Say it isn’t so!!

“Fraud in spam is a big problem that calls out for law enforcement, says the FTC, which found that 66 percent of the unsolicited messages contain fraudulent claims.” (via CNet)

You mean that those pills really aren’t going too… well nevermind…

I was doing some research about donating a car to charity and I found a good checklist on the NY Better Business Bureau site

“If considering a donation of a vehicle to a charity, follow this checklist:
• Check out the charity. Make sure you are comfortable with its mission, activities and ethics. NYPAS maintains reports on many New York area charities and the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ PAS program has information on national organizations from around the country.
• Inquire what specifically the vehicle will be used for.
• If the vehicle is to be sold, ask the actual dollar amount the charity will receive for your donation. Shop around- some charities receive more for each car donated than others.
• Determine the true value of your donation, by finding out the “blue book” value and/or getting it appraised by an auto professional. Remember to take any damage into account.
• Keep copies of all documentation pertaining to your donation for tax purposes.”

Please, someone beat me senseless if I ever get involved with href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/2971339.stm">this a>

Ms. Simone, we will certainly miss you. And yes, you indeed, moved us all.

“Legendary jazz and blues singer Nina Simone has died at the age of 70 at her home in southern France.”

More news below…

• Jazz-Soul Singer Nina Simone Dies in France - MSNBC
• Nina Simone dies at 70 - Reuters
• Nina Simone Tributes - BBC
• Nina Simone Dies - Rolling Stone
• Jazz Soul Veteran Nina Simone Dies - Launch
• Nina Simone Dies - Fredericksburg
• Jazz Legend Nina Simone Dies At Age 70 - MTV
• Nina Simone, 70, Soulful Diva and Voice of Civil Rights, Dies - New York Times

Read and listen to more of Nina Simone’s inspiring
body of work

I need to seed my backyard, but I can’t decide between hydroseeding and pain old seeding. I’ve already factored out laying down sod, because according to this it appears that sod will be 50% more than hydroseeding.

However, what’s benefit over seeding? This Old House seems to favor hydroseeding, but it’s still unclear of the cost gap.

Hmm…

I’ve been trying to avoid posting about the war, but I just have to say that IMHO the BBC Reporters’ Log has been some of the best reporting about the war.

Good news … Dave Pell has turned the NextDraft newsletter into a Blog.

However, it’s a shame that the new blog doesn’t have an RSS feed yet.

CNet: “The war has inspired a new variation on the venerable Nigerian e-mail scam.”

Fast Company reports that, “The United States spends more on trash bags than 90 other countries spend on everything. In other words, the receptacles of our waste cost more than all of the goods consumed by nearly half of the world’s nations.” (via sysrick.com)

Ha! My wife Catherine goes off on SuicideGirls.com