Hope this helps

Getting ready to spend several months in rural Alaska, and will be passing through Anchorage. I would love to pick-up some wool sweaters, and maybe some snow pants at a discount. Are there any good thrift stores in Anchorage, Alaska? I'm thinking that might be a place to start, especially when I don't need anything "fancy," just rugged and warm. Thanks in advance!

I know all about retail places, and mail order -- been there, done that. Right now, I'm looking for thrift stores.

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I would like to buy a small dog for my wife. She wants a house dog that will weigh about 15 pounds, full-grown. She would like a fluffy dog, like a Maltese, but larger. (Not a poodle.) A little larger than a Havanese.

If you could suggest a dog breed, I would appreciate it.

Also - please do NOT answer that I should just go to the pound, because there are lots of dogs there that need love, etc., etc. I know - that is true. However, the full-grown size is important, and let's face it, with the pound you're never quite sure. Of course, once we know a breed or two that we might like, maybe that would be a starting point for a visit to the shelter. I don't know ... we're just not to that point yet.

Thanks in advance.

Okay - this will be easy for Star Trek fans, but I will give 10 points to the first correct answer.

I remember watching a Star Trek show several years ago - I believe it was Voyager. The plot involved everyone being grumpy and suffering from aches and injuries. Turns out that an alien race had installed hardware on their bodies and was testing their reaction to pain. Seems like the crew invented a gizmo that allowed them to see the aliens and their tools.

What was the name of that episode? Also, I would like to watch it (as you can imagine!) Is there a way to watch the episode free online? If not, what is the best way to buy it (I'm not an iTunes guy, sorry.) I don't want to buy an entire season either.

Thanks!

Help! I am writing a book chapter about organizational strategies. Years ago, I read an account of someone reasonably famous in history who had an extensive book collection about the United States. He/she arranged the books on their bookcase "geographically." In other words, the books about Maine were on the top shelf, far right. The books about Florida were on the lowest shelf, on the right, etc. - just like a map of the United States.

The problem - I can't remember WHO that was? Does it ring a bell with any of you. I need to be able to document it, if I include it in my book. Thanks!

Help! I am writing a book chapter about organizational strategies. Years ago, I read an account of someone reasonably famous in history who had an extensive book collection about the United States. He/she arranged the books on their bookcase "geographically." In other words, the books about Maine were on the top shelf, far right. The books about Florida were on the lowest shelf, on the right, etc. - just like a map of the United States.

The problem - I can't remember WHO that was? Does it ring a bell with any of you. I need to be able to document it, if I include it in my book. Thanks!

Hey - here's a question for you Mac experts (genius?)

I have the chance to buy an iBook G4 at a very reasonable price (online.) I had an iBook several years ago, and it was a lot of fun!

Will the iBook G4 allow me to watch TV programs on web-sites, such as hulu.com, cbs.com, and abc.com? I also like to watch baseball on the MLB site. Sometimes, I like to watch those programs on my computer at home. (I currently have a Dell Vostro laptop with a wireless network at the house.)

So - just wondering if the iBook G4 has enough "umph" to do this.

If you have an iBook G4, and have watched TV show on these web-sites, I would appreciate your advice. Thanks in advance!

I live in Florida, and I currently use a pre-paid cell phone service. I have discovered that this service will not work in Alaska, and I have an upcoming trip to Alaska scheduled. I'd like to keep in-touch with family in the lower 48 while I'm in Alaska. So - I thought I'd just stop by a Walmart in Anchorage, and get a prepaid phone there to use while I'm in Alaska. I will be traveling throughout Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula area - Moose Pass, Seward, Homer, Soldotna, etc. Will a pre-paid work? Is there any chance of getting coverage? Any help from locals or recent visitors would really be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

My wife and I (late 40's) will have a full-day lay-over to spend in St. Louis in the spring-time. We will have a car. Can someone provide any ideas for a fun day? We are active people, enjoy history, nature and the outdoors, etc. We will actually start that morning about an hour west of St. Louis, so that could factor-in as well. We have already been to the Gateway Arch and the museum underneath it. We also rode the river tour boat. We could do all that again and enjoy it, but if there's something else out there, that would be nice. We don't drink (so no brewery tours) and not into the "party" mentality. We DO like good, healthy food :) Thanks in advance.

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Heading to the Kenai Peninsula this summer for a family vacation (we're all grown-ups - no kids.) One of the cities we will visit is Seward. If anyone can suggest places, restaurants, or activities, we would certainly appreciate it. Please tell me about places you LOVED, and places you wish you would have avoided. Thanks in advance!

My family (all grown-ups) is planning a trip to Alaska this summer. We plan to spend the first day in Anchorage, seeing the sights (zoo, botanical garden, etc.) and just basically relaxing after a cross-continent flight. I'd like to try to find a nice place for lunch - someplace quick, good food, NOT a chain, budget-friendly. Something where we can sit down and have soup and sandwich with coffee. I'll be driving a rental car in a place I've never been before (a TOURIST!) - so don't make it too complicated :) I'd like answers from people who live there, or have spent extensive time there. (I can search the travel/review sites myself. I want to know what the locals know - and I return the favor frequently by recommending such places where I live.) So - if you can help, I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Several years ago on a whim (while window-shopping,) I bought an 1889 Morgan Silver Dollar at a coin shop. I'm not a collector. I just thought it would be a "cool" thing to have. I bought the coin stapled in a cardboard sleeve with plastic-wrap in the center, held-on by 3 staples. On the cardboard is written - 1889 (the year, obviously,) AU, which I have found means "about uncirculated." On the back in red pen are the letters HNDF. I'm wondering what that means. (Maybe a grade or identifier - maybe just a coin-shop marking.) I know I don't have a "fortune" here (I've checked the values on eBay.) Just wondering about that HNDF marking. (By the way - there is no "mint-mark" - just a plain old 1889!)

Looking for opinions - unless you're an Amazon insider :)

So, what do you think. The Kindle is now $139. I think $99 would be an EXCELLENT price point. Any comments or projections?

I'm planning to move to Alaska in a couple of years to teach school (after I retire from my teaching job in Florida!) I'm doing a lot of research online, and I'm reading about "oil payments." I understand that each resident gets money from the oil sales - but how long do you have to live there before you get your first payment? (I would imagine they DON'T hand you a check when you unpack you luggage!)

Also - I have read about payments to Alaskans in coastal areas from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Is that continuing - or was it just a one-time pay-out? If continuing - what areas receive the payments?

Obviously, this isn't just a "money-grab" for me - airline tickets and other relocating costs would be more than the few thousand dollars we are talking about. But - as I read about Alaska I find things that I'm curious about. Hope someone can help with some good information.

I would like to carry my camcorder around my school gymnasium, and show the live camcorder scene on the big TVs we have in the gym.

So - I would need some sort of battery-powered transmitter that I could connect to the A/V output of my camcorder. I know WHAT I need - I just haven't seen it on the consumer level. I have seen "almost" solutions - such as a system that requires AC electricity on the transmitter, and the very expensive systems they use between innings at professional baseball games. But, I'm looking for something reasonably priced, with a portable transmitter. Thanks in advance to all who help!

I like to store files and folders on my Windows XP desktop. For example, if I'm working on a project, I'll just make a file folder on the desktop, and put the associated files (Word docs, PowerPoints, etc.) in that folder. A fried tells me that putting files and folders on the desktop slows down the computer's performance. I say hogwash - it's just another place to store files. Who's right?

I'm a career teacher, late 40's, able to retire on years-of-service in a couple of years. My wife and I are strongly considering a move to Alaska (probably rural) and I would teach there. This is not a whim - I've being doing my research for a few years now. I think I have a pretty good understanding of the limitations of "bush" life, and how the job fairs work. We love God's creation, and spend a lot of time outdoors. We don't watch much TV, can't stand the malls, and rarely go to the movies.

But I would like to hear from the teachers of Alaska. What questions should I ask potential employers (school districts) about their job offers? Salary is not my main concern. Maybe another way of stating the question is: what are you glad you asked? or perhaps, what do you wish you had asked?

Thanks in advance!

My father (in his early 80's) has stacks and stacks of photographs - like most parents/grandparents do. He just bought a TV with a built-in DVD player and SD card slot. I sent him some digital photos on an SD card, and he really enjoyed seeing them. Now, he would like to display some of his old photographs on his TV as well.

He has never owned a computer, and is not interested in that. However, he is gadget-friendly (GPS, cell phone, etc.) and comptetent in operation. He said he saw something on TV about a new portable photo scanner -- wondering if there is something that will scan directly to an SD card. Also, I have heard of scanning services at photo labs/Walgreens, etc., and wonding if anyone has experience with that.

I'd really like to make this happen for him, but I really don't have the time to sit an scan hundreds of photos for him. Thanks in advance.

I am teaching a communication class, and I would like to show and discuss the movie "12 Angry Men" - the 1957 Henry Fonda movie. I would like to introduce the movie using PowerPoint and individual images of each juror. Does anyone know where I could find those images online? Thanks!

We are planning a trip to Alaska in the spring or summer. About a week - NOT a cruise. I can certainly rent a car if I need to. We like to see the natural sites, wildlife, hike, nature walks, etc. We would probably enjoy a half-day boat ride. We're not into touristy-type things. Which would be a better destination for us to fly-in to: Anchorage or Juneau?

I am interested in buying a couple of Austin Air HealthMate air purifiers - one for my home, and one for my classroom. At $450 each, this is no small investment. They seem to be quality units - but what about the SOUND? Would it be too loud to teach or talk over? Thanks!