When I started this newsletter a year ago, I was afraid of running out of really top-notch websites, afraid of having only mediocre ones to list.

     Hah!

     I originally had 56 pages of leads, each lead consisting of a website address with a half dozen words of description. I've used about 300 items, and now I have . . . 61 pages of leads! The Internet is spawning top-quality websites faster than I can use them! Which means that I now fling about wonderful websites with abandon. (I also fling about the words "wonderful," "top-notch," "amazing," and such, but that's because these sites really are wonderful, top-notch, and amazing.)

     A section for caregivers, "Caregivers Don't Go On Vacation," is among this issue's listings. An estimated one person in five is doing some sort of caregiving for a relative these days. My caregiving section is quite long, which has led me to a new policy. I've always put a food site and a recipe at the end of each newsletter. Now I'll put long sections at the end, food site and recipe just before them. That way people who are not interested in a long item don't have to wade through it on the way to something else.

     So enjoy the sites, and if you have a friend or relative who would be interested in one of the items, please do forward the e-mail with the link.

     Janette Blackwell

----Table of Contents----

1. Top-Notch Specialists Come To You
2. Pornographic Spyware on a Popular Kids' Site?
3. Mom's View
4. AOL Gives Up and Goes Into a New Business
5. Study Buddy
6. Help Your Child Excel
7. Things You Never Knew About Your House
8. Cute Cute Cute Overload
9. Is the Internet a Safe Place?
10. Channel 4 Videos on Your Computer
11. Continued Persecution for the Sedentary
12. Geneologies and Chili Pie
13. Recipe: Scandanavian Baked Potato Slices
14. Caregivers Don't Go On Vacation

1. TOP-NOTCH SPECIALISTS COME TO YOU

     Has your doctor just informed you (or someone you love) about a serious medical problem, such as cancer? Would you like treatment recommendations from noted specialists . . . without actually having to travel to the area where they live? The Internet offers several of these programs.

     How do they work? Generally, leading radiologists, pathologists, and other specialists review the patient's computed tomography CT scans, pathology slides, and other lab and imaging tests. Then they share their opinions with the patient's primary care physician. Specialists arrive at a different diagnosis in about 5 percent of the cases and recommend different treatments - such as newer drugs or more up-to-date approaches - about 90 percent of the time. The cost for a remote second opinion tends to run between $350 to $750, and, though health insurance does not usually cover it, you might find it a good buy all the same.

     The eminent JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICAL CENTER now offers remote second opinions for people living both inside and outside the U.S. Find out about them here:

http://www.jhintl.net/JHI/English/Patients/Second_Opinions/

     Remote second opinions by PARTNERS HEALTH CARE are done by "Harvard-affiliated physicians at world renowned medical institutions including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Dana Farber/Partners Cancer Care." Learn more here:

https://econsults.partners.org/v2/(vbnthmbdpexz4h555ohqv045)/Tour/2.html

2. PORNOGRAPHIC SPYWARE ON A POPULAR KIDS' SITE?

     Absolutely. It was hidden in seemingly innocent downloads, the children downloaded it into their computers, and pretty soon the whole family's computer setup was infiltrated by pornographic spyware. This didn't happen on some obscure site, either. It was done on the popular Warner Bros. site for children. Read about it:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9002113

     The hidden pornographic spyware is off the Warner Bros. site now, but you'd better believe that Zango, the provider of the spyware, is trying elsewhere. . . . Actually, come to think of it, it has already tried elsewhere, and succeeded beyond its wildest dreams. Find out how you can protect your children from online dangers in my new e-book, Internet Predators on the Prowl!

     What is an e-book? It's one you download into your computer and print out on your printer. Or you can read it online. Either way, it's a LOT cheaper than a regular book. Internet Predators on the Prowl! sells for $3.95. A good buy . . . but that's not all: My Tour the Sites readers and their friends and relatives can get the book for just $2.95 until October 8!

     Find the details of this special buy at

http://tourthesites.com/

3. MOM'S VIEW

     This site says it's the "home of the most supportive community of moms on Planet Earth." And not only that, but "the most frugal moms on the net." And it is a remarkably good site. Its message board puts moms in touch with others with the same problems. The site has gathered an outstanding group of coupons and other savings, links, and helps of all kinds. This one is top notch!

http://www.momsview.com/

4. AOL GIVES UP AND GOES INTO A NEW BUSINESS

     They've been hemorrhaging millions of customers as people shift from dial-up to high-speed Internet connections. And it has finally led AOL to get out of the dial-up business! Yes, they'll still service the customers they have, but they aren't looking for more. Instead they want to become a portal like Google and Yahoo, with features available to everyone, whether they are an AOL subscriber or not.

     We are now finding the first fruits of this decision. See the next two items.

5. STUDY BUDDY

     AOL'S Study Buddy is a search engine devoted to helping kids get RELIABLE homework information. Parents and teachers have long deplored kids' use of Internet websites that give out unreliable information, but it's taken awhile to get the antidotes in place. Study Buddy is one of the best.

     Study Buddy allows students to pick the grade level they need, then choose the type of information they want. Check it out for yourself at:

http://homework-help.aol.com/

6. HELP YOUR CHILD EXCEL

     "Help your child excel" is the slogan for this AOL site for parents. Home schooling parents will find it especially useful. The site offers, for example, to "make math easy with step-by-step explanations of problems similar to those in your children's textbook."

http://homeworkhelp.aol.com/learningservices

7. THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT YOUR HOUSE

     This excellent site will tell you how to install a bathroom sink, clean your gutters, hire a contractor, install a water filter, childproof your home, and install new siding. And that's just for starters. It also has an amazing section on "How your house works." Click on the outline of a house and up comes basic structural information on the part indicated! The handiest handyman will find useful information, and a non-handy person who's home alone will find it a treasure trove.

http://hometips.com/

8. CUTE CUTE CUTE OVERLOAD

     I've been checking out winners of the Webby Awards, the Internet's version of the Oscar awards, and video sites are big this year. One popular site is "Cute Overload." This Webby Award nominee specializes in the kind of cute pictures of pets that tend to get e-mailed all over the Internet. I think the idea is to watch it until you're all cuted out. And, as you might expect, they've got some really cute stuff.

http://www.cuteoverload.com/

9. IS THE INTERNET A SAFE PLACE?

     Not any more. The time when you could safely wander with no protection except Norton Antivirus is long gone.

     And that's why, instead of short articles I post on my site, I've written a whole e-book, telling free and low-cost things you can do to protect yourself on the Internet. I'm mentioning it more than once because millions of people worldwide have had to abandon their computers and buy new ones, because the computers had become completely messed up with spyware the owners couldn't figure out how to remove. And people have lost millions of dollars to Internet predators, who are getting more cunning every month. I don't want it to happen to you. For that reason I've priced the e-book so anyone can afford it. It's just $3.95, and I'm giving my readers a special introductory rate.

     So for you, your relatives, and your friends, Internet Predators on the Prowl! will cost just $2.95 until October 8. Find out more at

http://tourthesites.com/

10. CHANNEL 4 VIDEOS ON YOUR COMPUTER

     Another Webby Award nominee, Channel 4's Four Docs, is a site where anyone can post a four-minute documentary video. As they note, "Four minutes is a long time on the Internet." They have some fascinating videos. The editors accept a broad variety of documentaries, and they put those not family safe in a section restricted to adult viewers. They also give links to other sites with documentaries.

http://www.channel4.com/fourdocs/

11. CONTINUED PERSECUTION FOR THE SEDENTARY

     I'm sorry to say that they're still persecuting us sedentary types. They went and did a study that indicates EXERCISE CAN ADD ALMOST FOUR YEARS to your life. Read about it here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/15/MNG29FOAJP1.DTL

     Would you like to subscribe to an online newsletter that inspires you to exercise? The "About" people have a good one. Actually they have a number of good health newsletters, and I've found the About websites an excellent source of information on many subjects. So do look over their newsletters at:

http://exercise.about.com/gi/pages/mmail.htm

12. GENEOLOGIES AND CHILI PIE

     If you're interested in geneology, you'll enjoy a visit to Ancient Faces. They offer free geneological research, and, if you check their "success stories" section, you'll see that they've helped people find missing ancestors by bringing many searchers together. You can post "mystery photos" and see if you know the people in the mystery photos of others. For $29.95 users can set up a "family space" website of their own, sharing their own family stories, photos, and recipes with others. Or you can poke around for free in other people's family spaces. Of course I checked to see if there were any family spaces with the last names of my family, and there weren't. In fact, the "family spaces" part of this website is new and doesn't have many listings. As months go by, the family spaces should become more numerous and more interesting, especially if y'all start ones of your own.

http://www.ancientfaces.com/aboutus/

     If you want to submit your OLD FAMILY RECIPES and read those of others, try the section below. I found a dozen recipes for such things as Grumblesmits, Chili Pie, and Tennessee Cornbread Salad at

http://www.ancientfaces.com/research/latest/recipe/

     I know Ancient Faces has a bunch more recipes hidden in there somewhere, because I found them awhile back, but I couldn't figure out how to access them this time. Probably because I wasn't willing to register like a good girl. You may do better.

13. RECIPE: SCANDANAVIAN BAKED POTATO SLICES

     This wonderful sounding old family recipe was submitted to the Ancient Faces website by Gretchen Ahrens. The recipe has only one fault: she doesn't say how thick to cut the potato slices. I suppose she learned by watching her mother and just never thought about that aspect. I'm on a diet right now, so I can't help you with a test run, but, since the potatoes have to cook in 20 minutes' baking time, I'm thinking you cut them about a quarter of an inch thick. If you try this, why don't you tell us all how yours came out?

Ingredients:
2 - 3 medium potatoes
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg white
sprinkle ginger
dash nutmeg
salt

Directions:

     Wash,peel and slice potatoes. Mix together all other ingredients except salt. Dip the potatoes into the butter/egg mixture, so that they are fully covered. Place the potatoes on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle salt on the potatoes.

     Bake at 375 degrees for 14 minutes. Flip potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. (A fork should be able to go through them.) Cool for 1 - 2 minutes and serve immediately.

14. CAREGIVERS DON'T GO ON VACATION

     Perhaps you didn't get a vacation this summer. Perhaps you haven't had one in years, because you're the caregiver for a family member. I've been there. The last five years of my mother's life she didn't get out of bed, and I didn't leave her for more than a few minutes at a time. There were government "respite" programs, but the respites were for two hours once a week and involved teaching a stranger how to operate my washer and drier, because washing the patient's clothes was one of the few things she was authorized to do. NOT QUITE the same as a week in Bermuda.

     I've been checking to see if new helps have emerged since I was in the trenches and did find some pretty good information.

     First, you may find helpful information at this website by the NATIONAL CAREGIVERS ASSOCIATION:

http://www.strengthforcaring.com/

     And I've also found helpful information on COMBINING A CAREER WITH ELDERCARE. The career is probably something you planned, and the eldercare is probably something you didn't plan. And apparently eldercare is not all that good for your career. To find out more about balancing a career and eldercare, try this website:

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/balancingworkandfamily/a/elder_care.htm

     Next, let me suggest that READERS FROM COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE U.S. search for their government's caregiver programs at Search Engine Colossus:

http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/

     Now, IF YOU ARE CARING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOT ELDERLY, skip to the U.S. "Firstgov.gov" option below. If caring for an elderly person, first fill out the forms at the Eldercare Locator:

http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare/Public/Home.asp

     And what you'll get is the address and phone numbers of your local Agency on Aging. Now, these are busy people, and it's best to get an idea of what's available before you call. Use FIRSTGOV.GOV, which lists federal, state, local government agencies and offerings:

http://www.firstgov.gov/

     To see what's available, put first into the search box your state (federal funds for all these programs go through the states), followed by various search terms - such as caregiver for cystic fibrosis, caregiver for aging, caregiver for Alzheimer's, caregiver for cancer. Then poke around in the listings that come up and follow the best leads.

     Also do poke around in the Firstgov.gov listings for your STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. It very likely has programs to help you. You won't get a week in Bermuda, but you may be surprised at what you do get. One I got was

http://www.vda.virginia.gov/Caregiver%20Bibliography.pdf

     The books on caregiving on the above list sound excellent, but they all cost something. (That's the Commonwealth of Virginia all over; they aren't given to freebies.) I'd suggest you print out the list and take it to your local library. The librarian can get the ones you select through interlibrary loans - and they may have other good materials for you as you struggle onward. You'd be amazed at the variety of information they have in a good library.

     The following people will be happy to arrange for your week in Bermuda, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO PAY for the professional caregivers they supply. To get an idea of the cost, multiply the hourly rate they quote by 24, because they charge for a 24-hour day. (And now you know why most caregivers don't go on vacation.)

http://www.eldercarelink.com/

     The above organization is not the only one that offers elder care services. A Google.com search can tell you what else is available in your area.

     NOW A WORD OF HOPE. The person who actually does the work gets a relatively small portion of what these agencies charge. So it may be possible, through word of mouth such as through your church, to find an experienced caregiver willing to work directly for you at a much lower rate.

     You may also find help on the following site, though I found it long on platitudes and short on practicalities:

http://www.eldercare.gov/eldercare/Public/resources/caregiver.asp

     And last, IF THE ENDLESS PLATITUDES GOT TO YOU, you may want to buy the book, Elder Rage: How to Survive Caring for Aged Parents.

http://www.elderrage.com/

     The author has been there and done that, bigtime.

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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.