Inside this edition:

— a quote worth remembering —

"Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw.
He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs."  —Author: Former Cardinal Catcher Tim McCarver

«  Information Making News  »

Magazine covers can stir our deepest human emotions.
The American Society of Magazine Editors have announced
the winners of the Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Past 40 Years. The list was decided on by a panel of 52 magazine editors, design directors, art directors and photography editors. Esquire, Time and Life each had four covers on the list. Eleven of the covers came from the 1960s, eight from the 1970s, three from the 1980s, 10 from the 1990s and nine from this decade.
Pictured here is No. 23. Look familiar?

The No. 1 cover was from the 'Rolling Stone' on Jan. 22, 1981.
View all the Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Past 40 Years.

Spammers don't play by the rules... Do you receive lots of junk email messages from people you don't know? It's no surprise if you do. As more people use email, marketers are increasingly using email messages to pitch their products and services. Some consumers find unsolicited commercial email - also known as "spam" - annoying and time consuming; others have lost money to bogus offers that arrived in their email in-box. Reputable businesses don't spam in the first place and those companies that you "have" done business with in the past that do send out emails that might annoy you, will almost always remove you from their lists if you simply ask. However, spammer sites aren't going to pay attention to "remove me" notes and many spammers hide their originating addresses anyway so that complaint letters you send them never actually get to them. The easiest and best approach to spam is simply to delete it - silently, without any indication whatsoever that you ever got it. That way, the spammer has spent money to try to reach you, but in effect, wasted it, because they got no response -- no sale and no indication that the spam was delivered. Spamming is a business, but if people never, ever responded to spam - didn't buy anything, didn't answer back, didn't do anything at all with the spam - spammers would eventually go out of business because they'd be spending money with no return. But ... if enough people "do" buy stuff from spam, and do take steps that let the spammers know they've reached a live mailbox, than spamming will continue to be hugely profitable. Help fight spam to keep the Internet useful for everyone. Take advantage of the information gathered here to make your own experience on the Internet better. See the 6 Ways to Deter Spam.
Related Links:
The CAN-SPAM Act, and How Spam Works and other Resources.

Not since Alfred Hitchcock have we been so afraid of birds... As flu season approaches, there's been a lot of talk about bird flu. Bird (avian) flu is an influenza virus type A that normally infects birds, but can also infect pigs and other animals. Wild birds, the natural hosts, normally don't get sick from this virus, but domestic animals such as chickens can be affected severely. Genetic changes and sharing can occur under certain circumstances such as in crowded conditions where poultry, pigs, and people live in close quarters. This change can allow a virus to become much more infectious to humans and more easily transmitted from person to person. The avian flu's jump to humans was first detected in 1997, although all the human deaths reported so far (about 60 since 2003) have been due to transmission from animals to humans. There has been more concern recently because the virus has been detected in migratory birds which can't be caught and killed - and which may carry the virus to Europe and Africa within the next two migratory seasons.

The consensus is that although it's possible an avian flu epidemic may occur, no one can predict if it will take place in weeks or years. It all depends on when that genetic shift (from birds to humans) takes place. So for now, the avian flu is just a "virus of interest" to medical researchers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are concerned about the potential for human-to-human transmission of this highly dangerous flu strain and the possibility of an avian influenza pandemic have prompted international and national efforts to institute pandemic preparedness measures. Anyone planning travel to a country that has reported the virus are advised to monitor the CDC and the WHO web sites for the latest information. Additional country traveling information is available at the U.S. Department of State. For phone recorded messages on travel-related health topics, call toll-free: 877-FYI-TRIP
Related Links:
Avian Influenza Infection in Humans, and FAQ on Bird Flu and Avian Influenza - Questions & Answers.

Utility Assistance Programs ...
Utility company hardship funds provide cash assistance to utility customers to help them pay their utility bills. Hardship funds provide assistance grants to customers who "fall through the cracks" of other Energy Assistance programs, or to those who still have a critical need for assistance after the other resources have been exhausted. The funds make payments directly to companies on behalf of eligible customers. In Pennsylvania, you can call toll-free (800) 207-9276 or visit the Pa Public Utility Commission website for other Utility Assistance Programs.

Pumpkin Recipes... Pumpkin is an excellent food source. It has no cholesterol, it's low in fat and sodium and it's rich in vitamins, in particular beta carotene and vitamin A. On top of being good for your health, it simply tastes good. Have you ever considered making Pumpkin Ice Cream? The Pumpkin Nook Cookbook has that and plenty more Pumpkin Recipes.
Pumpkin Trivia:
Why are pumpkins orange? ... Can pumpkin be frozen? ... Is the pumpkin a vegetable or a fruit? The answer to these questions and more are here.

The Joy of Home Canning... Home canning of fruits, vegetables, and meats is practiced by many people. It is a great way to save money, and to extend the fruits of your garden well into the winter. However, safe and proper canning techniques are vital. Improper canning may result in spoiled food and worse yet, the possibility of food poisoning. If you have not done home canning before or it has been a while since you last canned food, please read through the information here.
Related Links:
Frequently Asked Canning Questions, Canning Venison, Preservation of Game Meats and Fish, Canning Fact Sheets, Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Food, homecanning.com, Resources for Safe Food Preservation, Seasonal Canning Tips.

"I see London, I see France, No, it's your Underpants"
Some 100 runners wearing nothing but their skivvies turned out for this years' ninth annual Underpants Run, a fun run that has become an annual event in the days leading up to the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Founder and former professional triathlete Paul Huddle said, "It has become quite the event since it began with only three people in 1997." The runners are fully aware that their attire is the butt of the days' joke. Some runners sported their best Calvin Klein or Banana Republic undies. Others were more creative featuring grass skirts, coconut bras, black and yellow Joe Boxers, even the layered look with bright white Hanes peeking out from under a colorful thong. T-shirts are printed with the phrase "I see London, I see France, No, it's your Underpants," for $20 each, with the proceeds benefiting West Hawaii Special Olympics. The Underpants Run, originally begun to poke fun at Speedo-wearing Ironman competitors, is now a fundraiser for a local charity.
See related site - www.ironmanlive.com.

    J-O-K-E  of  the  M-O-N-T-H

Mr. Smith goes to the doctor's office to get his wifes'  test results.

The lab technician says to him, "I'm very sorry sir, but we've had a bit of a problem. At the same time we sent your wifes' samples to the lab, the lab also received samples from another Mrs. Smith, and now we're not sure which results belong to your wife. But, frankly, it's either bad news or terrible news!"

"What do you mean?" said Mr. Smith.

"Well, one Mrs. Smith tested positive for Alzheimer's, and the other Mrs. Smith has tested positive for AIDS. And we can't tell which test belongs to your wife."

"This is terrible!" cries Mr. Smith. "Can't we do the test over?"

"Normally, yes," says the technician, "but you have Blue Cross Health Care, and they won't pay for these expensive tests more than once."

"Well, what am I supposed to do now?" said Mr. Smith.

"Blue Cross recommends that you drop your wife off in the middle of town. If she finds her way home, don't sleep with her."

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: »

Computer/ Internet use is UP
The Census Bureau's latest information on Computer and Internet use is based on data from their 2003 Current Population Survey. Statistics show fifty-five percent of American households had access to the Internet at home in 2003, more than triple the percentage in 1997.

A 2005 report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 68 percent of adults use the Internet, up from 63 percent last year. It found that 22 percent of American adults have never used the Internet.

Advertisers are taking advantage of the increased Internet use. Internet advertising revenue is expected to reach $12 billion this year, more than double the amount from five years ago.

Other Statistics are:

 •   Computers are most prevalent in the West, where 59 percent of households have them. They are least prevalent in the South, with 52 percent.
 •   Alaska, New Hampshire and Colorado have the highest rates of Internet use; Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana have the lowest.
 •   Women are slightly more likely than men to use a computer at home, reversing a historical trend.
 •   Fifty-six percent of working adults used a computer at work, and 42 percent used the Internet on the job.
 •   Among those without access to the Internet, 39 percent said they don't need it or are not interested, while 23 percent said the costs are too high.
 •   Only 32 percent of adult Internet users have purchased products or services online.
Continue reading here.

Access to Task Manager is Denied ...
The Windows Task Manager is a great troubleshooting tool, and useful for ending non-responsive programs and identifying what processes are running on your computer. But, if you've ever tried to open Task Manager and got an error message that says "Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator" (especially if you are the administrator), then you need to get the hotfix from the KB article 555480.

Time for a Quiz:
♫
What is the best exercise?

- click here for answer -

The best exercise is
the one that you will do.

For more tips, see the
Smart Patient Guide
or MSN's Health & Fitness.

(to hide the answer, click it again)

Did You Know?

A Quick Weather Forecast

To see weather conditions and a four-day forecast for your city or town, go to Google.com,
then type in the search box ...
weather (and your zip code)

Windows Magazine coming ...
Future, a consumer magazine company that produces more than 150 special interest magazines, has acquired the rights from Microsoft to publish an official Windows Vista Magazine, which is scheduled to hit the stands in the autumn of 2006, just slightly prior to the expected commercial release of Vista, the long-awaited successor to Windows XP, which is currently in beta testing and due for release in Dec. 06.
Read more here.

What is Phishing? ...
Phishing is the fastest growing threat on the Internet and a form of identity theft. It refers to high-tech scams using phony web sites with real logos designed to steal personal information such as usernames, passwords, credit card and SS numbers. Phishers use many tactics including creating and sending links to fraudulent Web sites or e-mail messages that appear to be valid in an attempt to fool you into submitting personal information.

Get the new Phishing Filter ... One of the new security features that Microsoft has added to the next version of its Web browser, Internet Explorer 7.0, is the anti-phishing feature that identifies known or suspected phishing sites and blocks them or warns users. However, now Microsoft has decided to make the phishing filter available for IE 6.0, too - as an add-on to the MSN Search toolbar. The beta is a free download, but you have to be running Windows XP Service Pack 2. The Phishing Filter will scan websites you visit and warn you if they are potentially suspicious. Read more here.

this just in:

a New World Record ...
In what has become an annual event, the world record for the largest pumpkin ever, has fallen once more. It was grown by Larry Checkon
of North Cambria, Pennsylvania.
It weighed 1,469 pounds.
see the picture
and read the story at the Pumpkin Nook.

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