The Times Leader from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania • 52

4E The Times Leader; Wiikes-Barre, PA, Sunday, August iao On the Lighter Side Save a bundle on program collections Elvis rocks Ireland here has been so much prattle lately about the Internet and Microsoft Windows 95 that PC users are overlooking a mushrooming trend that should have us licking our chops. Our software collections can get a quick CD-ROM jolt thanks to all the companies tnat have started offering program bundles 1 I shows how a simple idea can be turned into an engrossing game. Activision started with the traditional I tile game known as Shanghai, Tapei, Mah-jong and who-knows-what else, In which you try to eliminate tiles by finding matching pairs. Then it added a bttle multimedia magic to me imx7coinTnup" with a recipe for one of the best computer games of the year. "Great Moments," available for about $40, offers three variations of the standard Shanghai game.

There are versions in which the tiles slide or drop, and one in" which they multiply if you're not quick enough. There are also multiple tile layouts, each providing a different challenge because of the way tiles are "locked" in place. All of that is neat, but the highlight of "Great Moments" is the ability to choose -fromntoediffc representing a different theme. Pictures on the tiles reflect the given whether it's science fiction, music, famous events, people or others. When two tiles are i matched, the pictures change into a brief video clip that is accompanied by an audio snippet Match John F.

Kennedy tiles, for example, and you see and hear a bit of one of his famous speeches. Match a pair of tiles in the events set and youH see something like a newsreel snippet of D-Day, If you're lucky and good enough to match all the tiles in a set, you're treated to a longer; full-screen video of one of the scenes. All of this delightful tile-matching mayhem is hosted by actress Rosalind Chao, who introduces "Great Moments" then remains on hand to provide audiovideo tips, hints and help at the of older but still enjoyable titles. Stilus Publishing started the trend with its "5-Ft. 10-Pak," a collection of programs from various manufacturers.

superstars Activision and LucasArts have also given a spin to the trend, compiling collections of their own programs and offering them as bundles. Like Sirius' collections, these bundles sell for less than the cost of a single current popular title. Sirius' latest CD-ROM compilation, "5-Ft 10-Pak Special Edition," is also a bargain. Selling for about $30 to $35. it contains Microsoft's "Multimedia Mozart," Time Warner Interactive's "Hell Cab." Discovery Channel's "Beyond Planet Earth," American Laser's "Who Shot Johnny Rock" and Micrologic Software's "PrintMasterGold." That covers only half the titles in what rates as one of the Industry's best software collections, considering its price and the quality and diversity of its programs.

Unlike Sirius, Activision and LucasArts raided their own vaults to compile their software collections. The LucasArts Archives Vol. 1" consists of gems (can you name any LucasArts titles that aren't?) that were popular, first-run programs not too long ago. All of them compare quite favorably in graphics, animation and gameplay to today's hottest titles. The LucasArts collection consists of the full-blown versions of "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis." "Day of the Tentacle." "Sam Max Hit the Road" and "Star Wars Screen Entertainment." The $25 collection also contains an abbreviated version of "Rebel Assault" and a sixth CD-ROM with demos of three new LucasArts titles: "Dark Forces," "Full Throttle" and "The Dig." The "LucasArts Archives" offers as much action and intrigue per dollar as Scott Wasser's -Computer-Comer anything you're likely to find on your favorite retailer's shelves.

Activision's CD-ROM collections, on the other hand, contain programs that are primitive by today's PC gaming standards. They're not really bundles, either, but thanks to good fundamental design, bargain-basement pricing and a healthy helping of nostalgia, they may appeal to many computer gamers. Activision has a pair of single CD-ROM collections of its old Atari 2600 games (Vol. 1 was described in a previous column). The graphics on these "Atari 2600 Action Packs" are primitive, but many of the 1 5 games are still addictive 20or more years since they debuted.

Their $20 to $25 price is also appealing. You don't have to worry about the graphics in Activision's most recent compilations because there aren't any. The company Just introduced five different collections of classic text-only adventures from its old Infocom subsidiary. The single CD-ROM collections, which sell for about $15 each, are compiled according to genre (Mystery, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy and Science Fiction) and contain former best sellers like "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "Spellbreaker." If you've got a good imagination and a taste for clever role-playing scripts, "7 Activision's classic collections may be for you. Speaking of classics, Activision has taken a program that's been around seemingly forever and turned it into a modern masterpiece.

"Shanghai: Great Moments," is a hard-to-quit delight that Dave Farrell's Roadside Attractions along the Information Highway World Wide Web. Next week 1 11 talk about classified ads. If you're a cartoon or comics freak, turn on your coffee maker, turn off your phone and point your Web browser at: http: www.phlab.missouri.eduftilde symbol) c617145comix.html. This site, called "Comics Stuff!" has links to more than 225 online comic strips and cartoons. Some of the regular Internet cartoons listed in the site include: Dilbert (http:www.unitedmedia.

comcomicsdilbert). Calvin and Hobbes (http:www.eng. hawaii.eduContribsjustin ArchiveIndex.htm 1). Dr. Fun (http:sunsite.unc.

eduDavedrfun.html). But Cosas also has included more obscure comics, including: Captain Internet and Cerf Boy (http:www.cerf.netcerfnet aboutcomicscomics.html). Get your laughs with the Internet funnies with Dave Barry and trma BomDeck Bany pleased that he or she is welcome." You definitely feel welcome in Ireland. But there's more to do there than just talk to Irish people in pubs. You can also drive around the countryside, alternately remarking "Look, sheep!" and "Here's another tractor!" You can visit a bunch of old castles built by the Normans, who at one point conquered Ireland despite being called the "Normans." I qA robabhr the best-known I JZS castle is the one in the town of Blarney, which contains the famous Blarney Stone.

To get to It, you have to climb steep, narrow, tourist-infested steps to the top of the castle: there, a local man holds you as you lean out over the castle wall and kiss the Blarney Stone. Legend has It that if you do this, you will give the man a tip. But in my opinion the cultural highlight of the trip occurred in the town of Ennls, where a pub called Brandon's had a sign outside that said "Traditional Irish Music." This turned out to be a traditional Irish -Elvis impersonator. I realize that there are literally thousands of quality Elvis impersonators, and I'm sure you've seen some excellent ones, but I am here to tell you that this one, in this unremarkable town in western Ireland, was beyond question the worst Elvis impersonator in world history. He sang along to a tape of instrumental Elvis tunes, which he played on a sound system that he never, not once in two solid hours, got adjusted right.

Every time he'd start singing a song, the sound system would screech and honk with feedback: Elvis would then whirl around and spend minutes at a time unsuccessfully adjusting various knobs while he mumbled the lyrics, so that for most of the evening all you saw was EMs' butt, accompanied by screeching and honking and vague -off-key singing. Often, by the time he'd finished twiddling the knobs, Elvis had lost track of what song he was singing; he'd frown into the distance, trying various tunes until he thought he was on the right track, at which point inevitably the screeching and honking would start up. forcing Elvis to whirl back around, like a man being attacked by bees, and treat the audience to another lengthy view of his butt. The crowd, which I will frankly admit was consuming alcoholic beverages, enjoyed this performance immensely, cheering wildly at the end of each song. They like their fun, the Irish.

Fm definitely going back some day. Maybe HI rent a tractor. Dave Barry's syndicated column appears Sundays. Write to hlmco Tropic Magazine. The Miami Herald, One Herald Plaza, Miami FL 33132.

genetic mix Erma Bombeck boxtop or the plastic sports car that ran off the kitchen table and crashed within seconds. The Post-Children Age added yet another layer to the cereal box. This had little dried bananas, raisins, peaches and other totally unrecognizable fruit At the very top is a sprinkling of oat bran representing the Health Age. No one has eaten from the box in 15 years, but the consolidator contends he will not throw away a box of cereal until it Is empty. I was in the kitchen recently when one of my sons poured the last of a container of grapefruit Juice into the orange.

Mechanically, he shook ajar containing less than a cup of cranberry juice and added It to the orange-grapefruit juice mixture. As he picked up a half-full can of diet cola, our eyes met. "It's happening, isn't It?" he asked. "I'm afraid so." "IH be a consolidator and so will my children. The genetic flaw will be passed on for generations." He slammed the refrigerator door shut and added.

"And It's all your fault!" ErmaBombeck's syndicated column appears Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. 1 Dave if' or the past several weeks, I've been I 3 involved in a very exciting project. I've been working with a team of reporters, editors and Webmasters to create an online version of The Detroit News. The early reviews of our efforts have been encouraging. We were selected as the Cool Site of the Day and the Cool Site of the Week and have seen tens of thousands of visitors leaf through our electronic pages.

But the most exciting part of the process for me has been the feedback we've received from readers. Boy, have we gotten feedback! Readers have been talking back to us like crazy, telling us what they like, what they hate and what they want their cyber-paper to be. Guess what most people want from their nnlin TimiwanartfM-s? recently spent a week in Ireland, and I can honestly say that I have never been to any place in the world where it is so easy to partake of the local culture, by which I mean beer. Ireland also contains history, nice people, enormous quantities of scenery and a rich cultural heritage, including (more on this later) Elvis: Geographically, Ireland Is a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadily being consumed by sheep. It consists mostly of scenic pastures occasionally interrupted by quaint towns with names such as (these are actual Irish town names) Ardfert, Ballybunion, Coole, Culleybackey.

Dingle, Drlpsey, Emmoo, Feakle, Fishguard, Gweedore, Inch, Knockaderry, Lack, Leap, Lusk. Maam, Meentullynagam. Muff, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Nutt's Corner, Oola, Pontoon. Rear Cross, Ringaskiddy. Screeb.

Sneem, Spiddle, Spink, Stradbally, Tang and Tempo. These towns are connected by a modem, state-of-the-art system of medieval roads about the width of a standard bar of hotel soap: the result is that motorists drive as fast as possible in hopes of getting to their destinations before they meet anybody coming the other way. The only thing that prevents everybody from going 120 miles per hour is the nationwide system probably operated by the Ministry of Traffic Safety of tractors being driven very slowly by old men wearing caps; you encounter these roughly every two miles, rain or shine, day or night. As an additional safety measure, the roads are also frequented by herds of cows, strolling along and mooing appreciatively at the countryside, reminding you very much of tour groups. A typical Irish town consists of several buildings, one of which is always a bar.

called a "pub." Next to this there will typically be another pub, which is adjacent to several more pubs. Your larger towns may also have a place that sells food, but this is not critical. 1 Inside the pubs you will usually find Irish people, who are very friendly to strangers, especially compared to the British, who as a rule will not voluntarily speak to you until you have lived in Britain for a minimum of 850 years. The Irish, on the other hand, will quickly start a conversation with you, and cheerfully carry it on at great length, with or without your help. One evening in a busy Dublin pub I watched an elderly, well-dressed, cap-wearing gentleman as he sat in the comer and, for two solid hours, struck up a lively conversation with every single person or group who sat within 10 yards of him, including a group of German tourists, only one of whom spoke even a little English.

The man spoke to them in a thick brogue on a variety of topics for several minutes while they looked at him with the bright, polite smiles of people who do not have a clue what is being said to them. When he finished, they conferred briefly in German, and then the one who spoke a little English said, quote, "Everyone Is It's all in the matter what I do for my children, I will always be remembered as a woman who chose a "consolidator" as their father. A strict father they could have handled. A figure who followed them around turning off lights they could have adjusted to. But a man who feels obliged to empty all the little boxes in the house into one container is beyond forgiveness.

It is something they have fought against all their lives. As children, when they opened a carton of ice cream marked vanilla, the odds were slim to zero that the box contained vanilla ice cream. Usually it was a mixture of peppermint, strawberry, a spoonful or two of licorice yogurt and grape ice. Leftover Halloween candy was combined with chocolate Santa Clauses and coconut Easter bunnies. You never knew what holiday you were getting.

This may seem like a little thing, but you cannot go through your life not knowing, not believing in anything. People can deal with Pete Rose and the It's an Imperfect world. But if you can't trust your father to hand you a bag of peanuts without having to eat your way through stale trail mix on top, whom can you trust? We have a box of cereal on our shelf that is like the evolution of a marriage. The layer on the bottom of the box reflects the Sugar Age when our kids were small. Who cared about cereal that give you cavities when you were going to lose your teeth anyway? Just above it Is a layer of cereal depicting the Greed Age.

It didn't matter what the cereal tasted like as long as you got the Comics and classified ads. With the exception of our two editorial cartoonists, Larry Wright and Draper Hill, we don't offer any online comics of our own. And we don't have any local classified ads online, eiuier. At least not yet. But in an effort to please our readers, we've searched the Net for cartoons and classifieds.

We've come up with some winners, I think, and we're offering them to our readers. Today 111 tell you about two Incredible cartooncomics sites on the click of a mouse. As attractive and talented as Chao may be, however, the real stars of this program are the folks behind the scenes who took an old favorite and turned it into one of the best Windows entertainment CD-ROMs of the year. Assistant Managing Editor Scott Wasser's computer column appears every other Sunday. His E-mail address is ScottYskiaoL com.

For another huge list of cartoons from around the world, point your Web browser at: http:www.uta.fiyhteydetsarjikset. html (I know it's a wild URL. but don't blame me! It's in Finnish!) There were many cartoons on his list that I had never heard of before, such as HappyMan northcoast.com(tilde symbol) metacomxhappyman.html) NOO GREAK KOLLUM! webcom.com(tilde symbol) jodawelcome.html) Alcatraz Zoo (http:www.he.tdl. com(tilde symboljaltwebalcatraz animalizoo.hlml). A word oi warning.

Although you might expect comics pages to offer innocent fun, I wouldn't advise letting your kids wander around these sites unsupervised. There are some adult-oriented cartoons sprinkled among the goofy and silly ones. Seen anything interesting on the Information Highway you'd like to share with others? Drop an e-mail message to Dave Farrett. at roadsidecris.com or visit him at The Online Educator Home Page: http: www.cris.com (tilde symbollfelixgOEOEWELCOME.htmL The Inexpensive controller shown here can control lights and appliances throughout the house without special wiring. controller, It can be disconnected from your computer.

Shareware and commercial software programs are available for the Macintosh, Apple II and Commodore as well as DOS-Or Windows-based computers. You can create detailed schedules, one-button macros, conditional commands and much more. To receive a comprehensive list of companies that manufacture PLC control systems, Including telephone responders, PC-based controllers and software, please send $1.50 and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler F-438, Department TL, 14713 Pleasant Hill Road. Charlotte, NC 28278-7927. The list includes toll-free phone numbers, a summary of each company's products, and a bibliography of related books and articles.

PLC practically lets you reach through the wal ver the past several years, home automation has undergone remarkable advances. However, power line carrier (PLC), one of the most important home automation technologies, has been around for nearly 1 7 years. PLC products communicate with one another by sending command signals over ordinary David Butler's At Home with Technology popular. Instead of a dimmer, it contains an electromechanical relay. An appliance module can switch any electrical load that plugs Into a standard wall ouUet.

Each module has two dials. One sets the unit ID number (1-16). This ensures that only the intended module responds to commands. You can create a group by giving the same unit number to more than one module. The other dial sets the house code.

The house code helps prevent your PLC controller from turning on items in a neighbor's house. If you have a neighbor who uses PLC, simply choose a different house code. Aside from the timer console, the most practical controller is the eight-channel hand-held remote. I also recommend a telephone responder, especially if your schedule is varied. After a long day, you can call ahead to turn up the heat or turn on an entrance light.

You can access some telephone responders from local extensions, effectively turning every touch-tone phone in your home into a remote control. For computer owners, at least six PC-based power line carrier controllers are available. Most use the computer only as a user Interface, allowing you to easily enter and modify schedules. Once a program Is uploaded to the nousenoid wiring. Never heard of PLC? Don't worry, most people haven't.

But because PLC is low-cost and simple to use, it should continue to gain acceptance among consumers. Already, tens of millions of PLC products have been shipped worldwide. When you push a button on a PLC controller, it transmits a coded signal over the power line. That signal is "heard" by PLC receiver modules throughout the house. The signal then causes the selected module to turn on, turn off, dim or brighten.

The best thing about PLC is that it's so easy to use. Plug in a controller and one or more modules and you're in business. No special wiring, no hassle. It's a great way to control outdoor lights, appliances, electric blankets about anything electrical in the home. How much does it cost to get started? A wide assortment of PLC controllers is available from bedside consoles and timers to sophisticated whole-house systems.

Most people start out with a timer and three or four modules. One PLC timer (which doubles as an alarm clock) costs about $30. Receiver modules start at about 1 0 each. A small push-button console costs $10. A plug-In lamp module, designed to switch or dim Incandescent lights, is the most common type of receiver.

PLC light switches are available for ceiling lights and other permanently wired fixtures. The appliance module is also.