Luke_Wilbur

So what does everyone think about Mary Cheh? DEM - WARD THREE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL 17/17 100.00% Bill Rice 888 6.53% Paul Strauss 1,987 14.60% Jonathan Rees 29 0.21% Sam Brooks 1,107 8.13% Erik S. Gaull 962 7.07% Eric Goulet 469 3.45% Cathy Wiss 1,089 8.00% Mary M. Cheh 6,006 44.13% Robert Gordon 1,060 7.79% Write In, if any 12 0.09% Total... 13,609 100.00%

Every Ward voted Arian Fenty as our next mayor. Ward 1 Vincent Orange 168 1.65% Adrian Fenty 6,291 61.80% Michael A. Brown 47 0.46% Linda Cropp 2,699 26.52% Artee (RT) Milligan 6 0.06% Marie Johns 942 9.25% Nestor Djonkam 13 0.13% Write In, if any 13 0.13% Total... 10,179 100.00% Ward 2 Vincent Orange 71 0.88% Adrian Fenty 4,339 53.99% Michael A. Brown 34 0.42% Linda Cropp 2,637 32.81% Artee (RT) Milligan 4 0.05% Marie Johns 938 11.67% Nestor Djonkam 0 0.00% Write In, if any 13 0.16% Total... 8,036 100.00% Ward 3 Vincent Orange 298 1.60% Adrian Fenty 12,803 68.90% Michael A. Brown 74 0.40% Linda Cropp 4,439 23.89% Artee (RT) Milligan 27 0.15% Marie Johns 909 4.89% Nestor Djonkam 12 0.06% Write In, if any 19 0.10% Total... 18,581 100.00% Ward 4 Vincent Orange 298 1.60% Adrian Fenty 12,803 68.90% Michael A. Brown 74 0.40% Linda Cropp 4,439 23.89% Artee (RT) Milligan 27 0.15% Marie Johns 909 4.89% Nestor Djonkam 12 0.06% Write In, if any 19 0.10% Total... 18,581 100.00% Ward 5 Vincent Orange 1,171 7.89% Adrian Fenty 7,742 52.17% Michael A. Brown 89 0.60% Linda Cropp 4,981 33.57% Artee (RT) Milligan 17 0.11% Marie Johns 814 5.49% Nestor Djonkam 12 0.08% Write In, if any 13 0.09% Total... 14,839 100.00% Ward 6 Vincent Orange 206 1.62% Adrian Fenty 6,664 52.48% Michael A. Brown 93 0.73% Linda Cropp 4,346 34.23% Artee (RT) Milligan 20 0.16% Marie Johns 1,333 10.50% Nestor Djonkam 14 0.11% Write In, if any 22 0.17% Total... 12,698 100.00% Ward 7 Vincent Orange 509 3.81% Adrian Fenty 7,165 53.59% Michael A. Brown 104 0.78% Linda Cropp 5,033 37.64% Artee (RT) Milligan 9 0.07% Marie Johns 531 3.97% Nestor Djonkam 10 0.07% Write In, if any 9 0.07% Total... 13,370 100.00% Ward 8 Vincent Orange 322 3.78% Adrian Fenty 4,766 55.98% Michael A. Brown 97 1.14% Linda Cropp 3,000 35.24% Artee (RT) Milligan 10 0.12% Marie Johns 298 3.50% Nestor Djonkam 5 0.06% Write In, if any 15 0.18% Total... 8,513 100.00%

This is what I received from Rob Operation Medusa is an offensive by major elements of the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan National Army. It aimed to establish government control over an area of Kandahar Province centerned on the town of Panjwaye some 30 km west of Kandahar city. This area is characterized by numerous small farming villages in the valley of the Arghandab River. Afghan and NATO forces killed more than 200 Taliban fighters in a major operation in southern Afghanistan, NATO said on September 3, 2006. Four Canadian soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force were killed and nine others were wounded in the fighting in Kandahar province, a statement from the alliance said. “Reports indicate that more than 200 Taliban fighters have been killed since Operation Medusa began early morning on September 2, 2006. This figure was arrived at by reviewing information from ISAF surveillance and reconnaissance assets operating in Panjway and Zhari districts, as well as information reported by various Afghan officials and citizens living nearby,” it said. More than 80 suspected Taliban fighters were captured by Afghan police and a further 180 insurgents were seen fleeing the district, the statement said. NATO said there were no reports of civilian casualties, despite the heavy weight of fire being used. Earlier, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi, citing intelligence reports, said 89 suspected Taliban militants and an uncertain number of civilians had been killed during two days of fighting in Panjwayi district. It was not immediately possible to gain independent confirmation of the casualty reports, as the government has ordered vehicles off the roads leading to Panjwayi. A NATO statement said its troops reported dozens of insurgents killed during fighting Saturday, the first day of the operation. It said many more have been wounded, and a significant number arrested. The insurgency is going through its bloodiest period since U.S.-backed forces overthrew a Taliban government in late 2001 after it refused to hand over Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. More than 2,000 people, most of them militants, along with scores of civilians and aid workers as well as hundreds of Afghan security personnel have been killed so far 2006, while over 100 foreign troops, have died, including those killed in the plane crash on September 2, 2006. At least five Canadian soldiers have died in combat in the campaign, Operation Medusa, and 14 British troops were killed when their plane crashed.

This was sent by my cousin Lori:

Rupert, Are you ever going to do a track titled 'The Primal Scream?' I hope all is well with you. How are your kids doing? You are still a celebrity in my book. Rupert helped DCpages get its feet off the ground over a decade ago with his artistic talents. Thanks buddy.

What stickers are they Human?

I have been on the AT&T $99.00 Charter plan unlimited since the GSM Network was made available to the public with AT&T wireless. Since that time Cingular has bought AT&T wireless. Today, I received a bill from Cingular for the amount of $176.21. I thought this was billing errror on their part, so I called the Cingular Customer Care at 1-866-241-6567. I spoke with Takara, a Cingular Customer Care representative and she stated that I should have received an mailed statement stating that Cingular has canceled AT&T's contract and I was placed on a new plan. I stated that I have never received the mailing stating this. Takara apologised and told me that her supervisor was busy at the moment and she will transfer to tenured accountant me to speak with. After 10 minutes of waiting on the phone Takara then got back on the line and stated that since I went under 2000 minutes that she could credit me $50.00. I responded that was unacceptable. I then was put on hold and spoke with Chris, a Cingular resolution specialist. Chris understood my fustration and apoligized. He then stated that the original AT&T contract stated that the rate was subject to change. I asked him to tell me where on the contract it stated this. He then stated that he did not have the contract with him. He then put me on hold to speak to another representative. After another five minutes Derek, a Cingular tier two manager, stated that he understand how I felt and apoligised. He then told me that he will send me a copy of the retirement of my AT&T contract through the US mail. I asked, "How can Cingular retire a contract?" He responded the upper right hand corner of my contract stated that this was a two year agreement. "Focus on the positive Mr. Wilbur, you do under 2000 minutes. We can get you a better policy," Derek stated enthusasatically. I told Derek that I have had the AT&T Charter plan since 2002. It is now 2006. I was told by the the retailer in located in 7101 Democracy Blvd Rockville, MD 20817 that this was a good plan and I should never cancel it. Because Cingular is bound to honor it. Derek then responded that this was a financial decision made by Cingular's board of directors and while many customers did not like it, that was is now Cingular's policy. I then responded that I felt bullied and deceived into accepting these terms. He told me that he understood my situation and that Chris Monks, Cingular's Area manager, would be notified about this problem and contact me Monday. If you have a simular experience with Cingular please let me know.

Virtually every Iraqi institution of higher education is at risk. Universities, colleges, and research institutions operate under severe political duress and without adequate resources, transparent funding mechanisms, or the civil and legal protections needed to nurture and promote a vibrant intellectual climate and civil society. Iraq’s intellectual and academic community, long oppressed by the highly restrictive and paranoid policies of Saddam Hussein’s government, have been unable to recover in the pervasive atmosphere of lawlessness and political violence that has followed the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of the country. All campuses and scientific institutions suffered heavily from the months of looting that followed the collapse of the former régime. The present government of Iraq has done little to ensure the safety of academics since it took office. A significant portion of the current violence against academics has been perpetrated by sectarian militias affiliated with the ruling political coalitions. Professors have been threatened, harmed, kidnapped, and assassinated because of their actual or alleged political affiliations, or because they failed to respond positively to demands of students for special treatment. Communities of students are becoming politicized in a way that threatens the institutionalization of tolerance and the protection of intellectual diversity. Moreover, the continuing generalized insecurity in the country has forced thousands of Iraq’s best-educated academics, doctors, and professionals to flee, taking with them the intellectual capital for building a stable, democratic, and free nation.

Boxing history was made on this day in 1920 -- when the first prize fight was broadcast on the new medium of radio. In the match, Jack Dempsey knocked out Billy Miske in the third round. Seven years later, also in September, one of the most famous boxing matches of all time was broadcast, heard by an estimated half of the U.S. population. In the seventh round of a heavyweight title fight, Jack Dempsey floored Gene Tunney, but failed to move to the farthest corner -- interrupting the referee's count and giving Tunney a few extra seconds to recover. Tunney went on to win the match on a decision. Dempsey lost an appeal and retired from boxing. Today, prize fights draw 2.7 million spectators around the country each year

The only bummer is that it will not launch until 2020. That's twice as long as it took the first time.

I have to visit New Zealand some day. If it half as beautiful as the Lord of the Rings movies I may move there

Watch a refresher before season three of Battlestar Galactica begins Friday, Oct. 6, at 9/8C. SCI FI is presenting a story-recap special called Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far. The one-hour show is narrated by Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), the Secretary of Education turned President turned resistance leader on Cylon-occupied New Caprica. Learn about humanity's costly struggle to survive against its deadliest enemy. The special will be available on SCI FI Pulse during the entire month of September, and it will air at various times and on numerous NBC Universal channels. The special will be broadcast as follows: Date and Time Network Monday, Aug. 28 Free On Demand via SCI FI's cable affiliates Friday, Sept. 15, at Midnight/11C USA Network Sunday, Sept. 17, at 7/6C Universal HD Monday, Sept. 18, at 9AM/8C USA Network Friday, Sept. 22, at 6/5C Sleuth Friday, Sept. 22, at 8/7C Universal HD Friday, Sept. 29, at 7/6C Bravo Saturday, Sept. 30, at 11AM/10C Bravo Saturday, Sept. 30, at 4/3C Universal HD Friday, Oct. 6, at 7/6C SCI FI (Note: Schedule is subject to change. Check your local listings.) http://www.scifi.com/pulse/

A rumor has been going around that 'The Hobbit,' the proposed prequel to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, is on New Line Cinema's schedule for July 2007. Anyone know if this is true.

It is not quite a windfall at the pumps for area motorists, but gasoline prices dropped six cents over the weekend, lowering the average price for self-serve regular to $2.89 in the Washington area. That appears to be fueling the desire of some 452,000 Washington area residents to take car trips of 50 miles or more during summer’s last official holiday weekend, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic estimates. “While $2.89 is certainly not cheap it looks and feels a lot better than the $3.08 we were suffering just one month ago,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Government and Public Affairs. “In fact, the number of auto travelers is on par with the number of Washington area residents who traveled by vehicle last Labor Day weekend, when the price of a gallon of unleaded regular was 21 cents cheaper,” noted Townsend. Remarkably, because gasoline prices have fallen 20 cents since last month and ten cents since last week the prices feel much better, thus encouraging the major holiday weekend exodus on our highways that’s on parity with last year’s. “The recent drop in local gasoline prices is encouraging news to motorists and all consumers alike, who have been pinched all summer long by the second highest gasoline prices in history,” Townsend noted. "And there could be even better news. Traditionally, gasoline prices begin dropping after Labor Day, when the summer driving season comes to a screeching halt, so we are hopeful that this early trend downward will continue through the fall.” “Because of the historically high gasoline prices in recent months, research shows that Washingtonians who are traveling by auto this summer are probably venturing to vacation sites closer to home,” Townsend said. “Chances are, like their counterparts across the nation, they will do the same this upcoming weekend.” In fact, a survey by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) showed that higher gasoline prices have been a persistent thorn in the sides of motorists all summer long. Even so, “twenty-six percent of those who said they would travel less - or not at all - this summer cited gas prices as the reason, versus 18 percent last summer,” found the TIA, which does special research for AAA. Overall, this summer Americans took 325.6 million leisure trips during June, July and August, estimated AAA and the TIA. “Moreover, during the 101-day period of summer, Americans were forecast to drive more than 800 billion miles across the nation, consuming more than 36 billion gallons of fuel,” Townsend noted. “That translates into 8.6 billion miles a day this summer.” Last month, U.S. gasoline demand rose in July compared to year-earlier levels despite higher pump prices, according to data compiled by the American Petroleum Institute (API). According to oil industry analysts, the recent drop in pump prices is “the biggest two-week decline since a 20-cent fall on September 23, 2005, when refineries were coming back online after Hurricane Katrina.” It appears that a goodly number of Washingtonians who are traveling by car this weekend will be heading to the beach, a traditional haunt of area residents. Last year, American families made over 54 million trips to the beach, according to a study by the TIA. In spite of historically higher prices, the race to the seashore apparently has not lessened this year, nor has the obsession with the oceanfront, which is all the rage among Washingtonians. Area beachcombers and buffs will find cheaper prices in the resort areas this Labor Day. Pump prices in Virginia Beach are averaging $2.63 compared to the statewide Virginia average of $2.71. Along one stretch of Virginia Beach Boulevard, for instance, gas prices range from a low of $2.40 to an average of $2.47 per gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Price Finder. Vacationers taking advantage of the sun, sand and the surf in Ocean City this Labor Day holiday weekend will find gasoline prices averaging $2.72 or less at filling stations along the Coastal Highway, the AAA Fuel Price Finder shows, compared to Maryland’s statewide average of $2.88. That’s a real difference of 16 cents in pump prices.

Predatory lenders who target our nation's military servicemembers have "sprung up by the thousands around military bases," causing up to one in five — over 175,000 military personnel — to become victims of astronomical interest rates. According to a new Pentagon report, predatory lenders "seek out young and financially inexperienced borrowers who have bank accounts and steady jobs, but also have little in savings, flawed credit, or have hit their credit limit. These borrowers are less likely to weigh the predatory loan against other opportunities and are less likely to be concerned about the consequences of taking the loan." These "payday loan" centers give out an average loan of $350 that carries "an annual interest rate of 390% to 780%," often forcing borrowers to "pay another high fee to roll over the loan for an additional two weeks or take out another loan to pay off the first loan." This process traps them "in a costly and often devastating cycle of 'back-to-back.'" The problematic effects of such high-interest loans extend beyond the individual servicemembers and their families. In 2005, even as the military faced recruiting problems because of the Iraq War, "the Navy and Marine Corps denied security clearance to about 2,000 service members nationwide" because of "concern that their indebtedness could compromise key operations." The Defense Department even listed predatory lending as "one of the top 10 threats to members of the military."

What about Natural Gas? It is clean burning and produces significantly fewer harmful emissions than reformulated gasoline or diesel when used in natural gas vehicles. In addition, commercially available medium- and heavy-duty natural gas engines have demonstrated over 90% reductions of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter and more than 50% reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) relative to commercial diesel engines. Natural gas can either be stored onboard a vehicle as compressed natural gas (CNG) at 3,000 or 3,600 psi or as liquefied natural gas (LNG) at typically 20-150 psi. Natural gas is mostly made up of methane. The other 5 percent is made up of various gases along with small amounts of water vapor. These other gases include butane, propane, ethane and other trace gases. Methane is a hydrocarbon, meaning its molecules are made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Its simple, one carbon, molecular structure (CH4) makes possible its nearly complete combustion. FirmGreen Energy (FGE). of Newport Beach, California has finalized a $4.8 million agreement with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) to design, build and operate the first phase of its Green Energy Center (GEC) sited near Grove City, Ohio. The project was first announced last year (see earlier NGV Global story). FGE will use its patented CO2 Wash™ technology to clean and process SWACO’s landfill gas (LFG) for green electrical generation and production of renewable compressed natural gas (CNG). SWACO’s fleet, now being retrofitted for dual-fuel capability, will use CNG along with biodiesel from existing non-renewable sources initially, and transition to FGE’s renewable fuels produced from the landfill as the various project phases come online. Installation of a landfill gas-powered Ingersoll Rand micro turbine will generate green electricity for FGE’s CNG plant, the CNG fueling station, and SWACO’s administrative and maintenance buildings. FGE’s Green Energy Center project will significantly reduce SWACO’s energy consumption, emissions, and fleet operating costs. The next phase of the project will produce clean renewable methanol and biodiesel. Earlier this year the Ohio EPA approved installation of all phases of FirmGreen’s LFG processing facilities, which are permitted to produce up to 20 million gallons of methanol annually — enough methanol to convert 235 million bushels of Ohio grown soybeans into biodiesel fuel. Several vehicles are available today (such as the Honda Civic CGX and the Ford Crown Victoria) that operate on compressed natural gas. Some run on natural gas only and others can run on natural gas or gasoline (called bi-fuel vehicles).

What about back stretching and sit ups?

If you do not have time to read my rant, just listen to Frampton's instrumental of 'Black Hole Sun' and tell me what you think. http://www.umecard.com/frampton/ If you like what you heard then read on. "This is the album I've been waiting my entire life to make," says Peter Frampton of his remarkable new CD, Fingerprints (A&M/New Door/UME). It's an impressive 14-tune collection of guitar mastery that crosses several musical borders, from funked-up r&b to razor-edged rockers to rootsy blues to country-flamed beauties to jazzy Django swing to reflective impressionism. And, on the disc, in what may come as a surprise to longtime fans, Frampton begs off singing to focus exclusively on the six-string. "I've never done a complete collection of instrumentals," the Britain-born, Cincinnati-based Frampton says. "This is something I've been needing to do for myself for a long time. I wanted to play with people from all over the world, and I wanted to make the selections as diverse as possible. I didn't want to make a smooth jazz album where the rhythm section plays the same on every tune." Fingerprints features Frampton having exhilarating musical conversations with a who's who of the pop world, including Rolling Stones Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and Matt Cameron, original Shadows Hank Marvin and Brian Bennett, Allman Brothers/Gov't Mule slide slinger Warren Haynes, Nashville pedal steel virtuoso Paul Franklin and gypsy guitar maestro John Jorgenson. In addition, Frampton band mate, Gordon Kennedy, who co-wrote many of the originals as well as co-produces the album, is prominently featured as a guitar companion. Frampton achieved a rarefied tier of success with his multi-platinum 1976 album, Frampton Comes Alive!, arguably the most successful live recording of all time. It has sold more than 16 million copies to date, and it remains an essential. In 2001, Universal released the 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Frampton Comes Alive! to much acclaim. Frampton has long been since been a mainstay on the rock scene. He played in such late '60s-early '70s bands as Herd and Humble Pie, as well as appeared on George Harrison's classic All Things Must Pass album. Frampton's debut solo album, Wind of Change (A&M), was released in 1972. Prior to releasing Frampton Comes Alive!, the prolific songwriter had recorded a handful of well-received solo albums, with the gold-selling Frampton reaching #32 on the U.S. charts in 1975. This is the studio recording that yielded the classics, such as "Show Me The Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do," that would help drive the enormous success of Frampton's live opus. In 2000, Frampton earned a "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" Grammy nomination for Live in Detroit. His last album, 2003's Now (Framptone/33rd Street Records), prompted the Associated Press to declare: "When it comes to fiery, guitar-drenched rock, Frampton delivers." Frampton traces the genesis of Fingerprints to two seminal experiences: catching the fever of British instrumental rock music at its birth in 1960, when the Shadows scored a monumental pop hit with the tune "Apache," and then 35 years later when Shadows' lead guitarist Marvin came backstage at a Frampton concert and affirmed that indeed one day he'd love to cut a track with him. In the beginning of his career, Frampton had one thing on his mind: playing the guitar like his pop music heroes, including Marvin and Elvis Presley's guitar stalwart Scotty Moore. "I didn't want to sing," he says. "I wanted to be the guy behind the singer playing solos. I'd listen to Elvis songs but my focus was on Scotty. People like Hank and Scotty set the template for me." Frampton recalls how in the early '60s England "went berserk for the Shadows, who were like the instrumental Beatles. This was the start of everything for me. I became addicted to the guitar," he says, noting that he started to play the instrument when he was 4 and took classical lessons. The Shadows changed that quickly, he notes. "I wanted to play like them, so I got together with a couple of friends and formed a band that played every Shadows number. I can still play most of them." A few years later, when Beatlemania took hold, Frampton and co. started to integrate singing into their act. "But it was still the guitar playing for me," he says. "All the bands I was asked to join wanted me for my guitar." Fast-forward to 1995, when Marvin showed up at Frampton's show at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. He requested a backstage pass, which was both a shock and a thrill for Frampton, who had casually met his hero a couple of times before. "We spent an hour asking each other questions and talking about guitars," says Frampton. "My idol even asked me what kind of strings I used. So, it was then that I asked him if he'd be interested in doing a song together someday. And Hank said, 'Absolutely.' Of course, it took me 10 years to finally set this project into motion. So I e-mailed him about booking a session, and he replied, 'I thought you'd never ask.'" The two join together, along with original Shadows drummer Bennett and Kennedy, for the bluesy "My Cup of Tea," a tune that came together via intercontinental swapping of ideas by mp3. Once the group convened in a London studio, his dream was fulfilled. "I was beaming ear to ear," he says. "Hank is the reason why I play the guitar. It doesn't get any better than this." After the first call to Marvin, Frampton enlisted Pearl Jam guitarist McCready and drummer Cameron at Neil Young's 2004 Rocking the Vote concert in Toledo, Ohio. For Fingerprints, they decided to cover the Chris Cornell Soundgarden hit "Black Hole Sun" as a full-on rocker (Cameron was the drummer in Soundgarden at the time of the band's original recording) as well as improvisationally concoct the melodic original "Blowin' Smoke." Of the former, Frampton says, "It was unnerving but exciting. There's a lot of stuff going on in this tune. Mike said, 'Let's battle it out,' so we went to places I had never gone before." Frampton says that the close guitar interaction proved to be a touchstone for the rest of the album. "I knew we had to have all the guitar playing be live, not dubbed in," he says. "Mike and I played this song 10 times. It wasn't so much about trying to get it better as it was having so much fun that we didn't want the session to end." Fingerprints opens with the funky, arena-rock-like "Boot It Up," an original Frampton and his longtime bassist John Regan cooked up by developing a guitar-bass loop. "I was talking with my friend David Bowie on the phone one day and he asked me if I had gotten around to putting a sax on the record yet," explains Frampton. "I told him, no, it's all guitars. He said, 'I've got a sax player for you-Courtney Pine.' So I sent an mp3 of the track, he loved it and then added in a sax part. That put the icing on the cake." The Reinhardt vibe on Fingerprints arrives on two tracks. The rhythmically upbeat "Ida Y Vuelta" is what Frampton calls "if Django had done South America." It's a collaboration between Frampton and Stanley Sheldon, the original bassist from Frampton Comes Alive!, who had spent considerable time in Latin America. Then there's the album finale, "Souvenirs de Nos Peres," a grand swinger with acoustic bass and five-string viola accompaniment. "That was the scariest track of them all," says Frampton who teams up with Django channel Jorgenson and swaps amazing licks with "the genius" back and forth. "It was such a challenge." About his connection to Reinhardt, Frampton says, "[He's] the guitar player I've lived with since I was 7. My dad bought our first record player and brought home two albums: a Hot Club of France with a sepia cover that I still have and the Shadows' first. I liked the Shadows better, but Django seeped in as I started to play the guitar and realized how much I had to learn. I have Django's melodic sense totally inside me. Because he played the guitar with two fingers on his left hand, he played vertically up and down the neck, opening up new possibilities and creating new places to hit different notes. Every time I listen to his music today, there's always a new lesson." Another high-profile connection Frampton makes on Fingerprints is with the original rhythm section of the Rolling Stones on the rocker "Cornerstones." The leader says, "I've known Bill Wyman for a while and played with him before. He was one of the first people I asked to play on the album. He said yes, and then I asked if Charlie would come in too. We all jumped in and came up with this song that started off with me playing a riff." Frampton collaborates with Kennedy on four tunes, including the melancholic "Float," the fast and hip "Shewango Way" and the easy-going, country-grooved "Double Nickels," with Frampton trading licks with pedal steel king Franklin. Then there's the humorous, funk-rock "Grab a Chicken (Put It Back)," with sampled instructions from Internet cooking programs about how to cook a chicken. Fingerprints also includes three Frampton compositions. The slow-turning "Smoky" is a nod to jazz guitarists Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell. "This is in the vein of [Hammond organist] Jimmy Smith, [drummer] Grady Tate and Kenny," says Frampton. "Kenny's sound has really influenced me: his rich jazz tone like butter." He also contributes the blues-infused "Blooze," noting, "I wanted to have something for Warren [Haynes] to really sink his teeth into. We had a great time going back and forth." The shortest song on the CD (clocking in at 1:19) is also its most moving. "Oh, When." is a solo guitar piece that is gently reflective and lyrical. "It's a code," Frampton explains. "My father's name was Owen. We lost him recently. It's like, 'Oh, when my dad and I did this or that.'" Frampton played the song at the funeral, recorded it on a small recorder when he was in England, then returned home and tracked it. Thinking of his father's impact on his guitar life, Frampton says that Fingerprints is a testament to his encouragement. "The whole album is dedicated to him," he says.

Did you see this: **************************************** New York, 28 August 2006 - Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the convention to protect the rights of persons with disabilities The Secretary-General hails the agreement reached by a committee of the General Assembly last Friday night on a new treaty on the rights of persons with disabilities, to be adopted by the Assembly during its coming session, as a historic achievement for the 650 million people with disabilities around the world. He notes that people with disabilities have hitherto lacked adequate protection, and hopes that this long overdue Convention will mark the beginning of a new era in which they will have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. He urges all Member States to ratify the Convention and ensure its rapid implementation. http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2177

Jonathan, The only lesson learned here is that you should have put up an explanation when you put up any image. That way everyone would have known that you were not trying to make a joke about it. Otherwise, people can only interpret what they see.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has assessed the mathematics abilities of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in public and private schools since 1990.1 In 2005, the national average mathematics scores of 4th- and 8th-graders were higher than in all previous assessments. Reported on a 0–500 scale, between 1990 and 2005, the average score of 4th-graders increased 25 points, from 213 to 238, and the average. U.S. students at grades 4 and 8 scored above the international average in 2003. U.S. 4th-graders scored higher, on average, than students in 13 countries, while students in 11 countries outperformed U.S. students. At grade 8, the average U.S. mathematics score was higher than those of students in 25 countries, but below the average scores of students in 9 countries. In 2005, the average score on the 4th-grade mathematics assessment decreased as the percentage of students in the school who were eligible for the school lunch program increased. Comparing schools with different concentrations of poverty reveals that the highest poverty public schools in 2005 differed from other public schools in terms of particular student characteristics. For example, they had the lowest percentage of White students, the highest percentage of Black and Hispanic students, and the highest percentage of students who reported always speaking a language other than English at home. They also had the highest percentage of 4th-graders who were taught by a teacher with less than 5 years of teaching experience. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2006/secti...asp?tableID=457

No Mr. Rees did not. He stated that his computer crashed. But, take a look at this index of photos. I did not want to open that zip file. http://home.nc.rr.com/inbedwithhomer/ I would advise that you contact Road Runner. 13241 Woodland Park Rd. Herndon, VA 20171 (703) 345-2500

We might be able to help you. What is the name of your organization? Where are you located?

The Pentagon is considering replacing the nuclear warheads on some ballistic missiles with conventional munitions so that they can be used for "pre-emptive" strikes against alleged terrorists, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld told reporters after a meeting with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov. "If either of our countries or friends and allies were threatened at[sic] some number of years into the future with a weapon of mass destruction or a capability that was that lethal, I think any president, whether of Russia or the United States, would like to have available a conventional weapon that could attack that target swiftly and accurately and precisely and not feel that the only thing they had might be a nuclear weapon, which they would not want to use.", Rumsfeld said. He urged Russia to consider the idea too, but Ivanov said a pre-emptive strike was not the only solution. The Pentagon has considered such strategies before. In February 2003 a similar plan was suggested, and in May 2006 it was recommended that Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) be used for such a purpose. Critics wondered what the risks would be for setting off accidental nuclear war: it would be impossible for another nation to tell whether a Trident II or Minuteman III launch was conventional — or nuclear-armed until it had actually detonated. http://www.spammer/news/pentagon-to-us...or/19901-2.html

The software watchdog group StopBadware.org, run by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society of Harvard Law School and the Oxford Internet Institute, has opened a dialogue with AOL about concerns over the presence of badware, also known as malware, in the now-free AOL 9.0 software. Badware refers to software applications that try to download additional software with very little or no explanation. StopBadware.org decided to investigate after their users have sent in complaints regarding the operation of the software. According to the "open inquiry" on StopBadware.org, the preliminary tests conclude that AOL 9.0 installs software and Internet Explorer extensions without the consent of the user, requires users to take certain actions, and it doesn't completely uninstall itself. The page then warns readers not to use the AOL software unless they're prepared to handle the risks involved. The report clarifies its charges; for example it lists "RealPlayer, QuickTime, AOL You've Got Pictures Screensaver, Pure Networks Port Magic, and Viewpoint Media Player" as the software that is installed without notification. Additionally, the AOL toolbar, a bookmark to AOL.com, as well as extra icons are added to Internet Explorer without consent. The report continues by noting that AOL coerces users into upgrading the software by a popup window that does not allow refusal, as well as automatically upgrades the software without allowing that option to be disabled. AOL spokesman Andrew Weinstein claims that these problems are going to be addressed in an upgrade available next month. In the meantime, Weinstein claims that the problems are not malicious. "No one has done more to protect users from malware than AOL," Weinstein said. John Palfrey agrees that the findings of AOL are not the worst he's seen, but they should disclose more information about the software to users. When AOL was issued with an advance copy of the report, StopBadware.org was "very impressed" with their response, and that they look forward to working with AOL.