“Help! I’m Stuck on a ‘No-Fly’ List”

Q.  The last three times I was at the airport, I was prevented from boarding my flight because I’m on some kind of no-fly list. I’ve never even had a parking ticket, so there’s some mistake somewhere. Is there a Web site I can turn to so I can get cleared before my next flight?

A.  If your name inappropriately winds up on a Transportation Security Agency (TSA) No-Fly List, it can be just about impossible to get off that list. The best thing to do in that situation is go to the site of the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, affectionately known as the DHS TRIP (http://tinyurl.com/4zpejk). This is a single point of contact for individuals who need assistance regarding difficulties experienced during their security screening at airports.

The TSA cannot remove names from the No-Fly list, but it can put names on a Cleared list, which can help travelers bypass the bureaucratic nightmare that accompanies being on a No-Fly list. Erroneous entries on the No-Fly List can only be removed by the law enforcement or intelligence agency that places the name on the list originally. 

Q.  How can I tell when my laptop’s battery is running down?

A.  Many newer computers have an integrated battery “gas gauge” that monitors the amount of juce remaining in your laptop’s battery. If you’re using an older laptop that doesn’t have such an indicator, you can install the Battery Bar (http://tinyurl.com/453uec) and try it for free for 30 days. If you decide to keep it, it’s only $10. The Battery Bar continuously displays a status icon so that you always know if your battery is on AC, charging, battery power, or if your battery is low. You can even specify a battery percentage level that when reached, a notification will appear so you can save your work and safely shut down.

Q.  It drives me crazy when I visit a Web site only to be “serenaded” by a hideous sound track that some tone-deaf site owner decides to inflict on visitors. I usually keep my speakers turned off so I can avoid such aural assaults, but sometimes I forget. Is there anything else I can do to prevent that?

A.  If you encounter a site that features the vocal or musical stylings of some dreadful warbler (think “Yoko Oh Noooo!”), or perhaps a jaunty little tune when you’re not in a jaunty little mood, press the ESCape key to stop the madness. This won’t work on pages that contain Flash media, but it’s still worth a try when your cursor inadvertently strikes up the bland. 

Mr. Modem’s Sites of the Week:
Auction Player
This is a free auction-management service that (among other things) permits you to display video and audio presentations of items you’re contemplating selling on eBay. Create your presentation using your camcorder, digital camera or Web-cam.  Click the “See sample eBay listings” link for a demonstration. 
www.auctionplayer.com

Graph Paper Central
If you occasionally need graph paper, grid paper, or other special-purpose paper-and who among us doesn’t?-why purchase it when you can download and print it for free?
www.incompetech.com/graphpaper

Readability Test
Enter a Web site address to determine how readable the site is. Using the appropriately named Fog Index, which is a rough measure of how many years of education are required to comprehend certain material, the CNN Web site requires 8.8 years; The New York Times requires 9.4 years, MTV, a barely literate 6.4 years, and Mr. Modem’s Web site (www.MrModem.com) an Einstein-like (Come on, work with me here) 10.4 years, which is simultaneously impressive and disheartening. So much for higher education. Sigh.
http://tinyurl.com/2yw38u

For plain-English answers to your questions by email, plus useful PC tips, subscribe to Mr. Modem’s Weekly Newsletter. For information, visit www.MrModem.com.