Author: kg4vma

The FCC isn’t standing in the way of the local utility company rolling out broadband service over powerlines; state governments and the lobbying by competitors have obstructed this. Ham radio operators have opposed broadband over powerlines (BPL) for a few years, as they cite interference from BPL with their hobby. Compared to the deep-pocketed cable and telecom industries, the hams are a small ripple in a multi-billion dollar pond.
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/11/15/powerline-broadband-hits-400mbps

Kentucky Department for Public Health officials are urging Kentuckians to get a flu vaccination after the first culture-confirmed case of influenza was reported by the State Public Health Laboratory this week.

Annual influenza vaccinations are particularly recommended for: all children ages 6 months to 4 years of age; adults 65 or older; people ages 2-64 with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, cancer, asthma or diabetes; women who will be pregnant during flu season; residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities; children 6 months to 18 years old on chronic aspirin therapy; health care workers; household contacts of children less than 6 months old; and caregivers of people with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from the flu. Healthy individuals ages 50 to 64 are also strongly recommended to receive flu immunizations.

Story Source:

Sure, instant messaging is fast and efficient. For many teenagers, it’s also a great way to avoid those OMG moments – that’s “omigod” – of mortifying face-to-face confrontations.

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Here’s a little survey I found on my bulletin board over at MySpace… I answered it here… Enjoy…

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1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
nog…

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
wrap a few, place a few…

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
depends on the tree, and white on a house

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
sure…

5. When do you put your decorations up?
b-day, but thinking about doing it this weekend…

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
my mammaw’s oyster casserole (she only does it at Christmas)…

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
the year mom and dad didn’t have much money… the local RS dealer gave mom and dad a break on some old merchandise… i got a neat old battery powered CB made for kids–recieved (by tuning the frequency!) channels 1-23 and transmitted on 14

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I can’t really remember–I think i was like 7… I had figured it out… While still being open to the idea of spirits, and magic, and stuff, i just couldn’t buy into the idea that anything could travel that fast carrying tons of gifts…

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
sure… actually, i prefer it that way…

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
I’m partial to glass balls, crystal or mirrored prisms, and red and gold beads

11. Snow, love it or hate it?
the more the merrier…

12. Can you ice skate?
never tried… i can barely roller skate…

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
yep. the aforementioned CB…

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
the upbeat mood of the general public…

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
homemade candies & pies of all kinds…

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
i don’t know. having a family of my own has changed things. i can’t find the balance of connecting old traditions to new… now i’m depressed…

17. What tops your tree?
a star. i wish i had an angel, though…

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
neither? not much on gifts…

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
greensleeves

20. Candy canes?
sure…

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
national lampoon’s christmas vacation…

22. What do you leave for Santa?
oreos…

23.Have you ever caught mommy kissing Santa clause?
nope..

Hard to believe, but true. Found in Dvorak’s blog:

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The Denver Post – Santas warned “ho-ho-ho” offensive to women — Welcome to the new Australia.

Santas-in-training in Australia have been warned by a recruitment firm that “ho-ho-ho” is no longer politically correct.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Westaff – which supplies hundreds of Santas across Australia – is telling trainees that the signature catchphrase could frighten children and be derogatory to women.

They suggest “ha-ha-ha,” instead. Some Santa hopefuls have dropped out of the course in protest.

One would-be Father Christmas said he was told that the traditional expression was too close to the American slang for prostitute.

An anonymous reader writes “You’re doing something interesting. The phone rings. You get up, pick up the phone, and hear only silence. It could be a slasher waiting outside your house, but it’s probably an errant computer at a telemarketer. This article describes how some are fighting back by setting up websites to track the worst telemarketers by their caller ids. The article mentions whocalled.us (one of the funnier urls I’ve ever seen), 800notes.com and numberzoom.com . One intrepid guy is even writing a program to check these sites when the call comes in before ringing the phone.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

 Christmas Angel Project

We have decided to do the Christmas Angel project this year for grades K-12. If you would like to purchase gifts for a child this Christmas, you can pick an angel up at the Community Education Center or we can bring an angel to you. Gifts have to be turned in to the Community Education Office by December 7. If you have any questions, please fell free to ask.

Judy Feeback

859.234.7160