I also had a similar problem; same time frame, same dial-up, although I suspect a different server. I just got the thing back from Best Buy yesterday, and I THINK it is fixed. I am going to switch to broadband in the next week, if only because the dial-up is SOO slow. I am now, on a Geek Squad member's suggestion, using Mozilla, and so far, it's been OK. You CAN block the pop-ups, even on other browsers - the Internet Explorer one is pretty good, but won't block the pop-up videos, nor the surveys from the iVillage people. Mozilla doesn't block the last, either, but so far, I haven't seen the M&M or the R. Lauren video. My machine would crash even with other applications, but it was excessively aggravating. Good luck with yours!

Hi. I have been searching the net for an hour or so and cant find any comment about this problem that occured today, so im really wondering how rectifyable it is . I have just layed down the first coat of varnish on a hard wood floor, the entire room looks really nice except for near the door, where i thought id try and do the final 4 boards at once so it was easier to walk down them to the door ( hell, it did say on the tin this is the way to do all the floor to minimize over lapping another board while laying down the coat ) i had no problem doing 1 board at a time - the rest of the room came out fine - despite the overlap here and there onto the next board.. that is not noticable. But when i came to the last 4 boards, because i was doing them all at once, when i got to the door i realized i have to do behind the door else im not going to be able to reach that area if i continue going down the boards. So i stopped brushing on the board while i went behind the door to get that tiny area out the way. But because i was doing 4 boards at once, and that the varnish i use seems to dry very quickly, by the time i had gone back to finish the area i had left, there is now a noticable overlap on the board where i had left it to long. Could anyone tell me the best way ( if any , lol ) to remove this overlap of varnish so it all looks flush ? im wondering if scraping it with a trianguler shave hook thing might be the best option. Im thinking that if i sand that area down it will still be overlapped or pach'y when i re coat that tiny bit . Any help would be much appreciated. adam.

I have had to board my dogs a few times. Typically I do board them at my Vets kennel. But that kennel is in such demand, often times they are booked, way in advance, and unavailable on a moments notice. (For those wierd emergency situations.) I think its a good idea to research kennels and find a couple that you like even when you think you wont need them; so you are not scrambling, in the event of an emergency, to find a place to take your dogs. And yes, a good kennel will take both your Vets information and your emergency contact information. And you will sign a release that allows them to take your pet to your vet and authorize treatment should be it necessary. However, in the age of cell phones, this is probably less of an issue than it was in the past. I know one kennel owner who wants you to bring your dog there and spend time with him there a couple times per year, so the dog doesn't not associate the kennel as a place that you always leave him. She's a great dog lady and kenneling your dog there is like a doggie vacation. But she is too far away for it to be practicle for us to use. But If I had to leave my dogs for an extended period of time, for some reason and couldn't get a house sitter, that is the place I would take them. I have visited a few supposedly reputable kennels that I would not leave my dogs at, so its important to look around.

You aren't going to go from dark to light so you have to match the dark. My suggestion would be to use an aerosol spray toner to darken the lighter molding. You can order it from Mohawk Finishing Products. You can order about three different colors to see which one or combination works best. When you use this, hold the can far away and let a light mist fall on your project. You can put it on too heavy, but not too light. Pratice on a large scrap board first.