45 yrs. later - Julie Andrews & 7 children

45 yrs. later - Julie Andrews & 7 children

Make sure you scroll to the end and read the lyrics (new) for the song “These Are My Favorite Things”. Can it possibly be that many years ago! They were having a reunion after 40 years and all were looking healthy and amazingly well... Enjoy reading this. Make sure you read the new lyrics to the original song below:  Remember the 7 children of the Von Trapp family? The Sound of Music' won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1965 and is one of the most popular musicals ever produced.  40 Yrs Later: The 7 Children in 'The Sound of Music'. CURRENTLY...... It wouldn't be funny if it weren't so true... Julie Andrews turned 69 and to commemorate her 69th birthday on October 1, actress/vocalist Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favourite Things" from the legendary movie "The Sound Of Music." Here are the actual lyrics she used: Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting, Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings, Bundles of magazines tied up in string, These are a few of my favourite things. Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses, Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses, Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings, These are a few of my favourite things.. When the pipes leak, When the bones creak, When the knees go bad, I simply remember my favourite things, And then I don't feel so bad. Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions, No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions, Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring, These are a few of my favourite things. Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin', Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin', And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames, When we remember our favourite things. When the joints ache, When the hips break, When the eyes grow dim, Then I remember the great life I've had, And then I don't feel so bad. Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores. Please share Ms. Andrews' clever wit and humour with others who would appreciate it.

COMPUTER CLUB October 1, 2012

October 1, 2012: Changes in Tablets; Developments in Malware; New Audio-Visual Equipment; and Computer 

Class Line-Up.

Changes in Tablets

So many new and used Tablets to choose from! Which one should I get?

Developments in Malware

If you think there is a lot of mischief going on now, just wait! The worst is yet to come, so learn what to expect.

New Audio-Visual Equipment

The San Mateo Senior Center has fancy, new audio-visual equipment. Learn all about what it can do!

Class Line-Up (October-November)

Our team of teachers and coaches are offering a number of computer classes in October and November.  We are always looking for new topics to increase your computer know-how.

JOIN US

COMPUTER CLUB

October 1, 2012

2:00 PM

Welcome to the New Fall Season

The Senior Center is newly painted, wired and ready for action.  Let's all enjoy the programs.  See you there!

Just for Fun

San Mateo Senior Computer Club - 9/10

Renew acquaintances and meet other seniors who are interested in computers at the San Mateo Senior Center Computer Club. Our purpose is to continue your interest and knowledge of computers. Meetings are the first Monday of every month at 2:00pm in the computer classroom, unless a holiday falls on that Monday.  The September meeting is on 9/10 because of Labor Day. No Charge. San Mateo Senior Center, 2645 Alameda de las Pulgas, 650-345-7029.

One of the topics that will be discussed at the September meeting is the new social media tool for San Mateo neighborhoods, NextDoor.com  This is a good time to learn about it or to share your experiences with it if your neighborhood is already actively using it.

Senior Health & Wellness Fair 9/22

Senior Health & Wellness Fair September 22nd

San Mateo Parks & Recreation Department presents its annual Senior Health & Wellness Fair on Saturday, September 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the San Mateo Senior Center, 2645 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA 94403.  The event is designed for Seniors, their families, and those who provide for their care.  Join us for FREE health screenings, demonstrations, and resource information provided by more than 40 vendors -- including members of the Computer Teaching Team!  See you there. Recommend our computer club and courses to your friends.

Interested in walking?  Before the Health and Wellness Fair begins, join Dr. James L. Hutchinson M.D. for a walk across the street at Beresford Park.  Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.  Water stations will be available throughout  the ½ and 2 mile courses.

For more information, call the Senior Center at 650-522-7490.  Major funding for the fair has been provided by Mills-Peninsula Heath Services, A Sutter Health Affiliate.

Our e-Books are Reading Us (WSJ 6/29/12)

Wall Street Journal article by Alexandra Alter, "Our E-Books Are Reading Us" is worth reading, sharing, and discussing.  http://www.artsjournal.com/artsjournal1/2012/06/our_ebooks_are.shtml

As publishers and authors learn more about how readers read, which books they read faster, which lines are highlighted the most by readers... it will change what readers are offered.  That is not necessarily a good thing.  Think I'll stay offline book-wise and keep my reading choices a little more to myself.  On the bright side, it might help text book publishers learn how to better engage students. 

 

Here's how Alexander Alter's article starts...

"It takes the average reader just seven hours to read the final book in Suzanne Collins's "Hunger Games" trilogy on the Kobo e-reader—about 57 pages an hour. Nearly 18,000 Kindle readers have highlighted the same line from the second book in the series: "Because sometimes things happen to people and they're not equipped to deal with them." And on Barnes & Noble's Nook, the first thing that most readers do upon finishing the first "Hunger Games" book is to download the next one."  more

* * * * * * * * * *

PLEASE NOTE:  Senior Summer School for iPad and Kindle users starts Tuesday afternoon, July 3rd.  Instructor is John Chan and his Tablet Team. See the San Mateo Senior Center Computer Group newsletter at http://www.ackerfield.com/smsccg/newsletter.pdf

iPad/Kindle (Conference Room)

Tuesday 2:00 pm – 4 pm 7/3 thru 7/24

8/7 thru 8/21&22

9/4 thru 9/25

OnGuard Online - Stop Think Connect Campaign

OnGuardOnline looks like a worthy site to follow, bookmark, and share. It is sponsored by the IRS, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of State and more.

Here is what the site says it is about:  "OnGuardOnline.gov is a partner in the Stop Think Connect campaign, led by the Department of Homeland Security, and part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology."


See  http://onguardonline.gov/

JUNE 2012 Computer Club

June 4, 2012  Monday at 2pm

TWO TUESDAY SUMMER CLASSES

1. Healthy Computers. New class.  Learn to clear the problems from your current computer and keep it working.

2. Tablets. iPad and Kindle. What’s different. A user community.

Healthy Computers – next class in July

·        A preview of wicked, mischievous news. What the North Koreans did two years ago, what some guy with a fixation on a local stripper named Melissa wanted to immortalize, what happened one Tuesday night to Microsoft, AOL and a host of others which lasted for three days. More commonly called funny stuff.

·        Now, the change from mischief to corporate extortion.

·        New vocabulary: virus, antivirus, malware, spyware, phishing, DOS, botnet, Trojan Horse, sniffing, robots – an alphabet soup of new words to “laugh while you’re crying”.

·        YouTube videos showing the chaos and mischief in living color. This time it is slightly different, you’ll know what it is called.

·        Notable solutions. Software that you can download for free.

·        Practical tasks to defend yourself. Check the BOTTOM of this page for examples.

Tablets: iPads and Kindles – Monthly class

·        The iPad 3 is announced to be release sometime this week month, complete with rumors of changes to screen pixels, quad processor, better camera, SIRI, etc. Does it make it better? How to keep an eye for the prices of iPad1 and iPad2.

·        The Kindle Fire is seen as 1/3 the price for everything but the cameras, the microphone, the Blue tooth, with a size of 7” vs 10”

·        Impact of the Thailand floods: world’s supply of hard disk drives dwindles

Do Something Quick - What you can do immediately:

·        Disconnect the LAN cable or turn-off the wireless.

·        Change passwords

·        Use strong 8 character passwords: uppercase + lower case + numbers + non-ASCII characters

·        Turn on your firewall

·        Keep a minimum of three types of antivirus software running and updated:

·        Avast or AVG

·        Malwarebytes

·        SD Spybot

·        Don’t reply or open emails to “innocuous inquires” especially from websites you don’t know or don’t normally use.

·        Don’t use the same password in your web buying sites as your Windows’ password.

·        Don’t leave your computer powered-on when you are not using it. TURN IT OFF.

·        Run your antivirus daily (or setup the scheduler to do this). Be sure to update your antivirus, Malwarebytes and SD Spybot.

·        Be suspicious, be vigilant, recognize what is normal vs. what is unusual.

·        Don’t leave passwords or credit card/social security numbers on the net or on your monitor.

It is too late to put duct tape on your teddy bear’s mouth!

May 7th Computer Club Topic: City Website

Have you recently -- or ever -- explored the City of San Mateo website?  City websites have a wealth of information and seek wasys to inform and better communicate with residents.  Let's explore the City together and see what is new, how to keep notified of news, and more. 

On Monday, May 7th at 2pm, the Computer Club Topic is "Touring the City Website".  See you there!

Notify Me: Sign up for San Mateo City news alerts

Notify Me!  Be and stay informed about your City!  Do you know there are more than two dozen lists you can subscribe to and get regular email notifications about topics including City Council and Commission agendas, Calendar of Events, Library Services, Business/Finance Events and Workshops, Parks & Recreation, Public Work, and VolunteerSource.  Sign up for San Mateo City news alerts at http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/list.aspx

Senior Citizens Commission - Vacancy

San Mateo's Senior Citizens Commission has an opening.  The Commission was established in 1986 to encourage, foster and facilitate programs for the enhancement of all matters relating to the social, economic and personal well being of the senior population. It recommends to City Council the establishment and funding of programs and service for senior citizens.

• Meetings Date: 3rd Tuesday every other month
• Meeting Time: 10:00am
• Meeting Location: City Hall Conference Room C 
• Application: Boards and Commission Vacancy Application

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Open Until Filled

How To Apply
The Boards and Commission Vacancy Application is available for pick-up at the City Clerk’s office at 330 W. 20th Avenue, can be viewed/printed online or mailed upon request by phoning 650-522-7040.  

Applicant Requirements
• Must be registered to vote
• Reside in San Mateo
• Are encouraged to attend a meeting of the Board/Commission they are applying to serve on.

________________________________________

This is an Opportunity for You to Participate in 
Local Government and Serve Your Community

How To Get OFF Facebook

At the February Computer Club meeting on "Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+", several members of the audience said they wanted to get off Facebook, that a relative had created an account for them but they really don't want or use Facebook.  


Here is a an article on "How to Permanently Delete a Facebook Account".  See http://www.wikihow.com/Permanently-Delete-a-Facebook-Account


Below is a screen capture from the article on the "Short Method":

Computer Teachers, Hands On Learning

John and Andi

John Chan and Andi Brandy are two San Mateo Senior Center instructors who volunteer their time and talent to teach and talk about computers.  


Want to learn how your computer works, how to open documents, use a mouse?  These two gentlemen and their team of computer-savvy coaches know it all and walk seniors through 5-week introductory courses that meet Monday mornings. 


John also makes himself available in the afternoon for individual computer consultations (by appointment).  Stop by and say hello.  A good time to meet the full team of computer coaches is at the monthly Computer Club, a free event held on the first Monday of the month at 2pm.

John and students

February Computer Club: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+

February 6, 2012 Computer Club (2pm): Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Overview of top social networking sites.  Why are they so popular?  How are they used?  What are some good examples of Facebook sites?  Why do many people have Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter accounts?  Why should I jump in (or not) and get my feet wet?

Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, family, and news of all sorts.

Launched: February 2004

Facebook was founded by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow computer science students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.^[8] The website's membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over.  On February 1, 2012, it filed its IPO, stock will soon be available, and about a thousand Facebook employees will become millionnaires.

Recommended MOVIE: Social Network.

Features:

ê     Users can create profiles with photos, lists of personal interests, contact information, and other personal information.

ê     Users can communicate with friends and other users through private or public messages and a chat feature.

ê     Users can create and join interest groups and "like pages".

ê     One of the most popular applications on Facebook is the Photos application, where users can upload albums and photos.^[88] Facebook allows users to upload an unlimited number of photos.

ê     APPS.  See https://www.facebook.com/apps/directory.php (ie, TripAdvisor, SlideShare, Causes, Visual Bookshelf)

ê     KEEPS growing and evolving.

Mashable article about Facebook: http://mashable.com/category/facebook/

ZNet article about Facebook: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/september-2011-the-definitive-facebook-lockdown-guide/12641?tag=footer

Tour, register, create your own Facebook page.

ê     Go to Facebook.com; Register; Create your own page.

Discussion:  Why sign up for an account?  Who has one?  What kind is it?

ê     Stay connected with friends, colleagues, special interests, news

ê     Examples:

ê     http://www.facebook.com/  - note: it is always free; Different language options

ê     http://www.facebook.com/LibraryAdvocate

ê     http://www.facebook.com/TED

Twitter is a social network used by millions of people. Thousands are signing up every day to send short messages to groups of friends.  Twitter describes itself as “a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”

Tweets are text-based of up to 140 characters displayed on the user's profile page. Tweets are publicly visible by default; however, senders can restrict message delivery to just their followers. Users may subscribe to other users' tweets – this is known as following and subscribers are known as followers.

Founded:  Created in March 21, 2006 in San Francisco as a small group communication tool at Odeo; Spun off as its own company in April 2007.

Recommended: The Twitter Guide Book, a complete collection of resources for mastering Twitter. See http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

Discussion: How is it used? 

o       Twitter for community: friends, family, special interests

o       Twitter for business: job-hunting, best brands, customer service

o       Twitter for sharing: music, videos, photos

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 80 million members and growing rapidly. LinkedIn connects individuals to their trusted contacts and helps them exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.

ê     Reconnect: “Find past and present colleagues and classmates quickly.”

ê     Career: “Discover inside connections when you’re looking for a job or new business opportunity.”

ê     Get Answers: “Your network is full of industry experts willing to share advice.”

Former co-workers, project teams

Interest groups – business, community, special

Company job listings

Apps (of course!)

“Share what you are doing” links to Twitter; Can add links to websites, blogs.

Google+ is in beta.  It is a networking tool that lets you create circles of friends, so your friends can be in one or more circles and you can share information with designated circles.  For example, you could set up circles for family, friend, computer club, garden club, book club.

You need a Google account and you need to be invited. See https://plus.google.com

70 Ways to Use an iPad in the Classroom

This slideshow collection "70 Interesting Ways to Use an iPad in the Classroom" is fun to explore, slid by slide.  Share it with friends and family who are iPad users. There are some wonderful apps for young grandchildren. Thanks go to educator Tom Barrett of the United Kingdom -- he looks like he enjoys his work!

Tools2Create course offered in January

A small-but-select group of San Mateo seniors have signed up for a class that will turn them into savvy, social media members of the San Mateo Senior Computer Club.  


"Tools2Create" is an online course that walks participants through a number of the top web 2.0 tools (including blogs) and also addresses issues and new vocabulary such as "digital literacy" and digital citizenship.

COMPUTER CLUB: January 9

Happy New Year! 


We look forward to seeing you on Monday, January 9 at 2:00pm for the first COMPUTER CLUB meeting of 2012.  Bring in your new technology toys and tales.


Bring friends and family.  
Sign up for new courses.  

• Learn how to use your new computers, eReaders, tablets, mobile devices and more. 

• Learn new social media tools including image generators, avatars, mini-music videos, wikis, blogs, and all sorts of fun web 2.0 tools.  You have permission to have fun!

Sign up online at http://www.ackerfield.com/smsccg/ 
or in person at the San Mateo Senior Center at 2645 Alameda de las Pulgas.

-- Best wishes,

The Computer Teaching Team

Wireless (WIFI) @ the Senior Center

iPad Classes in December and January

The San Mateo Senior Citizen Center Computer Team is offering iPad/Tablet classes in December and January to cover how to use, how to set up, and how to enjoy many of the features.  We will be using one-on-one coaches to ensure that you can enjoy the device and our preferred applications.

Stay tuned for more details.

Tablets and eReaders; AudioBooks

The November Computer Club meeting (11/7/2011 at 2pm) discussed the difference between tablet computers and eReaders, and where to download eBooks and audio books.  Club members heard about the top eBook readers and how they differ, which eBooks are free and which are not.  Bring your questions!

Preface:  We are seeing the advent of tablets.  iPads in its second generation, Color Nook in a new revision, and Kindle at a new price point.  Handouts included images of the Apple iPad2, Barnes & Noble's Color Nook, and the Amazon Kindle.  Features of the above include:

• All are less than 1/2" and weigh less than 1.5 lbs.
• Most have color sscreens that are touch sensitive.
• Some have more than 500 to 150,000 applications.
• The tablets with cameras can conduct video conferencing with other tablets or PCs.
• All can read books in a special format.
• Most can view document files, photographs, podcasts.
• Most can play music and videos.

October 2011 Computer Club - Email Hoaxes

Situation

You have received a forwarded e-mail from a friend with a story in it that warns you about doing or not doing a specific action. Should you believe it and continue forwarding the warning to other friends?

Here’s a typical example of a forwarded e-mail story you might receive:

“URGENT NEWS

New from Ampang Gleneagles Hospital Important news to pass it on ! Please spend 1 minute and read on…News from Gleneagles Hospital (Ampang) URGENT !!!! from Gleneagles Hospital Limited

Seven women have died after inhaling a free perfume sample that was mailed to them. The product was poisonous. If you receive free samples in the mail such as lotions, perfumes, diapers etc. throw them away. The government is afraid that this might be another terrorist act. They will not announce it on the news because they do not want to create panic or give the terrorists new ideas. Send this to all your friends and family members…

Gleneagles Hospital Limited

Human Resources Department”

What to do:

1. Go to the web site for Snopes by typing the web address in the address bar of your browser: www.snopes.com
2. In the Search box on snopes.com, type a few of the important words from the e-mail story. For the above example, for instance, type, “poisoned perfume samples.”
3. Snopes.com will return search results showing various similar story links, IF the urban legend is known to Snopes or reported to them.
4. Click on the appropriate link to see details and if the legend is true or not. For the above example, you will see a large FALSE on Snopes plus variations of the story plus the Origins of the story.

Other Information on Snopes Web Site

Snopes also has other information links related to urban legends or misinformation.

Horizontal Links:

• What’s New – Lists recent additions and updates to snopes.com
• Randomizer – Snopes picks random information to display.
• Hot 25 – Snopes compiles the 25 urban legends currently circulating most widely.
• FAQ – Displays frequently asked questions about snopes.com
• Odd News – This features a daily collection of links to news articles and web sites of interest to readers.
• Glossary – Provides definitions for a number of terms one might be unfamiliar with
• Newsletter – Provides a form one can use to subscribe to a free update newsletter
• Message Board – Anyone can post a message here related to something on the web site.

Vertical Links Home Page:

• Top Scams – Lists several pervasive forms of scams.
• Snopes.com in the Press – Shows links to news articles about Snopes.
• About snopes.com – Explains the history and background of snopes.com.

Other Suggestions

• Add www.snopes.com as a Favorite in your computer browser.
• Other fact-checking sites to look at:

http://www.vikitech.com/454/get-your-facts-right-6-fact-checking-websites-that-help- you-know-the-truth
FactCheck.org
TruthorFiction.com
HoaxSlayer.com

Situation/Example

You have received an e-mail from a purported “financial institution” stating there is an error or other information needed for your account, asking you to log into your account.

“Dear Bank of America customer,

During our regularly scheduled account maintenance and verification procedures, we have detected a slight error in your billing information.

This might be due to either of the following reasons:

1. A recent change in your personal information ( i.e.,change of address).
2. Submitting invalid information during the initial sign up process.
3. An inability to accurately verify your selected option of payment due to an internal error within our processors.

Please update and verify your information by clicking the link below:

https://update.bankofamerica.com/

If your account information is not updated within 24 hours then your ability to access your account will become restricted.

Thank you

The Bank of America Billing Department

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender © 2007 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.”

What to do:

• NEVER LOG INTO YOUR ACCOUNT OR DO ANYTHING ASKED! Most of the time this is a scam e-mail to get your personal information.

OR

• Call your bank or other financial institution and ask them if they sent the e-mail.