Jimmy's Favorite Sites

By Jimmy R. Hammond, CPA

Here are a few sites I have discovered which are helpful, informative or interesting. These sites relate to Annapolis, to business or are just worth dropping in for a casual visit. Let's go surfing and take a look.

It's great flying weather, and I couldn't pass up this flight-related site. As I was writing for this issue, the United States had just launched a Mars probe and was about to launch another. A variety of publications are keeping us up to date on the Wright Brother's 100-year anniversary project. However, you may have missed the flight project nicely documented at www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/index.htm.

This project may overshadow some of the other celebrations. The site goes into great detail about the Rutan team and their attempt to win the $10,000,000 "X Prize." The X Prize will be awarded to the first civilian team that can successfully launch a vehicle carrying one person in a three-seat vehicle to an altitude of 100 kilometers, return the occupant to Earth, and then repeat the process within two weeks. According to some aviation experts, the Rutan team would like this to happen before the 100th anniversary of powered flight on Dec. 3.f the work I do for the Hospice Cup of Maryland, I had occasion to visit www.sos.state.md.us/sos/charity/html/cod.html. This is a site that will give you all of the public information related to most charities in Maryland, with links to other jurisdictions. If you ever have any doubts about the propriety of any charity, this is the first stop to make.

When I purchased my mini notebook (or extra large PDA, depending on your perspective), I found an introductory version of the calligrapher software preloaded on the unit. This handwriting recognition software is as good as it gets, in my opinion. It was like bringing out card tricks as I showed off the features of this software, made possible by the touch screen features of my new PDA. If you run Windows CE in nearly all versions or the Palm operating systems, there is a version of this software for you. At www.paragraph.com/calligrapher/index.html you can get the demo version. Take it for a spin. I think you'll like the learning curve and the results.

I'm not sure if the U.S. will really ever adopt the metric system, but there are enough times that a product or some other device will give kilos or meters that you might find www.convert-me.com helpful. They have taken the time to create a form that, when filled with the unknowns, returns with the converted data, whether it's liters to quarts, meters to yards or kilometers to miles. Just fill in the blank form and, like magic, all items are converted to your favorite understandable format.

For communities, businesses, governments or charities this is one web calendar software application that fits all. At www.webcalendarcreator.com/ you can preview calendars of other users and download and test the software. I think it is one of the best online web calendars I have seen. The calendar can be modified and maintained online by all users at the option of the person responsible for the calendar operation, or you can retain control of the calendar, as I do for 12 area Kiwanis Clubs. Check out this calendar. I think the price is right.

As always we encourage your thoughts and suggestions, Thanks.