This Month's: Links, Tips, News and Fun Stuff       

Inside this edition:

Our Top 10 Lists 

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Consumer Corner:

In the Spotlight:
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« Useful Resources »

Favorite Links this month:

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— a quote worth remembering —

"The true measure of a man
is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
— Author: Samuel Johnson

Welcome to the November edition of Ron's Newsletter.
                Did You Know? — that 86 years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the world rejoiced and celebrated because the "war to end all wars" was over. It was November 11, 1918. Then, in 1971 President Nixon declared a federal holiday on the second Monday in November and designated it "Veterans Day" to honor veterans of all U.S. wars. — Also this month, always the last Thursday in November, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
— have a great month! — now sit back, read, click and enjoy.

Comments invited.

C YA  nEXT mONTH,
  

«  Now, some news you may have missed  »

Once again, Sears has made history.... For the first time, Sears has opened the doors to its vast archival collection and invited the public to peek inside. More than 100 years of stories, products, photographs, and catalog images are now available online. Enjoy your chronological trip through the Sears Archives!

Time to FOCUS on the FLU... the nation is experiencing a flu vaccine shortage. Public health providers say that the vaccine should only be provided to high-risk individuals, such as young children and senior citizens. People who are NOT in the high-risk groups should delay seeking the flu shot, so that it will be available for people who are more likely to have serious problems as a result of the flu.

The American Lung Association also offers a Flu Shot Locator.
Related Links:   Myths & Facts about Flu and Colds
US Flu Activity Map   |   Learn more about Influenza
Key Facts on Flu   |   Is it a Cold or the Flu ?   |   History of the Flu

LeAnn Rimes will host the... third season of USA Network's Nashville Star. She succeeds Nancy O'Dell. The reality talent show pits country music singing hopefuls against each other in an American Idol -style competition. The first episodes of the third season are set to begin airing on March 25.
A week-by-week look back at the Season 1 winner Buddy Jewell.
The Season 2 weekly journey by winner Brad Cotter.

Microsoft has revamped the look of their home page. Version 2 of the Windows XP Security Guide from Microsoft is now available. It describes the features and recommended settings and covers the changes made by Service Pack 2. Also see the Microsoft KB article 883792.

Many computer users... would not mind paying for songs, vs illegally downloading music files on peer to peer networks, if it were easy and the price was reasonable. In response to that user demand, Apple has had a lot of success with its iTunes online music store, and now Microsoft is joining the increasingly competitive field as it opens the MSN Music Store with the new version of its Windows Media 10 player. In the past year, other high-profile stores have also been launched by Wal-Mart, Napster and RealNetworks.

The music market tracker ... Billboard... will begin Nov. 6, ranking the customized mobile phone sound snippets. As with other music sales data, Billboard will publish the top 20 ringtones purchased for each week. The inclusion of ringtones in Billboard reflects the growing impact sales of wireless content are having on the music industry.

Attention: 401(k) plans Users... Are you interested in a new retirement plan? Would you like to discuss your rollover or transfer options? Let me show you a plan that will guarantee you at least a 7% return and still be invested in the market. Then whichever does better, the market or the guarantee... you are guaranteed not to lose any money.
Contact Dudurich Investment Associates for more information. Call (800)448-4778. (be sure to mention this ad when you call.)

Free Travel Brochures... Use Travelinformation.com to select the latest FREE travel brochures, vacation guides, maps & travel planning kits — and have them mailed to you free of charge. These free vacation guides are what every traveler needs to plan their next vacation.

Online search engine upstart  Vivisimo Inc.... a little-known Pittsburgh company, is taking aim at Google and other industry leaders like Yahoo with a new search engine called Clusty.com. The search engine's name refers to its clustering technology. For instance, entering "San Francisco" into their search box produces a set of general results at the center of the Web page, with a list of more specific categories, such as "Bay", "Hotel", "Art", "University" and "Giants" featured at the left. Clicking on any of the subgroups delivers a new list of links in the center of the page while still preserving the different groups. The clustering technology is meant to simplify online search by breaking down results into related categories instead of bunching them in a single listing that can span thousands of links across hundreds of Web pages. The 20-employee company handles about 6 million search requests per month - an amount that Google processes in less than an hour.

An exercise stress test... is a common test that doctors use to diagnose coronary artery disease. The test helps doctors see how the heart performs during exercise. How does it work? What should I expect? read more.
Related Links:
What is High blood pressure? | How Healthy Is Your Heart?

Simon Cowell... the famously blunt judge of "American Idol" is stirring up controversy with his opinions in his brutally honest book, "I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But"... due out Dec. 2. There are three main elements to the book: Cowell's autobiography, which details his family background and career path, backstage gossip about "American Idol", and advice to wannabe pop stars on how to make it in the music business. The people not spared from his insults include Paula Abdul, host Ryan Seacrest and former co-host Brian Dunkleman. Cowell also takes aim at some superstars, calling Michael Jackson a "spoiled brat", Madonna "over and desperate" and Britney Spears "never sexy." Billboard.com recently spoke with Cowell. read it here.

American Idol returns... to TV on January 5. While millions of Idol maniacs await season four, they can check out NEW Idol albums hitting the store shelves from former contestants. Clay Aiken — has a Christmas album, titled "Merry Christmas with Love", available on November 16, — Ruben Studdard — the season two champ has a gospel-flavored release on November 23, while — Fantasia Barrino — season three's champ will drop her solo debut also on November 23, — Kelly Clarkson — the champ of season one, has her second album, "Breakaway" arriving in stores November 30 and — Diana DeGarmo — the 2nd place finisher of season 3 has her debut on December 7.
Don't miss the American Idol Christmas Special, Nov. 24th on a TV near you.

Robert and Eileen Lange... recently bought a part of New Zealand, 61,000 acres for a price of $14.1 million. Perhaps you know them as Shania Twain and her husband, 'Mut.' The couple intend to farm sheep and live there a few months each year. The 39-year-old country singer, has a new album coming out Nov. 9, "Shania Twain's Greatest Hits." The album will contain 21 songs - 17 of her biggest hits plus three brand new singles. The first single, "Party for Two" was recorded in country and pop versions.

    J-O-K-E  of  the  M-O-N-T-H

A company, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hires a new CEO. This new boss is determined to rid the company of all the slackers.

On a tour of the plant, the CEO notices one guy leaning on a wall. The room is full of workers and he wants to let them know he means business!

The CEO walks up to the guy and asks, "And how much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young fellow looks at him and replies, "I make $300.00 a week. Why?"

The CEO then hands the guy $1,200 in cash and screams, "Here's four weeks pay, now GET OUT and don't come back!"

Feeling pretty good about his first firing, the CEO looks around the room and asks, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-off did around here?"

With a sheepish grin, one of the other workers mutters, "He's the Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

Find the best sites fast!
Browse the Internet with our web site directory. Quick access to over 1000 hand-picked * useful links, categorized to save you time. Experience the Ultimate Road to the Internet on ... www.route53.com

« Computer Tips: »

Having problems playing DVDs
on your Windows XP computer? Microsoft has provided a resource document for troubleshooting DVD problems that covers common error messages, inability to play DVDs and poor playing quality.
See KB article 308012.

Time for a Quiz:
True or False

They're all True.
See more trivia here.
(to hide the answer, click it again)

To view or print forms
in the pdf format
you need the Adobe Reader® — it's free software for viewing and printing (PDF) files. Adobe 6.0 is the current version. Get it here.

Send this Newsletter to a Friend!

Forward this message to everyone you know.
FAKE Virus Warnings
Interspersed among the junk mail and spam that fills our Internet e-mail boxes are dire warnings about devastating new viruses, Trojans that eat the heart out of your system, and malicious software that can steal the computer right off your desk. These false virus warnings are sent by e-mail with the aim of spreading false rumors and causing alarm among users. Added to that are messages about free money, children in trouble, and other items designed to grab you and get you to forward the message to everyone you know. Most all of these messages are hoaxes or chain letters. While hoaxes do not automatically infect systems like a virus or Trojan, they are still time consuming and contribute to the clogging of mailservers.
When in Doubt, Don't Send It Out.
If you receive any of this kind of email, don't simply pass it on to everyone you know, either delete it or check out it's validity. Validated warnings from antivirus vendors have valid return addresses and are usually signed by the company. Alternately, you can get the warnings directly from the web pages of the organizations that put them out to insure that the information you have is valid and up-to-date.
.... So ....
If you receive what appears to be a bogus message regarding a new virus, or promotion that sounds too good to be true, you can confirm it with one of these websites below:

• Vmyths
• McAfee Hoax Listings
• Scams & Chain Letters
• F-Secure Hoax Warnings
• Symantec Security Response
• Trend Micro Hoax Encylopedia
• Most Common Hoaxes by Panda

How to Recognize a Hoax
Probably the first thing you should notice about a warning is the request to "send this to everyone you know." This should raise a red flag that the warning is probably a hoax. No real warning message from a credible source will tell you to send it to everyone you know. read more.

see last month's Newsletter?

Can someone break into my computer?
Unfortunately yes, intruders (or hackers) are always discovering new vulnerabilities (or holes) to exploit in computer software. The complexity of software makes it increasingly difficult to thoroughly test the security of computer systems. When holes are discovered, computer vendors will usually develop patches to address the problem. However, it is up to you, the user, to obtain and install the patches, or correctly configure the software to operate more securely. Most of the incidents of computer break-ins could have been prevented if the users had kept their computers up-to-date with current patches and security fixes.
TOP TEN CYBER SECURITY TIPS from StaySafeOnline.

ActiveScan
from Panda Software
a FREE online antivirus scanner will scan your PC and discover any malicious code. It scans, disinfects and eliminates viruses from all parts of your system, hard disks, compressed files and all your e-mail. It is updated at least once a day, so each scan will be able to detect even the latest viruses. You don't need to install any programs, just connect to the Internet and simply click whenever you want to clean your computer.

ActiveScan detects and eliminates viruses that have entered your PC, but, they could still re-enter. For permanent protection, Panda offers a range of solutions to protect you PERMANENTLY.

====================
Bumper Sticker Sighting:
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I Got a Gun for my Wife ...
best trade I ever made.

====================
this just in:
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'Tis the Season:
for Donating to Charities
With so many charities soliciting contributions, chances are you'll be asked to donate. See these tips to help you give wisely.

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