.

Godwin's Law - Are you a Nazi?

2007-11-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how true it is, but it sure was funny...

I happened across a reference to Godwin's Law today. I must admit, I've never seen this happen before, but it is very funny nonetheless!

Here's a quote from Wikipedia explaining what Godwin's Law is:

"Godwin’s law is often cited in online discussions as a caution against the use of inflammatory rhetoric or exaggerated comparisons, especially fallacious arguments of the reductio ad Hitlerum form.

The rule does not make any statement as to whether any particular reference or comparison to Hitler or the Nazis might be appropriate, but only asserts that one arising is increasingly probable. It is precisely because such a comparison or reference may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin has argued that overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact. Although in one of its early forms Godwin’s law referred specifically to Usenet newsgroup discussions, the law is now applied to any threaded online discussion: electronic mailing lists, message boards, chat rooms, and more recently blog comment threads and wiki talk pages."

I've been involved in a lot of very long discussions in a large variety of topics. Some of them have gotten very heated, to be sure! None, however, have ever made reference to Hitler. At least none that I can recall. :)

FireFox 3 (beta) fixed the FF2 massive memory leak problem!

2007-11-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

I recently switched from FireFox 2 to Opera because FF was eating up 800MB+ of my 1GB of RAM. It would eat more and more memory as I browsed, and finally eat up so much that it slowed my system until it crashed or I killed the process.

Opera is great, but unfortunately its handling of JavaScript is less robust than FF and IE, so I had problems using my Yahoo! Mail and GMail accounts. They worked with Opera, just not very well.

So when I heard that the FireFox 3 beta was available, I jumped on the chance to give it a go and see if they'd fixed that massive memory problem that FF2 was having.

I've been testing it all day long, and watching the process to see how much memory it's eating up. I'm very, very glad to say that as I close down pages and instances of the browser, the memory usage actually decreases (it never would in FF2--it only increased).

So I've switched back to FireFox. I really love its built-in spell-checker for text area boxes. Makes posting to my blog a lot easier. :)

I've read about some bugs and kinks in FireFox 3, but so far I haven't run into any issues with it on my system. I'm back to being in love with FireFox. Thanks Mozilla!

Ghostbusters 3 is coming.

2007-11-18T05:43:00.001-08:00

I was one of the Ghostbusters fans who thought Ghostbusters 2 was a great movie. I know I'm not in the majority, but that's that. Now number 3 is set to come out, but not as a movie, as a video game.

Dan Aykroyd always wanted to a third one done, and now he sorta gets his wish.

According to JoBlo, Sony and Vivendi have secured the major players from the original cast - Murray, Akyroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson - to provide their likenesses and voices for use on the new game, set for release late next year. I don't know if Sigourney Weaver or Rick Moranis are involved, but I sure hope so.

The game is going to be released for the PS3 and Xbox, and maybe more platforms as well.

Below are a few screen shots of the new game:

Crayon Physics has got to be the coolest game on the planet.

2007-11-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

This new game really makes you think, requiring you to "draw" the solutions to each level of the game.

Watch the video below and it will all make perfect sense. In Crayon Physics, the person playing the game has to draw objects that will solve the puzzle presented to them, moving the ball toward the goal (the star).

The interface looks like something you would hang on the refrigerator that your preschooler drew, but being a programmer I can promise you that the level of complexity underneath is astounding. To have a piece of software "understand" how the object you've drawn would behave in the real world is simply mind boggling in its programmatic difficulty.

My hat's off to the creators of this ingenious game. Maybe I'm a nerd for thinking it's so cool, but I really think it's so cool!

Expert warns of great danger from Peruvian volcano

2007-11-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

The tall mountain called El Misti, overlooking Peru's second-largest city, Arequipa, could soon pop its lid in a major, dangerous eruption.

If and when it goes, Jean-Claude Thouret said, El Misti could be extremely hazardous, posing as much danger for the 750,000 residents of Arequipa as Italy's Mount Vesuvius holds for the people of Naples. El Misti, just 11 miles from Arequipa's center, has emitted ash falls every 500 to 1,500 years, and even worse events have occurred every 2,000 to 4,000 years.

Thouret bases his warning for Peruvians on the 19,000-foot-tall volcano's eruptive history. According to the Geological Society of America, studies have shown that El Misti produces ``alternative explosive events'' that lead to ``pyroclastic flows, surges, tephra (airborne ash) falls.'' The last such ``event'' occurred about 600 years ago.

Despite years of work and the rather obvious hazards, it is still not possible either to predict exactly when an eruption will come from El Misti or how large it might be. But by studying the layers of rocks, ash and pumice in and around the tall cone, geologists can discern the mountain's behavioral patterns through thousands of years.

Read More

Troy Smith on the rampage! (Browns Football)

2007-11-17T12:11:00.001-08:00

The chips are already in the Browns' favor for this Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Backup Kyle Boller has been named the team's starting quarterback due to another injury to starter (and the ineffective) Steve McNair. Boller had had some success against the Browns in the past, but any time that has occurred, it has been in relief of McNair or another quarterback. When he has started versus the Browns, he has resembled what the Ravens offense is this year: awful. What happens if Boller doesn't last the entire game? What if he suffers an injury and is forced to leave the game?

Read More

Sleep better. Live Better.

2007-11-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

That's the moto of the folks at sleepbetter.org. Their new Zzzz score is designed to help you know what sleep-related products will work for you.

I'll be honest: I don't sleep well. My allergies often keep me tossing and turning at night. Sometimes I can't sleep at all, even though I'm very tired. Often it takes sheer exhaustion to finally knock me out for a few hours of restless sleep.

The folks at SleepBetter are targeting people like me. Apparently I am not in the minority. 1 in 6 Americans (14.71% or 40 million people) have some kind of classifiable sleep disorder.

So SleepBetter has developed what they call the "Zzzz score". You take a short quiz (it's 6 multiple-choice questions), and it "ranks" you. I scored 17, and was presented with a selection of pillow that experts say should help me sleep better.

Something tells me that just changing my pillow isn't going to solve my problems, but hey, it's a start, right?

Finally, a hybrid SUV big enough for me! (2008 Chevy Tahoe hybrid)

2007-11-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid represents the first General Motors vehicle that is going to use the new two-mode hybrid system.

The 2008 Chevy Tahoe hybrid gets 50% better fuel economy than it's 5.3 liter V-8 counterpart when driving in-town, and 30% better fuel economy on the highway. In fact, the Chevrolet hybrid's 21 mpg in-town fuel rating is the same as the four-cylinder Toyota Camary sedan!

These Prius-style, Four-Two-esque vehicles are just not my style. I'm over six feet tall, and those things make me claustrophobic. But a Tahoe, not that's more my style.

My current SUV gets 15 pmg in-town (usually), so this would be a 30% increase for me.

Due to its innovations, and the fact that this is the first of GM's vehicles to use their new two-mode hybrid system, the 2008 Chevy Tahoe hybrid has been named Green Car Journal’s 2008 Green Car of the Year.

"Killer Cold" virus claims 10 in USA (Adenovirus 14)

2007-11-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

WEBMD reports that there have been 10 deaths from 141 confirmed cases so far from Adenovirus 14 outbreaks in four states.

Looks like the "common cold" is not so common anymore.

"This particular [adenovirus] is unusual in that it can cause very severe illness in healthy young adults with no other medical condition. That is why this adenovirus stands out from the crowd," says CDC epidemic intelligence officer John Su, MD, PhD.

This is hardly the first adenovirus outbreak in the USA, but this seems to be a particularly "challenging" virus, says Su.

Adenoviruses, of which there are over 51 different serotypes in humans, are responsible for 5–10% of upper respiratory infections in children, and many infections in adults as well.

It is not yet understood what exactly is the reason the Adenovirus 14 virus causes outbreaks of such severe disease.

FireFox has stepped on my last nerve! I'm switching to Opera.

2007-11-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

The last time I looked, FireFox was sucking up almost 800MB of my 1GB of RAM. It had hogged up so much of my resouces that clicks were taking a few seconds to register in the browser.

I've done search after search on Google to try and find out what was causing this RAM problem, only to realize that I was not alone. I tried the many about:config changes, to no avail. I uninstalled the very few extensions I was using in FireFox, to no avail. Nothing worked.

When it got so bad that I just couldn't take it, I would close down my dozen or so FireFox browser windows, and then watch the performance monitor for about 5 minutes (literally) as the firefox.exe process unloaded the hundreds of megs of memory it was occupying. Finally it would close down completely, and I would start a new instance of the browser.

Today, I'd had enough. Last night I had downloaded the Opera browser and installed it for a side project I was working on. Today I had an epiphany: Aha! I'll try using Opera, and see if it's less of a resource hog.

I was pleasantly surprised that Opera automatically imported my FireFox bookmarks. That was very nice. So it only took about 15 minutes to get my "personal" toolbar configured with my quicklinks, and I was set.

So far, the only downside to Opera versus FireFox is that FF 2.0 has built-in spellchecking on text boxes, which I love. But frankly, that's not enough to keep me using a browser that used to be my favorite until it turned into a crawling resource hog.

So far, so good. I may be rid of IE and FF forever...

Sounds From Saturn - NASA Astronomy at its best.

2007-11-15T13:12:00.001-08:00

Their logo could double as a movie poster for a 1950's sci-fi thriller, but NASA's latest release is not Hollywood...

What does space sound like? According to NASA, "Sounds from outer space are weird, if not downright spooky." Want to find out for yourself? Now you can!

NASA has released a collection of audio recordings gathered during the Cassini-Huygens space probe's exploration of the Saturnian system.

Be ready for a goosebump or two as you feast your ears on some of the greatest sounds gathered during the exploration of the Saturnian system.

Are you ready for this? Then put on your tin foil hat and click here.

Dr. Ian wants you to lose 50 million pounds.

2007-11-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, not you by yourself, but he's got an ambitious goal of helping Americans loose a collective 50 million pounds.

Dr. Ian is no newcomer to the realm of weight-loss. He's written five books on the subject: The Fat Smash Diet, The Blackbird Papers, Dr. Smith's Guide to Medical Websites, The Take-Control Diet, and the new Extreme Fat Smash Diet.

His picture certainly makes him look pretty fit, so perhaps he knows what he's talking about? This is actually interesting timing that I should discover this today, because I told my wife this morning that I am going to start exercising so I can lose some weight myself. (In fact, I'll be talking the dog for a walk after I finish this post).

So how does Dr. Ian intend to help people lose all of this weight? His web site is a great place to start. It sports a weight tracker, BMI calculator, diet and nutrition tools and exercise information.

Why is he doing all of this? I'll let him tell you himself:

"The number one health crisis facing not only African Americans, but all Americans, is being overweight. Two out of every three adults (66%) today are considered to be overweight, or even worse, obese. Even more troubling, 17% of all children in the U.S. are now overweight. The statistics for African Americans are even more alarming—where almost 80% of adult women and 67% of adult men are overweight. Equally worrisome is that 20% of African-American teenagers between the ages 12-19 are overweight, and this number appears to be rising."

I'm sold! Okay, I'm off to join the movement and walk the dogs. I hope this doesn't turn into another of the things I promise myself I'll do, but don't.

SkyBus Airlines - Incredibly cheap airfare.

2007-11-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

I heard about it, but I had to see it to believe it -- and now I believe it! SkyBus Airlines is offering air fare at rates lower than you can imagine. But all things come at a price, even if it's not measured in dollars.

I heard about SkyBus, and how dirt cheap their tickets were, with 10 seats on every plane for $10. I just couldn't believe it, so I went to their web site to check it out.

I ran some numbers for 3 adults flying out December 17th and coming back December 24th. Total fare: $110 per ticket, $330 all together. I couldn't believe it.

However, there are some gotchas.

First, the dates available are limited, and the locations available to fly from/to are also very limited. Some major cities (Dallas and Houston) were missing from the list.

Second, you have to pay $5 for each bag you check (up to two bags), plus $50 per bag after that. So pack light if you don't want to run up the charges.

Third, as you might expect, there are zero amenities on these flights. If you want anything to eat or drink on the flight, you have to pay for it (in cash).

Fourth, there is no on-board entertainment. As they say on their web site, "bring a book."

There are some other rules and limitations, so be sure to check those out before getting too excited about the low airfare.

But man, it is cheap!

Bryan Berg - Guinness World Record Cardstacker video!

2007-11-14T12:35:00.001-08:00

Bryan Berg spends much of his life in a house of cards. Literally. Berg, the Guinness World Record-honored "Cardstacker," has devoted his career to building houses of playing cards -- and skyscrapers, domes, cathedrals and stadiums, you name it!

When he was seventeen, he already broke the Guinness World Record for card structures with near 4.5 metres tower. His latest structure, which is also record-breaking, is 7.6 meters (25 feet). The video below is him constructing the Rhode Island State House over 3 days with 22,000 pieces. Truly incredible!

Hybrid cars at the LA auto show, but I can't drive one...

2007-11-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Chevy, Lincoln and Dodge all plan to have hybrid cars at the Los Angeles Auto Show, demonstrating that they are working to deliver vehicles with much improved fuel economy.

Hybrid cars are awesome. Great gas mileage, very quiet. From a technical and environmental standpoint, I love the them. I hate paying $3 a gallon at the pump, so they're great from that perspective as well. I think it's great that they will have so many at the LA auto show.

But here's my problem: I'm over six-feet tall. The hybrid cars are all at least as small as my daughter's little sedan, and most are even smaller. When I drive her car, it goes from a seating capacity of four down to a seating capacity of three -- because nobody's short enough to sit behind me and have enough room. And if I drive her car for more than a few minutes, my legs start to cramp up, because there's just not enough space even with the seat all the way back.

So it's great that there are so many hybrid cars coming out, but I'm afraid it's just not practical for those of us who are well above average height. What's the industry doing for us tall guys (and gals)? It's gotta be a lot tougher to design a hybrid SUV, since relying on electricity at lower speeds only works for very light-weight cars.

I'd love to have an SUV that gets even 35 mpg. Right now my SUV gets 19 on the highway, and about 16 in town. I'd happily sacrifice some power for an SUV hybrid that gets better fuel economy, but the engines can't handle a car that size at all yet.

And when I say "hybrid SUV", I'm not talking about those dinky little things they claim are SUVs. I don't fit in those either...

SmartCars coming in Jan - watch your ankles!

2007-11-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

I've seen these tiny cars all over Europe, where the roads are small and parking scarce, but will US drivers take them seriously?

We'll find out in January, when the first 8 feet long, two-passenger cars land in the USA for sale. They'll be selling for under $12,000 USD. That's very affordable, but the affordability doesn't stop there. SmartCars get 40-45 miles per gallon, making them attractive to people whose budgets are distressed with $3 a gallon.

I've seen these cars in my European travels, and I can understand why people would own them there. The roads are thin, and traffic is insane, in most European countries. There's nowhere to park, and people park in places you shouldn't (on sidewalks, double/triple parking, etc.) Under those conditions, a SmartCar makes sense.

But in the USA? Shoot, I wouldn't even fit in the tiny thing! They remind me of those little ankle-biting dogs.

Switch Zoo - The coolest way to design a new species!

2007-11-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

At Switcheroo Zoo you can make new animals, make postcards and send them to your friends, play games, learn about animals, watch movies, and more!

It's very cool. A nice Flash interface lets you pick the the animals you want to "blend" into a new species. I gave a tiger the head of a bird, the legs of a Agama Lizard, and the tail of a Sailfin.

While putting together this wild-n'-crazy creature, Switch Zoo tells me all kinds of interesting facts about the animals whose parts I'm messing with. For example, did you know that the agama lizard's gender is determined by the temperature of the egg? Males are born at warmer temperatures, females at slightly cooler temperatures. Interesting stuff.

It's a really cool site for kids. Why not give it a try yourself?

Zune 2 : Not your ordinary MP3 player upgrade! (zoon)

2007-11-13T10:31:00.001-08:00

Zune 2 is now out, and the reviews coming in are calling it a real improvement.

Zune, the second most popular personal MP3 player (next to the iPod, of course!), has released a major upgrade from Zune 1 to Zune 2.

Here are a couple of the better reviews that take you step-by-step through the new improvements for Zune 2. I suggest you read the Wired review first, since it's the most in depth, followed by the others if you want a couple more opinions.

Wired's Z2 Review

Mobile Diget's Z2 Review

PC World's review in the Washington Post.

All things considered, it's worth the upgrade to Zune 2.

2,500 Marvel Comics Come Online Today (Yes, Spiderman too...)

2007-11-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

Marvel takes a much-delayed step into cyberspace today when it unveils the industry’s first online archive of more than 2,500 back issues, including the first appearances of Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Incredible Hulk.

Marvel is hoping to reintroduce young people to the X-Men and Fantastic Four by showcasing the original issues in which such characters appeared.

I'm not so sure this is going to work, though. Comic books today are not what they were in days past. They are far more intense, both in their storylines and their artistry. Will kids today find the comic books of yesterday appealing? I guess we'll see.

To see the comics, Click Here

Forgetful? New study says "Take Beta Carotene".

2007-11-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates a protective effect against cognitive decline in healthy men who look the anti-oxidant beta carotene for about 18 years.

Interestingly the same benefit was not seen in men who took the supplements for an average of a year.

"This is the first trial that has found any way to help your memory if you're healthy. I think it does tell us that we can change how our memory improves or worsens," Francine Grodstein of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who led the study, said in a telephone interview with Reuters.

Learn More About Beta Carotene

Organic food's popularity increasing rapidly.

2007-11-13T05:11:00.001-08:00

The presence of organic food on the grocery shelves is on the rise, which means better health for less money.

Organic farming was among the fastest growing segments of U.S. agriculture during the 1990s. The value of retail sales of organic food was estimated to be more than $20 billion in 2005. And, according to the Food Marketing Institute, more than half of Americans now buy organic food at least once a month.

Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards. For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.

Increasingly, organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the United States, the European Union, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.

Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run farms — which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers' markets. Now, organic foods are becoming much more widely available — organic food sales within the United States have grown by 17 to 20 percent a year for the past few years while sales of conventional food have grown at only about 2 to 3 percent a year. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market.

Read More

Celine Dion on 45-date tour promoting new English album.

2007-11-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

Celine Dion's shows are coming to an end in Las Vegas on December 15th. Time is running out...

Celine has unveiled a 45-date North American arena tour in support of her first English-language album in three years, "Taking Chances." The set is due Nov. 13 via Columbia Records.

According to sources Celine Dion concerts at the Colosseum has grossed more than 500 million. As Celine departs Bette Midler will be setting up her show to take over as the new resident performer at the Colsseum starting February 20th 2008.

If you've never seen Celine Dion play in the Colosseum nows your last chance. And if you're looking forward to seeing Bette Midler play then scoop up some of the first days tickets.

Jay Leno installs PacWind, hugs trees.

2007-11-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

As part of an ongoing project with Popular Mechanics to make his garage more sustainable, Tonight Show host Jay Leno has installed a PacWind on top of the shop.

PacWind is a growing company committed to bringing economical, dependable, quiet, and safe wind power to every location on our planet, including the places where we all live, work, shop, and play.

Their turbines are quiet, stable, useable power in 3+ mph winds, safe in winds up to 100+ mph, bird friendly and apparently simple to install. And they can be installed at home, on commercial buildings, and on lots of other spots.

Read More About PacWind

Crash of the Titans (Crash Bandicoot) review!

2007-11-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

In a nefarious plot to unleash destruction, Crash's arch-nemeses, Neo and Nina Cortex, have mutated the creatures of Crash's island into monstrous abominations!

Here's what the box says:

"Never one to shirk from danger, the brave bandicoot finds that he is able to hijack the titanic monsters and wield their immense powers against each other!

Crash was an ordinary south pacific bandicoot until the evil Dr. Cortex used his evolvo-ray in an attempt to create a mutant henchman. Crash refused to work with Cortex and instead smashed Cortex's lab and defeated the mad doctor's evil schemes. Crash would be happy to spend his days basking in the sun but his danger-loving, fearless nature and his love of a good fight with a bad guy keep him busy. Crash is very emotional, quick to laugh and quick to cry. Crash rarely seeks out trouble but trouble always seems to come Crash's way."

Here's what my daughter says:

The game play is "alright", she says, but "they made Crash too stupid in this one." She says Crash was better when it was being made by Naughty Dog.

Crash of the Titans is available for the Playstation, Xbox 360, Wii, Game Boy and a few other systems.

Read More

An American Orient Express! Cool? Maybe not...

2007-11-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

Does a great ride, or a great disappointment, await you on the American Orient Express?

The Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. Its route has changed many times, and several routes have in the past concurrently used the name (or slight variants thereof). Although the original Orient Express was simply a normal international railway service, the name has become synonymous with intrigue and luxury travel. The two city names most intimately associated with The Orient Express are Paris and Istanbul, the original endpoints of the service.

Read More

E*trade and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC)

2007-11-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

SIPC - what it is and why it matters!

The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a federally mandated non-profit corporation in the United States that protects securities investors from harm if a broker/dealer defaults. Since most investors rely on a broker to handle custody of the investor's assets during a buy/sell transaction, the broker legally owns those assets. In the event of bankruptcy by the broker, the SIPC compensates the investors to make them whole. The investor owns the assets in his or her account so SIPC only insures the investor from the time he or she gives his money to the broker/dealer until the securities are purchased or from the time of the sale of securities until the investor takes possession of the sale proceeds. It was created by the Securities Investor Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78aaa et seq, but it is not a government agency, but rather a membership corporation funded by its members. It does not operate like FDIC, as investors take full responsibility for any potential loss while invested in the market.

I assume that stocks held by ETrade accounts are actually held by Depository Trust. It's all supposed to be a "trust" relationship. Everything is supposed to be book entry at the central trust, so brokers don't hold stocks and can't count or liquidate them as assets.

Super Mario Galaxy released!

2007-11-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today is the official US release info of Nintendo's "Super Mario Galaxy". Here’s the game details...

Details: As always with any Nintendo game console, the first Super Mario game is one of the defining experiences on the system. Join Mario as he ushers in a new era of video games, defying gravity across all the planets in the galaxy. When some creature escapes into space with Princess Peach, Mario gives chase, exploring bizarre planets all across the galaxy. Since he’s in space, Mario can perform mind-bending jumps unlike anything he’s done before. He’ll also have a wealth of new moves that are all based around tilting, pointing and shaking the Wii Remote.

Game Features:
- Shake, tilt and point! Mario takes advantage of all the unique aspects of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller, unleashing new moves as players shake the controller and even point at and drag items with the pointer.

- Players perform mind-bending, low-gravity jumps across wild alien terrain as they experience platforming for a new generation.

- Multiplayer features for two gamers playing together

For: Nintendo Wii- November 12, 2007
Cost: US$ 49.99
Rating: ESRB E (Everyone)
From: Nintendo of America

The game is now available at Amazon.com, Best Buy and other outlets.

E*Trade might file for bankruptcy

2007-11-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

If you'd asked me last year if I ever thought it would happen... wow.

E*Trade Financial Corp. lost more than half its market value after the online brokerage forecast a decline in fourth-quarter earnings and a Citigroup Inc. analyst said the company may go bankrupt.

E*Trade will book ``significant writedowns'' this quarter for asset-backed securities that sank in value last month, the New York-based brokerage said in a Nov. 9 regulatory filing. Citigroup's Prashant Bhatia wrote in a report yesterday that there's 15 percent chance the company will seek protection from creditors after poor management ``put the viability of the franchise at risk.''

Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Caplan's strategy of building E*Trade's bank by tripling loans outstanding backfired as borrowers fell behind on payments and U.S. home prices declined. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also began an informal inquiry on Oct. 17 ``into matters related to the company's loan and securities portfolios,'' E*Trade said.

The Pith Helment - coming back in style?

2007-11-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

Unless I'm mistaken, the crazy hat from old safari movies is coming back in style...

The pith helmet (also known as the sun helmet, topee, sola topee, salacot or topi) is a lightweight helmet made of cork or pith, typically from the sola (Indian swamp growth, Aeschynomene aspera or A. paludosa) or a similar plant [1], with a cloth cover, designed to shade the wearer's head from the sun. It was formerly much worn by Westerners in the tropics; today it is most frequently used in Vietnam. (The forms solar topee and solar topi are folk etymology—the name comes from sola, and is not connected—etymologically—with the sun in any way.)

Here's a site where you can buy hand-made pith helments, if you want to get in on the trend!

Home air-brushing system makes waves in cosmetics industry

2007-11-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

Luminess Air is an extremely exciting and innovative product. First of all, airbrushing is the highest level standard of doing makeup in the production industry.

A few years ago, TV started to switch over to High-Definition. Conventional mineral and liquid makeups looked fine on standard definition; however, looked very bad on HDTV, every stroke of minerals would show, the powdery-ness of minerals would show. Airbrushing makeup on the other hand lands on the skin flawlessly.

Makeup is delivered in micro pixels. First, you look as if you are not wearing any makeup. You truly look as if you are just born with brilliant, natural skin. Secondly, airbrushing delivers the most precise color match as airbrush works in-conjunction with your skin. Third, the makeup does not wear off like minerals. Luminess Air makeup is extremely long lasting, in many cases 18+ hours.

Also, many people using Luminess Air have noticed a very dramatic decline in break-outs. The simple fact that a filthy sponge or dirty brushes filled with micro-bacteria or makeup applied by hands (you can never get your hands clean enough) can cause bacteria transfer on to your skin causing break-outs. Luminess Air works much like a conventional brush, the only difference is that instead of having bristles, the makeup is being delivered through a cushion of air.

Airbrushing will save you time. Just add a few drops of Luminess Air foundation and spray on the most perfect foundation in seconds, then add a few drops of Luminess Air blush and you will get the most natural perfect blush, then add a few drops of Luminess Air Bronzer and now you are looking warm and sun-kissed! Airbrushing can go from the face to the body. Also, Luminess Air has a new hair highlight/ low-light system which hides those roots.

The real gem of the Luminess Air system is the makeup. Did you know that the designers of the liquid airbrush makeup are 30 year veterans and the #1 color makeup people in North America? The developers are some of the top people in the Society of Cosmetics Chemists. These people are the real cosmetics freaks! Airbrush makeup by Luminess Air is every bit as natural as Minerals. In fact, their innovation blows away the dry traditional powders. They did something amazing and hydrated the minerals to help achieve that "dewey" natural look. Not to mention, the makeup is derived from Olive extracts which leave your skin feeling AMAZING!

Airbrushing was once only available to professional makeup artists. Today, anyone can airbrush thanks to Luminess Air.

You are welcome to try Luminess Air, they will stick out their neck and let you try a $200 makeup system for $29 bucks! They will only do this because it works and is extremely amazing! There is a one time investment for the airbrush, at least you are not paying $1200 bucks for one. And the makeup is around $29 bucks and lasts a while because you are only using a few drops.

These people are Luminess Air are fantastic and very nice people. Their product has been used in the trade for a while now in NY and LA. They people who use Luminess Air swear by it. Now, they are introducing Luminess Air to everyone.

Roddick pounds Davydenko at Tennis Masters Cup

2007-11-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

American former world No.1 Andy Roddick started his Masters Cup campaign with a roller coaster 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over Russian world number four Nikolay Davydenko here on Monday.

Roddick should have made it shorter when he was leading one set and one break up in the second set, but the bald Russian stretched his opponent all the way in a shade of two hours.

Another two contenders of the group, world number one Roger Federer of Switzerland and seventh seed Fernando Gonzalez from Chile, will play Monday's later match in the 4.45 million U.S. dollars event at Shanghai's Qi Zhong Tennis Stadium.

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Metalic Yarn - Weird, but cool.

2007-11-11T11:48:00.001-08:00

Metallic yarns are by and fabrics cheap large made from strips of a synthetic film, such as polyester, coated with metallic particles.

In one more method, aluminum foil strips are sandwiched amid layers of film. Metallic yarns may also be made by twisting a strip of metal around a natural or man-made core yarn, producing a metal surface. It is made of thin film and fabrics cheap supported by nylon or polyester or rayon yarn according to the type of yarn.

Metallic yarns start as rolls of films or laminations 30" or wider. These wide rolls are slit into narrow rolls 2" to 5" wide. These narrow rolls are gang slit across their whole width to micro widths from 1/128" (.0078") and fabrics cheap wider and fabrics cheap then taken up on plastic spools for shipment to textile mills. There is a rainbow of colors available from red, blue, green, etc. to gold and fabrics cheap silver. Brilliant, reflective colors which add decorative patterns to fabrics.

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GPS system prices slashed!

2007-11-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

Pharos PDR 140 GPS price drop from 350$ to 150$

Pharos PDR-140 All in One Portable GPS with 4 Inch color display and preloaded maps of the US.In building the Drive GPS 140, Pharos has answered every need asked by mobile professionals.GPS combines accurate, street-level GPS navigation with hands free, Bluetooth calling capability and MP3, photo viewing and video playing.Navigation solutions are powered by Pharos' award winning "OSTIA" software, which offers an easy to use interface for rapid input of addresses and output of driving directions.

The bottom line: Though the Pharos Drive GPS 140 has an accurate receiver and good Bluetooth integration, it will require patience on your part as it suffers from somewhat sluggish performance and an unintuitive interface. The hands free Bluetooth feature for cell phones helps to keep eyes on the road when discussing business and also comes in handy for in-vehicle multi-person conversations with customers or the office.

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New music sharing site going crazy! Waffles.

2007-11-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

The site moderator of waffles.fm, the invite-only replacement to OiNK, on Friday tells THREAT LEVEL that the illicit music-sharing site already has some 1,700 exclusive members in less than 24 hours of sporadic operation.

Thousands of invitees are waiting in the wings, as registration is tentatively closed because of server capacity, says site moderator Dead1, who in an exclusive interview with THREAT LEVEL spoke on condition that his real name not be published. "We've closed invites due to the extreme amount of traffic," Dead1 says.

Many of those invited were former members of OiNK, he says, and thousands of torrents are being uploaded and seeded.

"We were getting upwards of 100 torrents a minute uploaded," Dead1 says.

"Check Mii Out" is coming! (Nintendo)

2007-11-11T05:21:00.000-08:00

Nintendo is preparing to launch its “Check Mii Out” channel for the Wii the evening of November 11.

Wii users are rather attached to their Miis and have gotten very creative with them, crafting caricatures of themselves as well as pop icons and even their favorite historical personages. Now Wii users with an Internet connection will be able to download the new channel from the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel.

Users will be able to share their Miis with Wii players worldwide. You can look at a random selection of 1,000 Miis, choose just the current or all-time favorites or search for specific a Mii by the name of its creator or by a number specific to each Mii. Vote for your favorites, tag them and import them into your own system if you wish.

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Stargate Atlantis ... Missing November 9

2007-11-10T04:59:00.000-08:00

"On a routine visit to the new Athosian planet, Dr. Keller and Teyla discover that Teyla's people have vanished, leaving behind signs of a struggle. Moments later, the women must hide as two primitive warriors appear. Teyla's blood runs cold: the men are members of the Bola Kai, a tribe of sadistic killers. Dozens of them are prowling the woods.

Teyla and Keller hurry back toward the stargate, but Keller sprains her ankle on the way and they find the 'gate guarded by more warriors. Teyla urges Keller — who is in pain, out of her element and scared — to be strong. They must survive until the next day, when Atlantis will check in through the 'gate and learn that they need help. Suddenly, drums rumble through the forest. The Bola Kai have discovered that the women are here, and they mobilize to hunt the duo down."

test

Frankenstein... the musical?

2007-11-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's actually Young Frankenstein. Have you seen the movie? I have. It's very funny. Well Gene Wilder (who created the movie) has also created a musical based on the movie. It hasn't been well received, though. Frankly I'm not surprised. The movie was great, but how could you turn that into something you want people to take seriously?

Here's a quote from the above review:

Brooks's 1974 film with Gene Wilder was a lovingly produced, if low-brow, send-up of 1930s monster movies. The plot outline of the musical is the same, even if the execution is fatally different: Roger Bart, who played the swishy Carmen Ghia in The Producers, is the repressed grandson of the notorious Transylvanian scientist who brought the dead back to life.

Unlike The Producers, which knew down to its DNA that it existed as a both an homage and spoof of old Broadway, Young Frankenstein is like the monster at centre stage: It hasn't figured out its purpose. It's certainly not a send-up of horror films. Even if most of the cast are loopy and winning, no one but Andrea Martin is even trying to evoke the horror genre. And unlike Gene Wilder's madcap scientist in the film's title role, Roger Bart - sporting a Sylvester the Cat screech and a used-car salesman's cheap mustache - can't hold the centre of this sprawling enterprise together.

The Osmands and Oprah remember George.

2007-11-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO - Despite the death of their patriarch, more than 100 members of George Osmond’s family filmed an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" because they thought he would have wanted it that way.

"We talked about it and my father would want us all to be here," Marie Osmond told Winfrey on the show, scheduled to be broadcast Friday. "He loved his family."

George Osmond planned to travel to Chicago to tape the show before he died Tuesday at age 90 at his home in Provo, Utah, Marie Osmond told Winfrey in a transcript provided by Harpo Productions.

George Osmond had nine children, 55 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren. His wife, Olive, died in 2004.

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Cheap shoes back in style??? (Starbury's)

2007-11-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

That's right, a pair of Starbury's Shoes are only $14.95!

I can't remember when shoes were less than $40 a pair. I bought a pair of running shoes once for $120. They were nice, but lasted six months.

Now all my shoes come from PayLess and cost $30 or less. But now I might only be paying $14.95!

Starbury's (Steve & Barry's) has come out with a much less expensive line now. I read one blog post that had this to say:

And who wants to pay $40 or more for a pair of sneakers that will last six months? Especially if you have a couple of kids, and especially if you don't make a lot of money. Sure, you don't want your kids to wear Shawshank Prison-style footwear, but you also don't need to be like Mike.

I love it!

Go ahead. Join the movement.

Global warming is a fake, a fraud, a sham!

2007-11-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

At least, that's what IceCap.us is claiming. Here's what they say, according to their "About" page:

ICECAP, International Climate and Environmental Change Assessment Project, is the portal to all things climate for elected officials and staffers, journalists, scientists, educators and the public. It provides access to a new and growing global society of respected scientists and journalists that are not deniers that our climate is dynamic (the only constant in nature is change) and that man plays a role in climate change through urbanization, land use changes and the introduction of greenhouse gases and aerosols, but who also believe that natural cycles such as those in the sun and oceans are also important contributors to the global changes in our climate and weather. We worry the sole focus on greenhouse gases and the unwise reliance on imperfect climate models while ignoring real data may leave civilization unprepared for a sudden climate shift that history tells us will occur again, very possibly soon.

Why not go see it for yourself?

Reba McIntyre oustanding on 2007 Country Music Awards!

2007-11-07T22:32:00.001-08:00

Given Reba's appearance on the 2007 Country Music Awards, I thought it fitting to share her biography here.

Reba Nell McIntyre (born March 28, 1955) is a Grammy award winning American singer and country music performer, and actress.[1] Sometimes referred to as "The Queen of Country Music",[2][3] she is known for her lively stage-shows and pop-tinged ballads. She has issued 31 albums, with over 50 million records sold worldwide.

Early life

Reba McIntyre was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, to Clark Vincent McIntyre and Jacqueline Smith (a sharecropper's daughter), she grew up near Chockie, Oklahoma, learning to ride in rodeos, as well as how to sing and play music. She soon formed a singing group with her brother and sister, known as The Singing McIntyres. Her sister Susie Luchsinger maintains a successful career in Christian music, while her brother Pake McIntyre also had success as a country music artist in the 1980s. The trio had a local hit with "The Ballad of John McIntyre," a tribute to their grandfather. Older sister Alice was not involved in the group.

Personal

After divorcing Charlie Battles in 1987, McIntyre married Narvel Blackstock, a noted steel guitarist, on June 3, 1989, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The couple took control over all aspects of her career. They have one son, Shelby Steven McIntyre Blackstock, who was born on February 23, 1990.

Year	Award	Category
1984	Country Music Association	Female Vocalist of the Year
1984	Academy of Country Music	Top Female Vocalist
1985	Music City News Country Awards	Female Artist of the Year
1985	Country Music Association	Female Vocalist of the Year
1985	Academy of Country Music	Top Female Vocalist
1986	Music City News Country Awards	Female Artist of the Year
1986	Academy of Country Music	Top Female Vocalist
1986	Academy of Country Music	Video of the Year - "Whoever's In New England"
1986	Country Music Association	Female Vocalist of the Year
1986	Country Music Association	Entertainer of the Year
1986	Grammy Awards	Best Country Vocal Performance, Female - "Whoever's In New England"
1987	NARM	Top Selling Female Country Album - "Whoever's In New England"
1987	American Music Awards	Favorite Country Female Video Artist
1987	Academy of Country Music	Top Female Vocalist
1987	Country Music Association	Female Vocalist of the Year
1988	American Music Award	Favorite Female Country Artist
1988	TNN Viewer's Choice Award	Favorite Female Vocalist
1988	Music City News Country Awards	Female Artist of the Year
1989	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1989	Music City News Country Awards	Female Artist of the Year
1989	TNN Viewer's Choice Award	Favorite Female Vocalist
1990	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1990	Academy of Country Music	Top Female Vocalist
1991	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1991	American Music Awards	Favorite Country Album - "Reba Live!"
1991	Academy of Country Music	Top Female Vocalist
1991	Academy of Country Music	Video of the Year - "Is There Life Out There?"
1992	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1992	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Country Performer
1992	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Musical Performer
1993	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1993	American Music Awards	Favorite Country Album - "For My Broken Heart"
1993	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Musical Performer
1993	Grammy Awards	Best Country Vocal Collaboration - "Does He Love You" (w/ Linda Davis)
1994	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1994	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Country Performer
1994	TNN/Music City News Country Awards	Vocal Collaboration - "Does He Love You" (w/Linda Davis)
1994	Academy of Country Music	Entertainer of the Year
1994	Academy of Country Music	Top Female Vocalist
1994	Country Radio Awards	Entertainer of the Year
1994	Country Radio Awards	Female Vocalist
1994	Country Music Association	Vocal Event of the Year - "Does He Love You" (w/Linda Davis)
1994	Billboard Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1995	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1995	American Music Awards	Favorite Country Album - "Read My Mind"
1995	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Musical Performer
1995	Blockbuster Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1996	Country Weekly Golden Pick Awards	Favorite Entertainer
1996	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1996	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Musical Performer
1997	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Musical Performer
1997	Country Weekly Golden Pick Awards	Favorite Female Vocalist
1997	Blockbuster Awards	Favorite Album by a Female Country Artist - "What If It's You"
1998	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
1998	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Musical Performer
1998	TNN/Music City News Country Awards	Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award
1999	British Country Music Awards	International Female Vocalist of the Year
1999	CMT International Awards	Video Event of the Year - "If You See Him/If You See Her"
2000	British Country Music Awards	International Female Vocalist of the Year
2000	Country Music Association	International Artist Achievement Award
2001	Drama Desk Awards	Special Award - "Annie Get Your Gun"
2001	Outer Critics Awards	"Annie Get Your Gun"
2002	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Actress in a New Television Series - "Reba"
2002	Academy of Country Music	Home Depot Humanitarian Award
2002	CMT 40 Greatest Women of Country Music	#6 ranking
2003	Country Radio Broadcasters	Career Achievement Award
2003	Academy of Country Music	Leading Lady Award
2004	American Music Awards	Favorite Female Country Artist
2004	New Music Weekly	Favorite Female Country Artist
2004	CMT Flameworthy Awards	Johnny Cash Visionary Award
2005	Academy of Country Music	Special Award for Most Female Vocalist Wins
2005	Family Television Awards	Best Actress, Reba
2006	CMT Giants	Inaugural Honoree
2007	Billboard Magazine	Woman of the Year

Incredible Update! Country Music Awards (CMA) 2007

2007-11-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

The 41st Annual Country Music Awards (CMA) airs tonight on ABC. The star studded event will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville and hosted by Ashley Eicher and Luke Bryan.

Below is a list of the nominees for this evening’s CMA.

Entertainer of the Year

* Kenny Chesney
* Brad Paisley
* Rascal Flatts
* George Strait
* Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year

* Alison Krauss
* Miranda Lambert
* Martina McBride
* Reba McEntire
* Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

* Kenny Chesney
* Brad Paisley
* George Strait
* Josh Turner
* Keith Urban

Horizon Award

* Jason Aldean
* Rodney Atkins
* Little Big Town
* Kellie Pickler
* Taylor Swift

Vocal Group of the Year

* Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
* Dixie Chicks
* Emerson Drive
* Little Big Town
* Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo of the Year

* Big & Rich
* Brooks & Dunn
* Montgomery Gentry
* Sugarland
* The Wreckers

Single of the Year

* “Anyway”
Martina McBride
* “Before He Cheats”
Carrie Underwood
* “Lost In This Moment”
Big & Rich
* “Ticks”
Brad Paisley
* “Wrapped”
George Strait

Album of the Year

* 5th Gear
Brad Paisley
* It Just Comes Natural
George Strait
* Long Trip Alone
Dierks Bentley
* Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing
Keith Urban
* These Days
Vince Gill

Song of the Year

* “Anyway”
Martina McBride / Brad Warren / Brett Warren
* “Before He Cheats”
Josh Kear / Chris Tompkins
* “Give It Away”
Bill Anderson / Buddy Cannon / Jamey Johnson
* “Lost In This Moment”
John Rich / Keith Anderson / Rodney Clawson
* “Stupid Boy”
Dave Berg / Deanna Bryant / Sarah Buxton

Musical Event of the Year
(Award to each Artist)

* Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson
“Because of You”
* Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
“Find Out Who Your Friends Are”
* Jimmy Buffett with George Strait and Alan Jackson
“Hey Good Lookin’” Live
* Alison Krauss and John Waite
“Missing You”
* Vince Gill with Guest Vocalist Alison Krauss
“The Reason Why”

Music Video of the Year

* “Anyway”
Martina McBride
* “Before He Cheats”
Carrie Underwood
* “Moments”
Emerson Drive
* “Online”
Brad Paisley
* “You Save Me”
Kenny Chesney

Musician of the Year

* Eddie Bayers – Drums
* Jerry Douglas – Dobro
* Dann Huff – Guitar
* Mac McAnally – Guitar
* Randy Scruggs – Guitar

CMA Awards Ready to Rock Nashville

2007-11-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

The music world is getting a little bit country Wednesday night.

The 41st Annual Country Music Association Awards will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

And who are the big nominees? George Strait, who had his 55th No. 1 single this year and was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, is nominated for both entertainer and male vocalist of the year.

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1907 Thomas Flyer back in spotlight 100 years after Great Race

2007-11-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

For almost a half century, it sat among the relics of the auto industry at the National Automobile Museum, almost lost among the shinier, more polished exhibits.

Yet the 1907 Thomas Flyer - the American automobile that won the New York to Paris Great Race of 1908 - has seemingly been rediscovered on the eve of the race's centennial celebration.

The car is a source of national historical pride, museum officials said - winning the first race around the world and winning the title against teams from the industrial giants of the day: France, Germany and Italy.

The Auto Museum will take the car center stage for the next year in a centennial celebration of the race.

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Picture-Perfect Landing For Space Shuttle

2007-11-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

First To Cross U.S. Since Columbia Accident; Wraps Up Successful 15-Day Mission

(CBS/AP) Space shuttle Discovery touched down in time for lunch Wednesday, wrapping up a 15-day mission that saved a space station wing and allowed construction to continue at the orbiting outpost.

The on-time landing completed a 6.25 million-mile flight, the 34th trip into space for Discovery and its 23rd to the international space station. The mission took about 15 days and 2½ hours.

"It's nice to be back in Florida," radioed commander Pam Melroy after the landing.

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Adobe's Mike Wallen and Aprimo's Michael Emerson to Keynote at Henry Stewart Los Angeles

2007-11-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

Senior executives from Adobe Systems Incorporated and Aprimo Incorporated will be giving keynote presentations at the Henry Stewart Los Angeles -Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Marketing Operations Symposiums, which returns to Los Angeles on November 12-13 at the Renaissance Hollywood.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 7, 2007 -- Senior executives from Adobe Systems Incorporated and Aprimo Incorporated will be giving keynote presentations at the Henry Stewart Los Angeles --Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Marketing Operations Symposiums, which returns to Los Angeles on November 12-13 at the Renaissance Hollywood.

Mike Wallen, Senior Product Manager for Adobe's Creative Systems Business Unit, will be giving a presentation entitled "Putting your DAM assets to use by automating professional design." He will be discussing a few of the opportunities for combining professional design automation with Digital Asset Management systems, resulting in more efficient creative workflows. As senior product manager, Wallen is responsible for product definition of Version Cue, managing developer technologies and ensuring the digital asset management integration into the Adobe Creative Suite. Wallen has been with Adobe since 1998. Previously, he was the product manager for InDesign CS2, Adobe PageMaker and FrameMaker. (www.adobe.com)

Michael Emerson, Chief Marketing Officer of Aprimo Incorporated, will be presenting on "Marketing Operations in the Digital World," during which he will delve into Aprimo's Enterprise Marketing Management platform and how it enhances marketing productivity and promotes better customer relationships. Emerson, a veteran of marketing technology, has been recognized by the Direct Marketing Association for his accomplishments, and is a PhD candidate in Industrial Psychology at the University of Minnesota. (www.aprimo.com)

Both Adobe and Aprimo are Platinum Sponsors of Henry Stewart Los Angeles. "Adobe and Aprimo's investment in our event indicate a market leadership position and aspirations for further penetration into their respective markets," notes John Gaylor, Managing Director of Henry Stewart Events. "I welcome them as Platinum Sponsors in Los Angeles."

Henry Stewart Los Angeles forms one part of the world's leading series of events focused on Digital Asset Management and Marketing Operations. It combines high-level knowledge sharing in conference sessions, with a niche technology expo featuring best of breed DAM and MRM technologies. It takes place on November 12-13 at the Renaissance Hollywood, Hollywood, California. Please see www.damusers.com for more information.

Google phone won’t pry open wireless business models

2007-11-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

"What is being described is a Linux-based phone that may have WiFi and is tied to Sprint. Just as the Apple iPhone is tied to AT&T."

"Right now, Google, Microsoft, Apple and the other tech giants have the financial muscle to win the political battle, if they share the load and commit to it. But give the monopolies a few more years of profits and that may no longer be the case. AT&T is bringing 10 cents on every dollar to net income, thanks to its lobbying prowess, and people will pay for that."

From zdnet.com

Perseus boasts new star in its constellation

2007-11-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

"Thanks to our present-day astronomers, we know this is Comet 17P/Holmes rather than a new star. In just a day or so, it changed from an extremely dim magnitude of 17 to its present bright magnitude of 2.5.

No one had expected it to make such a dramatic change in brightness. The lower magnitude limit of naked-eye viewing is between 6 and 7. It is now the third brightest “star” in the constellation Perseus. If you have binoculars you will see all the real stars as small points of bright light but Comet 17P/Holmes will appear as a very large, fuzzy ball."

From advertiser-tribute.com

Ha Jin - Live free or stir fry

2007-11-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

Ha Jin’s new novel captures the immigrant experience through the eyes of a restaurant owner.

"Vladimir Nabokov once said that he didn’t think in either Russian or English, but rather in images. Chinese-American author Ha Jin seems to conceive his stories in much the same way, and—like Nabokov—prefers to pen words in his second language. He’s best known for his 1999 National Book Award–winning novel Waiting; and his last novel, War Trash—a fictional memoir of life in the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army during the Korean War—won him his second PEN/Faulkner Award. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Jin’s latest novel, A Free Life, is his first set in the United States, where the Boston University English professor has lived for more than 20 years."

From timeout.com

Dell to pay $1.4B for EqualLogic

2007-11-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

"Dell Inc. said it has agreed to purchase storage area network solutions provider EqualLogic for $1.4 billion, marking the largest acquisition in the company's history, according to a spokesperson.

The deal adds to a slew of smaller transactions made by the company since Michael Dell reassumed the CEO position in January.

The proposed EqualLogic deal furthers the company's plan to offer a wider range of services to its information technology clients in response to changes occurring in the marketplace, according to Dell."

From EE Times Article