Trimming the Fat: Obese Alabama Workers Will Have to Pay for Health Insurance Somebody in Alabama wants to change the stereotypical Southern image of an overweight man wearing a wifebeater, sitting in a recliner, and scarfing down chips and beer while watching television. State officials are putting the state's 37,000-plus... ( added 1 year 64 days ago.)

Viruses in Space: The International Space Station Gets Hacked Where computers exist, so does the threat of computer viruses. All over the globe these insidious pieces of software code manage to find their way into desktops and laptops and wreak their havok. Not even outer space is immune. Recently NASA... ( added 1 year 68 days ago.)

The Edwards/Hunter Affair: Glorifying the Offenders, Humiliating the Victims This morning while driving into work, I was listening to my favorite talk radio show. The topic was John Edwards and the latest information on his affair. After five days of non-stop coverage, I was sick to death of hearing even more (and I know... ( added 1 year 88 days ago.)

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain's Political Ad, Runs for President Have you heard? We have a candidate for President who's promoting change for the United States. No, not that Barack Obama guy. I'm talking Paris Hilton. The hotel heiress evidently took umbrage with John McCain's footage of her in a recent ad... ( added 1 year 93 days ago.)

Subway's Mistake Warrants 911 Call in Jacksonville, Florida I would never survive as a 911 operator. With all the stress of taking life-or-death calls and having to make instantaneous decisions under pressure, I'd crack like an egg. Which is why on occasion I'd need somebody like Reginald Peterson calling... ( added 1 year 94 days ago.)

Natural Disasters and God's Judgement: God Loves Houston, Texas! As I sit and write this at 10:30 am on Tuesday, August 5, tropical storm Edouard is dumping rain in the Houston area. While some of the rainstorms are strong, and there has been some localized high water, we've yet to experience the high winds... ( added 1 year 95 days ago.)

"Politics: Obama is Here": Song by Ludacris Promotes Obama While Trashing His Political Opponents There's nothing new about celebrities using their popularity to promote their political opinions or their favorite candidate. However, rap artist (and I use the word "artist" VERY loosely!) Ludacris's latest song promotes his favorite presidential... ( added 1 year 100 days ago.)

Pet Tips: How to Calm a Dog Which Suffers from Noise Phobia For years my wife and I thought our white German shepherd/yellow Lab mix was just being a good, if somewhat overzealous, watchdog. Any little noise causes RiCA to start barking and heading towards the source of the sound. A neighbor next door... ( added 1 year 102 days ago.)

Weather Bloopers on Video, Courtesy of Accuweather.com We all want to know what the weather is going to be like. So to get what we want, we force ourselves to sit through some pretty boring deliveries by those oh-so-perfect meterologist guys and gals. Their dress is impeccible, their recitations... ( added 1 year 109 days ago.)

Ransomeware: Hackers Now Kidnap Your Computer Files and Want You to Pay to Get Them Back As if there weren't enough people trying to attack your computer through things like e-mail spam, viruses, Trojans, adware, spyware, and malware. There's a new breed of hacker that's not content with simply screwing up your computer: He holds your... ( added 1 year 110 days ago.)

Being a Nerd Then Doesn't Make Me a Geek Now! My wife called it to my attention. "SearchWarp is having a writing contest on embracing your geekiness! You should write something!" I'd seen the promo, but had purposely ignored it. "I don't think so," I replied. "What? Why not?" she inquired.... ( added 1 year 123 days ago.)

Go Green, Save Energy and Money by Turning Off Your Computer Equipment With the growing concerns about being "green" and conserving energy, people are looking at anything they can do to reduce their carbon footprint and save some money at the same time. It's only logical to consider looking at your computer systems.... ( added 1 year 128 days ago.)

Men's Facial Hair Tips--Proper Grooming for a Great Look One of my most popular articles on SearchWarp has been my writeup on coloring facial hair. Go figure--the computer guy is still getting e-mail with questions related to coloring beards and moustaches. In any case, I've also received a number of... ( added 1 year 131 days ago.)

Tips for Married Couples--The New Rules for Having a Great Marriage My wife and I just celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. I realize this doesn't make me a marital expert, but I do believe I have some small bit of insight into how marriage should--and does or does not--work. For years I thought the way my... ( added 1 year 135 days ago.)

Customer Service Horror Stories: Both Sides Are At Fault Periodically some organization releases its "Top Ten Worst Customer Support Companies" list. The organizations with customer-perceived support issues are ranked by vote, and the article usually includes a story or two about some poor unsuspecting... ( added 1 year 142 days ago.)

How to Improve Your Writing--Avoid the Vizzini! You've heard the joke about the man who was going into the hospital for a vasectomy. He dressed up in his best suit for the occasion. When asked why, he replied, "If I'm going to BE impotent, I'm going to LOOK impotent!" We've all used the... ( added 1 year 144 days ago.)

The Computer Support Nightmare: Why Isn't My Computer Working? More often than not, when I introduce myself to someone new and mention that I am a computer support guy, I get the response, "Really? I need to ask you something." And I groan inwardly. Now don't get me wrong. While I certainly don't mind sharing... ( added 1 year 155 days ago.)

I'm Going to Be a Grandpa! "We're pregnant." That was it. No fanfare, no cute little hints or double entendres. Just two words pronounced by my older daughter. Two words that unceremoniously kicked me up into the next-higher age bracket. Not that we weren't thrilled to... ( added 1 year 157 days ago.)

How to Increase Your Carbon Footprint on June 12, Carbon Belch Day Tired of hearing the constant drone about the disaster that is global warming? Concerned about the proposed "carbon tax" that may be imposed on you for your contribution to the problem? Want to do something about it? Then let out a great big... ( added 1 year 165 days ago.)

Global Warming: If You're Overweight It's Your Fault! As if people who are over their optimum weight don't have enough problems--now it turns out those extra pounds contribute to global warming. That's what researchers Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine... ( added 1 year 171 days ago.)

Things Men Don't Need--A Regular Guy's Point of View Men's Health Magazine recently published an article concerning 18 things men no longer need in their lives . I read the article and thought, "Who the heck do these people think they are?" Somebody is trying to tell me that I'm too mature to have a... ( added 1 year 173 days ago.)

What Graduates Need To Survive in the Real World--NOT! From the desk of: Avery Businessman May 19, 2008 Dear Graduate: Congratulations on surviving your schooling! Whether you're leaving high school or college, whether you're a teenager or a fifty-something completing yet another degree... ( added 1 year 178 days ago.)

Use Blank Laptops to Prevent Data Theft While Traveling Like the expense account and the cell phone, computer laptops have become a staple of the traveling business person. In airports, on flights, in hotel rooms, and in taxis and automobiles, it's rare not to see somebody opening a briefcase and... ( added 1 year 179 days ago.)

Ladies Show Unusual Sportsmanlike Conduct in Playoff Game We've known it for years. Sports is about playing your best game and taking advantage of your opponents' mistakes, all in the name of the ever-elusive win. When it comes to playoff and championship games, the intensity of the game goes up to a new... ( added 1 year 191 days ago.)

Getting a Spine: Learning How to Handle Unfavorable Comments About Your Articles There's nothing quite like the feeling you get when you see an article on the Internet with your name in the byline. "Holy crap, that's ME!" you think, reading and re-reading it just to make sure it's really your article. That euphoric feeling... ( added 1 year 194 days ago.)