This is amazing... I'm convinced that Apple doesn't test Windows applications before releasing them. Remember when Safari was released for Windows? They brought it out of beta and even called it 1.0 and it was a complete atrocity. It didn't work for me or countless other Windows users... Kind of left us wondering what kind of QA department they have. I mean... They only release this stuff for Windows because they realize that the major market share IS Windows and they're smart enough to know that if they kept iTunes on OS X, the iPod market would be severely limited, and if they kept Safari on OS X, then the developer's kit for iPhone applications would also be severely limited.

That being said... They released iTunes 8.0 the other day. I was hollered at by the Apple updater program that there were a bunch of things to download. (In fact, it opened underneath Spore and lagged the entire game... I didn't know what was going on until I quit and there it was, waiting for me to say NO MORE UPDATES.) But yes... I did tell it to go away and stop bothering me because I learned a long time ago that the Apple updater is NOT the way to get new versions. I'll download it myself, thank you very much, and erase the installer so it's not taking up hundreds of megabytes hidden away in some folder the updater decided to shove it all into without erasing itself. (Yeah... Can you tell I'm not happy with Apple products?) So I closed the updater, and got busy doing something else entirely and completely forgot about the update.

Turns out that was a good decision because since they released it, word's been getting around that Vista crashes when you plug in your iPod or iPhone. The entire purpose of USING iTunes BREAKS iTunes. I wouldn't be using it if it weren't for my iPod, plain and simple, and now I'm especially glad I didn't download the new version despite all the "wonderful new features" it sports. Nobody's quite sure why it happens yet, but Vista is at least clear enough to provide the name of the driver in the Stop error. (Otherwise known as Blue Screen of Death.) It usually does... People are all the time making fun of BSoDs, but it's probably the single most useful error you can get simply because it tells you what driver caushed the problem. One of the USB drivers included with iTunes (which, incidentally, is why it asks you to restart when you update, ugh) is crashing... Surprise, surprise. Some people have speculated that the Apple USB driver interferes with HP and Logitech USB drivers, but that isn't official. Point is... iTunes was working absolutely perfectly (well, relatively speaking) before 8 came out, and when people updated? BAM! Crash.

Slashdot of course has comments that insinuate that Microsoft is somehow at fault, but most of the comments (shockingly enough) are calling out Apple for what is clearly another lapse in testing. Come on, people... Vista has been out for over 2 whole years now. This kind of problem with major applications is not something that should be happening. If it does, you can not, in good judgment, blame this on Microsoft. Some whine that Microsoft should make their operating system more stable, of course, but the way I see it, Vista has gone far beyond the stability of the NT core. I've only ever had a BSoD once and that's just an issue with the actual circuitry with my Dell Inspiron 9300's SD card reader and how it interferes with the PCMCIA card reader. I have a PCMCIA sound card... Using them both at the same time breaks everything. Not Vista's fault... Dell's fault. It's been this way for ever. But things like video cards? I mean... Windows is a gaming platform and video cards are constantly pushed to the limits and sometimes they misread the bits and crash. Vista brilliantly restarts the graphics system when the card crashes... Yes, Vista is superbly stable. The blame for iTunes 8 lies squarely in the hands of Apple and their notorious lack of testing on the Windows platform...

I just thought this was absolutely hilarious. See, I'm a Microsoft lover. I'm going to come right out and say that... I'm biased. I like Microsoft products and I like Windows. I DON'T like Apple or Apple products. Since I feel that way, Apple fanatics think that it's their mission in life to try to convince people like me that Apple really is better than Microsoft and they cite all sorts of things like "no virus attacks" and "no blue screens of death" and all this stuff because Apple is so strict and amazing in their programming techniques. They stress that Apple has good developing practices as the reason for their programs being so amazing... So here they all are, saying that, and then we on Windows, who they're trying to convince, see Apple products making incursions on our platform and completely FAILING. Yeah... To us, Apple is absolutely no better and, in fact worse, than Microsoft. It doesn't help your case when the only Apple products we can use to see what Apple's like won't even run half the time... And then you all try to blame Microsoft. Right. Go right on ahead. We'll keep using Windows Media Player.

Listening to Peter Heck right now... He always has an amazing show on Patriot Day, and I finally caught enough of the words for this awesome poem set to music that he plays every year! Found the video and, apparently, the official site with the text itself.

MET IN THE STAIRWELL

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news, Sept. 11, 2001. Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Good-bye." I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK...I am ready to go."

I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!" I said. "Of course I will show you the way home -- only believe on Me now."

I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there. Comforting and assuring them that their Faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me? I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name-though they did NOT all know Me. Some met me for the first time on the 100th floor. Some sought me out in their last breath. Some couldn't hear me calling to them throughout the smoke and flames, "Come to Me...this way...take my hand." Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me. But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day--you may not know why, But I DO. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me? September 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are "ready to go." I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

God

-- Stacey Randall

It's so... Perfect. Everyone always asks where God is when something like this happens... Of course, we Christians know exactly where He is and I think this poem and video is one of the single best ways to answer that question, especially when directly related to September 11, 2001. He's always here... Some just choose not to pay attention.

So I've been wondering all week what to say about today... It's special day, a holiday (though that sounds a little too carefree), but you simply don't treat it the same way as "Have a good Memorial Day" or "Happy Thanksgiving". I've been wondering all week: "How DO you recognize Patriot Day?" I know someone who thinks it's gotten a little diluted... He thinks Patriot Day has become a sort of second Veteran's Day, and I tend to agree. It's not to remember those fighting in the war... I mean, we should be... At all times! Today is to remember, specifically, September 11, 2001 and what happened that day and what happened because of it. So... How DOES one recognize Patriot Day? Some people recount their memories of what happened... To be honest, I really don't remember a whole lot of specifics. I remember waking up like every other day... I don't remember what made me go to the TV, though, but I remember that once I got there, I was glued to it and nobody got anything done. I grabbed a blank tape and stuck it in and pressed Record... I've got five or so 6-hour tapes from that week. Other than that, there's not a whole of things for me to recount... I was probably too young to feel the true impact of what was going on.

But after much deliberation, I found some quotes from President Bush that I wanted to share. To me, I think he's just as heroic as any other person that day. The emergency crews and people who risked their lives to rush in to help the people inside the buildings are just as heroic... But I think people overlook the President. He's the one who rallied us all and immediately took initiative to finish what the terrorists started. He wasn't going to let this go unpunished... He didn't balk or second-guess himself back then, and he never has even after all these years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. I hate to politicize today, but there's a video on NewsBusters that shows clips of the towers, of speeches and of news anchors. At the very end? Lots of quotes of people who were rallying behind the decision of President Bush. Everyone, even the mainstream media, was in complete agreeance with President Bush. We needed to make these people pay! That's all changed now... Because, if you watch the video, you'll see the man say it yourself... One of them said that Americans have a notoriously short attention span. Yes... Yes we do. We've forgotten everything. Everyone is now so quick to accuse President Bush of wanting oil... Of pursuing his own agenda. He knows that's a lie... Those of us who haven't forgotten knows that's a lie. He said in his speech to the country that day: "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." We went to Afghanistan to get the people who did this... They fled to Iraq and were habored by Saddam Hussein. We took him down along with Al-Quaeda. They're now fleeing back to Afghanistan... We're following them back. After all these years... After everyone's seemed to forget September 11, 2001 and the REASON we're over there? He's still leading the war against all this negative press and opinions... Because everyone's FORGOTTEN.

Here's the video and transcript of the President's speech to the country that day:

Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.

Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts.

Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.

The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business, as well.

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.

I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance.

America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.

Thank you. Good night, and God bless America.

I was, to be honest, stunned and touched when I watched the NewsBusters video and I saw clips of the international reaction... EVERYONE was shocked at what happened. It looks like the entire world stopped that day, which is really touching. But... It still seems that everyone's forgotten why we're still fighting. We're now the bitter old country that's just angry all the time. They've all forgotten that President Bush said we'd get them and those who helped them and that everyone completely agreed. That's all we've ever done over there. It's better we get them over there than let something like this happen again. It's the duty and responsibility of a President to protect his country from people like these, and it's the responsibility of the military to make sure we are victorious and that means going to THEM and finishing them off. Anything less is competely unacceptable.

My mom found a really great quote in a book she has about September 11, 2001... It's about the difference between heroes and celebrities. This from a little book written IN 2001... Any similarities to people right now is purely coincidental, but I think it speaks wonders for back then AND the people who are running to take George W. Bush's place as Commander in Chief today. Just think about it... I'm sure certain names come to mind when you read this:

The hero is known for achievements;
the celebrity for well-knownness.

The hero reveals the possibilities of human nature.
The celebrity reveals the possibilities of the press and media.

Celebrities are people who make news,
but heroes are people who make history.

Time makes heroes
but dissolves celebrities.

-- Daniel J. Boorsten

Applies back then... Applies right now. I don't think it's appropriate to point anyone out in this post, but I think you can make the connections yourself. I think President Bush is just as much a hero as anyone else that day, and that's who I decided to talk about today. I mean... Nobody is any less a hero, but those brave folks are always remembered when you mention September 11, 2001. But with all the flak being fired at President Bush these days, I think someone needs to recognize what he's done, too, and the fact that he's always done exactly what he promised us all on that day... And we all agreed with him.

As President Bush said in his speech to Congress on September 20, 2001:

Great harm has been done to us.  We have suffered great loss.  And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment.  Freedom and fear are at war.  The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us.  Our nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future.  We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage.

We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

Alright, yesterday I heard something really amazing on Rush Limbaugh. (So amazing, actually, that he kept repeated this clip and another... All the time. Over and over. It was pretty great. Here's the transcript, in case you want to "disgrace" yourself with blatant conservative bias.) I'm sure you've heard about it already...

"Lipstick on a pig." Oh, and now I can hear the groans. And maybe a few "what the hecks". Well, I'm gonna repeat it again... But with a different take on it than everyone's running with.

L-let-let's just list this for a second: John McCain says he's about change, too. Except... A-and-and so I guess his whole angle is: Watch out, George Bush! Except for economic policy, health care policy... Tax policy... Education policy... Foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics, we're really going to shake things up in Washington. That's not change. That-that's just calling something...the same...thing...something different! But, you know you can... uh. You know you, you can put, uh, lipstick on a pig.  It's still a pig. You know, you can, uh, you know, you can, uh, you -- you -- you can wrap an old fish in a -- in a piece of paper and call it change, it's still going to stink after eight years.  We've had enough of the same old thing.  It's time to bring about real change to Washington.

That's the whole thing. There's a video posted on YouTube (which I really appreciate, since you can't find this video anywhere else, despite being a CNN broadcast) that only covers the first part, up to the fabled lipstick part. It doesn't continue on to the bit about the rotten fish afterwards, which is key to the point I want to make.

1) The bit about policy? Shamelessly lifted from a comic in the Washington Post. I mean, I'm sure WaPo doesn't care in the least bit, but that's not an Obama Original, so don't start thinking he's suddenly become witty, okay? I just thought that was interesting... More script. Something he can read and spew forth for everyone.

2) The lipstick part... Many, conservatives and liberals alike, are running with this and, to various degrees, are accusing Obama of calling Sarah Palin a pig. I don't think I subscribe to that. Rush Limbaugh does... But Peter Heck doesn't. I don't, either. However... It was still a very, very extreme lapse of judgment. Everyone knows Sarah Palin has gone on record saying the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick. In fact, Rush Limbaugh says that on his clip (which was the entire segment), the audience, at one time, started to chant "no more pit bull," so it's clear that even if Obama didn't intend it to be against Sarah Palin directly, the audience sure took it that way. But there ARE only two ways to look at this: Poor judgment that once again surfaces when Obama doesn't have a teleprompter, or yet another blatant attack on Sarah Palin's character, and that, of course, gets everyone hollering "sexism!" I'm just going to go with "Obama ran his mouth without thinking yet again and landed himself in some pretty hot water."

3) The dead fish, if lipstick is Palin, is clearly McCain... Which, I think, is probably is just as poor a taste if it was, in fact, a personal attack. I don't know... Everyone's going on about the lipstick bit when I think the entire thing is something to make you go: "What in all heck?" Once again, McCain is getting hit on his age?  Dead fish, indeed. Of course, nobody makes a deal about that because it's not "sexist". Just something to think about... Something I immediately thought of, myself. "Lipstick is Palin, Dead fish is McCain." Apparently, lots of people thought lipstick was Palin, too, so I'm not entirely out of the ballpark, am I?

But all that aside... What did I first notice when I heard this? I didn't come to any of those conclusions until after I'd heard everyone elses take on it... Mostly because I don't think like that. I don't automatically assume someone's under sexist attack or racist attack or stuff like that. I mean, I think Palin is, in general, under attack because she's a successful career woman who puts her (huge) family first and doesn't believe in any abortion, PERIOD. I think she IS under attack for those reasons, but if something can be taken another way, I'll usually give people the benefit of the doubt... Even Obama. I think he was talking about the policies, and just made a massive gaffe and mentioned lipstick on a pig after everyone heard that Sarah Palin considers herself a "hockey mom" and that the only think separating them from a pit bull is lipstick. Yeah... Kinda let that one slip through. But that's what Obama does... Says what he thinks without thinking and everyone (who's paying attention) goes: "Aha! So that's what you think without all the scripts!"

Anyway... What did I first notice? (I keep getting distracted, don't I?) The stuttering. Oh yeah... I immediately noticed the fact that he could barely get a coherent sentence spit out without chewing on the words a bit. Not even President Bush stutters that much and people give him, to be blunt, HELL for his speech "impediment". No other word I can think of... They just... Give him hell for it. They make fun of him and some even say that he's not fit to be President because he must be retarded or has some disease that slows his mind. All because he can't pronounce "nuclear" properly? And here Obama is stuttering and coughing and literally tripping over common English words and he's getting cheers for it. This isn't some isolated event, either... This happens EVERY TIME he departs from a script and goes to answer direct questions or anything that forces him to answer directly from his mind. He's NOT a good freelance speaker. Give him a speech and he'll rattle it off and people will swoon over how awesome he is... But once you start asking him what he thinks, he'll stumble and fall and give you choppy answers that are barely formulated using the English language and you'll not get an answer... And there's no point in asking him to clarify because that's as good as it gets and everyone's left there either in a state of blind "oh, he's so awesome" or "what in the heck did he just say?"

On the flip side, Sarah Palin hasn't slipped up yet. I mean... People do trip sometimes, so if you're going to wait until she slips up by saying "the" twice, then I'm going to nip that in the bud right now and say: "People slip up on words sometimes." My point is that Obama does it regularly... More regularly than anyone I've ever seen campaign before... And nobody thinks that might be an issue when he actually gets in office and has to, you know... TALK to all these terrorist leaders (without preconditions) without a script? People are so caught up in the good feelings he gives off NOW that I don't think anyone thinks what Obama might be like LATER after the campaigning is done. If he can't talk without a speech, he can't talk without a speech. He's going to be a pretty poor negotiator when he starts sitting at the table with all these people and just goes: "Uhm... We-we-we need to...Negotiate the...the...Who controls Jerusalem and...and...So we can get...Peace."

Then again... That might work. He'll drawl on and repeat himself so much and change ideas in the middle of the sentence that the other leaders will get fed up and agree with anything he puts on the table just so they can get out of there (and back to terrorizing)... That, or they'll just laugh at the incompetent American. (Or maybe kill him at the meeting because he's just too annoying.)