The biggest issue people have is an overload of great shots and not enough available space on desks, shelves and walls to display them. (Unless you get a nice digital frame, of course.)

As always, the numbers provide compelling evidence. From May 2006 to May 2007, the volume of prints made from digital cameras grew by 34 percent. The most stellar growth for that period came from online photo services, where print orders soared by 80 percent, according to the Photo Marketing Association International.

That increase is because of a number of factors, including the growth of high-speed Web access, which makes uploading images to online printers such as Shutterfly, Walgreens or Kodakgallery.com (formerly Ofoto) a breeze. Plus, those outfits and others offer an increasingly wide array of products, from holiday cards to personalized stamps, that just scream for an adorable image of your kid.

College Hoops 2K8 PlayStation 3 Giveaway

EA may be the marketing king when it comes to sports video games, but in terms of overall quality, 2K Sports' series of 2K games not only holds a candle to EA's titles, but in some cases outdoes them. The College Hoops 2K series is one such instance, as the series has continually been the top-selling college basketball game and generally has the higher review scores to go along with its sales. This year, Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers is College Hoops 2K8's cover boy, and although Oden may be out with a knee injury, the game itself is off and running like a thoroughbred horse. We're sure college hoops fans are curious to get their hands on this iteration for themselves, which is why we're hosting this contest for one free copy of College Hoops 2K8 for the PlayStation 3. That's right: a next-gen game to make sure all those next-gen holiday gifts get put to good use.

Colonoscopy story hits home for many viewers

When I was wheeled into my colonoscopy exam, I was concerned something abnormal or even cancerous would be discovered. But there was no other way to find out. This important procedure can save your life, and I want to be around a few more years for my children and my loved ones.Starting at the age of 50, your risk of getting colon cancer increases and a colonoscopy can catch problems before they get worse. I was sedated, so it was easy and painless. Dr. William Robertson performed the procedure. It took 18 minutes to examine the entire colon with a scope that had a tiny camera at its tip. It is pretty amazing stuff, and the best part I was clean and healthy"Your risk of ever developing a colon cancer is very, very small. Much lower than the six percent average because, at 52, you had a normal colonoscopy.

Victoria Derbyshire Blog

However a school friend and i decided to go see a chelsea game, with his father being a member he could get us tickets easily, but because of my disability i had to be a member to recieve any disabled tickets. I just wonder how a smaller club with a much more community feel about the club could manage to look after me like i was an equal to everyone else and the bigger club with more of a reputation could not?

The Chronicle Sports Columnist Blog

People might remember how well he blocked the plate on Holliday, aggressively sliding his left leg into perfect position, but the play ended when Barrett couldn't field Giles' short-hop. At that point, the Rockies deserved to win beyond a shadow of a doubt.

* More agony for Mets fans: General manager Omar Minaya, who made a number of mistakes in his bullpen maneuverings over the last year, virtually gave away Heath Bell to the Padres in a nondescript deal last November. Bell became an invaluable member of the San Diego bullpen, and he was fabulous last night (2 2/3 innings, five strikeouts).

Up-to-the-minute messaging system put to the test

At 3:20 p.m. Thursday, the words "CAMPUS ALERT" appeared on the Northern Illinois University Web site's home page, followed by a message staff members had prepared in advance, but hoped they would never use:

"There has been a report of a possible gunman on campus. Get to a safe area and take precautions until given the all clear."

The same message flashed out to all campus e-mail accounts, and was relayed automatically to office and dormitory phones.

This carefully orchestrated effort to get the word out was largely a response to last April's shootings at Virginia Tech, where a student went on a rampage that killed 33 people, including himself.

As campuses around the nation grappled with the horror of that massacre, administrators at NIU took their own preparations to a new level, going so far as to prepare the hypothetical template that could be used for near-instantaneous communication in an emergency.

Welcome To Starpulse.com Contests!

So with the Presidential election heating up and MLB Spring Training games scheduled to start in less than three weeks, the timing couldn't be better.

Notable names in the "Presidential Predictor" set include, from the Democratic side, Barack Obama and John Edwards; and from the Republicans: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. A few other surprise candidates and political personalities are also showcased in the collection including Al Gore being tagged out by reigning U.S. President George W. Bush in a funny portrayal of Yankee second baseman Chuck Knoblauch's phantom tag of Boston's Jose Offerman during the '99 American League Championship Series.

Other parodies include John McCain and Ted Williams, a pair of decorated war veterans who served their country proudly; John Edwards' portrayal of Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, both healthcare advocates, the latter who appeared as a right fielder in a single MLB game for the New York Giants (June 29, 1905); Fred Thompson blending with Babe Ruth, two larger-than-life characters who have appeared on the silver screen; and Rudy Giuliani as overzealous Yankee fan Jeffrey Maier whose infamous eighth-inning catch of Derek Jeter's long fly ball in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS tied the score, 4-4, before the Yankees went on to win the pennant and their first World Series title since 1978.

Starbucks retraining goes down smoothly

Baristas crowd together as they make espresso drinks for an overflowing crowd at Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co. Tuesday in Seattle. The small chain, with four shops in Seattle, was giving away free espresso drinks while the world's largest gourmet coffee retailer closed for three-hour nationwide for training sessions earlier tonight.

Wild Card -- Weekend

Only 3 more days until we get after it again in the new year. I hope you're enjoying yourselves as 2005 comes to an end. If you have some thoughts on the old year or resolutions for the new one, you can post it here. Or start your own thread. Or wait until Tuesday ...

The government has jailed thousands of militant Is

Sayed Imam El-Sherif wrote a letter to his many friends last month, telling them that they really should find a better way of working out their differences than throwing punches. Doesn't sound like the stuff national news is made of, does it?

'Z' says he's close to his 'A' game

And No. 2, whether you close in spring training or whether you pitch the fifth inning. You're going to get the same amount of work, so we don't really have to change anything but the inning the particular pitcher pitches."

Wood and Howry are scheduled to work an inning apiece Saturday in Tempe when the Cubs play the Los Angeles Angels.

Ramirez out Aramis Ramirez was scratched from Friday's game at HoHoKam Park with shoulder soreness, and his return is unknown.

"We have plenty of games," Piniella said. "When he's ready to go, we'll put him out there."

Ramirez said he had the same problem early last spring.

"I don't know what's up with that," he said. "Maybe I don't do the same kind of throwing here I do in the Dominican.