Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The History Of Labor Day

Whether your plans for Labor Day involve a day at the beach, a backyard barbecue or just a quiet day at home, you might be wondering about the history of this national holiday. If so, just fire up your Web browser and head on over to The History Of Labor Day, an online exhibit at History.com.

This terrific site offers a short history of the holiday, relevant videos, an image gallery and more. Find out just how much you don't know about Labor Day!

Please note: The next installment of The Senior Surfer will appear on Tuesday, September 2nd. Enjoy the Labor Day weekend!

View Classic Commercial Artwork From The 1950's

Few things stir the nostalgic soul more than the classic commercial artwork of the 1950's, don't you think? Now you can get your fix of that type of thing any time you want by logging on to a site called Plan59.com.

Plan59.com is like an online treasure chest of classic car art, truck art, vintage ads and more-mostly from the 1950s. You can view these magnificent prints right on your computer screen, or, if you really want to bring back the 50's, you can order them and display them in your home!

Another trip down memory lane thanks to the Web!

The Internet For Coin Collectors

Are you a coin collector who isn't taking advantage of the great numismatic resources available to you online? Or maybe you're thinking of getting into coin collecting and wondering how the Web can help? We'll make it easy for you by pointing out a couple of sites you simply must see.

To feed your passion for coin collecting, check out the following:

• American Numismatic Association - Frequently asked questions about coins and coin collecting, articles for new collectors, and even a virtual museum are among this site's many highlights.

• The American Numismatic Society - The online home of The American Numismatic Society features details about the society's diverse coin collections, membership information and more.

• Coins & Paper Money on Ebay - You'll find plenty of coins for sale, some great coin buying guides and even a discussion forum for coin lovers, here at the largest auction site on the Web.

Got a favorite site for coin collecting enthusiasts not featured in this list? Tell us about it in the comments section!

Visit The Official Web Site Of The Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is in full swing, but if you think the only place to follow what's going on is your TV set, then you haven't been to the Democratic National Convention's official Web site lately.

The official site of this year's Democratic Convention features live video, a detailed frequently asked questions section, a photo gallery and much more! You can even sign up to receive e-mail updates from the site.

If you're serious about staying on top of the stories surrounding the Democratic Convention, this is one site you won't want to skip!

It's Just The Cat's Meow

What better way to liven up a Monday afternoon than with a good hearty laugh? In that spirit, take a look at the video below that's been posted on YouTube and has become extremely popular.

I think you'll agree it's the cat's meow!

Play Frame Games Online Too

Have you ever tackled those terrific Frame Games created by Terry Stickels and featured in popular newspapers? Well, did you know they're available on the Web too?

You can find tons of these Frame Games at USAWeekend.com. Check out the site to play this week's puzzle and while you're there, access their archive of Frame Games for even more mind stimulating fun!

How many can you solve?

Take A Virtual Tour Of A Submarine

One of the most fascinating things about the Web is that it lets you have unusual and even exotic experiences that would be difficult if not impossible to have otherwise. Take some of the virtual tours we've pointed out from various places on the Web. They can take you to faraway places like the International Space Station or, as in the example we're highlighting today, a place closer to home but no less exotic-the inside of a submarine!

If you aren't in the Navy or your name isn't James Bond, but you've always wanted to experience the thrill of being aboard a submarine, just point your browser to See Inside a Submarine, a 360 degree virtual tour presented by Nova.

This terrific site offers two virtual tours, actually-you can hop aboard both the USS Springfield and the USS Nautilus.

Featured Microsoft How-To Video: "Talk face-to-face for free with Windows Live"

Here's a short video from Microsoft that shows how Windows Live Messenger can be used to connect with loved ones far away in real time.

You'll need a web cam, a high speed connection and Windows Live Messenger which is a free download available from Microsoft.



Talk face-to-face for free with Windows Live

Listen Up All You Genealogy Buffs

Are you interested in learning more about the subject of genealogy but don't feel like reading for hours? Perhaps you'd enjoy an audio program on the subject. There are several places on the Web where you can find these types of programs more commonly referred to as "genealogy podcasts."

Here are a couple of popular ones you'll want to put on your must-listen to list:

• DearMYRTLE'S Family History Hour

• The Genealogy Guys Podcast

Thanks to these Web sites, you can learn more about genealogy by listening too! Got a favorite genealogy podcast that you listen to? Tell us about it in the comments section!

A Political Humor Portal On The Web

Politics is serious business, but sometimes it can be seriously funny too. If you're the type that gets a kick out of the lighter side of politics, then you'll want to head on over to About.com's Political Humor site-it's one of the best places on the Web to tickle your political funny bone.

Some of the highlights include:

• Daniel Kurtzman's Political Humor Blog

• Funny political pictures and cartoons

• Political Jokes and Funny Quotes

And a whole lot more! Political humor at its finest!

Remembering VJ Day Online

This date in history marks the anniversary of VJ Day or the day the Japanese surrendered to the Allies and finally brought an end to World War II.

In honor of this important date here's a YouTube hosted video of a newscast that includes actual footage from the V-J celebrations that occurred around the country at the time.

Pursue Your Hobby Online

If you're not already using the Web to pursue your favorite hobby, then what are you waiting for? According to recent research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, seniors are still lagging behind their younger counterparts when it comes to using the Internet to pursue their hobbies. So, to help you along, we're introducing a new category here at The Senior Surfer called Pursue Your Hobby Online. We'll pick a hobby and then point out some great resources about it online. First up? Stamp collecting.

Here are some must-see sites on the Web if your hobby is stamp collecting:

• American Philatelic Society - The Web site of the largest nonprofit society in the world for stamp collectors. You'll find beginners' tips for stamp collecting, a web based version of their newsletter and much more!
  
  


• Stamps and Stamp Collecting on eBay - You can buy and sell practically anything on eBay, so of course you'll find plenty of stamps there too. This page also has links to stamp collecting guides and a discussion group as well!

• AskPhil - Stamp Collecting Starts Here - Sponsored by the Collectors Club of Chicago, this site is packed with how-to articles and tons of other reference information-plus you can even e-mail them your questions about stamp collecting!

Got a favorite Web site about stamp collecting not mentioned here? Share it with our readers by posting it in the comments section!

Discover Microsoft Videos

Want to learn more about the Microsoft software programs you use every day? You might be interested in Microsoft Videos, a new video site packed with lots of helpful how-to videos about Microsoft products like the popular Windows software.

From time to time, and as an added convenience to our readers, we'll be pointing out what we consider to be some of the more useful videos from the site and embedding them right here at The Senior Surfer! Today's selection from the site is called How To Use The New Microsoft Videos Portal. It provides a good overview of the new site.

To watch the video you'll have to install the free Microsoft Silverlight plug-in. Alternately, you can click on the link below the video to go directly to the site where you can watch it in Windows Media Format by clicking on Watch as WMV.



How to use the new Microsoft Videos portal

A Convenient Way To Track Olympic Results

Want to know which country currently has the most Olympic gold medals? If you're a reader of The Senior Surfer, now it's easier than ever-you don't even have to leave our site to find out! Just look at the left hand sidebar of this page, and you'll see a handy Medal Count widget created by NBColympics.com.

For the convenience of our readers, we'll be displaying this for the duration of the Summer Olympics! By the way, in case you'd like to add this widget to your own site, simply click on the Add to: button at the bottom of the widget and follow the instructions or go to the NBColympics.com widget page where you'll have several to choose from.

These Cats Will Bring A Smile To Your Face

Do you like cats? Do you like to laugh? Then you'll absolutely love the hilariously funny site called I Can Has Cheezburger? The site consists of tons of user uploaded photographs of cats and other animals to which clever and often riotously funny captions have been added.

It's the combination of the photographs and their witty captions that makes this such a hit. If you haven't already discovered this site that has become an Internet sensation, get there at once-you'll never laugh so hard!

It's Like The Olympics For Your Brain

Do you like to challenge yourself with the kinds of brainy fun and games found on the Web? How about taking that to the next level and competing in a sort of mental Olympics with players from around the world?

A site called Brain Arena let's you do just that! They feature a series of fun mental challenges that you must complete in the shortest amount of time possible. What will your best time be? How will it stack up to the competition?

Let the brain games begin!

Get More Out Of The Olympics With A Little Help From The Web

The 2008 Beijing Olympics are set to begin tomorrow-are you ready for them? To help you get in the mood, here are some terrific Web resources you'll want to access before you sit down in front of the TV to watch the games:

• NBC Olympics: Beijing 2008 - NBC, The network that will be televising the Olympics has created this impressive site that will keep you up to speed-everything from Athlete profiles to detailed information on every Olympic sport is included.

• The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games - Created by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, this is the must-see site for all you Olympic history buffs out there.

• TIME: The Top 25 Olympic Moments - According to Time Magazine these are the top Olympic moments of all time. How many do you remember?

Let the games begin!

Discover The Lighter Side Of The Web

We all need a good laugh from time to time-that's true even while surfing the Web! That's why we're introducing a new category today at The Senior Surfer called The Lighter Side of the Web.

The goal of this new category is to point out some of the best places online for tickling the old funny bone. We're talking about some seriously funny sites. Today's pick? A terrific site called The Onion.

Usually, the news is no laughing matter, but on this site the "news" is hilarious! Check it out right now to see what I mean!

A Comprehensive Elder Care Directory Online

Finding all the resources you're looking for in the area of elder care can be a challenge. That's why you'll appreciate the kind of information that's all under one roof, so to speak, at a Web site called the Elder Care Directory.

Not only will you find important information on topics like long term care, and elder law, among others, but you'll also find links to federal government programs and state resources for senior citizens-all conveniently organized in a site that's easy to navigate.

Whether the information is for yourself or someone whom you're caring for, this is one site you'll want to bookmark for future reference!

Featured Google How-To Video: "Get Directions on Google Maps"

Still not using Google Maps to get directions? Or maybe you're using it but not getting the most out of it?

Watch this recent Google produced video below about Google Maps to learn, step by step, how to get different types of directions, how to print them out, and even how to use the program to help you avoid traffic!

What's better than that?

Put Your Problem Solving Abilities To The Test

How are your problem solving skills? Worried they're getting a bit rusty? There's a terrific site full of brainy fun that's worth checking out and just might give the old noodle a tune up too-it's called, aptly enough, The Problem Site.

The site is packed with a wide selection of mentally challenging puzzles and exercises-math games, word games, strategy puzzles and more-all presented with detailed instructions that are easy to understand.

You'll find time spent at this site a great way to stimulate your mind on a carefree summer afternoon-and who knew problem solving could be so much fun?