KCNET NEWSLETTER 05/11/03
COMMENTS AND SCHEDULE PAGE


MIKE'S COMMENTARY
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
KCNET RENOVATION PROGRESS
NEWS & NOTES BY SUE FOUST

MIKE'S COMMENTARY:
Mother's Day
The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter*), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.
During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.
In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.
In 1907 Ana Jarvis , from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.
This information gleaned from numerous sources on the net.

A MOTHER'S LOVE
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and it made me want to paint you another.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I knew it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I realized that the little things you do are special.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you say a prayer for me,
and I believed there was a God I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I felt you kiss me goodnight,
and I felt loved and unafraid.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw tears fall from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
and it's all right to cry when they do.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I watched the way you cared for me,
and I wanted to be all that I could be for you.

Then, when you thought I wasn't looking,
I looked, again, 
and said "thank you" for all the things you did,
when you thought I wasn't looking...
-Author Unknown-


 
WHEN GOD MADE MOMS
When the good Lord was creating mothers!!!!!
He was into His sixth day of "overtime when the angel appeared and said,
"You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."
AND THE LORD SAID....."Have you read the specs on this order?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic.
Have 180 moveable parts... all replaceable.
Run on black coffee and leftovers.
Have a lap that disappears when she stands up,
a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg
to a disappointed love affair, and six pairs of hands."
And the angel shook her head slowly and said,
"Six pairs of hands...no way."
"It is not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord,
"It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."
"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.
THE LORD NODDED....One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks
"What are you kids doing in there?" when she already knows.
Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't, but what she has to know;
and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say,
"I understand and I love you", without so much as uttering a word."
"Lord", said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "go to bed, tomorrow...."
"I can't", said the Lord, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself.
Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick....
can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger,
and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."
The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly.
"It's too soft", she sighed.
"But tough!" said the Lord excitedly.
You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure."
"Can it think?"
"Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise", said the Creator.
Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.
"There's a leak", she pronounced.
"I told you, you were trying to put too much into this model."
"It's not a leak", said the Lord. "It's a tear".
"What's it for?"
"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride."
"You're a genius", said the angel.
THE LORD LOOKED SOMBER.....
"BUT I DIDN'T PUT IT THERE".
By Erma Bombeck
ONLY ONE MOTHER
Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky, 
Hundreds of shells on the shore together, 
Hundreds of birds that go singing by, 
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn, 
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover, 
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn, 
But only one mother the world wide over. 


Next is a special poetic tribute written by a daughter in memory of Betty, her recently deceased mother.  Although the final circumstances that prompted this memorial were very unpleasant, her emotions of love, caring, and understanding radiate in the words.  The words flow straight from a tender heart and will be solace to anyone who has lost or is a caregiver for an aged Alzheimer mother.
Netscape users may experience a problem with some graphics blocking some of the verse.  I suggest that Netscape users copy this address, then open Internet Explorer and paste the address into the address box and press enter.  You do not need to close Netscape to do this.  It will be worth the extra effort.  Look around the site after reading the verse. The site is outstanding.  Check the main page too.
http://www.jsmagic.net/motherbeauty/
 

Here is a good site for graphics poems and music pertaining the Mother's Day.
http://www.hellasmultimedia.com/webimages/mother-htm/
 
 


GET YOUR FOOT TAPPING SHOES OUT AND DUSTED!   IT IS TIME FOR
The Jersey Shore Town Band Spring Concert 
The Jersey Shore Town Band will present it's annual Spring Concert on Friday, May 16th, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will take place in the Jersey Shore Jr. High/Middle School Auditorium. There is no admission charge for the concert. Come out and enjoy an evening of band music.  Jon Ahrens, sans computer, will be there to welcome you.

 

KCNET CLASSES:
BEGINNERS:  This is a very basic six session course in computer techniques for the internet.  There is a per course charge of $20.00 for KCnet members and $25.00 for non KCnet members.  The class size is limited.   Pre registration is required.  Call 893-8111 or come in to KCnet to register before the next sessions.  The class will meet at the Central Mountain High School until the new classrooms are available at KCnet.
Skills taught in the beginner classes include mouse techniques like drag and drop, plus very beginner basics for email and browsing the Web.
It is not necessary for attendees to have their own computers but it is very difficult to retain
information without practice.  You really would not try to learn to play the piano with out actual keyboard time.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE COURSE CONTENT FOR BEGINNERS

INTERMEDIATES:  This is a six session course for those who have mastered beginner skills. There is a per course charge of $20.00 for KCnet members and $25.00 for non KCnet members.  The class size is limited.   Pre registration is required.  Call (893-8111) or come in to KCnet now to register for the next sessions.  The class will meet at the Central Mountain High School until the new classrooms are available at KCnet.
A ton of info is packed into the six sessions.
This course is designed for those who "think they know but don't"  and especially for those who "want to know" more.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE COURSE CONTENT FOR INTERMEDIATES

ADVANCED:  (used to be called  "Senior Net Learners").  The cost for this class is $0.00 for members of KCnet and $2.00 per session for non KCnet members.  There is no set format for the sessions.  Occasionally we will take a specific subject and do a detailed study over a period of successive weeks.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  The folks that have been attending for awhile are always happy for a review and in most cases new or better ways to do things will surface.  Questions stimulate in-depth exploration with the usual result being an understanding of how and why.
We welcome new attendees from the Intermediate sessions and our forever growing KCnet membership.  This is an advanced group and we cover a lot of territory. We are kind of free flowing.  You never know what will transpire.
It is not necessary for attendees to have their own computers but it sure helps with the learning curve.
Intermediate computer knowledge and Intermediate computer skills are necessary.  This group meets at the Jersey Shore Public Library in Jersey Shore until the new classrooms are available at KCnet.

OTHER CLASSES:
CLICK HERE FOR ORIENTATION - BEGINNERS - INTERMEDIATE - ADVANCED
CLICK HERE FOR SCANNING - MAC- GENEALOGY - WEB PAGE - EXCEL - WORD - DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - PHOTO MANIPULATION - OTHER SPECIALTIES

THIS WEEK'S BEGINNER-ADVANCED CLASS SCHEDULE:
We have geared down class offerings because of the extensive renovation project now in progress and projected to conclude in May.

Beginner Internet and Email
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 – 11:00 am
June 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19
Six-Session Course = $20 KCnet Members; $25 Non Members

Intermediate
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 – 11:00 am
July 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17
Six-Session Course = $20 KCnet Members; $25 Non Members

Beginner Internet and Email
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00 – 3:00 pm
June 30, July 2, 7, 9, 14, 16
Six-Session Course = $20 KCnet Members; $25 Non Members

Intermediate
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00 – 3:00 pm
July 28, 30, August 4, 6, 11, 13
Six-Session Course = $20 KCnet Members; $25 Non Members

Microsoft Word
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 5:30 – 7:30 pm
June 9, 10, 11
Three-Session Course = $25 KCnet Members; $30 Non Members

Digital Camera / Photo Manipulation
Wednesdays 5:30 – 7:30 pm
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Five-Session Course = $30 KCnet Members; $35 Non Members

Orientation to KCnet
One-Session Class – No Charge for KCnet Members
June 18, July 16
Third Wednesday of Every Month 6:00 – 8:00 pm

ADVANCED CLASS:
We are meeting temporarily at the Jersey Shore Library.  Our  next session on May 7, 2003 is scheduled for the Jersey Shore Public Library located on the corner of Allegheny and Oliver Streets in Jersey Shore. The start time is 9:30.  The library does not open until 9:00 and we will need some setup time each Wednesday so we will start at 9:30 and finish when we finish, just like at KCnet. This will be our home until the classrooms are available at KCnet.    The library is in a converted church and is well labeled as the Jersey Shore Public Library.  We will enter through the backdoor and will meet in the basement level room.  The entrance is just inside the backdoor from the parking lot.  An elevator is also available for those that have difficulty with steps.  The library folks have requested that we park on the street instead of the parking lot so that regular library patrons will not be inconvenienced.  We may have our usual refreshments at break (hint, hint) and of course coffee during the sessions.  Don Miller brought pretzels.  Kitty Laubscher and Margretta Day surprised us with an assortment of extra special donuts.  Hey folks we really don't really have to go to trough like this every week.

Say, what a session we had last week. 
We will be treated to a special session the next two weeks on Paint Shop Pro.  Kerry Clausen will walk us through the new Paint Shop Pro 8 release.  It is a dynamite program and a considerable improvement over prior releases.  It makes photo manipulation a breeze. 
It looks like we will be at the Jersey Shore Library for at least the month of May.  Sue thinks maybe sooner to KCnet for this class.
Show up this Wednesday and be surprised; bring questions and suggestions too.

BEGINNER - INTERMEDIATE - ADVANCED COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

The Beginner Group Course Content

The first session is a demonstration of the various parts of the computer.  We actually take a computer apart and show the various components.  We describe the computer memory, mother, sound and video boards, hardware, software, connections, peripherals, keyboards, mice, speakers, modems, etc.
Students do hands on in all six sessions starting with turning the blasted beast on.  We learn about the desktop and mouse control. Following lessons get into the internet and how to use the browsers to find information.  We learn about Web and email addresses, domains, sending and receiving mail, forwarding and replying to email, bookmarks, address books, and a touch of Hyper text Markup Language (HTML).  There is always time for questions and general exploration.  The pace is what the student makes.

The Intermediate Group Course Content:

We mess around with the desktop, rearrange icons, change backgrounds, create screen savers, learn to make shortcuts on the desktop, learn a bunch of ways to access the hard drive and discuss how our computers resemble a file cabinet in its organization.  We learn a little bit about extensions like .gif, .wav, .mid, .txt, .doc, .jpeg, .exe, and dot de dot de dot...  just to name a few.  We discover what special programs are already installed on our computers to help us see these special extensions.   We make folders and subfolders on the hard drive.
We copy and paste files into these folders.  We learn the difference between cut/paste and copy/paste.  We learn how to copy/borrow graphic and midi files from the internet and save them to the new folders we make.  Then we copy and paste files from floppies to the hard drive, we move files from the hard drive to a floppy disk.  We take floppies home with graphics and midis on them to put on the hard drives to use with email. 
We investigate the difference between uninstall and delete for programs and files and when it is appropriate to do either. We learn how to do a "Thorough" Scandisk, Defrag. and Cleandisk.  We become  proficient with Bookmarks and Forwarding messages.  The final week we will get into HTML in email.
So look out because we will be terrorizing our friends with neat souped up emails.  Yep!, we definitely learn enough to be verrrrry dangerous er creative. 
AND...WE HAVE FUN!!!.

The Advanced Class Content:

You name it, we'll discuss it.

KCNET RENOVATION PROGRESS:

Click on photo to enlarge
 The light at the end of the tunnel Sue talks about in her notes.  Actually this is the hallway between the two classrooms.
This is the kitchenette located in one end of the larger classroom.  We should be able to store a lot of goodies in these cabinets. 

Sara McCoy posts additional photos pertaining
to the renovation project accessible from the KCnet home page .
Updates are posted as the project progresses.
http://www.kcnet.org/construction/index.html

NEWS & NOTES BY SUE FOUST:

NEWS & NOTES BY SUE FOUST:
There’s lots happening here.  Of course the normal things for a non-profit corporation – budget time, staff reviews, and analysis of expenses.  But there are new things, too.  Our Webmaster Sara McCoy, with help from a new employee Heather Newman, has revised our Business Mall pages.  They are beautiful.  There are things to add and Sara is very receptive to suggestions, so fire away!

Start out by visiting http://www.lhev.com/   Review the businesses posted and tell us what we missed.  Give us enough information for a posting, if you really want to help.

Now for a quick report on the refurbishing project.  We are approaching the end of the tunnel.  Ceilings are finished in a few of the rooms in the back of the building.  Vinyl tile gets installed next week, starting Monday.  

We may be able to start the advanced classes in the new classroom by the  21st of May !  I think it’ll be finished enough for this type of class – we only need one computer set up, a projector and lots of chairs.  We’ll have the coffee pot on.

Ray McGill, owner of Nittany Travel, is the President of KCnet; R. Keith Kelly is Vice-President; Judy Yoho is Secretary and Donald C. Miller of North Bend is Treasurer.  Other members of the board are Fred Bierly, Donna Gebhardt Lannan, Earl Keen, Amy Lapriola, Paddy O’Hara-Mays, William Raco, Bob Rolley, Rick Vilello, and Dave Winkleman.

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