I was distressed to find Tour the Sites readers have stayed away in droves from my ebook, Internet Predators on the Prowl! I wrote it because the days when you were safe as long as you had a good antivirus and didn't click on attachments from strangers are over! Hundreds of criminal hackers now prowl the Internet hijacking millions of computers with holes in their protective armor. Any little hole is sufficient to let a hijacker in.

     Because these criminals come from many countries, it's difficult to prosecute them. The U.S. government has prosecuted exactly two (2), in both cases because they'd nailed computers belonging to the U.S. military, including ones with top-secret information. One of the two hijackers had hijacked 400,000 computers, which gives you an idea of what's happening.

     I'd estimate that between 90% and 95% of you have insufficient protection, and many of you are wide open for a hijacking. If you got the free firewall I told you about, you're better off than most, but even that is not enough.

     Two authorities have reviewed Internet Predators on the Prowl! Both said I'd done a good job of helping ordinary people protect themselves at low cost. The first authority is John Bambenek from the SANS Internet Storm Center, which monitors hacker attacks worldwide. Find it at http://isc.sans.org/

     The other one who thought I'd done a good job on the book is Brian Krebs, the Washington Post's authority on spyware. Find his blog at

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/

     I priced Internet Predators on the Prowl! at $2.95, figuring that everyone could afford that, but I don't want a single one of you to be hijacked. Now, I don't think it's the $2.95 price that has stood in your way. More likely you don't have a credit card you could use, or you had problems with the shopping cart. If you are unable to purchase the book through my shopping cart - FOR ANY REASON - simply send an e-mail requesting the book to Newsletter@tourthesites.com.

     AND I WILL MAIL YOU A FREE COPY! Because I don't want you to get hurt.

     So, buy the ebook through

http://tourthesites.com/

     Or send me an e-mail asking for a free copy, because I don't want you good people to get hijacked, and I mean it.

     Janette Blackwell

----Table of Contents----

1. Politics Rears Its Ugly/Beautiful Head
2. Ask Leo Your Computer Questions
3. E-Mail In Your Own Handwriting
4. Diabella Loves Cats
5. Giving To Others
6. Volunteer Match
7. Charity Navigator
8. Starting A New Business?
9. Professionals From Around The World
10. Work At Home
11. Writers' Resources
12. Food For A Complicated World
13. Recipe: White Chicken Chili

1. POLITICS REARS ITS UGLY/BEAUTIFUL HEAD

     I steer clear of partisan politics in this newsletter, but since the U.S. is having its off-season (non-presidential) elections this November, I think it's important that my U.S. readers be able to get the facts about what's happening in Washington. In November you'll be voting on the whole House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, and many governors and state and local candidates.

     I'm telling you first about a wonderful, wonderful site (had to give it a double wonderful). It's nonpartisan and a 2006 Webby Award nominee.

     GOVTRACK lets you first find out just who represents you in Congress, which (ahem) you already know of course, but now you can double check the names. Then it "brings together information on the status of federal legislation, voting records, and campaign contributions."

     So now you can find out exactly what your representatives have been doing in Washington. Congress goes into recess this weekend so that members can campaign for re-election. You can, however, sign up for automatic e-mails telling you when action will be taking place on a certain topic, once the election is over and Congress is back in session.

http://www.govtrack.us/

     FACT CHECK. Don't you hate it when political candidates throw mud at one another? Sometimes both candidates wind up so covered in mud they look like garden plots. And I don't like being represented in Congress by a piece of dirt, though goodness knows it can happen.

     Fact Check, another wonderful website, won't stop the candidates from throwing mud, but it will tell you the real facts behind the mud. When I looked, it listed mud thrown by both Republicans and Democrats, and I believe it is as nonpartisan as it claims. It says that it "accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation."

     This time, when you vote, you'll have the TRUE facts and ALL the facts, thanks to the Internet.

http://factcheck.org/

2. ASK LEO YOUR COMPUTER QUESTIONS

     I love this man. Leo Notenboom allows you to ask computer questions that he personally answers. Most websites that help with computer problems either throw you and your question into a forum or make you poke around all day trying to find the answer in a long impersonal list. Today the question on Leo's front page is "How do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?" Which to me is a good question. But I must admit that Leo has already answered most of the obvious questions you and I might have, and you may have to look through his backlog of questions to find answers to other problems. He is nice enough, however, to arrange his frequently asked questions into categories, so you don't have to poke around so long.

     You can subscribe to Leo's weekly newsletter and get more solutions to computer problems, some of them problems you'd never be technically advanced enough to have in a million years. Or you can just wait until you have a problem and come to his site:

http://ask-leo.com/

3. E-MAIL IN YOUR OWN HANDWRITING

     Miss Manners still thinks you should send invitations and thank-you notes in your own handwriting. What about an e-mail in your own handwriting? I don't think Miss Manners would shout "Hurrah!" but she might hide a discreet giggle behind her gloved fingers. See what it's all about at

http://www.fontifier.com/

     They have a number of other uses for this handwriting software, including "create fonts as a fun and educational activity for children." And "create fonts of runes and other secret writing systems." Which makes me think of children at the age when they like secret codes, secret societies, and, as mentioned above, secret writing systems. (I was ten or eleven when I created a secret alphabet for our "secret club," if that's any help to you. Our secret club, as I recall, went swimmingly until we ran into a major obstacle: we couldn't think of any secrets.)

     Fontifier is a good gift for a child at a secretive age, or for an adult who likes to fool around with software. It costs all of $9.

4. DIABELLA LOVES CATS

     This site keeps getting better and better. It is obviously a labor of love on Diabella's part. It's a graphically gorgeous and unusual site, with its own piped-in music. If you love cats, take some time to explore it, and have yourself a good time.

http://diabellalovescats.com

5. GIVING TO OTHERS

     Would you like to create a "giving circle"? These are ideal for church groups, but other organizations might also be interested. You can even gather a group of friends who want to give to a certain charity. The group decides on the charity it wants and the amount it wants to give. The beauty of a giving circle is that one can do in-depth research to find the right charity, especially if you choose something local you can visit.

     Your group might also find helpful information on the Volunteer Match and Charity Navigator websites listed below. Find more information on giving circles at

http://www.givingforum.org/givingcircles/

6. VOLUNTEER MATCH

     This outstanding website helps match volunteers with organizations needing volunteers. It says, "Here are hundreds of ways to help out. With VolunteerMatch, it's never been easier to find a rewarding way to give back and make a difference." You fill out a form giving where you live, your skills, and some hints as to the type of volunteering that interests you, and they help you find a suitable organization. I suspect this site could be used for a group project as well as for individuals.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

     And last fall I wrote up a charitable giving website so good I'm listing it again:

7. CHARITY NAVIGATOR

     The wonderful Charity Navigator website will help you rate more than 3,500 charities according to how much of the money raised actually goes to the work being supported, and how much goes to staff and promotion. (A clue: you know how your local police and fire fighters seem to ask for donations every 15 minutes? They do that because most of the money they raise goes to the people who make your life miserable by telephoning you, and to their bosses. Generally, with this type of charity, only a small proportion goes to the charity itself.)

     You can see an alphabetical listing of the Charity Navigator's 3500 charities, or select according to topic, such as animals, environment, Christianity, or health. Once you zero in on a charity, you can ask for detailed information - even the CEO's salary! Won my heart right there.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

8. STARTING A NEW BUSINESS?

     If you or someone you know is starting a new business, do take a look at this site. It lists more than 600 "hand selected resources" on the Internet. Cayenne Consulting didn't create this website for fun, of course. They do "business plan consulting and financial modeling." But whether or not you use their services, do check out the great resources online.

http://www.caycon.com/resources.php

9. PROFESSIONALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

     No, this isn't a dating site. The LINKED IN website says it is "an online network of more than 7 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 130 industries. When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you." It is free to join, but you can select paid services as well.

http://www.linkedin.com/

10. WORK AT HOME

     Most Internet work-at-home schemes are gyps. This one isn't. It's just . . . highly imaginative, that's all. Marleen Roberts of Talewins.com gives you a number of imaginative money-making ideas, many of which she has tried at one point or another in her life. If you don't find anything that strikes you, and chances are you won't, her fertile imagination just might inspire your fertile imagination to fertilize some plan that will suit you and make money for you.

http://www.talewins.com/workathome.htm

11. WRITERS' RESOURCES

     Talewins also has free articles on many aspects of writing. Go to the main Talewins.com address listed below, and scroll clear down the page until you land on "Free articles for you to read." If you click on "how to make money by writing" halfway down, you'll wind up with the work-at-home schemes described in the item above this. But keep on scrollin' until you get to the articles.

     Talewins.com essentially fertilizes the imagination. I hope it helps your imagination produce a bountiful crop.

http://www.talewins.com/

12. FOOD FOR A COMPLICATED WORLD

     This site features "Kosher Vegan Lasagna and other recipes for an increasingly complicated world." The author is neither vegan nor Jewish; she just likes to cook for people who are. The recipes have a tendency to be good for you without tasting that way, if you follow my meaning, as in her "Kosher Lite Apple Cinnamon Muffins."

     The author, Chris Rachael, was apparently in Weight Watchers, because she lists a version of their famous vegetable soup under "Kosher Vegan Lite Confetti Soup." Which soup, eaten for dinner, makes the pounds melt like snowballs in July - or so they testified with fervor when my husband Bill and I attended Weight Watchers meetings. During those meetings Bill sat silently beside me, hoping with equal fervor that I wouldn't turn vegetarian on him. He has always been afraid I might. Let me add that he still gets meat.

     The author of this food blog quit publishing sometime in 2005. A pity, but she left some nice recipes. That sort of thing happens a lot on the Internet. At some point the author will probably get tired of paying rent for a domain she no longer uses and will cancel the site. So hop in there now and print out the recipes that sound best to you, because they may not be around much longer.

http://koshervegan.blogspot.com/

13. RECIPE: WHITE CHICKEN CHILE

     This recipe comes from:

     A lot of low-calorie recipes taste puny. Not the ones on this site. Whoever did these recipes cooks Southwestern style with plenty of seasoning. I always get extra hungry in fall - I suspect my body is preparing me for the winter. If you are the same, try LowfatLifestyle.com for some hearty, spicy recipes that don't have a lot of calories.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 - 15.5 ounce cans white beans
2 pounds cooked, cubed chicken breast
2 to 4 ounce can green chopped chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
fat-free sour cream for topping (optional)
fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

     Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil, or skip the oil and sauté in a little of the chicken broth. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

     Top with fat-free sour cream (optional) and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve with baked tortilla chips and a green salad.

Servings: 8

Per Serving: 349 Calories
3g Fat (6.7% calories from fat)
42g Protein
41g Carbohydrates
9g Dietary Fiber
66mg Cholesterol
210mg Sodium

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     Find back issues of Tour the Sites (formerly Tastebud Tango) at http://foodandfiction.com/Archives/index.html

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WARNING!

     If your e-mail box sometimes gets full, you are in danger of falling off the subscription list of Tour the Sites. Not because I want to lose you, but because, if your box is full when I send out a newsletter, you are automatically kicked off the list. I don't like that policy, but I don't have any say. If you change your e-mail address or get a new kind of spam filter, you may also fall off. So do keep an eye on your newsletters, which should arrive around the first and fifteenth of each month. If you haven't gotten one for a month, let me know and I'll be happy to put you back on the mailing list. Because I'd really hate to lose you.

Janette
Newsletter@tourthesites.com

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© Copyright 2006 Janette G. Blackwell. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this newsletter for noncommercial, personal use only. You may forward a copy to someone else as long as the copyright notice is included. Any other use of the materials in this newsletter without prior written permission is prohibited.