Your Fta Site- FTA-GODS.COM Download Fta Files - Chit Chat

Now I feel sorry for these guys

robby3333 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:21:06 GMT

The richest people in the world have gotten poorer, just like the rest of us. This year the world's billionaires have an average net worth of $3 billion, down 23% in 12 months. The world now has 793 billionaires, down from 1,125 a year ago.

After slipping in recent years, the U.S. is regaining its dominance as a repository of wealth. Americans account for 44% of the money and 45% of the list's slots, up seven and three percentage points from last year, respectively. Bill Gates lost $18 billion but regained his title as the world's richest man. Warren Buffett, last year's No. 1, saw his fortune decline $25 billion as shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell nearly 50% in 12 months. Mexican telecom titan Carlos Slim Hel� maintains his spot in the top three but lost $25 billion.

Billionaire Bust
Last year the world had 1,125 billionaires. Today there are 793. How $1.4 trillion vanished.

THE BILLIONAIRES

1.William Gates III
2.Warren Buffett
3.Carlos Slim Hel�
4.Lawrence Ellison
5.Ingvar Kamprad
6.Karl Albrecht
7.Mukesh Ambani
8.Lakshmi Mittal
9.Theo Albrecht
10.Amancio Ortega
11.Jim Walton
12.Alice Walton
13.Christy Walton
14.S Robson Walton
15.Bernard Arnault
16.Li Ka-shing
17.Michael Bloomberg
18.Stefan Persson
19.Charles Koch
20.David Koch

Idol Chit-Chat..As far as N3 goes

robby3333 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:59:39 GMT

THE N3 CIRCUS FEST OF FALL, 2009: A TAXONOMY OF N3 AND EXPLOITS

With the recent outbursts of release date rumors (September 17 and October 22, for example; the Halloween release rumor, however, was only fabricated by a Slexxx Ace ( Name Edited out). That one was posted by himself.), scam FTA sites are taking advantage of FTA user's judgement. And why shouldn't they? With lots of trust, belief and faith being put on the more convincing rumors, they're totally aware that people are easily sucked in. If you frequent a great community, be with them and take what they got. If they don't have it, it's not out there. On a side note, hundreds of virus infections, malware, etc. were released under the guise of being a fix for Viewsat. Those who took them should have learned their lesson: follow a trustable forum and if they already do, wait for that forum to release it, instead.

The September 17th rumor is nothing more but a poke at one of the exact dates of the previous years, involving legal matters behind Viewtech. Anyone with research capabilities should have figured this out.

Maybe the October 22nd rumor takes the naive cake. Being posted from the supposed VS official site, it brought up hope more than anything before. What most people forget or fail to grasp is that the site is known to have been hacked in the past and eventually taken over by money-laundering and money-sucking backwards cash cows. They in of themselves are responsible for half the scams that have risen prior to the false date. Speaking of these scams, several scam FTA sites claimed that they have the files ready for release on the 22nd and ask that people sign up at their forum at a fee. Once the 22nd had proven nonsense, they immediately changed the claim, simply stating that they merely heard information from other sources, not actually having the file. Right, they're really fooling us.

One of the more notable scam instances was made by a real common-sense lacker. A scam FTA site must have paid a low-end news site to post a news article saying that "N3 fixes were released for Viewsat on the 22nd and the said FTA site has the files." Only problem with this is that the article was posted on the 21st, ONE DAY BEFORE THE RELEASE DATE. Yeah, so apparently, they can predict the future, albeit unsuccessfully. It was all smokes and mirrors for their pay sign-up offers.

As far as N3 goes, no major progress has been made for standalone fixes. Currently, only one method works best, and it's not yet at the best state as instability plagues the solution. This particular solution is frowned upon by some FTA communities and puts the users at risk of their IP being exposed. But if they want channels on satellite, they take that route. The recent legal enforcements definitely play a part in this very slow progress, as people are afraid to do anything at all without have hot cake authorities tazing their asses. If you want a basic idea of how much has progressed in the N3 cracking: it's been the same as it was in July. Of course, it's a little more complicated than that, but know that the current hacking trend points to a solution being released at least 2 years away.

How many of you forgot that BEV underwent the 2-3 transition much earlier than DN? This compounds the low progress further down. Relative to when BEV was hit (about a year ago), progress is even less in that instance.

Some say hope for standalone fixes are a waste and that new methods of getting those channels back resort to newer types of receivers.

You want a standalone fix? Wait for at least 3 major progress/development milestones from the coders before getting your hopes up. We're currently at 0.

Simply look for other aspects in life to entertain you. Take this lightly, but considerably, when we say that N3 may have just marked the sinking of this ship, our current generation of standalone receivers.

This is just an opion...And is not intended to Bash anyone...

NAG 3news?

limey — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:34:57 GMT

Hi All, been away for a while,:2wink: no not banged up! been home for a couple of weeks staring at my Viewsat HD and was wondering if anybody has heard any news on breaking the NAG:err: is there nothing I can tune the HD to up in the big blue far north in Ontario Canada?

Had flu? You may have H1N1 protection

robby3333 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:40:50 GMT

People who have had repeated flu infections -- or repeated flu vaccines -- may have some protection against the new pandemic swine influenza, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

They found evidence that the human immune system can recognize bits of the new H1N1 virus that are similar to older, distantly related H1N1 strains.

"What we have found is that the swine flu has similarities to the seasonal flu, which appear to provide some level of pre-existing immunity. This suggests that it could make the disease less severe in the general population than originally feared," said Alessandro Sette, director of the Center for Infectious Disease at California's La Jolla Institute.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may also help explain why many older people are less likely to have severe disease, said Allison Deckhut-Augustine of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

"Adults may have some pre-existing immunity for H1N1," Deckhut-Augustine said in a telephone interview.

That does not mean older people are protected from infection, and Deckhut-Augustine stressed that people should still be vaccinated against H1N1.

Swine flu has infected millions of people globally and killed an estimated 3,900 in the United States alone, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug makers are struggling to make vaccines and governments are working to vaccinate their populations.

Bjoern Peters and colleagues at the La Jolla Institute looked at flu epitopes -- molecular markers or structures that the immune system recognizes -- dating back 20 years.

"We found that the immune system's T-cells can recognize a significant percent of the markers in swine flu," Peters said in a statement.

DUAL PROTECTION

The human immune system has two kinds of protection. Antibody response can prevent infection, while T-cells fight infection once it has occurred.

Peters and colleagues found T-cell protection but not antibody response.

"This T-cell response decreases severity of disease but doesn't prevent infection," said Deckhut-Augustine, whose agency helped pay for the study and maintains the public database that Peters used.

The effect could be cumulative, Peters said, which could explain why people over 50 seem to be less likely to get noticeable H1N1 infections.

"This may also suggest why children are more susceptible to severe infection and why they might need two boosts," Deckhut-Augustine said. "They haven't been around as long and they haven't been exposed to different strains of H1N1 as long as adults."

Influenza is a very mutation-prone virus and from year to year the circulating strains drift, or change slightly. This is why new vaccines must be formulated each year and why people can catch flu again and again.

The new H1N1 was a never-before-seen combination of swine flu viruses, with a sprinkling of human and avian flu virus genetic sequences. But its long-ago ancestor was an H1N1 virus first seen in the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed upwards of 50 million people.

The researchers found that the new H1N1 swine flu shared 49 percent of its epitopes with older, seasonal H1N1 strains.

Using blood from healthy donors, they found that T-cells could recognize about 17 percent of these markers.

Meteor showers, pre-dawn hours Tuesday

robby3333 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:47:52 GMT

Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Early Tuesday Morning

One of the best annual meteor showers will peak in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, and for some skywatchers the show could be quite impressive.

The best seats are in Asia, but North American observers should be treated to an above average performance of the Leonid meteor shower, weather permitting. The trick for all observers is to head outside in the wee hours of the morning � between 1 a.m. and dawn � regardless where you live.

The Leonids put on a solid show every year, if skies are clear and moonlight does not interfere. This year the moon is near its new phase, and not a factor. For anyone in the Northern Hemisphere with dark skies, away from urban and suburban lighting, the show should be worth getting up early to see.

"We're predicting 20 to 30 meteors per hour over the Americas, and as many as 200 to 300 per hour over Asia," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Other astronomers who work in the nascent field of meteor shower prediction have put out similar forecasts.

Urban dwellers and suburbanites will see far fewer, as the fainter meteors will be drowned out by local lights.

Behind the Leonids

The Leonids are created by the comet Swift-Tuttle, which passes through the inner solar system every 33 years on its orbit around the sun. Each time by, it leaves a new river of debris, mostly bits of ice and rock no bigger than a sand grain but a few the size of a pea or marble.

Over time, these cosmic streams spread out, so predicting exactly what will happen is difficult.

"We can predict when Earth will cross a debris stream with pretty good accuracy," Cooke said. "The intensity of the display is less certain, though, because we don't know how much debris is in each stream."

When Earth plows into the debris, the bits hit the atmosphere and vaporize, creating sometimes dramatic streaks of light and the occasional fireball with a smoky-looking trail that can remain visible for several minutes.

The Leonid stream is moving in the opposite direction of Earth, producing impact speeds of 160,000 mph (72 kilometers per second) � higher than many other meteors.

"Such speeds tend to produce meteors with hues of white, blue, aquamarine and even green," says Joe Rao, SPACE.com's skywatching columnist.

How to watch

The best viewing will be in rural areas. Get out of town if you can. If you have local lights, scout a location in advance where the lights are blocked by a building, tree or hill.

Dress warmly, and take a blanket or lounge chair so you can lie back and scan as much of the sky as possible. "At this time of year, meteor watching can be a long, cold business," Rao reminds people.

Leonids can appear anywhere, but if you trace them back, they all point to a hub, or radiant, in the constellation Leo � hence the name.

Give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Then give the show at least a half-hour. The hourly rates stated above typically come in bursts, with lulls that may test your patience. No special equipment is needed. Telescopes and binoculars are of no use because meteors move too quickly.

When to watch

Earth will pass through one of the denser debris streams at around 4 a.m. EST (1 a.m. PST) Tuesday. If you have only an hour or less to watch, center it around this time. Leo will be high in the sky for East Coast skywatchers, putting more meteors into view. In the West, Leo will be low in the eastern sky at this time, so fewer shooting stars will be above the horizon, and therefore Western skywatchers should also try to stick it out until daybreak.

Across Europe, the best bet is to watch anytime between 1 a.m. and daybreak local time.

The planet will pass through an even denser stream later, just before dawn Wednesday in Indonesia and China, but that show won't be visible from North America because it will be daytime here.

One truth about the Leonids: They always produce, and they sometimes produce spectacular, unforgettable fireballs

Federal Internet Tagging System_Narus Insight

robby3333 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:07:01 GMT

Narus is what the FBI is using these days for ip address, emails, etc

The intercepted data flows into Narus Insight Intercept Suite. This data is stored and analyzed for surveillance and forensic analysis purposes.

Other capabilities include playback of streaming media (i.e. VoIP), rendering of web pages, examination of e-mail and the ability to analyze the payload/attachments of e-mail or file transfer protocols. Narus partner products, such as Pen-Link, offer the ability to quickly analyze information collected by the Directed Analysis or Lawful Intercept modules.

A single Narus Insight machine can monitor traffic equal to the maximum capacity (10 Gbit/s) of around 39,000 DSL lines or 195,000 telephone modems. But, in practical terms, since individual internet connections are not continually filled to capacity, the 10 Gbit/s capacity of one Narus Insight installation enables it to monitor the combined traffic of several million broadband users.

According to a company press release, the latest version of Narus Insight Intercept Suite (NIS) is "the industry's only network traffic intelligence system that supports real-time precision targeting, capturing and reconstruction of webmail traffic... including Google Gmail, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, and Gawab Mail (English and Arabic versions)."

It can also perform semantic analysis of the same traffic as it is happening, in other words analyze the content, meaning, structure and significance of this entire traffic, as it is happening. The exact use of this data is not fully documented, as the public is not authorized to see what types of activities and ideas are being watched for.

System Specification & Capabilities

Some features of Narus Insight include:

* Scalability to support surveillance of large, complex IP networks (such as the Internet)

* High-speed Packet processing performance, which enables it to sift through the vast quantities of information that travel over the Internet.

* Normalization, Correlation, Aggregation and Analysis provide a model of user, element, protocol, application and network behaviors, in real-time. That is it can track individual users, monitor which applications they are using (e.g. web browsers, instant messaging applications, email) and what they are doing with those applications (e.g. which web sites they have visited, what they have written in their emails/IM conversations), and see how users' activities are connected to each other (e.g. compiling lists of people who visit a certain type of web site or use certain words or phrases in their emails).

* High reliability from data collection to data processing and analysis.
* NarusInsight's functionality can be configured to feed a particular activity or IP service such as security, lawful intercept or even Skype detection and blocking.
* Compliance with CALEA and ETSI.
* Certified by Telecommunication Engineering Center(TEC) in India for Lawful Intercept and Monitoring Systems for ISPs

Happy Birthday Brody!

robby3333 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:30:37 GMT

Happy Birthday Brody!

On Sunday, my little boy turned 4! I made a big mistake of buying a candle on Saturday with a number 3 on it and boy was I corrected quickly! I wonder if that was a little bit of denial on my part??

Brody was so excited to open his presents that we let him go for it after everyone was up. I love that he is able to fully appreciate all this compared to the previous birthday celebrations.

For My Son With Love

A Parent see's a son through so many ups and downs, it's true,
Through all the years until he's finally grown.
It starts with tender lullabies,
Then school, then proms--the time just flies..
And far to soon he's off and on his own.

His future hold's so much in store,
And nothing like it was before,
The change is sometimes hard to comprehend...
But if your lucky, you will find
As time goes on you will not mind,
For in his place you've gained a brand-new friend.

Son, from the day that you were born, until this minute
No parent could ask for a better son...
The world's a wonderous place because of you in it,
Your friendship is my most treasured one
Thank you for all the joy and all the laughter
And thank you for the love you've given me
My wish for today and ever-after
Is that these blessings will be returned abundantly.

What he valued most

robby3333 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:47:48 GMT

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls,
career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across
the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy
life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to
spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing
could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The
funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old
newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of
him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were
doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of
the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make
sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this
business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me
things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral,"
Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his
hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no
children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to
see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing
over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house
was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture,
every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box? " Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I
must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell
me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered
it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had
taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better
get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from
work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required
on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within
the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and
looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was
difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.

"Mr. Harold Belser" it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There
inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read
the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack
Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped
to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack
carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold
pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing,
he unlatched the cover.

Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time!
Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most...was...my time."

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and
cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his
assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"

Senior drivers get a bad rap

robby3333 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:27:05 GMT

Seven new technologies to help aging drivers

Harold Harryman, 100, drives to the Douds Community Center for the senior meal program Tuesday, June 5, 2007 in Douds, Iowa. Harryman is one of about 40 drivers 100-years-old or older that still drive in Iowa. Douds says he has been driving accident and ticket-free for almost 90 of his 100 years. And he continues to add to that streak as he joined the ranks earlier this year of the 35 people in Iowa who still have driver's licenses at age 100 or older.

Senior drivers get a bad rap. They're thought of as slow, dangerous traffic cloggers who don't look where they're going and back into things in parking lots.

In fact, statistics show drivers over the age of 55 are some of the safest on the road. While young drivers are known for risky behaviour, older drivers are less likely to speed, less likely to drink and drive and more likely to follow the rules of the road. When they do crash, they are more likely to hurt only themselves and their cars rather than anyone else.

But the rosy picture of senior drivers changes once they hit age 75. That's when their collision-per-kilometre-driven rate becomes more like that of novice drivers. So even though older seniors tend to drive less often, their crash rate is relatively high.

The kinds of traffic accidents older drivers are most likely to have include:

merging and failure-to-yield crashes
side-impact crashes, especially when turning left across the traffic flow
crashes caused by a traffic violation, such as failing to notice a stop sign
run-off-the-road crashes
Failure-to-yield crashes are by far the most common. According to studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the U.S., in these kinds of crashes, drivers over the age of 80 tend to say that they never saw the other car coming. Drivers aged 70-79 on the other hand, are more likely to see the car, but misjudge how much time they had to proceed.

Seniors often have physical challenges that compromise their driving, such as reduced mobility, reduced strength, slower reaction time, and diminished hearing. But their perception also changes, as their peripheral vision narrows and their depth perception -- the ability to judge how fast other cars are moving -- declines.

Seniors lose elasticity in their eye muscles, too, so while a younger driver needs only about two seconds to adjust their focus from the speedometer to the road ahead, older drivers can take much longer. They also don't do as well at night because the lenses in their eyes grow thicker, making them sensitive to glare.

Thomas Broberg, a senior engineer for Volvo, has researched the difference in older drivers' skills at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) in Link�ping using specially-equipped cars and cameras that monitor drivers' eye movements.

"We wanted to evaluate to what degree the visual behaviour could explain older drivers' involvement in intersection accidents," he explains in a Volvo promotional video.

"By gaining knowledge about the behavioural pattern of drivers in general and in older drivers, we can understand their needs and create solutions and design the car for them."

His team found a clear age difference, with older drivers having less flexible necks and narrower fields of view. They also noticed that senior drivers fall into unique driving habits.

For example, drivers over the age of 70 look more at markings on the road to position themselves in traffic, while younger drivers focus on objects such as other cars on the road.

Volvo, like may other carmakers, is aware that the population is aging and in the last decade, has begun to build in technologies into their cars that can help seniors compensate.

A few of these technologies are already ubiquitous; think anti-locking brake systems, cruise control and electronic stability control. Others are just beginning to be offered in high-end luxury cars, but should soon trickle down to a compact car near you. Here's a look at a few:

Heads-up Displays

Available in fighter jets for years, head-up display is now finding its way into cars, usually as an option. Heads-Up Display presents important information, such as speed and alerts, directly in the driver's field of vision. The information is projected through the windshield appearing about two metres away, at the end of the hood. While HUD reportedly takes some getting used to, manufacturers say it helps keep drivers' eyes on the road and eliminates the need to shift focus from the dash to the road.

Pre-Crash Warning Systems

Many carmakers are adopting these systems, which vary from car to car. Most use a radar in the front grille that sweeps the road and sends information back into a computer. If a potential crash situation is detected based on proximity and speed, the system immediately alerts the driver with either buzzers or visual warnings on the heads-up display or dash.

Some systems include pre-crash brake assist, which automatically pre-charges the brakes I nthe event of an imminent crash, while also automatically retracting both front seatbelts to help reduce injury. Volvo has a system that uses both a radar unit and a camera behind the rear-view mirror and also includes Full Auto Brake; in the event of a possible crash, drivers first get a warning; if they don't respond, the car's brakes are fully applied.

Pedestrian detection

This system, currently offered by BMW and soon to be offered by Volvo and others, uses intelligent algorithms to look for the heads and bodies of pedestrians and walking movement. If it detects a pedestrian in front of the car as it's moving slowly (or rolling at an intersection) the system automatically puts on full brakes. At higher speeds, the brakes are applied to slow the car significantly but not slam the car to a halt.

Lane Departure Warning

Using either cameras or infrared sensors installed near the interior mirror on the windshield, this system monitors road markings and the car's position. If the driver leaves the current lane without signaling first, the system alerts the driver with either audible alerts, or in the case of BMW, by making the steering wheel vibrate.

Adaptive Headlights and Night Vision

Adaptive headlights, available on a number of luxury car brands, move left and right with bends in the road. When driving in the city, a low beam is used; when driving at higher speeds, the Xenon headlights are automatically raised to increase visibility.

BMW, Mercedes and others also offer an optional night vision system that reveals objects up to 300 metres ahead of the vehicle -- beyond the scope of headlights -- using an infrared camera that transmits images to a display on the dashboard.

Blind spot detection

A number of carmakers are offering this feature, though some are more reportedly more annoying than others. Using radar, the system notices when another vehicle enters a defined blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding side-view mirror. If the driver uses the indicator to change lanes while another vehicle is still in the blind spot, they are warned by either a flashing LED signal, warning sound, a vibrating steering wheel, or a combination

Intelligent Parking Assist

These systems that make it easier for drivers to parallel park or back into a parking spot are already available as an option in several brands of luxury cars. With some systems, ultrasonic proximity sensors embedded in the front and/or rear bumpers beep before the driver hits the cars around them; others just cut out the middle man and actually park the car all by itself with little input from the user.

The Price of Children

robby3333 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:34:54 GMT

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice, The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

� $8,896.66 a year,
� $741.3 month, or * $171.08 a week.
� That's a mere $24.24 a day!
� Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?

Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God every day.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

finger-paint,
carve pumpkins,
play hide-and-seek,
catch lightning bugs, and
never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to:
keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
watching Saturday morning cartoons,
going to Disney movies, and
wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
taking the training wheels off a bike,
removing a splinter,
filling a wading pool,
coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

� first step,
� first word,
� first bra,
� first date, and
� first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits.

So . . one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!

"Were you Mark's math teacher?"

robby3333 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:25:56 GMT

He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in Morris, Minnesota. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. [He was] very neat in appearance but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischieviousness delightful.

Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving: "Thank you for correcting me, Sister!" I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.

One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice teacher's mistake. I looked at him and said, "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!"

It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it.

I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed the tape and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, "Thank you for correcting me, Sister."

At the end of the year I was asked to teach junior high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instructions in the "new math," he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in the third.

One Friday, things just didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves - and edgy with one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish the assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, "Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend."

That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" I heard whispered. "I never knew that meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't know others liked me so much!" No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.

That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip - the weather, my experiences in general. There was a light lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply said, "Dad?" My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important. "The Eklunds called last night," he began. "Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is."

Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend." To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark.

I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, Mark, I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me. The church was packed with Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water.

I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who had acted as pallbearer came up to me. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said.

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to Chuck's farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put this in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said, without batting an eyelash. "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

Repair Relationships with a Love Letter

robby3333 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:54:54 GMT

In a healthy, thriving relationship, there are bound to be occasional disagreements and squabbles. Most often it is over something that on hindsight seems ridiculous and insignificant. However, sometimes the damage has been done. Harsh words were exchanged while emotions were riding high and feelings are already hurt. When time passes, often one of the couple realizes that the "fight" was over something so ridiculous, and that it could have been handled in a more amiable and compromising manner. When both parties are willing to compromise after a fight, relationship repair can begin. But how does one initiate the compromise? This is where a love letter can come in to help.

We humans have a built-in desire to avoid unpleasant situations. But can a 'fight' situation have been avoided? During the "fight" probably not. But after some time, when the situation cools down and rationale take over, this is the time when solutions can be found. One thing we must realize, is that we are all humans and emotions do rule the day sometimes and because of that, situations turn ugly and the best of relationships do experience their occasional kinks. As long as there is no physical abuse or any irreversible conditions, most situations can be repaired.

It takes a couple of things to happen if there is going to be any relationship repair.

1. The couple must realize that there is more at stake than winning the argument. There is something bigger and more precious that needs to be preserved and treasured. Both stand to lose a lot more if no party wishes to relent or compromise in the argument. In worst case scenario, the couple will no longer be a couple. Life will be without each other's presence. If there is strong love and respect for each other, this aspect of "more to lose" alone will help to iron out all the disagreements and solutions can be found.

2. There must be willingness to compromise from both parties. In most circumstances in an argument, there is no right and wrong side, only differing views. The argument comes up is because each party does not want to understand the other person's point of view. Both must acknowledge this difference of views and a compromise sought.

When these aspects are established, the best way to reconcile is to spend some time away from each other and look at the argument rationally. Start to develop a love letter to repair the relationship. Write down your thoughts without the influence of negative emotions, then explain your point of view and end with a love note for the other person expressing how important and significant the other person is in your life. This will open up avenues for reconciliation and renewed bonding. This love letter will help to present the different views without the shouting match and also express the 'love' for each other.

It is vital to have the 'love' part in the love letter which stresses on the "more to lose" point above. There are many benefits in a written love letter. The love letter of this nature gives you the opportunity to control, retract, and re-word your thoughts without any damage. The time spent writing the love letter will calm negative emotions as well as put things into real perspective. So the next time you have strong emotions, try writing it in a letter and see if you still have the same feeling after some time. Writing the love letter in this manner will help to put things into perspective and helps to determine what is important to each other. So the next time, you feel an argument brewing, take some time off and write a love letter instead. There is another interesting benefit with such a love letter that it can be saved and kept into a scrapbook for memories.

Do you suffer from Paraskavedekatriaphobia?

robby3333 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:05:22 GMT

Paraskavedekatriaphobia

What? You don't know what that is?

It's the fear of Friday the 13th, and if you have it, you might be under the covers right now.

Stay away from black cats and ladders, your mom might tell you. They are just some Friday The 13th Superstitions. But will you listen?

If you don't, you might first want to consider that paraskavedekatriaphobia might trace all the way back to October 1307 , when on Friday the 13th, French King Philip IV rounded up hundreds of monks and tortured them into admitting a variety of heresies.

Here is a list of some other unfortunate events that took place on Friday the 13th. Please feel free to add to this list.....

�July 1951: The Great Flood killed 24 people, destroyed more than 2 million acres of land in Kansas and caused $760 million in damage.

�March 1964: The "Good Friday" earthquake wasn't actually so good. It remains the largest earthquake in North American history, killing 131 people near Prince William Sound.

�July 1987: An F4 tornado ripped through Edmonton, Alberta, killing 27 people and injuring at least 300.

�March 1992: An earthquake killed nearly 2,000 people and left 50,000 homeless in Turkey.

Fame and (Mis)Fortune

These people weren't so lucky on Friday the 13th:

�Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas on a Friday the 13th.

�Al Capone was sentenced to prison on a Friday the 13th.

�Benny Goodman, the King of Swing, died on a Friday the 13th.

�Hubert Humphrey, the 38th president of the United States, died on a Friday the 13th.

More Friday The 13th Facts

�In a traditional hangman's noose there are 13 twists of the rope and 13 steps to the gallows.

�Many buildings don't count their 13th floors. You'll see on their elevators that the numbers skip from 12 to 14.

�There is no 13th Avenue in San Francisco, instead Funston Avenue is between 12th and 14th Avenues.

�In Formula 1 racing, there is no car with the number 13. The number has been removed after two drivers were killed in crashes, both driving cars numbered 13.

�Killers Charles Manson, Saddam Hussein, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Theodore Bundy, and Jack The Ripper each have 13 letters in their names.

What does your Username mean?

robby3333 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:16:24 GMT

I see alot of user names and wonder what does that mean, so i thought it would be fun to post what your user name means. Just something to pass the time and get a few laughs.

So here goes and ill start Robby3333. I tried a few other names and could not use them so..... Robby the Robot is a fictional character who has made a number of appearances in science fiction movies and television programs from 1956 onward. And 3333 was just numbers I added to it to remember.

Robby the Robot in Forbidden Planet

Friday the 13th phobia?

robby3333 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:33:52 GMT

You have plenty of company

Henry Ford would have hated 2009, and not just because it's been a tough year to sell cars.

Ford, as the story goes, refused to do business on Friday the 13th, and this week marks the third time this year that the 13th will fall on a Friday � the most times it can happen in one year.

It's a day when people rearrange travel plans, delay surgery or just pull up the covers and stay in bed until Friday the 13th turns into Saturday the 14th, convinced that even stepping out of the house would cause bad luck to find them the way an anvil finds the head of Wile E. Coyote.

"They're afraid something tragic or ominous would happen," said Donald Dossey, a North Carolina behavioral scientist and author who said he named the fear � paraskavedekatriaphobia � proof that he does not suffer from hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, the fear of long words.

Some feel they're just being cautious the way Ford, Napoleon and President Franklin Roosevelt were said to have been.

Elizabeth Lampert, a consultant in Alamo, Calif., said she doesn't avoid everything on the 13th, but would "absolutely, absolutely" delay something like surgery.

"There are only a few Friday the 13ths, so why test fate?" Lampert said.

The phobia around the 13th is a cousin to triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13. Even today, the Otis Elevator Company knows better than to include a button with a 13 on it in elevators all over the world, said spokesman Dilip Rangnekar. The supposedly unlucky number, triskaidekaphobes say, is the reason behind the explosion of Apollo 13, which took off at exactly 1:13 p.m. (1313 military time) on 4/11/70 (digits that add up to 13, naturally).

It's also the number that prompted FDR to alter his own travel plans on any day of the week that landed on the 13th.

"FDR would not depart on a (train) trip on the 13th," said Thomas Fernsler, a University of Delaware mathematician who has studied the number enough to earn the moniker "Dr. 13." He recounted a story that originated with FDR's personal secretary, Grace Tully, who said the former president would order the train to leave the station before midnight on the 12th or after midnight on the morning of the 14th.

In a final act, FDR died in 1945 on April 12. Thursday, April 12.

"He avoided traveling to the beyond on the 13th," joked Bob Clark, head archivist at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

The origins of all this fear of the number 13 and Friday the 13th are open for debate.

Some say it has to do with a particular Friday the 13th in the 1300s, when some particularly unlucky knights were burned at the stake. Fernsler suspects it may have something to do with Jesus Christ, who was crucified on a Friday after a Last Supper attended by 13 people, one of whom was Judas Iscariot.

Dossey has his money on Norse mythology when Loki � referred to in the Encyclopaedia Britannica as a "cunning trickster" � crashed a party of 12 gods at Valhalla.

"That's really when the number 13 became unlucky," he explained.

It is impossible to tell just how many people out there are changing their plans.

But one person who has made a living getting inside people's heads � The Amazing Kreskin, who bills himself as "the world's foremost mentalist" � said he's seen for himself how seriously people from all walks of life take Friday the 13th.

"There are many, many people in the business world who do not fly on Friday the 13th," said Kreskin, who legally changed his name from George Kresge Jr.

But in Chicago, for example, neither O'Hare International Airport nor United Airlines has noticed any drop in the number of people flying on Friday the 13th.

"It's an old wives' tale," said United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski in an e-mail.

The same goes for two of the biggest hospitals in the city � Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Chicago Medical Center � where it appears people are just as likely go to go under the knife that day as any other, and aren't rushing to the doctor, either.

"When it's Friday the 13th, you wonder if it is going to be busier ... but people aren't coming into the ER panicking, saying 'I just realized it's Friday the 13th, give me Xanax or Valium,'" said Dr. Pedro Dago, a Northwestern psychiatrist.

Not only that, but if Wall Street is any indication, Friday the 13th may actually be a lucky day. The stock market, it turns out, tends to do better on Friday the 13th, rising by an average of .04 percent on each of the past 185 Friday the 13ths, according to the Bespoke Investment Group, a Harrison, N.Y.-based investment research firm. That's double the average .02 percent gain, but a little worse than other Fridays, which are generally good days for stocks.

And Friday the 13th might be just the thing to prompt people to go ahead with their plans.

Lampert, the same consultant who said she would not have surgery on that day, said she originally had reservations about agreeing to a first date this Friday night, but now thinks calendar can work in her favor.

"I look at the calendar and say it's a 50-50 shot I'd like him and if I don't it's not my fault," she said.

As for Dr. 13, while he loves to point out things like how Fidel Castro and Butch Cassidy were both born on Friday the 13th and notices when he checks into a hotel if his room number adds up to 13, he doesn't want people to misunderstand.

"I don't buy any of this," Fernsler said. "I'm just a math guy."

Wave of bans hits Xbox Live

robby3333 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:58:31 GMT

As many as 600,000 Xbox 360s were banned from the Xbox Live service this week in the latest in a series of crackdowns by Microsoft on illegally modified consoles.

The banned machines -- a "small percentage" of the millions of Xbox 360s around the world -- are alleged to have been modified in ways that violate Xbox Live's terms of service, but Microsoft won't say exactly how they can tell, nor exactly how many users were affected. Banned consoles can still play games, but can't connect to the Xbox Live service for multiplayer gaming, content downloads or software updates.

"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal, and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs, violates the Xbox LIVE terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live," Microsoft said in a statement today.

The bans were apparently timed to coincide with yesterday's release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, expected to be by far the biggest gaming event of the year. One affected Call of Duty fan, a self-confessed software pirate called "Raz," told the BBC about his disappointment.
Wii Fit

Owners of modded 360s will no longer be allowed to play online.

"It was a big day yesterday, the latest game we've been waiting months and months for. We've played the whole series and this one's come out, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2...I sign in online and next thing I see, 'Your console has been banned from Xbox'...now I don't know what to do," he told the BBC's Newsbeat.

Most law-abiding gamers will have little sympathy for Raz -- but at least one banned Xbox owner claims to have been targeted by accident, and that Microsoft won't listen to his excuses.

"My console and my fiance's console were caught up in the Mass Banning going on by Microsoft in their latest Pirate Witch Hunt. My fiance is a chef, and plays games like Viva Pinata, Arcade Games, and can't figure out how to remove the battery pack, much less tear apart her system to 'mod' anything," he told The Consumerist.

He's had little luck with Microsoft's customer service, either. "At one point a man who called himself 'Charles' told me that it was my problem and I should learn to follow the rules, then hung up on me," he said.

There IS a better way...

robby3333 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:27:49 GMT

Hate reading text online? There IS a better way...

Paper and ink are disappearing, while new electronic reading platforms and devices proliferate. Debate over how we will read in the future rages on, with publications everywhere casting about for new ways to sell a very old product: the written word. But so far we've failed to address a fundamental glitch in our transition away from paper.

Here's the problem: Paper went up-and-down. Computer screens go sideways.

Whatever cool new reading devices may be on the horizon, for the foreseeable future the vast majority of us will be stuck reading all sorts of things on our laptop and desktop computers. Most of this text is displayed as vertically oriented online articles and other digital documents, as though it were printed on old-fashioned rolls of parchment that read downward from top to bottom. Short of rotating your monitor and all your software windows 90 degrees, this requires frequent scrolling and fonts that are too small, making the reading experience downright annoying.

Eyeballs equal revenue in the digital economy, so shouldn't content providers do everything possible to make reading pleasurable?

Vertical orientation makes no sense in an increasingly paperless world that we view in the horizontal frame of our computer screens. "The document" needs to be reconceived as something that goes not up and down, like paper, but sideways.

What would this look like?

Computer whizzes have already tinkered with this problem, and it's not hard to create a solution. The simplest example is a free piece of software called Tofu, written for Macs a few years ago by a programmer in Britain named Amar Sagoo, and largely overlooked by mainstream users.

Tofu does one thing: It displays text documents and some PDFs in simple, clutter-free columns, like a physical newspaper or magazine.

The columns are arranged sideways in a way that's completely native to the width of the screen, and thus far more natural and easy to use than even the column view of our current word-processing programs. Copying entire articles from the Web and pasting them into Tofu can be a hassle, but once there, you never have to scroll. Instead, you progress to the next column simply by clicking further sideways. It's a radically better use of onscreen real estate, and perfectly intuitive.

It's also astonishingly pleasant and natural to read. After a long day on the computer, I have no qualms about curling up in bed with my laptop, an article of Tofu-displayed text as the sole inhabitant of the screen. It feels as if I've truly left behind the annoyances of the online world and can enjoy reading for what it ought to be: an engaging, deep, thoughtful escape.

What we need now is a revolution on-screen that would build Tofu-like functionality for displaying text from the entire Internet and all our software � including our word-processing programs.

On websites, we'd still see dynamic pages with lots of headlines, pictures, videos, links, and distractions, but when we clicked on a headline, a window might pop up and fill the entire horizontal screen with columns of text just like Tofu. Illustrations and ads and so on could be included, just as in physical newspapers and magazines, but all of it would be oriented sideways instead of up-and-down, and so much more pleasant to read.

Some media outlets have taken steps in this direction. The New York Times' Reader 2.0 application displays digital content from the paper's daily print edition in a horizontal, easy-to-read format, but it's available only by subscription.

In the postpaper world, a reconfiguration of text might even help publications earn a living for themselves and their writers.

Today's readers expect to find information free online, but they might still be willing to pay for information presented in a premium format that they can own, take with them, and use later � as with a downloaded song or TV show from iTunes.

Imagine if users could download a Tofu-like version of any article with one click that charges a tiny micropayment. The article could then be read on your screen later in a more pleasant way, and perhaps in a more convenient place � at the lunch table, on the train, or on the couch, when the last thing we want to be is online.

Any piece of writing from 1,000 words to 100,000 words or more would be a candidate for a satisfying on-screen reading experience. Just as with iTunes, the more valuable downloads could command higher prices. And a writer or institution that produced an instant bestseller would profit instantly.

Programmers and publishers of online text: Please deliver us a long-overdue future in which we read � and write � in columns that move progressively sideways. After all, that's exactly the effect we create when we read an old-fashioned book and turn the page.

Family dinner survives, with distractions

robby3333 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:16:43 GMT

Pass the gravy � plus the phone and the remote control. It's dinnertime in America.

Between the blare of the TV, the ring of the phone and Junior texting his buddies under the table or from the couch, the modern dinner comes with a heaping helping of distracting bells and whistles, an Associated Press-iVillage Food poll found.

Yet the sit-down, home-cooked family meal is an enduring tradition. And not just on Thanksgiving or other special occasions.

Most nights, most families manage to eat together, the survey found.

Democrats and Republicans do. Devout churchgoers and never-goers do. Childless families and those with kids are about equally apt to have a regular family meal. So are families from the suburbs and the country.

Altogether, more than 60 percent of those who live with families said they sat down with family for dinner at least five nights in the past week. Home-cooked meals were the norm, not just takeout and the like.

Hand-me-down recipes determine the menu more than any other source. Although more than half in the poll have cooked something from an online recipe and TV shows, such digital delights lag recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines, and none of that holds a candle to recipes passed on from family elders.

So far so good, painter Norman Rockwell, that celebrant of the idealized old-fashioned life, surely would think.

But family bonding has some competition when people are chowing down.

Television is a constant dinner companion for a quarter of families, the poll suggests. More than half have it turned on more often than rarely.

Half are pestered by phone calls � including, it must be said, from the occasional pollster like the ones who did this survey.

Texting or e-mailing on a cell phone is always going on over dinner for 5 percent of families. It's more than a rare intrusion for 15 percent. Nearly 40 percent have the radio or stereo going, at least occasionally.

Surveys over recent decades have generally found the American dinnertime to be hanging in as family time despite the growth of households with both parents working. It might be harder to pull off these days but, in the view of Don Wells, 59, of Phenix City, Ala., it's not that hard.

"Cooking is not rocket science," said Wells, a government contractor who is retired from the armed forces. He and his wife, Mary, have dinner together every night, along with kids, grandkids or "anyone else who happens to be in the house at meal time."

Cell phones don't interrupt. "Not in this house," he said. But the TV is sometimes on.

In West Chicago, Ill., Judit Mohai, 34, is a musician who usually cooks for her husband and kids, ages 2 and 5, four days a week. She's working the remaining three nights. The family eats in the kitchen, where there is no TV, and no one has a cell phone.

"It's very important because we're sitting together," she said. "I did it with my family. My husband did it with his family. It's just kind of normal."

"It just comes naturally and it works," she went on. "It's not like we have teenagers in the house, so as long as we can do it, we do it."

For those who can't pull a family dinner together regularly, it's most often because someone is working too late. Almost one in 10 family members surveyed had no dinners with family in the past week.

Major reasons for offering prepared food instead of a meal from scratch were that the cook was too busy or too beat.

Shelly Fry, 35, a computer programer in Truro, Iowa, says she sometimes wonders how others with full-time jobs manage to cook so much. Her husband, T.J., has an electrical contracting business; their kids are 13 and 14. They cook about half their dinners.

The deli counter, a precooked chicken at the grocery store and takeout are frequent saviors. Dinner is often at 6:30 p.m., with the TV usually on in the background. The kids share one cell phone, are not allowed to text at all and can't take calls at dinner. "My kids are deprived," she said wryly.

Among the poll's findings:

_Once in the past week, 20 percent of those polled had dinner at a sit-down restaurant and 27 percent ate dinner at a fast-food place.

_Women are still doing more of the cooking. Just 51 percent of men said they make a home-cooked meal at least sometimes, compared with 71 percent of women.

_60 percent of independents, 61 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Republicans said their families had dinner together five times or more during the week.

_86 percent had cooked a meal using a recipe passed along from parents, 68 percent had done so from newspapers or magazines, 54 percent from the Internet and 51 percent from TV.

_64 percent of people in rural areas and 63 percent in the suburbs said they ate with their families at least five nights in the week, compared with 56 percent in cities.

The poll was conducted Nov. 5-9 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,006 adults nationwide and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Horoscope - Wednesday, November 11

robby3333 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:37:40 GMT

ARIES
(Mar. 21- April 20)
Your diplomatic nature will help you in straightening out unsavory situations. Career changes may not be your choice right now, but in the long run they will be to your advantage. Use discretion, especially if involved with someone from work.

TAURUS
(Apr. 21- may 21)
A day at the beach may satisfy the whole family. Don't be shy; if you want to spend more time with a special person, make a commitment. Your added discipline will help you complete the impossible at work.

GEMINI
(May 22-June 21)
You may want to put everyone to work on a project that will keep them all too busy to complain. Limitations with females could lead to unfortunate circumstances. Don't let your emotional upset interfere with your professional objectives.

CANCER
(June 22-July 22)
Get out and get active. Your lover will be annoyed with your participation. Your practical approach to life may charm someone who has been observing you.

LEO
(July 23-Aug 22)
Put in some extra hours and finish those careful jobs before you move on to some fun and games. You need time to put your house in order and sort out what you are going to do about your personal direction. Ask others to help, or you may feel that a burden is weighing you down.

VIRGO
(Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)
A little volleyball or other outdoor sports should be on your agenda. Your ability to work with detail will bring recognition. Don't get so wrapped up in being rich that you overlook the fact that your plan may not be as solid as you thought.

LIBRA
(Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)
Get involved in groups that will help you meet established individuals. Your ability to relate will close the generation gap. Get help setting up a reasonable budget. Look into ways of making extra cash.

SCORPIO
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
Find ways to mellow out. Hide your cards and learn to say no. Your lover will be extremely sensitive and now will not be a good time to make changes that they won't like.

SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)
Don't get into heated discussions. Real estate investments will payoff. Children will keep you busy.

CAPRICORN
(Dec 22.- Jan. 20)
You are in a high energy, get it all done, mood and you'll have little patience with those who are slacking off. Make arrangements to meet friends at your local dance club. Use your charm, but don't be phony.

AQUARIUS
(Jan. 21 -Feb. 19)
Work hard on improving your living quarters. Don't overdo it. Go to the top if you're being harassed or held back.

PISCES
(Feb. 20-Mar. 20)
Take work home but be sure to spend some time with your mate. Invite friends in for a visit. Try spending the day catching up on any responsibilities that need to be taken care of.

10 ghost towns around the world

robby3333 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:24:03 GMT

1. Kolmanskop, Namibia

Before you enter this abandoned mining town in the Namib desert, you�ll need to stop in nearby Luderitz for a permit -- a holdover from the days when Kolmanskop was a free-for-all for diamond hunters. The town was at its heyday in the 1920s but abandoned in 1956. It has since been partly restored.

2. Fatehpur Sikri, India

Built by Emperor Akbar to be the most beautiful city in the world, it was widely thought this goal was achieved -- until people realised the city lacked access to water. It was abandoned as the capital of the Mughal Empire after just 10 years and is today a perfectly preserved 16th-century town.

3. Oatman, Arizona, United States

Of the Arizona ghost towns, quirky Oatman has to be among IgoUgo members� favourite. It�s here where wild burros roam the streets and $60,000 bills decorate the walls of the local hotel, where, incidentally, Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their wedding night.

4. Deception Island, Antarctica

A regular stop on Antarctic sailings, Deception Island was a popular place for scientific outposts until several volcanic eruptions destroyed the bases in the 1960s. Today you can see their remains, plus swim in hot springs.

5. Rhyolite, Nevada, United States

Gold was discovered here in 1904, and within 16 years, the town had thrived and fallen into disrepair. Today the most complete building in town is constructed of 30,000 beer bottles and the only residents -- besides those in the ghostly Last Supper art piece -- are the slithering, crawling variety.

6. Arltunga, Australia

A favourite part of this old Outback mining town (and early European settlement) is the "loneliest pub in the scrub," also known as the Arltunga Hotel. It�s an ideal place for lunch or a cold beer before or after exploring Arltunga which was born out of a gold rush.

7. Grafton, Utah, United States

Founded for its fertile land and abandoned largely due to conflicts with Native Americans and flooding, Grafton is most famous as the set of the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The last residents left in 1944.

8. Stromness, South Georgia Island

A former whaling station, Stromness is even more remote, in a sense, than Deception Island. Get there by trekking across mountains on the famous route of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The station was abandoned in 1961, but the relatively posh managers� "Villa at Stromness" has been repaired in recent years in hopes of providing safe access for the growing number of visitors.

9. Great Blasket Island, Ireland

After its population began to dwindle and the few remaining inhabitants could no longer support themselves, Great Blasket was abandoned in 1953. A combination boat-raft trip takes visitors to Great Blasket today to hike among wild donkeys, sheep, rabbits, and puffins.

10. South Pass City, Wyoming, United States

A ghost town with the illustrious distinction of being the birthplace of women�s suffrage in the United States, South Pass City has seen a recent return to semi-glory. Restoration has been done with such authenticity and attention to detail that every one of the 30 historical buildings, containing over 30,000 mostly original artefacts, is a delight to enter and explore.

Very Interesting English History Lesson

robby3333 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:51:54 GMT

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in
a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery.......if you
Had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor"
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to
Buy a pot.....they "didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the lowest of
The low

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water
Temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in
May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were
Starting to smell . .. . Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the
Body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting
Married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house
Had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and
Men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the
Babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in
it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.
It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other
Small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became
Slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence
The saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a
Real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up
Your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the
Top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence
The saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get
Slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) O n floor
To help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh
Until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A
Piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that
Always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things
To the pot They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They
Would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
Overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it
That had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot,
Peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When
Visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a
Sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut
Off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the
Fat.

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content
Caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning
Death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years
Or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the
Loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper
Crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would
Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking
Along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They
Were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family
Would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake
up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places
To bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a
Bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25
Coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized
They had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the
Wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground
and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all
night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could
be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer...

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

Horror Movies: Why People Love Them

robby3333 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:41:16 GMT

This time of year, screens big and small entertain our basest instincts with horrifying gore, monsters, insanity and the supernatural. Although considered a mostly niche genre, horror films enjoy an avid following and rake in plenty of bucks at the box office.

Yet, as horror buffs come down from their Halloween rush, many are ready to do it again. Being scared out of their wits, it seems, is fun. Audiences get another chance this weekend as the "based-on-true-events" alien-abduction thriller "The Fourth Kind" (Universal) opens nationwide.

"Every scene in this movie is supported by archival footage. Some of what you are about to see is extremely disturbing," says Dr. Abigail Tyler, who is played by Milla Jovovich.

The question is: Why? If our best selves find the horrific so repulsive, why do we pay good money to watch it again and again?

Desired effect

It's not merely an attraction to blood and gore, experts say. People who liked the "Saw" series, for instance, wouldn't necessarily derive such pleasure from watching a steer being slaughtered in a meat-processing plant. Researchers say one reason we watch is because the thrill calls up primal behavior, mainly in males, to assess threat levels. (The typical horror-flick viewer is a male adolescent between the ages of 15 and 45.)

"People go to horror films because they want to be frightened or they wouldn't do it twice," says Jeffrey Goldstein, a professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Goldstein edited a book on the subject titled, "Why We Watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment" (Oxford University Press).

"You choose your entertainment because you want it to affect you. That's certainly true of people who go to entertainment products like horror films that have big effects. They want those effects," Goldstein said.

He and other social scientists suggest we watch for different reasons, which include enjoying the adrenaline rush, being distracted from mundane life, vicariously thumbing our noses at social norms, and enjoying a voyeuristic glimpse of the horrific from a safe distance.

Just plain suspense

Among the recent slate of genre films, "Paranormal Activity" (Paramount) has enjoyed superlative acclaim as the "best horror movie ever" not only for its unknown filmmaker and impossibly low ($15,000) production cost - but because it has racked up more than $85 million since the movie's opening in late September. Paranormal remains a strong second-place money maker even as Michael Jackson's "This is It" knocked it from its five-week perch.

Regularly likened to "The Blair Witch Project" for its one-camera documentary style, "Paranormal" is about a young couple, Katie and Micah, who enlist audio-visual equipment to record unexplained things-that-go-bump-in-the-nights spent in their newly purchased home. Bumpy to near-nauseating at times, the shooting was done in seven days in 2006 with a crew of three at writer-director Oren Peli's San Diego house.

With hardly a drop of blood, suspense builds as the demon (not ghost) makes its malevolence known through increasingly threatening acts the couple witness directly and on video replays. Eventually, things get personal between Micah and the demon despite pleas from Katie and Do Not Disturb warnings from a psychic.

The ending, which was changed from the original at the suggestion of Steven Spielberg, is worth the 86 minutes of nail biting. In an off-handed way, it does what Goldstein says horror films must: provide a just resolution in the end. The bad guy gets it.

"Even though they choose to watch these things, the images are still disturbing for many people," said Goldstein. "But people have the ability to pay attention as much or as little as they care to in order to control what effect it has on them, emotionally and otherwise."

In your brain

New York University neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux has mapped out neuron by neuron how the brain's fear system works. He says the complex human brain with its enormous capacity for thinking, reasoning, and just plain musing, allows us to worry in ways other animals can't.

That is, fear is not merely a biological reaction, but an emotion derived from both deep-seeded evolutionary factors as well as newly learned cautions. Conversations between the brain's primitive amygdala and the more recently acquired cortex allow humans to interpret an environmental event and respond with an emotion such as fear.

Scary movies can play on this, LeDouz says, "If you have a good imagination, you can connect to your hardwired fears simply by thinking about a scary situation."

So far, though, the amygdala has the upper hand in the fear response. "This may explain why, once an emotion is aroused, it is so hard for us to turn it off," he says. If we like that sort of thing, it may account for why we're so eager to turn it back on again. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said on Tuesday the studio is planning a sequel to Paranormal.

Joseph LeDoux's work is funded by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies.

Canadians are Cool

robby3333 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:22:00 GMT

Great Answers
In France, at a fairly large conference, Prime Minister Steven Harper was asked by a French cabinet minister if Canadian involvement in Afghanistan was just an example of "empire building".
Mr Harper answered by saying, 'Over the years, Canada has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
You could have heard a pin drop.

A Canadian Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the Canadian, US, English, Australian and French Navies.
At a ****tail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French Admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, North Americans generally learn only English. He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'
Without hesitating, the Canadian Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
You could have heard a pin drop.

When Robert Whiting, an elderly Canadian gentleman of 83, arrived in Parisby plane he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on at French Customs.
'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
The official replied, 'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'
The Canadian said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.'
'Impossible, Monseur. Canadians always have to show passports on arrival in France!'
The Canadian senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, 'Well, when I came ashore on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'
You could have heard a pin drop.

Remembering Names and What to do When You Forget

robby3333 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:19:41 GMT

Remembering names is a challenge for many; therefore, most of us need to work a bit harder at being more proficient. The reason most people tend to forget names is because typically, we are thinking about what we are going to say, rather than listening and concentrating.

Try this exercise: As soon as someone makes an introduction, either a self introduction or paves the way for another, use their name immediately and say, "Dr. Doyle, it is a pleasure meeting you, Dr. Doyle." Do this with each person you meet.

Next, look at this individual; really look at him. Make an association, perhaps with nother person you may know with the same name. Then, make a visual association; visualize him or her with the white teeth or who wears pearls. Ask them to say or pronounce their name again, particularly with a challenging or unusual first and/or last name. In a business situation, ask for a business card. Look at the card, then back at the individual and make another visual association with the individual and, their name. Finally, say his or her name again and, use it frequently in the course of conversation, which will also make them feel special.

People like to hear little more than the sound of their own names. Think about it -- when we hear our name, we perk up, right? You are also sending a message to this individual that you care enough to remember their name, which is a positive reflection on you, personally and professionally. The business tie-in is, what else do you take the time, go to the trouble, make the effort to learn about (in advance)? Bottom-line: I trust you; I want to do business with you; I want you to represent my firm.

What to do when you forget a name?
Here are 10 steps to take when you forget someone's name.

1. Confess
"What's your name again?" would not be appropriate. Try something like, "I am so sorry, I have completely blanked on your name." This said, with sincerity, is appropriate and speaks volumes about you while also demonstrating your genuine interest in knowing who they are and remembering them. As always, it is not what you say, but how you say it.

2. Ask the direct question, "What is your full name?"
The person will respond saying their first and last name. At which point you might say, "Yes, I knew it was 'Bill' but, "Bill Flynn;" now you have both.

3. Go to a mutually respected third party
Ask, "What is the name of the woman in the blue dress?" You may then approach her, greet her by name and be a hero, suggesting you remembered their name.

4. Ask for a business card or calling card.
Take this opportunity to make yet another visual association.

5. Ask them to spell their name.
Be careful here. They could say, "J-O-N-E-S. In other words, exactly the way it sounds." This can happen from time to time. And, it's OK. Others understand and appreciate your effort in trying to know their name.

6. Introduce yourself.
Approach the other person and say your name, first and last. In business, we should all be conditioned so that when we hear another say their name, we respond by saying our name, first and last -- slowly and clearly, so this can be understood and remembered.

7. The "set-up."
The practice of sending over the trusted friend, colleague or spouse to introduce themselves so the individual in question will respond by saying their name, is frequently done and is effective. The person who designed this "set-up" is then free to confidently approach the person, calling them by name.

Finally, knowing that most of us are challenged remembering names, it is everyone's responsibility to be aware of this situation. Recognize the opportunity to help others when it comes to remembering names and using them for introductions and in conversation, which makes others feel valued and special. Everyone's help and participation in making the name game seamless is not only appropriate, but required in order to be an active participant at any event. It will go a long way in terms of being noticed and appreciated.

Faux pas
Be sure to avoid these common faux pas when remembering someone's name.

1. Assuming the familiar
Calling someone by their first name without being invited can be detrimental. Error on the side of being more conservative and ask, "How do you prefer to be addressed?" It is an expression and a gesture -- always acceptable, appreciated and never wrong.

2. Assuming that "Suzanne Smith" prefers to be called "Suzie" or that "Cristiana Jones" prefers to be called "Christy."
Once again, "How do you prefer to be addressed?" helps you to earn the right to advance and, learn that Elizabeth Jones prefers to be called "Lizzy" or, Dr. Jones.

True And It Will Touch Your Heart

robby3333 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:48:13 GMT

This is not my story but I thought I would share it with you. It's from my friend Toolman

A Dog Story, Read to the end you won't regret it

They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie as I looked
at him lying in his pen. The shelter was clean, and the people really friendly. I'd only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I
went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waves when you pass them on the street. But something was still missing as I attempted to settle into my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did. But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new. Tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous
owner. See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home).Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike. For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls - he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes. I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff. I'd get him new things once he settled in but it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to.
I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew,
ones like "sit" and "stay" and "come" and "heel," and he'd follow them when he felt like it. He never really seemed to listen when I called his name - sure, he'd look in my direction after the fourth of fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever. When I'd ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey. This just wasn't going to work. He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes. I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell. The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff. I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the "damn dog probably hid it on me."Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter's number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter. I tossed the pad in Reggie's direction and he
snuffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I'd seen since bringing him home. But then I called, "Hey, Reggie, you like that? Come here and I'll give you a treat."Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction maybe "glared" is more accurate and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down. With his back to me. Well, that's not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number.. But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that, too. "Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see if your previous owner has any advice."
To Whoever Gets My Dog: Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it. If you're reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter. He knew something was different. I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time it's like he knew something was wrong. And something is wrong, which is why I have to go
to try to make it right. So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you. First, he loves tennis balls, the more the merrier. Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hordes them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful - really don't do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly. Next commands: Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I'll go over them again: Reggie knows the obvious ones, "sit," "stay," "come," "heel." He knows hand signals: "back" to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and "over" if you put your hand out right or left. "Shake" for shaking water off, and "paw" for a high-five. He does "down" when he feels like lying down, I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows "ball", "food", "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business. I trained Reggie with small food treats. Nothing opens his
ears like little pieces of hot dog. Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening. Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand. He's up on his shots. Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he's due. Be forewarned, Reggie hates the going to the vet so good luck getting him in the car. I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows. Finally, give him some time. I've never been married, so it's only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat and he doesn't bark or complain.. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially. Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with
someone new. And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you. His name's not Reggie. I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt, but I
just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I'd never see him again. And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything's fine. But if someone else is reading it, well...well it means that his new owner should know his real name. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he's been giving you problems. His real name is
Tank. Because that is what I drive. Again, if you're reading this and you're from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have
no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call the shelter in the "event" to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word. Well, this letter is getting to downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family but still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family. And now I
hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me. That unconditional love from a dog is what I took with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I had to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He was my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades. All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to
drop this letter off at the shelter. I don't think I'll say another good-bye to Tank, though. I cried too much the first time. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth. Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss
goodnight - every night - from me.
Thank You,
Paul Mallory

I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver
Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer. I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my
knees, staring at the dog. "Hey, Tank," I said quietly. The dog's head whipped up, his ears ****ed and his eyes bright. "C'mere boy." He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. ? He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the
name he hadn't heard in months. "Tank," I whispered. His tail swished.. I kept
whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him. "It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me." Tank reached up and licked my cheek. ? "So whatdaya say we play some ball? His ears perked again. "Yeah Ball? You like that? Ball?" Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room. When he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

Zeitgeist - The Movie

samson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:44:27 GMT

A buddy of mine gave me this movie part 1 (2007) and pt 2 (2008) cause he knows I like this kinda stuff. Any of you that are interested in conspiracy theories, govt cover-ups, etc will really like this. At worst it`ll give your head a shake for about 4 hrs as to where we`ve been & where we`re going as a race of humans. History repeats itself.

Weed, you`ll love this !!!

Current FTA Sats in Ontario Canada

dave_ottawa — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:41:56 GMT

Hello,

I'm wondering if there are any FTA Sats that I can aim my Sonicview 8000hd at here in Ontario. Right now my dish is just sitting on the balcony not hooked up ever since I moved.

Thanks,

Dave

Couple sues: Neighbors smoke outdoors

robby3333 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:12:38 GMT

EL DORADO HILLS, A California couple has filed a lawsuit seeking relief from their next-door neighbor's second-hand cigarette smoke, their attorney said.

Donna and Richard Ganguet of El Dorado Hills, Calif., who live in gated community for people age 55 and older, said cigar and cigarette smoke wafts into their yard from the property of neighbor Florence Solone, The Sacramento Bee reported Saturday.

David Trapani, a lawyer for the couple, said they wanted to resolve the issue without confrontation but they were unable to contact the neighbor by telephone and letter.

"They have a right to smoke, but that right ends when it impacts someone else's property, Trapani said.

Steve Solone, Florence Solone's son, said he, his sister and brother-in-law live with his mother and they smoke outdoors.

"My mother doesn't allow smoking in the house," he said.

He said didn't know the smoke was a problem until his mother learned of the lawsuit, which was filed Oct. 1.

A lawyer for the Solones said they want to live peacefully with their neighbors but he said the letters the Ganguets wrote were intimidating because they threatened a lawsuit.

The Ganguets said they considered selling their house and moving rather than filing a lawsuit, but they believe the neighbor's smoke, which they said settles like a fog in their yard, would make a sale difficult

Act of kindness...

robby3333 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:21:54 GMT

This shows what a difference one act of kindness can make!!! Enjoy and have a great day

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... He is a joy to be around..' < /SPAN>

His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'

His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken.'

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.'

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets..'

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Warm someone's heart today. .. . pass this along. I love this story so very much. Just try to make a difference in someone's life today? tomorrow? just 'do it'.

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!

'Believe in Angels, then return the favor'

Facebook Computer Virus

robby3333 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:17:16 GMT

C/P

FACEBOOK FRIENDS... CBS JUST REPORTED THAT THERE IS A VIRUS ON FACEBOOK...IT COMES IN THE FORM OF AN EMAIL CLAIMING TO BE FROM FACEBOOK WITH AN ATTACHMENT ASKING TO CHANGE PASSWORD...ONCE PASSWORD IS CHANGED THE COMPUTER HAS A VIRUS IN WHICH ALL PERSONAL INFO CAN BE ACCESSED...THEY SAID THAT IT SHOULD BE DELETED IF ANYONE GETS THE EMAIL...PASS THE WORD ON!!!!

Don't Change Your Passwords. Sorry about the caps up top, It was C/P