Can this really be happening in America in the early part of the 21st century? Is the current U.S. President, Barack Obama actually going to let our country’s space program close down? Taking the space shuttle off the American landscape is a huge step and one that doesn’t seem too smart. We are just now beginning to learn about the space technology and how things like satellites and our GPS systems, can benefit mankind on the ground. Not being able to put our own astronauts up in space, on our own terms, seems like a risky plan. Especially when we are relying on the Russian Space Program to give our American space men and women a ride out to space.

As an American citizen, do you have any opinions on this move to cancel our space shuttle program? We have built a long 5 decade history with our modern space program. We have achieved some big things over the last 50 years or so. I think the next 50 years, could be the best of them all. So why shut it down now? Is it because the tax payer’s are picking up the bill for NASA’s launches into space? Is it too dangerous to send spaceships into the stars above? Why exactly would the USA drop the space program now, when we are now relying on technology more than ever to help us in our daily lives? This move seems really strange and I wish our  President could make a straight speech (just once) so we would know the truth to this move by NASA and the U.S. Government.

I am just an average citizen, but I can think of a half dozen reasons, why we should keep our outer space vehicles and it deals with our National Security. Obviously I don’t want to give any of the other countries any ideas on this subject, but I do have a few things; which would severely hurt the U.S. military and its allies across the globe. National Security seems to be an issue that doesn’t get enough attention these days. We saw tremendous strides after 9/11, but in recent years, we are starting to slip again. I don’t want to give the terrorists out there any ideas, but not having a space shuttle in our country now, is actually a benefit to our most common enemy in the 21st century.

Early 1970′s Technology

It’s really sad to see the hard work of so many people, finally come to an end, as the United States Space Program is non-existent now. I realize we have other ways and things will still continue, but the position we put our self in now, could have been avoided. Even if it was with a “dummy” space shuttle program, where we just acted like we didn’t want to make a trip, on our spaceship or on our rocket fuel.  Who knows, maybe our shuttles have made less trips out of this world, than we really know now? I am still under the strong belief, we never did step foot on the moon’s surface, back in the summer of 1969. Do you think the USA went to the moon in 1969; when the video game Pong was not even created until 3 years later? Go look at the graphics and play a game or two of Pong and ask your self, if we really went to the moon 3 years before this video game was invented.

It was back in the early 1980′s and most people didn’t have a VCR. Even the elementary school I went to, had not yet got a VCR. It was a new piece of technology and it was just too expensive for most families to own. One day, out of the blue, my neighbors got a brand new VCR. I was amazed! They were not a rich bunch living next to me. They did have a few adults living at their household and I guess enough of them donated the money to buy a new VCR, back in the early 80′s decade.

I visited their home as they watched their first movie on VCR. I don’t know if they remember which movie they saw, but I sure did. It was the movie Porkys. It was a Rated R Movie and one that a 10 year old kid does not get to see too often. I was sitting in the floor with my best friend, as both of our eyes gazed at the 30 inch TV screen. I wasn’t even sure if this was “THE” movie, I had heard about. I said in a small whisper “doesn’t this movie show naked women“. She laughed and said “yes“, then proceeded to tell the rest of the family what I said. The embarrassment factor didn’t last long, cause I was about to see some flesh on the TV screen and I had never seen it on television before.

Later on, my family would buy our first VCR. It was a total shock for me. I didn’t think my parents had the money to afford one. I got my first VCR on a Christmas morning day. My Mom had got 2 movies by rental, for us to watch. I’m not sure what they both were, but the first movie we saw, on our own VCR, was the movie Tank with James Garner.

At my elementary school, the first VCR movie I saw there was Karate Kid with Ralph Macho and Pat Morita. Our school librarian liked the movie so much, she showed it to a lot of classes at my elementary school. A year or two later, our class would watch the movie War Games at school on the Video Cassette Recorder or VCR. Can you remember what the first VCR movie was you ever saw? Did you watch it at home or at school, when you seen your first VCR movie?

Scattered, Smothered, and Covered!

The Waffle House Restaurants are famous for cooking up their hashbrowns to your liking. If you walk into a Waffle House one day, you will probably hear the waitress hollering at the cook, to “scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced, and topped” the hash browns. Well last week, a tornado in Ringgold, Georgia did that to the whole entire Waffle House restaurant. It was a sad day for the residents living and working around the Ringgold, Georgia area. This tornado destroyed their whole town. The local McDonald’s restaurant suffered its own damage, like the Waffle House and other restaurants in Ringgold. You may not be able to find a Ringgold restaurant today, but you will find a lot of grateful citizens in Ringgold. They were very lucky to only loose 8 people from this terrible storm, that just leveled their small city in Northwest Georgia.

I believe people in Alabama and in Georgia, will be getting prepared for the next round of bad weather that is headed our way. This trend is suppose to last for a couple of months, so we are a long ways away, from being safe from the 2011 storms. A smart family will invest in these new weather alert systems; which are good about detecting bad weather or alerting us to tornadoes in the nearby area. The best way to stay safe during bad weather, is to prepare for these strong winds, damaging hail, and the twisters that drop out of the clouds above. Getting a weather system for your home is a start, but remember some more key tips.

If you hear thunder, then you are close enough to get struck by lightning. Thunder is Mother Nature’s first alert system to us, to take cover, find shelter and get everyone in from outside. Thunder in the area, means lightning is close. If you have thunder and lighting, then other bad things are certainly a possibility. The best thing is to over prepare, stay over safe, and then we can laugh about it later. If we don’t, there won’t be anyone laughing after the bad weather has passed. Ringgold residents was lucky, but towns in Alabama wasn’t, if you consider the death tolls in some of the Alabama towns struck by these tornadoes in the South USA.

Americans are strong. People in the South are a bit stronger and they’re a breed of their own. We can handle tough things down here, but we have to know they are coming. So try to look online and consider buying a weather alarm or a home weather alarm, so you and your family will know when the next twister is heading your way.

Midland Weather Radio

The Midland Weather Radio is really not that expensive and it is easy to use. If you can work a radio at home or the radio in your car, then you can easily work one of these weather radios at home. You may find other weather alarms or weather radios cheaper and that’s fine. Look for the weather system that best fits your budget and the one you believe will keep your family safe. We are in a whole new world now with climate change or global warming as some people still call it. What ever its name is, we know our bad weather is worse than it was in years past. Since we know this now, we can all take time to prepare and finding a good shelter will always be the best thing you can do. Find a secure location now, while the weather is good and then you will know where to go, for your escape plan, when the next tornado warning is forecasted for your local city or hometown.

We are in a tough weather pattern right now and things are going to get worse, before they get better in 2011. The 2011 tornado season is far from being over. So please understand this and keep an eye to the sky and tune-in to the local weather channel or your local weatherman on television. This is only the calm before the rest of our storms, for the 2011 tornado and thunder storm season.

Auburn Wall Clock

This antiqued black metal wall clock is a very distinctive design and one we are use to seeing from Infinity Instruments. You don’t see as many clocks like this Auburn Clock; which shows the roman numerals, instead of the standard numbers you can find on most other wall clock designs. A lot of their clocks have that contemporary design, that you can notice from a mile away. I believe you see a lot of these same design traits in the wall clocks made by Howard Miller too. This Auburn Wall Clock is the type of clock, which has been hanging in a home for many years and probably on the same wall too. I think we all probably had a grandparent or someone older we knew and can remember a certain antique wall clock; which would never move and always be on a certain wall inside their home. More of the modern homeowners are turning toward the digital clocks they can see at night. Use one which comes with a certain electrical device like a clock radio, VCR, or the microwave oven. These antique-style clocks can still be bought today, but we are seeing fewer places that carry them. Bedside Alarm Clock has a wide selection of these older-style wall clocks available and you can order them from your computer, at BedsideAlarmClock.com and they are open day or night, so any time is a good time, to order your “time” online!

Infinity Instruments and Howard Miller also have their share of clocks in the more modern designs. You can see Chicago Lighthouse is a company which tends to focus more on the wall clocks you see in the office these days. I never did have that one certain office job, where I remember staring at a wall clock all day, just waiting to go home from the office. I’m sure a lot of you have had office jobs like that and can still remember where the clock is hanging and what it looked like. Chances are, that clock is still hanging in that same spot, where some other employees spend their days looking up at it.

Now I do remember the clocks we had at school. The class I didn’t like most, I believe had the Black Coffee Wall Clock by Howard Miller. If it wasn’t this exact clock, I am pretty sure it was a Howard Miller or a Chicago Lighthouse design, because they both make those modern clock designs, which are just perfect for a school classroom. Did you have a wall clock in school or at a job, you can remember very well, because you looked at it so often? Please feel free to share you clock stories and memories, I am sure I can relate to a lot of them.

Recently on The View we saw Avon with a new anti-aging product called the Avon Anew Platinum Set. It consisted of two special treatments to help stop the aging process in women 60 years old and older. There was the Anew Night Time Cream and the other part of the set was the Anew Platinum Serum. The guest on The View that day was Jacqueline Bisset and she is currently doing the ads and TV commercials for Avon and the new Avon Platinum products. During the show, you might have heard Jacqueline talk about the night time cream and said that a day time cream or a daytime solution had not been created yet. Well that was then and this now, because there is a day time cream, you can now order with the other two products from the Anew Platinum beauty products from Avon.

The Anew Platinum Day Cream is here and you can get it today! The Platinum Anew beauty care products from Avon is the only product on the market for women over 60. There has never been any formulas or anti-aging products or anti-aging creams to ever come out and be for a certain age group. The women over 60 need something different from the ladies in their 30′s and 40′s who are trying to stop the signs of aging for the first time. Women who get to their 60′s and older years, want something that has been designed for them and not just any woman. This is where Avon has hit a home run and they created a great product.

The other two Platinum Anew products have been given rave reviews and I believe that is how they were given a spot on the popular daytime series The View. You knew the products had to be working, if they were being shown on The View. Now there is a new product to add to the set; which already came with a Platinum Serum and the Night Cream Platinum. This is the Day Cream Platinum Anew from Avon and it was the next logical step, for those who have tried these products and liked them. Women all over the World can order all 3 of these items online today and begin a treatment process; which gets you to look younger.

By now for most women, they have learned to accept the aging process. But there are those certain days; when women over 60 wake up and want to do something to look and start feeling younger. In the past, women would just have to brush these urges to the side, because there was no beauty treatments or anti aging products for women over 60 to try. All of that has changed now, thanks to the wonderful folks from Avon, who have a good name in the beauty care business.

You know if Avon is stamping their name to a product, it must work to some degree. You know for the producers of the TV show The View wanted to feature the Avon Anew Platinum products, that there might just be something there, which is working for women in the golden years of life. And finally we see the next Platinum Anew Product make its way to the beauty aisle shelves, we must have a winner!

The smartphones called the htc desire 2.2 are a great example of why I think we are now just getting to the “starting” line and have a long ways to go, before we even begin to get a glimpse of the “finish” line. A lot of quality and first class technology is going into this specific model of a android smartphone. The Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is featured on the HTC Desire Smartphone and it will be supplying 1 GHz of processing power. Users will have the Internet at their fingertips; while using this state-of-the-art android phone and will have the popular Bluetooth capabilities. By no means is the Bluetooth technology standard, but with the demand for this feature alone; many retailers, dealers, and manufactures are looking at Bluetooth as a standard feature for the tech products of today. The memory issues will be fine with this smart phone, since it will contain the MicroSD  memory card; which consumers will need to buy on their own. The HTC Desire Z comes with the Flash, Adobe, Microsoft Office docs, and other multimedia standards, you would get with most new cell phones today.

Speed is what will win the buyer over at the end of the day and the HTC Desire could very well be the fastest smartphone to date. It has the amazing ability to download at speeds up to 14.4 Mbps. These lightning download speeds and the variety of features this little guy brings to the ear, your eyes, and at your fingertips each day. Is going to make it the perfect business tool for those who are conducting business on the fly. The 2.2 of HTC Desire is the business phone and business partner and business helper you been looking for recently. The new 2011 year is going to be a whole lot better for you, since you now have a business phone, partner, and helper all assisting you on the run, as you speed through your day. Yes, smartphones are really smart and now we are learning they are really fast too!

I was having a lot of problems with my Internet speed. Finally my computer just gave out all together. I had no idea what it was and was almost ready to take it in to the computer guy. It turned out, I had a network cable loose and this was the cause to all of my PC problems. Now my speed is back to normal and the computer is working like new. Before you take your computer to a repair place for computers, be sure to check all of your cable connections first. You may have a loose cable too and this is a simple problem to fix, once you discover which PC cable is to blame. I know all about the stresses that come with a bad computer. Avoid these stressful times with your computer and fix the problem as soon as you notice one. Sometimes the solution is very simple and you won’t know until you try!

We never did get much in our stockings when I was a kid growing up. There really wasn’t much room in the stockings for anything good. Now with the technology today, we see more and more power being “stuffed” into these small tech gadgets. Just take the iphone for example. Apple has created a very small tech gadget, but its loaded with power. The key feature I like with the Apple iPhones, is their ability to get you where you need to go. Time is so valuable these days. We use to say “time is money” and now most people regard time as more valuable than money. If you like a phone that has a little kick and has all the latest features in the world of cell phones. I would check out some of these modern iPhones for this Christmas. They are even small enough, to comfortably fit in the stockings hanging over the fireplace.

Guest post written by Kimberlee Burke

When it comes to wrapping gifts, in my opinion, one just doesn’t look right without some kind of ribbon and bow on it. It’s the perfect accent and when you give a gift to someone with a nice bow on top, it makes them feel that much more special, or at least that’s the way that I feel about it. So I’m a little crazy about gift bows.

A few years ago I didn’t know how to make a bow by myself, or at least one that resembles a bow, anyhow. But now I love to find all kinds of pretty ribbon to make bows out of. I was looking for some new holiday themed ribbon a few days ago online when I came across the website http://www.clearwirelessinternet.com and read through it. I’m still thinking about it, but I’ll probably change over my internet service to that company.

I found this huge clearance on all kinds of ribbons that could be used for about every kind of gift wrap bow possible. I canÕt wait for it all to ship to me this week because IÕm going to be able to make some really cute bows for all my Christmas presents.

Not a big surprise to see more people going to the tanning beds now, as Old Man Winter begins to creep in. It is a little surprising to see women and men both using these indoor tanning beds during the summer months. Today’s tanning bed is a lot different from the one your big sister or big brother was just using 5 years ago. A lot of advances have been made within the industry. Hopefully these modern changes are safer ones for the modern tanning beds we are now beginning to see. Also, indoor tan seekers can use a special lotion; while they work on their tans inside. If you’re not sure which sun tan lotions are the best; try to search online and look for the indoor tanning lotion reviews on the Internet. We have reviews for just about any product or service these days, so it shouldn’t be too tough to find a tanning bed lotion review online.

I use to have a lot of tanning bed safety concerns. After seeing how long these specialized beds have been around, I feel a lot better about people using them. I still wonder why so many prefer a indoor bed over the natural sunlight tans; which you can get during the warmer months of the year. Using an indoor sun tanning bed all year long, might actually be safer than the sun rays outside. More of us are aware of the skin cancer dangers from the sun today; than we knew about in the 1980′s and earlier generations. I admit I use to lay out in the sun each year, trying to get my light-colored skin to perk up some. It has been over 15 years now, since the last time I laid out in the sun. I do have a small patch of reddish skin on my arm; which has been present for over 10 years or longer. I worry about it and wonder what it might be, but not exactly sure if it is due to my time, from laying out in the sun.

It’s great you want to get a tan and make an effort to improve your appearance. Just remember your health comes first and no outdoor tan or indoor tan is worth it, if you do learn about any future health concerns with either one. I will be looking forward to getting a new tan next year, but not from sun tanning. I hope to achieve my tan, from all the gold prospecting I will be doing outdoors next year.

There is a thin line that currently exists in today’s high-tech world, when it comes to parental safety for their kids and our kids own privacy. A parent trying to protect their kids from online harm, can also be invading their child’s privacy. It has been a debated subject for years now and I don’t think my one blog post is going to solve this debate. I understand parents wanting to use a keylogger software program, to track their kids online activity. This modern software allows parents to go online late at night and see which websites their teens have been going to. Since Mom and Dad can’t be around 24 hours a day to monitor their teens, they can get a hand from technology. At some point a parent has to begin handing over trust to their young teens, who will be living their own lives one day soon. While a parent can have complete trust in their teenagers, often it is their friends who lead them astray. We never know what things are being taught in the homes of our children’s friends and this is always an alarm for the daddy and mama of every household.

Then you have the flip side of the debate from the kids and teens perspectives. Why should their parents track their online activities; when they are safely sitting at home in the living room, home office, or in their own bedroom with a computer? How much trouble and mischief can they really get into online? We as parents might be aware of several ways a child can get in trouble online, but they don’t. In most cases, teenagers are chatting to friends online through one of the popular social networking websites or have some form of instant messenger they use. A few emails here and there and the rest of their online surfing takes them to things they are interested in. Kids have a lot of ways they can stay busy and entertained while being online and none of them are bad or would go against any parent’s wishes. If they learn some sort of parental tracking software has been downloaded to their computer, they can become offended in 2 different ways. One way is the trust factor. It’s only natural for the younger generation to think we don’t trust them, if we do any moves to check up on them or check-in to see what they are doing. The other way our teens can become upset with us, is from just being nosey. We all need a little bit of privacy in life and the privacy borders go a lot further out for a kid or young adult; than it does for the older people in society. We all need to be free to let our hair down, without the risk of being judged  by someone else. Even if the judge is one of our parents.

Do you have opinion on the subject? What extent of high-tech teen protection do parents need to use for their 14-year-old daughter; who frequently uses the Internet at home? What about the 16-year-old son, who enjoys his texting and talking habits on the cell phone? Are parents being protective or is this a case of intrusion and invading their kid’s personal privacy space? I have seen our own Government and local authorities misusing today’s technology for their personal gains. Not every parent is going to use these new tools of today for the best interest of their child. They will use it for their own gain or for a lack of parental guidance they have not provided their kids with in life.

On the other hand, our children’s safety is the most important thing. We can’t always blame the neighbor’s kid or our children’s best friends for them getting in trouble. The biggest fear for parents is the ability of strangers to be able to communicate with them on the Internet. It isn’t hard for a online predator to slowly gain personal information about your son or daughter online; while they strike up conversations. This threat can reach any age and can cause harm to anyone. The bad people out there know our teens are more vulnerable, so they are more likely to target them than another adult online. It’s hard to explain these threats to our kids and this is where parents have to step up and do whatever it takes; to make sure their son or daughter never gives out too much information online or try to meet these online strangers in person.

I don’t have all the answers, but I can see where both sides stand on this sensitive subject. The bottom line for parents is to put their children’s safety first. Today’s world is much different than the one we grew up in. Let’s just make sure our child hears about these awful stories on the local TV news and they don’t become the 6 o’clock news story!

A custom server that fits as a solution to all your business needs

Linux dedicated servers are becoming a profitable solution for businesses, large and small, looking to modernize operations and increase capabilities with an easily manipulated operating system. This is due to the fact that the open-source format of the Linux operating system allows businesses to customize endlessly and even distribute to other entities. This means that you can install your own applications, determine programming languages, and craft security features that provide the best level of protection for your business. What better way to streamline your business than with a Linux dedicated server that has the compatibility to interface with many other programs. A Linux dedicated server is a sapient choice when you desire flexibility and reliability.

I would like to own one of these electronic labeling systems you can buy online. There are so many things our computer and printers can do these days, we don’t think much about a labeling device. I like the one this one looks, in the picture above. It has that old fashion look to it. It reminds me of something that was made in the 1970′s, but you can buy this in the 2010 year. This labeling device has a lot of different functions; which I believe would help me in my home business. Staying organized is important for anyone who does a lot of business at home. A product which can assist in labeling a variety of things, sure would come in handy.

A labeling device like this can be found at Buy.com online. You can always check with them on a variety of items you need to buy. They pretty much have everything over there and in most cases it will be cheaper; than the other online websites that sell products over the World Wide Web. This labeling system is just one of the things that is currently on sale at Buy.com.

It was a normal 5 p.m. evening off the coast of Southern California Monday; when out of the evening sky a missile could be seen in flight. It is pretty common in this area for the Air Force or Navy to do missile tests. The problem with the mystery missile on Monday, is that no one is claiming any missile tests were done. If the U.S. Armed Services didn’t do it and have no knowledge of it and the Pentagon has no information about this missile being launched Monday close to the Los Angeles area, then that only leaves two other possibilities. A private company or person did this missile test without a proper license. Or a foreign nation was able to get within 35 miles of the coast of California and launch this missile over the Pacific Ocean in the evening skies.

I know this missile opens up a security lapse in the U.S. Homeland Security. We use to think a plane could never hit the White House. So many radar systems, planes, and air defense weapons in the Washington D.C. area, that would make it far too difficult. Then we saw what happened on 9/11 and just how vulnerable the most secured targets in America really are to air dangers. If a few people with box cutters on a airplane can drive a plane to the doorsteps of the White House; then you know our homes and local businesses would easily be able to be hit from the skies. I think this latest Californian Mystery Missile is proof that we are no safe now than we were before the terrorist attacks on September 11th.

There isn’t much the latest DVD Ripper online won’t do. Using a Rip DVD to get to avi or using a dvd to get to mpeg is just some of the options available. Do you like to watch movies on your computer or record them from your computer? Either way a DVD Ripper should be able to help and even offer you more choices, you didn’t even know you had before. 

Anyone who wants the DVD Ripper can download it now from online. No need to travel out to a store or wait for the shipping of this product to arrive. You can order the DVD Ripper for Mac in 3 different styles. Just choose from three different packages and you can instantly begin the online download.

*DVD Ripper Standard

*DVD Ripper Platinum

*DVD Ripper Ultimate

Those are 3 great choices to choose from and each one is priced on the performance it gives to online users. I know if speed is important; then you want to go with one of the higher selections, for a speedier online rip. Over the long run, the little money that is spent on these DVD Rippers today, will come back as free entertainment later on. Once you can begin recording all of the available videos and media online; which is already waiting to be ripped.

Another handy little gadget for Mac Users to see about is the Video Converter mac. This handy little gadget can help to perform some of the things you might be missing. The converter is not only good for connecting you to most other programs for ripping, but is also compatible with so many other big name companies. Most multi-media devices will be supported by this video converter, like the Xbox 360, PSP, PS3, iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV. Just about any files online you need for your Mac, you would be able to convert, with the use of the Mac Video Converter. For any computer users who like to copy and download various files online, you just need a good DVD Ripper and check to see if there are any converters available; which have multi-purposes. Once you get it all set up, this will be hours and hours of fun!