Are you fascinated by old TV shows from 50's and 60's? In its infancy, TV wasa cross between music-hall entertainment and a picture version of radio. Lot'sof tv shows came and went - a few stuck around for quite some time.

These old tv shows are becoming modern day antiques. Let's not let them beforgotten just yet, especially as older members of our community will stillremember them.

Shows like The $64,000 Question, Smilin' Ed McConnell and his Buster Brown Gangand Dennis the Menace are little gems that gave millions great pleasureand should not be forgotten. They are our heritage. Westerns like Adventures of Kit Carson,Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, The Lone Ranger. All these are based onthe real life activities in the wild west.

Take railroad westerns like The Iron Horse and Casey Jones. Infact, take Casey Jones as an example. This tv show was based on a real liferailroad engineer who was actually called Casey Jones.

Quizzes, drama, variety - even more fanciful tv shows like The Man fromU.N.C.L.E. - have their roots in the human existence.

There is an excellent forum at www.bygonetv.com Why not getinvolved. These antiques could be worth quite a lot in a few years!

Vancouver will receive a lot of attention as the 2010 Olympics approach, but why wait to visit during the most crowded, tourist deluged period since they hosted Expo 86?

Skiing and winter sports will receive the lion's share of attention during the 2010 Olympics - it is the Winter Olympics, after all - but summer is Vancouver's best season.

After a fall and winter of grey skies and rainy days, Vancouver emerges to a summer of endless blue skies, gorgeous ocean views and warm but fairly dry climate. This is when you want to come to Vancouver!

There are 5 star hotels available on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver, but there are two great hostels, one just off the famous gay area of Davie Street - its maybe six blocks of the shopping area of Robson Street as well - or another across from Jericho beach, looking across at downtown Vancouver. Very well run, situated in spectacular spots, and cheap!

Vancouver is famous for international cuisine. Sushi, Thai food, Greek, Italian, French, Indian, Chinese - but not just run of the mill varieties - some world class representatives of every type of cuisine. Hy's Steak House is a venerable, 50 year old steak house. Cioppinno's has the kind of Italian cooking where everyone at the table raved about having the best______ they'd ever had. C Restaurant on the water has the best seafood. Bishop's has been rated the best restaurant for years, but Rob Feenie at Lumiere has won the Iron Chef competition. There are probably 300 outstanding restaurants in Vancouver!

What to do? Stanley Park is second only to Central Park in new York for size of an urban park - and it is simply spectacular, surrounded by the ocean. Over in North Vancouver, cross the Capilano Suspension Bridge, swinging side to side, 300 feet over the Capilano River. There are 3 ski hills poised overlooking Vancouver, so great sightseeing - take the gondola up to the top of Grouse Mountain. Storeum in Gastown is a new tourist attraction - find out about BC's history. See Vancouver Canucks hockey, BC Lions football, Whitecaps Soccer and catch a "nooner" at Nat bailey Stadium and watch Vancouver Canadians baseball.

Granville Street is the entertainment district, with bars lined on both sides of the street, including the Yale, Vancouver's old time blues bar. There is a gay district with most gay bars on Davie Street. There is a Pride Parade in August, and four nights of the Symphony of Fire fireworks competition - just you and 400,000 of your closest friends watching fireworks timed to music!

Though you'd never need to leave Vancouver, there are great side trips to Victoria (more English than England), Tofino, Vancouver Island and smaller Gulf Islands, Whistler, and the always scorching hot Okanagan Lake. Believe me, you WILL find lots to do!

If you are sending your adult children off to college you know that there are three school related expenses which make up the bulk of your budget: tuition, room and board, and textbooks. The first two expenses are mostly fixed and predictable costs, while the third is impossible to predict as well as a potential budget buster. You may not be able to predict textbook expenses, but you certainly can reduce them by following these three important steps:

1. Shop Online. Your college bookstore has an ironclad grip on textbook inventory, right? Well, at one time that was a true statement. Today, thanks to the internet, websites have sprung up that sell new and used textbooks at prices much lower than those found on campus. Shop with those retailers who have clearly outlined payment, shipping and handling, and return policies. Scan auction sites too for additional savings.

2. Shop Retail. The big bookstore retailers as well as some of the office supply stores carry some titles. At the very least your student can purchase all of his or her supplies off campus, saving you big money in the process.

3. Shop Used. Your campus bookstore knows that having used textbooks on hand will keep them somewhat competitive. The trick with textbook publishers is that yearly updates can make used copies obsolete: planned obsolescence in action! Still, when I was in school I had one professor who encouraged students to pick up the outdated copies of one book since he knew the cost was outrageous and he planned on referencing it sparingly. Your student may also learn that some of the titles on the professor's list are optional, not mandatory purchases.

Students today no longer have to feel as if they are being held hostage by outrageous textbook prices. Have your student shop wisely and your budget will remain on track.

eBay is the world's online marketplace, that enables a diverse and passionate community of individuals and small businesses to trade on a local, national and international basis. Founded in September 1995, eBay provides a platform for the sale of goods and services to more than 135 million registered members from all around the world.

Globally, eBay has more than 44 million items listed for sale at any one time, and an additional 4 million items are added daily. There are more than 50,000 categories including collectibles, antiques, sports memorabilia, computers, IT and office, art, antiques, toys, dolls, stamps, comics, magazines, music, pottery, glass, photography, electronics, jewelry and e-books.

Electronic books or e-Books are texts designed to be read solely on a computer screen using proprietary hardware devices, or multipurpose fixed or portable PCs, or palmtops. They provide texts that take up no space beyond that on the hard-drive you store them on, and can be transmitted through a network. The greatest advantage of e-Books is that you can access the relevant information at the press of a button.

Buying e-Books on eBay is easy. However, you need to know some basic things about shopping on eBay. You can get help from e-Books like eBay Bargain Shopping for Dummies by Marsha Collier that offer help to those who want to cash in on the amazing bargains that eBay veterans have found for years. She shares the secrets on outwitting and outbidding the competition, allowing you to find mega-discounts on everyday items.

You can order e-Books online and they will be delivered electronically to your computer. So you save money with no shipping, no taxes, and the lowest prices. You could visit e-BookMall that has the worlds largest selection of quality e-Books. Or go to Gemstar e-Books that give a new meaning to the term light reading. They have powerful electronic features such as a built-in dictionary, word search, and touch screen for notes, highlighting and bookmarks.

Instant e-Books install instantly and are ready to use with no additional software or eReaders needed. Plus, you can find many free articles and the most useful e-books written by the best eBay gurus. You can also learn the best tips, source your products and learn how to receive payments with PayPal.

Buying e-Books on eBay is a different ballgame altogether. You can order e-Books from the convenience of your home and have them delivered to you instantly. What could be happier news for book lovers anywhere in the world!