Computing With Bifocals by Nancy Carroll Gravley A column for people who remember what the world was like before there was color..... Cool Sites For Hot Weather July 26th, 2000 I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here in Austin, Texas, US, it has been running as high as 107 degrees for days and days. Staying inside and surfing the internet sounds like a good plan to me. I would like to recommend the following sites that I think might be of interest. Junk Food "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear when..." Oh, wait. That is The Lone Ranger, not really the movies. How about "Happy Trails to You Until We Meet Again." Is it coming back now? Saturday morning features at the neighborhood movie theater with all those wonderful candy choices that had no redeeming qualities whatsoever but you loved them anyway. Remember the red wax lips gum? How about JuJubes? Candy Cigarettes? Fizzies and Pixy Stix? I could go on, but you get the idea. Did you know you can still get those items (fresh, not left over from another era) as well as a few hundred other things that were available during your childhood in the 50's? There is a web site that offers these things plus categories for sauces and condiments, soups and canned goods, dessert mixes, beverages (Big Red, Bosco Syrup), cereal, staples, and farm fresh items like jams. Many of the featured items are regional favorites. I placed an order with this company because my all time favorite from those days are Charms candies. Unfortunately for me, I discovered this site about the same time they were featured on Ophra! It took about 2 months to get my order because their order logjam was so big. However, it was worth it. You can find this site at: www.hometownfavorites.com. Their prices are very reasonable, but there is a minimum order amount. Speaking of costs, I remember going to those Saturday 1/2-day movie events for 9 cents and they threw in free ice cream cups with movie star pictures on the lids. He Said What? Would you be interested in knowing how Abraham Lincoln felt about courtship? How about the identity and interests of the first woman to earn a medical degree in the US Do you know her name? Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was subpoenaed to testify in a trial for Aaron Burr while they were President and Vice President respectively? Do you know why? All you history buffs probably know all this and more, but if you are interested in reading about these kinds of things, this particular web site offers you a large variety of choices. Save Money – Make Money – Spend Money – Whatever For the past couple of months I have been experimenting with selling things on the mainstream auction sites. I am checking things out to see if this would be a good part time experience once I am retired from my regular job. Having spent all my career working for the government in one form or another, I don't have retail experience. I don't think that stint at the five and dime when I was 16 counts. So I have been trying to figure out what sells well, and where to find it for the best price. One astonishing thing I have found is that there are numerous wholesale sites on the net that will sell to whomever wants to buy, so long as they make the minimum required purchase. For these companies you do not have to be registered as a business or even have a business. In researching a venue for purchasing about 30 golf shirts for a family reunion I found places that will sell me a number of shirts, in the exact sizes needed at wholesale prices. I wouldn't want to recommend any specific sites, but rather just let you know it is possible to do this kind of shopping on the internet if you have the patience to find them. It will be easier if you remember to put wholesale as one of the search words. Have I Got A Deal For You Have you ever felt like you had a secret mark on your forehead, only visible to mechanics and car salespersons that says "Sucker" ? I have. However, there is a site on the internet called Kelley Blue Book. that allows people living in the U.S. to check on the industry prices for used and new cars and trucks. You can find out what a trade-in should be worth as well. Before going to the site you may want to prepare a bit. For instance if you want to find out what your current car is worth you will need to input the engine type, transmission, drive train, mileage & ZIP Code (5-digit), as well as be able to accurately rate the condition of your car. When looking for information concerning auto's you want to purchase you will need the engine type, transmission, drive train, and the extra's you may want. I don't suppose this will increase your knowledge about cars much, but it will give you a starting place and a little edge. More On Digital Cameras Frequent reader MoofMoof sent along some additional information about digital cameras following last week's column. If you can use a camera and an image editing program (Graphic Converter or Adobe Photoshop or other similar applications), you can use a digital camera, no problem. MoofMoof got a midrange model (to get really good quality images, you have to spend around $800 or more) from his mother for his birthday last December. (Note to my children – not on your life). It was billed as Mac-compatible, using the old style serial port (not hot-swappable like USB) but I could not get it to give me full images through the serial line, so I had to order a USB card and card reader to get the images - this was very nice, because the cards pop up (mount) just like a normal volume (drive), can be directly manipulated through Finder, automatically set the image files to belong to my default image editor (Graphic Converter), and it has about the same speed as a hard drive. I was able to get the serial connection to work on a friend's PC: the transfer rates were slower than I am used to even on the 'net. The camera itself is very easy to use and the instructions are quite clear. The pictures can be reviewed and deleted (the mistakes or bad shots) in the little LCD screen on the back. It takes a good 10-15 seconds to store an image internally (before it is ready to shoot another). As always I really appreciate the input from readers. I can agree with MoofMoof about the ease of use. Since first writing about digital cameras I have had the opportunity to briefly use one and it is indeed super easy to use, but it is absolutely to be comfortable using an image program of one kind or another. You can read about using Graphic Converter here. If you have any tips, suggestions, or other comments about this, or any other Mac topics, send them to me so that I can share them with other readers. Copies of Nancy's book Tips, Hints, and Solutions for Seasoned Beginners Using Apple Macintosh Computers With OS X are available in PDF download versions  for US$9.57 and in print version for $18.15 plus $4.00 shipping.   To view sample pages and get ordering information visit the September 14, 2004 column. Post your comments below. Check out Nancy's complete index of all her columns for the most complete list of tips anywhere. The list is categorized and is a great reference when you are looking for help! A Capacious Catalog Of Computer Tips Talking to a generation that remembers what the world was like before there was color, covers issues for people who don't care how their computer works, but rather what their computer and the internet can do for them. Nancy has a Master's degree in Human Services Administration and prior to her retirement she worked for almost 30 years in field of mental health and mental retardation. She has been a Mac user for 11 years, and has recently developed an avocation of teaching basic computer skills in both group and one-to-one settings. Most Recent Computing With Bifocals Columns Of iPod Cases and System Preferences - August 30th Cool Tips, Kudos for Bob, & a Review - July 31st Two Apps for Reading and Browsing - June 23rd Other "Computing With Bifocals" Columns