Have you ever needed to send a message to many people, yet wanted to save them having to wade through a screen full of addresses? The best way to do this is to use the blind carbon copy (Bcc) option.

Typing an address into the Bcc field delivers your message to that person just as it would if you used the Cc field; the difference is that other recipients will not see the Bcc list.

If you use Netscape Communicator 4.x you can click on the "To:" button to get a dropdown box of choices, click on "Bcc", then insert the e-mail addresses.

If you use Outlook 2000 choose View on the menu bar, click on Bcc Field, then insert the e-mail addresses.

Hoax alert:
If you receive an e-mail message claiming that a 1654 Nostradamus prediction said World War III would begin with the fall of "two brothers" (a supposed reference to the destroyed World Trade Center towers) please do not forward it to others. Both the Urban Legends Reference Pages and CIAC's Hoaxbusters say this prophecy is bogus.

Because many of us are checking news web sites to get the most up-to-date information about Tuesday's terrorist attacks, remember that if you've had a web page loaded on your web browser for a while click Netscape's Reload button or Internet Explorer's Refresh button.

Netscape:

Internet Explorer:

You can even press the Shift key while clicking the Reload or Refresh button to ensure you're viewing the most recent version of the page. This technique will force the web browser to retrieve the most current version of the page from the server, instead of re-displaying a potentially out-of-date page saved in "cache" on your PC's hard disk. And It's handy that web sites like CNN's note on pages, "Updated: 01:34 p.m. EDT (1734 GMT) -- 14 September 2001" so you can confirm that your web browser has indeed retrieved the freshest version of the page from their server.

Most of us are familiar with moving around on our PCs entirely with a mouse, however a mouse click isn't always the quickest way to get things done. Many standard Windows 95 and Windows NT functions are also available through keystroke equivalents.

Keyboard shortcuts may not appeal to everyone (especially southpaws), but knowing what's available gives you the option for alternate ways to navigate. Some of them may actually be essential if your mouse freezes up, and some can even speed up your tasks. Give them a try to find the ones fit best into your style of Windows use!

A favorite keystroke shortcut of mine is to copy and paste between Microsoft Office applications using the Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V key combination. I like this shortcut because I've still got my right hand on the mouse, and can use my left hand to quickly paste text from one document to another.

This table shows the most commonly used keystroke shortcuts in Windows applications:

With all the web sites that are popping up about Tuesday's terrorist attacks, unfortunately some have proved to be hoaxes or to provide inaccurate information. For example, some of the databases for victims and survivors allow anyone to add information.

To separate the wheat from the chaff, among the many good online resources here are some web sites you can count on:

• FirstGov™ U.S. Government Resources for Sept. 11th Events
• The Official New York City Website
• American Library Association's Where can I find resources to help visitors to my library deal with the September 11 tragedy?
  
• ResearchBuzz 911 Coverage
• How Stuff Works: September 11, 2001

Make your voice heard: go to the LISNews poll and vote on your choice for the librarians' best bumper sticker of 30 characters or less.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

Franklin D. Roosevelt,
December 8, 1941

Darlene's Salsa is one good way to handle all those tomatoes in your garden.

This issue of The Ides was written on September 14, 2001
Copyright 2001, Winnefox Library System

The Ides is written by Joy Schwarz.
Please direct any questions, comments or recipes to schwarz@winnefox.org

URL: http://www.winnefox.org/ides/idessep01.html