Kenja's Newsletter & Updates

Hello everybody

First let me welcome all new-comers to the list, for Stationery, Desktop Themes and for the Newsletter. I hope you enjoy the updates and stay with us for a long time.

I apologize for running a bit late with this issue of the newsletter, but I was in dire need of a break. Now that vacation time is over, it's back to business at usual.

Gift Changes:

The gifts seem to create several problems.... one, it is taking way too long for me to send out the newsletter (in access of 6 hours) and two, most subscribers seem to get their mail at work and they in turn reject any and all attachments. Therefore I am changing the way you get your gifts.

Gifts will from now on be kept online (with changing locations from issue to issue) for one week, which should give all subscribers plenty of time to get to them for download. They will not be accessible from the archive issues, and after the week has expired, they will be removed!

This weeks gift is another one of my original Stationery with scrolling background, a marquee with a special message (feel free to change the words if you know how) and a midi. This stationery definitely reflects on the type of week I've been having. *smile* If you use Outlook 98 (upgrade for Outlook as part of Office 97) in conjunction with Internet Explorer 5.0, then you also need to install the OE5 version and not the OE4 version.

If anyone has any ideas and/or suggestions of how to handle the current gift situation, feel free to voice your opinion(s) and e-mail me with "Newsletter Suggestions" in the Subject line.

Stationery & Theme News:

As I mentioned earlier I took a break from everything for a couple of days. So there was nothing new added to the Theme and/or the Stationery sections. Updates will be in effect in about another week, and I will let you know in the next newsletter.

Help Needed:

Games:

Personally, I do not have a whole lot of time to play games on my computer. But playing games helps getting over the "writers-block" or "creation-block", and in those cases I like to play small and simple games.

If you are into arcade type games, you might want to give Salameanderer a try. This game is freeware, small and compact, and won't hog your space or resources of your computer. I have not played it myself yet, as arcade games always pose a coordination handicap for me, but the game looks to be great fun for fans of those type of games or even great fun for kids.

One of my favorite games is Scrabble. The draw back on playing the Hasbro version off the CD is that you have to close all programs, and insert the Hasbro CD, just to play. If you like to play a quick game without all the hassle, comes in two languages (currently German & English), and is great on your computer resources without all that clutter, try this freeware version of Scrabble. The author is also working on the French and Dutch version, but he still needs help with the word lists and the letter values.

Word Processing:

Lots of people think that you need large programs like MS Word to take care of your daily word processing needs. In fact, there are a lot of free programs out there that can do just as much, are smaller and easier to use. One program comes to mind and is called Cetus Word Pads. Cetus offers a variety of freeware that includes Floppy Word (you can only save your work on Floppy disk, which comes handy for those who just start on the computer as it gets them into the habit of saving their work), CWordPad, CNotePad, and NotePad3. All of these pads come with spell check and various other options, including a large variety of dictionaries in several languages.

If you are looking to replace Word Pad or Note Pad that ships with Windows, then you might want to look into Edit Pad. This small program is Postcard-Ware, which means that the Author expects you to send him a nice picture postcard from where you live... still very cheap considering what you get in return. Edit Pad comes in many different languages (ranging from English to Swedish), lets you open as many documents as you want, and recall them by way of the small icon that is placed in your task bar (next to your clock). The later feature makes this program especially handy for multi-tasking.

Misc Programs:

I ran across this next little program quite by accident, but I think it is has a place here, as many of you might find great use for it. The program is called Graph Paper Printer and is freeware. Graph Paper Printer lets you define the size, the colors and even the shape of your grids. This is a great program for a wide range of people like students, teachers, Quilters, and other hobbyists. Why spend a lot of money on buying pre-printed graph paper, when you can make it yourself!

I love special effects on my desktop, be it in form of a screensaver, desktop themes and/or wallpaper. GT Ripple will blow you away with it's special effect of creating an Lake Applet type effect with any wallpaper, and without using the "active desktop" option of Windows98 or Internet Explorer 4.x and above. When you visit the author's website to download this free program, you will see what I am talking about. I installed the program and tested it myself, and the effects are truly amazing, and that even though I do not have a Pentium II.... yet. *smile*

QuasiFractal Music is another free Midi generator program that is easy to use and creates some great midi music for use in your homepages or even with stationery. At the authors homepage you will find a lot of samples from other midi creators. This program is a true jewel of all the midi generators out there.

I am always looking for new ways of putting a smile on the faces my friends. Sending an e-mail card will usually do the trick, and that is why I am always in search of new and fun greeting cards. At YNOT.COM you can find a large variety of free Flash (special effects plug-in for your browser) Animated E-cards. Cards range from the more conservative, to funny and some that are more adult in nature. A great site with hours of fun. *smile*

Graphic Programs:

I would imagine that most people who own a copy of either Paintshop Pro or Adobe Photoshop, also know that there is no such thing as having too many Filters. A lot of good filters that work for either and/or both programs can be found on the Internet, and most are free. UnPlugged currently offers over 80 free Filters for use in Adobe Photoshop, PSP or any other compatible graphics program. Some versions of the filter are also available for those of you who use a Macintosh computer.

imageOWeb is a free, full featured graphics program. You can use it to scan pictures into the program, view directories of pictures as a slide show, change graphic file extensions (i.e. from bmp to jpg), apply special effects to pictures with the set of filters included or create thumbnails for your HTML pages. This program offers much more, but you can read about the details on the authors homepage, and the price of this program is definitely right... free! *smile*

On the Lighter Side of Life:

This weeks humor might be a little touchy for some people, but keep this in mind when you read it: I too live in the deep South and this is intended as humor and not to step on anybodies "toes". Please do not accuse me of "hating Southerners" and send me "hate mail" on account of this joke! *smile*

1. If you run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in a four-wheel-drive pickup truck with a 12-pack of beer and a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them, just stay out of their way. This is what they live for.
   
   
2. Don't be surprised to find movie rentals and bait in the same store. Do not buy food at this store.
   
   
3. Remember: "Y'all" is singular, "All y'all" is plural, and "All y'alls'" is plural possessive.
   
   
4. Get used to hearing "You ain't from around here, are ya?"
   
   
5. You may hear a Southerner say "Oughta!" to a dog or child. This is short for "Y'all oughta not do that!" and is the equivalent of saying "No!"
   
   
6. Don't be worried about not understanding what people are saying; they can't understand you, either.
   
   
7. The first Southern expression to creep into a transplanted Northerner's vocabulary is the adjective "big ol'," as in "big ol' truck " or "big ol' boy." Most Northerners begin their new Southern-influenced dialect this way. All of them are in denial about it.
   
   
8. The proper pronunciation you learned in school is no longer proper.
   
   
9. Be advised that "He needed killin'" is a valid defense here.
   
   
10. If you hear a Southerner exclaim "Hey, y'all, watch this," stay out of the way. These are likely to be the last words he'll ever say.
    
    
11. If there is the prediction of the slightest chance of even the smallest accumulation of snow, your presence is required at the local grocery store. It doesn't matter whether you need anything or not. You just have to go there.
    
    
12. When you come upon a person driving 15 mph down the middle of the road, remember that most folks here learn to drive on a John Deere, and that this is the proper speed and position for that vehicle.

The Finishing Touches:

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter, found lots of useful information and learned something. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to e-mail me

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