“Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote.” William E. Simon

I just got a timely question from a coworker asking me where she is supposed to vote. We tried to look it up on Providence’s website but it required her to know what ward she is in. There are many first time voters and voters finally coming back to vote in this election. A lot of people do not have a clue where to go. Thankfully Google does. Click this Google map link and type in your address. It will tell you exactly where you are voting and give you exact directions to get there. Also when you choose directions you can pick by car, public transit, or walking. So if you not sure where to head this November fourth give this one a try.

“I'm NOT lost, they just moved my street.” Piper Perabo

A while back I posted about a new Google mapping Feature called Google street view. However at that time it was only available in select cities. Well providence has just become a select city. They have added another eight major cities to the record. So it time to start traveling the streets you know so well and find your cars, buildings, and possibly selves. It seems to me that the pictures were taken in late August or early September. The reason I believe this is the old police station that was being demolished next to us can still be partly seen. To use this it is easy. Just click in the box that has the street view and drag till you are pointed in the direction you want to head. They have arrows on the street to progress from shot to shot. Now if you want to move quickly just type in an address and move the little guy on the map to a blue line. This is both a useful and ridiculously fun feature. Below is a snapshot of the old entrance of the library. I recommend you give it a try.

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“My name is only an anagram of toilets.” T.S. Eliot

This site could be helpful depending on your need. The site is called the Bathroom Diaries. Essentially it is a store house of knowledge about bathrooms. It has pictures from bathrooms from all over the world in the section called Golden Plungers. These are very entertaining. Now where is the useful part? Well users of the site have reviewed bathrooms everywhere. If you are going somewhere and want to make sure the facilities are up to sniff check here. The have info like baby changing tables or whether it is safe or is there something special about. Many times we have been somewhere with friends and someone comes back and says you gotta see the bathroom for both good and bad reasons. To see a list of Providence's best places click here. So keep your legs crossed and give it a try.

“No individual raindrop ever considers itself responsible for the flood.”

To finish off this Eco-friendly week I can only recommend a page that has tons of information on becoming a conscious consumer.That is a person who buys sustainable or recycled items and is usually concerned with the employee treatment and the greenness of a company and not just in purchasing an item. Now to live this way means that you as a consumer must do more research for the items you buy but more and more want to know what other costs make up the price of the product. Using computers as an example, not only the price to buy it and maintain it but to eventually get rid of it and what effect will it have on the environment. This site is simple and straight forward and is named, unsurprisingly, responsible consumption. Give it a try.

Note: The Photo is of downtown Providence dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane of 1938.

“The Macintosh is not a computer, it's a way of life.” Don Rittner

Now I know I concentrate mainly, when it comes to software, on PCs but I would, for at least a week, like to focus on the Macintosh. First off, I am a Mac fan and have been for a very long time. But I teach on PCs because they are the majority of the market. To begin with I wish to highlight the Apple store for my students who want more maccentric teaching. They offer free classes to anyone on the products that come with your computers. This is the link for classes at the Providence Place Mall. Also for other learning possibilities there is a great site called TeachMac.com. The idea here is that let's say I know something about the Mac or a program and I think I could teach that. Well they help you to record the lesson and post it on the site. They do a nice job because it is audio and visual. Also it is a la carte so choose what you want to learn. Now there is a cost but to try it go on a Tuesday and you can download a module for free. Learn something new and give it a try.

The Grilled Cheese Madonna and 99 Other of the Weirdest, Wackiest, Most Famous eBay Auctions Ever

Sorry no site today but how about a book pick instead? If you have ever been on eBay or heard of wild or strange auction than this book is for you. The Grilled Cheese Madonna and 99 Other of the Weirdest, Wackiest, Most Famous eBay Auctions Ever book is a fun read. It lists all the bizarre and major auctions that have made headlines throughout eBay's history. PPL does have it in the system, so check it out and give it a try!

I don't have to look up my family tree, because I know that I'm the sap. ~Fred Allen

The food is cooked and ready for the Thanksgiving holiday but what relatives are invited? Maybe it is time to find out who your relations are. Try Heritage Quest for all the census data you need. Also if you come to the Library then you can use our subscription for Ancestry.com. But if you are not near a Providence Public Library you can still take advantage of some special information, till the end of November Ancestry.com is offering a certain records for free no matter where you are viewing it. They are releasing all the passenger lists from 1820 to 1960. This encompasses a huge portion of the current US population. Not only does it offer the list but descriptions and other information like what the person looked like or why they are traveling. I may not be able to find my family but my hero, the great Harry Houdini, was listed as a passenger on the site. Find some people to take part in the meal or just ask your neighbors and give it a try!