I see the local merchants are trying to gear us up for another buying frenzy. My Wegman's grocery store, which normally I love, put out Halloween candy displays in early September, which I did not appreciate. Now they're trying to get us to buy orange lights and huge display items featuring skeletons, etc., to decorate the outside of our houses, much as we do at Christmas. And I notice that with each passing year more people in our neighborhood are putting up these displays.

     Halloween is a holiday I could cheerfully do without. It's a celebration of death, whereas the two great Christian festivals, Christmas and Easter, celebrate life.

     In centuries past, European pagans believed that the membrane separating the living from the dead was thinnest on the night of October 31. The Church partially took over this occasion, calling the following day, November 1, All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day, a day to remember the sainted dead. Hallows Evening, or Halloween, has come to be about the non-sainted dead. The jack-o'-lantern was originally supposed to show the torment of a lost soul in hell.

     And, as I said, I could cheerfully do without the whole thing.

     On a happier note, DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE LAST SECTION OF THIS NEWSLETTER, WHICH TELLS YOU HOW TO FIND BARGAINS ON THE INTERNET. Because so many bargains are out there, and, inevitably, some gyps as well, we can all do with a guide to the best. I'll have more about this in later issues too.

     Janette

1. NOT YOUR NORMAL SCREENSAVER

     You can now download AARON, a program that will create one freshly painted work of art after another - works of art never seen before - as a screensaver on your computer. Most of the paintings are abstract, but some include figures. AARON represents the life work of Dr. Harold Cohen, head of the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts at the University of California. You can use the following site about Aaron to begin a study of AI (artificial intelligence or machine intelligence), or you can simply download for free and enjoy a screensaver like no one else's.

http://www.kurzweilcyberart.com/

     Learn more about Dr. Cohen's work at

http://www.usask.ca/art/digital_culture/wiebe/index.html

2. SHAREWARE.COM

     SHAREWARE is software you can download for free, but, if you like it, the creator would appreciate payment.

     This site at first glance looks like a total guy site, with software to solve computer problems I would never have in my wildest dreams. But, if you're not a guy, or you're not interested in Advanced Computerism, try clicking on Home & Education at the bottom of the right-hand column. Then poke through the categories in the left-hand steering column that comes up. I think you'll find some nifty items.

http://www.shareware.com/

3. BIBLE GATEWAY

     Most Bible concordances are frustrating. They'll list the names of obscure villages appearing just once in the Bible but fail to list common scriptures whose exact location you've forgotten.

     Well, no longer are we at their peanut-headed mercy. The BIBLE GATEWAY website has Bible texts in languages ranging from Amharic to Romanian, including more than twenty English language translations. You can find a verse you want by searching for key words, or you can dig in and explore study topics. It's great!

http://www.biblegateway.com/

4. CHRISTIAN NEWS

     AGAPE PRESS reports news from a Christian perspective. I have to say that the news is no more cheerful than secular news, but you get to worry about different things. So, give it a look, and if you like it, you can sign up for free emails summarizing the news. Or, for a price, you can put their news onto your website. This is an excellent site for ministers, teachers, and newsletter editors who would use this information in their work.

http://www.agapepress.org/

5. COOL ANIMAL PAGES

     Each month the people on this website showcase different animal sites. They also sell "cool animal books and posters." These are especially suited to kids and teens and a good place for older people to find gifts for cool kids and teens who love animals. Or, come to think of it, for cool grownups who love animals.

     The site also gives the following quote by Winston Churchill: "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."

http://www.coolanimalpages.com/

6. CHRONIC PAIN

     If you or someone you know has unrelenting pain NOT connected to cancer, here are some helpful websites:

     The Mayo Clinic's website has the following article on the subject:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-pain/PN00048

     You'll find at the site below articles written by physicians specifically for those with chronic neck and back pain:

http://spine-health.com/

     Next, on this U.S. government site, select "P" and then "Pain - Chronic." Among other things, you'll find scientific studies now being conducted on chronic pain; perhaps you can participate in one.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/disorder_index.htm

     And music surprisingly helps those with chronic pain. Find a summary of the research here:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03860.x

7. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE . . .

     If you know someone who can use the information on any of these sites, please do forward the e-mail containing the link to this newsletter. I try to list sites that are valuable to a wide selection of people, in the hope that each issue will really hit some nail on the head for someone.

     And then again there's . . .

8. RITZ CRACKER ICE CREAM?

     Yep. Ben and Jerry, the famous ice cream people, gave it their top award in a recent ice cream contest. I couldn't find a recipe, but you can get details here, and maybe you can piece together the recipe that way:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/07/AR2006100700230.html

     Are you feeling sad because you weren't able to work out the recipe for Ritz Cracker Ice Cream? Dry your little eyes. You'll find at the address below a recipe for RITZ CRACKER APPLE PIE that is probably just as good. It is reputed to taste just like apple pie, though it has no apples.

http://www.supernaturale.com/glitter/viewtopic.php?t=26155

9. RECIPE: ICE CREAM PORCUPINES

     So that you won't think I'm limited to desserts with Ritz Crackers, here's a recipe for Ice Cream Porcupines that is good for a giggle at kids' parties:

     Scoop balls of ice cream onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet; place in the freezer to firm up. Insert salted peanuts into the ice cream balls so they resemble porcupines. Serve in dessert dishes drizzled with chocolate sauce. Use the recipe below or use purchased chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

     In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with whipping cream, stirring constantly. Continue to cook until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth and blended. Stir in vanilla. Keep chocolate sauce refrigerated for up to 10 days.

     The above recipe came from: http://southernfood.about.com/cs/kidfriendlyfood/a/bl30926a.htm

SPECIAL SECTION: FINDING BARGAINS ON THE INTERNET

     This is a huge topic, and I'll cover just part of it this time. More will come later.

     You have, of course, purchased INTERNET PREDATORS ON THE PROWL! at just $2.95, so no criminal will get your credit information while you buy these online bargains. If not, you can either buy the ebook by going to http://tourthesites.com/

     Or, if you are unable to purchase it FOR ANY REASON, write me at Newsletter@tourthesites.com and I will send you A FREE COPY. I have already sent out a number of free copies and would much rather do that than see any of you get in trouble.

     And here's a helpful suggestion from the book:

10. SELECT THE BEST CREDIT CARD FOR YOU

     As a safety measure, it's a good idea to do all online purchases using just one low-limit credit card (NEVER a debit card) for the entire family. That way, if you do get nailed by some criminal, they'll only get the one number, which you promptly cancel. If they nail your debit card number, on the other hand, they've also nailed your bank account. Not good.

     You don't need to wait until a credit card company offers you a suitable card, however. You can go to the CREDIT CARD BASICS website below, check out the credit cards available, and, if your credit is all right, you can simply pick out the card that suits you rather than the one that suits the credit card company.

     This CREDIT CARD BASICS website does something else: it tells you about the sneaky little things that can end up costing you money. Now, you already know a lot of this stuff. But most of us have learned about credit cards on the fly and have never settled down to really study the details. So please do check out these basics. Find out which credit cards are really best for you and your family. A few minutes now can save you hundreds of dollars later.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/green/cc/basics-toc.asp

11. CONSUMER REPORTS

     We're spoiled. We're used to finding every sort of information for free on the Internet. An exception is Consumer Reports. They do expensive research to find the best products, and they naturally feel that the people who benefit from this research should pay for it. So you can go to their website, but they won't tell you nothin' for free. A friend who is a thorough type says that you can buy just a three-month subscription to Consumer Reports, however. He was moving to a new home, and that subscription enabled him to find the best products for it.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

12. CONSUMER SEARCH

     But before you buy that subscription to Consumer Reports, do check out CONSUMER SEARCH. They read numerous reviews, including those of Consumer Reports, and summarize them FOR FREE on their website.

     On this amazing website, once you've checked out the research on, say, refrigerators, you click on "Where to Buy" and they list the main online bargain sites and what each one charges for those particular refrigerators!

     It's enough to make your toes tingle!

http://consumersearch.com/

13. SHOPPING.COM

     A "big," catchy name like Shopping.com costs thousands of dollars and is, of course, worth millions. So it's no surprise that the name and the website are owned by an organization with deep pockets: eBay.

     On Shopping.com you can find almost any purchasable product, read reviews of it by consumers, and see which merchant will give you the best price. And, since the merchants are competing, some of those prices will be very, very good.

     It's very, very good deal.

http://shopping.com/

     But, before you get too happy, the SANS Internet Storm Center - http://isc.sans.org/ - which tracks hacker attacks worldwide, says that merchants who are low bidders at sites such as Shopping.com and Froogle.com may steal your credit card information. The best selection is a low bidder with an established reputation. And of course you're limiting your liability by using the same low-limit credit card for all Internet purchases.

14. GREAT BUYS ON CDs, DVDs, BOOKS, GAMES

     eBay owns HALF.COM too, and you can use it to find great bargains on books, music, and games. They have popular fiction for just 75 cents a copy. HALF.COM also offers gift certificates, a good idea for birthday and Christmas gifts for children and young people.

http://www.half.ebay.com/

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MISSED SOME ISSUES?

     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.