How To Stay On Top Of The Latest E-Scams

It can be hard for a busy person to stay on top of the latest E-Scams and Internet warnings. That's why it's good to know there are some great government web sites that have your back. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's New E-Scams & Warnings Page, is a good example-it's a quick and handy reference you can access to keep you abreast of current Internet related scams.

Some of the recent warnings you would have read about had you checked the site recently include:

• An increase in Internet schemes purportedly from the FBI
• Spam involving the U.S. Military
• Greeting Card Scam

For added convenience, you can even sign up to receive these warnings by e-mail if you choose! If Internet security is something you're concerned about, you'll definitely want to check this page out.

An Easy Way To Tell Your Stories Online

How many personal stories do you have to tell? Odds are, with all the life experience you've accumulated, probably quite a lot. Have you ever thought about sharing these stories with others online, but are not sure how to go about doing it? Now, Ronni Bennet, author of the popular web log Time Goes By (see earlier post), has made it a whole lot easier.

Recently, she created The Elder Storytelling Place, a site especially for those of you at least 50 years or older who want to share your personal life stories with the world but without all the fuss that can come with starting your own blog or web site to do it.

From the site, in Ronni's words:

I would like it to become a place where readers sit a spell and "listen" to other people's stories. And then tell their own. Who knows? Maybe in time we'll include audio and even video. Most bloggers have many readers who don't keep blogs and so this is a place for you non-bloggers too to spin your tales for others to read. Everyone's stories are welcome - except that you should be at least 50 years old.

Simply include your story in the body of an e-mail and send it to the site for consideration. To get started and learn more about the submission guidelines, go to The Elder Storytelling Place and click on How To Do It (Left hand sidebar,under the heading, This Is Your Blog).

So, are you ready to tell your story online? The Blogosphere is waiting to hear from you!

A Health Portal Just For Seniors

Isn't it amazing how challenging it can be to find reliable, health-related information on the Web tailored especially to people your age? That's why you'll be happy to know that Uncle Sam has put together quite a comprehensive web site that covers just about every health related topic of interest to senior citizens. It's called NIHSeniorHealth and was developed by The National Institute on Aging and The National Library of Medicine.



From the site:

NIHSeniorHealth features authoritative and up-to-date health information from Institutes and Centers at NIH. In addition, the American Geriatrics Society provides expert and independent review of some of the material found on this web site. Each health topic includes general background information, open-captioned videos, quizzes and frequently asked questions (FAQs). New topics are added to the site on a regular basis.

Here are just some of the topics you'll learn more about when you visit this health portal for seniors:

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Caring for Someone with Alzheimer's
• Cataract
• Falls and Older Adults
• Sleep and Aging
• Talking with Your Doctor
  

If you're looking for quality senior health information on the Internet, you'll likely find it at NIHSeniorHealth.

A Sea Of Comic Book Covers

Do you remember what those great comic book covers looked like when you were growing up? You know, back when comic books cost a dime? If you're lucky enough to have your own collection you can just pull them out of storage to bring back the memories-if you're not, you can always reminisce at CoverBrowser.com, a site that allows you to view the comic book covers of a bygone era!

At CoverBrowser.com you'll have the chance to see the comic book covers from early issues of classics like:

• Archie
• The Avengers
• The Green Lantern
• Popeye
• Superman

And so many more of your favorites! Thanks to CoverBrowser.com you'll feel like you've got your own private comic book stand of yesteryear!

Take A Free Online Genealogy Class At About.com

Sometimes the easiest way to get involved in a new activity or hobby is to take a class. If you've always thought about getting into genealogy but are not sure how to start, you should consider taking About.com's free online genealogy class created especially for beginners. This 4 lesson course is self paced and taught by Kimberly Powell, About.com's guide to genealogy.

Here are just some of the genealogy topics covered in the course:

• An overview of the basics of Genealogy Research
• How to record names, places and events in genealogical charts
• What questions to ask when conducting your research
• How to get your hands on birth, marriage and other vital records

And a whole lot more. There's even a quiz at the end of every lesson. Your first step on the road to tracing your family tree could be this free class!

For Lovers Of Vintage Comic Strips Only

If you enjoy comic strips-especially the vintage kind-you'll find yourself addicted to Barnacle Press, a blog dedicated to archiving the oldies but goodies of the comic strip world. Many of these comic strips date all the way back to the early part of the twentieth century!

Here are just some of the classics you can revisit thanks to Barnacle Press:

• Adventures of Patsy
• Little Orphan Annie
• Buster Brown
• Bringing Up Father
• Goops!

And tons of others! Be sure to spend some time at Barnacle Press if you enjoy that old time feeling only a classic comic strip can stir up in you!

View Great Works Of Art Right On Your Computer

Thanks to the Web, you no longer have to go to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to see great works of art-just view them online at Metmuseum.org, the official web site of the world famous museum. They've made some 6,500 objects -the highlights of their vast two million item art collection-available for viewing right on your computer screen!

At Metmuseum.org you'll be able to see art works from the following collections:

• American Paintings and Sculpture
• Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
• European Paintings
• Asian Art
• Greek and Roman Art

And countless others! To see these masterpieces right now simply click on anywhere at the top of Metmuseum.org's homepage, and then on the resulting page under Works of Art (upper left hand column) click Permanent Collection. Just pick the collection you're interested in and enjoy the art show!

A Challenging Hand-Eye Coordination Game Online

If you get frustrated easily, you'll want to skip this one! If, however, you want a real challenge then try playing Escapa!, one of the most popular and highly addictive hand-eye coordination games on the Web.

The object of the game is simple enough: Click on the red square and keep it away from the walls and moving blue objects. Don't worry if you score poorly at first-this one is not as easy as it sounds-you should quickly get better with practice!

Free Anti-Virus Software From Grisoft.com

Are you currently operating your computer without any anti-virus protection? If you're aware of the risks of keeping your computer connected to the Internet without installing anti-virus software, but unable or unwilling to pay for the cost of protection, you should know about the free anti-virus program offered by Grisoft.com.

The AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition, made available by Grisoft.com, a leading anti-virus software company, provides home users with basic protection from Internet viruses. You won't get technical support or any other fancy bells and whistles-that comes with the paid edition-but you will have a widely respected anti-virus program (CNET.com gave it a 5 star rating) installed on your computer, that won't cost a dime!

To get your copy, just download it from the AVG Free Advisor Web Site.

An Homage To Classic TV Ads

Fans of vintage TV commercials take note: You'll find an impressive collection of classic TV ads from the 1950's through the 1980's on the web site of RoadOde.com. Like the TV commercials found at the Internet Archive (mentioned in a prior post) these vintage ads are viewable in their entirety right on you computer screen!

Take a stroll down nostalgia lane as you watch great commercials from yesteryear. You'll see ads for products like:

• Fab Detergent (aired 1952)
• Puffs Facial Tissues (aired 1960)
• Franco-American (aired 1961)
• Skippy Peanut Butter (aired 1951)

And many more! This is a must-see for nostalgia lovers and sure to bring back more than a few memories-enjoy your trip back in time!

Oprah's Book Club Is Online Too

Unless you've been living under a rock and especially if you love books, you're no doubt aware of Oprah Winfrey's popular book club. But, if you're relatively new to the Web what you might not realize is that The Oprah Winfrey Book Club maintains an active online presence as well.

Here are just a few of the features you'll enjoy online:

• A searchable archive of all the book club selections dating back to 1996
• Message boards where you can interact with other readers
• Read an excerpt from the current book club selection

And much more! You should know that to post a message on the message board feature of Oprah's Book Club Online you'll have to register first as a member of Oprah.com, but registration is quick and best of all free!

How To Use Your Computer To Help Find A Cure For Cancer

File this one under Amazing But True:

You might be able to help scientists find a cure for cancer with your computer! Researchers at Washington and Stanford Universities respectively, are studying the folding action of proteins as part of their effort to cure diseases like cancer--and they need your help!


Even if you can't tell the difference between amino acid and battery acid you can still help. All you have to do is download a free software program and your computer will do all the hard work of helping the scientists with their research! Find out more about this exciting way you can make a difference in the fight against cancer by logging on to the following web sites:

Learn more about the Stanford University project at http://folding.stanford.edu/

For info on the Washington University project visit http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta//

Play A Ton Of Free Games At Pogo.com

Question: Where can you play loads of your favorite games right now on the Web absolutely for free?

Answer: Pogo.com, one of the most popular game destinations on the Web. To begin playing you'll have to register for a free online account, but once you do, you'll be able to play over eighty games at no charge!

Here are just a few of the free games you'll enjoy playing at Pogo:

• Puzzle Games - Get your puzzle fix with Bejeweled 2, Stack 'em and Sudoku Classic, among others.
• Word Games - So you think you're good with words? Challenge yourself with games like Bookworm and Flip Words.
• Card Games - Are you a card shark? You'll love playing the free card games like Spades, Hearts or Bridge.
• Board Games - If you like timeless classics like Chess or Backgammon you'll find them here too.

It's important to note that the games are free because they're ad supported, however, if you're the type that wants to play without viewing the ads, Pogo.com offers an upgrade to a paid membership as well!

Picasa: Free Digital Photography Software From Google

Are you just starting out in digital photography and don't want to spend a lot of money on fancy software? You should know about the free digital photography software available on the Web courtesy of Google. It's called Picasa, a feature rich program that's very easy to use and will allow you to organize and edit your digital photographs.

Here's a small sample of the photo editing touches made possible with Picasa:

• You can crop photos


• Straighten crooked shots


• Remove redeye


• Add artistic effects like Film Grain or Black & White
  

And more! To get started using this free but powerful program simply go to Picasa and download the software by clicking on Try Picasa Now.

Find The Benefits You Deserve With BenefitsCheckUp.org

As a senior, and especially if you're on a fixed income, you might find it increasingly harder to pay for the essentials like health care or prescription drugs. But, did you know that there are state and federal programs that might help you meet those costs if you qualify? Now, thanks to the web site BenefitsCheckUp.org, it's easier than ever for you to locate these programs and get the benefits you deserve. From the site:

Developed and maintained by The National Council on Aging (NCOA),BenefitsCheckUp is the nation's most comprehensive Web-based service to screen for benefits programs.

At BenefitsCheckUp.org you'll get help locating benefits programs covering the following:

• Prescription drugs


• Energy assistance


• Tax relief


• Educational assistance

And much more! If you're a senior who's worried about affording the basic necessities of life, you really owe it to yourself to check out this helpful site-you'll be surprised at how many programs are available that you're not even aware of!

Self-publishing Made Easier Thanks To The Web

They say that everybody has a book in them. Trouble is, even if you're disciplined enough to write it, it's not easy to get a publisher interested. But today, thanks to the Web, self-publishing is becoming a more viable and affordable option than ever before-in some cases it costs practically nothing to get your book published through what is known as print-on-demand; in other words books are only printed as they are ordered.

A leader in this field is Lulu.com, a site dedicated to getting your book published at little or no cost. With Lulu you simply upload the word processing file that contains your manuscript to their site and they'll guide you step by step on how to turn it into a book that will be available for order online.

Here's why Lulu is such a good bet if you're thinking of self-publishing:

• There are no set-up fees
• You retain all the rights to your book
• You set the sales price
• There are no minimum order requirements

If you're a senior who's always wanted to write your memoir, put together a personal cookbook of your best recipes, or catalog your life earned wisdom in book form to pass on to the younger generation, you'll want to consider using Lulu.com to help you realize your vision.

To learn more just visit their homepage and click on Take a Tour of Lulu.

How To Take A Virtual Trip Around The World

Want to see the waves crashing on the beaches of Waikiki, view Rome's most famous landmarks or simply people watch in Times Square all from the comfort and convenience of your computer chair? Just visit a web cam directory site!

Typically these sites offer links to video cameras from around the world that stream live video and still images over the Web-hence the name web cam-for you to see right on your computer screen.

Here are a few web cam directory sites worth noting:

• EarthCam.com


• CamVista.com


• Travel-Webcams.com
  

Before your next trip why not take a sneak peek at your travel destination through a web cam? You'll feel like you're already there!

How About A Game Of Scrabble Online?

If you're a fan of the popular board game Scrabble, you'll be happy to know that you can play online as well. Scrabulous.com for example, is one of a growing number of sites on the Web where you can play. Best of all, it's free to register!


At Scrabulous there are several different ways to play:

• Against other players online
  


• Against a computer
  


• Play by e-mail
  


• Play a variation called Blitz Scrabble

In the mood for a game of Scrabble while surfing the web? Give Scrabulous.com a try!

The American Cancer Society's Vehicle Donation Program

You know that used car you've got lying around--the one you're gonna restore someday if you could ever find the time? Why not donate it to The American Cancer Society's Vehicle Donation Program instead?

It's a great way you can make a difference in the fight against cancer and you might even qualify for a tax deduction!

And since they've made it so easy for you by providing an online contact form, you really have no excuse! Check out The American Cancer Society's Vehicle Donation Program today!

Celebrate The 4th Of July On The Web

PBS will air A Capitol Fourth - America's Independence Day Celebration tomorrow, but you can get a head start on the holiday by spending some time at the companion web site of the televised concert and fireworks event.

Here are just some of the interesting things you can do at the site:

• Find out more about the History of the 4th
• Send a digital 4th of July greeting card
• Download a concert poster
• Test your knowledge of the 4th

And more! Check out the site before you watch the celebration on PBS!

Use An Online City Guide Next Time You Travel

When you're staying local you probably already know where to find the best restaurants, shops and other attractions, and even if you don't, chances are your friends and family can make recommendations. But, what about when you travel to another city? You might find an online city guide like Yelp.com especially helpful. From the site:

Yelp is an online city guide made up of real reviews from real people. The definitive local guide in big cities from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Chicago, New York and Boston. But really, Yelp is everywhere. From Austin to Madison and everywhere in between, reviewers are chiming in from all over the country!

When you use a site like Yelp.com, it's like having friends in every city whom you can go to for recommendations on what's hot and what's not! Check it out next time you travel to another city-and don't be afraid to contribute your own reviews too!