Cyber Monday deals and safe shopping tips

After stuffing our faces with turkey and dressing and working off that extra piece of pumpkin pie getting up early for the deals on Black Friday, you may still be searching for that perfect Christmas gift.

Cyber Monday has arrived and retailers are counting on that extra web traffic raise their bottom line, especially after early numbers from Black Friday find shoppers spent less on their purchases this year for Black Friday than last year.

The term was first coined in 2005 after Shop.org, a website by the National Retail Federation, noticed a large spike in online shopping the Monday after Thanksgiving. It's seen by many retailers, shoppers and the media as the official kick-off to the online holiday shopping season. That's when workers would typically use their work's online connection to surf the web for deals. Shop.org offers a nice guide to Cyber Monday shopping.

CyberMonday.com seems to be the "official" Cyber Monday site.

CyberMonday.net also boast some good deals.

Supercybermonday.com is another site with online deals.

Gottadeal.com tracks the Cyber Monday deals.

Mr. Dealfinder.com offers coupon codes for Cyber Monday discounts.

Facebookers and Tweeple--you can become a fan of Mr. Dealfinder on Facebook or follow Mr. Dealfinder on Twitter.

Become a fan of Cyber Monday on Facebook or follow it on Twitter.

Many retailers are tweeting and Facebooking. For example you can follow MySears, toysRUS, Bestbuy, kmartDealsnNews, WalmartSpecials and TargeT on Twitter.

Some retailers are carrying the Cyber Monday deals throughout the week, so keep your eye out for those.

Of course, you'll want to make sure your online purchases are safe. On Guard Online.gov, a website put together by the federal government to help users guard against Internet fraud, offers these tips for online consumers.

• Know who you're dealing with. Confirm the online seller's physical address and phone number in case you have questions or problems.
• Know exactly what you're buying. Read the seller's description of the product closely, especially the fine print.
• Know what it will cost. Factor shipping and handling - along with your needs and budget - into the total cost of the order.
• Pay by credit or charge card, for maximum consumer protections.
• Check out the terms of the deal, like refund policies and delivery dates.
• Print and save records of your online transactions.

Also, look for sites with https in the web address. The 's' in the address means it's a secure site. Look for the little padlock or unbroken key at the bottom of the screen.

Happy shopping, just don't let the boss see you! ;)

The best Black Friday ads, tips and tricks

As I peruse through some of my favorite websites, I'm reminded of the coming Thanksgiving holiday....and then the day after.

While I do usually get up early with thousands of the other crazy folks in search of a good deal on Black Friday, I'm not so sure I'll be waking before the chickens this year. No "deals" have really popped out this year to me. Plus, with just about everything list online, who needs to leave their comfy pajamas when you can sit in front of your computer with a cup of coffee?

Since 77 million Americans are expected to hit the stores Friday, I did a little pre-Black Friday scouting to find some of the deals for this year and have compiled them below.

Warning: make sure you know the fine print and dirty little Black Friday secrets before getting excited about some of the advertised deals. Some stores may only have sales last for a limited time on Black Friday. For example, Sears is offering a Samsung 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $599.99. The catch: only three per store and no rainchecks. And that HDTV, may not be all it's cracked up to be...watch for derivatives.

Another tip, check to see if the store has price matching. Dealnews has a list of stores that will offer price matching on Black Friday.

Dealnews also put together a Black Friday Strategy Guide that offers lots of tips and tricks.

For you techies, there is a FREE, yes I said FREE, download of Fast Video Converter Pro available. I downloaded it and tested it. Can't beat it for the price.

Since your reading this, you probably love discounts. Who doesn't right? So, Coupon Sherpa offers coupons for lots of different products at popular stores. And who doesn't love some discount codes? Currentcodes.com offers discount codes. They have a "full-time staff of trained individuals whose only job is to find new coupon codes and discount codes and verify the accuracy of the existing database."

If you have a particular item you're scouting for, you can enter in the product at Price Protectr. It will watch for deals from 150 stores to see if there's a better price for a certain period of time and if so sends you an email if the price drops.

PriceGrabber.com, Shopping.com, and Bizrate.com offer price comparison options for products. Slickdeals.net and Fatwallet.com also search for good deals.

Gizmodo put together a nice list of electronics.

For everything else check out the websites below.

• Blackfriday.info brands itself as the "official site for all Black Friday ads." You can find ads from several of the popular stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, Kohl's, Kmart, etc.
• Dealnews has a nice comprehensive list.
• Gottadeal.com also boasts a list of Black Friday ads.
• Bfads.net has daily updates.
• Black-friday.net also seems pretty user friendly in searching for ads.
• BlackFriday.fm is another site with ads, complete with webisodes.
• Dealtaker.com offers a nice roundup of ads.
• Blackfridayonline.com is another site with lots of ads.
• Tgiblackfriday.com

For you really hardcore Black Friday shoppers, you can download apps. Toys 'r Us has an iPhone app that allows you to make electronic lists, check inventory, and read product reviews. Yahoo has an iPhone app for price comparisons. Ebay has an iPhone app as well to keep track of bids. Many of the other sites listed above offer their own iPhone apps.

Online retailers like Amazon.com, Buy.com, and Overstock.com also have Black Friday ads.

By the way, Black Friday was not traditionally the busiest shopping day of the season. Learn some nuts and bolts of the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

So there you have it. If you're as systematic as I like to be on Black Friday, you have your plan of attack--er--shopping agenda ready to go and mapped out. Hopefully, the above list of links and tips helps you in your Black Friday endeavors.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and successful Black Friday.

Next--Cyber Monday!

Check it out!---Behind the Scenes

I'm adding a new Behind the Scenes segment from Heartland News every weekday. Check out the schedule below. Check back for a new segment as they're added.

Oct. 29 - Weather
Oct. 30 - Sports
Nov. 2 - Anchor
Nov. 3 - Reporter
Nov. 4 - Photographer
Nov. 5 - Producer
Nov. 6 - Anchors do wear pants!
Nov. 9 - Live Shots
Nov. 10 - Production
Nov. 11 - Editing
Nov. 12 - Master Control
Nov. 13 - Jeff Cunningham's tie collection
Nov. 16 - Assignment Manager
Nov. 17 - How we cover news
Nov. 18 - Web
Nov. 19 - Engineering
Nov. 20 - Favorite parts about the job
Nov. 23 - Beauty tips
Nov. 24 - Bloopers

Behind the scenes at KFVS12

I'm working on a Behind the Scenes segment for KFVS12 and I want your input!

Lots of people work throughout the day to bring you live, local, late-breaking news from across the Heartland. Most of the people working on our newscasts are behind the cameras. So, I'll introduce you to some of them and what they do to bring you the best news coverage in the Heartland!

What type of behind the scenes things would you like to see? Want to know about the green screen we use for weather, the control room, edit bays, satellite truck? What questions do you have about how we put a newscast together, shoot and edit video, do a live shot? What have you always been curious about? Leave a comment and let me know!

Carrier pigeons to the rescue for America's broadband problem?

Broadband has been the center of a lot of talk in lately in Washington. After $7.2 billion in stimulus money was set aside to develop a national broadband plan, the FCC asked for input on how to define broadband. So, how fast do you think broadband should be?

The United States is definitely lagging in broadband speed compared to other countries. While different groups have come out with different figueres, the overall message is the same: the U.S. lags in broadband speed. According to Speedtest.net, Korea takes the top seat with a download speed of 21.42 Mb/s, while the U.S. lags behind at a turtle-ish (yes I made up that word) pace of 6.89 Mb/s in 28th place. For upload speeds, Lithuania takes the cake at 8.9 Mb/s and good ole USA comes in a distant 30th place at 1.54 Mb/s. Come on America! We've got the Aland Islands in the middle of the Baltic Sea beating our socks off in broadband speed. I just had to look it up because I've never even heard of the Aland Islands before.

SpeedMatters has slightly different numbers, ranking the average download speed nationwide as 5.1 Mb/s, up only slightly from last year's 4.2 Mb/s. The report by Communications Workers of America ranks the U.S. as 15th behind other industrialized nations.

Anyway, small baby steps have been taken to help disseminate broadband throughout the country. In fact, more than a dozen local companies in the Heartland have applied for federal stimulus money to help disperse broadband.

If funding is made available and the plans go through, it should help with the large discrepency in broadband speeds across the country. According to an article in USA Today, "Delaware, for example, averages 9.9 megabits per second. That's almost double the national average and triple the speed of Idaho (2.6 mbps), Arkansas (3.1) and Alaska (2.3). Data are based on feedback from more than 413,000 Internet users who took an online test between May 2008 and May 2009, CWA [Communications Workers of America] says."

The federal government is working on a national broadband map of who can get it and how fast it is. A rough estimate cited in an AP tech article states about 2/3rds of U.S. homes have access to broadband. Although, it probably won't be ready in time to influence the first round of stimulus money funding and possibly not even ready for when the FCC must put out it's national broadband plan by February 2010.

I'll try to stay updated in the national plan to deploy broadband.

In the meantime, if you are ever frustrated with your connection speed here's something that might perk you up....

A SOUTH African information technology company has proved it was faster for them to transmit data with a carrier pigeon than to send it using the country's leading internet service provider. Ironically, this article was forwarded on by one of our IT Specialists here at the station.

Jackson, MO to email monthly newsletter to residents

The city leaders of Jackson, Missouri are hoping a new, monthly digital newsletter will help the city better communicate with residents.

The Jackson Town Crier will be emailed to subscribers and will contain schedules and schedule changes for board meetings and other city services, city projects, conservation tips, and safety tips and PSA's from the police and fire departments, according to a press release sent by Joan Evans, the city's information techonology manager.

Anyone interested in receiving the new newsletter can email subscribe@jacksonmo.org with "NEWS" in the subject line.

Ameren goes mobile with outage info

It's a mobile day and age and electric company Ameren is getting in on the action. The company recently launched a new mobile site with outage information. It's pretty helpful, especially when you're out of electricity and can't get on the computer.

I checked it out on my Blackberry and I like the simple page. It's divided into outage pages for Missouri and Illinois like the main site. Now you can find out outage data by county or zip code. It even has a page to enter your information if you're out of power.

The mobile address is ameren.mobi.

Extended interview with Tyler Hansbrough

It's been a few weeks since my last post. I'm a little late with this, but a couple weeks ago I had the chance to talk with Poplar Bluff native, NCAA basketball star, and NBA first round draft pick Tyler Hansbrough. He came back to his hometown for a visit and brought along his former and current basketball coaches: Roy Williams with the University of North Carolina and Jim O'Brien with the Indiana Pacers.

I got the chance to interview all three. Click on this link to see the full interviews.

Giddyup at the rodeo!

Sometimes I think I have the best job in the world. Wednesday, I had one of those days. I covered the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. I like going to the rodeo as a spectator anyway, so getting to cover the event for work was even more fun!

While we were there my photographer, Rochelle Steffen, and I had some fun. We interviewed the real star of the rodeo.

While he was pretty quiet, so much so that he wouldn't tell me his name, I dubbed him "Fluffy."

However, I think he got a little offended after I started calling "Here Kitty, Kitty!" Hey, that's what Rick Young the rodeo clown does when he talks to the "real stars."

Anyway, just to show I really have no shame watch the video below and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Adobe releases security patch for Flash video, Acrobat Reader

I had recently blogged about a security threat with the current versions of Flash video and Acrobat Reader from Adobe. This means anyone watching affected Flash videos or pdf files could be putting their computer at risk to hackers. Adobe has now released a patch users can download to help close the security hole. Visit this link to download the patch.
http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-10.html

Blogging from the road

I've had my Blackberry for several months now, but this is the first time I've used it to create a blog post. As I'm typing right now, I'm riding in the back of a van.
With the ever evolving advancements of technology, I think back that 10 years ago I would have never thought I could surf the web, listen to music, or even watch videos on a cell phone. I'm excited what the next 10 years might bring.
So here's to technology, the adventures ahead, and my first post from my phone!

Security threat for Adobe Acrobat Reader, Flash

Adobe posted a security warning for anyone using Adobe on their computer.

Hackers can exploit a flaw in the latest versions of the Flash video player and Acrobat Reader.
Adobe posted a warning last week of what they call a "critical vunerability" that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of your computer.

That's for anyone using the Flash Player (v9.0.159.0 and v10.0.22.87) for Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems and Adobe Reader and Acrobat v9.1.2 for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX.

This means playing flash videos or opening up a PDF file that's corrupted could put your computer at risk.

Adobe says it's working on a patch that should be available Thursday, July 30th for the Flash player and Friday, July 31st for Adobe Reader.

In the meantime, make sure your antivirus software is up to date. Don't click on videos or pdf files that come from an untrusted site.

Check Adobe's security bulletins to download the patch when it's available.

Adobe Product Security Incident Response Team blog

And that's the way it is...

The passing of CBS anchorman and journalist Walter Cronkite got me to thinking--thinking about my profession and the enduring legacy this remarkable man left.

I got the chance to hear Cronkite speak while I was in college. While I really don't remember much of what he said, I do remember thinking that his wit and mind was so sharp I could hardly believe I was listening to a man in his late 80s. I also remember thinking, "I wish this man was my grandpa." I could listen to Mr. Cronkite tell stories for hours on end. After all, he was the master storyteller wasn't he?

I just watched the special CBS aired remembering Cronkite. It touched on his most talked about moments in history...the first to break the news of President Kennedy's death, man on the moon, Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, getting the President of Egypt and the Prime Minister of Israel to meet, and of course his comments that turned the tide of the Vietnam War. His presence through these events made Cronkite "the most trusted man in America."

I'm proud to share my Missouri roots with this man, but honored to even attempt to follow in his footsteps as a journalist. No one will ever be able to fill his shoes or even lace a shoelace, for he was a giant.

In an interview for the Newseum, Cronkite was asked about his greatest regret. Besides not expanding the 30 minute CBS Evening News to an hour during primetime, he said, "What do I regret? Well, I regret that in our attempt to establish some standards, we didn't make them stick. We couldn't find a way to pass them on to another generation."

Well, Mr. Cronkite you did set a standard. You set a standard in the way you approached news every day--to get the story, "fast, accurate, and unbiased." And if needed, tell the people what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear.

To learn more about Walter Cronkite, check out the links below courtesy SPJ.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications: Cronkite's Bio
YouTube: Walter Cronkite Interviews and Reports
Walter Cronkite's NPR Essays
Arizona State University: Resources for Covering CronkiteASU's journalism school is named for Cronkite. Site features video clips, photo galleries and contact numbers for sources.
CBS News: Walter Cronkite's DeathIncludes video, photo essays and more.
Google News: Walter Cronkite's Death
Blogs About Walter Cronkite's Death
Walter Cronkite Quotes
Poynter: Newspaper Front Pages of Cronkite's Death
Poynter: What Walter Cronkite Did for Journalism
Chicago Sun-Times: Robert Feder on Cronkite's Death

Celebrating Cronkite while igoring what he did

Photo Courtesy: CBS

Controlling your online life after death

I recently read about an interesting type service for techies or anyone really. Have you ever thought of what would happen to your online accounts if you die? Who would access them and how? There're a couple services called Legacy Locker and AssetLock that promise online life after death. Kinda weird? That's what I thought until I read a little more about it.

Users of Legacy Locker can set up who gets access to their information after they pass away, complete with "legacy letters" to loved ones.

According to an article on CNN.com..."If someone contacts Legacy Locker to report a client's death, the service will send the customer four e-mails in 48 hours. If there's no response, Legacy Locker will then contact the people the client listed as verifiers in the event of his or her death. Even then, the service would not release digital assets without examining a copy of the customer's death certificate, Toeman said."

While we're on the subject, Find A Grave lets users "find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials, add 'virtual flowers' and a note to a loved one's grave, etc."

I haven't signed up for the service, I can see how it would be beneficial to those wanting to share their online life with only certain people after they pass away.

Behind the Scenes interview with Neal E. Boyd

I got to interview "America's Got Talent" winner and Sikeston native Neal E. Boyd on Wednesday.

He was so much fun to interview. He's just a down-to-earth, friendly guy with an infectious sense of humor.

We asked viewers to send in questions for Neal to answer.

In this roughly 13 minute interview, Neal talks about his new album, his musical influences growing up and of course the big influence of his mom.

I also asked him some fun questions like his favorite pizza topping, childhood pets' names (he listed off about 10), and his favorite memory growing up in Sikeston.

And I couldn't let him go without singing. So he sings a bit from one of the singles on his first album.

Click here to watch Neal E. Boyd behind the scenes.

(Photo source: Decca Records)

The Big Switch-er-roo is finally here!

Oh the Big Switch! Yes, you're probably sick of hearing about it and quite frankly we in the newsroom are kind of tired of telling you about it since we've been mentioning it on air for nearly two years now. But, the time has come (June 12th) and we need to make sure you really are ready for the age of digital television.

Most people are ready for the Big Switch. If you have cable or satellite, you should be good.

If you are an antenna viewer, you need to know a couple things. First, all antenna viewers, whether you have a digital TV set or use a converter box, need to rescan their sets Friday morning. That's because KFVS is moving our digital signal to a different spot on the spectrum early Friday morning. So in order to watch us, you need to rescan so your TV can find us on our need home on the spectrum.

Second, if you try to watch us between midnight Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday, you may not see us. Our engineers will be hard at work shutting down our analog signal and transferring our digital signal. We hope to be back on air by 3 a.m. Friday.

If you still have reception problems Friday, you can call a special hotline KFVS has set up for Big Switch questions: 1-877-294-4422.

Below is a list of very helpful links to answer your questions.

• Important info to know before the Big Switch
• "DTV Made Easy" (pdf) - very helpful
• How to hook up a digital converter box
• General info about the Big Switch
• FAQs for KFVS12 Viewers
• Apply for a Converter Box Coupon
• DTV.gov
• 1 - 8 8 8 - C a l l F C C

You can go to dtv.gov or call 1 - 8 8 8 - C a l l F C C to have someone come to your house free of charges to set up your converter box. Below is a list of local DTV clinics where you can set a demo of setting up a converter box, bring in your own analog TV and converter box to have it programed, register for converter box coupons, set up and appointment for someone to come to your house to set up a converter box, and receive lots of helpful information to answer all your Big Switch questions.

Cape Girardeau Public Library – DTV Clinic
Thursday, June 11 – 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, June 12 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

McCracken County Public Library in Paducah – DTV Clinic
Saturday, June 13 – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Sunday, June 14 – 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Carbondale Public Library – DTV Walk-In Help Center
Every day through June 19 – 12 p.m. 8 p.m.

I'll be focusing on Big Switch info the rest of the week on Heartland News. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below and I'll try to answer them or you can email me at chendricks@kfvs12.com.

Questions for Neal E. Boyd?

"America's Got Talent" winner and Sikeston native Neal E. Boyd will be in our KFVS studios this week.The opera singer will be performing in a benefit concert with Kenny Rogers on June 24th to raise money for the Kenny Rogers Children's Center.

Neal's debut CD is set to be released on June 23rd.

The "Voice of Missouri," coined for his many singing appearances at prominent statewide events, has released his first single. It's a recording of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." You can listen to it here at people.com's site.

Since Neal will be in our studios this week talking about the event, Internet Director John Dissauer had the idea to pull him aside for a web exclusive interview. We plan on asking him some fun questions to get to know Neal a little better and post it on kfvs12.com. What would you want to ask Neal? Leave your comments below.

(Photo source www.kennyrogerscenter.org)

100 Twitter tools

The more I use Twitter, the microblogging service, the more I like it.

I use Twitter a lot to get news. The reason I like this is because I can "follow" several news organizations and get news from all of them in one spot. This simplifies my world in that I don't have to neccessarily go to each different news website to get news. It's all in one location with just a couple clicks. Does this mean Twitter is making me lazy?

I also like to use it as as form of instant messaging. If you don't have unlimited texting on your smartphone, you can chat with your Tweeple on Twitter.

There are many uses for Twitter. This site lists "100 Twitter tools to help you achieve your goals."

What's your favorite Twitter apps?

My account: chendricks12

Efforts to expand broadband in the rural Heartland

So I'm long overdue for a blog post. I had a bit of a vacation, but now I'm back.

A little more than a week ago, I did a story on the efforts to expand broadband internet access in rural areas. Congress approved $7.2 billion in stimulus money to help lay the groundwork for broadband deployment across the nation. There is so much information that comes along with this story, that I couldn't fit it all on air. I want to share some of the links I find interesting and useful in understanding broadband and how the government plans to help Internet Service Providers expand.

Since the Heartland is such a rural area and internet has become one of my interests, this story combined two things I care about into one. I think that this is an important issue. After the story aired, many of you obviously agreed as I received a number of phone calls and emails asking for more information. Many of you live in rural areas and have been waiting for broadband access to get to you. While I haven't seen a timeline as to when broadband will be deployed, there has been some very basic steps taken in the direction of more deployment. I suspect there will be some follow up stories as work moves along. In the meantime, check out this list of links to help you better understand the efforts of broadband expansion. As always I welcome feedback.

FCC on Recovery Act
Broadband Opportunities for Rural America - FCC
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program - NTIA
Rural Development Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program
Submit Electronic Comments on National Broadband Plan
ConnectKentucky.org
ConnectedTennessee.org
Broadbandcensus.com
Below are pdf files.
Missouri Rural Internet Access Task Force - Addendum Report Jan. 12, 2009
Comments of the State of Missouri before the NTIA and Rurual Utilities Service
Contact information about broadband expansion through Recovery Act
Testimony of NTIA to Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet Committee on Energy and Commerce April 2, 2009
Missouri Sen. Jason Crowell on Expanding Broadband Networks in Rural Areas
Big River Telephone Company Outlines Broadband Expansion Plans
FCC Launches Development of National Broadband Plan - Press Release
FCC Launches Development of National Broadband Plan - Notice of Inquiry
FCC Launches Development of National Broadband Plan - Copps Statement
FCC Launches Development of National Broadband Plan - Adelstein Statement
FCC Launches Development of National Broadband Plan - McDowell Statement

Behind the Curtain at Heartland News

Join us for News on the Road today at out southern Illinois bureau in Carterville.

I'll be hosting a Behind the Scenes look at News on the Road online at kfvs12.com. Tune in about 4:30 or so. Take a look at our satellite truck. I'll also interview some of our news anchor. Kathy Sweeney, Jeff Cunningham, Bob Reeves, Todd Richards, Arnold Wyrick, Carly O'Keefe, and our newest addition to the the southern Illinois bureau, Julia Bruck will be there.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions for the staff and I'll ask them! chendricks@kfvs12.com

*Note there is a chance for storms, so Behind the Scenes is subject change.

Find us on Facebook!

I just wanted to write a quick note that you can now find KFVS-TV on Facebook. Producer/reporter Zakk Gammon is helping update the page.

You may have heard us talk about our Twitter account. (www.twitter.com/kfvsnews). Now you can also follow us on Facebook.

Check us out! Become a fan, leave a post. We'll be adding pictures and video soon!

What kind of tech user are you?

I was perusing through the Pew Research Center website and found an interesting quiz that tells you what kind of tech user you are. As a web producer, this perked my interest so I took the quiz.

After answering several questions about my online and mobile usage, it told me I am a "digital collaborator." According to Pew, I use the Internet to work with and share my creations with others. Pew also says I'm enthusiastic about how ICTs help me connect with others and confident in how to manage digital devices and information. For the most part, I would have to agree. I'm online everday. A majority of the work I do is online. I consume information and entertainment online. I also communicate with others via social networking and email online. Not to mention, I'm a newbie to the smartphone world, so I now use my Blackberry to get online.

So if you're interested to find out if you're a media mover, roving node, information encumbered or some other type of tech user, take the quiz and find out.

Decorative masks make the Swine Flu fashionable

It's the latest thing out of Mexico and it's catching on! No, not the swine flu. That's old news. Decorated surgical masks are the latest hip fashion statement.

While I know that the H1N1 virus aka Swine Flu is a very serious matter, it didn't take long for people to start taking advantage of the situation and having a little fun.

It's pretty much all we've been hearing the the news this week, so I'm sure people are getting a little tired of such key words like "swine flu," "pandemic," "outbreak,". If you've got to sport a mask, why not decorate it and make it fun to wear?

(Photo from telegraph.co.uk)

The fashionable thing to do know is to decorate your mask and show it off. In fact, several

designers have already come out with creative masks and are selling them online.

Whether it's a drawing on a manly mustache, pretty butterfly, menacing skull, smiley face or even a rose, it's catching on. Even the street performers are getting into the act.

Not sure how to get started on your next creative project? eHow offers step by step instructions on how to decorated your own mask.

So even though the H1N1 is serious, it's nice to see people can find humor in what could be a scary pandemic and add some style to the "better safe than sorry" motto.

How did I ever live without a smartphone?

I recently got a Blackberry. It's my first smartphone and I wonder what I ever did without it. Now that I have the Internet at my fingertips virtually at all times, I can't imagine not having a smartphone with email and Internet capabilities.

As content becomes more available to mobile phones, it's often faster and easier to find info on the go. For example, Tuesday I headed to Paducah, Kentucky to do a story on the quilt show that brings thousands of people to the area each year. So, I wanted to do a little research. On my hour and a half long ride there, I was able to go to the American Quilter's Society website, read their history, look up directions, check my email and even tweet on Twitter.

As technology continues to evolve, it will become accessible to more and more people. This connects the world, providing entertainment, information, and communication 24/7 in your pocket or purse.

While I'm not sure I'm ready to watch a full length movie on my phone yet, I am excited about all the possibilities I've discovered.

I want to know...do you have a smartphone? What kind do you have? Why do you like it? Which smartphones would you recommend for other people?

cNews - Be a part of the news

We have a new way for you to share news with us at Heartland News and the rest of the Heartland. It's cNews. Just click on the icon on our home page. You can upload your own pictures and video and view the uploads from other people. You can even rate the pics/videos and leave comments!

The Heartland is a big area and sometimes it's difficult for us to get to everything, so here's your chance to be a part of the news. If you see news happen, snap a picture, record some video. Upload it and tell us what happened. It might just make it on-air during one of our newscasts.

cNews is another way for you as a viewer to get more involved and hands on. It's also great because you can see what others submit.

If you do submit something, just know that it will take a bit to show up on the cNews page because each submission is reviewed before it is posted.

I look forward to seeing your pics and videos!

Conficker worm still squirming its way to computers

Conficker squirms it way to Utah, the University of Utah that is. According to the Associated Press, the computer virus infected more than 700 campus computers.

The worm can even wiggle itself onto thumb drives, so be careful. Get this, according to Gizmodo.com, Conficker is charging $49.95 to remove itself from your system. Computerworld.com says the worm has been downloading a "noted Trojan horse bot" that could be used to rent PCs out to spammers. Yikes!

Conficker worm shows signs of activity

One week after the big "to-do" the Conficker worm seems to be out there doing some damage, updating via peer-to-peer between infected computers, according to CNET.

However, I'm not sure what the actual damage is if a computer gets infected. Trend Micro says their still analyzing the new payload dropped via peer-to-peer communication.

I found a site with five free tools to help exterminate Conficker.

Test your computer for Conficker worm.

Still worried about the Conficker worm? Here's a quick eye chart test to see if your computer has been infected.

If your computer is affected. Find out what to do with at this link.

Find broadband options where you live

Looking for better broadband Internet access? CNET provides a service to help you find out the options available where you live. Just enter in your home phone numbe and it searches more than 30 ISPs to show what's available at your home.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4002-6549_7-5114723.html?tag=bandwidth_sponsorship

You can also test your current bandwidth, with the Bandwidth Meter Online Speed Test from CNET.

Windows Anti-Virus 2009 is bad!

The threat of a malicious Internet worm called Conficker had many people updating their anti-virus software recently.

While the potentially dangerous Conficker worm hasn't caused the damage as predicted, another virus could be causing you more problems.

It's called Windows Antivirus 2009 and it's very tricky. It disguises itself as antivirus software, but it's actually a virus that could do major damage to your PC. It's so tricky in fact, that a couple of people here at the station accidentally clicked on it.

It hides in ads on websites that you may visit, so there's really no way to avoid the bug.
The owner of Computer 21 in Cape Girardeau says a lot of his customers have been tricked by the virus. He says he's seen a lot of computers affected by the virus over the past three months.

"If you're on a website that has that ad, you're going to notice that the screen goes blank in the background," said Andrew Bard, owner of Computer 12. "Little window pops up, says you've been infected with something, click ok to scan now. If you click ok, you're done. Best thing you can do is cut the power."

Sounds scary, so how do you tell the real deal from the virus? If it just pops up on your computer and you didn't click anything, then it's probably the virus. Like Bard said, don't click on anything. Just cut the power.

To help protect against the virus you can download an anti-malware application. Windows provides some Antivirus 2009 removal instructions if you get bitten by the bug.

Conficker Worm - April Fool's Computer Virus

The Conficker worm is squirming its way through the Internet and it could infect your computer! Mass hysteria! Ahhh! Ok, really it's not that big of a deal...at least not so far today.

The malicious Conficker worm was set to update to become more aggressive today, but so far nothing noticeable has happened.

Computers already infected with the worm were to be told to step up their attempts to "phone home" for commands (E.T. anyone?). However, the chief research officer at antivirus company F-Secure says that the only thing that's happened so far with the bug.

Computers running Miscrosoft Windows operating system are suseptible. It could be used to send spam or perform other cybercrimes.

It's believed the virus, discovered in 2008, has infected 10 million computers worldwide. But, most of those are in Asia, Europe and South America, according to an article by PC World.

It mainly affects big companies with networks, but it's a good idea to make sure your computer is updated with the latest antivirus software. Microsoft offers this help.

A good rule of thumb to find out if your PC is infected is to try to visit an antivirus software company like Symantec or Microsoft. If you can't log on, your computer may be infected.

Twitter for Videos - Gawkk.com

Can't get enough Twitter? Now there's a social video community for videos.

Gawkk.com a way for members to "discover, share and discuss videos from around the web with their friends by answering the question: What are you watching?"

You can search videos by category or popular and newest videos.

GovDeals - surplus, confiscated items for sale

I came across this site a few days ago and thought I'd share it. GovDeals allows different government agencies to sell surplus and confiscated items over the Internet.

I thought it was interesting to browse around for a while and see what I could find. You can search by item type or zip code to find used items near you. There's everything from office furniture, to trucks, vans, and even some concrete culverts for sale.

Submit your questions to the President to answer online

President Barack Obama will participate in a community-moderated online town hall meeting tomorrow (Thursday) on the White House's web site.

You can submit your own questions via video or text and read questions from other people and vote on the ones you want to see answered.

Check it out at http://www.whitehouse.gov/OpenForQuestions/

The online town hall will be at 10:30 a.m. Central.

I got pwn3d! Leetspeek explained

So I was surfing around the web tonight as I generally do most Sunday nights and came across some web speak I didn't recognize. "Pwn3d" What!?

After some quick searching using my lightening speed, journalistic skills (wikipedia...yea, I know), I found out it's a term of Leetspeak. Also known as leet, 1337, l33t, or Eleet, it could have developed as encrypted communication for hackers, but is now commonly used by gamers.

Now I realize I'm a n00b (newbie for all you non-leetspeak people like me), but I've heard of and used the more common terms like lol, brb, gtg, and ttyl.

Apparently, a lot of the words come from create misspellings.

Now that I know that pwn3d (owned) means to dominate, like as in domination of a player rather than just winning, I can leetspeak with the best of them. (Yea, probably not.)

Rant, rave, rate workplace after layoffs

With layoffs still making headlines across the country, I came across a site that provides a home for those who want to rave, rant, or rate their workplace or school.

On Telonu, you can post anonymously, with a nickname, or under your user name to tell others about your experience.

Telonu keeps track of layoffs across the country and provides a place for people to share first-hand experiences with the choice to remain anonymous.

From Wall Street to Sesame Street...recession hurts

First we were talking about Wall Street, then Main Street, now Sesame Street! Yep, the recession is taking its toll on Big Bird and the gang. While there's been a lot of satire about Oscar the Grouch raking in the dough as a slumlord after everyone moves into trash cans, this is real people with real jobs we're talking about.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit producer of "Sesame Street" and other kids' programs, announced layoffs earlier last week.

The company says it's cutting 20% of its work force because of the recession. That's 67 of 355 staff positions. Sesame Workshop was founded in 1968 and "Sesame Street" debuted in 1969.

I spent a great deal of my TV watching time as a child sitting in front of the tube watching Big Bird, Ernie, and Oscar so it pangs me to hear this.

Looks the Cookie Monster will have to cut back on his diet and Telly will have more to worry about.

Is this a sign of how bad the recession is, going to get, or are we at the bottom looking up? What do you think?

I finally did it...signed up for Twitter.

Well folks, I finally jumped on the bandwagon. I created a Twitter account. You can follow me at www.twitter.com/chendricks12. I'm not sure how much tweeting I'll be doing, but I'm on now!

Cut the Cord with Subscription TV

As more and more video is offered online, more and more people seem to be cutting the cord with their cable or satellite provider. A new company called ZillionTV that just launched recently boasts totally free programming.

How does it work? ZillionTV works with your internet provider to bring you steraming movies and TV shows through your television. According to the website, there are no downloads or painful waiting time.


ZillionTV is currently working with Disney, NBC, Universal, Sony Pictures Television, and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. You search for what you want to watch, even down to the ads or no ads for that matter (paying a per program fee to view without ads). You can also use the service with your current TV service.

You can choose to buy, rent or watch programs for free. By buying programs you can watch them as much as you want. By renting you can watch for a specified period of time. Watching programs for free is great, but you have to watch the ads too.

Sounds good to me, but let's see how the beta testing goes.

P.S. read my earlier post in February about online videos and some good sites to find them.

Cell Phone Finder

I'm looking for a new cell phone and came across this handy help tool from CNET. It's a cell phone finder. You enter in carriers and phone preferences and the finder lists possible phones for you. I found it pretty helpful. Maybe you will too.

The Ultimate Unit Converter

Here's a useful little site I came across...The Ultimate Unit Converter.

Ever need to do some quick mathematical unit conversions? How many kilometers are in a mile? days, years, minutes, ounces, pounds, etc.

Although I didn't find it could convert temperature measurements, but it does have an improve section for users to submit ideas.

Convert away!

Contemplating netbooks, popular YouTube video

I've been contemplating purchasing a netbook and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. A netbook is a mini laptop. They're much smaller and cheaper (starting around $250) than laptops. They're not made to take on the full load of a regular laptop or desktop, but they're gaining popularity.

I'm looking at the Dell mini 9 or the Acer Aspire One. I would mainly use it for travel to get online and check email, nothing hardcore. I would like the option of Bluetooth. My main concerns are price, battery life, and hard drive space (although that can be taken care of with external storage). So do you have any suggestions? What's your experience with netbooks? Love 'em, hate 'em, could care less? Tell me!

On a different note...I was browsing through some web headlines tonight and found some old ones about the most popular YouTube videos. In 2007 it was the "Evolution of Dance" video. That fell to the number two slot in 2008. As off writing this post, the video has had 115 million views.

I first saw this video probably a year ago and thought it was hilarious. So after I learned it had so many views, I decided to check behind the dancing and found that the dancer is a comedian. Apparently his YouTube sucess has translated into marketing success. He's selling dance t-shirts, has appeared on national TV shows, has come out with a second video - "Evolution of Dance 2," and you can even upload your own photo and do the evolution of dance routine yourself.

Just some random fun I thought I'd throw your way!

Warning about security threat to Adobe Reader 9, Acrobat 9, earlier versions

I know I usually wouldn't think twice about opening up a .pdf, so I thought I'd pass this along.

Anyone with Adobe Reader 9 and Acrobat 9 and earlier versions beware! Adobe announced a "critical vunerability" for users that the could cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

Adobe made the announcement last week, but says users won't be able to get a fix for it until March 11th for Adobe 9 and longer for earlier versions. That means three weeks of vunerability for any time a user opens a .pdf docutment.

According to Adobe's website, you can disable JavaScript to provide protection against currently known attacks. However, the vulnerability is not in the scripting engine and, therefore, disabling JavaScript does not eliminate all risk. Users can disable JavaScript, by following the instructions below:

Launch Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
Select Edit>Preferences
Select the JavaScript Category
Uncheck the ‘Enable Acrobat JavaScript’ option
Click OK

Check this site for Adobe security bulletins.

For now, Sourcefire has released a homebrew patch for Adobe Reader 9.

10 random things in the news this week

In honor of the 25 random things list circling through Facebook, I've decided to put together my own smaller version of 10 random things in the news (local/national/international) this week....

1. President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Tuesday which aims to help stimulate America of the recession. Find out what's in it for you.
2. "Slumdog Millionare" comes out top dog at the Oscars for best picture.
3. Facebook did an about face on its terms of service policy after a firestorm of backlash when it changed the wording in the TOS to say it claimed ownership to the content on the site even if a user deletes his/her account.
4. Joshua Kezer, imprisoned for more than 14 years for the slaying of a 19-year-old college student, is freed after a judge throws out the conviction.
5. Talk about bullet proof....A Kansas City woman is uninjured after a bullet fired at her ended up tangled in her hair weave.
6. Even though the big date for the Big Switch from analog to digital television was pushed back to June, more than 400 TV stations made the switch last week on the original date of February 17th.
7. The Southern Illinois Miners announced they will play an exhibition game in Cape Girardeau on May 9th.
8. Let there be light....with a few exceptions power was restored to the remaining customers in southeast Missouri that were still without power from Winter Storm '09.
9. Sen. Roland Burris was questioned by the feds in a probe of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's ongoing corruption investigation.
10. A Missouri lawmaker proposes giving school districts the option of a four day school week.

Twittastic Twittering at Heartland News

This blog entry is about micro-blogging, specifically Twitter. It's something we've picked up at Heartland News. KFVS Director of Internet Development John Dissauer and I have experimented with Twitter use for our station for quite a while. Some of our early experiments included twittering during the presidential campaign when Obama and Clinton stopped in the Heartland.


If you've never heard of Twitter, it's a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send short messages of 140 characters or less to others who have signed up to receive them. The users called "twitterers" or "tweeters" send their messages known as "tweets" from a computer or a mobile device. A lot of people use it to keep friends and family updated about what they're doing.


There's a whole twitoverse out there of tweeple crazy for Twitter. There's even a Twitter language of sorts. (Check out the Twittonary.)


You can sign up to follow our "kfvsnews" tweets at Twitter. (http://twitter.com/kfvsnews) We also have a daytime live Twitter feed during the week on our homepage. We plan to update you with short burts of news during the day, let you know what we're working on, and any breaking news that occurs.



For those of you still wondering about this Twitter phenomenon, "nearly one quarter--23%--of social network users say they have used Twitter or a similar service. In comparison, just 4% of those who do not use social networks have ever tweeted." (That's according to a report last week from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.)


"Twitter and similar services have been most avidly embraced by young adults. Nearly one in five (19%) online adults ages 18 and 24 have ever used Twitter and its ilk, as have 20% of online adults 25 to 34. Use of these services drops off steadily after age 35 with 10% of 35 to 44 year olds and 5% of 45 to 54 year olds using Twitter. The decline is even more stark among older internet users; 4% of 55-64 year olds and 2% of those 65 and older use Twitter." (Pew Internet & American Life Project)


So whether you're a neweeter, occasionitter, or reportwitter, join all the sweeple and read our tweets or twype your own. Just don't get too big of a twego. Tweh! This twitterspeak is wearing me out!

Personalized DTV Reception Maps

With the Big Switch two days away...wait make that four months from now. Even though the Big Switch has been postponed from February 17 to June 12, you can still find out how ready you are for the switch from analog to digital television.

Congress voted to postpone the switch until June 12. The move is meant to address concerns that more than 6.5 million Americans with older TVs that only receive analog signals would not be ready by Feb. 17, the originally mandated deadline. That's after the DTV coverter box coupon program ran out of money, so there's a backlog on requests for $40 coupons.

The FCC has put together an interactive DTV signal map that allows you to check for the DTV signals that are available at your location. You just type in your address and voila! You get a listing of local TV stations and their predicted signal strength at your house. (Thanks to KFVS Director of Internet Development John Dissauer for bringing this site to my attention.)

I plugged in my address to find out how many strong, moderate or weak digital signals I'd get from over the air at my house. Thankfully, the KFVS signal comes in strong! However, I wouldn't let this map be the end all be all. Things like buildings, trees, terrain, or home construction can affect signal strength so your situation could be unique. Like me for example, I have a several of trees around my house so I'm not so convinced it's as easy as scanning my digital tuner to 12.1. If you see you're getting a weak or moderate signal, learn more about higher quality antennas.

Until then happy Big Switch day four months early.

How to Pop 'n Lock Dance? - Tools for Online Videos

With the abundance of online video, it can get overwhelming when trying to search for a particular clip, show, movie, or find out how to do something. We've all been to YouTube, but there are several other sites dedicated to online video you might want to know about. By now, you've most likely heard of Hulu (especially after their Super Bowl ad with Alec Baldwin). Hulu is a joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp offering video clips from namely NBC and Fox shows along with other networks and studios. Interesting fact, Hulu means "holder of precious things" in Mandarin Chinese. I've found Hulu to be great source for popular NBC shows like "SNL."

Now, what about your favorite CBS shows? Joost provides another myriad of clips, many from CBS like "How I Met Your Mother," "60 Minutes," and "CSI: Miami." But, did you know you can watch full length current and former episodes of CBS shows from our site? We have a link on our homepage. There are even specials like the "51st Grammy Awards" from Sunday. But, I digress, back to Joost. It has several shows from the WB as well. There are a lot of music videos too. (A lot of content that falls under the Viacom realm)

Veoh is another free internet TV service. Here you can find ABC shows, more from CBS, music videos, and films and even user generated content. (Yes, I know you can go to any of the networks' sites for episodes, but these sites offer more than just one network's shows.)

Did I mention you can also watch full length films at any of the above sites? They all break down content by category which is nice way to browse and the videos are in Flash.

Another type of online video that's gaining popularity---how-to videos. I recently discovered a few how-to video hosting sites and by the time I was done browsing I couldn't believe I had spent two hours! Wonderhowto.com is a great source if you've ever wondered how to do really anything. From dancing, cooking, pranks, and software, sports, and even magic tricks, Wonderhowto.com has you covered. I'm pretty sure I'll never need to know how to pop 'n lock dance, but I there's a clip on wonderhowto.com to teach me how. (Yes I did try this at home and yes, I'm a terrible hip hop dancer.)

5min.com touts itself as "your one-stop shop for instructional videos and DIY projects." Pretty much anything you'd ever really need to know and more than you'd care to. Find out how to change your wiper blades, give your dog a pedicure, or give yourself a mohawk. What's great about this site is that you can upload your own how-to videos.

For a more personalized approach, Stumbleupon.com directs its members directly to web sites matching their personal interests and preferences by using a ratings system and sites recommended by friends.

So, with the abundance of online videos, maybe some of these sites will help you wade through the endless well of online video content. Happy watching!

It's Okay to be a Girl Geek

While I haven't always been a computer geek, I do find myself increasingly interested in technology, computers and new media. I guess it comes with the nature of the job, Web Producer, right?

When people hear "technology" or "computers" or "web development" there's been a stereotype at least in the past that it's a man's field. While men probably fill most of the jobs in the technology field, us women are doing some important work.

I may not be as knowledgable as about javascript or CSS or HTML as the next guy, but I do think technology is such a huge field with growing importance of exponential return that us women should not be afraid to jump in and get our hands dirty in the high-tech workforce.

With that said, check out these sites for women in technology...

Anita Borg Institutute for Women and Technology

Girls in Tech

The Good of the great Winter Storm

So, I'm convinced there's some good somewhere in this great big mess of icy, electric-less, cold wintry mix we've labeled "Winter Storm '09". Mainly, the good I see from this storm is the good it brings out in people. While I know stressful situations often bring out the worse in people, I've seen so many examples of true Heartland spirit and human kindness during this storm. Maybe it's because events like this force us to rely on others for a change.

For one, I've been the recipient of it. Whether it was lending me ice scrapers and de-icer to clean off my car, fellow co-corkers scraping my car for me, pushing it out of the parking lot, giving me rides, or friends coming at the drop of a hat to get my car out of a stuck parking lot (I seemed to have gotten stuck in the ice a lot) I've seen the goodness in people. When we have winter weather like this, it creates about 10 times more work than normal for me for the website. Numerous co-workers pitched in to help with web coverage with the live chat, pictures and video.

Then, there are our viewers. You make it worthwhile. While the demands for instant information sometimes seem insurmountable, many of you told us how you appreciated our coverage and efforts to keep you updated. That makes my three nights in a hotel room, four hours of sleep in two days, and three nights of pizza for dinner worth it. (I never thought I'd get tired of so much pizza.)

While thousands of you are still without power (my house included) we'll see more of this goodness emerge from the dark corners of ice and tree laden streets. How about you? What goodness have you seen from the great Winter Storm of '09?

On a side note, thanks to everyone that took the time to send in weather pictures. We literally probably received upwards to 1000 pictures. Because of this volume of response, it's been pretty much impossible for me to keep up with it. However, I'll try to wade through it some more and add to our slideshow tomorrow. Toodles!

Winter Storm '09 Packs a Punch!

I'm due for a blog update, but hopefully you'll understand since we've had a terrible one-two punch of nasty winter weather. To say the least, we've been busy.

As I write this I'm sitting in a hotel room at 2am for the second night in a row because the weather is too dangerous for me to drive home. Quite honestly, it was a miracle I even made it across town to the hotel. It took an hour of defrosting, two borrowed scrapers and de-icer, two men (thanks Derek and Mike) and me scraping just to get my car cleaned off. Then, a couple more guys from work(thanks Jeff C. and Bill) had to push my car out of my parking space in order for me to leave! And to the nice man that pushed my car again as I pulled into the hotel, thank you. Driving conditions are really that bad. So my advice, stay at home! I know it gets old to hear and when you're sitting at home thinking you've surfed every inch of the Web known to man, it's easy to become stir crazy, but take it from my small excursion tonight and just play it safe.

Several times when I've met people and when they hear I work for a television station, they think it's a glamorous job, complete with hairstylists and makeup artists....errrrr....wrong! However, it is a very demanding, important job that when done well, can look glamorous.

The past couple of days our news crew has put in countless hours to bring you our best coverage of Winter Storm '09. It takes a lot of dedicated people. Where most people get a day off work or school, we get extra work, longer hours, in dangerous conditions.

Now, I don't say this to complain. Actually, not in the least. I love my job. In my opinion, it's is a very important job as thousands of people depend on the information we gather and disseminate, especially in cases like this severe winter weather. It's a job I feel obligated to do my very best at because that's what people deserve. (I'm not just being cliche, I really do feel that way.)

And while I'm running on about eight hours of sleep since Sunday and some stale pizza, like my fellow newsies I feel an adrenaline rush to keep going. (You're positive feedback keeps us going in the cold, nasty conditions.)

To all of you who sent in pictures of all the ice, thanks! I've enjoyed looking through them. To those who participated in our live chat, thanks! You've provided valuable information for who knows how many other people reading the comments.

I'm heading in for a couple hours shut eye and then we'll start it all over again!

"Killshot" a shot in the heart for Cape?

So the long wait for "Killshot" is over...if you're in Phoenix.

After several release dates that never happened, The Weinstien Company is only releasing the movie in five theaters in Phoenix.

Why? Let's add up the pieces. Co-star Mickey Rourke just received an Oscar nom yesterday for the "Wrestler." According to an article in the New York Times, the release is an effort to “capitalize on all the heat that’s going to be around Mickey.”

Rourke, Diane Lane, Thomas Jane, and Johnny Knoxville spent a few days in Cape Girardeau three years ago to film a few scenes downtown. The movie is based on Elmore Leonard's novel about a woman and her husband who are being sought by a hitman.

Since then it's been a journey of unknowns and heartbreak for Cape Girardeau's claim to "Killshot" fame. (Click here to follow Heartland News' coverage.)

I've heard Johnny Knoxville was cut from the film. He's not listed in the cast list on Weinstein's website.

There were the reports that Cape was cut from the film and replaced with shots of a town in Canada. However, in the trailer on the production company's website, there is one quick shot of downtown Cape.

Then, co-star Thomas Jane was reported to say it was going straight to DVD. "I did a movie called 'Killshot'," Jane said. "That looks like it's going straight to DVD. It didn't turn out so hot I guess."

And now, the release in Phoenix.

I don't know if I can take all this "Killshot" drama. After all this give and take what do you think? Are you still interested in watching the movie if it ever becomes available?

Why Corduroy Pillows?

Corduroy Pillows? That name makes no sense for a blog! Well, chalk it up to my corny sense of humor. Ever heard the joke "Corduroy pillows, they're making headlines"? (Yes, sympathy laugh now.)

I'm a blogging newbie, so I plan to write about news in the Heartland (southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky), interesting headlines around the world, and points of interest in the new media biz. (Okay, pretty much whatever I find interesting to share.)

I welcome your comments!