Dan

I agree! I think we should only own up to ~30 seasons. No way we should let last season go down a season of record for the franchise. I'm also a little confused by all this season vs anniversary stuff. Is it kinda like how the Chinese call what we call the first birthday your 2nd because your first birthday is the day you're actually born?

All miles better than the Bills' design. Interesting though that they all have similarities with the big "50" and the double emblem idea. I wonder if the league mandated certain aspects of the design.

Maybe it's just due diligence. With Jackson's contract still up in the air; Omon still an uncertainty; and Lynch getting into trouble, maybe they just want to cover all their bases and see what's available. It never hurts to bring guys in and talk to them. Or maybe its just a smokescreen to throw other teams off by making them think we're trying to sign a RB. My guess, nothing comes of it and they're just fishing. Personally, I'd like to see them bring in every potential FA. At least it shows they're doing something. Of course, it won't mean anything come Sept. but it keeps us in the running of winning the offseason.

Yep. You summed it up pretty well. I try to look at this like what's the big deal... it's just a patch. But, seriously, it looks sophomoric to say the least. I can only assume they had one of those 5th grade contests to let kids draw designs. Just bad.

Hope its a good machine. I didn't max out the options, but added about another $1,000 to the list price with memory, Velociraptor drives, board upgrades, the works. But, that was the nail in XPs coffin for me. Windows 7 is supposed to come out this fall and they say you can upgrade from Vista, but with XP it'll be a complete overhaul. You'll need a full Windows CD for the UBCD. Then spend a little time to update the antivrus definition files and it becomes a really handy tool.

Thanks Dean! I was leaning towards the Avira. But had not heard of the Nod32. I'll have to look into it some more. I've downloaded the Vipre upon your advice to other posters but haven't really had the chance to use it much yet. I agree on th AVG. It's not bad, but kinda bulky. It serves me well but I'm not sure I'd put it on less knowledgeable person's machine. I expect delivery of the machine in 5-10 business days. Of course, it's customized up a fair bit. I'm a little anxious about it; never got a brand like this. But, it was a really good price and had decent reviews. We'll see I guess. Also, I bit the bullet and went with Vista SP1. I know all the issues with Vista, but I just couldn't see putting XP on a comp that should be around for another 5 years or more. Have you ever tried the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows? I've found it pretty darn helpful with machines that were really bad infected or messed up. Good for machines that get the passwords changed too.

I agree with everything you've said. I also saw the program from the OP. It makes me wonder... is this the type of effort it would take to truly crush the terrorists inside Pakistan and other countries? There seem to be several parallels to the ideology and surrender not being an option. Would the world today even allow such a complete obliteration of people in those tribal regions?

Every computer I've ever seen that uses IE7 as the primary or sole web browser gets bogged down with Spyware stuff within a couple of months and eventually you see a myriad of problems, some similar to your current problem. Every computer I've ever seen that uses Mozilla Firefox as their primary or sole web browser remains relatively spyware free. As far as features go, I'd say they're pretty well similar. Some will argue Firefox has more features. For me, however, it's all about less spyware/pop up/malware crap that make firefox a must use. It certainly sounds like you've got some decent malware on your machine. I'm sure you've read it, but about all I could suggest is to try a few of Dean's ideas in this thread and see if that helps.

Have you tried starting the comp in "safe mode" and then running the various antivirii programs? Better still, if you have a bootable CD, start from that and then run the programs. Another trick I've tried: "Cntl+Alt+Del" get the Task Manager and try to End all nonessential processes. This requires a little more effort because you'll want to google each process to see what it is, write them down one by one. Then go back and "End" them. (The worst that's ever happened is I "End" something that's critical and the comp crashes and I restart and start all over again.) Then run your antivirus stuff. Doesn't always work, but sometimes helps. Then I'd suggest stop using Internet Explorer. On a related, but similar note. I was going to ask this in the CD board this afternoon, but this thread seemed a good place to start. What good (i.e. free or very cheap) antivirus programs do people (Fez, Dean) recommend? I'm about to buy a couple work comps and of course want to load something on them. I've used Norton in the past. (but you have to pay every year and I've seen so many viruses get through it, that it makes me wonder why pay for something that never seems to actually prevent something from getting on my machine.) On my current laptop, I'm using AVG free version, and it seems to be sufficient. A friend uses the Avira Antivir and seems to like it. Any other alternatives? Again, I don't mind paying something, but I'd rather not pay much because I'm not sure any of these things work that well.

If they were really such bad asses, wouldn't they just shiv the mofo's stealing their logo? Talk about the pussification of America... sheeez even the Hells Angels are becoming wimps.

It was another one of those programs on the History/Discovery/History International Channel. I saw it a few weeks or so back. They apparently had 2 separate programs trying to build atomic bombs. One of them was based in North Korea and I believe that was the one they tested. All the details of the program are a little fuzzy to me. But the Japanese scientists were ordered to burn all records of the program when they surrendered. However, one set of documents made it out and some prof at Arkansas or Texas had them and some. I found it a fairly interesting program because I had never heard anything of a Japanese atomic bomb either.

Off the top of my head, I'd guess... they didn't know how many more bombs we had, plus they weren't really fighting or defending anything. They were just being slaughtered with our bombs. I think the power of their resolve is the fact that it took 2 bombs when it was apparent that after 1, they stood zero chance. Also, I saw another program that said they were working on their own atomic bomb. They "supposedly" tested it after our first bomb was dropped. Their test failed. So, perhaps they finally realized they just had no alternative and finally did what was best for their people.

I don't think we're completely disagreeing here. I agree we'll have to pay for this all someday and inflation will most likely be one mechanism of paying for it. However, the current federal debt has more than doubled in recent years. Has inflation more than doubled to pay for that? I don't see that as being the case. So, yes, it may increase in the future, but currently it has not. Hence, we're not yet paying for our federal spending of the last few years. I'm not sure anyone is arguing for the decline of state's rights. Even the portions of the "stimulus" bill that provide for education funding are going to just give the states the money to spend on their schools. I don't think the feds are planning to circumvent the state's right to spend money on schools. In fact, several state's are considering not accepting portions of the fed cash because they don't want it. The problem now, though, is that the states are as bankrupt as anyone. So, they can't spend. If they can't spend they lay people off, nix projects, etc. The feds are the only ones that can spend money they don't have.... hence they're saying they should. Not sure I agree with it, but I believe that's the logic. How any of this is socialism is beyond me. The country has become well-footed in the idea that tax money should be given to private businesses whether it be to defense contractors or car manufacturers. How does the current bill take us any closer to socialism? It's merely continuing what most everyone is so fond of. Sure, Republicans don't like giving money to factory workers; they'd rather give it all to defense contractors or Exxon. While the Dems want to give it to everyone they can think of. But, what's the difference? We're still taking tax dollars and giving it to someone.

I'm not sure what's best or not best, but regardless of how inflation is calculated, I'm betting that we'll see that the rate of inflation has not increased in proportion to our increasing debt. So do we have 3.85% inflation or 5%, it really doesn't matter for this discussion. What matters is has the inflation rate risen to match our debt, thereby indicating that we're currently paying for our current debt with inflation. Yes, it is devastating to contemplate and perhaps a greater threat to our national security and way of life than anything we've known. Yes, military and roads are part of the government's job. But, if you say you want nothing from the government, then you're saying you don't want those roads or military. That's exactly my point. The internet has just as much to do with it as anything. The government paid for the creation of ARPANET (the direct precursor to the internet) through the DOD Advanced Research Projects Agency. So, government spending in the early 1960's directly led to the creation of the internet that we're all using today. You or I may not like the education being taught from public schools, but the reality is that without them, the majority of our country (myself included) would not get educated at all.

I understand what you're saying, but the truth is we're not paying for it. That's why our national debt doubles every time a butterfly in China flaps its wings (ok I just threw that in there to get the China reference in). Our national debt has continued to soar for the last 8 years, yet our inflation has only slightly increased from 3.38% in 2000 to 3.85% in 2008 (in 2007 it was 2.85%). So how are we paying for it through inflation? (BTW I picked 8years, not as a smirk on Bush, but because the website went back 8 years) Yes, you're right, fundamentally every dollar the government spends comes from us. However, they've gotten fairly adept at ignoring that concept and just spending ourselves right into China's back pocket. So, yes, we may and should eventually pay for this bail out/stimulus/war; but, to date we haven't and there's no plans for us to. Interesting that you're not in favor of any of the bailout/stimulus. What would you suggest we do? I'm generally curious. Fundamentally, I completely agree. But, then I wonder would the price of doing nothing be more than we're ready to pay? It's kinda like the people that claim they want nothing from the government, but they forget they drive on roads, go to public school, are protected by the marines, drive cars, are typing on an internet message board, etc. It's easy to say you want none of it - but the reality is it's quite a different story to really live without it.

The primary problem with your analogy is that the Government isn't knocking on anyone's door and taking their money. Not yet, at least. The current "stimulus" and bail out bills aren't raising our taxes. In fact, quite a few people get some form of a tax break. So, the government isn't taking anything from me to give to someone else. All the current plans/bills do is take money that no one has and gives it to someone else. Now there's a whole separate argument - should the feds spend money they don't have? But, this bill is no more socialist than the existing and previous government spending of tax dollars; it just spend more of that money on more stuff at one time. Will we raise taxes in the future to pay for this mess? Perhaps, but that's a later discussion. Let me just add... I find it interesting that so many get so upset over giving the American people $787 billion, the majority of it coming in the form of jobs and tax cuts - so people will work for several hundred billion of it. Yet, we recently gave banks and other lending institutions several hundred billion and all they had to do was ask for it. We now have $350 billion given to the banks with no oversight and large amounts known to be wasted or literally just given to individuals to put in their private bank accounts and there's relatively little outrage in comparison - so much so, that we're about to give these same people another $300 billion or so. Now that's what I find most interesting about this whole "stimulus" bill debate.

CNN is showing local Buffalo coverage. It looks horrendous. Sad news indeed. My prayers are with everyone in Buffalo that have loved ones traveling tonight.

Did you check "Screen Resolution" in the Display Properties, Setting Tab to make sure it's the right aspect ratio? That's about all I got.

But, it'll be easier to kill the mammals once the vegetarians are dead as well.

I love these Global Warming threads. I have a question, how do you propose we determine long-term trends, if not from the data at hand? Obviously, the more data you have, the better your trend analysis would be. But, the data in that analysis dated back to 1880. You're not gonna get much loner term than that. I would agree, that data does suggest that over the past 8 years, the temperature data is quite ambiguous. However, it is interesting when you look over the course of the last 100 years, "The ten warmest years all occur within the 12-year period 1997-2008". It certainly seems to indicate an overall warming trend over the last 100 years. So, is it fair to say that global temperatures are generally increasing or decreasing over the last 100 years? Are you suggesting that there is no good science on the subject either way?

Why not kill all the vegetarians AND the cows? Then we're doubling our impact.

Thanks for trying. I guess I could get facebook and try to be friends and all, but it sounds rather complicated and I'm not even sure any of it matters with this team. Thanks again though.

If you buy into the CO2 as part of the cause, there are lots of things you can do to reduce your "carbon footprint" such as unplug cell phone chargers and other such things, switch out your light bulbs, car pool, weatherize your home or turn the thermostat down/up, plant a tree, breath less (that was a joke), turn down the thermostat on your water heater, hang your wash to dry as opposed to using a dryer, buy locally grown foods, travel less, and others I'm sure. I'm not arguing any of those will make a hill of beans different or not, but those are the type of things that are claimed individuals can do that cost little or are beneficial to you.

Agree with some of the posts, there's way too much good food to limit it to one meal or place. There are literally a dozens - big and small. But, here's a few great places I enjoy: City Hall in NYC for Steak (used to eat there frequently, haven't enjoyed steak since) Giuseppe’s in Columbus, OH for Italian (for the atmosphere and friends as much as the food) Rutabagas in Idaho Falls, ID for a great surprise (just a great place) Rusty Parrot's Wild Sage in Jackson, WY best all around (unbelievable experience there) Christini's in Orlando, FL for honorable mention. (Absolutely no better food or servce - get the calamari, trust me.) The Bourbon Mall in Bourbon, MS for catfish, bourbon jugs and god only knows what else (now this place is one of a kind and in the middle of nowhere, literally)

Anyway to see these videos or Q/As for those of us not facebooked?