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Historical Recordings Online

Victrola “Imagine your computer as a new Gramophone purchased for family and friends to enjoy in your home parlor.” That's the statement on the Library of Congress' new new National Jukebox web site.

The web site contains more than 10,000 recordings created between 1901 and 1925 on Victor 78rpm records. The selections include band music, opera arias, dance music, monologues, and musical theater. Included on the site are some pre-selected playlists to get you started – check out the “Gems from the Jukebox” which includes a comedy dialog with orchestra called “Chimmie and Maggie at the Hippodrome” from 1905, and “Flirting Whistler”, a charming one-step performed by Conway’s Band in 1915.

New recordings are added to the Jukebox every month. Later this year, the Library of Congress will begin digitizing recordings from additional record labels, including Columbia and Okeh, along with selected master recordings from the Library of Congress Universal Music Group Collection.

You can listen to any of the recordings on your computer.

Historical recordings from the Library of Congress are available free of charge at http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/

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April 12, 2011

Was Your Email Address Compromised by Scammers? Avoid the Scams!


Spam1 A Texas-based marketing company called Epsilon had its database stolen by hackers on March 30. Unfortunately, Epsilon does contract work for Best Buy, Walgreens, Marriott Rewards, TiVo, Citigroup, US Bank, JPMorgan Chase, the Home Shopping Network, and dozens of other companies. If you have ever done business with any of any of these firms, your information undoubtedly was in the Epsilon database and probably was stolen.

The stolen information reportedly was limited to email addresses and/or customer names only, according to Epsilon. I guess we have to take the company's word about that although I do admit to having doubts. In any case, you probably are going to receive more spam mail than normal in the coming months as the spammers use these mailing lists in an attempt to hoodwink you into giving away personal information or purchasing questionable goods.

The main danger from this is an increase in “spear phishing” attacks — nerd-speak for targeted email spam. In traditional phishing attacks, criminals send email messages to millions of people with a message that appears to be from a bank or other real business, hoping that some of the recipients will be customers of that business and will follow instructions to, for example, “update your account information.”

A spear-phishing email is far more dangerous because it can include a person’s name and is sent only to people who are known to be customers of a certain business, greatly increasing the likelihood that the targets will be duped.

Of course, the messages are never sent by the companies that are shown in the return address. The email message may claim that it was sent by JPMorgan Chase or Best Buy or Citibank, but that is always false. The addresses are forged, something that is easy to do.

For example, if you are a Citigroup customer, you might receive a legitimate-looking e-mail message claiming to be from a Citigroup representative, suggesting that you need to update your personal information. If you do so, you could find unwelcome charges on your next credit card bill.

There are several things you can do to protect yourself. They include:

Remember: knowledge is power. First of all, you already know the security breach has occurred. You are now aware that you have to take such messages with a large grain of salt.

Examine the wording carefully. Financial institutions, government agencies, and legitimate businesses never, ever send e-mail messages demanding that you update your personal information and provide such sensitive information as a bank account number, PIN, or social security number. If you receive such a message, it’s a scam.

Check the link. In most email programs, you can hover your cursor over any link and wait for the tooltips window to appear. Take a look at the address in this window rather than the one printed in the link. Does it lead you to the web site it purports to, or are you being directed to something that sounds legit, but on closer examination clearly isn’t?

Don’t click the link. Scammers can be a clever lot and can fashion messages and links that look very convincing. Do not click links in these messages. Instead, if you’re concerned, launch your Web browser and go directly to the web site of the company you believe has contacted you (typing in the address yourself rather than pasting in a link). Check your account information. Do you see any notices there that confirm the e-mail message you’ve received? Probably not, but if so, give the company a call and speak to a representative.

Check the IP address. Return addresses for these messages are routinely forged, so don’t trust the legitimacy of a message based on the sender’s address. You may, however, be able to clear up some confusion by checking the sender’s IP address. Finding the IP address will be a bit different for every email program. For example, to do this in Google’s Gmail, first click on the down arrow beside the message’s Reply button, and choose “Show original.” To do this in Apple’s Mail, select the questionable message and choose View -> Message -> Long Headers. Once you are looking at the questionable message, preceded by some lines of “Delivered-To” and “Received” text, you want to look at the entries that appear after Received—specifically, the entry in the form of [123.45.678.000] farthest down the list.. This entry shows the IP address where the message originated. (Ignore any addresses that start with 192.168 or 10.0 as these are IP addresses used on a local network.) Having found this address, go somewhere like Geobytes’ IP Address Locator at http://www.geobytes.com/iplocator.htm, enter the address in the IP Address To Locate field, and click Submit. A second or two later you will be told the region location for the address. If you see a location in Eastern Europe or Asia or the Pacific or anyplace else that doesn't make sense, you’ve been contacted by a scammer.

NOTE: Checking an IP address isn't foolproof. Some spammers use a VPN (virtual private network) to "tunnel" to a server in a North American or European country. If so, the IP address will reflect that county's location. Also, some spammers have developed methods of "cloaking" an IP address, meaning the IP address is hidden or forged.

In short, if the IP address is from some third world country, other than from where it claims to be, you KNOW it is forged. Even if the IP address looks legitimate, it MIGHT be forged.

As always, a wise consumer provides his or her own best protection.

Be cautious before clicking that mouse -
it is both a good and a sensible practise

The Best Way to Archive Anything: L.O.C.K.S.S.
March 12, 2011

Warning: This article contains personal opinions.

In recent years, dozens of articles have appeared in this newsletter and in all sorts of other genealogy publications claiming to tell how to preserve documents, family photographs, and other information. I don't think that any of the articles are "wrong," but it strikes me that very few of them ever described the most effective storage method of all.

Many authors, myself included, have written tens of thousands of words about the advantages and disadvantages of storing on paper versus microfilm versus digital images. We have described the technical ins and outs of PDF files in comparison to DOC, TXT, JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, and the entire alphabet soup of file formats. We have described the advantages of acid-free paper in excruciating detail. We have talked about the chemical consistency of ink versus toner. Yet, most of us have overlooked the most obvious solution.

I would suggest we introduce a new acronym into the vocabulary of every genealogist. Let's teach it in classes. Let's write about it in blogs, in magazines, and in "how to" books. Let's describe it in presentations, at genealogy societies, and even put up signs in every genealogy library and every courthouse in the world. This new acronym describes something that is better than microfilm, better than paper, and even better than any other single digital technology yet invented.

The acronym is: L.O.C.K.S.S.

I'll even write it without all the periods: LOCKSS, an acronym for "Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe."

In short, all the discussions about which is better, paper, or microfilm, or digital, is a waste of time. The obvious answer (to me) is "all of the above."

Who cares if microfilm will last longer than digital files? The wise genealogist/archivist saves documents on BOTH. In fact, he or she also preserves on paper and even on clay tablets, if appropriate. Okay, clay tablets may not be practical but I am trying to make a point: let's not ignore any possibility. Let's look at all the available solutions and then use all of them that make sense. Let's ignore any single solution. Instead, we use ALL of the solutions that make sense.

With today's technology, making duplicate copies on digital media or on paper is easy, and prices are manageable. Making duplicates on microfilm is becoming difficult but is not yet impossible. Why not preserve in every manner possible? If a new technology appears next year or in the next century, let's add that to the list of copies to be made.

Recent experience has proven that paper is not a good preservation mechanism, and microfilm isn't much better. The news reports frequently mention earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, building collapses, fires, and other great disasters that have destroyed thousands of paper and microfilm documents within seconds. While not mentioned as often in the national news, burst water pipes will do the same.

For the past fifty years or so, microfilm was the storage mechanism of choice, but it is almost as fragile as paper. Microfilm is only slightly more impervious to earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, or burst water pipes. To be sure, water-soaked microfilm probably can be washed and then dried for preservation purposes, but the other disasters will destroy microfilm as quickly as paper or anything else.

Digital archiving has its own set of problems and solutions. Disk drives crash, home computers occasionally erase data, huge data centers are occasionally destroyed in major disasters, and sometimes files simply grow obsolete by a change in technical standards. The biggest cause of computer data loss is the "oops factor:" the accidental loss of files. Any single copy of any digital file is almost guaranteed to be unavailable within a few years.

Yet the solution is simple!

I know of no requirement that says we must preserve information on only one medium. We, the genealogists, are free to store paper AND microfilm AND digital images AND any other method that may be invented in the future. In fact, I would suggest that storing a SINGLE copy of anything is a disservice to future genealogists and historians. We need to make multiple copies of every piece of paper, every microfilm, and every digital file and then store those copies in as many different locations as possible. Even better, the employees of any well-managed archive will periodically check the materials stored to see if each is still readable and if it should also be copied to some more modern technology that has appeared since the original was created.

Neither are we required to make only a single copy and then to put it on a shelf for long-term storage. Unless covered under copyright, we are free to make all sorts of copies, something that is easy and cheap today. Even better, we can store those copies in all sorts of locations: in the closet, in the basement, at a cousin's house, or in data centers in Rio de Janeiro, Capetown, and Mumbai. In fact, we can store any document in seven or more different data centers in seven or more different locations around the globe. What are the odds that ALL the copies will be destroyed? The price for all this? Peanuts.

We are not limited to the storage of documents. While we perhaps cannot clone physical items, we can take pictures of those items and store those pictures in case of disaster. Perhaps you have a musket that great-grandpa carried in the war or maybe a wooden chest that great-great-grandma carried with her in the covered wagon across the plains. Antiques don't have to be all that old. There is reason to preserve pictures of the medals your father was awarded in the more recent war or even your children's report cards. You should save pictures of these valuable family mementos in multiple places.

Again, I am talking about LOCKSS, the acronym for "Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe."

By greatly increasing the number of copies available, we greatly increase the odds that at least one copy will survive. An earthquake in Japan? A Tsunami in Hawaii? A hurricane and flood in New Orleans? A building collapse in Cologne? A data center fire in Salt Lake City? Those are horrible human disasters but all of these are trivial problems for stored records if, and only if, multiple copies of everything of value have previously been created AND STORED IN DIFFERENT PLACES.

It is easy to think about such solutions when discussing major archives with millions of documents. However, the same process will work for you, the individual genealogist. Take a look at the family photographs and the documents in your possession. Make copies on paper, and give those copies to your nieces and nephews or to your cousins. You can even give copies to the relatives who are not interested in "all that old stuff." Some of them probably will throw them away, but others will place whatever you give them in a closet and keep the documents for future generations who may ask.

The same is true for digital copies. In fact, digital copies are easier to duplicate and store than are paper or microfilm copies. Scan the photos and the documents; then make backups to a local hard drive as well as to online cloud computing backup services. Save copies to CD or DVD disks or to flash drives. Store some at your office and give others to relatives. Not all those copies will survive, but some of them will, assuming you make enough copies. Of course, you need to re-copy those stored items to new media and new file formats every few years.

Ideally, you should make sure that someone knows how to retrieve your copies after you are gone. However, wouldn't it be easier to simply GIVE them copies while you are still alive? If your data vaporizes soon after your death, who cares? You have already taken steps to make sure the same information is already in the hands of multiple members of a younger generation.

Starting today, I plan to never write again in this newsletter about "Which storage medium is best?" My answer is, "Yes."

That is "yes," as in, "all of them." Don't store a single copy of anything and expect it to last. It makes no difference if that single copy is on paper or on microfilm or on a computer. A single copy of anything is at high risk, as has been proven by building collapses, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and the other calamities of recent years. Whether we are talking about a major archive of an entire nation or about your family's photographs of Aunt Tilley as a child, we all need to realize there is but one form of insurance: have multiple copies on different kinds of media, all stored in multiple locations.

In other words, LOCKSS. Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe.

Note: I use LOCKSS as a generic term, meaning Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. However, Stanford University Libraries also maintains a formal program with the same name and meaning: LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe). The Stanford LOCKSS program is an international community initiative that provides libraries with digital preservation tools and support so that they can easily and inexpensively collect and preserve their own copies of authorized e-content. You can read more about the Stanford LOCKSS program at http://lockss.stanford.edu/lockss/

March 03, 2011
Accuracy of Genealogy Information on the Internet

NOTE: This article contains personal opinions.

Today I read an online message from a reader of this newsletter in which she bemoaned the quality of genealogy information found on the Internet. She went on at some length to say that the information found online is full of inaccuracies, is posted by people who don't know what they are doing, and that "genealogy information found on the Internet should never be trusted."

I was sympathetic to what she wrote until that last part. NEVER be trusted?

I will be the first to agree that there is a lot of inaccurate SECONDARY information on the Internet. But let's not overlook the fact that the Internet also brings us images of ORIGINAL source records as well.

Want to see the record of your great-great-grandparents in the U.S. Census? Click with your mouse and look at the IMAGE of the original entry without leaving your home. Want to see a naturalization record? IMAGES of many of them are available online. Would you like to see granddad's World War I Draft registration form that lists information about parents? The IMAGE of the original document is available online. Want to see an obituary? Several online services provide IMAGES of the newspaper obituaries. And how about the Southern Claims records, many of which were never available before on microfilm? IMAGES of each record are now available online.

Yes, the Internet certainly is a mix of good and bad news, but let's not condemn everything. Looking at images of original source records on the Internet makes us better genealogists than those of us who used to be limited only to transcribed (secondary) sources. We have much more information available today than ever before. Some of it is good information, such as IMAGES of original records. Other information found online is questionable, such as secondary information contributed by someone else. Let's not condemn everything simply because some of it is bad.

We do have an education problem. We need to educate newcomers as to what information is immediately believable versus what information requires independent verification. This education process must be active on all genealogy sites, including this one, and must continue forever as new genealogists join us. However, I will suggest that this requirement for education should not stop us from looking at images of original records.

There is an old saying that pops to mind, something having to do with babies and bathwater.

Looking forward ten or twenty years, I suspect that eventually all of us will focus primarily on images of original records, as found on the Internet. As millions and millions of additional images come online, the references we all enjoy will continue to improve. I see that as a great advance in genealogy scholarship.


Posted by Dick Eastman on March 03, 2011

A note from the webmaster: Every now and again a silly, simple yet brilliant idea comes out. Here is just such an idea. Simple yet brilliant. Even non-computer literate people can get friend to write such a small flash stick with all the information a medical practioner will ever need in an emergency.

Carry Emergency Information With You at All Times
Posted by Dick Eastman on October 07, 2010

There are at least a dozen methods of carrying emergency information with you. In these high tech times, I would recommend carrying that information with you electronically, as well as on a piece of paper or in a medical ID bracelet. The electronic method allows for storage of more information.

In this case, I am talking about medical information, next of kin, and other information that you might want emergency responders to find. While my mother convinced me to always have clean underwear, it's probably more important to make sure you have easily-findable information on your body as well.

For those with significant medical problems, such as diabetes or heart problems, a medical ID bracelet is a great idea. Medical personnel always look for those. However, the amount of information you can include in a normal medical bracelet is limited.

In my case, I have always carried a card in my wallet with additional information, including my name, address, and information about next of kin who are authorized to make decisions about my medical care. I have always laminated the card so the information would remain clear and easy to read for at least a few years, then I replace the card with a new one every few years as the information changes. Laminating kits may be found at any office supply store. I keep it in my wallet between my driver's license and my medical ID card.

As I have become older, the important medical information has increased and it is now difficult to squeeze everything I want to record on a wallet-sized card. The last time I updated the wallet card, I had difficulty squeezing everything onto two sides of a small card. I began to think about alternatives, such as folding a larger sheet of paper in half or into quarters, or something similar. However, laminating a folded card provides a few additional challenges.

I then realized that I always have a USB jump drive in my pocket. Always. Every few years, as prices drop, I replace it with a new jump drive with higher capacity. The jump drive in my pocket at this moment has been there so long that all the labeling, including the manufacturer's name, has worn off. However, that makes no difference to its operation.

I also know that all hospitals have computers with USB connections and even most ambulances carry laptop computers these days with the same. Even the cheapest jump drive with only a small amount of storage space can store much more information than what I can print on a wallet-sized card.


My New Plan

I created a new card for my wallet containing basic information: my name, address, Social Security Number, phone number, a list of my prescription medicines, and a sentence that says:

In case of medical emergency, please find the USB jump drive in my pocket. Open the file "In case of medical emergency please read this.txt."

I placed the same information that was on the wallet-sized card into the new text file of that name plus a lot more information. I listed names and phone numbers of all my closest relatives. I entered my allergies, my blood type, a list of medicines that I take, along with a comment that none of these medicines are critical to life or death. That is, I can go a few days without them, if necessary. I also added the dosage sizes of each prescription.

In addition, I entered my dietary restrictions, my recent eyeglasses prescription (I scanned that and included it both as a .jpg file and a .pdf file), and even a list of recent foreign trips I have taken, in case I picked up some rare tropical disease. I doubt if that happened, but HEY! it's theoretically possible.

If I had a full-time employer, I would have entered that information along with contact information for the company as well as direct phone numbers for my immediate manager and for the H.R. department.

I entered my insurance information, just in case the emergency personnel cannot find the insurance card in my wallet.

For a while, I debated whether or not to include my home address or Social Security Number. At first, I was concerned that the information might fall into the wrong hands if my pocket was picked or some other loss occurred. Then I realized that the same information was already on my driver's license which is stored in the same wallet as the laminated card. If a thief can steal my jump drive, he probably is also stealing the wallet as well. Keeping that info off the jump drive or off the wallet-sized card won't accomplish anything when the same information is already available elsewhere in the wallet!

I did omit the home addresses of my relatives, however. I only gave their first names and telephone numbers. I didn't even include their relationship to me, I simply wrote, "Call these people."

I also carry a complete list of all my ancestors, but that's for a different purpose. I doubt if medical personnel care about my backup copy of all my genealogy information. The same is true for all the other files stored on the jump drive; the only important file for emergency reasons is "In case of medical emergency please read this.txt" that is stored in the root directory.

You might want to do something similar. Perhaps you carry a jump drive with you everywhere, as I do. Many ladies carry one in their purse. I even know one person who carries a jump drive on a lanyard around her neck. Wherever your jump drive is, it must be immediately visible to emergency medical personnel and to others who have a need to see the information if you are unable to speak.

I'd suggest entering the information in ASCII text as that is "the lowest common denominator" and every computer can read it. Don't use a word processor's proprietary format. Text files stored in .txt format can be read on any Windows, Macintosh, or even Linux computer.

Windows users should use Notepad or something similar and store the information as a .txt file.

Macintosh users might want to use TextEdit, which has several file format storage options. Unfortunately, TextEdit doesn't store information in ASCII text format. I would use Rich Text Format which is readable by almost all word processors and can also be read with ASCII text editors although it will have "extra characters" embedded in the text. Still, it is readable.

Perhaps a better option for Macintosh users is to obtain one of the many available free ASCII text editors, such as TextWrangler. TextWrangler has been rated "the best free text editor available" by MacWorld. Write your text in the ASCII text editor and store your information as a .txt file. TextWrangler can be downloaded free of charge at http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/

Use a logical file name, such as "In case of medical emergency please read this.txt." Then make sure the jump drive is with you every time you leave the house: in your pocket, in your purse, on a keychain, or on a lanyard around your neck.

Any jump drive should do. Anything in the $5 to $15 range should be sufficient. However, you might want to obtain a jump drive with even more storage and use it to store many backup copies of other files that are important to you.

For security reasons, you might want to encrypt all the other files, in case the jump drive does fall into the wrong hands. However, leave the "In case of medical emergency please read this.txt" in plain text so that emergency personnel can read it.

You should not be concerned with long-term storage life of the personal information on this jump drive. You should be updating the information every few months so long-term storage is not an issue.

For use on a keychain or on a lanyard, you might want one that is capless or perhaps with a screw-on cap in place of the normal pop-off cap that is easily lost. Those are are bit harder to find, but an online search should produce several. You can look at Amazon.com at http://goo.gl/3RyX to see one such example or at http://goo.gl/7mAF for a different style. The one at http://goo.gl/7mAF has a clip that should work well with a keychain. Clip it onto the keychain with your housekeys and you will probably always have that with you.

For the ultimate in visibility, obtain a florescent orange jump drive, such as the one on Amazon at http://goo.gl/B6jC. I am sure that emergency personnel will see THAT one!
However, there are many others available as well. I suspect you can find many more in a quick online search, if not at your local computer store.

For the ultimate medical alert information, although at a higher price, you could purchase the Macx USB Medical ID Bracelet that contains a built-in USB jump drive. Take a look at http://goo.gl/QTtv

What's in your wallet? Then again, what's in your jump drive?

African Ancestry Seminar at African American Cultural Forum
in Hampton, VA

The following announcement was written by African Ancestry:

May 5, 2010 -- On Saturday, June 26, the African American Cultural Forum, a brand new event taking place in downtown Hampton coinciding with the Afrikan American Festival, will welcome African Ancestry. The genetic genealogy company, based in Washington, DC, is known for using DNA to create “a vehicle to enable people of African descent to trace their ancestry back to their present-day African country of origin.” Afrikan Ancestry will conduct free genealogy and family tree seminars at the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina Hotel.

“We are very excited to welcome Gina Paige and Dr. Rick Kittles, co-founders of African Ancestry, to Hampton,” said African American Cultural Forum Committee member Pam Croom. “The duo is renowned for their work in DNA and genealogy. Our attendees are in for a very special treat.”

African Ancestry has been featured on several television programs, including Good Morning America, African American Lives on PBS, and VH1 Soul, as well as print publications like USA Today, Essence, and Black Enterprise. In addition, the company has also traced DNA for many African American celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Forrest Whitaker, Spike Lee, and Isaiah Washington.

The cost to attend the African Ancestry seminars is free. Those wishing to have their ancestry traced via DNA or have family trees researched can do so for an additional fee.

During the African American Cultural Forum, African Ancestry will unveil the DNA tests of esteemed Hampton resident Dr. Mary T. Christian. Dr. Christian, who began her academic career at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), later returned to the university as Director of the School of Education, rising to Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Education, before retiring as professor emeritus. In 1985, Dr. Christian was the first African American and first female from Hampton to be elected to the state legislature, post Reconstruction. She served nine consecutive terms representing Virginia’s 92nd House District. The results of the Dr. Christian’s DNA test will be unveiled at 10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 26 (during both African Ancestry sessions at the African American Cultural Forum).

The African American Cultural Forum takes place at the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina Hotel 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 26. Seminar topics include restoration of rights, gang awareness, family trees, and genealogy. Noted poet, author, and literary consultant Nathan Richardson is also scheduled to be in attendance, conducting seminars and workshops. All seminars and workshops are free. The event coincides with Afrikan American Festival, a Hampton 400th Anniversary Signature Event, happening that same weekend in nearby Mill Point Park.

For more information of African Ancestry, check out www.africanancestry.com. For further information on the African American Cultural Forum, contact Pam Croom at 757/728-5173 or pcroom(at)hampton(dot)gov.

Packing for a Research Trip
[Posted by Dick Eastman on April 20, 2010 ]

I am now preparing for a trip to Salt Lake City next week. I'll be attending the annual conference of the National Genealogical Society. While in Salt Lake City, I also hope to spend some time at the Family History Library doing research.

Over the years, I have made many trips to libraries, courthouses, and genealogy societies. Once I arrive at my destination, I often have found that I should have carried "one more thing" with me. I have now created a checklist of those "things that I may need.” I always verify the genealogy trip packing list when packing my suitcase. Most of the time, I can squeeze all of these items into one carry-on suitcase that easily fits in an airliner's overhead baggage compartment plus an “over the shoulder” bag or a backpack that fits under the seat in front of me. With the recent price gouging by airlines for checked luggage, use of carry-on luggage can save a lot of money.

I thought I would share my packing list and also ask if you have further suggestions.
The following is a list of things I might take on a genealogy research trip. I don't take every item on every trip; the exact list will depend upon where I am headed. For instance, a trip to a cemetery might end up with different items to be packed than a trip to a genealogy library. However, here is my complete list of things that I might take on a trip:

1. Laptop computer. I use the computer for multiple purposes, including recording notes of my new discoveries. I also have my entire genealogy database on the laptop, in case I want to look something up. Of course, I also want to be able to access email and the Web while traveling.

2. Cell phone. Actually, I never leave the house without my cell phone. There are too many uses to list here, but I will point out that I keep my entire genealogy database on the cell phone as well. It is very convenient to use and, unlike Windows or Macintosh laptops, does not require a long time to boot up and become ready for use.

3. GPS – This is one of the handiest gadgets I own. If jumping into a rental car in a strange city, the GPS guides me to the hotel or to the convention center. (Hint: enter the destination address[es] into the GPS before leaving home to save time and confusion in the rental car company's garage.) I also take the GPS with me to every cemetery I visit in order to record the exact location of tombstones.

4. Wireless 3G modem. I admit to being a geek, but I hate to be isolated from the Internet. There is email to check, and I may want to look up something online as well. Many libraries now offer free wi-fi Internet connections, but not all of them do. Some hotels also charge $10 a day or more for online access. Airport waiting lounges also offer wi-fi networking with prices ranging from free to as much as $20 a day. For anyone who travels frequently, a wireless 3G Internet connection can be a money saver.

5. Portable scanner. I take the portable scanner only when I suspect I will have an opportunity to use it. However, there have been a few occasions where it has proven useful. Admittedly, I do leave it home most of the time.

6. Copies of my "to do" list, research notes, lists of questions to answer, and sources to check. Most of these items are on my computer, but I still find that a printed list on paper is easier to use.

7. A jump drive (also known as a thumb drive or flash-drive or any of a number of other names). In many libraries, you can copy images of microfilm or download material from the computers. The charges for downloading to a jump drive are always cheaper than making photocopies, and sometimes the charge is zero. In addition, you end up with a higher-quality image than those made by typical photocopy machines as found in libraries. Having a digital image also makes it easy to later import that image into your favorite genealogy program or into an email message you are creating. Ideally, the jump drive should be empty when you embark on your journey. Some libraries have software protection that look for viruses and other problems stored on jump drives. If your jump drive has an .EXE file stored on it or any other files that the library's computers do not like, you might not be able to store their data on the jump drive. Starting with an empty jump drive solves the problem.

8. Pens, pencils, and notepaper. I have recently switched to a Pulse Smartpen and its matching tablets of paper that automatically save my handwritten notes into the computer when I return home. However, the old-fashioned pens and paper will suffice for most purposes.

9. Camera. I find lots of situations for use of cameras, both indoors and out.

10. An extension cord with a triple outlet on the end for plugging in multiple devices. Many libraries have power outlets in the strangest places! That is especially true for older courthouses and other buildings that were built before the days of electricity. Hopefully, your laptop battery will suffice; but, most laptops will not last through an entire day's research at the library. The same extension cord may also come in handy in your hotel room where power outlets often are found only under the bed or behind the television set.

11. Money, preferably in quarters and one-dollar bills. Many libraries still use coin-operated photocopy machines, and having a roll of quarters can be a big help as well as a time saver. Of course, on longer trips, I also use those quarters at the local laundromat. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City and a few other libraries have switched to a "debit card" system in which you purchase payment cards. However, many smaller libraries and courthouses still use coin-operated photocopy machines.

12. For trips to a cemetery, I always take water, a camera, sunscreen, and bug repellant. In some areas of the country, a snakebite kit would also be recommended. If it is a rural cemetery, possibly outside of cell phone range, I also take two FRS walkie-talkies (assuming that I will have a companion with me when visiting the cemetery). "Emergencies" can happen, whether it is a twisted ankle, a bee sting, or some other annoyance. Being able to communicate with someone else can be critical in some situations.

13. Carry a large purse. For men, purchase a "messenger bag" which performs the same function as a lady's purse but gives a macho appearance. Whatever you call it, you'll need a large carrying case for your electronics, camera, cell phone, notepad, lunch, and more. I also use it as a carry-on bag for travel on the airlines.

14. Suitable clothing. I follow the rule of "always dress in layers." I find wearing two or three layers of lightweight clothing (a lightweight shirt plus a heavier shirt plus a light sweater plus a windbreaker, etc.) works better than wearing a heavy jacket and also requires less space in a suitcase. If traveling to another part of the country, you might not be prepared for local weather conditions. Pack clothing in layers! I also take only one pair of shoes; namely, the shoes that I am wearing. I then pack clothes to match those shoes. Carrying an extra pair of shoes consumes a lot of space in your suitcase! You only need one pair. Make sure they are comfortable and suitable for extended walks.

15. Umbrella. Again, the weather may be different than you expected. Walking from a hotel to a library can be unpleasant if you are drenched with cold rain. Of course, cemetery trips can be equally unpleasant in bad weather. Conversely, an umbrella can also keep the hot sun from burning your face and neck. Purchase one of the compact umbrellas that easily fits into a suitcase or even into a large purse.

16. Lunch. You might not get a lunch break, or you may become so engrossed in research tasks that you skip the lunch hour. You can pack whatever food you prefer, but keep in mind that refrigeration may be a problem. Don't pack any lunches that are perishable. I usually pack trail mix. It tastes good, is easy to pack, lasts days or weeks without refrigeration if stored properly, and is much healthier than candy bars or some other snacks.

17. Duct tape. You can fix anything with duct tape. I found a small roll of duct tape at a local drug store and now keep it in my suitcase at all times. I have used it to patch suitcases that were damaged by the airlines, to hold a clothesline over the hotel room shower, to hold a balcony door open on a cruise ship, and for a number of other purposes. Try to find the small rolls; carrying a full-sized roll of duct tape takes up a lot of room in a suitcase.

18. Itinerary: E-ticket printouts for airlines, rental cars, and hotel reservations. Again, this is typically stored on the laptop computer, but I find it easier to have printouts when standing in front of the check-in counter.

The above is my list of "don't leave home without it." Admittedly, the list varies, depending on my planned destination. I don't take every item with me on every trip. However, all the above are "candidates" of possible items to pack.

What's on your packing list? Please offer your suggestions in the comments section below. If enough suggestions are received, I'll publish an updated list in a future newsletter.

[Posted by Dick Eastman on April 20, 2010 ]


NOTE FROM WEBMASTER:

Seriously consider buying, begging or borrowing a tape recorder - preferably one that plugs into your laptop for downloads. This is based on experience where he did not have such a luxuary and missed many 'local' stories.

Digital Cameras for Genealogists

Of course, a digital camera is always great for taking family photographs. Millions of people do that every day. However, for the genealogist, a camera can serve as a multi-purpose tool. It's even better than a Swiss Army Knife!

My favorite use of a camera is for snapping pictures in a cemetery. It serves as an automated notebook, recording the transcriptions. However, even better, the resulting images serve as source citations for the records you keep. I cannot think of a better source citation than an image of the words that were etched in stone. Of course, you will want to record the date, too. This is easy to do with most digital cameras that will optionally record the date and time on every picture taken.

You will also want to record the name and location of the cemetery. I usually take a picture of a sign near the entrance or anything else that identifies the cemetery. A few of today's cameras will even record the exact longitude and latitude where the camera was located when the shutter was snapped. That is called "geotagging." The geotagging feature lets users record their photos with geographical data (including but not limited to, date, time, latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude, bearing, and place names).

The built-in automatic geotagging feature is typically found only in expensive cameras, but there are a few interesting exceptions. Once such exception is the two-megapixel camera built into the Apple iPhone 3Gs. I wouldn't consider two megapixels to be high enough resolution for family portraits, but it is great for taking pictures of tombstones in a cemetery. Of course, the iPhone also has many other uses besides being a camera.

Another great use for a digital camera is making images of documents. Let’s say you visit a cousin and find that she has the original marriage certificate of your great-grandparents. The best thing to do is to scan that document; but, when a scanner is not available, grab your camera and take a picture. You will have a copy of the document, and it also makes a great source citation. Why transcribe a document when you can write, "Here is an image of the original certificate?"

I have also had success taking pictures of documents with the iPhone. Use lots of light as the iPhone does not have a built-in flash.

Digital cameras come in two versions: Single Lens Reflex (SLR) and "point and shoot." Cell phone cameras are really "point and shoot" cameras packaged inside a cell phone. The most obvious difference between the two is that a "point and shoot" camera has a single, built-in lens while a digital SLR is one with separate, interchangeable lenses. When compared to SLRs, the "point and shoot" cameras are generally cheaper, more compact (easier to travel with), and much lighter. Features vary widely, but most "point and shoot" cameras use an LCD screen for image composing, making it easier to frame and view the work in close quarters. Many SLRs can only use the optical viewfinder for image composition although there are some exceptions.

The SLRs typically have the best lenses, allowing for a wider variety of telephoto and close-up shots, and are especially good for use in low light situations. (The Apple iPhone is very poor when used in low lighting.) However, the SLRs also tend to be more complex to use and require some study of photography techniques. Most SLRs do have a "point and shoot" mode that emulates the operation of the cheaper cameras but also benefits from the better lenses and variable shutter speeds.

There are numerous reasons to go digital, but the most compelling from a genealogical point of view is the ability to cheaply copy old photos and documents at very high quality and make multiple copies of these images to share with relatives. You can probably find dozens of other uses for a digital camera: taking pictures of the old family homestead, taking pictures of nearly everything found on a research trip, photographing your aunt's photo or letter collection, photographing cemeteries, making copies of documents and pages of books at libraries and archives, or even snapping pictures at a genealogy conference.

January 22, 2010

Turn Web Pages Into PDFs

If you use the Internet to assist your genealogical researches, then this is an absolute must!!!!

PDFmyURL_logo One of the many problems I find when surfing the web is that there are many interesting web sites, almost too many. I'd like to save many of them. My bookmark list in my web browser already contains thousands of links and I can never find what I want. I have tried various bookmark organizers but have never found one that I really like. Besides, when I go back to the site in the future the information that caught my eye today might no longer be there. A perfect example would be this newsletter web site where things change several times daily. I want to save a particular article so bookmarking the web site doesn't do much good.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way for you to capture a web site in its entirety, either for future reference or for sharing it with your friends without having to start sending links back and forth? I'd like to capture the web site as it exists today. Luckily, there is an easy method of doing just that.

PDFmyURL.com is a web service that captures web sites and converts them to PDF files. You can save the PDF files on your own computer, preserving them as they appeared at the moment you told PDFmyURL.com to make the copy. Best of all, even the links work properly. You simply cut and paste the URL you are interested in, and then a “download this page as PDF” link will be provided for you to retrieve the corresponding document.

A service such as this one also has the distinctive advantage of letting your preserve pages forever. That is, even if the original page vanishes from the web you will still be able to access the information as it was, at the time you created a PDF of it. And you can also create PDFs of your own site in order to track its evolution.

Best of all, this is a free service.

Try it. Go to http://www.pdfmyurl.com.

Posted by Dick Eastman on January 22, 2010

Creating a Blog the Easy Way
[published in Eastman's newsletter 18th January 2009]

Posterous_logo1 Are you interested in creating a personal blog? You might use a blog for posting the results of your genealogy research, for finding long-lost cousins, for posting your bowling league's news, for posting pictures of your cat, or for most any other imaginable purpose. There are dozens of blogging services to choose from, and most of them are very easy to use. However, I suspect the Posterous blogging service has to be the absolute easiest blogging service around. Can you send an email message? If so, you can create and maintain a blog on Posterous.com.

You can include pictures, videos, music, and most any sort of attached file. One feature that impressed me is that you can create group sites, such as a private blog just for family or friends. You can add your friends’ or family’s email addresses to any Posterous site you control. Then they email post@sitename.posterous.com to post to the blog. They don't even need to create an account.

All posts and comments on that site will be emailed to all contributors instantly. It works just like an email list, but is smarter. The person who creates the blog controls who can read it. Access can be granted to everyone on the Internet or restricted to those who have a password that you give them. Posterous groups are useful for local genealogy societies, families, sports teams, and most any other group you can think of to share photos and video. No registration required, no software to learn, no hoops to jump through.

There is no need to create an account, no need to set up templates, and no technical knowledge required. You can create your first blog posting within a few seconds after reading this article.

Creating the blog is super simple. You send the contents of your first posting to post@posterous.com and the system responds within a few seconds, telling you that your blog has been created and that the first entry has been posted, and telling you the URL (web address) of your new blog. Want to add another posting? Simply reply to the email you received from posterous.com.

You can send new email messages with attached pictures, videos, music, or most anything else. Posterous will convert those attached files and place them inside your new posting. Posterous will accept any file you send and convert it to the most web-friendly format available. The attached files will appear instantly in your blog. If the picture is too large for use, it will be automatically re-sized into a web-friendly format and then inserted into your blog.

If you mention another web site and include a link, Posterous will automatically convert that to a hotlink that your readers can click on. If you paste a YouTube link, an embedded video player will appear in your blog. This works for YouTube as well as for Google Video, Hulu, Funny Or Die, Omnisio, MixWit, Justin.TV, Fliggo, Vimeo, motionbox, TED Talks, Viddler, Dailymotion, Blip.tv, Revver, TeacherTube, GodTube, seesmic, and Brightcove. This is an easy way to insert video into your blog.

Perhaps the greatest feature of all is the ability to auto-post to other services. You can create a Posterous blog and create new articles simply by sending email messages. Optionally, Posterous can immediately post your new words to your accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr (with pictures), Tumblr, Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, Movable Type, LiveJournal, and Xanga. The updated posts will include pictures, videos, or music if you attach them to your original email message. If your message includes audio, your friends can subscribe in iTunes directly.

All this happens within seconds after you send it.

Posterous is a free service and includes up to one gigabyte of space for personal use. You can obtain more space for a modest fee if you need it. Posterous can also import your old site from most blogging platforms. Just go to the import page and get started.

The default address of your new blog will be something like this: http://yourname.posterous.com. However, Posterous will even allow you to use your own domain name, such as http://www.mydomainname.com. The word "Posterous" does not need to appear in your blog's address if you have already registered a domain name of your own.

I am impressed with Posterous. It is free, it is super easy to use, and it seems to be a natural for both personal blogs and for family web sites with many contributors. For more information, go to http://www.posterous.com.

December 27, 2009

GET RID OF WINDOWS BLOAT

Revo Did you receive a new Windows PC for Christmas? Enjoy it! There's nothing like a fresh computer. Most new computers are much faster than the systems they replace and also, in the case of Windows, a new computer is the fastest it will ever be. A brand-new Windows computer is free from an overloaded system tray, bloated application installs, and disorganized file structures, right?

Unfortunately that's not always the case. A lot of machines ship with a whole lot of pre-installed software that you didn't ask for and surely don't want. Even worse, many of those unwanted programs load into memory at boot time and then soak up precious processor time forever. Why would you have a program that slows down your computer when you don't ever plan to use that program?

There is a simple answer: uninstall each such program. This should delete the programs and speed up your computer as the undesired programs are no longer wasting processor time. However, when you attempt to uninstall Windows programs, you often find that it is not as simple as you expected.

A second problem occurs with any Windows computer, including older systems. You may want to uninstall a program and then find that you cannot do so. Some programs refuse to uninstall.

Windows ships with a default Add or Remove Programs Tool. To find it in Windows XP, click on START, then select Control Panel, and then click on "Add/Remove Programs." Windows Vista and Windows 7 have the same program although the method of getting to it may be slightly different.

The problem I have found is that the Windows Add or Remove Programs Tool doesn't always remove everything. Many times, "remnants" of a program are left behind. Some programs, especially those that load automatically at boot time, will not remove themselves at all. In many cases, you may find that the program's executable file has been deleted, but the information about that program remains behind in the Windows Registry, where it slows things down. As the Registry grows larger and larger over time, it slows down the operation of Windows. Each operation will take longer and longer to execute as the Registry grows, even if much of the information in the Registry is never used. Ideally, the Registry should be kept as small and efficient as possible although doing so is a task best left to Windows experts. However, removing all information about a defunct program can be a big help and can make your computer run faster.

While the built-in Windows Add or Remove Programs Tool sometimes does not completely remove programs, a free third-party tool does a much better job. Revo Uninstaller is a tool for getting rid of applications and is much superior to the Windows' default Add or Remove Programs Tool. My experience with Revo Uninstaller is that it almost always gets rid of software that shipped with your machine that you don't want or need.

I have also found that Revo Uninstaller will often uninstall viruses when the default Windows Add or Remove Programs Tool fails to do so.

When a Windows program is installed, the programmers who wrote the program create a list of files to be installed and items to be inserted into the Windows Registry. When you attempt to uninstall a program, the Windows Add or Remove Programs Tool looks at that list and removes the files on the list, and then it removes the items in the Windows Registry that were listed by the programmers. In well-behaved Windows applications, this works well. The problem is that not all programs are well-behaved.

Windows viruses deliberately hide files as well as information that is written to the Windows Registry. Even legitimate programs will occasionally create new files or Registry entries that are not on the list supplied by the programmers. When you attempt to uninstall a program using the Windows Add or Remove Programs Tool, only the known files and entries are removed. A lot of junk often remains behind.

Revo Uninstaller uses a different methodology. It looks at the list of files, the same as the Windows Add or Remove Programs Tool, and it does remove everything on the list. However, Revo Uninstaller then performs additional steps. It searches for files and Registry entries that were made by the program being removed, even files that are not on the programmers' list. Revo Uninstaller takes a while to run, but it always does a better "clean up" job.

Revo Uninstaller is not advertised as a virus removal tool and, indeed, it doesn't remove all viruses. However, I have successfully removed some viruses with it. It is also a very simple program to use and works quickly. It also is very good at finding “hidden” Registry entries. Whenever I encounter a PC with viruses, I always try Revo Uninstaller first to see if I can get rid of the virus quickly and easily. If not, I have to resort to more sophisticated virus removal tools.

Revo Uninstaller also includes a number of other tools and utilities:

Auto Start Manager - Stop programs that start automatically on Windows startup in order to speed up loading of Windows.

Windows Tools Manager - Handy and useful tools bundled with every version of Windows; easily find useful system tools and options.

Junk Files Cleaner - Find and remove unnecessary files from your computer; free up disk space by deleting files you do not need.

Browsers History Cleaner - Erase web browser history, visited pages history and temporary internet files of Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Opera web browsers; free up a lot of disk space by deleting temporary internet files like temporary saved videos, temporary flash files, temporary pictures, etc.

Office History Cleaner - Remove the history of most recently used files in Microsoft Office; remove your tracks by deleting the list of last opened MS Office documents.

Windows History Cleaner - Remove the history of recently opened files, delete temporary files, remove usage tracks and other history items that are saved by Windows; remove your tracks saved by Windows for a lot of operations.

Unrecoverable Delete Tool - Erase files and folders forever; be sure that nobody could recover your files and folders after deleting. (Did you know that most "erased files" can be unerased? Revo Uninstaller will permanently erase files.

Evidence Remover - Make sure already deleted files, folders, and other data are unrecoverable; securely erase your data.

Not bad for a free program!

There are two caveats:

1. Revo makes two versions of its uninstaller: a free version that I have described and a Pro version that has even more functionality. The company's web site has a lot of information about the $39.25 Pro version at http://www.revouninstaller.com but barely mentions the free version. There is one page on the company's web site that describes the two products in a side-by-side comparison and then provides download links to both versions: http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html.
2. The free Revo Uninstaller only works on 32-bit Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. If you have a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need the $39.25 Pro version.

If you need to uninstall any Windows programs, I'd suggest you go to http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html and download Revo Uninstaller.

December 29, 2009

Free Online Foreign Language Courses

Would you like to be able to read documents written in your ancestors native tongues? The Foreign Service Institute is the US Government’s primary training institution for officers and support personal of the US Foreign affairs community. Through the use of language programs and studies, the FSI prepares future diplomats and other professionals who are advancing US foreign interests overseas and around Washington, via communication and whatever else those people do. These foreign language courses are published using federal money, which basically means they are public domain, and thus, available to any citizen who’s interested in learning a new language.
FSI Language Courses.com is a community-driven site that collects, scans and distributes the Foreign Service language program documentation and audio-tapes to anyone interested in learning Cantonese, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese, among many other languages, all free of charge. The audio tapes have been digitized and now you can listen to these audio files on your computer.
The web site will not make you fluent in any of these languages. However, it will give you a good introduction to each language and will teach you to read documents written in the language.
The site is not affiliated in any way with any government entity; it is an independent, non-profit effort to foster the learning of worldwide languages. Courses are made available through the private efforts of individuals who are donating their time and resources to provide quality materials for language learning.
Available languages include: Amharic, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cambodian, Cantonese, Chinese, Chinyanja, Finnish, French, Fula, German, Greek, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Igbo, Italian, Japanese, Kituba, Korean, Lao, Lingala, Luganda, Moré, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Shona, Sinhala, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Twi, Vietnamese, and Yoruba.
For more information, look at .

Posted by Dick Eastman on December 29, 2009

An excellent article published by DICK EASTMAN [12th August 2009]

What the Heck is Podcasting?

Podcasting is the ability to listen to audio files on the Internet. You can listen on your Windows computer, a Macintosh, an MP3 player (such as the Apple iPod) or most any other device capable of listening to files on the Internet. In most cases, listening to a podcast is similar to listening to a radio program: a podcast might be all music or it may be a talk show or even a mixture of both.

The term podcasting comes from the words "iPod" and "broadcasting".

Podcasting has several unique features:

1. Podcasts are not plagued by static or other atmospheric noises in the manner of radio broadcasts.
2. Podcasts are stored online and you can listen to them whenever you want. Unlike radio, you do not need to check a “station schedule” and be prepared at a certain date or time. Podcasts are available whenever YOU want them.
3. By creating podcasts, you can reach listeners all over the world. Unlike radio stations that typically cover a limited geographic area, anyone can create podcasts that will attract listeners worldwide. For instance, I live in the northeastern part of the United States and I created podcasts. I have received comments from listeners in Australia, New Zealand, England Germany, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia.

You can find genealogy podcasts from The Genealogy Guys Podcast at http://genealogyguys.com, the Family Tree Magazine Podcast at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/podcast, Family History: Genealogy Made Easy by Lisa Louise Cooke at http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/415-family-history, Irish Roots Cafe On the Air by Michael C. O'Laughlin at http://www.irishroots.com/content/view/101/143, and DearMYRTLE’s Family History Hour at http://podcasts.dearmyrtle.com/. I also recorded a number of podcasts which are still available at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/podcasts.

You can listen to any of the above podcasts right now on your computer. Simply click on any of the above links to see what podcasting is all about.

While the word “podcasting” is partially derived from the word “iPod,” you do not need an Apple iPod to listen. In fact, iPods may be used by using any of the various iPod models. However, that is but one of many methods of listening. You can also download MP3 files and save them on your computer's hard drive or simply stream the audio shows right through your web browser. You can even listen to quality audio on slow dial-up connections. (Download the file first, even at slow speed, and then listen to it later, after the entire file has been saved on your hard drive.)

One of the more exciting things about podcasts and podcasting is the low cost of creating the “shows.” You do not need a fancy recording studio or a radio station with a 200-foot tower in the back yard. Anyone can have an online radio show and easily share their thoughts, insights and opinions about virtually any topic under the sun. The online WORLD is now your audience. All you need is a computer (even an old one), a microphone, and an Internet connection. Some people have even recorded complete podcasts simply by using a telephone by first dialing a telephone number that records the audio. No other equipment was required.

Podcasters can now create an audience in any niche market that is of interest to them, such as genealogy. You can even create a show about Irish genealogy or Italian genealogy or your favorite genealogy software. The excitement comes from opening this technology to the world. Big media radio stations are even embracing podcasts because independent podcasters are turning the radio world on its head. From a listener's perspective you now have thousands of podcasts that you can listen to. Chances are that you can find many podcasts that you will find totally pleasurable to listen to.

Many people wonder how much it costs to listen to podcasts. The answer is: nothing. Podcasts are free. (It is theoretically possible to charge for a podcast but that is very rare.)

Creating podcasts (broadcasting) is also free or very low cost, assuming one already owns a computer, a microphone, and has an Internet connection. You do need to store your audio files somewhere on a web server. That might be a web server that you already own or use, or it might be on a dedicated podcast hosting service. Some of the hosting services are available free of charge although the free ones may insert their own advertisements. Probably the most expensive podcast hosting services charge $10 a month or so.

Why would you want to create your own online podcasting show?

I suspect there are thousands of individual reasons. If you want to voice your thoughts and opinions, want to speak to a new market online, or to deliver a message to potential and current clients. You also have the opportunity to attain some level of fame online and become well known as an expert in your field of expertise or become famous because your show is drop dead funny, or very informative. You should be thinking "why shouldn't I be podcasting?" instead of "why should I be podcasting?". You can deliver audio content in an easy way that listeners will be drawn to... let your imagination run wild with all of the possibilities. Your potential audience is worldwide.

What types of things do people podcast about?

Sports, news, opinions, product reviews, church news, business, humor, lifestyle, websites, college life, dating, politics, poetry, eBay... the list is in the thousands. You would be amazed at how many people would be interested in hearing your podcast about your thoughts, insights, opinions, etc... Podcast on any topic that you have an interest in.

Who will listen to my podcast?

Anyone with a computer CAN listen to your podcast but the number of people who actually WILL listen depends upon the quality of your “online show” and how well you publicize it. If you simply start podcasting with no announcements or advertising of any sort, you probably will not attract many listeners! As in any other form of information delivery, you do need to “get the word out.”

How do I start my own podcast radio show?

You need a program that will record audio onto your hard drive, preferably in MP3 format or in a format that can later be converted to MP3. If you do not already have such a program, I'd suggest that you investigate Audacity, a FREE recording and audio editing program for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. Audacity is very powerful and capable of creating high-quality podcasts. You can even mix in music. (Watch the copyright laws! Do you have a legal right to use that music?) Take a look at http://audacity.sourceforge.net.

Summation

The WORLD is your audience. Millions of people are listening to podcasts every day, and the number is growing fast. People will find your podcast if you publicize it. They will come back again and again to listen to future podcasts if they find your broadcasts to be informative and interesting. Podcasting is spreading like wildfire, and now is your opportunity to start reaching out to people today.

Eastman [12/8/09]

Ancestry.com Expands Online Jewish Family History Record Collection

The following announcement was written by Ancestry.com:

Collaboration with the American Jewish Historical Society and the Routes to Roots Foundation offers online access to more than 200,000 Jewish records

PROVO, Utah, August 2, 2009 -- Ancestry.com, the world's largest online resource for family history, today announced an addition to its Jewish family history record collection through collaboration with two leading organizations committed to the preservation of Jewish heritage.
Ancestry.com...

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO




TalkingScot is Back Online

The following was written by the TalkingScot Administration Group:

Dear TalkingScot Members

TalkingScot has been successfully re-loaded to it's old home at talkingscot.com/forum2/index.php.

We thank everyone for their support and patience during our down time and look forward to seeing all of you back on the board, working furiously to catch up for lost time! Those brick walls have waited long enough, and we've missed everyone!

TSAG
TalkingScot Administration Group


What Is "Second Cousin Once Removed?"
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A term often found in genealogy is "removed," specifically when referring to family relationships. Indeed, almost everyone has heard of a "second cousin once removed," but many people cannot explain that relationship. Of course, a person might be more than once removed, as in third cousin, four times removed.

In short, the definition of cousins is two people who share a common ancestor. Here are a few definitions of cousin relationships:

First Cousin: Your first cousins are the people in your family who have at least one of the same grandparents as you. In other words, they are the children of your aunts and uncles.

Second Cousin: Your second cousins are the people in your family who share the same great-grandparent with you.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Cousins: Your third cousins share at least one great-great-grandparent, fourth cousins share a great-great-great-grandparent, and so on.

Removed: When the word "removed" is used to describe a relationship, it indicates that the two people are from different generations. "Once removed" indicates a difference of one generation, "twice removed" indicates a difference of two generations, and so forth.

For the full story click here: