Since I spent the better portion of my Saturday evening cleaning about 100 pounds (no exaggeration) of magazines out of my home office, most of which I never even skimmed (despite good intentions), this post should probably be a screed about the efficacy of magazine advertising and how pass-along readership should not include the three guys on the garbage truck Monday morning.

One of those magazines, though, was the September 2006 issue of Consumer Reports with a cover story about how to stay safe online and the best tools to use to keep your machine running clean. For the whole story, dig into your own stack of unread magazines, visit your local library or log on to the Consumer Reports Web site if you’re a subscriber.

As a public service, though, I thought I’d take this opportunity to pass along CR’s top three recommendations for antivirus software (BitDefender Standard, Zone Labs ZoneAlarm and Kaspersky Labs AV Personal), antispyware programs (F-Secure Anti-Spyware 2006, Webroot Spy Sweeper and PC Tools Spyware Doctor 3.8) and add-on antispam software (Trend Micro Anti-Spam Pilot, Allume Systems SpamCatcher and Cloudmark Desktop).

Don’t forget all the good free stuff that’s out there, too. Here’s a post that’ll provide you with plenty of links to keep you downloading and running clean for quite a while.

Me too. This blog post from 43 Folders tries to help.

“Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody.”
—Franklin Pierce Adams

Africam was one of the earliest, best Web cams out there. If it’s been a while since you’ve checked it out, it’s time to take another look: Static black and white images refreshed every 30 seconds or so have been replaced by streaming color video.

But wait: there’s more! Check out the “TV Guide” link and click over to other channels in the Wavelit network, including space station imagery and classic cartoons (I got a great Max Fleischer Superman ‘toon when I checked it out).

An interesting discussion about advertising took place recently on a music community message board I frequent. It had to do with this Chevy Silverado ad.

The question at hand: Does the use of images of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, the Katrina flood and 9/11 to sell a truck cross the line?

Wrote one poster: “The fact that MLK and Rosa Parks are considered to be so iconic that GM wanted to include them on an ad like that could be seen as a good thing.”

I suppose. Maybe the John Mellencamp soundtrack helped mellow reactions to the ad; after all, this discussion took place in a music community. Many of the comments on YouTube were pretty anti-Chevy. Still, it all begs the question: Is any image or icon off limits when it comes to using it to sell a product?

It’s not unlike the dilemma comedians have. When is it appropriate to make jokes about 9/11? Certainly not on 9/12. But at what point does inappropriate metamorphose into acceptable?

The Chevy ad is certainly tasteful, evoking a certain tone and spirit of America without making the icons look like shills. Good taste can go a long way toward trumping potential backlash.

While pondering the issue, check out this parody of the Silverado ad.