TRAVEL TIP

The cutest camera case If your digital-camera bag is too bulky, slip an extra-wide tennis wristband over the camera lens and viewing screen instead. You can usually find a set of wristbands at a sporting goods store for under $10. The lightweight, stretchy bands help prevent scratches, so you can stuff your camera into a purse or a coat pocket and go.

OCTOBER FOOD HOLIDAYS, YUMEE

National Fluffernutter Day (Oct. 8)

National Chocolate Day (October 28)

Buy a Doughnut Day (Oct. 30)

THE NEW "NORMAL"

To be sure, a certain number of dropped calls are to be expected when you're dealing with the wonders of cellular communication, but some phones do seem to fare worse then others when paired with certain carriers in particularly congested regions. Apparently fed up with such problems in New York, Gizmodo reader Manoj decided to stop by an Apple Store to see if something might be wrong with his iPhone -- this, after apparently being assured by AT&T that everything was all right on its end. After a few tests, the Apple Genius determined that Manoj's phone was dropping 22 percent of its calls, which turns out to actually be "excellent" compared to most iPhone users in the New York area, where a dropped call rate of 30 percent is said to be average. The Genius further went on to confirm that the phone was indeed "fully functional," and that the problem is "consistent with the service provided by AT&T." So, nothing to worry about, folks -- everything is "normal."

RULE OF THUMB

CONFLICT-
All conflict is based on unmet expectations

TUNE IN TONIGHT

THE MIDDLE

ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: Patricia Heaton is paired very effectively, and fairly winningly, with Neil Flynn in this new family sitcom.

JUST FOR PUN

Honeydew you realize we cantaloupe because they would banana from traveling to chili

GERMS ARE EVERYWHERE

(From the Wall Street Journal)
Where the Worst Germs Lurk
Concern Over Swine Flu Grows, Prompting a Hard Look at the Hygiene Hot Spots During the Day
By LAURA LANDRO
They lurk on the kitchen sponge, your computer keyboard and the dirty laundry. Flush the toilet and they become airborne. Strangers leave them behind on airplanes, gas pumps, shopping carts, coffeeshop counters and elevator buttons. Your desktop, office microwave handles, and the exercise bike at the gym are covered with them. Don't even think about the toys at day-care centers or the kids' playground equipment.
Germs—the microscopic bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa that can cause disease—cling to the most common surfaces and then hitch a ride on our hands. As swine flu spreads from person to person around the world, it is most often being transmitted by coughing or sneezing, but it can also infect people who touch something with flu virus on it and then touch their mouth or nose, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns. And like an unwelcome house guest, a flu virus can hang around for days.

No wonder germophobes—including me—are on high alert, viewing every surface as a potentially lethal petri dish. We're using our elbows to push elevator buttons, forgoing the handshake and social kiss for the fist bump, and fanatically disinfecting everything in sight. Sales of alcohol-based hand sanitizers were up nearly 17% as of the first week of September compared to the same period last year, according to Chicago-based research firm Information Resources. And marketers are taking full advantage of our paranoia, introducing anti-bacterial dishwasher-safe keyboards, machine-washable leather shoes, germ-resistant paper file folders and even hands-free communion wafer dispensers for churches.

But how vulnerable are we to the sea of germs swirling around us? Our immune system protects us from most of them, and in some spots that harbor germs, like household drains, the risk of transfer is low. Experts say there's no reason to panic—even though there may be good reasons to be grossed out, since the spread of germs is often linked to poor bathroom hygiene and bacteria from human waste.
"We take in humongous amounts of live organisms every day, and we are all routinely covered in fecal organisms," says Michael Bell, associate director for infection control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. "It's a testament to our body's own defenses—if they routinely made us ill, none of us would have a chance."
Even the scariest bugs can usually be vanquished through old-fashioned hand washing. "Regardless of what you touch, make sure you clean your hands on a regular basis so you have a better chance of not delivering bacteria into your body through your mouth, nose and eyes or a cut on your skin," Dr. Bell says. He advises thorough and frequent hand cleaning—which may be needed 10 times or more daily depending on your activities—with soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Cleaning and disinfecting things like desks and doorknobs can play a role in protecting us, he says, but "focusing on one surface misses the point, because no surface is not germy." (The CDC.gov Web site offers information on keeping germs at bay in the home, how to wash your hands correctly, and the importance of flu vaccines and other immunizations in preventing disease.)
Also, not all germs are harmful; we need friendly bacteria that live on our skin to help fight off bad bugs, and bacteria in our mouth and gut help digest our food and prevent illness and disease.
Hand washing after contact with surfaces and other people's hands is the best protection against germs. Here are some other tips:
At Home: Wash linens and towels in hot water; dry thoroughly. Disinfect bathroom and kitchen surfaces. Keep toothbrushes away from commode.
At the Coffee Shop: Use napkin when handling communal milk pitchers and to cover countertops when preparing coffee.
Commuting or Traveling: Avoid touching escalator rails, elevator buttons and gas pumps with bare hands; wear socks through airport security.
At the office: Use paper towel on microwave oven handles, communal coffeemakers; use disinfecting wipes on desk and phone.
In public restrooms: Avoid touching flush handles, faucets with bare hands.
In the gym: Use towels on mats and between skin and machines.

Still, I wanted to know where in my home, office and wider world I should most forcefully brandish my disinfectant wipes and hand-sanitizer. My calls to experts turned up some surprising culprits: the public toilet seats I'd always been warned about are likely cleaner than the desks in my workplace. My kitchen sponge and cutting board harbor the biggest dangers, as do places like elevator buttons, communal coffee carafes and gym equipment, that are touched by many hands and are rarely cleaned.
"We are sharing more surfaces than ever before in history, spending more time indoors, travelling on bigger planes and cruise ships and working in bigger office complexes," says Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona's Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. "The biggest risks are in areas of high contact—like the hundreds of people who have touched that escalator rail before you did."
One of the scariest germ incubators may be the office. Your co-worker eating at the next cubicle isn't just annoying you with the smell of fried onions—he's leaving behind particles of food that can be breeding ground for bacteria. Add in the microbes transferred from workers' hands to keyboards, phones and the computer mouse, and the average office desk is may harbor 400 times more germs than the average toilet seat, since office desks and surfaces may be rarely cleaned, while bathrooms tend to be disinfected regularly, Dr. Gerba says.
After testing surfaces and objects in 113 offices in five cities, the Arizona researchers found that women's offices had more than twice the bacteria of their male counterparts. Makeup cases, phones and purses had the highest number of bacteria; for men it was wallets, hand-held electronic devices and phones. Women's offices had higher numbers of mold and yeast, mostly from food kept in drawers. But the superbug MRSA, isolated in 6% of offices, was found more often in men's offices on the phone, computer mouse, desktop and the bottom of desk drawers.
The studies are funded by makers of disinfectants including Procter & Gamble and Clorox, whose products were also used to test the effectiveness of cleaning and compare regular cleaning regimens to disinfecting with substances like bleach. Dr. Gerba says more research is needed on the link between surface germs and disease, since it's impossible to say who will get sick. "Some people will never get ill no matter what they do or don't do, and others will get ill almost every time," he notes.
At home, the kitchen may be the germiest room. About 50% to 80% of food-borne illnesses happen in the home, where micro-organisms can be spread from raw meat and vegetables on chopping boards, utensils and counters, and then spread on hands. The culprits are dangerous bacteria such as e. coli, salmonella and campylobacter. They cause food-borne illnesses that strike 76 million people each year, sending 300,000 of them to the hospital and killing 5,000.
One problem is haphazard cleaning; a study by the U.K.-based Hygiene Council found that in 12% of cases, surfaces that looked clean in homes were heavily contaminated. Sponges and cleaning cloths can be swarming with bacteria from previous wipe-ups, so to be on the safe side, it's best to use paper towels, disposable cloths or reusable ones that have been decontaminated and dried, the group advises. The CDC advises microwaving sponges for 30 seconds or putting them in the dishwasher every other day or so depending on how often you use them.
In the laundry room, your average load of wash contains more than coffee stains. The Hygiene Council also warns it can be packed with bacteria such as e. coli from clothing, towels and linens. Washing in cold water doesn't kill the germs; if you have to wash at lower temperatures, add a laundry disinfectant. Wash your hands after loading the washing machine and dry clothes immediately, since bacteria and fungi build up on damp items, the group advises.
In the bathroom, the family toothbrush holder can also harbor bacteria; if you have to all share the same one, don't allow the brushes to touch each other, the CDC recommends. But it also says there is no evidence to support disinfecting toothbrushes in the microwave or with ultraviolet devices on the market. Best strategy: Get a new one every few months and rinse thoroughly after using.
And keep your toothbrush away from the commode—especially the powerful flush of toilets on airplanes. Some studies have shown that flushing sends a spray of water containing bacteria that settles on people and surrounding surfaces. In general, fecal particles are only worrisome if they've come from someone with intestinal illness or diarrhea, but the best advice I ever heard was to treat all airplane bathroom surfaces as if they are radioactive; keep the lid closed when flushing, use a paper towel to handle lid, faucets and door handles after washing hands, then use hand sanitizer once back at the seat as an extra precaution.
While surfaces are often the leading source of germs, remember germs can thrive in water we may inadvertently swallow at public swimming pools (don't ever get in one if you see a baby without a swim diaper) and waterparks (think of all those people who may not be diligent about personal hygiene). Hotel hot tubs can be bubbling cauldrons of rash-causing Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as chlorine and other disinfectants evaporate more quickly in high temperatures. And communal showers may harbor foot fungus.
After reviewing all this depressing information, I turned to my own doctor, New York infectious disease specialist Eric Neibart, who helped bring me down to earth—sort of. What are the chances of picking up an infectious disease from the germs we come in contact with daily? "Millions of people touch things every day and nothing happens, so just use common sense," Dr. Neibart advises. "There's a bigger risk of being injured in a taxicab."

TODAY IN HISTORY

1938: Returning to Britain after agreeing in Munich to allow Germany to annex the Sudetenland, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declares: “I believe it is peace in our time.”

1955: James Dean dies in a car crash, cutting short an acting career that included just three films. He was 24.

1982: Cheers debuts on NBC. It is nominated for 13 Emmys in its first season.

DID SOMEONE RING THE DINNER BELL?

WORLD POLIO DAY

This October marks 95 years since Jonas Salk, developer of the first safe and effective polio vaccine, was born. Saturday, 24 October, is World Polio Day – a perfect opportunity to join the fight to end the disease.

Rotarians are raising $200 million to match the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s $355 million in grants by 30 June 2012. Here are some ways you can help:

1. Organize a club fundraiser, such as an auction, a walkathon, or a purple pinkie project. Rotary clubs are each being asked to contribute at least $2,000 annually for three years. Get more ideas.
2. Order reprints of the illustrated Amazing Stories of Polio! for new and prospective club members, and for local schools and libraries, at shop.rotary.org. For bulk orders, call 847-866-4600.
3. Arrange a screening of The Final Inch at a theater. This Academy Award-nominated, 38-minute documentary follows health workers, including Rotarian volunteers, as they immunize children in India. The DVD is available at www.thefinalinch.org.
4. Create a link from your club’s Web site to the Rotary International YouTube channel, which includes videos and public service announcements on eradicating polio, or embed one of the video on your Web site.
5. Make an individual donation to Rotary’s $200 Million Challenge.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT!

In a move that's sure to please a few million Windows users and break the hearts of a handful of anti-virus companies, Microsoft has now finally made the non-beta version of its Security Essentials software available to the general public, and it's not even asking that you throw a launch party to get it for free. For those not in on the beta or following Microsoft's exciting forays into freeware, the software promises to cover all the security basics and fend off viruses, spyware and other malicious software, and Microsoft even assures us that it'll "run quietly in the background" and only intrude on your life when an action is required. You'll also, of course, get free updates on a regular basis, and it'll work just fine whether you use Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.

AND I QUOTE

"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time."-E. B. White

PEOPLE BEING PEOPLE

BREAKERS WEST, Fla., -- A Florida man whose roof was removed by workers who confused his house for a neighbor's said he is demanding his roof be replaced free of charge. David Fischer, 76, said he was forced to return home early from a vacation this summer when Bossler Roofing contacted him to say the roof of his Breakers West house had mistakenly been removed, WPTV, West Palm Beach, Fla., reported Monday. Joseph Rodowicz, a lawyer for Bossler, said officials are still unsure of how exactly the mistake happened. "You know, quite frankly, I don't know. I don't know what took place on that day … but in the end we simply acknowledge that there was a mistake," he said. Fischer said the company refused his demands to have the roof finished free of charge. Bossler offered to finish the roof at a steep discount -- Fischer would only have to pay his insurance deductible -- but Fischer said he does not believe he should have to pay at all. "My feeling is they just playing games they trying to take advantage because I'm an old person," he said. Fischer said he is considering a lawsuit against the company if the issue is not resolved soon.

TODAY IN HISTORY

1954: New York Giants’ Willie Mays makes what many consider the greatest catch in World Series history when he grabs a ball slammed 483 feet by Cleveland Indians batter Vic Wertz.

1982: The first of seven people in Chicago dies after taking Tylenol laced with cyanide. The case is never solved.

1988: The U.S. resumes manned space flight two years after the Challenger tragedy as the shuttle Discovery blasts off into space.

PAY ATTENTION

DO YOU REMEMBER?

The granddaddy of all platform and handheld game stations, the Atari Video Computer System remains a classic. In the tradition of trench warfare and bayonets, Atari maintains its appeal despite its antiquity. And like Kleenex or Xerox, the word itself became synonymous with the activity it represented. In the late seventies and early eighties, nobody played video games. They played Atari. One had to go to the arcade or to the corner of the local sandwich shop to play video games. But Atari – blessed Atari! – one played at in the comfort of home in pajamas (if desired) with your own chips and your own soda. Although the Odyssey introduced the concept five years before, Atari was the first to successfully bring the platform game system into the home. No one could have predicted that the small plastic box with a wood-grain finish, option switches, and two sets of controllers would not only become the must-have toy trend of the eighties, but also usher in the multi-billion dollar virtual gaming era. Face it: it was hard enough to anticipate Pitfall Harry’s next obstacle, let alone the future of a fad that was coming to be known as “video games.” Atari’s first splash came in 1975 with a made-for-home version of Pong, the success of which gave the initial indication of the impending dawn of cartridge-based games. The prototype was developed into the finished product by virtue of generous funding from its parent company, Warner Brothers. Atari VCS made its historic entrance into the culture in the holiday season of 1977. The complete Atari package included the basics—a furniture-blending box, a pair of one-button joysticks, and another pair of rotating paddle controls—as well as a certain coup de gras in Combat, a tank-biplane-jet mano-a-mano fighter featuring such things as bouncing walls and invisible tanks. With such potential, how could holiday shoppers in 1977 look through the store windows and not think they were looking into the future. Within two years, Atari managed to follow Combat with several other titles. The dawn of video game consoles proved to be something of an extended one as Atari and its fellow competitors struggled to gain a permanent toe-hold in the cultural landscape. While various arcade hits had modest success on home platforms, it wasn’t until 1980 that the future was assured. When Rick Mauer used the license Atari purchased to convert popular arcade sensation Space Invaders to home platforms, Atari had an immortalizing hit.
Space Invaders sent Atari’s profits up into the nine-digit echelon, an indication of children climbing up their parents’ backs all across the country in order to get their hands on a piece of platform bliss. Parents answered by buying upwards of twenty-five million consoles, a number that translated into $5 billion for Atari and Warner Bros. Various accessories followed such as keyboards (Brain Games), driving controls (Indy 500), Trak-Balls, and rapid-fire blaster. Atari’s software department also continued to score big, both with original hits and arcade cross-overs, most noably Namco’s Pac-Man. Atari (now redubbed the 2600) heralded the game into homes in 1982. It became the biggest hit in the history of VCS.

With the advent of the home computer (and home computer gaming), Atari found itself fading. Bloated licensing fees (particularly for E.T.) and rushed titles diluted interest in the system and before long, the market crashed.
Atari sold their video game division in 1984, including the 2600, its infant upgrade the 5200, and the as-of-yet unreleased 7800. In the mid-eighties, a few 2600 games continued to be released despite the appearance on the scene of the brand new Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1991, after an unduplicated fourteen-year run, the 2600 finally put down its pixels for good. To date, no other system has lasted nearly as long.
A relic stands the test of time. And though it has been outdated and outdone, Atari has yet to be outcast. It speaks to the success of Atari and the 2600 that it continued to sell even after superior products had rendered it obsolete. In fact, many of the titles that Atari made famous can still be purchased in their original pixilated glory for the latest generation systems. Whether for novelty or nostalgia, Atari, the granddaddy of them all, keeps on ticking.

NOW YOU KNOW

Datsun-The Japanese car, first made in 1913 by the forerunner of Nissan Motors, was originally named Dat, after the initials of it's three owners. Later Dat was changes to Datson, the son meant to suggest the "son of Dat". But the Japanese pronunciation of son sounded too much like the japanese word for "loss", something no business would want to suggest, and in 1932 the named was changes to Datsun.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA

PBS, 8 p.m. ET

(Check local listings)

This installment explains how President Theodore Roosevelt became such a staunch supporter of John Muir – and how that support, in turn, led to a further defining and expansion of the concept of national parks.

ROTARACT MEETING SPOTLIGHTS FEATS, FUN

New Generations Month and the annual Rotaract Preconvention Meeting are the best opportunities for Rotaractors to shine and show Rotary the value they can add to the organization, says 28-year-old Rotaractor Lisa Hunter.

"It's a time for us to prove ourselves as Rotarians for the future," says Hunter, president of the Rotaract Club of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. "After all, the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow."

To celebrate New Generations Month, the Maidenhead club has planned activities to highlight its work throughout September. Club members will also visit Rotary clubs in the area to discuss current projects and to forge potential partnerships.

"This month is a time for all youth programs to work together with their local Rotary clubs to serve their local communities and support young people in their area," says Hunter.

She also promotes the Rotaract Preconvention Meeting.

"It's something I never miss," says Hunter, who was chair of the social committee for the 2009 preconvention meeting in Birmingham. "There are so many things that make attending the preconvention appealing."

The meeting helps Rotaractors learn about inspiring projects, experience the internationality of Rotary, and network. But even more important, she says, it's just plain fun.

"Outside of the preconvention sessions, the local Rotaractors always organize a great social event program," says Hunter. "It's where you make lifelong friends from all corners of the world."

Dong-Joon Lee, chair of the RI Rotaract Committee, says the meeting "is truly an international event and an ideal platform for us to share ideas about service projects." The past governor of District 7230 (Bermuda; parts of New York, USA) says active participation is what makes Rotaract the dynamic and energetic organization it is now.

Lee praises the hard work of Hunter and other 2009 social committee members for the success of last year's event.

"Having seen the enthusiasm during the 2009 preconvention, I feel energized and excited about this year's preconvention in Montréal," says Lee.

Hunter says joining her Rotaract club in 2000 has had an enormous impact on her life. She gained confidence and learned skills that have helped her succeed in the business world.

"It's not just to meet new people, but to also better communities locally and internationally," she says. "Rotaract has given me the opportunity to know what I do really does make a difference in people's lives. There is no better feeling in the world."

This is the second in a series of articles about Rotary youth programs for New Generations Month.

• Read how Rotaract paves the way into Rotary
• Learn more about Rotaract
• Register for the preconvention meeting; download the RI Convention Registration and Ticket Form

RULE OF THUMB

People are willing to walk for seven minutes to get to a McDonald's. That's why you'll find McDonald's restaurants a 14 minute walk apart in downtown areas.

WORD OF THE DAY-KILLJOY

killjoy

(noun) [KIL-joi']

1. someone who spoils the enthusiasm or fun of others: "That killjoy made all the fun of the boardwalk seem stupid and immature."

TODAY IN HISTORY

1924: Thousands of people greet two U.S. Army planes landing in Seattle—the first airplanes to fly around the world. The trip took 175 days.

1941: Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams becomes the last player in the 20th century to hit over .400, finishing the season with a .406 average.

1974: First lady Betty Ford undergoes a mastectomy for breast cancer. She will receive more than 50,000 get-well letters.

MAYBE NEXT WEEK

RELAX AND ENJOY

AND I QUOTE

"There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity."-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

TUNE IN TONIGHT

BEN-HUR

TCM, 8 p.m. ET

This is the golden anniversary of this 1959 biblical epic, which includes such inspirational religious narratives as the Nativity and the Crucifixion. And, as the action-film apex of its era, the chariot race. Remember, if you watch, this was in the days before CGI. Every stunt is real. Charlton Heston stars

PEOPLE BEING PEOPLE

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If you plan to show up in court, it may be best to dress up for the occasion.

A federal judge in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday threw out a complaint by a lawyer alleging a constitutional right to wear jeans and a baseball hat in a courtroom.

Todd Bank, whose office is in Kew Gardens, New York, showed up in a Queens housing court in March 2008 while wearing a button-down shirt, blue jeans, socks, shoes and a baseball hat that read "Operation Desert Storm."

Judge Anne Katz told Bank he was dressed inappropriately, and court clerk Jude Albano told him to take the hat off.

Bank sued both, saying his right to free speech and his liberty to dress as he wishes, which he said are guaranteed under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, allowed him to wear the clothing.

Not so, said U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis.

A courtroom is a "staid environment" where a judge may set reasonable limits on litigants' behavior to enforce "commonly shared mores of courtroom civility," he wrote.

He said the case raised "no serious dispute," lamenting that the office of New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo "has now had to expend resources" defending the matter.

The judge added, however: "When he is not in court, plaintiff is free to express the ideas he wishes to express, and to wear the attire he chooses to wear."

Bank did not immediately return requests for comment. He did not allege discrimination on the basis of the hat's content.

WORLD PEACE FELLOWS

R otary World Peace Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities. Fellows can earn either a master’s degree in international relations, public administration, sustainable development, peace studies, conflict resolution, or a related field, or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution.

Each year, up to 100 Rotary World Peace Fellowships (50 master’s degree fellowships and 50 professional development certificate fellowships) are offered on a competitive basis at six Rotary Centers, which operate in partnership with seven leading universities (centers offer master’s degree unless noted otherwise):

• Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (professional development center)
• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
• International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
• Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
• University of California, Berkeley, USA (NOTE: The Rotary Foundation Trustees will no longer be accepting applications for this program after the 2009-11 class.) Read more
• University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

The application deadline for the 2010 class has passed. Applications for the 2011 class will be available online November 2009.

ZONKEY BABBY

GREAT TUNES SUPPORTING POOR MOVIES

Top ten soundtracks with longevity that the movie didn’t match:

• Sid and Nancy (1986)

Why: This drama about Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen's lengthy decline into herion addiction and the death of Vicious was slated for glorifying rock's association with drug culture. Lead singer of the Sex Pistols Johnny Rotten wrote in his 1994 autobiography: "To me this movie is the lowest form of life. I honestly believe that it celebrates heroin addiction." Although the soundtrack contains no songs sung by either the Sex Pistols or Sid Vicious, it is nonetheless a respectable post-punk compliation.

The Soundtrack: 1. Love Kills - Joe Strummer 2. Haunted - The Pogues 3. Pleasure and Pain - Steve Jones 4. Chinese Choppers - Pray for Rain 5. Love Kills - Circle Jerks 6. Off the Boat - Pray for Rain 7. Dum Dum Club - Joe Strummer 8. Burning Room - Pray for Rain 9. She Never Took No for an Answer - John Cale 10. Junk - The Pogues 11. I Wanna Be Your Dog - Gary Oldman 12. My Way - Gary Oldman 13. Taxi to Heaven - Pray for Rain

• The Bodyguard (1992)

Why: Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner lead a romantic thriller with the tag line “Never let her out of your sight. Never let your guard down. Never fall in love”. Artful as it is, who would have guessed that this film would produce the best selling soundtrack of all time?

The Soundtrack: 1.Soundtrack: I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston 2.I Have Nothing - Whitney Houston 3. I'm Every Woman - Whitney Houston 4. Run to You - Whitney Houston 5."Queen of the Night" - Whitney Houston 6.Jesus Loves Me - Whitney Houston 7.Even If My Heart Would Break - Kenny G featuring Aaron Neville 8.Someday (I'm Coming Back) - Lisa Stansfield 9.It's Gonna Be A Lovely Day - The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. 10.(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding - Curtis Stigers 11.Theme from The Bodyguard - Alan Silvestri 12.Trust in Me - Joe Cocker featuring Sass Jordan

• Dazed and Confused (1993)

Why: A movie with a minimal plotline and as much character depth as you would expect from stoned high-school students, is brought to life by a track list that condenses the sound of 1970s youth culture in America into one hour.

The Soundtrack: 1. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer 2. Slow Ride - Foghat 3. School's Out - Alice Cooper 4. Jim Dandy - Black Oak Arkansas 5. Tush - ZZ Top 6. Love Hurts - Nazareth 7. Stranglehold - Ted Nugent 8. Cherry Bomb" - The Runaways 9. Fox on the Run - Sweet 10. Low Rider - War 11.Tuesday's Gone - Lynyrd Skynyrd 12. Highway Star - Deep Purple 13. Rock and Roll All Nite - KISS 14. Paranoid - Black Sabbath

• Legends of the Fall (1994)

Why: James Horner’s music score has stood the test of time even though the melodramatic movie, starring Brad Pitt, didn't. Sound editors frequently use portions of the soundtrack as an early trailer score for other films (including First Knight and Cold Mountain). It almost wipes the board with 5* ratings by purchasers on Amazon.

The Soundtrack: Film music score conducted by James Horner

• A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

Why: Director Danny Boyle disappointed some fans when he followed ‘Trainspotting’ with this play-it-safe romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz, but the soundtrack with songs by Ash, Beck, Prodigy, Underworld has endured.

The Soundtrack: 1. Dead Weight – Beck 2. Love Is Here - Luscious Jackson 3. Life Less Ordinary – Ash 4. Velvet Divorce - Sneaker Pimps 5. Kingdom of Lies - Folk Implosion 6. Leave [New Version] - R.E.M. 7. Don't Leave – Faithless 8. Oh – Underworld 9. It's War - The Cardigans 10. Always on My Mind - Elvis Presley 11. Peace in the Valley - Alabama 3 Lis 12. Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin 13. Put a Lid on It - Squirrel Nut Zippers 14. Deeper River - Dusted

• Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

Why: Wim Wenders’ profiles of the Havana musicians from the Buena Vista Social Club enjoyed art house raves, but it stands in the shadow of the success of the soundtrack. Buena Vista Social Club, the album, put world music back on the map.

The Soundtrack: 1. Chan Chan - Francisco Repilado 2. De Camino a la Vereda - Ibrahim Ferrer 3. El Cuarto de Tula - Sergio Siaba 4. La Engañadora - Enrique Jorrín 5. Buena Vista Social Club - Israel López 6. Dos Gardenias - Isolina Carillo 7. Quizás, Quizás - Osvaldo Farres 8. Veinte Años - María Teresa Vera 9. Orgullecida - Eliseo Silveira 10. Y Tu Que Has Hecho? - Eusebio Delfín 11. Siboney - Ernesto Lecuona

• Garden State (2004)

Why: Despite some original moments, this film about teenage self-discovery was knocked for its cheesy airport ending. Generous reviewers took the line, “the soundtrack made up for it”.

The Soundtrack: 1. Coldplay - Don't Panic 2. The Shins - Caring Is Creepy 3. Zero 7 - In The Waiting Line 4. The Shins - New Slang 5. Colin Hay - I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You 6. Cary Brothers - Blue Eyes 7. Remy Zero - Fair 8. Nick Drake - One Of These Things First 9. Thievery Corporation - Lebanese Blonde 10. Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy In New York 11. Iron And Wine - Such Great Heights 12. Frou Frou - Let Go 13. Bonnie Somerville - Winding Road

• 24 Hour Party People (2002)

Why: Film Threat described the film as “simply a two-hour rave, an acidic, ecstatic trip through the not-too-distant past”. The film’s shock factor may have faded but the soundtrack remains a tribute to the rise of beat-oriented bands like Happy Mondays, New Order, and Joy Division, in Manchester's post-punk music community from 1976 to 1992.

The Soundtrack: 1. Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols 2. 24 Hour Party People - Happy Mondays 3. Transmission - Joy Division 4. Ever Fallen In Love - The Buzzcocks 5. Janie Jones - The Clash 6. New Dawn Fades (Live) - New Order feat. Moby, Billy Corgan, John Frusciante 7. Atmosphere - Joy Division 8. Otis - Duritti Column 9. Voodoo Ray - A Guy Called Gerald 10. Temptation - New Order 11. Loose Fit - Happy Mondays 12. Pacific State - 808 State 13. Blue Monday - New Order 14. Move Your Body - Marshall Jefferson 15. She's Lost Control - Joy Division 16. Hallelujah (Club Mix) - Happy Mondays 17. Here To Stay - New Order 18. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

• The Boat That Rocked (2009)

Why: This recent film about a British pirate radio station disappointed fans of Richard Curtis, and was criticised for being too long and muddled. The soundtrack features well-known tunes from the 1960s by The Beach Boys, Cat Stevens,The Kinks, The Who, Dusty Springfield, and Jimi Hendrix; as the critic for this newspaper wrote, it's a “soundtrack-heavy nostalgia-fest”.

The Soundtrack: CD 1: 1.Stay with Me Baby - Duffy 2.All Day and All of the Night - The Kinks 3.Elenore - The Turtles 4.Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred and His Playboy Band 5.Dancing in the Street - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas 6.Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys 7.Ooo Baby Baby - Smokey Robinson 8.This Guy's in Love with You - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass 9."Crimson and Clover" - Tommy James & The Shondells 10. Hi Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck 11.I Can See for Miles - The Who 12.With a Girl Like You - The Troggs 13.The Letter - The Box Tops 14.I'm Alive - The Hollies 15.Yesterday Man - Chris Andrews 16.I've Been a Bad Bad Boy - Paul Jones 17.Silence Is Golden - The Tremeloes 18.The End of the World - Skeeter Davis

CD 2: 1. Friday on My Mind - The Easybeats 2.My Generation - The Who 3.I Feel Free - Cream 4.The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix 5.A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum 6.These Arms of Mine - Otis Redding 7.Cleo's Mood - Jr. Walker & The All Stars 8.The Happening - The Supremes 9.She'd Rather Be with Me - The Turtles 10.98.6 - The Bystanders 11.Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks 12.Father and Son - Cat Stevens 13.Nights in White Satin - The Moody Blues 14.You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Dusty Springfield 15. Stay with Me, Baby - Lorraine Ellison 16.Hang On Sloopy - The McCoys 17.This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) - The Isley Brothers 18.Let's Dance - David Bowie

TODAY IN HISTORY

1960: Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon become the first presidential candidates to debate on television. TV viewers generally thought Kennedy won; those who tuned in on radio said Nixon did better.

1969: The Beatles release their 17-track album Abbey Road.

1991: Eight researchers begin a two-year experiment in a closed structure called Biosphere 2. The project studies the interactions of life systems.

WHICH BUTTON DO I PUSH FOR THE COMBO?

A GOOD DEAL

If you're looking to get your hands on an iPhone 3G, AT&T is offering refurbished ones for $49 (8 GB) and $99 (16GB) while supplies last. Not bad, but you'll still have to pay full price for the privilege of a data plan.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

THE PRISONER

IFC, 8 p.m. ET

Later this fall, American Movie Classics is presenting an updated version of this Patrick McGoohan 1968 miniseries masterpiece. Here’s a rerun of the original series, starting tonight with a prime time lineup full of Number 6 and his mysterious island captors.

AND I QUOTE

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."-Flannery O'Connor

TODAY IN HISTORY

1957:President Dwight Eisenhower sends the 101st Airborne Division to hold back an angry mob as nine African American students, who come to be known as the Little Rock Nine, enter Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.

1789: The first United States Congress answers criticisms of the Constitution by approving 12 amendments for state ratification. Ten become the Bill of Rights.

1919: President Woodrow Wilson collapses from exhaustion in Pueblo, Colo., ending his whistle-stop tour to drum up support for the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

DOGS LOVE IT

MEETING PROGRAM SEPTEMBER 24, 2009

Give a listen below to Regions Bank Vice President Jeff Lauritzen tell us about how his bank is making commercial loans in today’s economic environment.

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Three well-traveled Rotarians recommend their field-tested essentials

Laptop

Think frequent fliers prefer superlight laptops? In fact, business travelers often need more computing power than a superlight can offer. Both Michelle Hayes, of the Rotary Club of Odessa, Texas, USA, and Thomas Hsieh, of the Rotary Club of Pomona, California, tote Dell Latitude computers. “No one’s going to look at it and go ‘ooh,’” says Hsieh, CEO of SplinterRock, a technology consulting firm, “but it’s sturdy and reliable, and that’s what’s important to me.”

Hayes, a software consultant who spends almost all her time on the road, also carries a Maxtor 250-gigabyte portable hard drive. “It’s a little bit bigger than a deck of cards,” she says. “I have my whole laptop backed up on this.” The new ultrathin product from the same company is the Seagate FreeAgent Go, which offers a cable-free docking option and up to 500 gigabytes of memory.

Phone/personal digital assistant

Lotay Yang, of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles, was an early fan of the BlackBerry, with its famed QWERTY keyboard and reliable e-mail server. Yang, who founded a social networking organization called Black Card Circle, remains loyal: He likes being able to synch up several e-mail accounts and coordinate appointments with other Outlook and BlackBerry users. “The BlackBerry is the one thing I wouldn’t go anywhere without.”

Hsieh likes the Treo smartphone by Palm. It also features a QWERTY keyboard, which he says makes e-mailing on the run easier. “Sometimes I have my luggage in one hand, and I’m typing e-mail with the other,” he explains. “I have 20 minutes to send any urgent e-mails before I’m on the plane for another three hours.” The Palm Treo Pro has a touch screen and myriad applications that let you watch movies, listen to music, and edit documents.

Both Hayes and Hsieh also like the Plantronics Bluetooth headset for hands-free phoning. “It’s been very reliable,” says Hsieh. “It’s got a long battery life, and it synchronizes and picks up with my phone very quickly.”

Power supply

A single charger that works with all your gizmos is a great luggage lightener. Hayes likes one from iGo. The newest model weighs less than one pound and can charge a laptop and mobile device at the same time, whether you’re in a car, on a plane, or in a hotel room. Interchangeable tips fit a multitude of gadgets. For travel abroad, the iGo adapter works in more than 150 countries and features an integrated USB outlet.

JUST FOR PUN

We almost got creamed by a milk truck. I was udderly terrified

DON'T FORGET YOUR COOKIE

AND I QUOTE

"I don't mind what Congress does, as long as they don't do it in the streets and frighten the horses."-Victor Hugo

TUNE IN TONIGHT

FLASHFORWARD

ABC, 8 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: ABC is positioning this series as the next Lost – and perhaps with good reason. This pilot sets up a compellingly mysterious premise: everyone on the planet blacks out for about two minutes, most experiencing visions of the near future during their unconsciousness. Like Lost, it’ll take a few episodes to learn whether the premise can support itself, and how good a show this is. But it’s the sort of thrill ride you want to be in on from the start, just in case. It looks like another fun TV puzzle to try and solve. Joseph Fiennes stars.

TODAY IN HISTORY

1969: Judge Julius Hoffman presides over the first day of the Chicago Eight trial. It becomes the Chicago Seven when Bobby Seale is tried separately,

1957: Only 6,702 fans come to say farewell to Ebbets Field as the Brooklyn Dodgers play their last game there before moving to Los Angeles.

1968: Don Hewitt launches 60 Minutes on CBS.

PEOPLE BEING PEOPLE

In June the Brighton and Hove City Council ordered nature-lover Hilaire Purbrick, 45, out of the cave that has been his residence for 16 years, citing its lack of a "fire exit."