Anyone who has ever dressed a child will love this one – and for anyone who hasn’t had that experience – this is what it’s like!

Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his snow boots?

He asked for help and she could see why..
Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn’t want to go on. By the time they got the second boot on, she had worked up a sweat.

She almost cried when the little boy said, ‘Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet..’ She looked, and sure enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet.

He then announced, ‘These aren’t my boots.’

She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, ‘Why didn’t you say so?’ like she wanted to. Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, ‘They’re my brother’s boots. My mom made me wear ‘em.’

Now she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. But, she mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again.

Helping him into his coat, she asked, ‘Now, where are your mittens?’

He said, ‘I stuffed ‘em in the toes of my boots.’

I am not one of those who suffered through Vista.  As a matter of fact, except for a few friends that I helped out installing some software or cleaning it up when it was running slow and taking forever to boot up I’ve avoided it entirely.  All the PCs in my house are pretty evenly split between XP or a Linux distribution.   It didn’t take me long after hearing about Vista and the horror stories to make me decide that I wasn’t going down that road.  It was about the same time I was starting to discover the joys of Linux and my mind was set that I would be perfectly content to just move on down that road and away from Windows entirely if Vista was the best the boys in Redmond could do.  Well Vista isn’t the best they could do and I am predicting Windows 7 will be an absolute slam dunk for Microsoft.

MAXIMUMPC has a great overview and benchmark review of Windows 7

If you haven’t tried Windows 7 yet and would like to try it,  the release candidate is still available for a free download until Aug 20 (wow, can’t believe I just provided a positive link to MS in my blog!).

A few things to keep in mind if you decide to give it a shot

Please plan ahead for the Beta and RC expiration dates. To avoid interruption, you’ll need to rebuild your test machine using a valid version of Windows before the software expires. Windows will notify you that the expiration process is beginning and two weeks later your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. The Beta expires on August 1, 2009, and bi-hourly shutdowns will begin July 1, 2009. The RC will expire June 1, 2010, and the bi-hourly shutdowns will begin on March 1, 2010. In both cases, you’ll need to rebuild your test PC to replace the OS and reinstall all your programs and data.

Pricing for the full versions is a little high (check out Amazon but basically $200-$300 for a full version, about half that for an upgrade from Vista, finally something nice to say about Vista).  This won’t matter for most people as they will buy a machine with Win 7 already on it.  If you are in the market for a new machine now, most definitely buy one that has a free upgrade to Win 7 or wait until it is widely available (Oct 22 release date).

Of course if you don’t want to spend the bucks for a Windows upgrade or to install on a newly built machine, there are lots of great Linux distros you can try.

Windows 7, it’s what Vista should have been and a worthy replacement (finally) for Windows XP.

President Barack Obama said in  Turkey : “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”

Oh really?  Do you know the Preamble of your state?

Find your state below and read it for yourself.  There’s one for all 50 States.  Be sure to read the message at the bottom!  Look yours up if you think this list is wrong…

Alabama 1901, Preamble
We the people of the State of  Alabama , invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution..
Alaska 1956, Preamble We, the people of  Alaska , grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land.
Arizona 1911, Preamble We, the people of the State of  Arizona , grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution…
Arkansas 1874, Preamble We, the people of the State of  Arkansas , grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government…
California 1879, Preamble We, the People of the State of  California , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom…
Colorado 1876, Preamble We, the people of  Colorado , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe…
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in  permitting them to enjoy.
Delaware 1897, Preamble Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences…
Florida 1885, Preamble We, the people of the State of  Florida , grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution…
Georgia 1777, Preamble We, the people of  Georgia , relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution…
Hawaii 1959, Preamble We , the people of  Hawaii , Grateful for Divine Guidance … Establish this Constitution.
Idaho 1889, Preamble We, the people of the State of  Idaho , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.
Illinois 1870, Preamble We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil , political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
Indiana 1851, Preamble We, the People of the State of  Indiana , grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government.
Iowa 1857, Preamble We, the People of the St ate of  Iowa , grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings, establish this Constitution.
Kansas 1859, Preamble We, the people of  Kansas , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution.
Kentucky 1891, Preamble.. We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties..
Louisiana 1921, Preamble We, the people of the State of  Louisiana , grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy.
Maine 1820, Preamble We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity .. And imploring His aid and direction.
Maryland 1776, Preamble We, the people of the state of  Maryland , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty…
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction
Michigan 1908, Preamble.   We, the people of the State of  Michigan , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, establish this Constitution.
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings:
Mississippi 1890, Preamble We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work..
Missouri 1845, Preamble We, the people of  Missouri , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness .. Establish this Constitution…
Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of  Montana , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution ..
Nebraska 1875, Preamble We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom . Establish this Constitution.
Nevada 1864, Preamble We the people of the State of  Nevada , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution…
New Hampshire 1792,  Part  I. Art. I. Sec. V Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.
New Jersey 1844, Preamble We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
New Mexico 1911, Preamble We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty..
New York 1846, Preamble We, the people of the State of  New York , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings.
North Carolina 1868, Preamble We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those…
North Dakota 1889, Preamble We , the people of  North Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…
Ohio 1852, Preamble We the people of the state of  Ohio , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common.
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty, establish this
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance….
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing…
South Carolina , 1778, Preamble We, the people of he State of  South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
South Dakota 1889, Preamble We, the people of  South Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties …
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI..III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience…
Texas 1845, Preamble We the People of the  Republic of  Texas , acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.
Utah 1896, Preamble Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.
Vermont 1777, Preamble Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ..
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other
Washington 1889, Preamble We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution
West Virginia 1872, Preamble Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God …
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility…
Wyoming 1890, Preamble We, the people of the State of  Wyoming , grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties, establish this Constitution…
After reviewing acknowledgments of God from all 50 state constitutions, one is faced with the prospect that maybe, the ACLU and the out-of-control federal courts are wrong!

(Please note that at no time is anyone told that they MUST worship God.)

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

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First go to System ->Administration -> Printing

Click the new button and it searches for connected printers.

I have a Brother HL-2170W network laser printer connected to my network router. Ubuntu finds it easily. Click the forward button and Ubuntu searches for and finds the printer drivers already included in the default installation.

Click apply to accept the default settings or add your own. The defaults will work quite nicely.

Next Ubuntu asks if you would like to print a test page. I click "Yes" and a perfect test page spits out of the printer.

One last chance to change any settings and options. Everything looks good so I just click "OK"

New printer is installed and ready for use. The entire process probably took less time that what it did to review this post.

So does printing work well in Linux?  My response would be an enthusiastic “YES”.

For more information then you will probably ever want to or need to know about printing in Linux you can go to the  Linux Foundation’s OpenPrinting Database.

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It didn’t take long for Google’s announcement of a new Chrome OS to cause a stir around the Internet.  Almost immediately news articles and blog posts came flying in from everywhere claiming to know exactly why the Chrome OS would either throw M$ Bill into bankruptcy or to the other extreme Five Reasons Google Chrome OS Will Fail or 10 Reasons Why Chrome OS is No Windows Killer.  And not surprisingly I have a totally unique opinion on this announcement and Chrome OS, just like everyone else.

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Please take a minute and let me know in the comments or in the forum why your choice is your favorite  and why.  I am especially interested in hearing from some of those who are using one of the online programs.

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My first stop was their 12 Team Mock Draft (pg 24).  I immediately wanted to see who was ranked where in the first round.  First pick of course was Adrian Peterson, no surprises there.  I’ve always been a ‘first round = running back’ kind of guy, fantasy old school I guess you would call it.  So now I look through the rest of the first round, preparing to line up the rest of the RBs.  Call me Mr. Fantasy Pessimist but talk about dropping off a cliff.  Listed below are the top 10 running back picked after AP and why you should be apprehensive about picking each of them high in your first round.

1. Michael Turner – I only have to turn back to page 17 for the scoop on Michael Turner and the magic number 370.  As in the curse of 370 carries.  The curse says that any back that has over 370 carries in any given season will see a significant downturn in production in the following season.  According to the article only 3 of the 21 back that have exceeded 370 carries in a season have avoided the curse; Walter Payton, LT(after 2002) and Eric Dickerson.  The most recent cursed; Larry Johnson went from RB rank #2 in 2006 to #40 in 2007, Shaun Alexander went from #1 in 2005 to #28 in 2006.  Catching only 6 passes last season he certainly doesn’t deserve this spot in PPR leagues.
2. Matt Forte – Matt Who?  I honestly don’t think I watched him play in a game all season last year.  You can’t deny the monster numbers he put up though in his rookie season (1700+ yrds, 12TDs, 63 rec)  He’s got a QB now taking some of the pressure off but how many times have we seen a player drop off after a tremendous rookie season, this pick would make me nervous.
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – In his 3 seasons in the league he is yet to have a 1,000 yrd rushing season.  Still he is averaging about 13 TDs, over 1250+ total yrds and 46 rec each of those years and he will no longer be sharing the backfield with Fred Taylor who looked remarkable “non-fragile” in MJDs previous 3 seasons but still in those seasons MJD has only rushed over 100 in a game 7 times.  Does he really belong this high?
4. DeAngelo Williams – Yeah he had a monster half a season in 2008 averaging 124 yards and 15 scores over the last 8 games but can he produce at that level over an entire season.  And don’t forget Fox loves to bring in the big short yardage back on the goal line and Jonathan Stewart is custom made for that role plus a lot more of DeAngelo’s carries between the 20s.  I predict the best season of DeAngelo’s career is behind him, he won’t finish as a top 10 fantasy back this season.
5. Steven Jackson – If the Rams addition at offensive line pan out Jackson could finish as a top 3 fantasy running back but that’s a mighty big if.  Youth is on his side though so if he stays healthy he may have a chance panning out as a first round pick.
6. LaDanian Tomlinson – He’s 30 and he has carried a heavy workload over his entire career which showed itself as injuries last season.  He was one of the best but his time has passed him by.  Sproles got the big money contract so he should as least get an equal share of the workload.  LT might have a good season left in him but probably won’t put up the numbers to finish a top 10 fantasy back.
7. Clinton Portis – Portis is approaching rapidly the downside of his career measured more by carries than his age.  Injuries plague him late in the season but he will still put up good numbers while he is in there.  This is probably the right place for him but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a WR or QB go off the board before him.
8. Brian Westbrook – Westbrook turns 30 this season and few backs in the league have had more touches to this point in their career.  McNabb was resigned for one reason, the Eagles think they have one more Super Bowl run in this team.  This only happens if Westbrook is healthy in January and January stats don’t count in Fantasy.  Look for the Eagles to rest Westbrook every chance they get to try to save him for the post season.  No garbage time points for him.
9. Brandon Jacobs – Jacobs is good for about 100 yrds a game and a score every time out.  No more and seldom any less, the new Rudi Johnson  He won’t have to share touches with Ward this year but the passing game won’t take pressure off of him either, he’s probably in about the right spot here, maybe lower in PPR leagues.
10. Marion Barber – He lost over a yard per carry and a handful of TDs compared to the previous two seasons and the backfield in Dallas is crowded.  He’ll have a good season but I doubt a top 10 fantasy back season.

Who they overlooked:  Chris Johnson (he can run, wow can he ever run, he can catch, he just can’t score TDs when LeDale is getting all the short yardage work), Steve Slaton (he is still the man in Houston, someone will get a very nice RB in the 2nd round in Slaton, almost 60 rec), Frank Gore (can Mike get big numbers out of Gore running behind a lousy offensive line, I won’t bet against it).

My draft is scheduled in 71 days and it is very clear I have a lot of work to do to get ready for it.

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“The web’s most realistic trading environment—and biggest investing community. Manage a virtual portfolio. Compete with friends. Follow some of the world’s smartest investors, their trades and their ideas—or prove you’re one of them to earn real fees.”

Basically you start an account with $10,000,000 and try to out invest everyone else. It is very realistic and you can choose to follow other successful investors. On it’s main web page it is listed as an “investment advisor”.

I’ve already started (2 days). Lost about 4% the first day, gained most of it back the second. Wonder what is in story for the 3rd day?

Three ways I have found to become a part of kaChing
Facebook
http://apps.facebook.com/kaching/

MyYahoo
http://apps.yahoo.com/-DnFMcF76

Or if you aren’t a member of Facebook or Yahoo, sign up directly at kaChing
http://www.kaching.com

However you get there, come by and join the “Monty’s Muse Investors” community.

See you there!

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John Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group, was named one of Fortune magazine’s four “investing giants” of the 20th century. Bogle launched the first low-cost index mutual fund in 1975 and has long advocated indexing for everyday investors. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Bogle to get his thoughts on whether buy-and-hold investing is dead.

Would be very interested in hearing what parts readers agree or disagree with Mr. Bogle.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/06/16/bogle-on-buy-and-hold-and-the-long-of-long-term-in.aspx?source=iedsitmrc0000001

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http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/new-cool-list-linux.html

And the best part, with any up-to-date and popular Linux distro you will probably find most of these titles in the software repository for quick, easy and trouble free installation on your system. Enjoy, I know I will.