Absolutely! Every browser I know has an option to not view pictures. I don't know what program or version you're using, but my (relatively updated) Internet Explorer has it under Tools-->Internet Options-->Advanced (tab) and then you scroll down to the "Multimedia" section and uncheck the box marked "Show pictures". In Firefox it's slightly easier: go to Tools-->Options-->Content (tab) and uncheck the box marked "Load images automatically". Your program may vary somewhat, but it should be very similar.

Here again. :>) Interesting to see how the Computer Help forum has made such lasting impressions on the users, even though those impressions are varied. About Spike: I very much appreciated the way he ran the forums. They were his, and he had every right to make the rules; just as we made rules for our family. My first venture on the web shocked me when I saw the foul language that was used on different sites. Spike's rules included no profanity, and "no religious or political" comments, and yet some posters came up with these ridiculous ways to get around that. Remember pr@yers, and G@d? d@mn, and carp? So juvenile! As Bob said, being sent to Disney wasn't done on a first offense, but multiples could get you banned. I had no problem paying the $15 (and I believe at first it was only $10) and never understood why some others did. There were those who cried hard times and "just could not afford it." What? They could afford to buy a computer, and pay for the internet, and their cigs and Pepsies, but not for all the help they got here? Somewhere I have a picture of Spike and his wife, that was taken at a KT Gathering. It was posted and I copied it. Anyway, here are some of the things I found in my box of scratch paper. On one piece of paper was even part of an email to Ken about a problem I was having with Gmail. It is dated February 22, 2006, and has his email address. He wished me Good Luck! Check these out, if you are interested. I think they are all still good. http://www.vmirror.com/copyrght.html http://www.glyphs.com/forums/load/cafe/msg0911545711181.html http://www.vmirror.com/ http://www.e-zine-list.com/ezines/027/4029.shtml http://www.glyphs.com/forums/load/cafe/msg0911545711181.html Sue

Mine freezes up fairly regularly here with both IE and Firefox. I blame Vista though - I hate it hate it hate it, but unless I spent a stinkin' fortune on a Mac (I need a laptop rather than a desktop) I didn't have any other choice when my old laptop bit the dust last December. I've run multiple antiviral and anti-malware software packages to no avail. HP has no answers and tells me I can't wipe the hard drive and reinstall an older version of Windoze due to hardware incompatibility issues. Feh. I'm far too brainfogged to try to negotiate Linux. I do back up obsessively - my 'puter has a dual hard drive so I use the second drive to back up the first as well as using a couple of flash drives for documents, photos, and email. Those are dirt cheap now so there's no excuse not to have at least one! There's also a plethora of free online file storage sites to take advantage of. At least if I'm halfway through a post Firefox will usually get it back for me, I'll give it that, and it does import your bookmarks during the installation process. Oh, side note: some manufacturers are doing a really crappy thing and storing an image of your hard drive for a system restore in such a way that it is bollixed up by a defrag. Ran into that problem a few years back and had to spend nearly $50 on a set of restore DVDs as well as spending hours on the phone with tech support (in India, natch). Therefore, you should check your documentation before defragging.

In my opinion, black plastic used on the soil is not good for the soil. If it were only to warm up the soil in the spring, that would be fine, if you remove it when you plant. I don't see why a thick layer of chopped leaves won't keep the weeds out. The only other alternative to black plastic, is good old cardboard. We break up any boxes that we have from delivery and lay those down in areas that we want to cut back on leaves. And it is good for the soil and earthworms love it. You can put a layer of chopped leaves over the cardboard or hay if that's what you prefer.