If you look at this newsletter before the Labor Day weekend, you'll see a listing for a website called "OutletBound." It tells you about all the outlets and factory stores in your area - or in the area you'll be visiting this weekend.

     So have a good weekend, and when you get back you'll find much more valuable, if somewhat spine chilling, information awaiting you.

----Table of Contents----

1. Outlets Galore
2. Your Address Isn't Private Any More
3. Do You Have Spyware On Your Computer?
4. Something More Relaxing
5. Why Am I Standing Here?
6. If You Know Someone
7. Save on Textbooks
8. From Another Country?
9. Quality Education Comes to Your Home
10. Explorations 4 Kids
11. More Than 2.5 Million Job Listings
12. Recipe: Heaven in a Loaf Pan

1. OUTLETS GALORE

     If you're an outlet fan, this website is a goldmine. It allows you to search "285 outlet centers and 12,700 factory stores." I found that, unless you have a particular store in mind, the best thing is to go to the lefthand column and twiddle the options there, especially "Brand Name" and "Category." The site has a great deal of information - the only challenge is to fish out what you want.

http://outletbound.com/

2. YOUR ADDRESS ISN'T PRIVATE ANY MORE

     Two subscribers told me about an Internet site, open to the world, which lists all our names and addresses. I checked into the matter and - hold your hats - this is by no means the only site that does that. I've heard that it's fairly easy to find personal information on the Internet, but the listings on the websites below not only blew off my hat, they left me sitting on the ground, dazed.

     Here's the new site that started it all. You're probably in it as well as in the others.

http://www.zabasearch.com/

     And here's the scary one:

http://privacyrights.org/ar/infobrokers.htm

     You'll note that, while you can get yourself off some of these sites, you are permanently listed on others, and, if you don't like it, tough luck.

3. DO YOU HAVE SPYWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER?

     For the last six months I've been working on an e-book called Internet Predators on the Prowl! It tells you how to protect yourself against identity theft. I didn't plan on the above Internet sites showing up, but they did, and they underscored the problem.

     The book is coming out in two weeks, but let me give some of its advice right now: Don't worry about some Internet criminal getting your address from an online site. They're all too busy using the huge mass of credit card numbers and other financial data they've collected from keyloggers over the last few months. . . . On the other hand, if your computer has a keylogger, then a criminal can access your address online and use the information to destroy you financially.

     What is a keylogger? It's the latest tool of Internet criminals. It's easy to get one on your computer and difficult to find out that you have it. Millions of people do have keyloggers or other forms of spyware on their computers right now - and I'm not exaggerating the number. A keylogger records all your keystrokes, thereby getting your financial data and passwords. Then the criminal uses this information to wipe you out.

     My book tells you how NOT to get a keylogger . . . and also tells what to do if you suspect you have one. The matter is too complicated to cover in this newsletter, but I'll give two things you can do right now, and they're both free: (1) Get a firewall, and (2) change your financial passwords after you have that firewall installed.

     A firewall is something we all need these days, whether or not we have keyloggers. It protects in several ways. Most important, if you do get a keylogger, it keeps the keylogger from "phoning home" to a criminal with your financial information. The free firewall with Windows XP will not do this, but the free ZoneAlarm firewall will.

     You once were safe online if you had a good antivirus program and didn't click on e-mail attachments from strangers. Those days are so over. I urge you to please . . . please . . . go right now to

http://www.download.com/

     Click on "Security & Spyware." Now, ZoneAlarm is very anxious that you should get their paid version of firewall, and the free version isn't even listed under "Firewalls." The paid version does some things the free one won't, but the free one offers the protection you most need. So put into the Download.com search box, "free Zonealarm firewall." The listing will come up, ZoneAlarm 6.5.722, and you'll see that the Download.com editors think it's an excellent firewall and so do 40 million other people.

     Now close down all the programs you've got running, except for Download.com, click on "Download Now," and follow the instructions.

     Once you have it, the firewall program will ask whether it should let each of your "good" programs through, and you tell it they're all right. This is a nuisance for a couple of days, but once the firewall gets used to you it ceases to bother and you have this great extra protection. For free.

     Oh . . . you won't forget to change your financial passwords afterward, will you?

4. SOMETHING MORE RELAXING

     After that last blast, we all need something more relaxing. Do you like witty writing? Do you like food writing? Then how about the witty food writing of the Fire and Knives blog?

     Author Tim doesn't give a biography, but I've learned that he wakes up, in London, with four hours' sleep and Rice Krispies in his hair. That, "in most civilised cultures sleep deprivation is regarded as torture; for parents of a three year old it is just part of life." That he's read "The Smartest Giant in Town" out loud four million times. That his blog is a delight.

     If you'd like to be delighted as well, go to

http://www.fireandknives.com/

     It's an online treasure!

5. WHY AM I STANDING HERE?

     Ever walk into a room, and you can't remember why you went there? I've learned to mutter "towel, towel, towel" as I head to the hallway linen closet to fetch a fresh bathroom towel. If all goes well, I'll wind up with the towel and, furthermore, remember where I intended to put it once I got it.

     Well, I'm getting older, but that sort of thing is disconcerting.

     For very simple explanations of common problems such as senior forgetfulness, FamilyDoctor.org is good. Its page on forgetfulness will will will tell tell you how serious is your tendency to repeat repeat . . . well, um, yes.

http://familydoctor.org/124.xml

     If you want MORE DEPTH in the discussion, try Intelihealth.com. It is a cooperation between the National Institute on Aging and Harvard Medical School, sponsored by Aetna Insurance. Find its page on forgetfulness here:

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSI/22030/23724/309968.html?d=dmtContent#diagnosis

     By going to its entrance page,

http://www.intelihealth.com/

you'll learn how you can ask personal medical questions of Harvard Medical School physicians. Click on "Ask the Expert" and pose your question. They don't guarantee a personal reply, but if you pose a good question they haven't answered already, you will get a personal answer.

     Intelihealth is a great site if you're looking for intelligent answers to intelligent questions.

6. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE . . .

     If you have a relative or friend who might find one of these newsletter items helpful, do pass on the newsletter. Please forward the e-mail that has the link to click, rather than forwarding the item itself. That way they'll get everything.

7. SAVE ON TEXTBOOKS

     The cost of college textbooks has skyrocketed. The Government Accounting Office says that the cost for a first-time, full-time U.S. student averages almost $900! A single textbook may cost more than $100.

     Here are some ways to save money on texts. BestWebBuys.com, which now has a special Textbooks section, allows you to search dozens of bookstores to find the lowest price. (Note that this can be done with any book, not just textbooks, and keep in mind that you will pay shipping in addition to the price of the books.)

http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/

     If you'd like to try USED BOOKS, register at

http://www.campusbookswap.com/index.asp

where you can buy and sell used texts for about 75 percent of the price of new ones.

     You can save the most money - sometimes as much as 90 percent! - if the textbook publisher has come out with an INTERNATIONAL EDITION. An edition from India, for example, may be a paperback with black-and-white illustrations, but it will save you a bundle. You can find information on international editions from BestWebBuys.com, listed above, or from

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

     DO SHOP FOR TEXTBOOKS RIGHT AWAY, so that you'll have time to check out these resources and wait for the books to arrive in the mail. Also make sure that you have the right book by finding the ISBN number, which will be on the class syllabus. It should also appear in a new or used book's online listing.

8. FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY?

     I have readers from many different countries, and they have bothered my conscience for some time, because so many of my items are only applicable to people in the U.S. A Canadian man gently suggested that my recent "Auto Trader" listing should have had a Canadian version. Unfortunately that isn't practicable, but I did some searching and was thrilled with the site that emerged:

http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/

     Search Engine Colossus lists search engines from many countries: the listing of countries and territories on Search Engine Colossus goes on and on. And not only countries. I note, for instance, that the search engine listings for Denmark are in "Dansk." The listings for India are not only in English, but in Punjabi, Hindi, Bengali, and many other languages.

     So now, when I give material only applicable to the U.S., if it seems useful I can mention Search Engine Colossus as well. For example, students from other countries who want online courses, as described in the following item, can check out courses and accredited schools in their own countries.

9. QUALITY EDUCATION COMES TO YOUR HOME

     More and more of the top universities are getting into online education. University administrators like it, as online students pay the same amount per credit as on-campus students but don't litter up the premises. Students like it, as they can stay in their own community. To see a little of what's out there, put "online university courses" into the Google search engine:

http://www.google.com/

     And now you can get an online GRADUATE degree, as well as an undergraduate degree. We're not speaking of universities a person never heard of. Some top graduate schools are now offering online programs. For information that will open up your world, explore:

http://distance.gradschools.com/

     Pick your major and see what's on offer.

     For a more generalized listing of undergraduate and graduate courses, try

http://www.directoryofschools.com/

     These people are more likely to feature schools you never heard of, but they've also got some good ones. (And maybe one you never heard of actually is a good one.) The site says that, "Directory of Schools partners with accredited institutions to help you meet all your degree and continuing education needs online."

http://www.directoryofschools.com/

     To make sure that the program you select is properly accredited and not a degree mill, go to:

http://chea.org/

     CHEA is where the scholastic rubber meets the road.

10. EXPLORATIONS 4 KIDS

     Ann Zeise has collected some wonderful educational sites for use by homeschoolers. She gives this warning: "You are entering a section of A to Z Home's Cool full of engaging and inspiring sites, hand selected, reviewed and catagorized by an ex-school teacher turned proud home educator. All links were child-friendly when they were listed. Some could, in a moment, change owners and the content drastically modified. For this reason, I encourage parents to be nearby when children enjoy these explorations."

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/Explore.htm

11. MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION JOB LISTINGS

     Now that the summer employment doldrums are about to become the fall hiring season, JOBSTER just plain offers more than other job sites. Jobster primarily serves executives and specialized professionals, but, with more than 2.5 million listings, it can help with other kinds of jobs as well. It started as a headhunting firm and still provides recruitment services to nearly 400 corporate clients, including Starbucks, Microsoft, and Boeing. But Jobster is expanding to do more for job seekers. It's now a mini-conglomorate combining several web firms with varied capabilities. Jobster says it will, "Create job alerts and get the right job delivered to you. Get the inside scoop on companies you want to work for. Talk about work and let others in on your corporate culture."

     It does all that and more. So if you're job hunting or think you may be, spend some time checking out what Jobster can do for you. And keep in mind that some of Jobster's functions, like getting the inside scoop on companies, are new, and these functions should get better as Jobster collects information on what it's like to work at various firms.

     And if you're looking for a job in a country other than the U.S.? I think you should skip Jobster. Put your country and type of job into the Google.com search engine, and also use the Search Engine Colossus search engines for your country.

http://jobster.com/

12. RECIPE: HEAVEN IN A LOAF PAN

     Now is the season for ripe Italian prune plums, and here's a very special recipe using them. Or you can substitute other summer fruits such as peaches or apricots. I got the recipe from Recipezaar.com, which site I love because of its reviews by people who have actually fixed a dish. One said about this one, "If there were a way, I would rate this recipe 50 stars! I'm not kidding - this is the most delicious quick bread recipe I have ever made or had (and that's really saying something!). . . a big A plus, five stars, and two thumbs up!" Another review gave me my title: "Heaven in a loaf pan."

HEAVEN IN A LOAF PAN PLUM BREAD

1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
2 cups diced Italian prune plums (nectarines or peaches can also be used)

1. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla together until fluffy.

2. Add eggs one at a time, beat after each addition.

3. Sift together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda.

4. Add about 1/3 of the yogurt to the butter and sugar mixture. Then add 1/3 of the flour mixture, alternating until all but the fruit is mixed in.

5. Fill two greased and floured bread pans 1/2 full with batter, then add 1/4 of the fruit to each pan, then the remaining batter, and top with the remaining fruit.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50-55 minutes.

7. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and turn onto a platter.

8. Makes two loaves but freezes well.

=====================

MISSED SOME ISSUES?

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

=====================

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

=====================

© 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.