MEMORIAL DAY,

FOR OUR TROOPS (both past and present, but particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan at present)

Though I don’t know your name
And I have never seen your face
I shed tears for you.

Though my memories don’t contain a time
We shared together
I miss you.

Though we are not related
You are in my thoughts.

When I’m eating, or taking a shower, or doing housework,
I think of you, knowing how much you wish you could be at home,
Your stomach full, doing mundane chores such as cleaning your house,
Clean from a fresh shower.

Though you are at terrible risk, and perhaps may not survive,
You are NEVER ALONE, and will always be alive
If only in our spirits, hopes and memories, our dreams for your future.

There are MILLIONS of people praying for you tonight
And throughout the day.

Praying for your safely and return as a whole person
In mind, body and spirit.

We are crying because we know. We know you are scared, and lonely.
And that you’d give anything to see your family, to hug you mother, father.
Your child, sister, brother, aunt, uncle.

To be showered with love and comfort,
Instead of sand and shrapnel.

We long for you too, with an ache so desperate as to make us insane.
To touch your face, see your smile; share your laughter and your tears.

We love you so much soldiers, you cannot know. You cannot fathom the swelling of pride in our chest as we think of you.
Of your courage and your sacrifice, the hope that you can come home soon.

And those that have returned, we have not forgotten you; you are in our prayers,
That you may recover from your experience and be healed.

No matter what anyone says, not matter the reason you are there,
You are a UNITED STATES SOLDIER, and you make us PROUD!!
Every day for that beautiful flag, for our great fortune to be Americans.

There are no politics, no scandals, no mistakes, NOTHING, which can diminish the sentiment we have for you.
And even as democracy permits free speech, as it should, which some may use to make judgments or cast aspersions,
Remember always, we know you’d rather be on the couch debating it with us than spending your days trying just to stay alive.

Let no "freedom of speech’ EVER make you doubt the American people’s faith in and love for you.
We are PROUD!

I’ve never met you, but I want you to know that I love you.
I’m praying for you.
I honor you.
I’m waiting for your return.

On this Memorial Day, and every day,
Please know that you are being though of.
WE MISS YOU.
GOD BLESS YOU and keep you until the day we can celebrate face to face.

© 2007 Brooke O’Neill Emery

Looks like there’s a bug in the ointment.

In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience, we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to the web.

To help protect customers, we plan to put filtering in place shortly to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once filtering is in place, we expect to release Windows XP SP3 to the web.

We are also testing a fix, and will make it available once that process is complete. Once they have installed the fix, Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers should be able to run both service packs.

Until then, we advise Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers to not install either service pack. Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers running Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services for additional information.

It is still available as a download to TechNet subscribers though, and here’s a link I found on their update servers, So if you don’t want to wait for it to be pushed to you Get it here.

Home users should be ok to install it. Its only business running RMS systems that will have problems.

Copyright© Kevinscrate.com\blog. All Rights Reserved.

Related Posts:

From Microsoft:
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) was released to manufacturing today and will start being available to customers in March, starting with Microsoft Volume Licensing customers. Windows Vista SP1 includes quality improvements that help enhance reliability, security and performance. SP1 also includes changes focused on improving the performance of Windows Vista in areas that impact the customer experience the most.  For instance, with SP1, copying or moving files around your PC, your home network or your corporate network should now be much faster — up to 50% faster in some scenarios (according to our internal tests).  In addition, on many kinds of hardware, resuming a Windows Vista-based PC from sleep is faster on Service Pack 1.

Here’s the timing for SP1 availability for current Windows Vista users:

In mid-March, we will release Windows Vista SP1 to Windows Update (in English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese) and to the download center on microsoft.com.  Customers who visit Windows Update can choose to install Service Pack 1.  If Windows Update determines that the system has one of the drivers we know to be problematic, then Windows Update will not offer SP1.  Since we know that some customers may want to update to SP1 anyhow, the download center will allow anyone who wants to install SP1 to do so.

In mid-April, we will begin delivering Windows Vista SP1 to Windows Vista customers who have chosen to have updates downloaded automatically.  That said, any system that Windows Update determines has a driver known to not update successfully will not get SP1 automatically.  As updates for these drivers become available, they will be installed automatically by Windows Update, which will unblock these systems from getting Service Pack 1.  The result is that more and more systems will automatically get SP1, but only when we are confident they will have a good experience.
The remaining languages will RTM in April.

MAPLight.org

With MAPLight.org you can see who is donating how much to who and how that affects how he or she votes, it a fascinating look into campaign contributions.

Copyright© Kevinscrate.com\blog. All Rights Reserved.

Related Posts:

If your hipbone is connected to your BlackBerry or your thighbone is connected to your cell phone, those vibrations you’re feeling in the car, in your pajamas, in the shower, may be coming from your headbone.

“It’s like, my phone should be ringing,” he said. “It’s anticipatory vibrations.”

The update to Wp 2.21 went very smooth no problems. everything is back to normal.

Kevin.

If you’re like me and listen to net radio or music streamed over the net please read the post below if we all act on June 26 and call our Representatives maybe we can continue to enjoy free music on the web.
The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!).

Save Net Radio Promo

To protest these rates and encourage the millions of net radio listeners to take action and contact their Congressional representatives, a national Day of Silence will be held June 26. Webcasters across the country will observe this day of silence in a number of ways, including dedicating entire programs to the campaign to save Internet Radio and broadcasting complete silence. For an updated list of the participants in this national day of silence, visit http://www.kurthanson.com/dos/. Webcasters who would like to participate in the day of silence, place contact the SaveNetRadio coalition at dayofsilence@savenetradio.org. Net radio listeners, please excuse the interruption of your normal programming and take action to ensure this silence is not permanent. Click the banner at the top of the page to get the phone number of your Congressional Representatives today.

A little of the back story.
On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which oversees sound recording royalties paid by Internet radio services, increased Internet radio’s royalty burden between 300 and 1200 percent and thereby jeopardized the industry’s future.
At the request of the Recording Industry Association of America, the CRB ignored the fact that Internet radio royalties were already double what satellite radio pays, and multiplied the royalties even further. The 2005 royalty rate was 7/100 of a penny per song streamed; the 2010 rate will be 19/100 of a penny per song streamed. And for small webcasters that were able to calculate royalties as a percentage of revenue in 2005 – that option was quashed by the CRB, so small webcasters’ royalties will grow exponentially!
Before this ruling was handed down, the vast majority of webcasters were barely making ends meet as Internet radio advertising revenue is just beginning to develop. Without a doubt most Internet radio services will go bankrupt and cease webcasting if this royalty rate is not reversed by the Congress, and webcasters’ demise will mean a great loss of creative and diverse radio. Surviving webcasters will need sweetheart licenses that major record labels will be only too happy to offer, so long as the webcaster permits the major label to control the programming and playlist. Is that the Internet radio you care to hear?

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070530-apple-hides-account-info-in-drm-free-music-too.html

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=8770

This time round the iPod is being accused of interfering with heart pacemakers. In a study headed by 17 year old Jay Thaker (who is young enough to know better) Apple’s MP3 player was held two inches from the chest of the subject for five to ten seconds. Electromagnetic interference was detected 50% of the time. The test group was made up of 100 people, average age 77.

Read the rest from Wired News.

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/05/the_blame_game_.html

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=936824

Consider the following scenario. You have an Apple iPod that is connected to a Windows Vista-based computer through a USB connection. Then, you disconnect the iPod from the computer. In this scenario, the data on the iPod may become corrupted.

This problem may occur if you use one of the following methods to disconnect the iPod:

You use the Safely Remove Hardware feature in the notification area to disconnect the iPod. Then, you disconnect the USB cable.

You use the Eject command in Windows Explorer to disconnect the iPod. Then, you disconnect the USB cable.

I’d like to announce the launch of my new site Vista Revisited at http://www.vistarevisited.com Stop by and have a look. I’ve copied all the Vista content from here to my new site and from now on I will only post Vista content to Vista Revisited. Thanks for visiting and be sure to check out my new site.

Digg CEO Jay Adelson explains why the site was removing links to an HD-DVD hacking site in an interview with

The Browser on CNN Money.com.

And the user revolt that followed as thousands and thousands of users starting posting the code.

Read the article.

 http://thebrowser.blogs.fortune.com/2007/05/02/digg-ceo-this-could-be-the-end-of-digg/

And another article here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/technology/03code.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Digg CEO Jay Adelson explains why the site was removing links to an HD-DVD 

09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

What More Needs To Be Said.

 
Silence can say more than a thousand words.

This day shall unite us all about this unbelievable painful & shocking event and show some respect and love to those who lost their loved ones.

On April 30th 2007, the Blogosphere will hold a One-Day Blog Silence in honor of the victims at Virginia Tech. More then 30 died at the US college massacre.

But it´s not only about them. Many bloggers have responded and asked about all the other victims of our world. All the people who die every day. What about them?

This day can be a symbol of support to all the victims of our world!

All you have to do is spread the word about it and post the graphic on your blog on 30th April 2007. No words and no comments. Just respect, reflect and empathy.

Spread the word about this event:

Expand your Apple TV Capacity!
weaKnees the king of Tivo upgrades is at it again.

http://www.weaknees.com/appletv/apple-tv-upgrade.php

Replace the drive in your AppleTV with a 160 GB drive – four times the size. The installation process only takes a few minutes and then the AppleTV will re-synchronize with your iTunes to download all of your music, videos, and photos. The hard drive is fully prepared here. You simply use the included tools and instructions to remove the existing drive and install the new one! Now shipping internationally. Email for info.

Kits Include:

• New 160 GB Seagate drive with 5 year Seagate warranty (six month WeaKnees warranty)
• Torx T8 tool
• Installation instructions with pictures
• Phone, email, and forum support

Check his site to see how he handled it. Very funny !!

http://sojoe.info/2007/04/12/hurry-and-see-what-happens-to-hotlinking-content-stealers/

Since its introduction in November 2001, the iPod has spawned an ecosystem of accessories that include cases, earphones, home stereos, and hardware for playing the device in the car. In addition, it has driven the success of Apple’s online music store iTunes, which sells more music over the Web than any other store.

In announcing its achievement Monday, Apple trotted out praise from Grammy Award-winning artists Mary J. Blige and John Mayer. The company even offered a quote from bicyclist Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion who apparently can’t be separated from his iPod. “I take my running shoes and my iPod with me everywhere,” he said.

Since the iPod’s introduction 5-1/2 years ago, Apple has unveiled more than 10 models. The iTunes music store’s library has grown to more than 5 million songs, and Apple claims to have sold more than 2.5 billion tracks.

http://labs.google.com/goog411/index.html

To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone.

As part of our ongoing effort to make the world’s information universally accessible, we’re testing a free service called Google Voice Local Search. Using this service, you get fast access to the same local information you’d find on Google Maps. But you don’t need a computer, you don’t need an Internet connection, and you don’t even need to use your cell-phone keypad. It’s voice-activated, and you can access it from any phone (mobile or landline), in any location, at any time.

Here are a few of the features:

• You can find a business listing by category. Just say “pizza,” for example.
• You can send the listing details to your mobile phone via SMS.
• The service is fully automated, so it doesn’t rely on human operators.
• It connects you directly to the business, free of charge. However, your telephone company may apply regular charges for making a phone call or receiving an SMS.

Google Voice Local Search is still in its experimental stage. It may not be available at all times and may not work for all users. We’re fine-tuning the service to get better at recognizing our user’s requests and at finding the businesses they are looking for. It’s currently only available in English, in the US, for US business listings.

JUNKIES RULE! The planet will fall to ME!

This is AMAZING, Junkies! Not only did ANCESTOR explode, but it dragged EARTHCORE along for the ride (yeah you can still buy, click on the ANCESTOR cover to grab a copy, slacker!)

AMAZON HORROR: Ancestor #1, EarthCore #2
AMAZON SCIFI: Ancetor #1, EarthCore #4
OVERALL: Ancestor, #7, EarthCore, #77

This is all because of YOU! Thank you, and I can’t wait till we can do it again someday soon.

What more needs to be said.

UPDATE 4-2-07

You can also pick up a free PDF copy of the book here.

http://scottsigler.podshow.com/2007/03/19/ancestor-pdf/ 

As promised, Junkies, here is the full-length PDF of ANCESTOR. Take one down, pass it around – meaning, send this bad boy to anyone who might like the story. Tell them if they like it and want it in print, well, April 1 is one HECK of a good time to buy it on Amazon.com! Yeah, there’s links to do just that in the PDF. Yeah, on every page. Yes, it’s all part of my evil plan.

Complete My Album offers customers up to 180 days after first purchasing individual songs from any qualifying album to purchase the rest of that album at a reduced price. When users buy any song on iTunes the corresponding album will immediately appear on their personalized Complete My Album page with the reduced price listed. For example, a user who’s already purchased three 99 cent singles and decides to buy the corresponding $9.99 album would be able to download the remaining songs to complete the album for just $7.02, without having to buy the singles again.

Click here to order ANCESTOR!

60 sec Ancestor Promo

On a remote island in Lake Superior, scientists struggle to solve the problem of xenotransplantation — using animal tissue to replace failing human organs. Funded by the biotech firm Genada, Dr. Claus Rhumkorrf seeks to recreate the ancestor of all mammals.

By getting back to the root of our creation, Rhumkorrf hopes to create an animal with human internal organs. Rhumkorrf discovers the ancestor, but it is not the small, harmless creature he envisions. His genius gives birth to a fast-growing evil that nature eradicated 250 million years ago — an evil now on the loose, and very, very hungry.

What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/podcast-crate/

Get the patch here.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid

This patch is for people running Windows Vista and using an iPod with iTunes.

Install this update to resolve an issue where an Apple iPod may be corrupted by using the Safely Remove Hardware feature on a system running Windows Vista. Get while its hot.

 I’d like to announce the launch of my new site Vista Revisited at http://www.vistarevisited.com Stop by and have a look. I’ve copied all the Vista content from here to my new site and from now on I will only post Vista content to Vista Revisited. Thanks for visiting and be sure to check out my new site.

What it Does:

The apple TV is not a TV, it is a set top box that hooks to your widescreen TV only, (regular TVs need not apply) to display media content stored on your computer and purchased through iTunes. It requires iTunes be installed on your computer. It’s priced at $300.

It is a bit larger than a Mac mini. Just over an inch tall. And 7.7 inches on each side. On the back are the Power, HDMI, USB, Ethernet, Analog Audio, Component Video, and Optical Digital Audio ports. It doesn’t come with any cables except the power one.

When you plug in your Ethernet cable into the device’s Ethernet port, it will check this connection first for a viable network connection. If it finds one, it will connect to your network using DHCP. If no Ethernet port is present, it will then search for wireless networks using its built-in 802.11b/g/n capabilities.

It has a 40 Gig hard drive 33 Gigs of usable storage space. That’s 50 hrs of video or 9000 songs. That’s not a lot of space if you have a lot of TV shows, movies, photos and music. (Photo playback requires iPhoto on the Mac, or Photoshop Album or Photoshop Elements on Windows.) The Apple TV gives priority to your media, first syncing movies, then TV shows, music, podcasts, and, finally photos. When a computer is synced with an Apple TV, you see a tabbed interface where you determine how movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, and photos are synced to the Apple TV.

It will sync to 1 computer using iTunes ver 7.1.1or higher, Windows or Mac. You then tell it what content to move to the Apple TV. When the hard drive fills up, that’s it, it’s full. Content will disappear from the device as you sync it. Example, if you’ve configured Apple TV to grab the three most recent unwatched movies and you watch one of the movies, iTunes will tell the Apple TV to delete the watched movie from its hard drive and sync up the next unwatched movie. iTunes and the Apple TV constantly talk to one another. As long as iTunes is running on the synced computer and your network is up and running, the two will update content as necessary; there’s no need for you to initiate syncing. You can manage which media winds up on the Apple TV simply by telling it which content (and how much of it) is synced to the device. For example, you can tell iTunes to sync only the three most recent unwatched movies. Or disable movie syncing altogether so you can sync the five most recent episodes of a TV series.

The Apple TV can also stream content from up to five additional computers. To do so, navigate to the Sources menu on the Apple TV, select Connect to New iTunes, and a new PIN number will appear. Enter this PIN number into the Apple TV preferences on the new computer’s copy of iTunes, and iTunes will tell you you’re in sync. You can now stream content from that computer’s library to the Apple TV. How quickly it streams depends on the speed of your network and the kind of content you’re streaming. If you have an 802.11g or n network, video will stream fairly quickly. Although you can use an 802.11b networks, I wouldn’t recommend it, it will take a while for that content to be buffered by the Apple TV. A wired network should stream just about anything you want to the Apple TV.

Video formats supported

H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps)

iTunes Store purchased video: 320 by 240 pixels or 640 by 480 pixels

MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps)

Audio formats supported

AAC (16 to 320 Kbps); protected AAC (from iTunes Store); MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps); MP3 VBR; Apple Lossless; AIFF; WAV

Photos formats supported

JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PNG

TV compatibility

Enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen TVs capable of 1080i 60/50Hz, 720p 60/50Hz, 576p 50Hz (PAL format), or 480p 60Hz

What it won’t do.

1) It won’t play your DVD’s

2) It not like a Tivo ( won’t record content from your TV )

3) It won’t play your ripped movies in Vob.divx or xvid

4) It won’t play music purchased from other music stores.

In conclusion

What it does it does very well. If most or all of your media is in a format that it reads your golden, or if you are willing to reincode all your media to H.264 it is a great product.

If on the other hand your media is in divx or xvid or one of the many other codex your out of luck.

Internet radio companies big and small are revving up for a fight with the Copyright Royalty Board that could lead to the halls of Congress and — some fear — the end of streaming music stations in the United States.

The panicked preparation follows last Friday’s buzz-killing bombshell: As 50 million or so online radio listeners geared up for their weekends, the board released new royalty rates representing a potential tenfold increase webcasters would have to pay out.

In the old, percentage-based fee system, webcasters paid SoundExchange — the Recording Industry Association of America-associated organization that pushed the Copyright Royalty Board to adopt the new rates — between 6 percent and 12 percent of their revenue, depending on audience reach. The new system charges all webcasters a flat fee per song per listener; for instance, in 2007, streaming companies would owe $0.0011 per song per listener (rates change based on year).

That amount may not sound like much, but it adds up quickly. Consider, for instance, AOL Music, with its average of 210,694 listeners for November 2006. According to calculations made by the Radio and Internet Newsletter, or RAIN, AOL retroactively owes about $1.65 million in sound-recording royalties for that month alone (and that doesn’t include songwriting royalties). By the end of this year, according to RAIN, the company could owe roughly $20 million — unless the rates are overturned by the board or by Congress, which is still a possibility.

Larger services that offer thousands of channels, such as the free Pandora, are also facing a huge spike in royalty costs. Kurt Hanson, publisher of RAIN and CEO of AccuRadio, went so far as to speculate that Pandora, which is based in the United States, could “disappear” as a result of the new rates. Overseas competitors like Last.fm, which is based in London and removed from the board’s restrictions, could easily claim Pandora’s market share. If Pandora has to pay the annual $500 minimum for each channel, Hanson said, its sound-recording royalty bill for 2006 alone would be capped at about $2 billion (based on the service’s 300 million registered users, each of whom gets to create up to 100 unique channels).

“The rates are disastrous,” says Joe Kennedy, CEO of Pandora. “I’m not aware of any internet radio service that believes it can sustain a business at the rates set by this decision.”

The situation for smaller webcasters isn’t any better. And for the likes of Bill Goldsmith, who runs Radio Paradise, it’s far worse: “This royalty structure would wipe out an entire class of business, small independent webcasters such as myself and my wife. Our obligation under this rate structure would be equal to over 125 percent of our total income.”

The smallest webcasters, who use services such as Live365 for their shows, will likely vanish as well unless the rates are overturned. RAIN pegs Live365′s royalty obligation for 2006 at approximately $4.2 million — and that’s not counting the minimum $500 it could owe annually for thousands of its channels. Again, that’s in addition to other royalty fees. (The site, like most others, already pays songwriter royalties to performing rights organizations BMI, ASCAP and SESAC.)

Live365 did not respond to e-mail and phone queries from Wired News in time for publication, and Yahoo declined to comment. SoundExchange also failed to respond.

Hanson, who testified at the hearings on behalf of small webcasters, said he doesn’t “think the people actually running the record labels want to see internet radio shut down,” but that SoundExchange’s lawyers had planned “an aggressive, win-all-you-can battle in Washington. I think they were more successful than they expected to be.”

Pandora’s Joe Kennedy believes the board’s decision will not stand — it’s simply too extreme. He wrote to Wired News, “The only reason the (online streaming) services are not shutting down today is the belief that rationality will ultimately prevail here, either through appeal or congressional intervention.” (A third option, according to Hanson, is that SoundExchange could choose to continue licensing music as a share of revenue, as it did before the Copyright Royalty Board decision.)

Only webcasters that were involved in the original Copyright Royalty Board decision-making process (Yahoo, AOL, Live365 and a few smaller webcasters including Radioio, Ultimate80s and Accuradio) will be able to file an appeal, and they have 15 days to do so.

The House Commerce Committee’s telecommunications subcommittee is holding a hearing on March 7 to hear testimony on the current and future radio industry. Witnesses will include Mel Karmazin from Sirius, Peter Smith from broadcaster Greater Media and Bob Kimball from RealNetworks.

If the new rates stick, online music fans may come to expect far less innovation, variety and quality when it comes to internet radio. Some industry experts fear that even more users could be driven to illicit services that pay no royalties or those that operate from other countries.

http://www.blackviper.com/

Famous in the tech community for his excellent Windows XP Services Configuration Guide, and many others.

The Black Viper speaks again after almost a 2 year absence. Here is a quote from his site.

Black Viper is back! Yes, this is the “real” Black Viper. Soon, the world will know exactly what happened to me as well as many questions I am sure everyone has. Until then, here is some answers to questions that people may be asking themselves:

What happened to you?!?! Did you die in a car wreck? Go to jail?! Get Cancer?!?!

No, I did not. Even though I have searched several times on Google in the past (almost) two years as to what people thought happened to me, nobody but me actually knew the truth. In any case, if you have read any “stories” or forum posts, etc with regards to my “real” situation, it is false. Any other people claiming to be “Black Viper” wandering around the internet giving advice and such is also false. The people that know the “real me” also know that anything I would put publicly available will be on this domain. With the exception of a handful of posts on my old World of Warcraft guild forums, you will not find me posting anything anywhere else.

Will you update your site with Windows Vista information?

Yes, however… this will take time. I am starting to get back into the swing of things and plan on doing exactly what I did before: provide accurate information and opinions. I have used Vista for several months (I have a MSDN subscription) and will update everything as time allows.

What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://www.blackviper.com/index.html

Boston singer Brad Delp was found dead in his home in southern New Hampshire on Friday, but there was no indication of any foul play according to police statements.

Delp, 55, helped bring Boston to the top of the rock charts during the 70s and 80s with a string of hit singles including “More Than a Feeling,” “Long Time,” and “Peace of Mind.” Although their popularity began to wan, Boston remained an active part of music and released the studio album ‘Corporate America’ in 2002.

Born in Boston, Delp discovered the guitar at age 13 after watching the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. Since 1994, Delp had pursued new music projects – such as a tribute band called Beatle Juice, according to information on the band’s website said.

Fairwell friend you’ll be missed.

More than a feeling
Peace of mind
Foreplay long time
Rock & roll band
Smokin
Hitch a ride
Something about you
Let me take you home tonight

First, the free version of Picasa Web gets 1 GB of storage (up from 250 MB), enough to host 4000 high-quality photos. It’s interesting that Google says “1 GB (and counting)” so the storage could increase like it does in Gmail.

Like in Flickr, you can also search the public photos posted by other people. Until today, you could search only your photos and the public photos uploaded by your contacts. Google wanted to be polite and ask you before including your public photos in the community search, so you must go to settings and enable this.

What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/03/major-update-for-picasa-web-albums.html

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/2007/01/27/picasa-photo-management-software/

O.J. Simpson reportedly said he is “throwing his hat into the ring” regarding the paternity battle over Anna Nicole Smith’s baby, citing his “slow-moving sperm.”

Documentary filmmaker Norm Pardo — who filmed 70 hours of footage with Simpson from 2000 to 2005 — told the New York Post that Simpson said “he knew Anna Nicole pretty well, and he said he had slow-moving sperm, and he might be the father.”

Simpson and Smith starred together in “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult.”

Simpson even joked that he hoped the baby wasn’t his as Fred Goldman — the father of Ron Goldman, whom Simpson was acquitted of murdering along with his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson — might try to take her.

“I hope they don’t do a DNA test on Anna Nicole’s baby. If they find out Dannielynn is mine, I don’t want Fred Goldman trying to seize her money — or the baby herself,” Pardo claims Simpson said.

Goldman has pursued Simpson for damages in the civil court since Simpson was cleared of murdering his son.

Smith’s companion Howard K. Stern and her ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead both claim they are the father of Smith’s 6-month-old daughter Dannielynn, and are battling her estranged mother for custody of the child.

Zsa Zsa Gabor’s husband and Smith’s former trainer have also said they could be the father.

Meanwhile, Smith’s jailed ex-boyfriend fears a tape of him having sex with the former Playboy Playmate is among the items that were stolen in a raid on her home in the Bahamas.

What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257441,00.html

OpenCongress brings together official government information with news and blog coverage to give you the real story behind what’s happening in Congress. Small groups of political insiders and lobbyists know what’s really going on in Congress. Now, everyone can be an insider. OpenCongress is a free, open-source, non-profit, and non-partisan web resource with a mission to help make Congress more transparent and to encourage civic engagement. OpenCongress is a joint project of the Sunlight Foundation and the Participatory Politics Foundation.

OpenCongress brings together, for the first time in one place, all the best data on what’s really happening in Congress:

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The Society of Automotive Engineers’ voluntary standard for fluctuation in an odometer “is plus or minus 4-percent,” and strangely enough, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn’t even regulate it. Honda claims that its units were “accurate to within 3.75-percent” on the high side, but a lawsuit against them claims that’s just a bit too close for the average consumer’s well-being.

The automaker will be shelling out over $6 million in overcharges for leasers who were unfairly penalized for exceeding the agreed upon mileage, and will also extend the warranty mileage five-percent. Of course, Honda has since tightened up its standards (read: fixed the programming bug), purportedly “aiming for zero” in regard to future error, but if you happen to own a Honda / Acura purchased between April of 2002 and November of last year (or a select ’07 Honda Fit), these benefits should be coming your way pending a district court judgment on the settlement.

What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/19/honda-paying-out-6-million-for-overclocked-odometers/

In recent years, banks across the country have been offering checking accounts and even mortgages to the nation’s fast-growing ranks of undocumented immigrants, most of whom are Hispanic, the paper said, adding these immigrants generally have not been able to get major credit cards.

The new Bank of America card is open to people who lack both a Social Security number and a credit history, as long as they have held a checking account with the bank for three months without an overdraft, the Journal said.

Bank of America tested the program last year at five branches in Los Angeles, and last week expanded it to 51 branches in Los Angeles County, home to the largest concentration of illegal immigrants in the U.S., the Journal said. The bank hopes to roll out the program nationally later this year, the paper said. A Bank of America spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

This is total disgrace. When I opened my checking account I had to show proof of address, social security number, drivers license, and now they turn around and offer credit cards to illegal immigrants without documentation.

No one can be in favor of this program, mortgages and credit cards for illegal immigrants, that’s not progress. I guess I’m not surprised, we teach their children in our schools, give them free medical care and drivers license and tax free jobs. Hell just throw open the borders and let anybody that wants in in. O ya that’s what were doin now. Anyone want to guess who pays for any credit cards which end up unpaid and in default ?

Guess where I am going today to close out my accounts and move my money elsewhere.

What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251672,00.html

In his six-decade career with Zenith, Adler was a prolific inventor, earning more than 180 U.S. patents. He was best known for his 1956 Zenith Space Command remote control, which helped make TV a truly sedentary pastime.

In a May 2004 interview with The Associated Press, Adler recalled being among two dozen engineers at Zenith given the mission to find a new way for television viewers to change channels without getting out of their chairs or tripping over a cable.

But he downplayed his role when asked if he felt his invention helped raise a new generation of couch potatoes.

“People ask me all the time — ‘Don’t you feel guilty for it?’ And I say that’s ridiculous,” he said. “It seems reasonable and rational to control the TV from where you normally sit and watch television.”

Want more click below.

By SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070217/ap_on_re_us/obit_adler_3

What more needs to be said. Rest in peace buddy

It takes a bit of searching to find Sergey Brin’s office at the Googleplex.
Tucked away in a corner of Building #43 on this sprawling campus near the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, past rows of colorfully decorated cubicles and dorm-like meeting spaces, Office 211 has a nondescript exterior and sits far from the public eye. Although it takes several twists and turns to get there, his office is not protected—as you would expect for the cofounder of a $150-billion company—by a Russian nesting doll’s worth of doors and gatekeepers.

Sergey, 33, shares the space with his Google cofounder, fellow Stanford Ph.D. dropout and billionaire pal, 34-year-old Larry Page, an arrangement that began eight years ago in the company’s first humble headquarters in a Menlo Park, California, garage. Since then, Google has grown from just another Silicon Valley startup into the world’s largest media corporation; in fact, based on its recent stock price of $513 per share, Google, which has made searching the Web easy and even fun, is larger than Disney, General Motors and McDonald’s combined. It achieved these lofty heights by revolutionizing how people surf the Internet: Before Sergey and Larry analyzed the links between web pages to deliver search results speedily based on relevance, looking up information on the Web was a shot in the dark. by Mark Malseed
What more needs to be said. To read the rest of the article click below http://www.momentmag.com/Exclusive/2007/2007-02/200702-BrinFeature.html

invitations will no longer be required to join the nearly 3-year-old “Gmail” service in the United States, Canada, Mexico and a swath of Asian and South American countries where the Mountain View-based company previously limited the number of users.With those restrictions now lifted, Gmail will be open to all comers worldwide for the first time since Google unveiled the service on April Fool’s Day in 2004.

“It’s a pretty momentous time for Gmail,” said Keith Coleman, Google’s product manager for the service.

Although it will no longer require invitations to sign up, Gmail is retaining its “beta,” or test, status, signaling that Google still considers the service to be a work in progress. By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writer

What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_hi_te/google_mail;_ylt=Amg0SryAOD4xKGdAaMzTvZdk24cA

Looks like Google is at it again with a kick-ass new Search Engine. Give it a try.

SearchMash lets you search the internet in new ways. It is constantly evolving as we come up with ideas and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Check back here from time to time to see what has changed, and also to tell us which ones are useful to you. Please bear with us when the site is unavailable as we are limiting its use.

Start typing! You can search Webpages, Images, Blogs, Videos and Wikipedia all in one search. You don’t have to have your cursor in the search box to start typing your query. Your previous query will be replaced with whatever you type.

Want to search click here. http://www.searchmash.com

Want more info click below.
http://www.searchmash.com/about/features.html

Want more info http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305042

I’d like to announce the launch of my new site Vista Revisited at http://www.vistarevisited.com Stop by and have a look. I’ve copied all the Vista content from here to my new site and from now on I will only post Vista content to Vista Revisited. Thanks for visiting and be sure to check out my new site.

“No evidence has been revealed to suggest a crime has occurred. We found no illegal drugs, only prescription medicine, said Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger, adding that nothing unusual was detected on surveillance tapes at the Florida hotel where she died yesterday.Newsday.com and AP

Shock of Shocks.I think the biggest shock is that no illegal drugs were found in her body. But then prescription drugs can be just as bad or better. Has anybody seen her pictures or on TV, and what kind of mom leaves her 5 month old baby with “friends” in the Bahamas. What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-natanna0209a,0,4395830.story?page=1&coll=ny-ap-lottery-wire

All right that last pic might be alittle mean.

NEW YORK (AP) – In the sensitive post-wardrobe malfunction world, some are questioning whether a guitar was just a guitar during Prince’s Super Bowl halftime show.(or was it something else)

 Doesn’t everybody remember the Purple Rain tour from the 80′s.

What more needs to be said, Want more click below.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6447016

State Sen. Carl Kruger’s bill, scheduled to be introduced Wednesday, would actually ban the use of any electronic device in a crosswalk. So besides iPod users, the proposal would also target people talking on mobile phones, checking email on their Blackberries or playing videogames on a portable console.

But the iPod ban is what sparked the most outrage, given the popularity of the Apple device among the Internet crowd. For many in the blogosphere, Kruger just didn’t get it when it came to trying to legislate human behavior.

“Would someone please clue in Mr. Kruger people are sometimes retarded, and you can’t fix stupid,” a blogger in Kruger’ home district of Brooklyn said on Pervasivelight 5.0

Ryan Jones of Dotcult agreed, adding, “What’s next? Banning deaf people from crossing streets as well?” By Antone Gonsalves InformationWeek

Sometime you wonder how people have survived this long in the world by thinking like that. What more needs to be said. Want more click below.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197004221&subSection=All+Stories

A team built for indoors found its footing on a rain-soaked track and its star quarterback, Peyton Manning, proved he can indeed win the big game — the NFL’s biggest game.

That’s what it was for Tony Dungy, too. He became the first black coach to win the championship, beating good friend and protege Lovie Smith in a game that featured two black coaches for the first time in Super Bowl history.

It was a game of firsts: The first rainy Super Bowl and the first time an opening kickoff was run back for a touchdown when sensational Bears rookie Devin Hester sped downfield for 92 yards.

And not since Buffalo self-destructed with nine turnovers in losing to Dallas 14 years ago had there been so much messiness. The first half was marred by six turnovers, three for each team. Even American football’s most clutch kicker, Adam Vinatieri, missed a chip-shot field goal, and an extra point attempt was botched, too.

The second half wasn’t quite so ugly, but when much-maligned Bears quarterback Rex Grossman’s wobbler was picked off and returned 56 yards for a touchdown by Kelvin Hayden with 11:44 remaining, it was over.

Chicago, which led the league in takeaways this season, finished with five turnovers, including two interceptions by Grossman.

The Colts will take it. It’s their first title since the 1970 season, when they played in Baltimore.

Manning ended up 25-for-38 for 247 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

It was confirmation of his brilliance, even if he didn’t need to be dynamic. The son of a quarterback who never got to the playoffs, Manning has been a star throughout his university career at Tennessee and his nine pro seasons with the Colts.

Now he is a champion.

It also was a validation of Dungy’s leadership. He helped build Tampa Bay, one of the NFL’s worst franchises, into a contender before being fired after the 2001 season. The next year, it won the Super Bowl under Jon Gruden.

The Colts hoisted their coach on their shoulders and he switched his blue Colts cap for a white one that read “NFL champions.” Dungy was carried from the sideline, then was lowered so he could share a long embrace and a handshake with Smith.

Then Dungy waded through the mob to find his quarterback, giving him a big hug.

The Colts reached the pinnacle by winning four playoff games with a defense that made a complete turnaround in the playoffs.

And with a running game that perfectly complemented Manning, thanks to Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes, who combined for 190 yards — 113 on 21 carries by Rhodes and 77 on 10 carries by Addai, who also had 66 yards receiving.

Chicago was denied its first Super Bowl title since the powerhouse 1985 team.

It rained from start to finish; there was even “Purple Rain” during halftime when Prince sang some of his signature songs. And though Vinatieri twice was a victim of the slop, he kicked three field goals.

Hester’s spectacular return provided a stunning beginning — and a severe jolt to the Colts. The local product this season pumped his arms to excite the crowd before the kickoff, then lifted the fans from their seats with an electrifying run on which he never was touched.

He barely touched the ball again as Indy went to squibbing kickoffs.

Leading 16-14 at halftime, the Colts spent half the third quarter with a march to Vinatieri’s 24-yard field goal. Twice on the drive, Manning fell to the ground while throwing. But he completed them.

Grossman had it even worse on Chicago’s initial possession of the second half, twice in a row slipping and getting sacked.

Thomas Jones, forced to carry the Bears’ entire rushing load when Cedric Benson was hurt in the first half, was Chicago’s best player. But with Grossman ineffective, even inept, all the Bears managed in the second half was Robbie Gould’s 44-yard field goal late in the third period.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — Google Inc. said on Friday its board of directors had agreed to pay executive officers a bonus of up to $1.5 million total for 2006, but it was not clear if the plan applied to the billionaires who started the Web search leader.

Co-founders and Presidents Sergey Brin and Larry Page and Chief Executive Eric Schmidt received salaries of $1 each in 2005 and were not included in a separate 2006 plan for executive bonuses of up to $3 million each filed with federal regulators in October.

The company said on Friday in a regulatory filing that a committee would determine how to allocate the bonuses, which are in addition to payments in the plan from October.

In 2005, four Google (Charts) senior vice presidents received bonuses ranging from about $636,000 to nearly $838,000, according to a recent proxy statement.

Schmidt and Page received bonuses of $1,630 while Brin earned a bonus of $1,723, and all three received further compensation, chiefly tied to use of chartered aircraft in 2005.

During 2006, Google stock gained about 11 percent, slightly ahead of a 10 percent rise in the Nasdaq exchange.

Earlier this week, Google said quarterly profit nearly tripled, helped by a lower tax rate and expense controls, and that revenue jumped 67 percent to $3.21 billion.

Revenue growth is closely watched as investors gauge Google’s ability to capitalize on Web advertising against rivals such as Yahoo Inc. (Charts) and Microsoft Corp (Charts)

Far Away, Super Bowl’s Losers Will Be Champs.

MIAMI, Feb. 3 — In some parts of the world, the Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Buffalo Bills are the last great football dynasty and Tom Brady is some frustrated quarterback from New England who can never win it all.

So say the T-shirts and the caps worn in Niger, Uganda and Sierra Leone.

The Super Bowl will end about 10 p.m. Sunday, and by 10:01 every player on the winning team — along with coaches, executives, family members and ball boys — could be outfitted in colorful T-shirts and caps proclaiming them champions.

The other set of championship gear — the 288 T-shirts and caps made for the team that did not win — will be hidden behind a locked door at Dolphin Stadium. By order of the National Football League, those items are never to appear on television or on eBay. They are never even to be seen on American soil.

They will be shipped Monday morning to a warehouse in Sewickley, Pa., near Pittsburgh, where they will become property of World Vision, a relief organization that will package the clothing in wooden boxes and send it to a developing nation, usually in Africa.

This way, the N.F.L. can help one of its charities and avoid traumatizing one of its teams.

“Where these items go, the people don’t have electricity or running water,” said Jeff Fields, a corporate relations officer for World Vision. “They wouldn’t know who won the Super Bowl. They wouldn’t even know about football.”

The gear is flown, along with school and medical supplies, into a major city. It is then driven to one of the villages where World Vision staff members work. They distribute the shirts and caps at a community center, about two per family.

Beth Colleton, the N.F.L.’s director for community ventures, worked for a month at a World Vision service area in Ethiopia. One day, she saw a boy in the village wearing a Green Bay Packers 1998 Super Bowl champions T-shirt.

Ms. Colleton might have been the only person in the village to do a double take. The Denver Broncos were the 1998 Super Bowl champions.

After she returned home, she watched a documentary about Romanian orphans. One of them was wearing a Buffalo Bills Super Bowl champions T-shirt. “I almost fell out of my chair,” she said.

The Bills, losers of four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s, at least have a following in Romania. Some of their Super Bowl champions T-shirts were relegated to a trash heap in Tampa, Fla.

In the final seconds of the 1991 Super Bowl at Tampa Stadium, Buffalo place-kicker Scott Norwood lined up for a potential 47-yard game-winning field goal against the Giants. Eddie White, a Reebok vice president, ran onto the field with an armful of Bills championship shirts.

He had to position himself to get a shirt to Buffalo’s best players after the field goal was converted. But Norwood’s kick drifted right, and Mr. White did a 180-degree turn, sprinting from the field and tossing the shirts in the closest trash bin.

He talked about such moments as if he were a coach deconstructing a memorable fourth-down play. “We need to have a game plan just like the teams do,” he said.

Ten days ago, Reebok printed 288 championship T-shirts and caps each for the Indianapolis Colts and for the Chicago Bears, participants in this year’s Super Bowl. The gear was driven by van to Dolphin Stadium on Monday and presented to the N.F.L.

“Don’t worry,” Mr. White said. “It’s protected as well as Elizabeth Taylor’s diamonds.”

He is referring, of course, to $20 T-shirts and $30 caps. But to players and coaches, these are cotton-and-polyester trophies, the first of many tangible rewards they receive upon winning the Super Bowl.

When Green Bay beat New England in the 1997 Super Bowl, and the defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur saw his shirt and cap for the first time, he started to cry. “I’ve waited my whole life for that shirt and that hat,” he said.

Distribution is a science. Twelve employees from Reebok and the N.F.L. huddle midway through the fourth quarter and handicap the game. If the score is lopsided, they stalk the sideline of the winning team, keeping the boxes out of sight.

But if the game is close, half the group goes to one side and half goes to the other. Each employee is assigned a star player to outfit. If the Colts win, for instance, someone immediately has to get a shirt and cap to quarterback Peyton Manning. If the Bears win, someone has to find linebacker Brian Urlacher.

This can be a difficult job, dodging joyous 300-pound linemen. But the advertising potential is priceless. Once the scoreboard clock hits 00:00, clothing manufacturers around the country start churning out championship merchandise. If Manning is seen wearing a T-shirt Sunday night, it will be flying off shelves in Indianapolis by Monday.

For the past 20 years, the shirts and caps have become as much a part of championship games as the coaches’ Gatorade showers. At the end of the World Series, the N.B.A. finals and the Final Four, all the winners get to celebrate in fresh threads.

The losers, meanwhile, trudge back to their locker room in sweaty jerseys. Major League Baseball destroys the clothing that was made for its runners-up. The N.B.A. donates it to an overseas charity. And the N.F.L. sends it to a place far away.

There, and only there, the losers get to be winners.By LEE JENKINS

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Apple Inc. is urging some iPod and iTunes users to hold off on upgrading computers to Windows Vista, warning that the iTunes music software may not work well with the new operating system from rival Microsoft Corp.

Apple said iTunes may work with many Vista computers, but the company knows of some compatibility problems and recommends that users wait until it resolves the issues with an iTunes update in the next few weeks, the company said in a statement provided Friday by spokesman Derick Mains. The iTunes software is key to synching music on computers with iPod portable players.

I’d like to announce the launch of my new site Vista Revisited at http://www.vistarevisited.com Stop by and have a look. I’ve copied all the Vista content from here to my new site and from now on I will only post Vista content to Vista Revisited. Thanks for visiting and be sure to check out my new site.

Destruction, deaths and looming dangers after tornadoes ripped through four Central Florida counties Friday morning. Search and recovery missions now underway after the Governor declares State of Emergency.

Killer tornadoes ripped through four Central Florida counties in the very early hours of Friday morning. The path of destruction leveled hundreds of homes. Emergency officials confirm 19 people were killed, all in Lake County.

Emergency responders say 13 people were killed in Paisley, six others were killed in Lady Lake.

Three of those killed are said to be students. The Lake County Emergency Operations Center says the storms claimed the lives of a Umatilla High School freshman, a 17-year-old Leesburg student and a Spring Creek Elementary School student.

The Umatilla student’s parents were also killed. One of his triplet brothers was taken to the hospital for injuries. A fourth brother also survived.

Governor Charlie Crist declared a State of Emergency in four Central Florida counties: Lake, Volusia, Seminole and Sumter counties. Crist toured the areas destroyed by the tornadoes late Friday morning and Friday afternoon.

The tornadoes and storms damaged or destroyed well over 1,000 homes in four counties. Damage in Volusia County alone is estimated at $80 million.
Volusia County

Declaration of local emergency: Volusia County Chair Frank Bruno signed a local declaration of emergency. The declaration has been sent to the governor for review and forwarded to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Friends and Family hotline: Citizens looking for information on loved ones in the affected areas should call the American Red Cross at (386) 226-1400.

City of DeLand information hotline: DeLand residents looking for information on Friday’s storms should call (386) 626-7159.

Shelters: Two shelters have been opened: Babe James Center, 201 N. Myrtle Ave., New Smyrna Beach. ChisholmCommunity Center, 520 S. Clara Florida Ave., DeLand.

Volusia County Schools: Deltona Lakes Elementary School will remain closed Monday. The rest of the schools within the Volusia County School District will open Monday.

Preliminary damage estimates:

The Volusia County Property Appraiser’s Office has 16 teams conducting preliminary damage estimates in the DeLand and New Smyrna Beach areas.

According to preliminary damage reports in the New Smyrna Beach area, eleven homes were destroyed, 25 suffered major damage and 71 had minor damage.

Due to the extent of the damage, preliminary information is not yet available for the DeLand area. However, initial damage estimates of $4 million are expected to increase.
DeLand

The Beresford Lady river boat is reported completely underwater. The boat docks at the Sunrise Marina on the St. Johns River near DeLand.

Power outages: Progress Energy is reporting 6,900 of its customers remaining without power countywide. Nearly 1,380 customers have had their power restored.

New Smyrna Beach Utilities Commission has restored 450 of the initial 800 customers out of power.
New Smyrna Beach

New Smyrna Beach Citizen Information Lines have been opened. Residents needing information about the New Smyrna Beach area should call (386) 424-2113 or (386) 424-2114.

New Smyrna Beach residents needing housing assistance may meet with a Red Cross representative at the Babe James Center, 201 North Myrtle Avenue, New Smyrna Beach.

Residents who want to re-enter the affected areas of Islesboro and Turnbull Estates must present identification to law enforcement officers that shows their local address. Residents without identification, such as a driver’s license or utility bill, will not be allowed into the area.

According to preliminary damage reports, 20 structures were destroyed, 21 structures have major damage and 73 structures have minor damage.
Port Orange

Port Orange city officials are reporting damage in the Cypress Head subdivision. Nearly a dozen homes in the 6400 block of Cypress Springs Parkway, including Renaissance Drive, are damaged. The homes damaged are in the immediate area of the number 14 hole on the golf course and includes damaged or missing pool screen enclosures, broken windows, missing shingles, uprooted trees, and damaged gutters.
Florida Hospital DeLand Storm Response

Florida Hospital DeLand received 34 patients from early morning storms Friday. Most patients were in good condition, three patients were serious condition and two were transferred to other hospitals. Injuries ranged from minor lacerations to non life-threatening internal injuries.

The hospital did not suffer any damage and was open to receive patients throughout the day. All elective surgeries were rescheduled. Activity in the Emergency department and throughout the hospital has returned to normal.

“The response from our physicians and staff was incredible,” said President and CEO Daryl Toll. “I was very impressed with the number of team members who were able to respond and help our patients and their family members, despite the fact that many of our team members were impacted directly by the storms.”
Halifax Medical Center

The hospital treated four patients from the storms. Two patients were listed in critical condition, two in serious condition. One patient was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center with critical burns. ORMC is the area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center.
Villages Regional Hospital

Forty-two patients went to the emergency room after the storms. Eighteen were treated and released. Most of them had lacerations and broken limbs. One person was moved to Leesburg Emergency room to undergo neurosurgery. One person died at Villages Regional Hospital.
Power Outages

Progress Energy had about 20,000 customers without power in Volusia, Lake and Marion counties. Their crews are working where it is safe to do so to restore power.
The Villages of Sumter County

The Villages Public Safety Department along with Marion County Fire-Rescue, Lake Sumter EMS, Sumter County Sheriff’s Department and many other government and emergency agencies have set-up a command post at the Coconut Cove Recreation Center, 1398 Stillwater Trail, to organize emergency relief efforts in The Villages of Sumter County following severe storms first reported by the National Weather Service just before 3 a.m.

Initial damage reports indicate between 300 and 500 homes in The Villages of Sumter County, including The Villages of Mallory Square, The Villages of Sabal Chase, The Villages of Poinciana and The Villages of Carolina to name a few, have sustained moderate to significant damage.

Meanwhile, North Central Florida’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 8 Team, one of nine teams in Florida, composed of firefighters from Marion County Fire-Rescue, Ocala Fire Rescue, Gainesville Fire Rescue and Alachua County Fire Rescue have activated to The Villages of Sumter County to conduct an extensive search and rescue operation.

Shelters: The Villages High School on C.R. 466 and Belvedere Blvd. and Wildwood Community Center on C.R. 132, one-mile south of 466A.

Citizens’ Information Line: For the latest information, citizens should call: 352-751-7110.

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Dolphins will host the New York Giants in a regular-season game in London later this year.

A person familiar with the NFL’s decision told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Dolphins will move a home game overseas. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement will not be made until after commissioner Roger Goodell’s Super Bowl news conference Friday.

The Dolphins and Giants will play in September or October, and the game will be scheduled around a bye week for both teams. The schedule won’t be released until early spring.

The game will be held at either the new 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium, scheduled to open in the spring, or 82,000-seat Twickenham, home of English rugby.

The Dolphins were one of six teams willing to move a home game next season, and were chosen over San Francisco, Seattle, Buffalo, Kansas City and New Orleans.

It will be the second regular-season match played abroad. In October 2005, the Arizona Cardinals swapped a home game with San Francisco to Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The Cardinals’ victory drew a crowd of 103,467.

Goodell is a strong advocate of taking games abroad. The league has played preseason games overseas for decades, and team owners voted last year to include regular-season matches in the American Bowl series.

The NFL hopes to play regular-season games again in Mexico, as well as in Canada, other cities in Europe, and in Japan, China and Australia. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will play a preseason game in the China Bowl on Aug. 8 at Beijing’s Workers Stadium.By BARRY WILNER

There is certainly a lot of hype surrounding Windows Vista. Do flourishes like transparencies and fade effects improve productivity? Maybe not, but the new version of Windows is more than a mere repaint. I’ll give you a few examples of what’s new. There is a lot to see.

Gadgets

When you start up Vista, the first thing you’ll notice is the new Windows Sidebar. As the name suggests, it sits unobtrusively on the side of the screen. You can use it to open Gadgets, miniature programs that handle simple tasks.

Vista comes pre-packed with several Gadgets. You can keep an eye on news headlines, stocks and the weather. My current favorite is the CPU meter, which reveals how hard the processor is working and how much RAM is in use.

There is a growing bank of additional Gadgets on Microsoft’s Web site. Anyone with the right skills can create a Gadget and post it on the site.

Parental Controls

Another significant addition is Parental Controls. It covers all the basics without the need for extra software. I think the most popular feature will be time limit settings for kids’ accounts. XP could manage this, but only with the aid of some command-prompt acrobatics.

Parental Controls also allows you to restrict computer games based on their ESRB ratings. More details on these ratings are in my previous tip about choosing appropriate games. You can even block specific games by title.

You get the same degree of control over which programs your children can use. There are other options for the Internet, which is too useful to simply block. Parental Controls includes a Web content filter that can block sites containing pornography, drugs, hate speech and other inappropriate material. The filter works with any Web browser.

Parental Controls offers activity reports to keep you informed. You can see which programs the kids use, which sites they visit and what they download.

Small but useful

Among Vista’s new visual effects are some genuinely helpful details. One example is Live Icons. As you browse your documents, you’ll see most as miniature true-to-life previews. You don’t have to open a document to see if it’s the one you want. This is an improvement over what XP does with only photos.

Vista also features some easy ways to sort and switch between all your open programs and files. Flip 3D is an example. It shows all your open windows as snapshots in three-dimensional space. Simply click on the one you want to work with.

There are just too many enhancements and new features to discuss here. You can read about other great features like built-in desktop search, easier backups and DVD burning in my recent column.

You can see some of Vista in action through Microsoft’s Test Drive site. I mentioned it recently in my weekend newsletter. In case you missed it, here’s the address Windows test drive
Provided by Kim Komando.

Hallmark claims that more Americans attend parties on Super Sunday than on New Year’s Eve. And according to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent around $5.3 billion on their Super Bowl parties in 2006.

Chances are, even if you’re only watching for the rumored Apple announcement, you’ll still find yourself in front of a television come Feb. 4. But if you’re going the extra yard by planning your own party, the web is here to help. Whether it’s sending out invitations, coordinating chips and dip, or cleaning up after the masses, make sure your party hits pay dirt by prepping with the latest tech.

For planning and invitations, many rely on the old standby, Evite , but some new sites on the block are trying to move beyond the simple web invitation. Renkoo , Skobee and MyPunchbowl set themselves apart from the pack by incorporating pre-invitation event-planning tools and, in the case of the latter, post-party memory sharing.

MyPunchbowl, which launched just in time for Super Bowl XLI, offers a suite of easy party-planning tools. Just create an account, create a party and add your friends to the list. MyPunchbowl will import your address book from most popular online e-mail services.

Once you have everything set up, send out your announcement. As a nice touch, MyPunchbowl makes it possible to send personalized messages to each recipient at the top of your general e-mail.

Unlike most other sites, MyPunchbowl lets your friends RSVP without registering. There’s also a forumlike tool included with each party page so people can ask questions and you can answer them. Also, any time you want to nag your friends who haven’t committed to bringing beer or chips, you can use MyPunchbowl to send out personalized, taunting messages to the slackers.

Once you have the basics covered, it’s time to get to the finer points of competitive sports — online betting. It’s nice when your team wins, but it’s even nicer when your team earns you a bunch of your friends’ money. Is it legal? Not in the United States, so proceed at your own risk.

Gottabet.com is a U.K.-based website that allows you to bet on nearly anything using real money or, more legally, a site currency dubbed “peanuts.” Gottabet functions like a typical social-networking site: Create a profile and invite your friends to join.

Bets involving real money are settled by credit or debit cards. Gottabet takes a 5 percent fee off the top of your pot. It’s also possible to send a portion of the proceeds to charity.

So what happens after the party, when everyone has gone home and you find yourself alone with a giant mess? For the lazy, there’s always the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner , but depending on how closely your friends’ eating habits mirror those of barnyard animals, you may want something stronger.

Gadget Lab recently reviewed the Dyson Root 6 handheld vacuum and found it capable of devouring everything from rocks to bobby pins. Its battery life is lacking, but the suction power is unmatched, and by most accounts it’s loud enough to wake up any stragglers passed out in the dark corners of your domicile. Plus, it looks like something from a Terry Gilliam film, so it gets points.

But there’s more to the after-party than cleanup — it’s time to share memories. Hallmark doesn’t have any sarcastic sorry-my-team-whooped-your-team’s-butt cards to send out Monday morning while gloating to your friends, but you could always create your own with MyCardMaker.

Being a proper geek, you most certainly recorded the game on your TiVo. Hold on to the memories by transferring the video to your PC using TiVoToGo (a free download for Windows users). Mac football fans looking to do the same will have to pony up $80 for Toast 8 Titanium from Roxio, which features support for burning TiVo recordings. Once it’s on your computer, you can create a DVD or compress the game for playback on an iPod.

If you used MyPunchbowl to plan your party, you can upload your photos to Flickr and MyPunchbowl can display the Flickr galleries on your party page. Once your photos are on Flickr, just enter your Flickr user name in MyPunchbowl and you’ll see all your photos. Send out your photo announcement so your guests can browse your pictures and add their own.

With these web tools at your disposal you should be able to tame the Super Bowl party beast, unless of course somebody forgets to bring the beer.

Have fun and may the best team win. Go Patriots! Wait, what? Oh. By Scott Gilbertson

Windows is by far the world’s most popular operating system, and Vista will eventually become what most people run, like XP is today. Like it or not, you’ll probably be using it too in a few years time.

The operating system is the backbone of your PC. It boots up and shuts down your computer, launches software programs, and makes sure your speakers and other extras work properly. It’s also the thing that gets infected by viruses and other nasties. Windows Vista is better than XP in many ways. It looks better and it’s also easier to use and more secure. But you’ll need a PC with enough grunt to handle its hefty requirements, so Vista won’t be the best choice for everyone.

Vista looks slicker thanks to its “Aero” interface. If your computer can handle it, Vista uses your graphics card to power snazzy 3D extras, like Flip3D which uses a rolodex-type arrangement to show you what’s going on in all open programs. You can also make windows more transparent, or change their colour.

Looking through Windows folders is also easier. There’s a live preview that shows you a snippet of each file, and what’s in each folder in a directory.

The menu bar at the top of each window is gone, though you can still get it by tapping the Alt key. You can quickly jump back to anywhere along the route you took to get there, and easily group and filter files within a folder by type, author or tag.

The Start menu in Vista has also been completely redesigned. There are no more branching menus, like you’ll find in earlier versions. Instead the folders expand as you go through them, a bit like Windows Explorer in XP.

There’s a handy search box right in the Start menu too. Just type a few letters in the box and it’ll start bringing up matches. This is often the quickest way to find programs and documents.

The other big change from XP is Windows Sidebar. This sits on the right side of the screen as a place to put Microsoft’s gadgets – little programs that sit on your desktop and grab information from the web, like weather or news, or show your other software like media players. Windows Sidebar doesn?t offer anything beyond what Yahoo or Google already offer for XP though.

So far, most of this is just eye candy. The most important improvements in Vista are behind the scenes, particularly in its security.

As the most popular operating system on the planet, Windows is a natural target for hackers and other evil-doers. Vista beefs up Windows Firewall to shut down suspicious activity, like your PC sending out spam emails, before it occurs.

It also makes it harder for malware to install itself on your PC. Even if you’re logged in as an administrator, most programs will run at restricted privilege, meaning installing new software requires you to manually enter your password.

Parents can also use Vista to look at where their kids have gone online, limit when they can use the computer, and control which websites and video games they use. Vista comes with the next versions of Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, both significant improvements. It also has speech recognition software that’s worth trying out.

There are more features of Vista, ones we don’t have space to mention. You can download Windows Vista from Microsoft’s website Microsoft’s website and find out just what the system has to offer yourself.

WHICH VISTA IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Vista Home Basic – If you use your PC for email, internet, and basic Office tasks, this is the one for you. It doesn’t have the snazzy Aero graphics or multimedia features, but it has better design and parental controls than XP.

Vista Home Premium – The upscale version of Home Basic, this version runs the Aero graphics engine and Vista’s multimedia tools, but leaves out the added business or gaming features.

Vista Business – No multimedia features, but it has programs for businesses to help faxing, scanning, backup and encryption.

Vista Ultimate – Includes all the functions of Home Premium and Business, and extras like a collection of games and programs specific to Ultimate users.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Vista’s snazzy graphics put a heavy load on your hardware, and you’ll need a PC with a lot of grunt to run it. A PC branded “Vista Capable” will run Vista Home Basic only, and needs at least an 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM and a graphics processor capable of playing DirectX 9.

A “Vista Premium Ready” PC will run all Vista versions and will have at least a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a beefed-up graphics card. Keep in mind these are the bare minimum requirements. Ideally you want more if you want your computer to run smoothly.

SHOULD I UPGRADE?

The short answer is not right away. All operating systems take a while to settle down and iron out the bugs, no matter how much testing goes into it. Using XP was a hassle until the service packs came out, when it became much more stable and secure. Wait until the first service pack comes out before buying it off the shelf.

If you’re using your PC just to surf the web, do email and use office programs you really don’t need the extra functionality of Vista. For a lot of people XP works just fine, and they should keep using it until it doesn’t. If that’s you, wait until you need a new PC, then get one with Vista on it.

If you do want to run the latest and greatest operating system on your machine, the best way to upgrade is to buy a new PC. That way it’ll come pre-installed and you won’t have the inevitable headaches that come with updating an operating system, and you’ll be sure the hardware is up to scratch. If you buy a computer next year chances are it will come with Vista on it anyway.

Most people will need to buy a new PC anyway to take full advantage of Vista’s features, since it puts a lot of demand on hardware. If you buy either a Vista Capable or Vista Premium Ready PC before Vista comes out, you’ll get a coupon for a low-priced upgrade when the new operating system is released. It should cost you about $30 to upgrade. By REUBEN SCHWARZ

You’re probably going to need additional RAM. Microsoft recommends 512 MB for the most basic version of Vista. For premium versions, it recommends 1 GB. I would double these numbers. Microsoft recommends 128MB of RAM for video. Again, to be safe, I would double that. To make sure your computer is up to snuff, visit Microsoft’s Vista upgrade site. If your computer gets a green light, you can proceed.

First, back up everything on your computer. Making a checklist is advisable. Remember your e-mail, photos, data and Internet Bookmarks/Favorites. Make sure you know all your passwords. Back up program settings if possible. I recommend using an external hard drive. You can do an in-place upgrade over most versions of XP. The sole exception is the 64-bit version of XP. Practically no one has that. Theoretically, Vista will keep all your files, settings, and programs as they were in XP. I haven’t tried this, so I can’t say how well it will work.

I wouldn’t count on an in-place upgrade to go smoothly. Things could go wrong. Set aside plenty of time. To learn about in-place upgrades, visit Microsoft’s site.

Your alternative to an in-place upgrade is a clean installation. (recommended).If you buy a new machine with Vista installed, you’ll still need to transfer your data. You can use Microsoft’s Easy Transfer to move files and settings from your XP machine. That included a special USB cable. It generally does a good job of transferring settings and files, with the exception of Firefox data.
Once Vista is running, you should install security software. Both AVG and avast! antivirus programs will run on Vista. They’re free. Windows Defender, the anti-spyware program is included with Vista. Microsoft also offers their own antivirus program called Windows Live One Care.

For a more detailed article on upgrading to Windows Vista visit Extreme Tech.com

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