Date: Thu Dec 6, 2001 12:08 pm Subject: Encina Update (freshmen feast/art gallery/pritchett/safari/amazon.com/cancer/virus/space/database/siblings/garver/lewis/bios/humor/angel/internet/urban legends/whats new) ENCINA ALUMNI, There is no sponsor for this week's update. The transition to the new webserver is taking longer than anticipated. In the meantime, I'm paying our current host $115/month to host the website. That's about $900 since we had to start paying for hosting earlier this year. Like many dot-coms, we have fixed expenses but almost no income. Your voluntary contribution would be most welcome... ENCINA FRESHMEN FEAST Steve Palmer '74, co-organizer of this year's Alumni Challenge, is helping to organize the Second Annual Encina Freshman Feast on December 18th. I hope you will take this opportunity to support Encina! If you are interested, please contact Steve at the email or phone shown below. Encina Freshman Feast 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2001 ENCINA CAFETERIA * * * * CALLING ALL ALUMNI! * * * * Looking for a great way to help others during the holidays? Here's an opportunity to help kids you know and an opportunity to get to know them better! The Second Annual Encina Freshman Feast will bring together 225 freshmen, 22 Senior Guides, faculty and alumni for a delicious holiday turkey dinner on December 18 in the Encina cafeteria. Last year's Feast was a great success. Several alumni, working with the Point West Rotary Club, provided the food and served more than 200 great meals. There was no doubt that the students really appreciated the food and our support! Again this year, alumni can help by providing food and by cooking and serving. To serve more than 250 people we'll need lots of food and help. Please consider donating a food item (or the money to buy it) for the Feast and/or helping to cook and serve at the event. THE NEED FOR DONATIONS ---------------------- The following food items are needed. PLEASE contact Steve Palmer (spalmer@innotek.com), 530-676-2775 if you are able to buy an item (or part of one) and deliver it to Encina by Friday, Dec 14. If you'd like to sponsor an item through donation, please email or call Steve. We need your support! Gravy: 50 packets each serving 4 $25 ($.50 each) Potatoes: 8 boxes each serving 30 $24 ($3.00/box) Cranberries: 33 cans each serving 6 $50 ($1.50/can) Yams: 40 cans each serving 5 $64 ($1.60/can) Brown Sugar: 3 lb bags $ 4 ($1.33/lb) Marshmallows: 4 bags $ 7 ($1.80 per bag) Rolls: 21 bag each serving 12 $42 ($2.00/dozen) Milk: 3 gal. $ 9 (3.00/gallon) Margarine: 6 boxes/lbs $ 8 ($1.33/lb) Sodas: 150 cans (25 each 6 packs) $50 ($2/6 pack) (West Point Rotary is providing the turkeys and pies.) This year's Feast will be held from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. We need people to help cook and serve. Cooks should arrive between 11:00 am and 11:30 am on Tuesday, December 18. Servers should arrive by 2:00 pm. If you plan to help, PLEASE (beg, beg), contact Steve Palmer at spalmer@innotek.com, 530-676-2775. We are going to have a fun time and provide a great meal. Please join us! Thanks in advance, from the Freshman of class 2005! HERE'S SOME INFO ON THE SENIOR GUIDES PROGRAM AT ENCINA FROM ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR BECKY HURLEY -------------------------------------------------- We have 225 freshmen, and 22 Senior Guides. The idea is to provide a function to ensure all freshmen have an opportunity to have a holiday meal, or festive feast (I'm an English teacher - I like alliteration) and to provide an opportunity for the Senior Guides to spend time with their freshmen, as well as provide an opportunity for freshmen to be special, instead of being at the bottom of the heap. Senior Guides "lead" their freshmen through their first year of high school. All freshmen have a senior guide, who has gone through an interview process after being selected on their merits reflected in their resume/application. Senior Guides are links to school activities, the people working on campus, programs offered/provided, and big brotherly/sisterly advice and aid when necessary. The Senior Guides are also a part of the Freshmen Success Team, which is a group of freshmen teachers, an administrator, Senior Guides, who bring freshmen into an intervention when they are struggling academically, behaviorally, etc, and make a plan to succeed. The Sr. Guides are the link. They follow up on their freshmen to ensure they are following through on their plans to be successful. They also provide assistance (maybe tutoring, or "guidance") if necessary. As far as alumni help, last year we had about 9 who came to help at the function itself. That would be great to repeat again this year. The kids like our alumni. They talk fondly of them, and I think it is a great connection for them. I think it is a connection for our kids to see that they can graduate from here and have a good life. I think they also see it as someone cares. ART GALLERY Note that the opening reception is this evening! Courtesy of Kathie Kloss 67... For holiday fun, visit "The Dreidel," an art show and Hanukkah bazaar featuring dreidels crafted by 25 regional artists at the Encina High School Art Gallery. The eight-year event, which continues through Dec. 19, has shown and sold dreidels from two- to three-inches high to one as high as five feet. Call 488-4252. What: The Dreidel Show Where: Encina Art Gallery When: December 6-19, 2001 Opening reception: Thursday, December 6, from 6-8pm Guest Curator: Julia Himovitz Participating artists: Fred Babb Heidi Bekebrede Roger Berry Donna Billick Steven Bradford Eric Dahlin * Julian Faulkner Richard Feese * Brenda Louie Jay Musler Tony Natsoulas Nina Paladino * Joan Parazette Greg Ries Joe Scarpa Jimmy Siegel Michael Stevens D.R. Wagner MICHAEL PRITCHETT 99 Another alumni on the front lines! Tywa Phillips Reali 96 wrote: Hi Harlan! I was just reading the latest update and wanted to let you know we have another encinan serving our country! Michael Pritchett, class of 99, is serving in the Air Force at a base in Saudi Arabia. His flight departed on September 11th and was shortly grounded following the tragedies of that day. He was on a plane again a few days later and has been there since! He is married to my beutiful younger sister Tina, also class of 99. HE is due to come home some time in December where is stationed for now in Spokane, WA. I am sure he would love to hear from old friends now since he is so far away! You can reach them both @ TIAGOOD20@AOL.COM. Take care Harlan, and keep up the good work! Tywa SAFARI Patrick Dunn '73 caught the BadTrans worm. Patrick wrote: Here's hoping I am disinfected this a.m. Gotta tell though, I have been in Australia for the past 3 weeks and returned to some mail. The Encina update was one of the first mails I opened and bam! I skipped over my Norton update and went on to mail. I am disinfected now and so I am safe. I never open anything I do not recognize and as you said simply seeing it on your pane infects you. Well, took care of it. I leave for Grand Cayman tonight at 3:330a.m. so will not be opening any mail for a couple of weeks. What do you think of the possibility of alumni interested in a Safari to Africa? I have been guiding them for many years now and can create an affordable Safari no one will ever forget! I always stay with east Africa particularly Tanzania and Kenya. They are stable democracies with unchanged governments in nearly 40 yrs. I have very good friends that live on the Ngorongoro crater, the largest Volcano on the planet. A world heritage site it is 10 by 10 miles inside diameter and full of animals! The lodge is at a very cool 6,000ft. so nearly no humidity and above and Malaria and yellow fever threat. I have lots of info if you think it may be something alumni might like to plan for the year 2002. Drop a line when ya get time. Sincerely, Patrick Dunn What an offer! If you are interested contact Patrick Dunn '73 at Hyacinth@psyber.com AMAZON.COM As you surf the net making christmas purchases, remember that you can support the Encina website at no cost to yourself, by accessing your favorite internet stores via the Encina store page: http://www.encinahighschool.com/store.htm The Encina alumni website is an affiliate of popular etailers like: amazon.com barnesandnoble.com buy.com cameraworld.com dell.com etc If you access these websites from the Encina store page, the website will receive a small commission from your purchase! BREAST CANCER Elaine Anderson Rasmussen 75/76 wrote: The Breast Cancer Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet the quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than 2 seconds to go to the site & click on "donating a mammogram" pink window in the middle). Corporate sponsors & advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising. Here's the website! Pass it along to all your friends! http://www.thebreastcancersite.com Please take a moment to click! VIRUS I've received several more instances of the Badtrans worm from alumni. Last weekend I updated the virus software and definitions on all my home systems. Which is fortunate since I also received the worm at home... This week there is another new virus called "Goner" which has a subject line of Hi and asks the user to check an attached screen-saver program. Don't! Here's a pointer to a free website which will test your email so you can see whether your system is vulnerable. From Fred Langa's LangaList... "Nice (Free!) Email Security Testing Tool More Trojans, viruses, and worms spread by email than by any other means, so email security deserves special attention: Fred: http://www.gfi.com/emailsecuritytest/ has a test that sends you e-mails which test a different attack on the e-mail system.... If you can open the attachments, you are in big trouble. Don't worry, they only leave behind a .txt file as a reminder of the danger! Since I received the [test] e-mails.... However, I have Outlook and Outlook Express set to not open anything automatically, turned off the preview pane, practice safe e- mail ethics (never open an e-mail attachment on the first date!), and scan all attachments and disks for viruses. While I have a virus scanner, I don't run it all the time. I do have Zone Alarm as a firewall, and I have never (knock on a digitalized image of wood) been bit by a virus. I find that Outlook and Outlook Express aren't inherently less secure than others, only that the default settings are. Here is another tip that many people don't know about. In Outlook Express you can right click on an unopened e-mail, select "properties" then the "details" tab and then select "message source" to read an e-mail in a safe manner. This has allowed me to decide that the e-mail was spam, carried a nasty payload, or was a complete waste of my time. I can then delete it safely. Best, Bill Grigg Thanks, Bill. The tests are nice; the GFI system sends you emails with harmless attachments that simulate attacks using various common email vulnerabilities. GFI is mainly in the business of selling security tools to businesses; they maintain that these kinds of attachments should be filtered out of the email stream before they ever get to your desk. (GFI will be happy to sell you such a filter. ) Thus, the tests tell you you're at risk if the attachments show up at all. That's true in a literal sense, but local desktop defenses also can work to protect you if you're not behind an email pre-filter. In my case, like Bill, the attachments made it to my inbox. But ZoneAlarm Pro disabled all but the "CLSID vulnerability test" attachments, and when I deliberately ran the CLSID attachment (something I'd never do with an unknown, untested attachment in real life) Norton AntiVirus detected a "possible malicious script" and prevented the script from doing anything. So, even without a corporate pre-filter, my system tested as quite safe. Nice tests--- well worth using!" SPACE NEEDED Artist (encina Class of '66) needs studio/work space on or @ Jan 1st 2002 SF Bay Area/North Berkeley off Gilman Street Preferred. Shared Okay. Please Call Ann P. Meredith 510.558.0902 annpmer@pacbell.net Ann P. Meredith '66 SWORDFISH Productions 1611 University Avenue Berkeley.CA 94703 USA CLASS DATABASES I would appreciate it if those classes who had reunions this year would send me a copy of their class database so I can merge the new information into the alumni database. Thanks! SIBLINGS Janine Clark 82 wrote: Dana Clark 80 Janine Clark 82 Donna Albrecht 77 wrote: Noel Albrecht 74 Donna Albrecht 77 Paul Niklewicz 82 wrote: Paul Niklewicz 82 John Niklewicz 85 Michele Brown 88 wrote: Gene Brown 86 Michele Brown 88 DUSTY GARVER 83 Recently, several people contacted me about Dusty Garver 83. I forwarded their messages to his cousin Marci Wagner 84 to give to Dusty. I found out that Marci's email was no good (but not bouncing) and I have her new email address. If you would like to reach Dusty, write Marci Wagner 84 at marci3335@yahoo.com JAMES LEWIS 93 Some sad news. James Lewis 93 was married to Mari Trujillo 94, who is expecting in a few weeks... SMUD fatality bears witness to perils faced by utility linemen By Carrie Peyton -- Bee Staff Writer Published 5:30 a.m. PST Thursday, Nov. 29, 2001 The people who work atop utility poles know that death can come in a single slip of hand or foot. Tuesday night, that one false step killed James Lewis, a wiry young former Marine whose first child is due in just a few weeks, his father said Wednesday. "We're not blaming. We accept what happened," Robert Lewis said in a steady, gentle voice. But "we're standing here as the mom and dad thinking why don't they have some kind of safety line on him?" James Lewis, whose parents called him Jimmy, was the smallest, fastest player on his high school football team, a "jungle gym" to his niece and nephew, and a Sacramento Municipal Utility District apprentice lineman who never turned down overtime. The utility released only the barest details Wednesday of his death, the third for the utility's crews since 1993. Lewis, 28, of West Sacramento was working in a group of five near Wilton, rewiring poles to replace those blown down in the wind, when he fell from a 45-foot pole, said John DiStasio, assistant general manager for customer services. Robert Lewis said SMUD officials told him his son was doing a "crossover." The delicate maneuver requires a worker to unclip his safety belt from a pole, crawl over the crossarm near the pole's tip, and then dig the spikes on his feet back into the pole on the other side before coming down. One of the spikes missed, and Lewis tumbled sideways, landing headfirst on the pavement below, his father said. "I don't know how much was due to tiredness. Certainly it was cold. You don't function right if you're out there too long in the cold," the father said. James Lewis could well have been doing everything exactly right, said a former lineman for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. who is familiar with accident investigations. It is standard practice to unhook the safety belt on some crossarms, said the ex-lineman, who asked not to be named because he didn't know the accident's details firsthand. "As an apprentice lineman ... you tend to live by all the climbing and all the electrical rules. You just do. That's how you survive," he said. Extra harnesses or safety rigging generally aren't used because they can cause as many injuries as they can prevent, he said. Every year, one or two linemen in Northern California are killed on the job, said Eric Wolfe, communications director for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, which represents linemen from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. "Despite our best efforts, despite intensive focus on safety by both the employer and the union ... this is inherently extremely dangerous work," he said. That danger would be on the mind of every line worker as they braced for the storm that was blowing in Wednesday, even as word of the death was spreading among utility crews throughout the region, said Sonny McCraw, a Roseville Electric superintendent. "We'll all be more cautious, more supportive of each other," he said. SMUD's last fatality was in a bucket-truck accident in 1996, said utility spokeswoman Dace Udris. In 1993, an apprentice tree trimmer was electrocuted in an accident that triggered three worker-safety citations from Cal-OSHA, but the citations later were withdrawn, said agency spokeswoman Susan Gard. The state safety agency has probed about two dozen workplace injuries at SMUD since 1990 and issued 13 citations, at least three of which were later dismissed, she said. The agency has begun investigating Lewis' death, and will be interviewing colleagues and reviewing his equipment, its maintenance and his training. Lewis joined SMUD about a year and a half ago and was authorized to work with non-electrified equipment, but not with energized lines, DiStasio said. The job was the fulfillment of a dream to serve others, and gave him and his wife, Mari, the security to plan for their first child, said his mother, Georgeanne Lewis. "It made him feel like he was just really doing something for the community," she said. "That's the way he was." She said her son had always been the helper -- the pet lover, the boy everyone brought their sick birds to, the teenager who skated to work with a cockatoo perched on his shoulder. He married his sweetheart from Encina High School seven years ago, and spent four years in the Marines, where utility training made him set aside thoughts of becoming a police officer or firefighter. "It was hand-in-hand with the kind of person he was," said his father. "He just had a big heart." As an apprentice, his father recalled, Lewis stepped up for every overtime shift offered, in a line of work that often can call for 16-hour shifts. His parents thought he had worked several shifts since Thanksgiving, but SMUD officials said they had no information about his recent schedule except that he had been off Monday and started work at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. He died about 8 p.m., more than 13 hours later. The thought of such long hours haunted Wilton residents who had been without power from Saturday until 10 a.m. Wednesday following a wet and windy storm. "Not all heroes wear the uniform of a policeman or a firefighter," said David Hillsman, who had been getting ready to take soup and hot cocoa to the crews when Lewis fell. Hillsman said he didn't sleep the rest of the night. "Would you rather have your microwave working six hours earlier or send a tired crew home safe to their families?" he said. Lewis also served in the California National Guard, helping operate heavy equipment on his once-a-month stints at a Redding training ground. "We're ... the ones who make the bridges and the roads and the airfields," said his friend, Staff Sgt. Perry Foster. He remembered Lewis as a steady co-worker, a quietly humorous man who was studying martial arts to learn more about himself, and an eager father-to-be who knew that his wife was expecting a son. "He was just elated," said Robert Lewis. "We were imagining," he said, pausing and then beginning again. "Can you imagine what kind of dad he's going to be? "Now we'll never know that." BIOS KEITH TAYLOR 63 Bio: After graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering from Sac State I knocked around the engineering, architectural, and real estate development worlds from 1971 to the present. I married Marti in 1967. We have lived in Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin, and now in Plano, Texas. Trivia: I have never been arrested for, or even charged with the commission of a felonious act. Kids: I have five sons and one beautiful daughter. All are married now except my youngest son. In addition to six children, as of this writing I have six grandchildren. Grade_school: Yes, for many years! MICHELE BROWN 88 Occupation: Administrative Assistant Bio: I got married to a Highlands High graduate. We were married for almost 12 years. We had 2 beautiful children together Corey (11) and Jaime (4). We have recently seperated and filed for divorce. I am now going out with an Encina High graduate, Brad Baker. He is wonderful and so are his 3 children. I had to move out of state in 1994 to Arkansas. We were there for 7 years. That was the longest 7 years of my life. "Don't go to Arkansas!!!" Friends: Sheryl Witt, Cindy Leach, Missy Tyler and Lynn Rowe I have lost contact with Cindy Leach and Lynn Rowe. I still talk to Sheryl every year on her birthday. Hobbies: I still enjoy Weightlifting, softball and football Kids: I have a son, Corey he is 11. I also have a daughter, Jaime she is 4 almost 5 in Jan. Grade_school: Crestmont in Roseville Junior_high: Howe Ave. Junior_high_friends: Sheryl Witt, Cindy Leach, Missy Tyler and Lisa Faso Memorable_teachers: Eric Dahlin, he was the coolest teacher. Favorite_memory: My friendships, my weight training records (which have probably been beat by now), track and field and most of all "cutting 1st period at Mcdonalds with my brother, Gene Brown. Sibling_info: Gene Brown 1986 Alumni_in_contact: Sheryl Witt and Aaron Ford. MICHAEL DUARTE 89 Occupation: Proffessional Fitness Trainer/ Massage Therapist/ Amateur bodybuilder Bio: I left sac town when I was 23 and came to the bay area where I found myself in alot of trouble, was'nt easy when you come from a school like Encina, you know what I mean.I was always looking for the next high. Went through re-hab and have been sober sinc, 7 years. After I had been in the bay area a few years I found myself back in the gym, it was about the only thing I did when I went to school. After a few years I started to compete in a few natural bodybuilding shows. I did really well I competed in 12 shows and placed no lower than third. I qaulified for the natural olympia and won my class at the usa naturals 2 years in a row. Not bad for a former dope head. During that time I got certified as a personal trainer and massage therapist.I now work independently for myself. Some weakends I also work at one of the premier nite clubs in the city The Velvet Lounge. I now live in marin,one the richest counties in the nation, it's tough living here, but it is very nice. Trivia: I wish that I could go back and do it all over again, I did not go to the proms or graduation, or reunions,play football,play with the girls, to busy getting high. The only thing I remember is about which park we were going to party at each weakend. Friends: I had alot of friends who I ran with , glen fanning,damon cutty,jimmy parks,chris de stephano all those other guys, never any real best friends I did not find them until I grew up. There were alot of people that I wish I had known better but when you are that young you do'nt know jack. I wish I had kept contact with some of the people but you know how life is. If anybody reads this please e-mail. Miss you guys! Hobbies: My life is surrounded by health and fitness. I train I compete and I help people get in shape. I also love to dance at the clubs in the city, some of the best dance clubs are in the city.There is so much to do in the bay area mountain bike, hike mt tam, surf, ocean kayak, you name we have it. I still have to drive to get to the snow. Kids: No kids just nephews, the kids are awsome. I love being an uncle. Junior_high: I went to Jonas Salk Memorable_teachers: Mr Adan was the cooliest teacher. Why I do'nt know he just stands out in my memory. Favorite_memory: Making it across the senior lawn 2 years in a row. Story: No real interesting stories except that I wish my high school years would have been more memorable. HUMOR From Sandi Elrod 62... If you read this without laughing out loud, there is something wrong with you. This is dedicated to every woman who ever attempted to get into regular workout routine. A must read! Dear Diary... For my fiftieth birthday this year, my husband (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since playing on my high school softball team, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer I'll call Bruce, who identified himself as a 26 year old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress. Monday: Started my day at 6:00am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Bruce waiting for me. He is something of a Greek God - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Bruce gave me a tour and showed me the machines. He took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. He was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to him in his Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class. Did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around..... This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!! Tuesday: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Bruce made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air- then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Bruce's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me. Wednesday: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Bruce was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Bruce put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Bruce told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other shit too. Thursday: Bruce was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes. Bruce took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the men's room. He sent Lars to find me, then, as punishment, put me on the rowing machine - which I sank. Friday: I hate that bastard Bruce more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Bruce wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the &*@*#$ barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. (Which I am sure you learned in the sadist school you attended and graduated magna cum laude ). The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director? Saturday: Bruce left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the *$@#&& Weather Channel. Sunday: I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband (the BASTARD) will choose a gift for me that is fun - like a root canal or a hysterectomy!! DIGITAL ANGEL Not that any of us needs a digital angel, but we can all probably think of an elderly relative or friend who might benefit from such technology... Digital Angel: Why this wireless monitor really is a godsend By David Coursey, AnchorDesk December 5, 2001 9:00 PM PT URL: http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2830258,00.html Angels come in many forms. There are those heard on high, as the carol goes. More down to earth are those wingless few with hearts of unalloyed gold. But whether they're figures of faith or flesh, angels have one thing in common: They all look out for us. Today I'd like to introduce you to a new angel. It's neither faith nor flesh, but it still fits the criteria of personal guardian. It combines two of my favorite technologies--wireless data communications and global positioning satellites--in a way that could create lifesaving miracles for those who use it. It's a wearable device called the Digital Angel. It not only monitors your whereabouts, but your vital signs as well. In either case, the information is transmitted wirelessly to a central command post that is capable of making emergency notifications when necessary. DIGITAL ANGEL combines a wristwatch with a pager-sized module worn on the belt, and it's now available for sale. But since its release earlier this week, there have been concerns expressed about the ability of this technology--especially as it shrinks to implant size--to violate someone's privacy. Some see this as another "sign"--in the theological sense--that the end is near. I disagree. For those for whom this device was designed--the elderly, the infirm, people with serious medical conditions, the disabled, and children--it can be a godsend. Go out with me on an emergency call with my county's search-and-rescue agency, where I am a volunteer. Here's a common scenario: An elderly person, typically suffering from dementia, wanders off from a nursing facility. Or a child with Down's Syndrome becomes separated from a school group at the beach. Or maybe a toddler disappears at the county fair. All of these people--and this happens many times each year--are in immediate danger. If they're not found quickly, they risk serious injury or even death. WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT if a caregiver or an emergency dispatcher could go to a Web site and simply find the person with GPS accuracy--and know he or she was still warm and his or her heart was beating normally? People who have ever become responsible for an aging parent--someone well enough to live alone but potentially sick enough to need monitoring--will immediately see the value of this technology. It solves some of the problems that occur when a parent and child find themselves having to switch roles. Best of all, it's affordable: The hardware costs $299 and the monthly service charge is $29.95. OK, that might not be within reach of everyone who needs it, but as wireless technology becomes less expensive and bandwidth more available, who knows? Yes, there are limitations: GPS signals don't penetrate into buildings, meaning that someone wandering around a shopping mall would be hard to find. But the unit would still continue to transmit medical information, so searchers could gauge the condition of the person they were seeking. And e911--a technology that helps emergency dispatchers locate cellular callers without depending on a GPS--could solve this problem entirely. WITH ADDITIONAL SENSORS, the unit might detect things like gait or whether a person had fallen. A brainwave sensor could warn of seizures. Heart monitoring might report that a pacemaker had failed or an automatic defibrillator had fired. All of these could help a person in trouble, or keep them safe in the first place, without requiring someone to physically "check up" on them. That seems like a tremendous improvement in the patient's privacy and sense of self-reliance. Yes, I understand that in a science fiction world, this technology could turn into Big Brother. But that's theoretical, even fanatical. What I know for sure is that Digital Angel, used appropriately, will save lives. That makes it one product that could truly live up to its name. INTERNET "CONTENT BIZ CONTINUES TO GROW DESPITE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN By Brian Livingston http://SecretsPro.com I wrote in E-Business Secrets two weeks ago that Salon.com, a well-known news and commentary site, was proceeding rapidly toward its goal of becoming profitable by selling paid subscriptions to tens of thousands of readers. (See http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/01/11/22/011122opsecrets.xml) Other paid subscription sites, it turns out, are doing equally well or better. Anne Holland, the driving force behind ContentBiz.com, says several sites already have enrolled hundreds of thousands of subscribers and are in the black or will be by the end of this year, despite the overall economic slump that worsened after the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center. Holland, who analyzes the often privately held figures of subscription-based sites, says the top five sites (as of her latest estimates, mostly from September) and their typical fees are: 1. Classmates.com, 1.5 million subscribers ($29) 2. ConsumerReports.org, 625,000 ($24) 3. WSJ.com, 609,000 ($29 to $59) 4. Ancestry.com, 400,000 ($49 to $59) 5. Ediets.com, more than 250,000 ($65 to $75) Despite the large subscription bases of these Internet leaders, Holland says many smaller, one-person sites (often coupled with an e-mail newsletter) are profitable with only a few thousand subscribers. ContentBiz.com has put together a very useful resource book on the secrets of making Web sites pay. Entitled "Selling Subscriptions to Internet Content," this $99 guide is based on a conference held in Washington last spring and provides 250 pages of lessons from eight pioneers in the subscription marketing business. The product is available only in hard copy but ships within 24 hours, Holland says, and is one of her online store's best sellers." I thought this was interesting since I subscribe to classmates.com (for the website), consumerreports.org and WSJ.com. URBAN LEGENDS From the Wall Street Journal... November 29, 2001 Watching the Web A Myth Is as Good as a Milestone On Urban-Legends Internet Sites By STEPHANIE MILES THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE Rumors of all sorts have swirled around the events of the past few months. Was there a photograph from Sept. 11 that appeared to depict the face of Satan in the smoke arising from the World Trade Center? Should people be on the lookout for a fleet of stolen Ryder trucks carrying a cargo of biological weapons? Were terrorists plotting a second wave of attacks at shopping malls on Halloween? Does Osama bin Laden own Citibank? The answers (according to a sampling of Web sites dedicated to urban legends) are: It Seems So, No, Probably Not, and No. It isn't surprising that interest in Web sites dedicated to debunking or explaining urban legends has surged as people try to make sense of the World Trade Center attacks, the war in Afghanistan and the recent anthrax scare. Web sites focusing on related rumors and apocryphal stories -- according to UrbanLegends.com, an urban legend is a rumor that "appears mysteriously and spreads spontaneously in varying forms contains elements of humor or horror" -- have become a valuable resource for people trying to sort fact from fiction. One site, Snopes.com, says traffic rose "tenfold" since Sept. 11, while Web-measurement firm Nielsen//NetRatings reports traffic to the Urban Legend guide on About.com more than tripled in September from year earlier, to 562,000 unique visitors. The sites we looked at were Snopes.com (www.snopes.com), UrbanLegends.com (www.urbanlegends.com), About.com's Guide to Urban Myths (urbanlegends.about.com) and The Straight Dope (www.straightdope.com). We judged each site on breadth of rumors included, depth of information provided about each rumor, and entertainment value. All the sites we looked at group popular myths by category, give some brief background and a history of the rumor, and attempt to render a ruling on whether the tale is true or false. Although all the sites cover basically the same ground in terms of themes and general content, some sites, like UrbanLegends.com and About.com's guide, primarily link to other sites and message boards for their information, while others, like Snopes.com and The Straight Dope, tend to seek out and research their stories independently. While all four sites were fun to sift through, those with original content were generally more entertaining to read and more informative than the sites that relied heavily on newsgroups and other Web sites. Both The Straight Dope and UrbanLegends.com devote space to untangling the pop-culture references in the popular song "American Pie." UrbanLegends.com offers only guesses about the true meaning behind the lyrics, but The Straight Dope includes a letter from "American Pie" songwriter Don McLean, who refutes a number of popular theories about the song. "You will find many 'interpretations' of my lyrics but none of them by me," Mr. McLean says in the letter, advising listeners to take the song at face value. The letter closed the book on the "American Pie" theories, while UrbanLegend.com's take on the song perpetuated the rumors. The bottom line is that if you are looking up a specific answer to almost any rumor, e-mail hoax, rumor, or myth, you will most likely find at least some information at all of the sites we checked. But for fast and in-depth answers, we recommend Snopes.com and The Straight Dope as the best resources for urban-legend fact-checking. Snopes.com www.snopes.com Four stars Breadth: Snopes.com offers the most extensive collection of urban legends of the sites we checked. Depth of Information: Site founders Barbara and David Mickkelson research the answers to hundreds of legends, rather than relying on other Internet sites or news groups, so Snopes.com offers more background information and definitive answers on the veracity of popular rumors than any other site we looked at. Entertainment Value: Although not as funny as some of the other urban-legend sites, Snopes.com is entertaining because of its sheer size -- almost any urban legend you have ever heard is mentioned here. Overall Usefulness: Snopes.com is the easiest to use of the pages we reviewed: The categories are sensible and easy to navigate, the site is regularly updated and offers up-to-the-minute information on a variety of recent hoaxes. The Straight Dope www.straightdope.com Three stars Breadth: Although a wide variety of topics are covered, the site primarily offers humorous answers to readers' questions regarding everyday science and pop culture issues. Depth of Information: Cecil Adams (and his staff) research each query thoroughly, and the site links to several Internet newsgroups and message boards for more information. Entertainment Value: The Web companion to a syndicated newspaper column by Mr. Adams, The Straight Dope offers up more personality and wit than any of the other sites we looked at. Overall Usefulness: This is by far the most entertaining of the sites we looked at, but with the eclectic mix of subject matter and lack of post-Sept. 11 news, it's not necessarily a good source for up-to-the-minute information. UrbanLegends.com www.urbanlegends.com Two and a half stars Breadth: One of the largest of the urban-legends sites, in terms of the number of topics and rumors addressed. UrbanLegends.com also features a Zeitgeist page that focuses on the most popular and recent rumors. Depth of Information: UrbanLegends.com's advantage is breadth, not depth: The site has short synopses for hundreds of rumors. However, the blurbs are all fairly short and don't offer much independently researched information. Entertainment Value: The site is straightforward and not as humorous as the other sites we checked. Overall Usefulness: Because of its lack of independent information and dry approach, this site just isn't as useful as Snopes.com, or as witty as The Straight Dope. About.com's Urban Legends Guide urbanlegends.about.com One star Breadth: About.com's guide to urban legends is updated frequently and includes current information about the Sept. 11 attacks and antiterrorism military actions. The site also features an in-depth list of "classic" legends. Depth of Information: The site consists mostly of links to other Web sites, such as Snopes.com, along with some independent reporting. Entertainment Value: The site is the least fun of all we checked out. To find out more information about one rumor we had to scroll through a lengthy lecture about the dangers of listening to rumors and the importance of checking out all questionable stories. Overall Usefulness: About.com is easy to navigate and use, but just doesn't provide as much information as the other sites we checked. WHAT'S NEW 12/4/01: Paul Hood 67, Vivien Chui 95, Vince Thompson 82, Brad Smith 00, Cindy Ratliffe 72, Teri Bevan 79 update, Janine Clark 82, Dana Clark 80, Marci Wagner 84 update, Donna Albrecht 77, Vanessa Williams 89 update, Bill Francis 73 classmates.com: Beth Conolley 64, Gay Buccola 66, Fred Head 69, Debra West 73, Joyce Nieto 73, Micheal Taylor 74, Stephen Hulin 74, David Adee 76, Mark Adams 76, Donna Albrecht 77, Shamale Meredith 92, Stacie Lawrence 92, Jennifer Pillers 93, Camari Campbell 95, Michael Machado 99, la'Shanika Harris 00, Bianca Harding 01, Cynthia Poling 01, Mikhail, Moskalyuk 02 12/2/01: Tony Valle 81, Keith Taylor 63 bio 11/29/01: Diane Wagnon 75, Carolyn Carlson 76 update, Rodney Wilson 01, Leon Biren, Laurie Campbell 82, Susan Holbrook 82 update, Linda Hargis 82 update, Dallas Berg 81, Steven Randolph 01/bio, Greg Welch, Glen Stidger 68, Steve Fenner 82, Danny Rich 68, Marsha Harris 70, Diana Terry 78/79, Deanna Bradish 78, Kevin Anderson 82 update, Theresa Bishop 68 update, Terry Blackburn 82 update Don't forget to submit your contact information or bio: contact: www.encinahighschool.com/directory/submit_contact.htm bio: www.encinahighschool.com/submit_bio.htm REMEMBER As you do your holiday shopping on the net, don't forget to link to the Encina store: http://www.encinahighschool.com/store.htm Harlan Lau '73 Encina HS alumni webmaster www.encinahighschool.com harlan@rambus.com