Here's the latest news on the transition from your 360 page to your new profile on Yahoo!: It will be taking place sometime in the second half of 2008. We don't have specifics on the date to share just yet, but you'll be among the first to know. For now just keep this in mind: 2nd half '08.

We know you get a lot out of 360, and that there's a good chance you've used it to deepen friendships and extend connections near and far. So, we completely understand that you might not exactly be "chomping at the bit" for the shift to the new system (i.e., you might be dreading it on some level).

Well, let us first say that it's truly Yahoo!'s honour to offer a service you rely on to fulfill those requirements -- keeping your friendships vibrant and even building new connections. Yahoo!'s promise to you is we absolutely won't let that drop!

In fact, our upcoming (currently occurring) shift is based on these same principles, but expands them across the entire Yahoo! network -- so you can share your interests and activity with your community and discover new content and experiences from your trusted friends. The approach gets a good description in the following articles and blog posts:

Yahoo Open Strategy -- Web 2.0 Presentation

Yahoo rewiring itself from the inside out

For example, your Profile will be integrated into the new Yahoo! Mail welcome page which will surface messages from the people who matter to you most. Additionally, you will see Updates from your important connections helping you to discover new content and activities in real-time.

As part of Yahoo!'s initiative to open-up, you'll be able to add applications from Yahoo! and third parties on your Profile page and various Yahoo sites and pages, including our home page.

Finally, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of what this means to you and your 360 account. We'll migrate your profile photo, your nickname, your friends' list, blog posts and blog comments.

We will continue to provide updates on the transition as we have more information.

Yahoo! Canada 360 Team

Separating fact from fiction in the story of St Patrick can sometimes be tricky. But the legends more often than not speak for themselves.

* St Patrick is supposed to have driven the snakes from Ireland. Certainly, there are no snakes in Ireland. But neither are there any snakes in New Zealand, and there is no record of St Patrick ever having vistied there! Moreover, the Graeco-Roman writer Solinus recorded the fact that Ireland was snake-free a good 200 years before St Patrick was born! The story that Patrick banished the snakes seems quite simply to have been invented in the 12th century by a Northumbrian monk named Jocelyn, whom the wife of the Norman John De Courcy brought to her husband's court in Downpatrick.

* One legend has it that Patrick, when he escaped from his youthful slavery in Ireland, went straight to France. Deciding to visit his uncle in Tours, he had to cross the River Loire. He had no obvious means of doing so, but he found that his cape made an admirable raft. On reaching the other side, he hung his cape out to dry upon a hawthorn bush. Despite it being the middle of winter, the bush immediately burst into bloom. Fact: to this day, the hawthorn blooms in winter in the Loire Valley and St Patrick has at least two feast days there -- one on March 17 and the other on Christmas Day.

* Patrick, despite his saintliness, was not averse to bouts of temper, it seems. After a greedy man once denied him the use of a field to rest and graze his oxen, Patrick is said to have cursed the field, prophesying that nothing would grow on it from then on. Sure enough, that very day, the field was overrun by the sea and remained sandy and barren for evermore.

* A blind man once came to Patrick seeking a cure. As he approached, he stumbled several times and fell over, and was duly laughed at by one of Patrick's companions. The blind man was cured. The companion, however, was blinded.

* Before he died, an angel told Patrick that he should have two untamed oxen yoked to his funeral cart and that they should be left to decide where he should be buried. With great political foresight, the oxen chose Downpatrick.

* On the day that Patrick died, night never fell in Ulster nor did it for a further 12 days.

What's your favourite myth or legend or tradition surrounding St Patrick's Day?

Article courtesy of Tourism Ireland
discoverireland.com

Earlier this week, five musicians of very diverse backgrounds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This year's honourees included Canadian Leonard Cohen (who announced his first tour in 15 years the day after the ceremony), the Ventures, the Dave Clark Five, John Mellencamp and Madonna. There was some controversy surrounding the inclusion of the Material Girl, with detractors saying she represents "pop" as opposed to "rock". Although I'm not a huge Madonna fan, I think her impact on music as a whole over the past few decades speaks for itself and her inclusion is completely justified. Besides, fellow inductees Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and the Bee Gees are hardly typical of "rock", are they?

If you've ever had the pleasure of going to the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, you already know what an impressive and interesting place it is. If you haven't, and you're in any way a music fan, it's definitely worth the trip. I went several years ago specifically to see an exhibit about U2 -- that alone totally blew my mind, but the building itself is such an incredible storagehouse of memorabilia and history, both musical and social. To be inducted into such a venerable institution must be such an honour.

Speaking of inductees, check out the complete list of inductees since 1986. While non-performers, background performers and pre-rock performers all get their much-deserved dues, the performing artists are the ones everyone waits to hear about each year. Ever wondered how the induction process works? A nominating committee of rock and roll historians selects eligible nominees (eligibility begins 25 years after the release of their first record), who are voted on by a panel of over 500 rock experts. The performers with the highest number (and over 50 per cent) of votes make the short list of 5 to 7 who are annually inducted.

Who would you like to see inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Of today's artists, whom would you like to see inducted in 25 years?

Fionna

Perhaps in this century, girls and young women don't really think about gender equality. I know my girlfriends and I don't discuss the woes of being women often. But not so long ago it wasn't like that and in many places of the world there is still vast gender inequality, which is why a day like International Women's Day is still important.

We all like to remember our heritage, so why can't woman remember the struggles we've been through as well? Since 1911, International Women's Day has been a time to unite women. Perhaps those of us in Canada no longer need to fight for the right to work or vote or go to university, but even here, women are still underpaid. This Saturday should be a day to feel special just for being a woman, whether your family treats you to some downtime or you spoil yourself with a guilty pleasure.

Many treat this day a little like an extra Mother's Day. So, on March 8th you can say thanks to the special woman in your life that has inspired and helped you, whether it's a friend, co-worker or teacher. You can celebrate women's successes by celebrating some of the great things women have invented. From things usually thought of as "manly", like the circular saw and the muffler, to more everyday items like dishwashers and windshield wipers, female inventors have changed your life. I mean, who could live without the chocolate chip cookie?

Once the spoiling is done, perhaps you could take time to ponder the UN's theme for International Women's Day 2008 of investing in women and girls. Maybe you could donate some time to help young girls in your community, or write a letter to your government asking how they are helping underprivileged women in Africa.

Are you doing anything to celebrate International Women's Day?

Stephanie