Extra party time...

My birthday falls on a Saturday this year, THIS Saturday in fact (10/28)... Its great to have your birthday on a Saturday. That happens once every seven years or so.

Well, I'm not writing this to self promote my birthday (wink) ...this is also a public service reminder about daylight savings kicking in this weekend. I'm fortunate enough to have my birthday on a Saturday, and also fortunate as this Saturday will be an hour longer allowing more time for Saturday night festivities (for everyone, not just me).

A recent A.P. story describes why the culmination of these rare events will never happen again, sadly.

Most Americans can get a chance at an extra hour of sleep this weekend; clocks fall back to standard time. It's the last time this will happen in October.

Because of a law passed last year, daylight-saving time will start earlier and end later beginning in 2007. It will last from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.

The official change occurs at two a.m. Sunday, though most make the change to their clocks before going to bed Saturday night.

Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas do not observe daylight-saving time.

Face Off....

This from the AP:

An ethics panel Wednesday approved a London hospital's plan to carry out what could be the world's first full-face transplant, but no candidates for the surgery have yet been selected, a spokesman said.

The Special Ethics Committee of the Royal Free Hospital approved a proposal for a series of four transplant operations, said Neil Huband, spokesman for The Face Trust.

"What happens next is that we continue going through the details of patients and looking to potential patients and continue research," Huband said.

He said a list of candidates for the operations could be completed within six months or a year.

Mac versus PC: Counselor

Microsoft Windows uses Apple iPod to infect itself

Apple Computer Inc. said a fraction of its iPod players sold in the past month contained a virus that affects Windows systems.

The problem affected less than 1 percent of the video iPods that were available for purchase after Sept. 12, according to a posting on Apple's technical support Web site. The company has received less than 25 reports concerning the problem, Apple said.

The iPods got the virus from a Windows computer at one of its manufacturing plants, Apple said. The virus, RavMonE.exe, is known to spread through external data storage devices when they are connected to computers and affects only machines running the Windows operating system from Apple rival Microsoft Corp. Security experts say the virus opens up further security holes for hackers.

Up-to-date anti-virus software included with most Windows computers should detect and remove it, Apple said.

Why Favre is cool

Green Bay superstar quarterback Brett Favre sharply criticized the way the NFL handles substance abuse problems Wednesday, a day after teammate Koren Robinson was suspended for the season, apparently because of a drunken driving charge.

"I don't like the way the league has, in my mind, turned their back on him," Favre said. "I'm not against banning him for the year. I'd love for him to play, but to boot him out, clean his locker out and say you can't have no contact with this team?"

Favre, who entered the NFL's substance abuse program during treatment for an addiction to painkillers in 1996, said it doesn't make sense that the policy bans his teammate from the Packers' facilities "and the support group that can help him."

Apple joins Bono's AIDS fight with "Red" iPod nano

Apple joined rocker Bono's charitable project Red on Friday with the unveiling of red iPod nano MP3 players to raise money to battle AIDS in Africa.

The U2 frontman co-founded Red, which enlists renowned brands such as Giorgio Armani and Gap to make product lines that devote part of their revenues to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

A red version of Apple's nano, the world's most popular MP3 player, was created with Bono's help. Ten dollars of the four-gigabyte nano's 199-dollar sale price would go to Global Fund programs.

Apple also planned to sell Red gift cards for its iTunes online music and movie store.

"We're ecstatic that Apple is giving their customers the choice to buy a red iPod nano and help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa," Bono said in a release.

"It's wonderful to see this incredible level of commitment from companies that are willing to lend their creativity in the fight against AIDS in Africa, the greatest health crisis in 600 years."

The Global Fund was established in 2002 with the support of the world's leaders and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to increase resources to fight the three devastating diseases.

"Now customers can buy the best music player in the world and do something to help the world at the same time," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.

"We're honored to work with Bono, Red and this team to contribute to an incredibly important initiative and help change the way people think about AIDS in Africa."

Paint job

Like the new look? If you dont know the old look, then... where have you been?! No, seriously, I welcome new readers. Thanks for coming by and I hope you return. The old look for first time vistors and long time readers with poor memories, was a black background with white font and red links (click on image at left for larger version). The new style of the site I designed today is reversed, white with black font, and blue links. Any thoughts?

One of the BEST booksales...

Portland State University’s library will hold its quarterly surplus book sale starting November 2, 2006. Tables overflowing with thousands of book bargains will be located on the ground floor of the PSU Millar Library. Proceeds from this sale will benefit the PSU Library, the region's largest academic library.

When:

Thursday, November 2, 2006, Noon – 9 p.m.

Friday, November 3, 2006, 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 4, 2006, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sunday, November 5, 2006, Noon – 9 p.m.

Where:

Ground floor of the PSU Millar Library (1875 S.W. Park Ave.).

Cost:

Admission is free and open to the public.

Prices are $1 for paperbacks, $2 for hardcover books and prices range from 25 cents – $2 for records, sheet music, cds, tapes, videos, maps and magazines.

Texas volunteers welcome home the troops

Watch the story as it aired on NBC Nightly News HERE

Thankful citizens greet every flight at the airport
By Janet Shamlian, Correspondent, NBC News

DALLAS - A shower of affection and thunderous cheers.

"Oh my God, it's unbelievable! Welcome to Texas, welcome home!" says a man to a soldier at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

For troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan on a two-week leave, this is their first taste of home. But it isn't home, and most offering hugs and handshakes are neither family nor friends.

"It's the first thing we see after customs, and it's awesome," says Army Lt. Anthony Iannuccilli.

Flights from the battlefield arrive daily in Dallas. Every one, for two years, has been met by volunteers who leave jobs, pack up children and drive to the airport. By comparison, it's a small sacrifice.

"Who wants to call home?" one volunteer asks the troops while holding up a cell phone.

"I got off the plane and saw everybody clapping and everything, and I got a little choked up," says Army Spc. Sam Gill.

Though some here oppose the war, this is sacred ground: free of politics and full of understanding that the warrior is separate from the war.

"Being a Vietnam veteran, we weren't received very well when we came back and we're going to make sure it doesn't happen to these guys," says Wayne Trevathan.

They meet hundreds of flights and thousands of troops. It's hard, they say, not to be moved by seeing a soldier back safely and closer to loved ones, if only for two weeks.