** Issue #31 November 15th, 2007 **
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Contents
Contents In This Issue...
#1 - Newbies Nook - Information for those who are new to computers and computing.
#2 - Problems in Paradise - Answers to reader problems and questions.
#3 - Security Focus - Computer Security by Kenny Hart.
#4 - Getting Starting with Linux - Linux articles are temporarily on hiatus.
#5 - Using the Drawing Toolbar - Carol tells us how to do it in Word and OpenOffice Writer.
#6 - My Recommended Software - Need software? Check this list first!
#7 - Useful Freeware - Useful programs that you may find useful. Did I mention they're free!
#8 - Useful web sites - Websites I've visited lately that you may find useful.
#9 - The Lighter Side - Some humor to lighten your load!
#10 - Odds and Ends - A little bit of this and a little bit of that!
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#1 - Newbies Nook
By David Hartsock
What would you like to see covered in Newbies Nook? Email me at
How to Move, Rename, and Organize Files in Windows
Keeping your computer organized is important. Not only does it make you more productive, but should disaster strike it allows you to know where to look to recover those files. I generally keep items I'm currently working with on the desktop. It is an immediate notification that something needs attention. If I'm done downloading a file, or have completed a project I move it to the appropriate location. I've set up folders for websites, work, books, music, videos, etc. Your organizational methods will vary greatly from mine (and probably be better). But that raises the question of how. How do I get those files where I want them?
That is exactly the question Terry asked:
Some of us have never learned to transfer files from one place to another with disks, external and flash drives.
My eyes glazed over 25 years ago with talk of paths and DOS.
A little background information
For those who aren't familiar with the terms DOS and path, that Terry used, let's have a quick definition:
- Path - The actual location of a file. The path to a file called myfile.txt which is currently on my desktop is c:\user\dave\desktop\myfile.txt. This is a relatively short path. They can be much longer. A file path leads you to a location, which in this case is a file. As you can see it is not something you would easily remember if you had to memorize the path to each file on your computer.
- DOS - Disk Operating System. DOS is actually an operating system that pre-dates Windows 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista. DOS is very powerful, but it isn't pretty to look at. It resembles the command prompt often referred to in the Windows version you are familiar with. In fact everything was done with text commands and paths. So now you have to remember a command and the path to the file. Sounds great, doesn't it? A simple move required a command followed by the complete path of the file followed by the complete path to the location where you would like the file to end up. If you weren't good with a keyboard simply moving a small files could take a few minutes.
DOS looked very similar to the Windows command prompt you may be familiar with!
Windows 3.1 introduced the GUI (Graphical User Interface), which adds a nice colorful screen with pictures. The most important aspect of the GUI is it replaces text commands and paths with icons and pictures, which are easier for the average user to work with. Basically, when you manipulate files and folders Windows is doing the grunt work entering text commands and file paths for you behind the scenes. That is way over simplified, but you get the idea!
The point is, though for some typing commands may be quicker, Windows is a point, click, and drag operating system. To work within Windows the user points, clicks, and drags. You do it every time you use Windows. Manipulating and moving files works the same way. A few important terms you should know are:
- Clipboard - A section of memory that Windows uses to temporarily store information for the user.
- Cut - Removes the file or object from the original location and places it in the Clipboard.
- Copy - Copies the file or object to the Clipboard, but leaves the original in the current location.
- Paste - Removes the file or object from the clipboard and places it where you choose.
These functions work in almost every program you have, so take a moment and reread and understand them.
Removable drives
The computer world was ruled by floppy drives in the 1980s and early 90s. Flash memory has changed that. You will hear words like flash drives, usb drives, and thumb drives. All refer to small, reusable, removable (not permanently connected to your computer) usb devices for storing and transporting files. These devices can take on almost any shape, but are often small devices that are similar in size to your thumb. Many of today's digital cameras and mp3 players can also function in this fashion.
A few pointers to keep in mind while using usb storage devices:
- Upon connecting a USB drive for the first time Windows will load a driver for the device, which may take a moment to complete.
- Try to use the Safely Remove Hardware feature to eject the device before removal, which is available by right clicking on the device in My Computer.
- Never (Never Ever) remove the device while it is being written to or read from. This will likely result in a loss of data on the device.
Here are some examples of common USB removable drives:
That should give you a little to think about until the next issue, when we will learn about actually moving files around your computer!
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#2 - Problems in Paradise
By David Hartsock
If you would like to see your question or problem answered here email me at
ITube, YouTube, we all tube!
Mike wrote me the email below recently. He had a few questions about YouTube:
Hi Dave,
Just a quick question; I use a program called "Ultragetvideodownloader' (http://www.ultraget.com/)to grab Youtube videos & keep them on my hard drive. It works great, but! You can only view them using the 'Ultragetvideodownloader" .flv playback screen as they are all downloaded as .flv files.
Now, what I want to know is your recommendation on a free conversion program that I might use to play them back either as .wav or even .mp3's.
Is this possible even...?
The main reason has to do with not wanting to have to install "Ultragetvideodownloader" on my friends' computer's when I email them a file from off Youtube. I'm hoping there's a way that I can get around this & they can then watch the music video's I send them say in WMP or Quicktime or some other similar media player that they may already have available on their own computer...
Look forward to your thoughts...
Cheers from New Zealand, (down under),
Mike
YouTube has become an internet phenomena. As a result many people have developed ways to save and play the files to their computer so they can play them with they are not online. I've played around with this a little and you can read my response to Mike below:
Mike,
I prefer VideoDownloader for firefox to save the videos (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2390), but I know that’s not your question.
Windows Media Player can actually play flv files with a little help. You can find simple instructions here - http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/how_to_play_flv_files.cfm
If you want to convert the files to more “common” formats such as avi or wmv you can do so online - http://media-convert.com/. It helps to have broadband!
If you want to do it locally on your computer you can try SUPER (http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html), which will convert a ton of formats or Fleez (http://smallvideosoft.com/flv-to-avi/).
Let me know which method or program works the best for you!
Mike tried the instructions here to allow Windows Media Player to play .flv files with success! You can read his response below:
Thanks David. I followed the advice & enabled Windows Media Player to play flv files at the site www.afterdawn.com
All has worked like a treat, & I'm quite pleased about as it's been annoying me for a while now...
All Ok, so thanks again.
Bye for now,
Mike
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#3 - Security Focus
by Ken Harthun
How Not to Invite Attackers Into Your PCs and Networks: Maxim #2
Last time (How to Secure Your Computer: Maxim #1), I said that the best security measures are useless if you invite attackers into your PCs and networks. People usually take me to task on that statement, saying that they always practice safe surfing, never click on links in emails, etc., etc. I always listen intently and acknowledge that they’re doing the right things, mostly. But when I ask what type of router they're using, I usually draw a few blank stares.
The on-by-default Windows firewall notwithstanding, anyone who has a PC plugged directly into their DSL or cable modem is at serious risk of having their PC hijacked and their personal information stolen. A PC connected directly to the Internet is visible to anyone who cares to look for it--a sugar-coated invitation to criminal hackers and spammers. An inexpensive router using network address translation (NAT) serves as an excellent hardware firewall, making your computer virtually invisible. And what they can’t see, they can’t get. I leave you with Computer Security Maxim #2:A first, important step in securing your PC is to install and configure a NAT router.
Ken Harthun writes about security issues at http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/gnomewriter and blogs on general Geek things at http://askthegeek.kennyhart.com. He's always interested in your questions.
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#4 - Getting Started with Linux
David Kopp is still a little behind. Hopefully he will be back with us in the December 1st issue!
David Kopp is currently a Database Solutions Consultant with experiences in PHP based Content Management Systems, and IT/Computer tech.
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#5 - Using the Drawing Toolbar
by Carol A. Bratt
Hi there Dave's subscribers,
Thanks for all your kind comments last time around. Us Office Goddesses are just extra needy I guess!
I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving and even if you don't celebrate the holiday I hope you are having a good time with your friends and families and feeling thankful for all the goodness in your lives.
Now on to the articles!
Using the Drawing Toolbar in MS Word
MS Word offers many powerful drawing tools to let you control fill color, line color, line style, shadows, 3D effects, grouping, ordering, and lots more. The easiest way to access these great features is through the Drawing toolbar.
Normally the drawing toolbar is positioned at the very bottom of your Word screen. If, however, it has not been activated, you can turn it on yourself by following the steps below:
- Click on View in the Menu toolbar.
- Select Toolbars from the drop-down menu.
- Check Drawing from the sub-menu that appears to the side.
- The toolbar with look like the image below.
You can make simple lines, arrows, rectangles, and ovals by clicking on the icons on the Drawing toolbar, that are highlighted below.
- Click on the button for the shape you want.
- Your mouse pointer will change to look like a plus sign.
- Move your mouse to where you want the shape to be positioned.
- Click and hold down your left mouse button and drag your mouse to stretch out the shape to the size you want.
- Let go of the mouse button to drop the shape on your document.
Here's something a lot of folks aren't aware of but because Dave is one of my favorite people and you're his subscribers, you have become my favorite people too, I'm gonna let you in on the secret:
If you want to have a perfect square or circle, hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard while performing the last couple of steps.
There are AutoShapes that you can choose from and these are usually a lot of fun to work with. I will tell share with you today and show you how to use one of them that most people don't think you can do in MS Word. I will also cover this one area of the toolbar in OpenOffice Writer in this article as well.
Follow the steps below:
- Click ont he Autoshapes button.
- Select a category from the sub-menu.
- Click on the shape you want from the category.
- Click and hold down your left mouse button and drag your mouse to stretch out the shape to the size you want.
- Let go of the mouse button to drop the shape on your document.
You can edit and change the size of your shape (wouldn't it be great if we could do it so easily with our own shapes??)
If you want to change the size of any of the shapes you have created, the quickest way is by clicking and dragging its corners or edges.
Follow along with the steps below to learn how:
- Click on the shape once with your left mouse button. This will select the image and you should see eight circles or squares around the it, one for each corner and one on each edge.
These are called handles. You use these to modify your image.
- Begin by hovering your mouse over one of the handles until the mouse pointer changes shape into a double-sided arrow.
- Now click and hold down your left mouse button on the handle to grab it.
- With your mouse button held down, move the mouse in any direction you like to enlarge or shrink the shape.
- When you are happy with the new size, simply release the mouse button.
You do, however, have to drag the corners, as dragging only the edge changed just the width or height.
Ok, here's the cool thing I promised to show you:
I have heard many folks complain that they cannot have curved edges in MS Word, but guess what? With a little tweaking, you can!
- On the Drawing toolbar, click on the Lines option.
- Word will display a palette of different variations of lines.
- Click on the Curve option. You will see it at the bottom left corner of the palette.
- Click at the point in your document where you want the curve to begin.
- Click at each point where you want the line to curve.
- When you reach the place where you want the curve to end, double-click.
The curve will be treated the same as any other graphic image in your document.
You may have to do it a couple of times to get the hang of it, but you have to admit, it's pretty cool isn't it?
Callouts are a specific type of AutoShape, but are useful enough to warrant a special mention. A callout is like a text box with a pointing line to connect it to something.
- Click on Autoshapes | Callouts.
- Select the callout you want to use.
- Now click on your document where you want the callout tail to connect, and then drag your mouse to position the text box.
- Now you can type in the text box as usual.
- You can also resize and move the callout as you like.
- To make special formatting changes to the callout you need to right-click ont he callout's gray-shaded border and select Format Autoshape.
- Click on the Text Box tab and choose Format Callout.
- Now you can alter the different options until it is to your liking.
More in OpenOffice
The Drawing toolbar in OpenOffice Writer is very similar to that in MS Word. Again, the biggest difference is the price - OpenOffice is FREE!
You pretty much access the Drawing toolbar in OpenOffice Writer the same way you do in MS Office.
- Click on View | Toolbars | Drawing.
Then just look for the Drawing toolbar. It usually will appear at the bottom of your screen.
You can click on Tools | Gallery to turn on the picture gallery. From there you can drag in a graphic. You can also click on Insert | Picture and select a picture to place in your document. Just make sure that you know where your pictures reside on your hard drive beforehand.
- On the Drawing toolbar, click on the Callouts icon, as shown below.
- Click on the drop down arrow next to the Callouts icon.
- Select the callout you want.
- Place your cursor in the drawing area and click and drag your mouse in either direction and you will see your callout being drawn in your document.
- Release the mouse and your callout appears.
- Select a different fill color for the callout.
- Select different line width, style and color for the callout.
- Key in your text in the callout.
- If the text is too large, click the callout border, find a handle and drag the handle to resize the callout.
- Double-click the callout to select the text so you can change the font, then select a font from the drop-down menu.
- Drag the point of the callout to where you want it.
That's pretty much it folks - you are finished!
I told you it would be fun didn't I? Play around with the OpenOffice Writer Drawing toolbar and see how much fun you can have with it!
Until next time...take care!
Carol writes the monthly Word Bytes Newsletter with more tips and tricks in each issue. Visit Carol's website for more great Microsoft Office tips and tricks! Visit Carol's site at www.carolscorneroffice.com.
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#6- My Recommended Software
Anti-spyware and Anti-malware Software
Webroot SpySweeper - Daves Computer Tips Seal of Approval Winner! See the test results HERE. Spysweeper provides the best protection of the seven anti-spyware programs tested! Great detection and removal rates with a small real-time protection memory footprint. This is the one you want! SpySweeper includes the ASK toolbar. Be sure to uncheck this option during installation. Free 14 day trial.
CounterSpy - Runner-up in my Anti-Spyware test. Not only does CounterSpy scan and remove spyware, it also uses real time protection. Real-time protection prevents spyware infection. Free 15 day trial. Winner of Computer Shopper Magazine's Best Buy Award!
Antivirus and Firewall Software
ESET Smart Security - New from the maker's of NOD32. Antivirus, Antispyware, Antispam, and Firewall all wrapped into one effective, swift, and low resource package. It is what I use to protect each of my computers!
Kaspersky Antivirus - Kaspersky is my second choice for antivirus software. A good program that is very close in performance to NOD32. Free trial.
Online Armor Firewall - You shouldn't be on the internet without a software firewall that offers inbound and outbound protection. Online Armor is the Best of the Best. Online Armor uses an interface that is easier to navigate than most other firewalls and the protection level can't be beat! Online Armor is available in both a free and reasonably priced paid version, which offers even more protection!
Audio and Video Software
Acoustica Audio Converter Pro - This program converts audio formats and bitrates. Perfect for those with portable audio players or large music collections. 30 day trial.
Adobe Premier Elements - Elements is the consumer version of Adobe Premiere. It costs 1/6th the price, but is very capable of making videos that will impress everyone.
Ashampoo Burning Studio - My current pick for a low resource, easy to use CD/DVD burning application. Easier to use than Nero or Roxio, with a low memory footprint and much smaller installation requirement.
Computer Hardware
Crucial Memory - Memory (RAM) is the upgrade that gives any computer the best bang for the buck. If you want to speed things up with more memory, why not purchase it from the leading source of quality RAM memory. Great selection, good prices, excellent support, and a lifetime warranty! A real winner!
CyberGuys - The place to get those hard to find cables and accessories for your computer!
HP Computers
- My current pick for new laptops and desktops. In the current market I don't think you can beat HP's combination of price and performance. Their laptop line is very cost effective and the design is absolutely beautiful!
Newegg - Newegg.com is known for great service and awesome pricing on computers, upgrades, and electronics. If you're looking for computers, computer parts, or electronics you owe it to yourself to start here! Great Products. Great Prices. Great Customer Service!
Computer Maintenance Software
Diskeeper 2008 - My current favorite defrag program. As files are written and erased from the hard drive they begin to leave "spaces" behind. When the drive is written to again files are broken up to fill in these spaces. This causes the drive to go to several different locations to read an entire file, which slows performance greatly. Diskeeper has several advanced features such as; automatic defrag, scheduled defrag, and the ability to defrag the MFT (Master File Table) and paging file. 30 day trial.
Registry Mechanic - A very thorough and efficient registry cleaner and defragmenter. A definite must to maintain peak performance and stabile operation. 30 day trial.
Computer Utility Software
Acronis True Image 11 - Do you value the data on your computer? Do you value your time? How much time will you spend recovering data and returning your computer to its original state after a hardware failure or software glitch? True Image is my #1 choice in backup tools. Whether you choose file or image based backups (you should use both!) True Image will perform better than any other application I've used. Disk images created with True Image are generally 10-20% smaller than those from comparable programs. If your time and files are as important to you as mine are to me this is a must have.
Acronis Disk Director - My favorite tool to partition, format, and resize hard drives.
Roboform - This program is the next best thing since sliced bread in my book! This program integrates into Internet Explorer and firefox. It generates very secure passwords at the click of a button. How do I remember these complex passwords? Roboform allows you to save passwords and personal data in an encrypted format. A master password (yes only one password to remember!) allows access. Roboform in IE and FireFox works like a super powered bookmark. You click the site you want to go to and Roboform opens the site, enters your username and password for the site (if required) and as if by magic clicks the submit button. If you shop online Roboform can enter your personal information and credit card information, which is also stored in a secure encrypted file, in one click. A real time saver with great security thrown in to boot! 30 day trial.
WinRar - What is commonly called a zip utility, similar to the more widely known WinZip. WinRar is faster and works with more formats for about 1/2 the price of WinZip. 30 day trial.
Desktop Utility Software
LogonStudio - Change the screen that appears when you boot Windows (the one with the moving bar graph). Hundreds of free skins available online. It's free.
Cursor XP Plus - Change the cursors on your computer. Hundreds of cursor packs are available online for free.
Icon Packager - Change the icons on your computer. Icon Packager puts you in control to change every icon with the click of a button. Tired of the plain icons built into Windows? There are hundreds of Icon Packs available online for free, which will add a truly personal feel to your computer.
WindowBlinds 6 - This is the icing on the proverbial cake. WindowBlinds changes the look and feel of Windows. By changing the appearance of the task bar, start menu, and any other window or program you open. It adds transparency, shadows, alpha blending, and animations. Hundreds of themes are available online for free.
Internet and Email
1&1 hosting - If you want to start your own website, blog, photo gallery, or have a personalized email address then 1&1 is for you. 1&1 can not be beat for reliability, features, support, and price. 90 day guarantee.
Google Gmail - The best internet based email (webmail) available. Each mailbox has a 6.5GB limit. The interface is superb, and the spam filter is top notch. You will never need to delete an email again! It has a great search function and a feature called thread view, which makes finding emails easy. A webmail account offers several advantages including not being required to change your email address if you change service providers. Gmail requires an invitation from a current member. If you are interested shoot me an email and I'll send you an invite.
Microsoft Outlook 2007 - Outlook is the current email client of choice for corporate America. I get well over 200 emails a day. Outlook has a few features I really need such as a plug in for automatic backups, office sounds which offers me some audible feedback, and the ability to change headers. I've used Mozilla Thunderbird and liked it a lot. With the amount of mail I go through I really need the features of Outlook. If you aren't a heavy user, or don't need the features I do then Thunderbird is a great alternative.
- An amazing, free, web browser. If you aren't using it you should be! Highly customizable through addins called extensions. There are thousands of extensions which can allow FireFox to do just about anything you can imagine. More importantly, Firefox is not subject to ActiveX, which is a large part of Internet Explorer, AOL, and MSN. No ActiveX means much less chance of getting spyware! Firefox also conforms to web standards more closely than Internet Explorer, which means you will see what the authors intended, not Microsoft.
Mozilla Thunderbird - A great free email client, from the same folks that brought us FireFox. Easy to use and highly customizable through extensions.
Photo and Picture Software
Adobe Photoshop Elements - Photoshop Elements is a consumer version of Adobe Photoshop. If you are serious about digital photos you will find Photoshop Elements a great program to have at your disposal. Elements provides all the functionality most will need at 1/6th the price.
Picasa - A great (FREE) way to organize, edit, and share your digital photos.
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#7 - Useful Freeware
If you find a program that hasn't been included in a previous newsletter tell me by emailing me at
Tiny Watcher - A free program that watches startup programs and Windows System files. When a change occurs you are notified. - 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista
Hide Folder Hibit - A free program which allows you to hide, lock, or encrypt files and folders. - 2000/XP/Vista
Xneat - A free program that allows you to reorder your taskbar icons and a few other "neat" features. - 2000/XP/Vista
Please take a moment and comment on this software in the box below!
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#8 - Useful websites
If you find a website that hasn't been included in a previous newsletter tell me by emailing me at
Woot! - This site has one spectacular deal every day. - Thanks to Sarah
Notebook Review - This site is dedicated to notebook computers and contains a wealth of information.
GUI Magic - This site focuses on themes, icons, and graphics for your computer.
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#9 - The Lighter Side
I spend thousands of hours each week searching the internet for funny or entertaining items to share with my readers. Enjoy!
Hand/Eye coordination? - Don't let the red block touch the blue blocks or black border! Addictive and frustrating! - Thanks Melissa
Do you fish? - I bet you don't do it like this!
The Facebook song - An entertaining parody of facebook.com!
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#10 - Odds and Ends
Windows Registry Articles
Believe it or not, I've received several requests from readers asking that I make the recent Windows Registry articles into an ebook and offer it for sale. Well that seems like a great idea. I can always use the money (grin). So, by popular demand, I've done just that!
Here is the deal. You will find the download link for the ebook below. You will need Acrobat Reader to open, read, or print the ebook. The price? FREE! Of course if you would like to send a dollar or two you can use the PayPal buttons at the top of the newsletter. I do ask that you not forward it to friends, or send them the download link. If you think someone would benefit from the content of the original articles ask them to sign up for the newsletter!
Of course, be kind. It is my first attempt at an ebook (grin)!
An Introduction to the Windows Registry - (213kb pdf download)
ESET Smart Security
If you've read the newsletter for any amount of time I'm sure you have heard me sing the praises of Eset's NOD32 Antivirus. In issue #17 I mentioned that Eset was working to release a security suite. I am not a fan of suites. It seems as companies start adding "features" the program gets unnecessarily bloated and begins to affect system performance. Often times features are added without any rhyme or reason (I'll blame this on the marketing department).
When I first heard that Eset was developing a security suite I was worried. Their antivirus program, NOD32, has an incredibly small resource usage and industry leading detection rates. I hoped NOD32 wasn't the end of an era! With a little hesitation I downloaded the beta version. I haven't looked back. While the early betas had a few issues the program has developed well and was released to the public last week as Eset Smart Security.
To tell you the truth, this program will be the first (and only) security suite I whole heartedly recommend. Eset Smart Security contains antivirus, antispyware, antispam, and a software firewall in one very small and extremely fast package.
If you would like to find out more about Eset Smart Security you can read about it here. Interested in buying ESS before it appears in the recommended software list? ESET Smart Security. Get award-winning virus protection with antispam and personal firewall.
Windows Home Server
Microsoft has created the perfect (OK, not perfect but very close) product, Windows Home Server. If you haven't heard about WHS it is going to be a hot product. WHS will be an assett to anyone with two or more computers and those with large photo and entertainment collections.
Here is a short feature list:
- Centralized storage for files, photos, videos, and more.
- Share files, photos, etc with friends with WHS over the internet.
- Complete access to your computers and files from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Complete daily backups of all computers on your network
- Many third party applications.
WHS was originally intended to be available only on hardware produced through OEM manufacturers such as HP and Dell. Microsoft changed its plan when they saw how powerful and beneficial WHS could be. They have also introduced a great trial program. For $5.00 (US) Microsoft will send you a DVD with Windows Home Server which you can use for 120 days! If you have an extra computer laying around this is a great opportunity to get a feel for the software before you decide to buy!
The sites are region specific, so here is the list:
Support Breast Cancer Research!
If you live in the United States or Canada you may have heard the term "Black Friday", which refers to the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday. Black Friday is considered the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Retailers open early and offer huge discounts to lure shoppers in. It is a mad house, and many make an annual family event out of it.
TigerDirect, a well known reputable internet shopping site that specializes in computer and electronics, is offering Black Friday deals with a twist. They are calling it "Pink Friday". TigerDirect will donate a portion of each sale to support breast cancer. If you like to shop, like to save money, and want to help fight breast cancer you should check it out - TigerDirect Pink Friday.
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