Sarah Who?

So John McCain, who was around when Washington , D.C. was built, picks a a great-looking woman of 44 named Sarah Palin who's an athlete, a mother of five, a former basketball point guard for a state championship team, a lifetime member of the NRA, an environmentalist, a whistleblower, a second place finisher in the Miss Alaska contest, a journalist major, a mayor, a governor, and now a vice presidential running mate of Prez Candidate McCain. But can she cook?

The BIGGEST question is what to make of all of this? Brilliant move in rejuvenating the Republicans for the long run, or did McCain turn over the election to the Democrats? Take your best shot. It's early, but it's fun.

Has Obama sealed the deal with you?

With Senator Barack Obama now the official Democratic Presidential nominee, the question begs to be asked, "Do you need to hear more from Obama or has he already given you enough info to seal the deal?" Check in with your comments here!

Tuesday's Tech Tip: Save back-to-school money

Do you have a ".edu" email address? Enrolled in any classes? How about your kids?

If the answers are yes to those questions (or you know someone who is eligible), you can buy Microsoft Office 2007 (and it's the Ultimate version!) for only $59. The Ultimate version comes with full versions of, well, everything. It's a download.

Visit Microsoft's Office discount site for more info. If you can't get your hands on Office at that price, don't forget OpenOffice, the open-source alternative.

Link to MS Office discount site.

And here's a bonus: Save on textbooks, too. They're already hideously expensive. Here are three sites that might help:

www.half.ebay.com (online store)
www.bigwords.com (searches deals)
www.chegg.com (rental system)

Pay attention to revision dates. From year to year, some revisions are incredibly minor (designed to justify an expensive new edition?), while others are actually important to your curriculum. Do your homework before buying. Heh. Pun intended.

NEXT WEEK: Freshen up your Windows XP interface.

So what do YOU think of Obama's choice of Biden?

Now that Senator Obama has chosen Senator Biden as his running mate onb the Democratic ticket, what do you think? Was it the safe pick? Did it represent change? How about the question of whether or not it gives Obama greater standing in terms of foreign policy? What do you think????

Who do you trust when it comes to guns?

With the shooting events at Columbine School and Virginia Tech on their minds, the small school district of Harrold in North Texas has passed a new rule, and it’s causing debate around Texas and the country. Starting this term, teachers in the district can carry concealed firearms as long as they are licensed and trained in use of guns. In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and have to use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas has backed the policy, and suggested that he would fully support other districts doing the same thing with similar safeguards. So the argument starts. Are schools better off gun-free with no one having the ability to fight back, or responsible teachers being armed and trained to defend against those who would attack without regard for life.

Sounds easy to me. The school has authority called In Loco Parentis which gives them authority over the child in place of the parents during the time they are in school. If I am a parent, I will trust the responsible teacher packing before leaving the school open to savage attacks by the irresponsible who know they are attacking the vulnerable and defenseless.

Society is tired of being victimized, and this is yet another example that they’re not taking it anymore. I’m Gary Sutton.

Tuesday's Tech Tip: DIY cranial protectection

Ahhh. Finally, a practical Tuesday's Tech Tip. Part Two in a series.

New poll: Who will be Obama's VP?

Well, "running mate" really, but I needed to abbreviate to fit it in the poll title.

Anyway, who will it be? Who should it be?

I'm voting for "other." I like Sen. Jim Webb and would like to see him as the running mate for either party. Maybe he's too principled to survive the process.