Microsoft finds more trouble, the U.S. Navy goes green and Big Chief Triangle gets indignant

- Shocker! Software designed to help protect Microsoft’s feeble, flawed operating systems from viruses has malfunctioned. This time, it was McAfee's popular antivirus software that crashed and burned in spectacular fashion, causing tens of thousands of Windows XP computers to crash or repeatedly reboot. Ironically, it was a buggy update that the company released early Wednesday that turned the software's defenses against malicious software inward. Instead of keeping out threats, the update prompted the program to attack a vital component of Microsoft Windows. The update was first made available for business customers for about four hours before distribution was halted, but the damage was widespread. At the University of Michigan's medical school, a reported 8,000 of 25,000 computers crashed. The same was true for police in Lexington, Ky., had to go old school, hand-writing reports and turning off their patrol car terminals. Rhode Island hospitals turned away non-trauma patients at emergency rooms and postponed some elective surgeries. Nothing like a program designed to cover Microsoft’s faulty OS taking less than four hours to wreck the defense systems of PC’s nationwide. The malady caused the system to attack a legitimate operating system component known as SVCHOST.EXE. McAfee's application confused it with malware known as the W32/Wecorl.a virus and attacked. The problem seemed to affect primarily Windows XP computers running Microsoft's Service Pack 3, but Microsoft did what it does best, namely sticking its head in the sand. "We are not aware of significant impact on consumers," the company said in a statement. That non-apology didn’t sit well with computer systems administrators around the country who had to spend the entire day fixing every single computer in their company. So many people logged on to a McAfee message board to seek help with their problem that the site crashed and returned with only an error message. As always, thanks to Microsoft and its partners for proving on their own why Mac’s are always the superior choice when you’re looking to purchase a computer…………

- Even the U.S. Navy is getting in on the push to go green and be environmentally conscious and the result is a new prototype fighter jet that burns a 50-percent biofuel blend derived from seeds of the camelina sativa plant, which is in the mustard family. The jet, which can perform all of the same maneuvers and meet all of the necessary standards for combat, is an F/A-18 Super Hornet dubbed the "Green Hornet" by the Navy. An early prototype of the plane went up for an Earth Day test flight Thursday at Patuxtent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. As a finished product becomes more of a reality, the Navy says it expects to see no difference between the Green Hornet's performance and fighters burning jet fuel. The plane is a key part of a program aimed at creating a "Great Green Fleet" composed of nuclear, hybrid and biofuel-powered ships and aircraft by 2016. That’s a lofty goal but if our military can keep its same high level of serving and protecting while also doing less damage to the environment, that is something that all Americans should be able to get behind as we look to do our part in ceasing the destruction of the world’s ecosystems………….

- Maybe it’s just my inner enviro-dork speaking out, but I always enjoy the heck out of the World Wildlife Fund’s announcements that it has discovered new animals and species. The latest announcement, made this week, includes 123 new species of animals, insects and plants on the South East Asian island of Borneo. The new species include color-changing frogs, the world's longest stick insect and a slug that shoots "love darts." Scientists unearthed the new speices in the lush green environment of Borneo thanks to the willingness of the three governments that control the land signing an agreement to safeguard its future in 2007. The official land was released by the WWF to celebrate Earth Day and to raise awareness of the need to protecting areas rich in biodiversity. "You have some iconic small species which are very interesting to talk about but perhaps it's the plants that are tremendously important in terms of potential future cures," said David Norman, director of campaigns for the WWF. "About half of all synthetic drugs have a natural origin -- these are commercial drugs based on plants and sometimes animals. So we can't afford to lose species." Impressive among the number of new species found is the quantity of new plant species, which in the last three years outnumbers all the other categories combined. A whopping 67 new plants have been found, along with 29 invertebrates, 17 new species of fish, one bird, five amphibians and five reptiles. The WWF calls the region a "global treasure teeming with unique and extraordinary life." The color-changing frogs found on the island are also able to fly and the species (Rhacophorus penanorum) are just only about four inches long. They are found living in trees in the Tapin Valley within the Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak. With webbed feet, they can soar nearly 45 feet through the air from tree to tree. The world's longest-stick insect (Phobaeticus chani) is nearly 20 inches long and resides far above the rainforest floor. "Only three specimens have ever been discovered. It's quite extraordinary that it's been there for so long -- you wouldn't miss it if it landed on you," Norman said. None of these finds would have been possible with out the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, which signed an agreement to conserve the area. All three were needed because the agreement the signed covers a tract of land that straddles all three countries, an area known as the Heart of Borneo. Its purpose has been to conserve the environment by pressuring governments, developers and industry to scale back their development plans to minimize their impact on the land. A previous plan had called for the destruction of two million hectares of rainforest to create the world's largest palm oil plantation. Road-building plans have also been shelved, so clearly this pact has had its desired impact and will hopefully continue to do so moving forward…………

- Phil Jackson is the best. And no, I’m not referring to the fact that Big Chief Triangle has won more NBA championships as a coach (10) than anyone else. What I like even more than 10 titles is the fact that BCT thinks he is smarter, savvier and just plain better than the rest of us. He showcased this trait once again Thursday after hearing that NBA commissioner David Stern publicly chastised him (and other players and coaches) for speaking out against NBA referees in a critical manner, Jackson not only refused to back down, but seemed to bristle at the notion that Stern would dare criticize him. Stern, who was on hand at the Ford Center to attend the first NBA playoff game in the history of Oklahoma, was asked before the game about the two $35,000 fines Jackson has received in the past two weeks. "I wish I had it to do all over again, and starting 20 years ago, I'd be suspending Phil and Pat Riley for all the games they play in the media, because you guys know that our referees go out there and they knock themselves out and do the best job they can. We have coaches who will do whatever it takes to try to work them publicly," Stern said. "What that does is erode fan confidence, and then we get some of the situations that we have. So, our coaches should be quiet because this is a good business that makes them good livings and supports a lot of families, and if they don't like, they should go get a job someplace else." That scathing commentary came in response to Jackson whining publicly before the playoffs about the Thunder's Kevin Durant prior to the series getting supposed preferential treatment from the referees. "I think a lot of the referees are treating him like a superstar; he gets to the line easy and often," BCT said. His comments were led the playoff parade of ripping the men in stripes, but Jackson has since been joined by Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and Magic forward Matt Barnes, all of whom have been hit with matching $35,000 fines. "It's corrosive," Stern said. "It's corrosive, and because of the pressure cooker that is the NBA playoffs, over the years I've let it go, but when you hear a Chicago coach say, 'Oh, they're doing it because' ... or, 'This game was lost because NBC wants an extra game,' and you hear a New York coach say, 'Well, what are you going to do? [Michael] Jordan gets all the calls.' "Or you hear a Stan Van Gundy do what he wants to say and then the players join in. We know, inside the community, what it's meant to do, so, 'OK, it's playoff time, everyone's crazy so back off,' but, if I had to do it again, I would stop it and the price wouldn't be a modest $35,000 fine. It would be whatever a day's pay is and then two days pay and then a week's pay.” In response, BCT fired back with terse remarks of his own, saying, “I think when you start throwing one- and two-game suspensions in the threats, I think that means a lot to both ball clubs and coaches. It seems awful heavy-handed to me, but David is one who isn't shy about being heavy-handed. There's a certain gamesmanship that goes on that obviously he feels cheapens the game. It never was explained to us until it suddenly came down in this last week that arbitrarily they were going to do this. I missed the coaches meeting last September. Maybe they explained it in the coaches meeting last year because they said there was a couple instances last year when I think it was [Stan] Van Gundy and [Rick] Adelman were fined during the playoffs for statements that led to manipulating the press, I guess is the best way I can say it. " Classic Phil Jackson, to put it mildly. Arrogance personified and miffed at the idea that anyone would dare question or challenge his mighty self…………

- I may not listen to the music of Grace Jones and I may have little or no idea who she is, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. I have everything I need to love the 61-year-old cultural icon after hearing that she shares my mutual hatred of the musical hack-job artist known as Lady Gaga. “I've seen some things she's worn that I've worn, and that does kind of piss me off,” Jones said, but she added, “I really don’t think of her at all. I go about my business." In other words, Jones believes that L. Gaga is looking to rip off her shtick and she doesn’t take too kindly to it. When Lady Gaga and her fashion freakery asked to collaborate with Jones, Jones turned her down because she’d “just prefer to work with someone who is more original and someone who is not copying me, actually.” What’s funny is that Grace Jones is far from the first artist to label Lady Gaga a rip-off, as M.I.A. tore the bizarre one a new one in music magazine N.M.E.’s April 7 issue, took saying Lady Gaga sounds like her than she does herself. “People say we’re similar, that we both mix all these things in the pot and spit them out differently, but she spits it out exactly the same,” M.I.A. said. “None of her music’s reflective of how weird she wants to be or thinks she is.” I also love how M.I.A. characterized Lady Gaga’s act over all, saying her “music sounds like 20 year-old disco. She's not progressive, but she's a good mimic.” Should any other artists out there want to jump on the Gaga-bashing/hating wagon, just know that there will always be room for more and the party will never be too full to welcome you inside………