1) Windows Tips - "On Your Mark"
2) File Find! - "SereneSound"
3) Sites-Seeing - "Do-Not-ZZZ\Roadside America"
4) Email Funny - "Bubblewrap"
5) MOUS Tips - "Back To Normal"
6) They Said It - quotes to give one pause
7) Hodgepodge - that what fits no where else

A big Basement "Howdy!" for our new friends, and a even bigger "Welcome Back!" for our old friends. I've even more improvements in The Basement to tell y'all about, and a special File Find this week - written by a NFTB reader! You'll discover how to return to "Normal", and find out how to grab another fun stress reliever. So, let's get started!

Amidst all the new technology in The Basement, I thought I'd go retro on you this week and pass on a tip about that Windows' precursor that still refuses to die - MS-DOS. I can't help it, I still have a soft spot for the MS-DOS command line interface. Some activities, like selectively copying multiple files, renaming batches of files, or cleaning up diskettes can all be performed quicker and more efficiently at the C:\> prompt than through the Windows GUI interface.

Many of us still use programs that run in a DOS window. In just the past week, I've seen a DOS program that is used to control the HVAC units in large office buildings, and other DOS programs that are used to access information in mainframe databases. DOS is still an essential part of many users' daily computer activities.

If you're someone who works with DOS programs, did you know you can "click and drag" text to select in a DOS window? This is great when, for example, you perform a DIR listing and want to copy it into a Windows program for sorting and printing.

Here's how to get at this "hidden" DOS selection tool:

1. Open an MS-DOS windows - run your DOS-based program or Start > Programs > MS-DOS Prompt. Open it as a window, NOT full-screen.
2. With the text you want to select visible on-screen, point to the MS-DOS window title bar.
3. Right-click, then select Edit > Mark. Your Windows cursor (the arrow) will be "activated". Point, click and drag over the text you want to select; the selected text will be "blocked in". If you mess up your selection initially, simply reselect - you're not locked in until you:
4. Right-click inside the DOS window again. The selected text is copied to the Clipboard.

You can then switch to any other window and Paste the text as you normally would. Works with the "Command Prompt" in XP, TOO!

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2) File Find!  "SereneSound"

I'm a fairly light sleeper and for years have used a fan running at night to provide "white noise" to drown out sounds that would otherwise keep me awake. Recently, I've been using what has turned out be a surprisingly effective substitute.

SereneSound, as described by its creator, Charlie Balch: "SereneSound creates an environment that helps you ignore what you don't want to hear so you can focus, meditate, or sleep. SereneSound is a free, intuitive and efficient application that enables your computer's sound system to create an ambiance of pleasant and relaxing sounds. With SereneSound, you can obscure and mask unwanted and distracting environmental noise such as traffic, conversations or even your neighbor's unwanted music."

"Currently available sounds include Light Waves, Heavy Waves, Light Rain, Heavy Rain, Stream, Waterfall, Fire, Blizzard, Hurricane, White Noise, Pink Noise, and Brown Noise" You can control the volume and mix of sounds to create a sound environment uniquely your own.

Truly a one-of-a-kind piece of software. And, Thanks, Charlie! (a loyal NFTB reader and supporter) for giving me the opportunity to be one of the first to present this tuneful treat!

Download here

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With winking monks and buzzing flies, Kodaiji Temple has created a visually sumptuous Flash introduction to that which is Zen. A visit to Do-Not-ZZZ and 30 minutes with SereneSound and you'll be relaxed enough to survive the rush-hour drive home!

CLICK HERE for a true Zen Experience

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Planning a vacation and still not sure where to go? Or maybe you're taking a "driving trip" and have time to get off the highways and onto the back roads. Or maybe you just want to do something a little bit different with the family outing this year.

If you're ready to hit the road and feeling a bit adventurous, stop by this site first and you might find that you can make the trip as much fun as the destination. Roadside America, "your online guide to offbeat tourist attractions" has all the best spots to visit: the World's Largest Eggs! The Cathedral of Junk! The Palace of Depression! How will you fit them all in??

CLICK HERE for Roadside America

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4) Email Funny - "Bubblewrap"

One pop, two pop - here's all the pops you'll ever need. Keep a small window open, and pop 'em for emphasis as you talk on the phone. Fill your screen and pop a bunch as a mantra. Pop them to keep time as you listen to your favorite song, pop them to irritate an office mate. Pop to your heart's content, they're ecologically sound.

Funny downloads available to subscribers!

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Reader Robert wrote: "My son was doing his homework one night. Instead of saving his homework as a document the way he always does, he saved it as a template instead. Now, whenever we open up M/S Word we open up to my son's homework instead of a blank document. Can you think of a solution?"

Here's what you should do -

1. Word should not be running. Use Start > Find to find the file named NORMAL.DOT (it is a hidden file, so make sure you've turned the option on to view hidden files)
2. Delete the NORMAL.DOT file.
3. Start Word. It will create a new NORMAL.DOT for you - back to normal!

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"Success is finding and doing to the best of your ability, in each moment of your life, what you enjoy most doing, what you can do best, and what has the greatest possibility of providing the means to live as you would like to live in relation to yourself and all persons you value." - Nido Qubein.

7) Hodgepodge

Further transformations on the home front as the first few pages of "NFTB, The Web site" become transmogrified to match the new Noises From The Basement HTML format. I've worked pretty diligently to provide you with a nice layout and crisper code, you'll find it faster loading and more compatible with a more diverse range of browsers. I'll be updating more pages over the next few weeks, as time permits - please stop by and let me know what you think.

As part of NFTB's new look, I've retired the Bozo/Bizarro feature. In it's place is ODDS and ENDS, a running collection of the stranger news-related links that cross my path each week. Starting off ODDS and ENDS this week are links to stories about: Computer sleuths and the Chandra Levy case; computer vitrtual passengers that tell jokes, sing, and spit - all to keep drowsy drivers from nodding off (and they could be in your car in 5 years!); and Seattle cops are involved in a real-life Keystone Kops routine.

Of course, the Photo Funny is still around, with an interesting used car ad this week - so, you just HAVE to visit The Basement this week!!

G'nite, and thanks for reading!

Dave Gretz

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