Date: Fri 26-Dec-1997

By CURT CLARK

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

iinfo-Brand-Dummies

Full Text:

INTERNET INFO FOR REAL PEOPLE: THE DUMMIES BOOKS

BY BOB BRAND

Today, when shopping in a bookstore or supermarket, you are likely to see

"Dummies" books for sale on almost any subject. I remember seeing my first

Dummies book. It was titled DOS for Dummies. I still may have it around

somewhere.

"Dummies" books are recognizable yellow and black paperbacks with large

lettering and a number of cartoons inside. Some of the more intriguing titles

are: Cats for Dummies, Opera for Dummies and Parenting for Dummies. They even

publish a Sex for Dummies , written by Dr Ruth.

When buying one of these books, the purchaser essentially makes the unspoken

statement: I am a dummy. Some people would rather keep the book in a brown bag

after they make the selection to avoid an announcement to the world. This is

understandable.

In fact, some people opt to cover the book jacket. Should you ever enter a

doctor's office and find Surgery for Dummies in the reception bookcase, it

could be unsettling to say the least.

IDG Books Worldwide, the publisher of the Dummies books, has a website. It is

simply: http://dummies.com. You can tell they cater to novices. Most netsters

would try to find their site by entering: http://www.dummies.com. But a

first-timer probably wouldn't know that. Therefore, they made it so simple

that almost any "dummy" can find the site.

The Internet and Books

Learning about any subject, such as the Internet, can be made easier with a

good reference book. The Dummies books are written by many different authors.

While the writing style is geared toward beginners, there is no guarantee that

the quality of the book will meet the reader's expectations.

When buying any book, it is most important to examine the contents thoroughly

before making a purchase decision. You may find a Dummies book treats the

subject matter in a superficial way.

Today, many computer books contain a CD-ROM. While more expensive than the $20

Dummies, a CD-ROM often contains more and better examples than lower cost

print material. Readers who may want to learn a computer programming language

may get better value from a more comprehensive book.

After leafing through several books at your favorite bookstore, monetary

constraints may restrict the purchase to a single book. With anticipation and

excitement, many people head straight for the checkout counter once a final

decision is made. For those who can avoid the impulse to own the book on the

spot, they can realize a savings by purchasing the book on the Internet.

Currently, two well-known places to buy books in cyberspace are Barnes & Noble

(http://www.barnesnandnoble.com) and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com).

Savings Vary

When purchasing a $20 book from Amazon, the purchase amount is normally

discounted by 20 to 30 percent from the retail price. A 20 percent savings on

a $19.95 Dummies Book results in a $4 savings. However, the $3 postage fee

(Amazon uses US Mail) reduces the net savings to $1.

Books containing CD-ROMs usually sell in the $30 to $50 range. In this case,

the savings are indeed worthwhile, especially when a book is more deeply

discounted.

Competition has driven on-line discounts as high as 40 percent. Incidentally,

comparison shopping between cyber-sites may uncover further savings.

If you buy a Dummies book on the Internet, even your postman will not know you

may be a dummy. It's something to consider.

Free Subscription

The people at IDG offer a daily tip on a variety of computer/Internet-related

subjects. This information arrives via e-mail. For details and sign-up, visit

http://www.dummiesdaily.com/. Give it a try.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://dummies.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

http://www.dummiesdaily.com/

(Note: This is the 83rd of a series of elementary articles designed for

surfing the Internet. Next, "1998 Predictions" is the subject on tap. Stay

tuned. Until next week, happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of

Internet Info for Real People (including links to sites mentioned in this

article) can be found at http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and

suggestions to rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 26-Dec-1997

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