For all those that love the talking/signing fish/turkey, here's another waste of internet space: http://www.killfrog.com/00/dab.html Marcia from Arkansas "If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what's said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference." Abraham Lincoln http://profiles.yahoo.com/msklaas

~ Welcome to Petwarmers ~ NIPPER It was Christmas, 1973. I was only 4 years old with a brother, 8, and a sister, 10. We were living in a new house that our parents had built on a 10 acre piece of property. We woke up Christmas morning to the usual stockings overflowing and presents under the tree. But when we were finally able to get mom and dad out of their morning slumber, we were instantly directed to go out to the barn. Being as excited as three kids could be -- knowing that it had to be some sort of animal that was hiding out in the barn -- we ran out there, not even stopping to put our coats and shoes on. Out to the barn we ran, swinging the door open. To our surprise, there was not one, but two, Shetland ponies standing there! As beautiful as the new snow, they were both dabble grey with tails to the ground, and manes not much shorter. Goldie was the mother, and we called her two year old baby "Nipper" -- and you can guess why. Later that spring, Goldie had a little boy, Dusty. Goldie and Nipper were the best of Shetland ponies, as Shetland's are often not the nicest little horses. They took the three of us kids through the Pony Club, parades, and even school show-and-tell days. And despite our extreme resistance, they were sold so that we could get larger ponies, and soon horses. Both Goldie and Nipper never went far, and they remained in the area and probably took another 8-10 kids each through Pony Club. After I had my first daughter, I was talking to my mom and happened to ask if she knew who owned Nipper. I was planning early to make sure we could get him back so my daughter could start riding. We located him and, after six years of waiting, we heard that his owners were ready to sell him. I was out to pick him up that very weekend. When I arrived at the ranch I discovered that he was not the sleek coated, bright eyed little pony I remembered. Rather, he was a very thin, shaggy, hooves curled, sad little Nipper. The story I got was that he had been turned out on the hillside for the past two years and nothing had been done with him. I didn't care. He was mine now, and I was going to bring him back to health. Shots, wormings, teeth floated, feet trimmed, special feed, you name it he got it. My daughter, Lindsay, and our twins, Casey and Carrie, enjoyed Nipper and he enjoyed them -- they would catch him, saddle him, and dress up his every inch with brushes, combs and bows. They would stack up buckets and crates, or make him stand in a hole, so they could get on. Then they were off, but never too fast. Nipper always knew just how fast to go. But Nipper's joy was short lived. Despite the extreme care we gave him, it couldn't make up for the two years of neglect. Upon the coming of winter, Nipper fell victim to pneumonia. We got the news when the vet arrived. He was a long time friend of the family, and who had ridden beside me on his pony Red, so many years ago. We fought hard to save him. However, on a dreadfully sad December day, I made the call. The call that would bring to an end years of memories of a little pony that would go everywhere, and do anything a child's mind could think of. He came home to us -- home to the people who loved him the most. I am not sad that my children only got to spend four months with Nipper, but blessed that he lived long enough to come back to me. Nipper will always be remembered by this family. He lies up on the grassy knoll, where he used to play with his mother, Goldie, and brother Dusty. -- Deborah J Scott <bdscottfarms @ juno.com> [email protected]

From: "MountainWings" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> MountainWings A MountainWings Moment #1339 Hell > > A new arrival in Hell was brought before the devil. The devil > told his demon to put the man to work on a rock pile with a 20- > pound sledgehammer in 95-degree heat with 95% humidity. At the > end of the day, the devil went to see how the man was doing, > only to find him smiling and singing as he pounded rocks. > > The man explained that the heat and hard labor were very similar > to those on his beloved farm back in Georgia. > > The devil told his demon to turn up the heat to 120 degrees, > with 100% humidity. At the end of the next day, the devil again > checked on the new man, and found him still happy to be sweating > and straining. The man explained that it felt like the old > days, when he had to clean out his silo in the middle of August > on his beloved farm back in Georgia. > > At that, the devil told his demon to lower the temperature for > this man to -20 degrees with a 40 mph wind. At the end of the > next day, the devil was confident that he would find the man > miserable. But, the man was instead singing louder than ever, > twirling the sledge hammer like a baton. When the devil asked > him why he was so happy, the man answered, > > "Cold day in hell, the Falcons must have won the Super Bowl!" > > The Falcons are the football team here in Atlanta, Georgia. > They have never won the Super Bowl. > If you want to pass this on, just substitute the name of your > team (that's never won a major championship) and pass it on. > > > Note: This IS a joke. Hell is much worse. http://www.mountainwings.com

<A HREF="http://www.polishworld.com/christmas/">Christmas in Poland</A> http://www.polishworld.com/christmas/ Of Sinking Trees And Rolling Eggs: Christmas Eve Superstitions Customs to ensure a betrothal or good harvest were a major part of rural Polish Christmas time traditions. For Poles, Christmas Eve is a time of family gathering and reconciliation. It's also a night of magic: Animals are said to talk in a human voice and people have the power to tell the future. The belief was born with our ancestors who claimed that Dec. 24 was a day to mark the beginning of a new era. It was bolstered by sayings such as, "As goes Christmas Eve, goes the year." Hoping for a good 12 months, everyone was polite and generous to one another and forgave past grievances. Today, few treat the old traditions seriously, but some survive as family fun. "Maidens" interested in their marital future and older people, who try to predict next year's weather based on the sky's aura between Christmas Eve and Twelfth Night (Jan. 6), sometimes cling to past superstitions. Polish rural residents are among the few who still keep up the old Christmas Eve customs. In eastern Poland it is still believed that girls who grind poppy seed on Christmas Eve can hope for a quick marriage. After dinner, they leave the house, and the direction of the first dog bark points to where their future husband will come from. Another fortune-telling trick is eavesdropping on the neighbors. If in a casual conversation, the girl hears the word "Go" it means she will get married in the coming year. A loud "Sit" announces long-lasting maidenhood. When going to Christmas Eve midnight mass, girls would blindfold each other and touch fence pickets. A straight and smooth picket would portend a resourceful husband, while a crooked and rough one was an indication of a clumsy and awkward spouse. If a maiden wanted to learn about her future fiance's profession, she would go to a river, dip her hand in the water and pull out the first thing she touched. Wood meant a carpenter, iron-a blacksmith, leather-a shoemaker, etc. Before going to bed, she'd wash her face with water without drying it. She would hang the towel on the footboard of her bed. The boy who passed her the towel in her dream was to become her husband. Weather-forecasting superstitions were also popular. It was believed that if Christmas sees no snow, Easter certainly will-or more artfully, "If the Christmas tree sinks in water, the egg rolls on ice." Other sayings include, "A sunny Christmas Eve brings fair weather all year round"; "Stars that shine bright on Christmas Eve will make hens lay plenty of eggs"; "A shine on the birth of our Savior will be seen all throughout January." >From the small hours on Dec. 24, women were found cleaning and sweeping the entire house. An ancient belief had it that forces of evil would dwell in all things left dirty on that day. If the first person to enter a house on Christmas Eve was a woman, it was a bad omen, meaning that only heifers would be born in the farm in the coming year. It was a good sign when a man was the first to cross the threshold of the house. At the Christmas Eve supper, each dish had to be sampled, and a traditional meal would consist of 12 dishes. The more you ate, the more pleasure would await you in the future. The more daring diners would pull out blades of straw from underneath the table cloth. A green one foretold marriage; a withered one-waiting; a yellow one-spinsterhood; a very short one-an early grave. In pre-electricity times, after the last supper dish (which was kutia, a mix of soaked wheat, raisins, nuts, honey and spices) candles were blown out and the direction of the smoke was observed. If it moved toward the window-the harvest would be good, toward the door-a family member would die, toward the stove-a marriage. Until recently, harvest fortune-telling was very popular in the countryside. After supper, the host would go out to the garden, carrying dried fruit. He would throw it on the trees, shouting "Apples, pears, plums, cherries, and all the leaves in the neighbor's yard." He would take a handful of straw and twist it into a rope. Grabbing an ax with other hand, he would approach a tree and threaten it by saying, "I'll cut you down!" His wife would cry, "Don't cut it, it will bear fruit!" Then she would tie the straw rope around the tree. This bizarre little pantomime apparently brought a good harvest. Today, few people are familiar with Christmas Eve fortune telling, especially urban dwellers. Yet some old traditions can still be found among village people who tend to lead a more old-fashioned lifestyle, closely connected to nature and its cycles of death and rebirth. Beata Czech

A Good Story Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live, for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths, only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside the window. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained slowly to turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you!" Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«^i^MISSI ^i^«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§« Richiele Marie [email protected] (Missi) I disbelieved in reincarnation in my last life, too. »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«

I'm Ready By Kristen Cook I stared at the stick in disbelief. Two straight, pink lines. No doubt about it - pregnant. Oh my God! A mix of excitement and sheer terror washed over me. Sure, my husband and I had talked about having a baby. I just didn't think it would happen so fast. It seemed like one minute we were talking and the next, I was standing in front of the drugstore's home pregnancy section debating whether I should buy the single- or the two-test pack. I had a feeling - early mother's intuition maybe? - and bought just a single test. That was all I needed. We were having a baby. And I'd never even changed a diaper. What were we thinking? My husband, Joe, developed the baby pangs a year ago. I, on the other hand, was seized by fear. I wasn't ready. I'd look at a baby and mentally count the bottles of Pepto- Bismol the parents would consume once that bundle of joy hit those turbulent teens, or I'd calculate how much four years of college would cost. Then the baby bug bit me - and not a second too soon. Now my body's on this wild, hormonal ride, and I have to say, sometimes I want to get off. I'm close to thirty years old, but my complexion is sixteen. Nausea is my constant companion. My friends even ask for upchuck updates. I never drive anywhere without an air-sickness bag by my side, and I've thrown up in so many restaurant parking lots that I've thought about asking if I could just rent my dinners instead of buying them. My bladder has shrunk to the size of a lima bean, requiring bathroom visits exactly every thirteen minutes. And I'm so acutely tuned in to pain - yeah, that bodes well for an easy labor and delivery - that I swear, early on, I could feel each and every cell dividing. Hypochondriacs are not good pregnant women. More proof. When two barf-free weeks passed, I panicked. I felt so normal I figured something had to be wrong. Maybe I wasn't having a baby after all. Maybe it was a hysterical pregnancy. My husband assured me the only thing hysterical about this pregnancy is me. And my maternity underwear. I'm not sure which is scarier - having my body feel so out of control or those enormous, one-size-fits-all panties. At four months, my belly's still at that awkward is-she-pregnant-or-is-that-a-beer-gut stage. My little Buddha belly is enough to keep me out of my stylish silk undies, but it's still too small for the maternity briefs. I can pull those things up over my chest. I think I just invented combination bra and underwear. I'll call it the brunder. If I can sell that idea to Victoria's Secret, no more worries about our kiddo's college tuition. But I have to say, the most amazing transformation of all - even more than filling out that maternity underwear some day - is how neurotic I've become about this little person who isn't even born yet. It all hit when I saw the first sonogram of our baby on the monitor. That's when I really and truly realized this was our baby. Our baby. The nausea, all the inconveniences, well, they just melted away. They didn't matter anymore as I looked at this amazing person. Our baby. At just eleven weeks old, our little miracle was already so perfectly formed, yet so small - just four centimeters - that Joe nicknamed the baby "Speck." It was much too early to tell the gender, but I saw a little girl taking her first steps, walking to school, getting her driver's license, going to college, getting married, having babies of her own. Her whole life flashed before my eyes right on that screen. I thought about what a big, ugly world is waiting out there for Speck. One filled with cancer and war and junior high dances. How could I possibly protect her from all the bad, while letting her experience all the good? Yes, in that instant I realized there are much scarier things than that shapeless maternity underwear. But you know what else I realized? I'm ready. «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«^i^MISSI ^i^«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§« Richiele Marie [email protected] (Missi) I disbelieved in reincarnation in my last life, too. »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«

PEACE ON EARTH? It is a crisp, clear late November morning. Christmas decorations, from the tacky to the sublime, are everywhere, and Christmas music gently hums from every speaker in every store and office building. It's "that" time of year again. So why aren't I feeling "that" way? You know... Christmasy. The streets and malls seem a little less crowded and hectic this year. Since I'm not a merchant, that fact alone should be reason to rejoice. Shouldn't it? But something is different this year. There's a bittersweet feeling to the holiday season, brought on by every newscast and newspaper. Much of the world is at war. Men and women flank battlefields and potential danger zones at home and abroad, awaiting orders that will put them in the position of having to kill or be killed. And that changes everything. Suddenly, Longfellow's words are packed with meaning: And in despair I bowed my head: "There is now peace on earth," I said. "For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men." And then I became acquainted with Bert. Bert is 43, the father of four children and one of the best high school teachers you've ever seen. For 21 years he has also been assigned to an Army Reserve unit, but his soldiering has been mostly of the "weekend warrior" variety -- until his unit was activated last month. If anyone has a right to "Bah! Humbug!" this holiday season, it's Bert. But he simply refuses to. Please don't misunderstand -- he's not excited about trading school lunch for MREs (Meals Ready to Eat -- assuming, of course, that there really IS a difference). But he views it as a matter of duty and personal integrity. "The Army has been good to me for 21 years, and I really haven't had to do much in return," he said just before leaving. "I'm not about to ask them to change the rules now that the going is a little bit rougher. "Besides," he added, "it's the holidays. How can you be uptight during the holidays?" Hold it. Was I missing something? I assumed the season would deepen his hurt and frustration at the prospect of going to war. But even though he doesn't like the idea of being away from his family at this time of year, Bert finds comfort -- and yes, peace -- in the decorations, lights and music. That's when it occurred to me that maybe the concept of "peace on earth, good will toward men" is more of an attitude than a compilation of current events and circumstances. Perhaps real peace comes from within, and has more to do with how we choose to approach the challenges life thrusts upon us than the reality of those challenges themselves. With the right attitude, a bitter winter blizzard becomes much-needed water for the garden next spring. Aggravatingly long lines at department store counters become welcome stimulants to a struggling economy. A tour of duty in Afghanistan becomes a chance to pay off a 21-year debt. And Christmas begins to feel... well... Christmasy once again. -- Joseph B Walker «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«^i^MISSI ^i^«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§« Richiele Marie [email protected] (Missi) I disbelieved in reincarnation in my last life, too. »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«

> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > CHICKEN SOUP DAILY SERVING: > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > > Who's Number One? > By Kenneth L. Montgomery > > I was the new coach of a Little League baseball team > and had not yet learned the names of my players. At our > first game, I called each boy by the number on his uniform. > When I yelled, "Number 5, your time to bat," Jeff Smith > came to the plate to hit. When I called for "Number 7," > Steve Heinz jumped up. Then I asked for "Number 1," and no > one emerged from the dugout. Again I called for Number 1. > Still no one. > As the umpire looked on, annoyed at this delay of the > game, I shouted, "Who's Number 1?" > That's when the whole team yelled, "We are, Coach! We > are!" > «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«^i^MISSI ^i^«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§« Richiele Marie [email protected] (Missi) I disbelieved in reincarnation in my last life, too. »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«

"WE USED TO KNOW..." In uncertain times, it's natural to yearn for simpler days and comforting traditions. This year, the holiday season has an added dimension of nostalgia. Recent events have created a yearning to gather family and friends closer than ever before. I think the coming season offers the perfect opportunity to blend an old-fashioned custom with this nation's renewed desire for connection. Let me explain. Turn back the clock to a few decades ago, where a bunch of high-energy nursing students have gathered inside a hospital lobby to celebrate the beginning of Christmas break with some impromptu caroling. They mill around in last minute costumes made from red, green and gold garland, silver tinsel as well as assorted other decorations that, only moments before, had hung on the walls of their dorm. The group strolled through hospital hallways, singing carols and delighting hospital staff, patients and visitors with their unbridled enthusiasm and outrageous garb. When the flock of "human Christmas trees" reached a patient floor dedicated to long-term illnesses, they paused, unsure if their presence would disrupt the especially sedate atmosphere. After encouragement from the staff, the group walked down the hall singing a softened version of Jingle Bells, trying to be as inconspicuous as one can be with red Christmas balls hanging from one's ears. Almost immediately, a visitor beckoned the carolers to follow her inside a dimly lit patient room. The glittery group squeezed around the bed, next to family members keeping vigil over their father who'd been unresponsive for weeks. "Sing for him please," one daughter asked gently. Out of respect, the carolers agreed and chose the only tranquil tune they had in their limited repertoire’ White Christmas. They started out tentatively, "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas..." After a few bars, the family joined in. "Just like the ones I used to know..." In the soft glow of a single bedside lamp, this odd assortment became united in song for a silent audience of one. "Where tree tops glisten and children listen’ to hear, sleigh bells in the snow..." At the start of the second verse, a Christmas miracle unfolded. The gray haired man lying in bed began to mouth the words along with the carolers. "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas..." The family stopped singing. And for a split second, so did the nursing students. After encouraging nods from the family, the students continued -- as did the patient. "May your days be merry and bright’ and may all your Christmases be white..." The song trailed off, lost in a flood of tears. The family cried. The student Christmas trees cried. Somehow, this Christmas carol, buried deep within the fabric of our country, struck a chord of familiarity in the patient's mind. The family thanked the carolers profusely, then hurried down to the nurse's station to notify the staff. Outside in the hall, the group of school friends stood forever changed by the experience. The simple act of caroling caused a profound transformation in that patient and created a connection where one hadn't been before. Who really knows how such miracles happen. What's more important is -- Miracles do happen! Cause a miracle in your neighborhood. Reach out to one another this holiday season, whether it's by reviving the tradition of caroling, or finding another way to connect. Three years ago, I invited my neighbors to come out for an evening of caroling. Nearly twenty people showed up, sporting gloves and hats, on the chosen night. Sadly, we had to explain to the young children what caroling was, but before long they were leading the group to "one more house", seemingly oblivious to the frosty air. Throughout the night, we met neighbors who opened doors and sang along. A few ran to get other family members, or grab a plate of cookies to offer us. A timid few peeked through curtains, too scared to open their doors -- but it didn't matter, we understood and sang anyway. Caroling has now become a fond annual tradition for many families on our block. Whatever you choose to do this holiday season, find a way to connect. As we know from the September events, all we have is this moment. But who knows, with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, some song sheets and a few well-meaning voices lifted in song, you might get back a bit of the holidays gone by. Take it from a former "student Christmas tree" -- caroling is a miraculous way to bring back the spirit of the holidays -- "just like the ones we used to know..." -- Teri Goggin O * O *O * O O * * O <º)(((((~((((((>>>< * <º)((((~((((>< missi

awwwww kisses missi > > > Today among the many things I done, I helped my mother in law put > up her tree. She said she hadn't put one up since going blind, and now > has it put her in a good mood. What a wonderful feeling it was to me > to think just a little thing like that could make one feel so good. > Now to my story, like many other things we do she has to tell where > she bought the things, when and how much they cost, imagine to my > suprise when we opened one box it was the glass ornaments. One > bought before the war, for .47 cents yeah and it was a full dozen. > Little sized shaped like bells, balls, spheres. Shaped on the back > and sunken in on the front and painted so they still sparkled just > like new. All wrapped in tissue and in the box they came. Than there > was a box of plastic ones they were bought during the war and > were .99 cents. Some bought at Woolworth's, Murphy's, some > from Germany which a friend brought back to her. Than there > is a box I'd love to have, made in Poland, I can't remember the > cost but for less than fifty cents. She has little Angels, fairies, > Noah's Arch. snowmen, Santa's, and elves, I've seen them dozens > of times but never paid any attention to them. Must be getting old > as I really seen the beauty in them for the first time. > There is a pine tree out on the side of the house that is taller than > the > house, it is one they bought for a tree in the house one year. The > branches and pine cones I've been using for decorations in the > house in baskets, and bowls with glass bulbs. So pretty and I love > the smell of fresh pine. > We put up our icicles today on the bushes, no way Jim or I were > climbing up on those peeks in the roof. Tomorrow going to Benton > Harbor to take my computer in so I can get to use it, I'm getting > tired of switching back to Jim's all the time to get my mail. > Haven't written much been too busy with the move and all. Still have > boxes in the garage yet. > Well hope everyone has a Happy Holiday Season. I'm just so excited > this year and more relaxed than in years. Maybe loosing some weight > has given me more energy, hope I don't put it back on now, I didn't > only for a couple days during Thanksgiving. Wishing you all a Merry > Christmas and Happy New Year. Love Grannie Annie >

BREAKFAST AT MCDONALD'S... READ TILL THE END This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through till the end! (After the story there are some very interesting facts!): I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile." The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be a piece of ! cake, literally. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special play time with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch .... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling". His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" ! as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm). Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter ! to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you.." I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope." I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey. To give me hope." We held hands for a moment and at that time we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but ! ; we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God, share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. ! > Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE. If you think this story has touched you in any way, please send this to everyone you know. There is an Angel sent to watch over you. In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over. An Angel wrote: Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart. God Gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into it's nest. «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«^i^MISSI ^i^«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§« Richiele Marie [email protected] (Missi) I disbelieved in reincarnation in my last life, too. »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«

> "SANTA's PRAYER" > http://www.talltexian.com/talltexianschristmas-special4/id40.htm > > "THERE's NO CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CHRIST" > «:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«^i^MISSI ^i^«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§« Richiele Marie [email protected] (Missi) I disbelieved in reincarnation in my last life, too. »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«

Michael Mewhinney Dec. 4, 2001 NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Karen Mathews Computer History Museum, Moffett Field, Calif. RELEASE: 01-95AR NOTE TO EDITORS AND NEWS DIRECTORS: Media representatives are invited to attend a news conference on Friday, Dec. 7, 2001, at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. At that time, NASA will announce plans to establish the Computer History Museum's interim building at the NASA Research Park. The news conference will begin at 11 a.m. PST, in the Moffett Training and Conference Center, Bldg. 3. Preceding the news conference, media are invited to take a special tour of the museum's computer artifacts starting at 10 a.m. PST, in Bldg. 126, located across the street on Severyns Avenue. A luncheon will follow. COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM TO BUILD INTERIM FACILITY IN NASA RESEARCH PARK The Computer History Museum, which contains one of the world's largest collections of computing artifacts, will unveil plans on Friday, Dec. 7, 2001, to build a 41,000-square-foot facility near historic Hangar One in the proposed NASA Research Park. NASA Ames Research Center Director Dr. Henry McDonald and Computer History Museum Executive Director & CEO John C. Toole will head a panel discussion about the museum's role in the NASA Research Park and the plans for its new facility. Other distinguished panelists will include Leonard J. Shustek, chairman of the board of trustees of the Computer History Museum; Donna Dubinsky, museum trustee and CEO of Handspring, Inc., Mountain View, Calif.; and Bill Campbell, chairman of the board, Intuit, Inc., Mountain View, Calif. "Our goal is to develop a world-class, shared-use R&D campus by partnering with industry, academia and cultural institutions in the NASA Research Park," McDonald said. "I am delighted to further this partnership with the Computer History Museum, a unique and important international resource for research and understanding of the origins and evolution of information technology." Scheduled to open next summer, the temporary facility will be called 'The Beta Building,' in reference to a computer industry term for a product in its early phases and an indication that there is more to come - a prelude to the museum's permanent facility scheduled to open in 2005. Formerly known as The Computer Museum History Center, the renamed Computer History Museum also has a new logo, depicting the history of computing. When the 41,000-square-foot Beta Building is completed, it will contain 22,500 square feet for artifact storage; 9,000 square feet for exhibits and events; and 9,500 square feet of office space. The Beta Building will double the museum's current storage space and allow it to increase its collection. According to Shustek, the Beta Building will allow the museum to increase its public presence in Silicon Valley. "For the past few years, museum staff, collection, exhibits and programs have been located in five, distributed buildings at Moffett Field. The Beta Building will allow us to consolidate into one main space while the permanent building process is completed. We believe that opening the temporary space before the permanent museum opens in 2005 will enable more of the public to experience the artifacts and stories of a technological revolution that has changed the world." "The museum is moving toward a new level of public exposure for the community, the nation and the world," said Toole. "The Beta Building will give us an opportunity to expand our operations for several years and manage a dynamic process to collect the stories and artifacts of the information age," he added. At the news conference, museum officials also will announce the appointment of Head Curator Michael R. Williams, an internationally renowned computer historian. A recipient of numerous honors and awards, Williams has published many books, articles and technical reviews during his 30-year career as an educator and curator at several different universities and at the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian Institution). He also served as editor-in-chief of The Annals of the History of Computing. Daniel, Mann, Johnson, Mendenhall, Holmes and Narver (DMJMH+N), an architecture, engineering, and construction services firm with offices in San Francisco and around the world will design the museum's Beta Building. Esherick, Homsey, Dodge & Davis, an architecture, interior design and graphic design firm with offices in San Francisco, Chicago and Monterey, Calif., will design the museum's permanent facility. Premier museum exhibit design firm Van Sickle & Rolleri, of Medford, N. J., will help design the new museum's exhibits. The Computer History Museum, previously part of the former Boston Computer Museum, is based at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.-the heart of Silicon Valley-and is an international resource for in-depth information about the history of computing. Its five separate collections contain over 50,000 individual objects, including hardware, films, photographs and historical software, as well as extensive document archives. The museum is one of the leading partners in the proposed NASA Research Park and will soon break ground for its permanent facility in front of historic Hangar One at Moffett Field. NASA Ames Research Center recently announced the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to develop the land at Moffett Field under NASA ownership. The proposed developments include the area called the NASA Research Park in which the academic, industry and nonprofit partners hope to conduct their collaborative research and education programs. Upon the successful completion of the environmental review processes, a Land Use Agreement may be signed and construction of the museum's permanent building may begin. In addition to a permanent home for the Computer History Museum, NASA Research Park also will house facilities for the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Cosmos, Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, the University of California at Santa Cruz, San Jose State University's Metropolitan Technology Center and the California Air and Space Center. For further details, see the museum's website at: http://www.computerhistory.org -end-

Introducing Kraft Diabetic Choices! For people managing diabetes, help is on the way! Check out the customized meal plans and tracking tools available at the Kraft Diabetic Choices web site. http://click.kraftfoods.com/u.d?XketO_uo-1b_M3=31 Personalized Meal Plans take the work out of balancing a diabetic diet Kraft Diabetic Choices provides a personalized collection of delicious meals that support you in managing diabetes. The recipes are selected from favorite foods that you can feel good about sharing with your whole family. Click here to get started. http://click.kraftfoods.com/u.d?TketO_uo-1b_MoS=41 You will be asked questions about yourself and your lifestyle to provide a meal plan that meets your needs. It's easy and it's free! Track your way to better health! Not only will you get a Personalized Meal Plan tailored to your needs and preferences, but you'll also be able to track your blood glucose levels and medication on-line at the same time. Plus, you'll get a Personalized Fitness Plan that's packed with tips, ideas and a fitness schedule to help keep you active. Before you start, be smart... The tools and information we provide are not a substitute for the advice of your physician or registered dietitian, so please consult with them before you begin building your meal and fitness plan. By making smart food choices and keeping active, you can improve your overall health today and help prevent complications of diabetes in the future!

Be careful of ANY attachment that ends in scr. This worm tries to wipe out your anti-virus program among other things. Please note that the lists of files are the files the worm is trying to destroy...not the worm itself. Don't delete them. Linda Bee <A HREF="http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/goner.shtml">F-Secure Computer Virus Information Pages: Goner</A> http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/goner.shtml F-Secure Virus Descriptions <A HREF="http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/info/name.shtml">NAME:</A> Goner <A HREF="http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/info/alias.shtml">ALIAS:</A> W32/[email protected], I-Worm.Goner, Gone, Pentagone, Pentagon Goner is a mass-mailer written in Visual Basic. It appeared on December 4th, 2001. The worm is a PE EXE file about 39 kilobytes long, it is packed with UPX file compressor. The worm's unpacked file is about 145 kilobytes long. The worm spreads itself using Outlook and ICQ if it's installed on an infected computer. It also drops a few scripts to MIRC client directory. These scripts can be used to flood certain IRC channels. When the worm's file is run, it shows a dialog box with greetings and some animation. This is done to disguise itself. Then it shows a messagebox with a fake error message: Error While Analyze DirectX! The worm copies itself as GONE.SCR to Windows System folder and tries to creates its startup key in the Registry. The worm runs as a service process, so its task is not visible in Task Manager. To spread itself the worm connects to Outlook Address Book, reads e-mail addresses from it and sends itself to all these addresses. The infected message looks like that: Subject: Hi Body: How are you ? When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you I am in a harry, I promise you will love it! Attachment: Gone.scr The worm also attempts to send itself through ICQ if it is installed on an infected computer. It uses a standard ICQ component to send out its file. The worm sends file transfer request to a contact of an infected user who appears to be on-line (in any mode) and if that person approves file transfer, the worm sends its file to that person. The worm looks for and terminates the following processes: APLICA32.EXE ZONEALARM.EXE ESAFE.EXE CFIADMIN.EXE CFIAUDIT.EXE CFINET32.EXE PCFWallIcon.EXE FRW.EXE VSHWIN32.EXE VSECOMR.EXE WEBSCANX.EXE AVCONSOL.EXE VSSTAT.EXE PW32.EXE VW32.EXE VP32.EXE VPCC.EXE VPM.EXE AVP32.EXE AVPCC.EXE AVPM.EXE AVP.EXE LOCKDOWN2000.EXE ICLOAD95.EXE ICMON.EXE ICSUPP95.EXE ICLOADNT.EXE ICSUPPNT.EXE TDS2-98.EXE TDS2-NT.EXE SAFEWEB.EXE The worm also attempts to delete these files and if deletion fails, it creates WININIT.INI file that will delete these files on startup. The worm also tries to delete C:\SAFEWEB\ folder. If the worm found and killed at least one process of the listed above, it deletes its file from a folder, where it was first started from, except if it was started from Windows System folder. F-Secure Anti-Virus detects Goner worm with updates from December 4th, 2001 / 16:05:50 (GMT+2) ftp://ftp.f-secure.com/anti-virus/updates/fsupdate.exe ftp://ftp.europe.f-secure.com/anti-virus/updates/fsupdate.exe [Analysis: Alexey Podrezov; F-Secure Corp.; December 4th, 2001] ********************************************************* W32/Goner New worm spreading in email <A HREF="http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/fm/1177-5086-1377-5">W32/Goner</A> - From About.com Anti-Virus Site http://antivirus.about.com/library/weekly/aa120401a.htm A new mass-mailing email worm has been reported by <A HREF="http://antivirus.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.messagelabs.com">MessageLabs</A>. The message arrives with: Subject: Hi and message body: How are you ? When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you I am in a harry, I promise you will love it! The attached file will be approximately 39Kb and is named "gone.scr". According to antivirus vendor <A HREF="http://antivirus.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.f%2Dsecure.com">F-Secure</A>, the Goner worm spreads using Microsoft® Outlook and ICQ . Scripts dropped to the mIRC client directory can be used to flood certain IRC channels as well. If the infected attachment is opened, the worm first displays an animation dialgo box and then an erroneous error message. The worm then creates a copy of itself in the C:\Windows\System folder and installs itself as a service process via the system registry. In addition to mass-mailing itself to addresses found in the Windows Address Book, Goner also sends itself via ICQ (if installed) by sending file transfer requests to contacts. According to F-Secure, if that person approves the file transfer, the worm sends its file to that person. More insidiously, the worm looks for and terminates the following processes, which include McAfee's realtime scanner (VShield), AVP, ZoneAlarm, LockDown, and eSafe: APLICA32.EXE AVCONSOL.EXE AVP32.EXE AVP.EXE AVPCC.EXE AVPM.EXE CFIADMIN.EXE CFIAUDIT.EXE CFINET32.EXE ESAFE.EXE FEWEB.EXE FRW.EXE ICLOAD95.EXE ICLOADNT.EXE ICMON.EXE ICSUPP95.EXE ICSUPPNT.EXE LOCKDOWN2000.EXEP CFWallIcon.EXEP W32.EXE TDS2-98.EXE TDS2-NT.EXE VW32.EXE VP32.EXE VPCC.EXE VPM.EXE VSECOMR.EXE VSHWIN32.EXE VSSTAT.EXE WEBSCANX.EXE ZONEALARM.EXE The Goner worm will also try to delete these files and, if it fails, will create a WININIT.INI file to delele the files on the next system startup. Shutting down and/or deleting these protective programs leaves the system vulnerable to other malicious code/malicious person threats. Removing the worm Antivirus software will require updating to definition files released December 4, 2001 or later in order to detect and remove the worm. To manually remove the worm, reboot into DOS mode using a clean system disk, change to the Windows\System directory and delete the file "gone.scr".

LOL~! When I first saw this (Condom Soap) I thought, "your supposed to "wash" them~??!" :-) kath - Free Condom Soap, Keychain, and more - In addition to the over 300 universities, health departments, and health educators that use the candom to help spread the message of safer sex, condom maker Durex has added the candom to its new (humorous) global campaign. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Durex details the reasons for this new approach. "We’ve moved away from the preaching campaigns that create anxiety. And we’ve also moved away from the sexual ads because they are not effective anymore", says Leigh Taylor, SSL’s global category director for Durex. The Candom is a can cooler that rolls on to a can like a giant condom to keep it cold. Imprintable for just pennies, it's a great way to grab a person's attention. "Candoms attract attention... attention creates better awareness," states Cherrie Sears of Nassau Community College. In addition to the candom, Getagadget also has the condom keychain, safe watch, and safe soap. The condom keychain, also being used by Durex, is a keychain that houses one condom covered by a customizable, often humorous insert. The safe watch is a digital watch with one condom in each wrist band and is also imprintable. Safe soap is a hemisphere shaped hand soap with a condom inside. Visit the Candom website to learn more about these promotional products and get a free sample. http://www.totallyfreestuff.com/index.asp?ID=2504&tfsnews=yes

Just E Of Atlanta--- 72 degrees Gas prices--- .85---.95---1.05 Cece

----- Original Message ----- From: "Spring" ~*~ SELECTIVE PRINTING. Sometimes we want to print a selected passage from a Web page, and that's easy with MS Internet Explorer. Just highlight the desired text, use CTRL + P, and in the Print window, click on Selection from the Print Range selection, then OK. The same capability doesn't exist with Netscape Communicator where the Selection option is grayed out in the Print window. ~*~ Here's a cool little trick MS Internet Explorer users will like. If you're like me, you have WAY too many favorites. You click your Favorites folder and down drop hundreds of web sites. Well, here's a little trick that'll help: Click the "Favorites" menu then hit the first letter of the favorite you're looking for. The first item with that letter will be highlighted. If that isn't the right favorite, tap the letter again. The next favorite beginning with that letter will be highlighted. Once you land on the favorite you're trying to find, hit the Enter key. And, no, this doesn't work with Netscape ~*~ Q: Why does my monitor go black after about 15 minutes of not using the computer? A: Windows has a Power Management setting that will shut your monitor off after a specified amount of time. If you don't like when it's shutting the monitor off, you can change it by doing the following: 1. Hit the Start button, Settings, Control Panel. Then open the Power Management icon. 2. Look for the "Turn off monitor" drop box (it's towards the bottom). Select the amount of time you want the computer to wait before shutting off the monitor, or tell it not to shut the monitor off at all. ~*~ Have you ever copied a hunk of text that was overly-formatted? You know, italic, underlined, and written in some really strange looking font that's next to impossible to read. When you paste it into your word processor, chances are that it retains all those properties. Now, you could go and try to re-format the text back into something normal, but that can sometimes prove problematic. A better way is to copy the text into Notepad and let it remove the formatting automatically. After you paste the text in, all you're left with is plain text than can be pasted into any word processing application. ~*~ This tip applies to Windows 98. There's a quick way to add a program to the Start menu, but it's not very versatile. The more-involved way lets you add a program's icon anyplace on the menu. But if you simply want the program's icon on the menu now, and you don't care about location, try this: Open the My Computer or Explorer program and find the folder containing your program. Then drag the program's icon over to the Start button and let go. Point at the program and, while holding down the mouse button, point at the Start button. When the icon hovers over the Start button, let go of the mouse button. Now, when you click the Start button, you see your newly installed program's icon at the very top. ~*~ Notepad Word Wrap Notepad has an option in it that allows you to have words wrap to the next line if you begin typing too far over. One little quirk is that when you're printing, regardless of the word wrap setting, Windows and the printer will automatically wrap printed text for you based on the margins of the printer. You can change these margins, if necessary, from the Page Setup menu located within the File menu of Notepad. ~*~ If you're moving files or folders around on your desktop, you can always stop a drag-and-drop operation by pressing the Esc key before you drop the file or folder. This is useful if you're moving a folder and you suddenly realize you didn't mean to. Pressing Esc leaves the file exactly where it started, without you having to put it back in exactly the right place. ~*~ The Recycle bin holds files that you delete, in case you need to resurrect them from the great digital beyond. It only holds a limited amount, so even if you never empty it, you won't end up with a hard drive full of old, deleted files. By the way, if you would like to restore a deleted file, just double-click the recycle bin and right-click the file you would like to restore. A small menu will materialize and give you a restore option. To completely empty the recycle bin, right-click and select "Empty Recycle Bin" from the resulting menu. All those little files will be gone forever. ~*~ So, you have unwanted programs leeching off your hard drive, huh? You usually have two program expulsion options. The first, and usually best, is to click your Start button, Programs, and select the program folder (group) in question. Usually, in addition to the program shortcut, there's also an uninstall program you can run. If there's not, try the Add & Remove Programs option. Hit Start, Settings, Control Panel and open the "Add / Remove Programs" icon. Most 32 bit programs should be listed there (older 16 bit dos & win 3.1 programs usually aren't). Just select the one you want taken off and click the Add/Remove button. ~*~ INDENTING PARAGRAPHS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT If you need to quote someone directly on your term paper or need a paragraph to stand out on your report, try double-indenting (or indenting your paragraph on both sides). Block or select your paragraph. Choose Format, Paragraph. Enter the amount of left indentation, say .5 for a half inch. Enter the amount of right indentation, say .5 for a half inch. Click OK. ~*~ If you want to close a window, but can't see the "X" in the upper right hand corner, there are a few things you can do. 1. If you can see any part of the blue title bar, point to it and drag the window by holding down the left mouse button. It may be as simple as moving the window to the left a bit so you can see the "X". 2. If you can't see any part of the blue title bar, but you can see the menu bar, click "File" and then "Close" or "Exit". 3. In Internet Explorer, if you can't see the menu bar, click once in the window to make sure it is the active window, then press the "Alt" key followed by the "F" key and the "C" key. 4. In any window, click once on the window to make sure it is active, then hold down the "Alt" key and press the "F4" key (way up in the top row of your keyboard). The window will automatically close. ~*~ Selecting Items: To select an object (icon), you simply "click it" once with your left mouse button. But what if you want to select more than one object at a time? Try left-clicking & dragging your cursor (starting in a blank area)... you should then be in control of a resizable rectangle. At that point, you can highlight any given set of icons so that they become selected (on your Desktop or in the Windows Explorer). Once you've selected a series of objects, you can manipulate them by right-clicking or dragging & dropping one of the icons. Let's say you've got a series of objects (icons) selected in the Windows Explorer. However, you're wanting to deselect a few individual icons. Instead of continually left-clicking & dragging, hover your cursor over a selected icon, hold down the CTRL key, and left-click the object. It will immediately become "unselected." Conversely, if you wish to select an icon, you can use the same method (use the CTRL key when left-clicking upon an unselected object). Your selection (or deselection) will be cumulative. In a similar vein, depressing the SHIFT key while selecting an object will allow you to select every item in between that one and the next one you left-click upon (while still depressing the SHIFT key). ~*~ WHAT IS A WORKGROUP A "workgroup" is a collection of Windows computers that are grouped together because they're all doing the same kind of work or they're all in the same department. Within the workgroup, all the computers are "peers," and the users themselves decide what is shared with the other members of the group. Workgroups can be part of an actual client/server network. If you're assigned to a workgroup, you either log onto the workgroup or you log onto the domain (a collection of computers on a network) you're part of. ~*~ This tip applies to Windows 98 and Windows Me. You can run the start menus with your keyboard. The most important keyboard combination is Ctrl+Esc (press Ctrl and then press Esc), which displays the main Start menu. The Windows key on the Windows keyboard also displays the Start menu. ~*~ Need several copies of the same disk? Here's a shortcut to create all those duplicate copies: I) Right-click on your desktop, select New | Shortcut II) In the Create Shortcut dialog box, key DISKCOPY A: A: then click the Next button. III) Key a name for your shortcut, Next; and then select an icon and Finish. To make your copies, double-click your new shortcut. A DOS window will open and you'll be prompted to insert your source disk. After the source is read, you'll be prompted to remove the original disk and put in a blank. The contents of the source disk will be copied to the blank, and then you'll be asked if you want to make another copy of the same disk. Answer "Y" and continue to feed diskettes until you've made all the copies you need. ~*~ Safe Shutdowns When your computer stops responding to your actions and you're stuck (i.e., clicking a button yields no response, your mouse pointer won't move, or a program stubbornly refuses to close), suppress the impulse to reach for the reset button on your PC. The ongoing health of your Windows installation depends in part on clean shutdowns (where you choose Start, Shutdown, Shutdown -- and wait for the "It's now safe to turn off your computer" message) at the end of each Windows session. Too many incomplete shutdowns and abrupt reboots can damage system files and adversely impact the performance of Windows. Try this instead: press Ctrl+Alt+Del. The Close Program dialog box opens, listing all of the programs running on your PC at the moment. Look for the program with "(not responding)" at the end of its listing. Select it and click End Task. If it can, Windows will close this wayward program, freeing you up to save the work in your other programs, so you can then do a proper shutdown or reboot. ~*~ Do I have to shut down all my software before I shut my computer down? A: Not really. Windows will shut things down for you, which can be a real time saver if you have a dozen open programs. However, note that if you have stuff pending (like unsaved documents) Windows will ask if you want to save this stuff before it shuts down. Also note that if you have an open folder, you'll find that it gets re-opened when Windows starts the next time. ~*~ This tip applies to Windows 98 and Windows Me. Some toolbars -- such as the Links bar for the My Computer window -- have handle controls. These vertical lines at the ends of the toolbar can be dragged to change the bar size. You can also double-click on the handle controls to expand the toolbar so it takes up most of the width of the window, pushing aside any other toolbars on its shared line. ~*~ Do you ever find yourself on a web page that has a list of links and you want to check them all out? To make my browsing faster, I right click on a link and click on "Open in New Window". This will open the next page in it's own window, and while it is waiting to load, I can be scrolling thru my list of links to see what else I want to check out. If your computer has enough memory, you can have four or more web pages open at once, and switch between them by clicking on their buttons on the task bar.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Spring" ~*~ FLUSH LEFT AND FLUSH RIGHT ON THE SAME LINE This is a quick and dirty tip on how to have seemingly contradictory alignments on the same line. In Word, this trick is done with tabs. In a nutshell, you follow these steps: 1. Make sure the paragraph is formatted as left-aligned. 2. Choose Tabs from the Format menu. You will see the Tabs dialog box. 3. Insert a right-aligned tab near the right edge of the line. 4. Click on Set. 5. Click on OK. 6. Type your text. Press the Tab key between the information to be left-aligned and the information you want right-aligned. This trick works great if the information you are formatting is limited to a single line. As an example, this can easily work for a chapter name and page number in a header or footer. (You know; the chapter name appears a the left and the page number at the right.) If you need to accomplish the same task for multiple lines, then it is best to use a small table with two or three cells. The left-most cell of the table can be for the left-aligned information, and the right-most cell can be used for right-aligned information. The center cell (if you choose to use one) is used for spacing purposes. ~*~ NUMBERING YOUR OUTLINE When you normally use Outline view, Word for Windows displays only the headings you specify. These headings are not numbered. To make your outline conform to traditional outline numbering guidelines, you may want to number the headings in your outline. The way in which you do this depends on the version of Word you are using. If you are using Word 6 or Word 95, use the following steps: 1. Choose the Heading Numbering option from the Format menu. This displays the Heading Numbering dialog box. 2. Click on the numbering style you want to use. 3. If you are satisfied with the numbering style, proceed to Step 8. 4. Click on the Modify button. This displays the Modify Heading Numbering dialog box. 5. In the right side of the dialog box, choose the heading level for which you want to modify the numbering. 6. Make the desired changes in the numbering, text, and position related to the heading level. 7. Click on OK to close the Modify Heading Numbering dialog box. 8. Click on OK to close the Heading Numbering dialog box. The numbering you specified is applied to each heading in your document. If you are using Word 97 or Word 2000, you can accomplish the same task by following these steps: 1. Choose the Bullets and Numbering option from the Format menu. This displays the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. 2. Click on the Outline Numbered tab. 3. Click on the numbering style you want to use. 4. If you are satisfied with the numbering style, proceed to Step 10. 5. Click on the Customize button. This displays the Customize Outline Numbered List dialog box. 6. At the left side of the dialog box, choose the heading level for which you want to modify the numbering. 7. Make the desired changes in the numbering, text, and position related to the heading level. 8. Click on the More button to view additional customization options. 9. Click on OK to close the Customize Outline Numbered List dialog box. 10. Click on OK to close the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. The numbering you specified is applied to each heading in your document. At some point in time you may decide you want to remove the numbers from your outline. Using Word 6 or Word 95, this is done in the following manner: 1. Choose the Heading Numbering option from the Format menu. This displays the Heading Numbering dialog box. 2. Click on the Remove button. 3. Click on OK to close the Heading Numbering dialog box. All numbering is removed from your headings. You can remove outline numbering using Word 97 or Word 2000 by following these steps: 1. Choose the Bullets and Numbering option from the Format menu. This displays the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. 2. Click on the Outline Numbered tab. 3. Click on the None option. 4. Click on OK to close the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. The numbering is removed from your headings. ~*~ INSERTING AND DELETING FOOTNOTES Footnotes are used to provide printed annotations or references for a document. If you want to insert a footnote in your document, follow these steps: 1. Position the insertion point where you want the footnote mark to be located. 2. Choose Footnote from the Insert menu. You will see the Footnote and Endnote dialog box appear. 3. Click on OK. A footnote mark appears in your document. If you are in Normal view, the Footnotes window is displayed at the bottom of the document window. If you are in Page Layout view, the insertion point moves to the bottom of the page where the footnote will appear. 4. Enter your footnote, formatting it as you would any other text in your document. 5. If the Footnotes window is visible, click on Close at the top of the Footnotes window. If you have previously inserted footnotes into your document, and you want to later delete one of them, follow these steps: 1. Highlight the footnote reference mark in your document. 2. Press either Del or Ctrl+X. The footnote is deleted, and if you are using auto-numbered footnotes, the remaining footnotes in your document are renumbered. ~*~ Quickly Changing Case In Word Documents Suppose you've just finished writing a paper for school in Word 2000, when you notice that some of your capitalization is incorrect. You can select the word and choose Format/Change Case and go from there. But, if you'd rather not use the mouse, you can simply click inside the word you want to change and press Shift + F3. Each time you press Shift + F3, Word will move to a new case type. Just keep pressing the key combination until you get the one you want. ~*~ One way to get a more professional look in some of your papers is to use columns like a newsletter. To make a two-column paper, choose Format/Columns. When the Columns dialog box opens, look under "Presets" and double click "Two." ~*~ CHANGING COLUMN WIDTH Once you add columns to your document, you may decide you want to adjust the width of the columns. Word allows you to quickly adjust the width of individual columns in your document, as well as the space between columns. You can change the width of columns in your document in the following manner: 1. Position the insertion pointer somewhere within the text that is already formatted for columns. 2. Choose the Columns option from the Format menu. The Columns dialog box appears. 3. Clear the Equal Column Width check box if you don't want your columns to be an equal width. 4. In the Width and Spacing area of the dialog box, adjust the width and spacing (the space between columns) to reflect your desired page appearance. (As you adjust one number, other columns and widths may be adjusted automatically. All these numbers are inter-related.) 5. Click on OK. ~*~ CHANGING MEASUREMENT UNITS Word allows you to modify your work environment extensively. One of the changes you can make involves the default units of measurement used in dialog boxes and on the ruler. By default, Word uses inches, but you can customize the program so it will use centimeters, picas, or points. To change the default measurement units, follow these steps: 1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. You will see the Options dialog box. 2. Click on the General tab. 3. In the Measurement Units pull-down list, select the units of measurement you want used by default. 4. Click on OK. ~*~ RENAMING A DOCUMENT There is no intrinsic command within Word that allows you to rename documents or files, as there is in some other programs. It is true that you can simply save a document out under a new name, but that results in two files on your drive instead of one. You can use the following steps to rename a document quickly and easily, all within Word: 1. Make sure the document you want to rename is not loaded into Word. (Close it if it is loaded.) 2. Click on the Open tool on the toolbar, or choose Open from the File menu. You will see the Open dialog box. 3. In the list of files contained in the dialog box, right-click on the one you want to rename. This displays a Context menu for the document. 4. Choose Rename from the Context menu. The document name is highlighted, and you have the opportunity to change the name. 5. Once the document name is changed, press Enter. 6. Close the Open dialog box by clicking on Cancel. ~*~ Changing The Office 2000 Assistant If you don't mind the Office Assistant, but you are getting sick of the obnoxious paperclip, why not try one of the other cartoons? To do this, run Word (or Excel) and press F1 to open the Office Assistant. Click Options and when the dialog box opens, click the Gallery tab. Click Next (repeatedly) to see what characters are available and select the one you like. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your selection. If you didn't load all the characters when you install Office 2000, you'll need to insert your installation disc and follow the instructions from there. ~*~ RESTORING LOST WINDOW SETTINGS For some reason, certain applications seem to lose the window view in Windows 95. When the window (restore) icon is selected, the application disappears from the screen, and the only indication that the program is active is the task on the Task Bar. The only way to get the application back is to right click the task (on the Task Bar) and select Maximize. There are applications on the market that allow you to view the settings for all windows and then modify them, as desired. (One example is Microsoft's Spy++, which is available with a couple of their high-level development systems.) The poor-person's solution to the problem, however, is the following: 1. Load another application in addition to the one that is giving you problems. 2. Right-click on the Task Bar (not on an individual task). 3. Choose Cascade, Tile Horizontally, or Tile Vertically (it doesn't matter which one). 4. Close the application you loaded in step 1. 5. Resize your remaining application window as desired. ~*~ USING SEARCH TEXT IN THE REPLACEMENT Word for Windows has a very powerful search-and-replace function. There may be times when you want to simply add something to your document, for instance, you may want to replace all occurrences of Betty Boop with Ms. Betty Boop, Esq. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Choose Replace from the Edit menu. You will see the Replace dialog box. (In Word 97 and Word 2000, you see the Find and Replace dialog box.) 2. In the Find What box, enter Betty Boop. 3. In the Replace With box, enter Ms. ^&, Esq. (Word will use the text in the Find What box in place of the ^& characters.) 4. Click on Find Next. 5. Make replacements as desired. ~*~ SEEING WHERE BOOKMARKS ARE The bookmarking feature in Word has many uses. As you start to learn those uses and create more and more bookmarks, it can be difficult to remember where bookmarks are in your documents. While you can easily jump from one bookmark to another, sometimes it is easier to just see where your bookmarks are at a glance. Word makes this easy by following these steps: 1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. This displays the Options dialog box. 2. Make sure the View tab is selected. 3. Make sure the Bookmarks check box is selected. 4. Click on OK. Now you will see small, gray brackets around words or phrases that are bookmarked. If you see a small gray I-beam in your text, it means there is a bookmark set at that single location, rather than a word or phrase specified. These marks appear only on the screen; they do not print out with the document. If you reverse the above steps, the bookmark indicators are removed from the screen. ~*~ A CLOSE BUTTON FOR WORD In the Word toolbar, you'll see buttons for New, Open, and Save. But, there is no button for Close. If you would like to add a Close button to Word, right-click the toolbar and choose Customize. When the Customize dialog box opens, click the Commands tab. Now, scroll down through the commands (the right side of the dialog box) and locate the Close icon. Use your mouse to drag the icon to your toolbar next to the Open button. Click Close to close the dialog box and save your new selection. ~*~ LOCKING A FIELD There may be times, after you have inserted a field, when you want to make sure it does not get updated. You can accomplish this by locking the field. Locking prevents a field from being updated; the last result is kept until you unlock the field and then update it. To lock a field, perform these steps: 1. Select the field you want to lock. 2. Update the field, if desired, by pressing Shift+F9. 3. Press Ctrl+F11. If you later want to unlock the field, you can follow these steps: 1. Select the field you want to unlock. 2. Press Ctrl+Shift+F11. ~*~ Auto Correcting Partial Words In Word Here's a little-used Word 2000 feature for you--you can use AutoCorrect to correct partial words. For example, if you commonly type the ending 'tion' as 'toin,' you could configure AutoCorrect to correct just the ending. To do this, choose Tools/AutoCorrect. When AutoCorrect opens, type toin into the 'Replace' entry box. Now, type tion into the 'With' entry box. Click Add, then click OK. If you now type in 'natoin' AutoCorrect will turn it into 'nation'. Note that you must be very careful about correcting partial words. You could end up incorrectly correcting correct words, turning them into incorrect words. ~*~ Smaller PowerPoint Files When you create a PowerPoint presentation to go on the road, you'll want to have the smallest files possible. One way to achieve this goal is to avoid using BMP files and use JPG instead. JPG files are usually highly compressed, and you really can't tell the difference between the qualities of the two images when shown on a screen. ~*~ Viewing Special Files In Word Let's imagine that you have a large number of files in your Word data folder. These files are not all DOC files--some are RTF, some are TXT, etc. So, you choose File/Open and then click the arrow at the right side of the 'File of type' list box and select 'All Files (*.*). Now click Cancel. The next time you choose File/Open, you will see all the files in your data folder. What if you want to see only RTF files right now, but, you don't want to change 'Files of type' each time you need a new file? What you do is choose File/Open and type in the 'File name' entry box '*.rtf'. Now, only the RTF files will appear and you can make your selection.

opps ..was snagging for paul.. teehee thanks eric!! > marinate venison or moose steaks in italian salad dressing for several > hours, then bbq > > Crockpot Venison > 4 venison chop/steaks > 1 onion, sliced > 2 tsp italian seasoning > 1 tsp garlic powder > 1 28oz tin tomatoes > Place venison in crockpot and sprinkle with herbs. Add onion and cover > with tomatoes. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice. > > dh makes his own sausage using ground venison and ground pork or beef > > last year I had quite a bit of venison made into ground > then you can use is any way that use would use ground beef > lasagne, chili, spaghetti, meatballs, hamburger helper etc etc > > Venison Jerky > 1 1/2 lbs. Venison > 1/2 tsp. Season Salt > 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder > 1 tsp. Onion Powder > 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce > 1/2 cup Soy Sauce > 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper > 1 tsp. Liquid Smoke (if desired) > 1 tsp. Ac'cent > Cut venison with the grain about 1/8 inch thick. > Mix all other ingredients, and blend thoroughly. > Marinade venison in mixture for 8 hrs. > Cover oven rack with foil and layer strips side by > side on foil. Leave oven door ajar. Cook on lowest setting for 8 hrs. > Turn oven off, leaving door ajar dry for an additional 8 hrs. >