Why April 30? Historic Twists Make for Memorable Day

April 30 is an important day in the history of the world. Well, let's face it, this day holds a huge significance for this writer. With that said, I plan to hit the links and take the day off ...


Flingjore's Timeline for April 30
(Compiled from various news sources, with respect)
1789 - George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America in New York City.

1803 - The United States makes "the greatest land bargain" of its young history with the Louisiana Purchase in a deal with France.

1812 - Louisiana became the 18th state of the Union.

1917, the "Battle of the Boot" marks the end of the British offensive against the key Turkish railroad at Samarra, some 130 kilometers north of Baghdad, in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), during World War I.

1933 Musician Willie Nelson is born.

1939 - Baseball’s ‘Iron Horse’, Lou Gehrig, played his last game with the New York Yankees.

1945 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide in Berlin while hiding in an underground bunker as the "1,000-year" Reich collapses above and Russian troops put the final grip on the German capital.

1970 - President Richard Nixon announced the U.S. was sending troops into Cambodia, sparking widespread protest.

1971 - Flingjore springs into life in Denver, Colorado.

1973 - In the midst of the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon announced the resignations of top aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, along with Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean.

1975 - The South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces, effectively ending the Vietnam War.

1983 - Michael Jackson's "Beat It" tops charts.

1985 - The NBA set an all-time season attendance record as 19,506,355 fans attended games in arenas around the league.

1986, the world's worst nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl plant in the Soviet Union.

1993 -Tennis star Monica Seles is stabbed during a match in Hamburg, Germany.

1998 - Auxiliary Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera, after releasing his report on atrocities during Guatemala's 36-year civil war, is was bludgeoned to death.

2000 - Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signed the nation's first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.

2003 - Libya accepted responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

2007 - The Senate joined the House in clearing legislation calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin by Oct. 1, 2007, with a goal of a complete pullout six months later.

"Whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called." -- John Stuart Mill, English political philosopher (1806-1873).

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Furtive Barbie Tests Iranian Social Police

Dara and Sara may never be able to win the votes for prom king and queen in Iran. Designed to promote traditional values with their modest clothing and pro-family stories, these dolls may never compete with Barbie and her swimsuits and lavish clothing.

Over the last ten years, Iran has been locked in a campaign to rid its culture of the scourge known as Barbie. As recent as 2002, according to the AP, the government confiscated the dolls from toy shops, denouncing the un-Islamic sensibilities.

Smuggling is the latest turn in this strange tale. A top Iranian government official lashed out on Monday against the influence of importing American dolls, including Barbie, Harry Potter items and Spiderman. Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi denounced the influence of Western toys on Iran's society, citing instances where certain toys had been "smuggled" into the country.

To date, there's no law outlawing the importation of any toys from any country in the world but the Iran's social law strongly discourages the practice.

According to the AP, Najafabadi said in an official letter to Vice President Parviz Davoudi that the doll and other Western toys are a "danger" that need to be stopped:

"The irregular importation of such toys, which unfortunately arrive through unofficial sources and smuggling, is destructive culturally and a social danger," said the letter, a copy of which was made available to The Associated Press.

In 1996, the head of a government-backed children's agency called Barbie a "Trojan horse" sneaking in Western influences such as makeup and revealing clothes, according to wire reports.

Opinion: with the Ukraine looking to manufacture and distribute Hitler dolls and Iran looking to ban Barbie dolls, it seems like there might be a good business match there somewhere. While one country tries to rid itself of freedoms granted by the fall of the Soviet Union, another tries desperately to impose the will of religious extremist values. All said, what better match for such a place than a whole series of dolls based on the worst dictators of all time: Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler. Why stop at one but include a whole series of action figures that showcase the worst of the worst. After all, according to CSN, it's important to "teach your children well."

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D.C. Bike Share to Challenge District Gridlock

Travel around the nation's capital is quite an experience. For Washingtonians, the daily commute often requires road-to-rail connections or the long waits at popular intersections. With Clear Channel SmartBikeDC, the situation will likely get even more interesting.

The idea of a European-style bike share, or two-wheeled timeshare, is an excellent venture and boasts a very eco-friendly attitude that will attract many customers. The program requires an annual fee of roughly $40 and allows "users" to pick up and drop off bikes at ten rental locations in key commuter areas in the city. In fact, many of the locations are hot spots where travel becomes complicated due to the limited reach of Metrorail.

Users are issued passes that are used to retrieve and return bikes between stations for up to three hours. Currently, there are no hourly fees. So, much like the ZipCar program, anyone can use this mode of transportation to run errands without having to stress about time.

There are some drawbacks that will likely cause the DDOT many headaches. Most Washington area commuters can agree that pedestrian traffic during the morning and evening commutes pose large issues on the streets. Foot travelers often have to be very cautious about crossing signals, drivers trying to beat a yellow light and Metro buses. In fact, buses are the most common danger to pedestrians in the city, drawing calls for a new push for pedestrian safety.

SmartBikeDC touts the nation's capital as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. This is true since there exists a vast network of bike paths and routes for travel. The true test, however, exists in the business district where riders are not allowed to pedal along city sidewalks. Bikers are allowed to ride on sidewalks anywhere outside this zone and, inside the zone, there are very few dedicated bike lanes.

Lastly, D.C. law does not dictate a mandatory rule that bikers must wear helmets when biking in the city. Smartbike does strongly urge its users to wear safety equipment but riders have to bring their own lids. Simply put, stop-and-go traffic during heavy commuter times, does make bike transportation an efficient way to travel. In short, the issue of safety will plague the DDOT early in the program and likely become epidemic after a track record is established.

SmartBikeDC understands this issue will be a test and looks to counter questions ahead of time in the FAQ section of smartbikedc.com:

"I'm nervous riding on busy city streets, can you offer some advice? D.C. is rated one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, and has an ever expanding network of bike facilities. While it may seem daunting at first, the stop-and-go nature of downtown D.C. traffic makes bicycling a quick and efficient way to get around. When riding on city streets, cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities of automobile drivers, so follow the same traffic rules you would while driving a car. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) offers free Confident City Cycling classes that not only go over the rules of the road, but tricks and tips to make cycling in the city safer and more enjoyable! Learn more here: WABA. WABA also publishes a Safe Cycling Guide. Learn more here: WABA Safe Cycling."

Washingtonians that plan to use this service will be more educated to the perils associated with bike travel in the District. Tourists in the nations capital will not be so familiar with streets, intersections and the nature of drivers in the city. To get a good feel of the pulse of the area, comments to and article by The Post's Elissa Silverman are enlightening. (As with any discussion thread, literal interpretation is not recommended.)

With ten locations and 100 bikes, there's likely not to be a huge influx of bikes on District streets. But, as any company looks to grow, more locations and bikes would be added. Bicyclists and motorists need the proper education for such an effort to be safe and help to improve the area's gridlock woes.

Related links:

• SmartBikeDC
  
• Bicycle-Sharing Program to Debut -- washingtonpost.com
  
• DC to launch nation's first European-style bike share -- AP

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False Reports of Hitler Dolls Spark Ire in Ukraine

CORRECTION (May 15): An earlier version of this story reported that a Ukranian toy company had bought the rights to release an Adolf Hitler doll. The reporting was based on reports from the Daily Mail and the BBC. Since then, each news outlet has retracted the story as a hoax and removed the video content. I apologize for distributing the false information despite countless efforts to verify the story across several reliable sources.

Reports by The Daily Mail and BBC regarding the sale of an Adolf Hitler doll by a Ukrainian toy company have been retracted as a hoax. The story was broadcast across many wire services, including the AP, that included video segments.

The news of the planned release was first reported by Zerkalo Tizhden', a newspaper in the former Soviet republic. Such a release would likely spark public debate since most Nazi images are illegal in Ukraine.

During Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, nearly three million people in the Ukraine died, among them an estimated one and a half million Jews. As the German army advanced deep into Soviet territory, Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) followed the troops and implemented mass-murder operations.

Recent reports cited increasing xenophobia and racism, and of some extremists supporting racism similar to that of Nazi Germany under Hitler.

Related Links:
Holocaust Encyclopedia: Invasion of the Soviet Union
Hitler's Invasion of Russia in World War Two

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Celebrate Earth Day With Oil-Cott, a Boycott of Gasoline

Coordinators at earthdaynetwork are encouraging everyone on the planet to "Walk, bike or row to a major Earth Day event." For most people, large celebrations are not possible as we move forward into that Tuesday grind, counting down the days towards the weekend. In fact, to really have celebrated as the slogan directs, everyone would have spent the weekend in 12 major cities enjoying live entertainment and group antics.

We can, however, make a difference that will have some impact on us personally. Simply put, an "oil-cott," or boycott of gasoline on this Earth Day, April 22, 2008, in an effort to follow the call for climate, the global warming action theme. Don't drive anywhere today: walk, bike, row or take public transportation.

The choice may be easier as oil prices rise to new record highs, $118 per barrel after overnight trading, with the national average somewhere between $3.45 to $3.85 per gallon. The latest spike is directly tied to a possible labor strike in the U.K. and shady attacks on oil companies in Nigeria.

The irony is amazing: today is Earth Day and some Americans are paying half their hourly wage just to get to work, if they are lucky enough to own their own car. Irony aside, endeavor to find a creative way to not drive your own automobile, motorcycle or operate any machine that requires gasoline or a hybrid mix of gas and oil. This rule would also apply to lawn mowers, lawn trimmers and chain saws.

That's Flingjore's message for Earth Day 2008. Until then, enjoy the following trailer, the "Real Dirt on Farmer John" which is an integral part of this year's Earth Day Film Festival in Canada.

For more information about the film festival, have a quick look at the following video which previews other movies to be shown between April 25-27.

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IRS Snapshot of American Taxpayers

Being somewhat obsessed about the IRS over the past 14 days brings a lot to mind about the makeup of the Internal Revenue Service. Everyone has heard the expression "going postal" but what about the workers at this government agency? (video )

Here's a compilation of fast facts and Weekly Filing Season Highlights for Week Ending March 15, 2008. The memo is designed to provide a real accounting of the government's effort and make the information available to all taxpayers, including data about the number of tax returns filed, the performance of the IRS Web site www.irs.org, the load on the automated telephone service, the daily dealings of the walk-in customer service locations and volunteer assistance.

Return Receipts

• As of March 15th, the IRS has received 71.0 million total individual returns. Last year at this time, the IRS had received 67.4 million returns.
  
• Of the total returns filed, 53.4 million are electronic returns, as compared to 49.4 million electronic returns through this same week last year.

Refunds

• The IRS has issued 59.2 million refunds for a total of $149.6 billion through March 15th.
  
• The average refund totaled $2,527 as compared to $2,467 this same week last year, an increase of 2.5%.
  
• As of March 15th, the IRS direct deposited 45.0 million refunds, as compared to 42.1 million last year.

Toll-Free Performance (telephone measures)

• As of March 15th, the IRS answered 9.53 million calls. Last year this time the IRS had answered 9.48 million calls, a slight increase of 0.5%.
  
• As of March 15th,, the IRS completed 13.7 million automated calls, a increase of 2.1% from last year’s 13.4 million.
  
• As of March 15th, the IRS Customer Service Representative Level of Service (CSR LOS) decreased 3.1% from last year at this same time. A decrease from 82.5% to 80.0%.

Taxpayer Assistance Centers’ Performance

• As of March 15th, Field Assistance Walk-In Contacts were 1,564,399.

Volunteer Assistance

• Volunteer Return Preparation is 15.4% above last year’s performance and Volunteer e-file has increased by 3.0% compared to this same time last year.
  
• As of February 29, 2008, Outreach Contacts have decreased by 13.2% as compared to the prior year at the same time.

Source: www.irs.gov "2008 FILING SEASON DATA"

To partially quote this video so as not to rob the punchline: death and taxes are the only sure things in life.



Related stories:
Tax Time Tricks: 10 Days and Counting
Great Advice for the Ides of April

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Great Password Manager Ideas

The following video offers great software and helpful links for excellent passwording.

Always remember to keep multiple passwords for everything, from your PC, online banking and sites on which you play.

Related Links:
Forget Fido123: 5 Steps to Hack-Free Passwords
Microsoft's Password Checker to test the strength of your passwords
Strong passwords: How to create and use them

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Forget "Fido123": 5 Steps to Hack-Free Passwords

Are you a true space wrangler of the Web, a universal traveler who at transcends space and time like the silver cyber-surfer? In fact, you've set your laptop so that no lock and key open doors quickly. A truly safe, anti-hacker system of complex passwords protects the walls around your kingdom. Seriously, you are way too busy to fumble around with a login sheet or far too tired to just remember.

Well, glad to hear that you leave your house unlocked at night. A new survey finds that over half of all Internet surfers use universal passwords. To steal an analogy: most people use the same key for their car, house ana safety deposit box.

The problem with repeating passwords is that a hacker who successfully breaks into one account then has an easy time guessing how to get into all the user's other accounts. According to the Accenture survey, 88 percent of the 800 people interviewed in the U.S. and the U.K. said personal irresponsibility is the key cause of identity theft and fraud. Researchers say the findings suggest that many users underestimate the growing threat from organized cyber criminals who can reap big profits from selling stolen identities.

If you are in the 20% that do not use universal logins, please continue reading.

Save your identity by changing passwords frequently and avoiding universal logins, no matter how simple it may be to have just one. Hackers can only get your digital profile by stealing your hints as it may take centuries to break a great password.

Crack My Password: According to John P., there are ten starting points to "hack your weak password."

1. Your partner, child, or pet’s name, possibly followed by a 0 or 1 (because they’re always making you use a number, aren’t they?)
   
2. The last 4 digits of your social security number.
   
3. 123 or 1234 or 123456.
   
4. “password”
   
5. Your city, or college, football team name.
   
6. Date of birth - yours, your partner’s or your child’s.
   
7. “god”
   
8. “letmein”
   
9. “money”
   
10. “love”

Hashes: This mystic word, according to Christopher Null: The Working Guy, is the exact mirror of your online identity. If a hacker breaks into a bank's system, they may be able to grab this data. The great thing about a hash is that it's not reversible. That is, you can translate a user login to a hash but not a hash to a user password. Well, not so easily. A math formula is used to make a password into a hash. In addition, there can be several transition points where math is applied to make "fido123" into 1b3c2c45d0a977b508f637097a94cbfb. (More information: "How Do They Hack Your Password")

Background Investigations: These are not your typical, above-board Q&A forums but non-ethical means to steal your identity. Cyber crooks will stop at nothing to get what is your and make it thiers. A site called Zabasearch.com has stirred up debate by giving away, for free, a product that used to require a fee to obtain: Name, address, date of birth. (You can find more information at Wired.com or ConsumerAffairs.com.
)

User-Friendly is unsafe -- the Sprint mistake: my former coworker, Brian Krebs, takes on cybersecurity on a regular basis in his blog Security Fix. Krebs recently found that automatic authentication methods used by Sprint and Verizon allow users to gain access to online accounts separate from initial online account management setup, giving a a second signup the ability to completely own the account by walking the person through the creation of the additional security layers of a PIN and reset code.

Protect Your Gear With Your Digits: A fingerprint reader is a great tool to safeguard your laptop if it is stolen. New laptops, like the U6 from Asus, scan your face, examine your proportions and then authenticate.

More information can be found by searching "crack passwords" or have a look at the Q&A section of Yahoo! technology.

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Great Advice for the Ides of April

For many of us who are prepared for April 15, today is just another Tuesday. For others, today is a day for stress and worry over how long the post office will stay open, wondering whether or not my e-file will go through to the IRS servers, doubt over the available balance in a checking account and the last-minute review for deductions.

Finding deductions doesn't have to take a professional. So, just a short take today to help you find the facts you need.

Tax Time Tricks: Ten Days and Counting
Overlooked Tax Deductions for Last-Minute Filers
IRS Last-Minute Reminders
Use Free File to Prepare Your Taxes

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D.C. Metro Ad Pulled Ahead of Pope Visit

VIDEO: Archdiocese of Washington asks Metro, the rail transportation system in the nation's capital, to pull the following promotional ad, featuring a bobblehead doll of Pope Benedict XVI. The advertisement, published first on YouTube, plugs a special day pass and cautions riders in the Washington area to plan in advance of the Papal Mass at Nationals Stadium on April 17. In any case, the clip was rescued by CBSNews.com and published on washingtonpost.com as part of The Post's full coverage of Benedict XVI and his visit to the U.S.

The Pope will visit various locations in Washington, D.C., and New York on April 15-20. Related: Official Itinerary of the Papal Visit

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Masters Coverage Equals Tiger Watch

Every April, we are capitvated by the beauty of Augusta Naional and the celebrity that surrounds what what many golfers describe as the most popular, and famous, tournament in the U.S. Only the British and U.S. Open tournaments can even compete with this event.

We are constantly bombarded with information, news bytes and tools to follow Tiger through the tournament. These are all very necessary since no station will carry the "golf's greatest event" until the workday is nearly complete.

Anyway, my two favorite interactives are Golf.com's interactive leaderboard that allows users to personalize a lineup and then follow along, hole by hole. Only one complaint: how hard is it to auto-refresh a page?

As far as coverage, try out "The Masters" at washingtonpost.com: the easy access to audio updates, multimedia and in-depth analysis from Boswell and Shapiro make the time pass too quickly. Plus, the sports team has done a wonderful job in picking a "Leader Board" (notice the difference in style between two news agencies -- leaderboard vs. leader board) from Stats LLC that does update, without having to hit the refresh button.

From the opening tee shot early on Thursday morning, the buzz was about the world's number one player, the best of the best, Tiger Woods. Will he win? And, if so, in what fashion will he wear that famous green jacket again after stunning spectators and golf enthusiasts around the world.

Watching the Golf Channel was also very enlightening, and with the extra time before ESPN airs any TV coverage, a parlor game was in order. The decision: count the number of times Tiger Woods is mentioned in the first 15 minutes, half-hour and hour segments. The results are not very surprising as the hosts mentioned Tiger's name, or referenced him in some fashion, once every two minutes. Wow.

With that statistic, the Golf Channel is now dubbed "Tiger TV" for at least the next several days. Makes this viewer wonder if there are any pro golfers even playing. For example, will Fred Couples make the cut and keep the streak alive? Or, what about VeeJay, Phil, Sergio, Retief and Ernie.

Needless to say, the first two days are always surprising, exciting and, for some, a dream realized. Every golfer's dream, to play where legends grew, on the same course that challenged the likes of Bobby Jones. This dream lives on, in vivid color, for Brandt Snedeker and Trevor Immelman: they are destroying one of the toughest and most difficult courses that exists.

All of this will be over, according to the analysts, when Tiger makes his move yet again. Woods is only two eagles and four birdies out of the lead -- no worries. In fact, he missed Friday's eagle opportunity on the par-5 8th but knocks down the birdie anyway. It's easy. It's Tiger.

Sarcasm aside, it's worth enjoying the pagentry. We'll see how things turn out on Sunday, around 5 p.m., as we pray for a playoff between the Gods of golf.

Until then, you can catch me on the links, checking out official coverage at masters.org, on my Blackberry, waiting for the foursome in front of me to find the ball they shanked into the rough, only 40 yards away. Hopefully, I can figure out a way to watch "Amen Corner -- Live Video" on this smart phone. The video coverage on the Internet is amazing -- and free.

After all, it's too beautiful outside to be sitting inside, writing this blog when a writer can do it all remotely. Now, we'll have to see if all this typing with my thumbs will affect my next tee shot. Fore!

(Image courtesy of masters.org and is borrowed for the aesthetic value and to give credit where credit is due.)

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Yahoo Continues Fight for Independence

Internet search giant Yahoo remains a hot topic today as the takeover bid takes several twists and turns. As huge interests battle to control the company, Yahoo reaches out to Google to explore the possibility of giving ad space and will conduct a two-week trial of AdSense.

Late Wednesday night, Microsoft and News Corp engaged in serious dealmaking over Yahoo and may partner up in order to make a serious bid at aquiring the company, according to news reports using undisclosed sources. News agencies are also reporting that Yahoo is taking aim at AOL in a deal with Time Warner. In essence, Rupert Murdoch and Bill Gates are looking to monopolize Internet advertising by creating the world's largest Web portal.

The basic facts of the deal, still very murky at this stage, are below as published on washingtonpost.com:

"Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., the world's largest media company, is in talks with software giant Microsoft over a possible combined bid for Yahoo, according to a source close to the discussions.
"Yahoo, meanwhile, is working out a complicated deal to acquire most of AOL from Time Warner, the world's second-largest media company, in a move that would create the Internet's largest portal, according to a source close to those talks."

Such a cartel would allow News Corp. and Microsoft to control Yahoo, MSN, MySpace and AOL, a majority of the Web's virtual space and users. But these two deals are subject to approval and then would have to make it past antitrust laws.

In any case, Yahoo! Inc. is exploring its options and has taken strategic moves to raise it's value. Regardless, Microsoft will likely raise its price and the takeover will be in motion. "ZDNet's Assessing the moving pieces of Microhoo" offers a good recap. Until then, we watch and wait, but plan to buy the stock while it's still cheap.

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100 Best Novels: How Many Have You Read?

The Telegraph announced "The Perfect Library" this week, listing 110 best books for modern times. Honestly, I find the list to be a bit off in places, especially when any reader considers the entertainment value versus the literary appeal.

Instead of ranking books from 1-110, the editors chose to list books in categories: clasics, poetry, fiction, science fiction, crime, history and lives. What's unique? This list spins two categories: books that changed the world and books that changed your world. In any case, as a reader, a methodology would be a great reference to judge how this list was created (The Bible didn't make the cut?).

Anytime a "greatest books" list is published, the conversation shifts to books that affected each individual. With that said, I find the "Modern Library" by Random House to be much more reader-friendly. Plus, their list includes a survey of top picks by readers.

Here's a sampling of best novels:
ULYSSES by James Joyce
THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
CATCH-22
DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler
SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence
THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck

And readers' picks:
ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand
THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand
BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
1984 by George Orwell
ANTHEM by Ayn Rand
WE THE LIVING by Ayn Rand
MISSION EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard
FEAR by L. Ron Hubbard

Rand never really grabbed me, so here's a top three:
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexander Dumas
WINESBURG, OHIO by Sherwood Anderson
NATIVE SON by Richard Wright

These were a tough choice considering THE LORD OF THE RINGS, ON THE ROAD, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, LESS THAN ZERO and GENERATION X.

What's important is that we, as a society, continue to read great books instead of the many random musings of bloggers. But, how do such new inventions of the literary world factor in when comparing the greatest tomes of all time?

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Yahoo! Previews Ad Tool in Effort to Raise Microsoft Bid

Yahoo! unveils AMP, a web-based CMS to help simplify and streamline online ad sales, that will leverage a historic ad revenue-sharing agreement Yahoo made in November 2006 with U.S. newspaper publishers. Previously known as APEX, the company promises a platform that delivers more access to user data through individual newspaper sites by July 2008.

Video describing the new product:

Google's PrintAds offers the strongest competition to AMP and currently offers ad-placement services to at least 600 newspaper publishers and it's own Web interface tool.

Analysts say the early release of the new ad-revenue system is directly tied to Microsoft $44.6 billion bid to buy the internet giant. Executives hope to prove the company's value to be much higher in the back-and-forth fight over aquisition.

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Tax Time Tricks: 10 Days and Counting

Looking for tax tips ten days ahead of the filing date is not so easy. In fact, even for those of us using our favorite tax programs, we still need at least seven days to keep from either going insane or making the task an eight-hour chore.

Here are five simple steps to make the process a little easier to deal with:

Simplicity is key: Yahoo! Finance's 7-Day Tax Filing Plan offers some great advice for breaking up the chore into smaller parts. With 10 days to go, you still have three days to procrastinate.

Itemize: There are many tax breaks available but the information can be hard to find. Bankrate.com offers 10 Often Overlooked Tax Breaks that are especially helpful. They include additional charitable gifts, Job Hunting Costs, educational expenses and medical expenses. Since you have these ten days, making a checklist now will get you ahead of the seven-day curve.

Invest: When you contribute to a retirement account, either an IRA (traditional or Roth) or a workplace plan, you can get a tax savings for up to 50 percent of the first $2,000 you put into such accounts. And, always keep your taxes in mind.

File an Extension: Buying more time can help with strategy but won't you still have to pay by April 15. Complete Form 4868 and filing it with the IRS or E-file a request through any number of online tax-preparation services.

Pay Now: Although a rebate may just be around the corner, late fees are applied if taxpayers do not pay taxes due at or before the deadline. Good examples are found on Neil Downing's blog.

For more information, let the IRS help. Frequently Asked Tax Questions And Answers and 1040 Central are good places to start.

More related links:
Online Tools: Your fast path to self-service options on IRS.gov
IRS E-file Options
Latest IRS News

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Friday's Fixture: Match Preparation

We all get the butterflies, even Australia's Wallabies. This video is a interesting take on handling the pre-match pressure.



Below is the promised full match of the week: 2003 Rugby World Cup final - England vs Australia from Telstra Stadium, Sydney.

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Americans' Focus Shifts to Economy, Poll Shows

In an earlier post, "On War Anniversary, Talk Is Cheap", I wrote an opinion describing that the U.S. economic condition soured the importance of Iraq for most Americans.

New poll data from The New York Times and CBS News shows 81% of Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.

The interesting shift for most Americans, according to David Leonhardt and Marjorie Connelly, is how many in the U.S. view the situation as poor as the nation heads into an economic downturn. History has shown that such sentiments are usually reflected during a recession, not in the beginning.

What's more is that the Economy now tops Americans' concerns, ahead of Iraq and terrorism, and figures to be a huge issue heading into November.

"When the presidential campaign began last year, the war in Iraq and terrorism easily topped Americans’ list of concerns. Almost 30 percent of people in a December poll said that one of those issues was the country’s most pressing problem. About half as many named the economy or jobs.

"But the issues have switched places in just a few months’ time. In the latest poll, 17 percent named terrorism or the war, while 37 percent named the economy or the job market. When looking at the current state of their own finances, Americans remain relatively sanguine. More than 70 percent said their financial situation was fairly good or very good, a number that has dropped only modestly since 2006."

If the issues are a song ("Follow the Bouncing Ball"), but nobody knows the words, often times the lyrics will scroll across the screen with a sing-along graphic. In this case, no one has any desire to sing.

That is to say that the song has no relevance to the audience. U.S. employers cut 80,000 jobs in March, according to a Labor Department report, and the news sounds the loudest alarm that things are going to become even tougher in the middle class.

The recent New York Times/CBS survey also shows that Americans are comfortable with their current financial situation. A closer read, between the lines, begs the following question: are most of us just holding on to our financial security for that moment when the bubble really bursts?

If the best jobs are behind us, the future looks even more grim and America looks to new leadership for a solution. Just follow the bouncing ball.

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McCain's Political Influence Boosted by Love

John McCain gained his financial and political influence from his wife, Cindy Hensley McCain, the heiress to the multimillion-dollar beer-distributing company, according to this new video from the Associated Press.

Hensley & Company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, maintains a fleet of more than 600 trucks used in the sale and delivery of Anheuser-Busch beer. Cindy has served as the company's chair since 2000, following the death of her father, Jim Hensley.

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Politics Interactive a Great Tool for 2008 Election

The Democratic Delegate Scorecard is a fun politics tool from washingtonpost.com that tracks the race to Denver. Have a poke around and test whether this helps to make sense of the tight race between Obama and Clinton.

Search for more on the Democrat's race for the nomination.

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With Shine, Yahoo! Gets More Glimmer

Yahoo! has launched Shine, a Website that," "features the best writers and bloggers in women's publishing" and aims to help like-minded women connect, share stories, and more.

The first time you visit, an interactive program takes you on a tour of the site and shows the reader what features on pages are and where to find key information. This is a first as most new sites just throw the pages up and hope for readers to find the locations editors have created.

The site takes on a blog format instead of a traditional frames-and-boxes approach. Editors and writers supply all the juicy material until a community of writers are formed to collectively have a conversation. This model places a lot of emphasis on what the editors see as news but also employs a new concept on the Web, something this writer will call "community journalism."

Rather than give a hard newsie critque of the cover package, it's more interesting to talk about the great concept for interactivity that this portal offers "consumers." Each story has all the neat Web 2.0 features, like user comments, e-mail to a friend and related links to popular tags, but more interesting is the offering of blog software within the system. Users may post their own blog entries to the site with some user-friendly blogging software (http://shine.yahoo.com/write/).

For example, let's use today's lead story that features "Madonna Is Back", an exclusive from Elle!. Inside is a short write-up of the interview done by Simon Doonan and offers some great photos of the pop legend. Although this story feel more like a promotion instead of exclusive content, the concept here is a great: get readers to visit other sites of interest.

Once inside the story, the reader is directed to "Madonna: Sexier Than Ever" this month's Elle! cover story and some other external links to behind-the-scenes video of Madonna's cover shoot and a lot of other exclusive content.

This trend is becoming more popular among publishers but many lack the tools to get it done. That is, many publishing houses, like washingtonpost.com or nytimes.com, have outdated content management systems that do not offer community functions. Instead, their systems allow for content posting under the direction of editors and producers hired by the company. The only user-generated content on those sites, currently, are the comments on each of the articles, the ability to share and to join live online discussions.

This concept of allowing readers to blog directly into the system is giving over the keys to the car to you kid for the first time. Editors at larger news organizations are not so comfortable about allowing readers to post their own versions of responsible news.

The publishers and editors at Shine have thrown away the traditional model of journalism to welcome the thoughts and ideas of the readers. They ask for each member of the audience to tell their own story using their own voice, words and photos from their lives. The bait for the reader is having one of the editors select their blog for a feature spot on one of the home pages.

The journalistic responsibility comes from a sense of peer pressure. In order to post a blog on the site, you must first sign into your Yahoo! account. This allows for the ease of publishing but also pressures the writer to think long and hard about what they put on the internet.

Although Shine is not the only publisher using this approach, the folks at Yahoo! have given the team at Shine some of the greatest tools to use. In addition, the site welcomes readers to become part of the Yahoo! community by getting a user name with e-mail and the other great features the portal has.

In Shine's about pages is a mission statement that holds a lot of promise. The editors want to offer something more than articles that feature "how to please your man and diets that urge you to 'lose 10 pounds fast!'." Instead, the "The ladies of Shine" say they "get it" and I agree without any dispute. Not only are they offering something woman can identify with, they urge their readers to be involved instead of being entertained.

Not only do "The ladies of Shine" get it, they get the future of Web journalism and have embraced new technologies and concepts that will shape Web 3.0.

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5 Great Pranks for April Fool's Day

So, you are one of those people who woke up this morning, remembered it is the first day of April and you have no idea about what gag to pull on your wife, BFF, favorite coworker or rugby mates. Sure, most great pranks can be set up with actors, a script and a lot of careful planning. Well, if you do happen to arrange such a gag, please don't forget the video camera and do share with us.

Below are a few quick and somewhat simple gags for the home and office from users on metacafe.com.

Enjoy, but, remember, be safe and happy pranking.

The Disappearing Monitor:

Practical Joke! Fun Prank! Never Before On Metacafe! - The best video clips are right here

Fun With a Notepad Program file on Your Friend's Computer:


Practical Joke Using Notepad - The best home videos are here

The Small-Bowl Toilet Trick:


The Small-Bowl Toilet Trick - For more of the funniest videos, click here

Squirting Sink Trick:


SQUIRT YOUR FRIEND PRACTICAL JOKE - The top video clips of the week are here

The Deodorant Paint Prank:


The Deodorant Paint Prank - More bloopers

Musical Keyboard: You'll need a bit of equipment from Radio Shack, but this may be something for someone who wants to pimp out their ride.


Great Keyboard Practical Joke! Prank! - The best free videos are right here

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April Fool

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