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.

Another followup to my earlier flight alerts can be found at www.b17.org. At this site you can track the itinerary of one of the last of the B-17G Flying Fortresses, the plane that helped end WWII. This plane has 14 scheduled stops from May 27 to July 15. The closest to Annapolis will be June 27 to July 1 at the Manassas Regional Airport in Winchester, Va. For a fee of $395 you can take a ride of a lifetime in this incredible time machine. It's a great gift too. You, or the recipient of your generosity, will never forget the experience, and you'll help these dedicated men and women keep history alive.

I recently decided to put a mailbox-like receptacle near the entrance to my home. I had run into a problem with items occasionally left in my "real mail- box" by persons other than the postman. The U.S. Postal Service frowns on this practice and, if questioned, will tell you it is a violation of the law for any use other than U.S. mail. A brief search on the internet turned up several purveyors of postal boxes. However, www.mailboxinstallers.com had a great selection, great prices, fast delivery and the freight was included in the price.

I have the most difficult time when it comes to finding and buying shoes. When I finally find the shoes I want, chances are that the color or size I want are history. If you have experienced this problem, try www.onlineshoes.com. It helps if you know the manufacturer's name and shoe model. With these bits of information, you'll search less, save money, and you'll soon become a ruthless and efficient shopper.

Reunions, reunions, reunions---'tis the season. Last year, I signed up for the free component of www.classmate.com. Much to my surprise, there are more than 30 people from my high school class of 160 back in Illinois that now know I am alive and where I live thanks to this web site. There are some enhancements or features that you can purchase on this site, but the basic service is free when you register. If you are like me, be prepared to look like an underachiever in the midst of this group. After 40 years, I am good at that part now. It's still fun, however, to have a flashback or two when names from the past appear in my e-mail today.

If you have completed your new web site using my primer in the last issue, then consider www.fatcow.com. This hosting service has all the bells and whistles, e-mail accounts, remote site management, guestbook, counters, front page extensions, web statistics, shopping carts and more for just $99 a year and no setup fees. I have used this DNS host just a few months. The experience has been nothing but positive, and the price is just right for the charitable site I created and maintain.

As always we encourage your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks.