http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/15311.htm PLEASE - With all of the SPAM messages on the I-Net these days, it would help all of your recipients if you included your NAME along with your E-Mail address in the parameters of your E-Mail program. That way it will be much easier for the recipients to spot the good mail bearing your name (e.g. "George Friendly") rather than simply your E-Mail address (e.g., ) which may look like the dread SPAM. THANK YOU Q. Can anyone recognize the phrase ... "How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, ..." and identify its purpose in life? For the time of your life, see at ... http://nist.time.gov/ If you are worried about your safety the next time that you fly, then suggest that you check to see which flight has the pilot featured on the page at ... http://www.barry.fireflyinternet.co.uk/fun/files/pilot.htm For a bit about people and their best friends, see at ... http://www.naute.com/stories/mananddog.phtml For some really sad pictures of the aftermath of Katrina, see at ... http://www.wadefishing.com/PlaqueminesParish.pps There is an interesting set of notes on the happenings of preparedness relative to Katrina at ... http://virginiacountrylife.blogspot.com/ use your browser's FIND capability to locate the especially good part which starts with the text ... "This is a post from a fellow over in" Several equally eye-opening journalistic reports are at .. http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8693 << really good http://tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=1026 http://mightyrighty.com/forum/printthread.php?t=3692 http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/1378/ http://209.157.64.200/focus/browse http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/in_the_news/full_text/view_clip.lasso?id=12469 Then there is the technical explanation of the flooding problem clearly outlined at ... http://hogan.ohio.com/ohio/bok/album/show.php3?id=1910 http://hogan.ohio.com/ohio/bok/album/ for others more recent ones A good discussion of why New Orleans is important enough to rebuild to some extent is at ... http://www.stratfor.com/news/archive/050903-geopolitics_katrina.php For some really great pics of the most-recent Space Shuttle launch, see at ... http://www.ktb.net/%7Ebillmeco/sts114A.html There's a new jury-related scam going around that catches many off-guard, for more, see at ... http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp For a really good story, pics, nad animation about a new bridge in France, see at ... http://www.ktb.net/%7Ebillmeco/sts114A.html http://bridgepros.com/projects/Millau_Viaduct/ http://www.otua.org/ponts/frame/Projets-Millau.htm see more pics at ... http://images.google.com/images?q=bridge+millau For another perspective on France and Lance Armstrong, see at ... http://0ldfox.blogspot.com/2005/09/lance-armstrong-scandal-associated.html If you think that maybe you'd like to come back as a sheep dog in the next life, then check your qualifications at ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf When you are in deep trouble, say nothing, and try to look inconspicuous, as seen in ... http://www.fmft.net/archives/001172.html There have been some updates made to the discussion of SpyWare; see at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/spyware.htm and while you are nearby, don't overlook ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/puzzles.htm http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/pucolr1a.htm For the latest proposals in the area of alternative forms of energy, see at .. http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/unwork.htm Any of you who are into digital photography might find some interest in the stuff at ... http://www.computeruser.com/articles/2408,1,1,1,0801,05.html http://photoeventures.com/ The results of Washington Post's Mensa Invitational for 2005 are at ... http://soundingcircle.com/newslog2.php/__show_article/_a000195-000817.htm http://vastlane.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1417&mode=thread&ord er=0&thold=0 Everything really DOES have a gender, as seen at ... http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showthread.php?t=192601 http://www.clubgti.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=83276&PN=1 There is a new airplane tracking system available locally centered around the airport at LongBeach. Ca., (LGB); you will find it called WebTrak on the site at ... http://www.longbeach.gov/airport/ This works in real-time (delayed 10 min) and historically in 30-min chunks. Perhaps you heard of the JetBlue Airbus-A320 which had a nose wheel problem after taking off from Burbank on 21 Sept. Since their local service center is at LGB and since LGB has a tall tower, they flew it by there for a visual inspection about 15:30. After which it circled out at sea for 3.0 hrs before landing or runway 25-L rather smoothly at LAX about 18:20. The scope of the LGB WebTrak does show at least the final 30-min of the flight as follows ... ... at 17:56 you can see JetBlue-292 make a final circle tangent to Rainbow pier. It is listed as LGB to Edwards AFB. ... at 18:05 you can see JetBlue-292 appear entering the max-zoomed-out screen at the bottom center; at 18:08 it crosses over the Navy Weapons Depot. ... at 18:08 you can see FedEx 3745 cross Lakewood Blvd. n.of the I-5; he's the last regular guy to land on 25-L. ... at 18:13 you can see JetBlue-292 cross the intersection of I-5 and I605 headed for LAX making a sweeping left turn for 25-L. ... at 18:15 you can see MXA910 between Downey and SouthGate appear to be headed for 25-L and redirected to 24-L crammed in-between two others already in the glide path. _______ A friend recently mentioned to me that he was going to give-up trying to use his new DSL service because it was so much miserably slower than his dial-up. After I verified that his speed was in the 3-to-25 range when it should have been near 600-800, I finally learned that he had installed all of his filters but that there had not been enough for all of his phones, so he made sure to put them on the phones which he might ever want to use while he was using DSL. So I told him that he should disconnect any phone on which he had not installed a filter, and after that his DSL speed greatly improved. So this is a reminder to everyone about DSL. DSL REQUIRES filters on ALL (well almost all) telephones on the line. These are needed to prevent ... 1. the telephones from interfering with the DSL. 2. the DSL from interfering with the telephones. The requirement may exist even for telephones which are NEVER used; even in their ON-hook(hung-up) conditions, some phones will interfere with DSL. This INcludes everything currently attached to the phone line, e.g., cordless phone base-units, answering machines, FAX machines, and burglar alarms. See more at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/dsl.htm The preliminary word on the street about the next release of M-S Windows is that ... ... it will be called "Vista" ... it will likely require - - MORE memory - MORE disk space - a dedicated video card -- not just circuits on the motherboard .. it will likely prefer - - Serial ATA hard-drives - MORE video memory - FASTER CPU -- and maybe even a hyperthreading or dual-CPU ... even if it doesn't actually require the above, it will perform poorly without them. ... it will be designed more for high-end video gaming, image processing, and home theater control and integration, rather than for email, browsing, spreadsheets, and documents. ... it will have many new features which will surely come with security holes, just waiting for the un-good of the world to exploit them. If you have no interest in those features, then likely you will be able to survive with your current system setup until something that you really want/need requires some software which will only run on the new operating system. Some are even saying that it will make Linux/Unix and Mac/OS appear more attractive to many. /s/ Hugh ====================================================================

2005 Oct Back to Top

Hello: Would appreciate anyone's identifying the music which begins 23-seconds into the 30- seconds of the music on the preview of track-14 of the page at ... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CABHH/102-4279040-0296938 Of secondary importance are the first 22-seconds. For comparisons and special buys at local stores for a WIDE variety of products from refrigerators to memory sticks, see at ... http://salescircular.com/ For PC-related products, there's a lot of good references at ... http://shopper.cnet.com/ For info on an early Greek computer form the 1st Century BC, see at ... http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=121#more-121 To learn about the sex offenders in your area, check at ... http://www30.familywatchdog.us/ don't know if it works for all areas but you might give it a try. To have your Driver's License and your SSN removed from the National Motor Vehicle License DataBase, follow the instructions at ... http://www.license.shorturl.com/ Some tips on disaster survival (multiple copies of the same thing) ... http://earthstar.tripod.com/TSB_dir/earthquake0805.html http://www.icet.nl/INHOUD/Engels/News/ICETnews2004_G.htm http://worldofwonder.net/archives/2004/Sep/23/when_the_earth_moves.wow http://www.adventist4truth.com/index2.php?HealthPages=earthquakes some comments on the above tips ... http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/triangle.asp While on the subject of "the same thing", see at ... http://www.asianjoke.com/chinese/sam_ting.htm For an EXCELLENT view from Mt.Everest, see at ... http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020723.html for a huge set of photos from GoddardSpaceFlightCenter/NASA, see at ... http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov a keen rose or cat-eye is at ... http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/catseye_hst_big.jpg For tips on how to tell if there is a terrorist at the airport, see at ... http://www.defendingthetruth.com/about1088.html You can help fund the diagnosis for breast cancer by simply visiting the site at ... http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/cgi- bin/WebObjects/CTDSites.woa/356/wo/KF0000ao300N0700A6/0.0.49.5.0.1.0.1.0.CustomContentActi veImageDisplayComponent.0.0.0 or at ... http://www.thebreastcancersite.com and then click the mid-page button for "Free Mamograms" because their advertisers pay them by the number of visitors. If you have a phone number for Jack, then possibly you could help out the blond at ... http://www.inhis.com/HumorNew/humor.aspx?id=13051 For a reason that a good analyst should never destroy all of the test samples, see at ... http://www.cleveland.com/world/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1128855449165840.xml&coll= 2 science triumphs for the better. To learn when and why the football huddle was invented; see at ... http://www.fredbowen.com/c100600.htm Depending on your computer's operating system, it may semi-whenually set your system clock to some source that may be close to accurate. If you'd like to set your clocks RIGHT-ON, then see at ... http://www.time.gov/ If you'd like a program to set your system clock on demand, then see at ... http://tf.nist.gov/ http://tf.nist.gov/service/its.htm ftp://time.nist.gov/pub/daytime/nistime-32bit.exe http://tf.nist.gov/service/pdf/win2000xp.pdf By the way: the date for the changing to/from Daylight Savings Time will change in 2007, be sure that your computer's operating system is ready. If it's not, then you may have to adjust the clock manually on the new date and then again on the old date to undo what you computer believes that it should do. For a peek at what automotive engineers do between model changes, see at ... http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/cs/honda/051303/honda_ad.swf You haven't really lived unless ... http://www.thestatenislandboys.com/U_thrill_me/ For a startling realization of visual/cognitive/ language perception, see at ... http://forums.gatherinhisname.com/index.php/topic,614.msg5429.html http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g34515-i19-k284884- Tihs_is_mesgsee_for_all_my_firiends_and_tohse_who_keep_aksnig_TA_for_a_spell_cehck- Orlando_Florida.html /s/ Hugh ====================================================================

2005 Nov Back to Top

Hello: For a message from the ghost of General George Patton, see at ... http://oldbluejacket.com/General_Patton_Message.htm language rated PG-13 For a story and pics of one of the latest images returned from a space telescope, see at ... http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17203718%255E663,00.html http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/10/spitzer_snaps_stars/ http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=18253 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2005-162 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/spitzer/pia03096-browse-a.jpg THE BEST http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970119.html For some ancillary info, see at ... http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/wallpaper/stargal.cfm For a view of tax cuts and who get what and why, see at ... http://www.9types.com/chatboard/messages/20148.html http://www.texasnative.com/weblog/2004/04/understanding-tax-cuts.html Most professors don't get it. Only a few seem to. For another professor's view of the results of placating immigrants and their enclaves; see at ... http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/thomassowell/2005/11/08/174706.html If you're doing any genealogy research and would like to find a path to a LOT of obituaries, then see at ... http://www.legacy.com/ which will accept a name and search several sources, e.g., newspapers and mortuaries; also it links to many newspapers and mortuaries including some which it does NOT search. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs ... If you can keep your HOUSE when all about you are losing theirs ... then see a perfect example of just one such very lucky homeowner at ... http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/photos/lucky.html For some "Amazing Cloud Formations"; see at ... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22Amazing+Cloud+Formation%22 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22Amazing+Cloud+Formations%22 For a view as to how to plan for the important things in your life and keep them in perspective, see at ... http://code0range.net/node/1200 If you've ever had a problem communication with one of those customer-service telephone banks at the other end of an 800-number, then you should appreciate the TENDJEWBERRYMUD exchange noted at ... http://www.davidpbrown.co.uk/jokes/tendjewberrymud.html http://york.gumtree.com/york/40/3083140.html http://www.becquet.com/laughter/80.htm Technology and paranoia run amok - true story . . Sony set out to protect some of its music from being copied too many time to too many places. They sneaked a file with program code in it onto users PCs which was supposed to help in this regard, but actually made things rather bad. Then they offered an UNinstaller for the code, but the method of getting the UNinstaller opened giant security holes that could allow a system to be taken over. Various people are still trying to get to the bottom and clean up the mess that can occur. Sony may discontinue the original concept, but some CDs containing it may still be in the marketing stream. Always be careful in such areas. If you feel that you might be a victim or would like to learn more about this sort of patch upon patch upon attempt to prevent copying, then see at ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10053831/ http://www.sonybmg.com http://www.sysinternals.com/blog http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p927 Have a Very Happy Thanksgiving... /s/ Hugh ====================================================================

2005 Dec Back to Top

Hello, All: Our annual Christmas card is at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/2005xmas.jpg The entire year's worth of these monthly Compendiums are at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/stuff05.htm General pen dribblings are at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/ Since the primary Reason for the Season seems to be vanishing from so many aspects of life, be sure to tell everyone that you wish them a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. Theodore Roosevelt is famous for many things among which are his words of wisdom, for example ... "In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." See more at ... http://www.frfrogspad.com/trsaid.htm http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_roosevelt_on_immigrants.htm Another interesting quote from a learned man in the past. "Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged." -President Abraham Lincoln- There is a possibly-revealing personality test at ... http://www.buildyourownhouse.ca/TIBETAN-PERSONALITY-TEST.htm but it is VERY IMPORTANT that you RESIST TEMPTATION and DO NOT LOOK AHEAD.!.!.! My associated wish should come fantastically true, considering the number of people on my list. For a view on how they handle and recover from disasters in North Dakota, see at ... http://www.hwforums.com/2181/messages/426.html For more (than last month) about the Sony Music CDs' harming PCs, see at ... http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,69601,00.html Last month's references were to ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10053831/ http://www.sonybmg.com http://www.sysinternals.com/blog http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p927 For a word from Morgan Stanley about their personal involvement concept, see at ... http://media.hamncheez.com/viewer.php?id=14918 For all about movies, TV etc., try at ... http://www.imdb.com/ http://www.cinemareview.com Take time to thank your teachers; go back the following year or two or five or ten and tell them what you've accomplished because of their motivation. For better prose on the subject; see at ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10116331/site/newsweek/ But I'm especially fond of the quote by Lee Iococca as seen at ... http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/1stYearT.html Now if we could just pay the really good ones on a par with sports and media stars. Those familiar with Downey and especially the former Boeing, Rockwell, NAA, NASA facility can see some of the new deployment at ... http://www.downeystudios.com http://www.aerospacelegacyfoundation.org/page14.html http://www.downeyca.org/business_downeylanding_proj.php http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/printedition/la-re- guide4jan04,0,4201629.story?coll=la-class-realestate 'Tis THE season for some good ingenuity and computer art work; see at ... http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=ER13610552 http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=0261391009 http://www.powerpres.com/xmascard03.html If you'd like to get a real person faster when calling some large companies' 800 numbers, then you might find it interesting to check in at ... http://www.paulenglish.com/ivr/ of course if too many [people use these hints, then the companies will change the numbers. Have NO idea who runs it or if the prices are really good or just loss-leader come-ons, but you might check out the site at ... http://www.cairo.com/ And don't forget to old-guard stand-bys like ... http://shopper.cnet.com/ http://www.epinions.com/ http://www.amazon.com/ http://www.etoys.com/ http://www.dpreview.com/ http://www.pricegrabber.com/ http://www.ecoupons.com/ Essay assignment for the month: compare and contrast the following: Narnia, Syriania, Zathura, Zarathura, Zarathustra. The info at the URLs below may or may not be helpful, depending on your point of view and ability to defend yourself already, but something here might help some people at some point if attacked. These may each differ slightly, but see at ... http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/safetips/avoidingcriminals.htm http://www.retirementwithapurpose.com/safetytips.html http://www.sa.sc.edu/tshc/wcare/WEB-SAFE.HTM http://www.faama.org/managers/being_a_victim.htm http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/selfdefense2.html Since the primary Reason for the Season seems to be vanishing from so many aspects of life, be sure to tell everyone that you wish them a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,,, /s/ Hugh

Lotsa Really Neat Stuff for Rainy Afternoons.

On_Other_Stuff