Why blondes have more fun, why most suicide bombers are Muslim,  why men like to buy those hot, sporty cars when they reach a certain age, Psychology Today has those answers and more. Feminists won’t like many of them, but they’ll like the last one least of all.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20070622-000002.xml

Anti-Virus

I still recommend AVG Anti-Virus Free Version for people who need anti-virus software. It’s less obtrusive and slimmer than Norton or McAfee, updates automatically, and does a very good job of virus protection. Paid versions are unnecessary as this combined with Spyware Doctor below with prevent most infections someone is likely to run across.

Download: AVG Free Edition

Anti-Spyware

People are still having a hard time avoiding and preventing spyware from getting on their systems. Google has partnered up with PCTools and offered a free version of their effective Spyware Doctor software. I use it often at work and highly recommend it as a primary protection against spyware. Unlike AdAware or SpyBot that some of you may be familiar with, Spyware Doctor runs continually like an anti-virus to keep you protected.

Download: Spyware Doctor Starter Edition 5.0.1.201 freeware

Browser

Internet Explorer is an effective browser, but it is also insecure, slow to adopt, and not very customizable.  I prefer and highly recommend the browser FireFox for it’s increased security and customization.  You can install add-ons to do everything from show the weather at all times at the bottom of the screen, to blocking ads, to increased functionality with your favorite sites.   Check out this site for why it may be a good idea to switch if you haven’t already.

Download: FireFox Browser

The immigration debate is wrong. I’m not saying that we should reward illegal immigrants with amnesty, or even let them in our country. I’m saying that debate is the wrong debate to be having. The U.S. right now NEEDs immigrants. Mainly, the U.S. needs MORE educated and talented immigrants.While the baby boom retires, new young talented immigrants can fuel the economy and drive the technology the country will need for the future. We need security on our borders to keep out terrorists, we need less illegal immigrants lowering laborers wages and standards of living, but we need MORE immigrants as a whole.

Microsoft recently announced they are moving some software development out of the U.S. into Canada. Why? Because with the strict visa quotas we have in place Microsoft is trouble getting the employees they want into the country to work for them. Other companies are having the same problem. We as a country are so paranoid about losing our jobs to immigrants, we’re preventing the immigrants from coming in and helping us drive our economy to create new jobs. America’s economic growth has always been at its highest when we were accepting large groups of immigrants into our country. When the atmosphere of the country is at it’s open and welcoming, the best and brightest of the world want to come here. During the 1800’s movement west, many immigrants helped form the railroads and invented new machines that helped drive the country. During the 1900’s scientists and engineers from around the world flocked here following the World Wars helping us build our infrastructure and get to the moon.

We shouldn’t be arguing about how to get the Mexican’s out as much as we should be arguing about how to get the best the world has to offer to come in!

So today is one of the hottest days of the year.   High is 95F  and Heat Index is above 100F.  7/6/07 I receive a notice that the electric company hadn’t received my check and would turn my power off on 7/10 if they hadn’t received payment by 7/9.   I cancelled the first check and mailed a new one out on 7/7.  I figured it would get there on 7/9 and everything would be fine.  Now on 7/9 they didn’t get my check by 10 am and so shut my power off already.   I’m not pleased.   Working on getting the power back on, but now because of the 10 AM rule I need to pay an additional $25.  All because either they or the Post Office lost my first check.