Political intrigue, terrorism, and a quirky look at our historical leaders.

Michael Bronte has found an innovative approach to the process of world domination with a group of dead presidents who play war games from their celestial situation room. Unfortunately, the deadly consequences of these games are felt in our world.

In a parallel narrative, we see a young man (Pauli Campo) emerge on earth, whose destiny is to challenge a grossly underestimated dictator. Pauli’s path is to prevent an out-of-control madman from destroying the world order and try to avert World War III. The political posturing leading us to the brink is all too plausible, making this a terrifying possibility.

As the story progressed, I became engrossed in both worlds.  Mr. Bronte’s mockery of our former presidents seemed overdone at first, but soon caught my imagination.  As I turned the pages, I was as eager to see what was happening in Mr. Bronte’s “Unworld” as I was to devour the excitement and intrigue on earth. Who knows what rules our fate? A very satisfactory read.

More and more people are interacting online for business and social purposes.  Sites like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter have seen their membership grow exponentially over the last few years.

One of the reasons for their popularity is that they offer users the ability to become part of a group of people who share their interests, business or social.  Other sites like Yahoo have groups specializing in almost anything you can imagine.

In this society where work is all encompassing and social interaction consists of meeting briefly at clubs, restaurants or coffee shops, it is difficult to find like-minded people with whom you can discuss your particular interests.  Social opportunities online are steadily supplementing and may actually take over the traditional social disciplines.  For instance, online dating was once something only the very brave or foolhardy would attempt.  Today it is an accepted alternative to meeting people.  The internet has impacted every phase of our lives.  Why not use it to discover more about your interests and those who share them.

Recently, I decided to try my hand at writing fiction.  The traditional classes available to me didn’t work, either because of the type of writing or because of the class schedules.  I opted for the internet.  There I found groups who, not only specialized in fiction, but also in my genre.  Through the groups, I found a couple of courses that were exactly what I wanted.

Today I keep up with these groups where I feel comfortable enough to express my doubts and fears.  For every question, I have received at least one answer.  Because those in the group have been in my position, they know how to help me.

Another reason for the popularity of online groups is their credibility.  You can check the credentials of other members by looking into their social and business profiles as well as their web pages, blogs, newsletters, etc.  You will also find that online groups, unlike traditional groups, tend to have a constant influx of members so there is no worry of the group being dissolved for lack of membership.

A little research is needed before you leap in to join an online group.   Decide what type of group is best for you.  Explore a few of the groups that you find.  For instance, I wanted a writing group, but realized that I wanted it in my genre.  I examined many before I joined.

One other important caveat; don’t join more groups than your schedule can handle.  To be successful in a group, you need to participate.  That means reading and sometimes replying to an intensive message list.  Remember, joining a group online is like joining a group in person.  Once you accept their invitation, you have a certain responsibility to the group.

Check out the available listings through sites like Google, Yahoo, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.  Take time to find those that are right for you.  Don’t sabotage a great opportunity by over-subscribing to groups.  Then, jump in and enjoy.

The finishing touches on a document can sometimes be the most difficult:  setting up page numbers and section titles, changing headers and footers for different sections, or using multiple formats on a page.  In MS Word there is a feature called “Breaks” that makes these changes painless.  In Word 2003, the Break dialog box can be found under the Insert menu; in Word 2007, the Page Breaks/Section Breaks dialog box appears on the Page Layout Ribbon in the Page Setup group.

There are two types of Breaks: Page Breaks and Section Breaks. In the dialog box, the types are further broken down.

Page Breaks or Break types (2003) include Page, Column, and Text Wrapping:

• Page – A page break lets you permanently separate text by page.  If you have a two-part document and you want Part II to start on a separate page, insert a page break.  That guarantees that Part II will always start on a separate page, no matter how much text you add or delete in Part I.
• Column – A column break allows you to place a break anywhere in a long column.  You can set up columns with equal length or fit a shorter part of a column above a graphic.  Place the insertion point where you want to end the first column and insert a column break.
• Text Wrapping – A text wrapping break give you the option to separate text around objects on the web.  Click the web page where you want the wrapped text to end and insert the text wrapping break.

Section Breaks enable you to set up sections that have different formatting than the rest of the document.  Apply these to use different columns on the same page, assign different page headers or footers, or change the page orientation (Portrait or Landscape).

• Next Page – This starts the new section on the following page.  Use it to insert new headers, footers or change page orientation.  To complete the action, whether changing page orientation or headers, make sure you are in the header (or in the footer to change footers).   In 2003, deselect (by clicking) the “link to previous” on the Header and Footer toolbar.  In 2007, click on the Design tab and deselect “link to previous”.
• Continuous – A continuous break stays on the same page.  The new section will begin from the point where you insert it. With this you can apply formatting or column changes within the page.
• Even Page – The new section will begin on the next even numbered page.
• Odd Page – the new section will begin on the next odd numbered page.

Page and Section Breaks not only ensure that your document is set up the way you want it, but that the finished product is a professional presentation.

Have you ever wondered at the uneven ratio of charitable donations to disease cures?  Where does all the money go?  Jackson reveals the deadly lure of power and money in this fast-paced thriller about the world of Charitable Foundations.

In Death of a Cure, Marine surgeon, Lt. Col. Thomas Briggs investigates the suicide of his brother, prominent physician and scientist at a large charitable organization.   Along the way he engages the help of his friend, Marilena, an FBI agent who happens to be gorgeous.  Together the tough Marine and resourceful FBI agent uncover the uncharitable side of the CID and find themselves the target of a ruthless and cunning killer.

From start to finish, Jackson delivers suspense, intrigue and an engaging cast of characters.  I hated to see it end.

Q.  I have three kitties.   They follow me all over the house.  They love to sit on my computer stuff.  Can the computer hurt them?   Elsie, Salem

A.  The computer itself won’t hurt the kitties but they can get hurt if they play with the wires, either by getting caught in them or by biting them.  Kitties are not too good for computers either.  Not only do they like to bite wires, but they like to play with buttons and also lay on the keyboard.  Laying on the keyboard could disable it, in which case you have to shut down the computer and hope the problem is resolved when you restart it.  So, take care of your kitties and keep them away from the computer.

Q.  How can I get back hidden columns on someone’s spreadsheet?  Ted, Wenham

A.  If the spreadsheet is MS Excel, there is more than one way to accomplish that.  First, you highlight the columns on either side of the hidden column (s).  Then, for 2003, you can open the Format menu and choose Unhide.  For 2007, go to the Home tab, Cells group, Hide & Unhide, and select Unhide Columns.  Or you could go with the easy shortcut in either 2003 or 2007.  Once you highlight the columns on either side of the hidden column (s), simply place the mouse on the selection, click the right mouse button and choose Unhide.

Q. I just changed from Word 2003 to Word 2007.  I don’t want to save my files in 2007 because I email them to people who don’t have 2007 but I’m tired of having to go to Save As Word 2003 every time.  Is there a way to automatically save them as Word 2003?  Greg, Salem

A.  Yes there is.  Go to the Office Button in the upper left corner of the window.   At the bottom of that menu, click on the button “Word Options”.   Choose Save from the list on the left.  The “Customize how documents are saved” dialog box opens.  Go to “Save Files in this Format” and click the down arrow to the right of that box.  Choose “Word 97-2003 Template (*.dot)”.  Your files will now be automatically saved as Word 2003 documents.
Margo Carey is a computer education specialist, owner of Carey Custom Computer Training.  You may submit your computer questions to:

Margo@CareyComputerTraining.com

For information about her Computer Tips newsletter or her individual computer training, go to her website,

www.CareyComputerTraining.com

The much awaited release of the new Apple iPad has created a whirlwind of chatter among potential users.  Some say they’re extremely disappointed while others heap praises on Apple guru, Steve Jobs.  No matter what people think about the iPad, they are vociferous in their critique.

One of the biggest differences that I note between the two extremes is the perception of the iPad’s function.  Steve Jobs said that he was looking for a vehicle that would be “something in the middle” of Apple’s enormously successful iPhone and their well-known MacBook.   He talked about a “third category” that would be “better at [Web browsing, e-mail, photos, video, music, games, and e-book reader]”.

If that was his goal, it looks like he succeeded.  The iPad has built-ins like Bluetooth 2.1 and 802.11n WiFi for web browsing and e-mail as well as the option to add 3G capacity for an additional $130.  The 3G will have two data plans from which to choose.  For photos, video, music and games, the iPad has all the Apple iPhone applications and more.  The New York Times has even created a custom application for the iPad.  Add to that the newest application, Apple’s iBook, the latest e-book reader.  The iBook’s color display and page animation are very impressive.  While mentioning the Amazon Kindle, Jobs noted that Apple had partnered with a large group of major publishers to supply content for its iBookStore.

While some people are salivating as they wait to purchase the new iPad, others are decrying the iPad because of things it failed to include.  Although those who hail the iPad as revolutionary seem to be more interested in the previously described applications, the iPad was also touted as Apple’s entrance into the tablet world to replace the netbook.  This is where a number of technology experts disagree with Jobs.

For business utility, the iPad has a scaled down version of iWorks from the Mac Suite.  It includes Pages (word processing), Numbers (spreadsheet) and Keynote (presentations). Each is sold separately for a reasonable $9.99. Unfortunately, the iPad can only run one application at a time.  As a business replacement to a laptop or even to a net book, the iPad doesn’t measure up.  With a storage capacity of 16-, 32-, or 64-GB (depending on price) plus a micro SIM card and no expansion possibilities, storage can be a problem.  Also because applications cannot run simultaneously, efficiency is inhibited.  The fact that there is no video camera on the iPad negates any use of videoconferencing, an important part of business on the road.  The iPad does have a full touch-screen Qwerty keyboard, although looking straight down while typing can become very uncomfortable after a while.  Finally, the iPad doesn’t support Flash files, a very large part of the web.  Some disappointed reviewers have described it as just a large version of the iPhone or as a PC World reviewer put it, “an iPhone on Steroids”.

The biggest iPad innovation is its iBook.  Most who used it were extremely impressed.  The color and page-turning graphics make it feel like a real book.  Also hailed was the New York Times application, customized specifically for the iPad.  The chief competition, the Kindle, just can’t compare.

A couple of caveats, however:  the iPad feels more like a real book than the other e-books but the too bright, active screen may contribute to eye strain and the iPad’s size and weight make it more cumbersome to hold than the Kindle.

The original price tag for the iPad was proposed at around $1,000.  To the delight of all, that price is now just $499 for the basic iPad and $829 for the top of the line.  The Apple iPad gives you a lot for that price:  a device that is only 1.25 cm thick, weighs 1.5 lbs, has a 9.7 inch display, a 1GHZ Apple processor and a very attractive battery life of 10 hours.  The iPad comes loaded with all the iPhone apps, an e-book reader and WiFi or the optional 3G.

So, the success of Apple’s new iPad does really depend on the perception of its function.  If you love your iPhone, you probably will love the iPad.  From all accounts it is a thrilling ride.  If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a replacement for your laptop or netbook, you may not be so thrilled.  Bottom line:  ask yourself what you want the iPad to do for you.