Thanks to Microsoft's latest flawed updates I'm having computer troubles along with many others

Read about it here:
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/3951/53/
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165 http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=186500318

Do a google on search terms: verclsid hang

One "work around" is to bring up task manager and kill any verclsid.exe process - I found this fix by trial and error and now have seen others mention it.

Speaking of computers, there's a free conference this Saturday:

http://barcamp.org/BarCampOttawa

If I was speaking at this, and I'm not, I think I would lead a session called:

Lean and Mean Project Teams

I believe that project teams need to be lean, composed mostly of A types. However a team of A types can be quite mean, since they tend to drive over others to reach objectives. So both the lean and mean aspects need to be managed. Perhaps there would be interest in this...

A new Robin Williams comedy will be opening soon called "RV" about a father who takes his dysfunctional family on a RV trip to find themselves. I had developed a screenplay treatment several years ago about much of the same idea (it would be fun to shoot given the camping locations one can use), with a bunch of twists. I'm certain many others have had the similar basic idea as it seems a natural.

It reminds me of the time I had a story line involving terrorists seizing an office building, dreamt up while being penned up in a cubicle farm for work, and based partly on the real Stockholm incident (see the Stockholm Syndrome). Then several years later Die Hard appears.

It was interesting to see where the writers took Die Hard, and I look forward to seeing if RV works. Certainly I now have a sequel plot!

TV Shows:

Sopranos - so good, its not a "TV show" - great acting, photography, scripts, music, sets, costumes, etc. A show that deters organized crime by showing what a terrible job choice it is. Sadly after this and Band of Brothers and Six Feet Under, HBO has sunk to Deadwood (well made, but we are being fed beans compared to steak), and Rome (very uneven, and frustrating since could have seized the day).

Grey's Anatomy - great cast, sparkling writing that takes chances.

Conviction - broken out of the Law & Order cookie cutter, another great cast (except Stephanie March who's beauty is not enough to hold a scene). Clearly attempting to combine a Grey's Anatomy approach with Law & Order (young doctors = young lawyers), it is working.

Desperate Housewives - fast becoming just another trite sitcom, but no laugh track yet thank goodness, it still manages flashes of cleverness in between the lingerie shots during ratings periods.

House - "He couldn't keep his tick in his pants" they have him saying. Can't take this show too seriously but can take watching it all the time.

The Movie Live Once, Die Twice (also called Platinum Rush) has one of the worst big finishing scenes ever. I don't know if they purposely did this for laughs or revenge, or they just didn't notice how completely silly it all is - dialogue, camera shots, plausibility, location, character reactions etc.. Watch the last ten minutes of this "thriller" for a good laugh (no need to watch anything before). Also do not pay anything to see this.