Posts

Why not leave the driving to the computer?

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The saps are whining again.  Not surprisingly, "The Metro" has experienced a drop in revenue, according to href="http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4780932/22370829.html" target="_blank">The Des Moines Register , apparently the fault of a lower number of riders.  Until there's a real benefit from letting someone else take the wheel, Desmoiniacs are sticking with the McVicker Speedway under their own guidance and direction. The bus will never take you where you want to go, when you want to go -- unless you seek a lifestyle that perfectly matches the bus routes & schedules.  Nobody does that though. There is still much to be said for mass transit.  Let's look at some societal problems MTA could solve if it were used effectively. Drunk driving Reckless driving Unsafe driving Driving too fast Distracted driving Traffic congestion Car trouble Car accidents Rubber necking Financial res
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Staying virtually healthy

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We occasionally talk about how important it is to protect your computer from viruses, trojan horses and worms and subsequently get a lot of questions about which applications are the best.  Here's our short list. Norton Antivirus from Symantec ($50) My personal favorite.  I've always had good luck with this product; no quirky problems associated with installing or using it. McAfee Virusscan from Network Associates ($35) Some quirkiness.  It's cheaper though, and many use it without having the issues I've had! AVG Anti-Virus from GriSOFT (Free) This is the freebie Corey's mentioned several times.  I've never used it, but Corey says it's a fine product.
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Telemarketing, Shmelemarketing

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Am I nuts? I thought the First Amendment predated telephones. Would someone please tell me what law here would abridge a person's right to speech? And tell me again about my right to peaceful enjoyment, please! If you want to call me, establish a relationship with me through direct marketing, traditional media advertising or by stumbling into me at Wellman's.  For the most part, if I'm in the market for aluminum siding, I'll Google "aluminum siding" -- or hang out at Wellman's if I want more drinking buddies. What's probably more troubling are all the deceptive practices I see day-to-day.  Masking or dressing up "caller ID" and "last call return" data just so they can fool me into answering the phone, or preventing me from identifying them.  How about the ones who say they work for your local cable company?  Or advertising a new notebook computer for only $799, then show in small print "After Rebate".
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Saving Iowa's One-Room Schoolhouses

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The Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance is presenting a two-day conference at the Spencer school admin offices (23 E 7th St) Oct. 3 & 4, where several speakers will be on hand for presentations, including a cartoonist/author and a university professor. A tour of museum schools in Clay, Dickinson and Buena Vista counties will be held Saturday. For details, email Bill Sherman or call (800) 434-2039.
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RIAA and Mediacom

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Mediacom, Des Moines' cable Internet provider, has to date, received 6 subpoenas on behalf of the RIAA for identity information on its users' downloading of copyright protected music on peer-to-peer networks, such as Kazaa. Whether Mediacom succumbs to the requests is really irrelevant. In many cases, if you buy it, you own it lock, stock and barrel. You have the right to screw with it, tinker with it, destroy it, or improve it however you see fit -- provided you don't hurt anyone or cause damage to anyone else's property in the process. At least that's what we hope is the case. If you buy a CD, you own the CD. It's a bona fide contract between you and the seller. It's the same with any product. But if you reproduce it and sell it and make money on the venture, you are stealing someone else's hard work for profit. I doubt any reasonable person diagrees with that. But that's not what this is about, and I think most people grasp that.
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Home Energy Panel

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Experts in the industry are predicting double and triple utility bills this winter.  This is cause for great concern for all of us, but the expected high energy prices will devastate people in the lowest income ranges.  As a public service to our community, The Wise Guys would like to invite a panel of experts to do a special show on improving the efficiency of homes, both for existing structures and new construction. The panel We have invited Brian Leech of Alger-Leechman Heating & Cooling to be on the panel, as well as the a PR spokesman for MidAmerican Energy.  We'll also invite a builder to come on and join us.  We'll address several issues in our forum: What can consumers do to improve efficiency? What can builders do to improve efficiency? What can heating and cooling professionals do to improve efficiency? Are there incentive programs to make it possible for home owners to spend money on improving the efficiency of their homes?
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Ten Commandments Judge Suspended

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Alabama's Chief Justice Roy Moore has been suspended as a result of disobeying an order from a higher court. The order was to remove the Ten Commandments monument he had placed his court house. According to court documents, Moore was twice offered opportunities to stay the removal order and take the issue to the US Supreme Court, but the judge refused to follow established court rules and failed in any hopes to do so. When Judge Moore finally made the appropriate request, it was simply too late, and the higher court subsequently rejected such filings. We hear heated discussions on the church-state separation issue, but this point comes down to following established guidelines. In two conference calls, members of the US District Court asked Moore if he wanted to have the order stayed; to take it to the US Supreme Court, but Moore declined. In arguing for keeping the monument in the court house, a few are suggesting that we look to the strongly held religious beliefs of the
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