I live in Maine, and we have similar seasons: winter, still winter, mud season, and almost winter. You should see this New England boy melts when he goes to Texas on business 1 - 2 times a month.

Is it just me, or is anyone else suffering from tendinitis of the Carpal Tunnel just from looking at the thing (this statement is not meant to have any hidden meaning of sexual self-satisfaction)? I can't imagine using that 18 button behemoth for any extended time...

I agree. I live in Maine (also known as Vacationland), and I know exactly what you are talking about. And now like the rest of them, I will be a hypocrite: Next weekend (Memorial Day weekend), you will find me hiding from the major arteries in Maine just to avoid the bad driving habits and discourtesy of those not from Maine. Here are several tips for every flatlander, uh... rubber-necker, I mean tourist, in Maine: 1) use blinkers, 2) stop at those red and white octagon shaped signs, 3) yield at the inverted triangular ones, 4) a light that turns yellow means that it will turn red, and not green, and 5) Maine has a distracted driving law, read up on it, and observe it.

What is this Windows of which you speak??? All joking aside, if it is just going to be used by me, I use ClamWin (www.clamwin.org). If my wife or anyone else is going to use it (the less "aware" folks in my life, I tend to go with something a little more thorough like Avast (albeit slower and a little more bloated.... thats even a little redundant). Avast has served me very well in the past, and would use it at the drop of a hat.

This was mentioned in an earlier reply from a Slashdotter in Australia, but I live in the US (ME), and we have similar legislation. We have a state law called the "Implied Warranty Act", where all goods, including used goods (except used cars, unless otherwise contracted by the seller), are protected for 4 years from date of purchase from manufacturing maladies. This is to say, as long as the item is used normally from day to day, the manufacturer is responsible for the costs at a LOCAL repair facility. For instance, my father has a 3 year old microwave (major brand over the range model) in which the magnetron went bad. Since he is protected by this law, it cost him nothing but time to get the microwave repaired.

For me, can't be done. Not only am I a System Administrator at a software company, but a musician... I can't make it more than a few hours of mind-numbing silence or obnoxious office banter without the injection of a siren song or two.

I don't know how this got an "Insightful". You dolt! You absolutely need a "degree" to practice a trade (in the US anyway). Although a "Journeyman" license will get you an apprenticeship, it will not allow you to work on your own (because no insurance company will insure you, and no code enforcement officer will inspect your work). That requires a "Masters" license. To obtain said license requires schooling on theory, general (best) practice, national code requirements, etc. Gee, doesn't sound all that different than the four years I spent in college getting my degree. Now, not to discourage the questioner, you absolutely can break into the sys-admin role without a degree, but it will take time, and you will need to work your way up the IT ladder. I have seen plenty of people do it, and thrive along the way. Just don't take advice from people who really don't know what they are talking about.