Damien Michaels, 53, was found murdered Tuesday room Comfort Inn Woodland Hills, California. His body was full of stab wounds, police said. He was also involved in drugs, said adult film producer Rob Spallone, who said he was not surprised MyFoxLa.com the murder Michaels.
He was the son of Kenneth Michael and Linde Stephanie (Seeman) Shaw of Pittsgrove; brother of Amber Lee Shaw and Crystal Lynn Shaw; grandson of Henry and Phyllis Shaw of Vineland, Jennie Brown of Pittsgrove, Linde Seeman of Elmer and the late Stephen Seeman; godson of Paula Gant Martin of Pittsgrove and Wayne Shaw of Millville; and uncle to Kayla Cadence Ciapanna and the expected Damian McNeil Allen. He also is survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and his "riding crew."
Kenneth was a permanent resident of Pitt Grove. He played in Little League and Elmer Pitt Grove Midget Football. He graduated from AP Schalick High School in 2006, where he also fought. She enjoyed riding his dirt bike, along with fishing and hunting. He was recently in the papers for his first Buck Shot with a bow, which was an eight-pointer. It was a fun loving man with many friends.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tssaa
TSSAA is working overtime on playoff pairings
The office light bulbs at the TSSAA office in Hermitage burned a little longer night Friday. With high school coaches, players, fans and media awaiting the unveiling of the playoff pairings via an 8 a.m. radio broadcast today, the TSSAA needed every available brain to sift through countless playoff scenarios, to select the correct wildcard teams and to place all qualifiers into geographically friendly quadrants.
halloween quotes
halloween wishes | Halloween Quotes, Jokes and Sayings for All Hallows Eve Parties
Going to a Halloween Party and the need some lame jokes? Funny Halloween quotes and sayings are popular this week as All Hallows' Eve gets underway. Have some of these jokes ready and waiting on note cards, and be the life of the party this Halloween.
Perhaps the best Halloween quote of all comes from The Huffington Post, "Halloween Is The Second Highest Grossing Commercial Holiday After Christmas. What used to be just a singular holiday with minimal things to purchase has turned into an entire "Halloween Season." Between decorative lights and lawn ornaments, elaborate costumes and loads of candy, the average American spends a pretty penny on this fall holiday."
Funny Halloween Quotes and Sayings
"I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween." – Unknown Author
"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin." – Linus from 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'
"Charlie Brown is the one person I identify with. C.B. is such a loser. He wasn't even the star of his own Halloween special." – Chris Rock
"Nothing on Earth is so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night." – Steve Almond
"On Halloween, the parents sent their kids out looking like me." – Rodney Dangerfield
"This Halloween the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask. And the best part? With a mouth full of candy you will sound just like him." – Conan O'Brien
"Just like a ghost, you've been a-hauntin' my dreams, So I'll propose on Halloween. Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you." – The Classics IV
"Studio 54 made Halloween in Hollywood look like a PTA meeting." – Lorna Luft
"They did that little thing on South Park, and they mentioned my name and had a character of me judging a Halloween contest. It was really funny. That made me the coolest aunt on earth." – Tina Yothers
"Being in a band you can wear whatever you want - it's like an excuse for Halloween everyday." – Gwen Stefani
Scary and Creepy Halloween Quotes
"Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble." – William Shakespeare
"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble." – Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'
"From ghoulies and ghosties And long-leggedy beasties And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!" – Scottish Saying
"Bring forth the raisins and the nuts- Tonight All-Hallows' Specter struts Along the moonlit way." – John Kendrick Bangs
"Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." – J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
"My candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open..." – Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Funny Halloween Jokes
Q. What do the skeletons say be for eating? A. Bone appetite
Q. What happens when two vampires meet? A. It was love at first bite!
Q. What's a Vampire's least favorite song? A. Another one bites the dust!
Q. Why was the mummy so tense? A. Because he was all wound up.
Q. Why didn't the skeleton go to see a scary movie? A. He didn't have the guts.
Q. What do you call two spiders that just got married? A. Newlywebbed
Q. Why did the skeleton cross the road? A. To go to the body shop.
Q. Who was the most famous ghost detective? A. Sherlock Moans.
Friday, October 30, 2009
monster mash song
Playlist: 10 songs for Halloween
Christmas carols get all of the love, but there are some good Halloweens songs, or songs good for Halloween, too. Here are 10 bone-chilling tunes for your Halloween party, trick-or-treat festival or dark pagan ritual. Do you have your own favorites not on this list? Add them in the comments section below.
1. "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Campy, yes. But a classic.
2. "Season of the Witch" by Donovan. Mentions witches right in the title. Perfect.
3. "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath. These metal gods recorded plenty of awesome songs, but this is the only one that's scary, thanks to Ozzy pleading, "Oh, no, no, please, God, help me," then getting washed away by Tony Iommi's sweet doom riff.
4. "Re: Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton. Corporate zombies attack in the office. Nooooooo!
5. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Dancing ghouls throwing down to a kick-ass bass line in the best music video of all time. Dig it.
6. "Dead People Unite" by Werewolph. Part of a Ryan Adams cheese-metal side project, this song won't be easy to find. But it's a ghoulish gem. Adams sings in a raspy voice about taking down the living where they least expect it: while they're on the Stairmaster. See also: "Mega Wizards." Adams' "Halloweenhead" is another excellent choice, and easier to find.
7. "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" by the Cramps. Old-school garage rock with trebly guitars and Lux Interior's unhinged, reverb-soaked vocals.
8. "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon. Speaking of werewolves, don't mess with this one. He's dapper, but he'll rip your lungs out, Jim.
9. "Boris the Spider" by the Who. Spiders are creepy.
10. "Trick or Treat" by Tim Fite. Which reminds me: Fite gives away his third and final Halloween EP tomorrow,
halloween word search
It is raining. Like, Biblically. I’m not sure when it started. I know it had already started when I was on my way to work this morning. It was raining at lunch when I walked outside. It was raining as I drove across town to meet my family for dinner. It was raining hard as we left the restaurant. As we drove to my mother’s to visit following dinner.
As we drove home. And now, 16 hours later, it is still raining as my wife slowly invades my side of the bed. This is no Shermanesque land grab, mind you. No raping, pillaging, burning. This is measured and methodical, but make no mistake. If I don’t hurry the hell up with this post, I’ll be finishing with one cheek on the precipice of disaster.
It’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow as well. Little Rock is closing in on 70” of rain, and 2009 is already on record as the 7th Wettest Year on Record. And we’re not even to November.
So Stephanie and I will take off for Fayetteville tomorrow. In the rain. Because Saturday is homecoming for the University of Arkansas. The Razorbacks are playing Eastern Michigan University. On Halloween. In the cold. After a flood.
tsundere
Danielle Leigh's Reading Diary -- Ninja Girls vol 1There are many, many reasons I thought I would not like Ninja Girls. It pretty much screams its fan-service-y orientation on its cover. In spite of that, the first volume not only entertained, it even made me laugh out loud a number of times.
Now let's get this out of the way. Ninja Girls is ridiculous. And more fun than it should be. The so-called "ninja girls" are wearing insanely anachronistic outfits even though the manga takes place during Japan's Warring States period and the protagonist is a boy with a horn on his head. In spite of this, there is a steady thread of rather dumb, but almost sweetly goofy, humor running throughout the entire volume.
The basic plot is a young teenager with a horn on his head has been an outcast his entire life. Alone and trying to make ends meet by doing services here and there for local townspeople, he only has his mother's funeral statue to keep him company. But luckily she manages to communicate with him by falling off the mantle at curiously odd times....and often boinking him on the head whenever he's about to do something stupid (I honestly think this was both the funniest and strangest part of the book).
One day, horn-boy's loneliness comes to end when he discovers a voluptuous girl drowning in the river. Being the stand-up gentlemen that he is, he rescues her (which involves too many modern attempts at reviving her -- seriously, why would he know CPR for god's sake?). This is all very cliche as clothes are removed, of course, and she wakes up thinking she's been violated (ur, not so hilarious), but the story moves past that pretty quickly. Eventually they discover that she's actually been looking for him. His horn is proof that he's the heir to some important household in Japan and there are some nasty ninjas who want to eliminate him.
So horn-boy needs protection and now he's got it in a surprisingly demure and innocent female ninja whose random power is great strength when the one she loves is looking at her (she turns to stone basically). Now, that the basic story is set up the rest of the volume involves the collection of two other ninja "girls" (*cough* there's a reason I'm putting "girls" in quotation marks, but the fun is learning why) in his "harem." Essentially they are there to protect him and help him take his rightful inheritance. I'm pretty sure he's there to make sure they don't bitch slap each other into oblivion.
Each girl has a distinct personality and interacts with our young master quite differently. If the first ninja girl is a stereotype of the willing young maiden, the second is pure Tsundere (& she's got an eye patch, which natch, makes her cool).
The third is a manipulative schemer, but the surprising part of this book is that the characterization is consistent and not willfully shallow. The fanservice ends up being mainly backdrop and in spite of the fact the girls look like they've been put on earth to be leered at, nobody in the manga pays much mind to it.
Even the "horny" boy (god, what an awful pun) develops a crush on stone-girl, it isn't just because he's horny but because he does care for her. Each individual chapter plays a bit with cliche situations we've probably seen in every shonen harem manga (example: horn-boy gets sick, has to be nursed to health...but then they go so crazy nursing him, he gets sicker), but I think the point is that the creator is having fun with tropes of the genre, not
merely mindlessly reproducing them.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
michael jackson autopsy picture
Unfortunately Michael Jackson is dead but no one wants to leave him alone. There is word that autopsy pictures of the Pop legend are now circulating both online and in paper. Why someone would want to see gory pictures of a dead body is a mystery but each to his own. Obsessions can make people do crazy things.
The news that Michael’s autopsy picture(s) are circulation is not unexpected. Similar events happened to Princess Diane when she lay dying in her car in France nearly a decade ago. The execution of Saddam Hussein was also photographed and pictures circulated over the internet.
One would think that there would have been more precautions at the Mortuary where the autopsy was conducted. At most autopsies there are not more than 2-7 people, so most likely one of the individuals carried a camera and took pictures. Reports from LA indicate that a “high ranking Law Enforcement officer” leaked the autopsy photos and passed them to a colleague and now the pictures are supposedly on cyberspace. Even more astounding is news that some publishers of celebrity magazines have set a tag for $1 million if the pictures are authentic and verified.
The question is what does an autopsy picture show that is so different about Michael when he was alive. Probably MJ lying on table without any emotion or make up – so why one would want to obtain such a picture is puzzling? Perhaps someone is just trying to garner some attention by creating fake news!
It is most likely that MJ, his children and family would not want MJ to be shown this way. While not everyone was a fan of the King of Pop, at least we should give him some decency in death. Please, it is time to let MJ go.
sat scores
Get your College Board Oct SAT Scores released online. This is no joke, this is the truth! The College Board released SAT Scores on collegeboard.com this week for the Oct 2009.you now can get your October College Board (CollegeBoard) SAT Scores online! Yep, the College Board had released the SAT scores on this week for Oct 2009.
But what if they are not online? Well the scores are released on the site about three weeks after you take the test. And what if you don't get it but your friends do? Well the Officials say keep checking back, a week later or so.
“Your SAT scores are released on approximately three weeks after you take the SAT. Although most scores are available on the first score release day, a small percentage might not be. If you fall in this small percentage, you will not see your scores online. You will see a message instructing you to check back at a later date.”
To see your scores online, just sign in to your account and navigate to the SAT scores area. For the first week that scores are available, you will have a personal My Organizer page that will alert you and your scores are in and also give you a quick shortcut to view them.
Once your full score report is ready it will be posted in your personal My SAT section of Your score report includes a detailed breakdown of your scores, information about what your scores mean, and how your scores compare to scores of other college-bound seniors. If you took the SAT, your actual essay is also available to view online.
About five weeks after you take the test, your official score report is mailed to your high school and to any colleges, universities, or scholarship programs that you identified as score recipients during your registration or any updates. The College Board will send you a printed score report in the mail only if you requested one when you registered online or if you registered by mail.
But what if they are not online? Well the scores are released on the site about three weeks after you take the test. And what if you don't get it but your friends do? Well the Officials say keep checking back, a week later or so.
“Your SAT scores are released on approximately three weeks after you take the SAT. Although most scores are available on the first score release day, a small percentage might not be. If you fall in this small percentage, you will not see your scores online. You will see a message instructing you to check back at a later date.”
To see your scores online, just sign in to your account and navigate to the SAT scores area. For the first week that scores are available, you will have a personal My Organizer page that will alert you and your scores are in and also give you a quick shortcut to view them.
Once your full score report is ready it will be posted in your personal My SAT section of Your score report includes a detailed breakdown of your scores, information about what your scores mean, and how your scores compare to scores of other college-bound seniors. If you took the SAT, your actual essay is also available to view online.
About five weeks after you take the test, your official score report is mailed to your high school and to any colleges, universities, or scholarship programs that you identified as score recipients during your registration or any updates. The College Board will send you a printed score report in the mail only if you requested one when you registered online or if you registered by mail.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
skydex technologies
SKYDEX Technologies Inc Designs Humvee Flooring That Could Save Soldiers
Technology firm Skydex Technologies Inc. has won a major military contract to provide protective plastic flooring for more than 4,000 all-terrain vehicles that will be used by U.S. Armed Forces in the Afghanistan.
Centennial, Colo.-based Skydex earlier this year designed a blast panel consisting of two layers of thermoplastic polyurethane covered with a layer of thermoset urethane. Through Skydex’s patented “twin hemisphere” technology, these protective coatings can reduce floor-transmitted blast force from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by 71 percent, officials said.
A Skydex blast panel “looks like two halves of a tennis ball put together the wrong way,” Chief Technology Officer Peter Foley said in an Oct. 15 phone interview. “The geometry that we use disperses the overpressure from the IEDs. These [IEDs] are very unpredictable and unconventional, because it’s basically guys in a garage saying ‘What can we use to make a bomb today?’”
Since 2001, IEDs have killed 2,400 Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan and wounded 23,000 more. The percentage of casualties linked to IEDs has been increasing in Afghanistan, Skydex officials said.
TPU was chosen for the blast panels because of its resiliency, toughness and “ability to take millions of impacts,” Foley said. The material also provides shock absorption and vibration dampening. Skydex’s primary TPU supplier is Lubrizol Corp. of Wickliffe, Ohio, but the firm sources material from other TPU makers as well.
Skydex officials declined to identify the sheet makers it works with to make the blast panels. Military ATVs using the product are assembled by Oshkosh Corp. of Oshkosh, Wis., and Force Protection Inc. of Ladson, S.C.
Orders for additional ATVs extend “well into next year,” according to Foley. “‘Protecting things that matter’ is our motto, and that’s really become our niche,” he said. Government officials have said the overall ATV project eventually could be worth $3 billion and cover more than 5,000 vehicles.
Skydex delivered its first prototype blast panel to the U.S. Department of Defense in March. The project was fast-tracked, allowing it to be approved in less than the typical 18-to-24-month review period.
“Approval times are shrinking rapidly because of the nature of these conflicts that we’re in,” Foley said. “The military is trying to take advantage of what industry can do.”
Skydex employs 16 and operates a 4,000 square-foot office, R&D lab and engineering facility in Centennial. The firm was founded in 2000 by entrepreneur Joe Skaja, and originally designed padding for running and athletic shoes made by Nike. The firm transitioned into military work in 2003 and now generates more than 90 percent of its sales from that market.
Officials declined to provide sales data. Privately held Skydex is owned by members of its management team, as well as by angel investors.
Other military products designed by Skydex include padding for helmets worn by pilots and additional padding for protective body armor. Skydex also is working on cushioning to reduce lower back pain caused by extended sitting in military vehicles. Some of these products already are in use, while others are in development.
Technology firm Skydex Technologies Inc. has won a major military contract to provide protective plastic flooring for more than 4,000 all-terrain vehicles that will be used by U.S. Armed Forces in the Afghanistan.
Centennial, Colo.-based Skydex earlier this year designed a blast panel consisting of two layers of thermoplastic polyurethane covered with a layer of thermoset urethane. Through Skydex’s patented “twin hemisphere” technology, these protective coatings can reduce floor-transmitted blast force from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by 71 percent, officials said.
A Skydex blast panel “looks like two halves of a tennis ball put together the wrong way,” Chief Technology Officer Peter Foley said in an Oct. 15 phone interview. “The geometry that we use disperses the overpressure from the IEDs. These [IEDs] are very unpredictable and unconventional, because it’s basically guys in a garage saying ‘What can we use to make a bomb today?’”
Since 2001, IEDs have killed 2,400 Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan and wounded 23,000 more. The percentage of casualties linked to IEDs has been increasing in Afghanistan, Skydex officials said.
TPU was chosen for the blast panels because of its resiliency, toughness and “ability to take millions of impacts,” Foley said. The material also provides shock absorption and vibration dampening. Skydex’s primary TPU supplier is Lubrizol Corp. of Wickliffe, Ohio, but the firm sources material from other TPU makers as well.
Skydex officials declined to identify the sheet makers it works with to make the blast panels. Military ATVs using the product are assembled by Oshkosh Corp. of Oshkosh, Wis., and Force Protection Inc. of Ladson, S.C.
Orders for additional ATVs extend “well into next year,” according to Foley. “‘Protecting things that matter’ is our motto, and that’s really become our niche,” he said. Government officials have said the overall ATV project eventually could be worth $3 billion and cover more than 5,000 vehicles.
Skydex delivered its first prototype blast panel to the U.S. Department of Defense in March. The project was fast-tracked, allowing it to be approved in less than the typical 18-to-24-month review period.
“Approval times are shrinking rapidly because of the nature of these conflicts that we’re in,” Foley said. “The military is trying to take advantage of what industry can do.”
Skydex employs 16 and operates a 4,000 square-foot office, R&D lab and engineering facility in Centennial. The firm was founded in 2000 by entrepreneur Joe Skaja, and originally designed padding for running and athletic shoes made by Nike. The firm transitioned into military work in 2003 and now generates more than 90 percent of its sales from that market.
Officials declined to provide sales data. Privately held Skydex is owned by members of its management team, as well as by angel investors.
Other military products designed by Skydex include padding for helmets worn by pilots and additional padding for protective body armor. Skydex also is working on cushioning to reduce lower back pain caused by extended sitting in military vehicles. Some of these products already are in use, while others are in development.
St Vrain Valley School District
SVVSD to review annual financial report today
The St. Vrain Valley School District Board of Education will review the comprehensive annual financial report during a special meeting at 6:00 p.m. today at the School Service Center, 395 S. Pratt Parkway, Longmont. As of June 30, the general fund, out of which the district pays salaries, operating expenses and most supplies, had a balance of $35.7 million, a draft of the report stated.
The district received $15.9 million from mill-levy override revenue and spent $4.3 million less than budgeted last year, according to the draft report.
The unreserved general fund balance is $18 million; $3.6 million of that is designated for contingencies and $14.4 million is allocated for projects related to the mill-levy override.
During the regular Board of Education meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., the board is scheduled to vote on approving or denying two new charter schools.
rocko rapper
Rocko Rapper and Monica Arnold Still Standing
Its a great news for Monica Arnold’s fan. Monica’s documentary on her life, will be aired on BET TV, from Oct 27. Her show will be named as “Monica: Still Standing” which resembles one of her favorite songs, “Still Standing“. The show will reflect her musical career as well as her personal life.
The name of the show bear a significance as Monica Arnold is still standing after her personal tragedies. Monica Denise Arnold , professionally known as Monica, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. She was born in October 24, 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Following a major success with “The Boy Is Mine“, a duet with singer Brandy, and a same-titled second album in 1998, a series of hit records established her position as one of the most successful urban R&B female vocalists to emerge in the mid-to late 1990s.
Monica Arnold has also achieved fame for appearing in several film and television productions, including supporting roles in big screen motion pictures Boys and Girls (2000) and ATL (2006) and a starring role in the MTV Films telefilm Love Song (2000).
In 2000, Monica Arnold’s boyfriend Jarvis Weems killed himself before Monica. Weems was her childhood friend and a local drug dealer. On July 18, 2000, Monica and Weems were going to a cemetery to visit the grave of Troy Weems, the younger brother of Jarvis, died in a car accident.On the way, all on a sudden , Jarvis Weems pulled out a gun and shot himself in the car.
Monica thought the reason behind Weem’s suicide was depression over his affair. From 2001 to 2003 Monica was dating Corey “C-Murder” Miller who was later arrested in a murder case. It was not a successful relationship.
Now Rocko is fiance of R&B singer Monica. Monica Arnold was engaged to Rocko on December 24, 2007.
Rocko is Rodney Hill, Jr, an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is signed to So So Def/Island Urban through his own Rocky Road Records imprint. His debut album, Self-Made, was released on March 18, 2008. The album sold nearly 28,000 copies in its first week of release.
Monica and Rocko have two children, Rodney III and Romello, who is named after Monica’s younger brother. R&B singer Monica celebrated her 29th birthday Friday night (Oct 23) at Atlanta’s popular nightspot Luckie Food Lounge. Atlanta’s V-103 radio station, along with her close friends and family.
Monica dealt with lots of personal tribulations including the suicide of her boyfriend, and a tumultuous relationship with former fiance Corey “C-Murder” Miller. She had also gone through an unsuccessful period when her third and fourth albums All Eyez on Me (2002) and After the Storm respectively flopped badly. Monica then released her fifth studio album, The Makings of Me in October 2006.
Monica’s sixth album Still Standing will release on December 9th, but in the meantime you can take a look at her on her new BET reality series Monica : Still Standing after the Hip Hop Awards.
Monica is still standing in spite of the disastrous incidents took place in her life.She has got an enviable mental strength which we hope, will uplift her always.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Antediluvian
For actresses, it is no longer enough to be young and beautiful on screen, they have to be dead and famous, too — one of history immortals. Filmmakers have long resurrected the dearly and notably departed with actors and actresses who flatter their memories, of course, partly because Academy members like to reward other success stories. Last year, Marion Cotillard warbled her way to the awards podium for her turn as Édith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.”
Since 2000, six of the best actress awards were for biographical performances, most of dead women. This year, Julia Child, Coco Chanel, Queen Victoria, Keats’s great love, Fanny Brawne, and now Amelia Earhart are all making a run for it.
boston market
Business is a game – lots of competition and a minimum of rules. KFC was first to take the step into this competition of offering attractive promotions to its customers. Boston Market just entered the race of discounted meals, their offer, $1 value meals inclusive of a quarter white-meats, cornbread and some mashed potatoes is somewhat acceptable for the customers.
Boston Market sent high-class and exclusive coupons on Google and on company’s website for its VIP members allowing them to get a $1 chicken meal. This fabulous and splendid offer is valid from 26th October up to 1st November 2009.
This cut-price chicken meal offered by Boston Market is in response to KFC’s “Unfry day” to promote its free grilled chicken day today. Boston Market started their campaign of 1$ deal by e-mail, they have e-mailed their privileged or VIP Club members, but now any consumer can get a coupon print off Boston Market’s website. You can get a full meal for $1 by showing your Boston Market’s coupon and without the coupon there is no discounted meal for any one no matter if you are a VIP member of just a regular consumer.
Boston Market is a large chain of US fast food restaurants, which was established in 1985 in Newton, Massachusetts, the chain rapidly keeps a good and strong position in the market but in late 1990s, company lost its repute because of bankruptcy and latterly purchased by McDonald’s but afterward sold by McDonald’s in the late 2007. Now the chain has approximately 500 company-owned restaurants situated in 30 different states, with more than 1500 employees.
So rush to avail this delicious offer if you are a fast food lover.
disney dining reservations
The ‘Dinner with Disney’ fundraiser to be at Jefferson By Erienne Greene / Journal Staff Writer
The Jefferson High School choral department is teaming with the school's culinary arts program, Pro Start, to offer the community a special dining and entertainment event in next month.
The programs' first dinner theater, which they hope will become an annual event, is called "Dinner with Disney" and will feature songs and skits from Disney classics, like Cinderella, The Lion King, Tarzan and Beauty and the Beast.
Karma Wood, choral director at the high school, said the project has become a collaborative effort among students and several teachers.
"It's going to be spectacular. Your waiters and waitresses will be Disney characters, the meal will be gourmet, and the entertainment will knock your socks off," Wood said.
The dinner menu will feature Enchanted Forest Salad, Aurora Chicken stuffed with cream cheese, pesto and roasted red pepper, Fern Gully Orzo with parmesan and basil, Pocahontas Harvest Corn with roasted pepper and a Fairy Godmother's Chocolate Lovers Mini-Birthday cake.
A special children's menu - to be served to diners who are 12 and younger - will include King Triton's chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn and chocolate cake.
Art teacher Glenda Eisenhart and her students will help transform the school cafeteria into an enchanted forest for an ideal fairy-tale ambiance.
Wood said students and the vocal music booster organization raise money each year to support and enrich the JHS choral program by paying for music, supplies and workshops.
"I have always wanted to do a fundraiser in which the students share their talents with the community," she said. "A concert would be nice, but we wanted to do something really special."
She said that since school began in late August, students from all of the department's four choirs have been working on songs and costumes for the dinner theater.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8.
Tickets go on sale Oct. 26.
Wood is expecting the limited number of tickets to go fast, she said.
"We are starting small this year, just 100 tickets for each show, so I'm encouraging people to get their tickets as soon as possible," Wood said.
Since tickets will not be available at the door, reservations are required.
To purchase tickets and to make reservations, contact Wood at JHS at (304) 725-8491, ext. 6011,
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and $10 for children 12 and under.
The Jefferson High School choral department is teaming with the school's culinary arts program, Pro Start, to offer the community a special dining and entertainment event in next month.
The programs' first dinner theater, which they hope will become an annual event, is called "Dinner with Disney" and will feature songs and skits from Disney classics, like Cinderella, The Lion King, Tarzan and Beauty and the Beast.
Karma Wood, choral director at the high school, said the project has become a collaborative effort among students and several teachers.
"It's going to be spectacular. Your waiters and waitresses will be Disney characters, the meal will be gourmet, and the entertainment will knock your socks off," Wood said.
The dinner menu will feature Enchanted Forest Salad, Aurora Chicken stuffed with cream cheese, pesto and roasted red pepper, Fern Gully Orzo with parmesan and basil, Pocahontas Harvest Corn with roasted pepper and a Fairy Godmother's Chocolate Lovers Mini-Birthday cake.
A special children's menu - to be served to diners who are 12 and younger - will include King Triton's chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn and chocolate cake.
Art teacher Glenda Eisenhart and her students will help transform the school cafeteria into an enchanted forest for an ideal fairy-tale ambiance.
Wood said students and the vocal music booster organization raise money each year to support and enrich the JHS choral program by paying for music, supplies and workshops.
"I have always wanted to do a fundraiser in which the students share their talents with the community," she said. "A concert would be nice, but we wanted to do something really special."
She said that since school began in late August, students from all of the department's four choirs have been working on songs and costumes for the dinner theater.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8.
Tickets go on sale Oct. 26.
Wood is expecting the limited number of tickets to go fast, she said.
"We are starting small this year, just 100 tickets for each show, so I'm encouraging people to get their tickets as soon as possible," Wood said.
Since tickets will not be available at the door, reservations are required.
To purchase tickets and to make reservations, contact Wood at JHS at (304) 725-8491, ext. 6011,
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and $10 for children 12 and under.
Monday, October 26, 2009
pumpkin carving stencils
Finding each pumpkin face, giving it a personality, is Ed Moody vocation, The Frankfort resident is a master electrician better known each fall as Pumpkin Ed, seasonal carver of oversized squash. With Halloween looming large, his front yard boasts nearly two dozen oversized creations -- an attraction that causes traffic jams in the small, tourist town as tens of thousands stream past.
Gigs on the road also keep the electrical inspector for Grand Traverse County busy as he demonstrates his unusual craft at festivals and events. A demonstration Friday at DeVos Children's Hospital fulfills a longtime dream and he hopes to visit at least one children's hospital each season.
"If they can smile for a few minutes, then I know I've done something good," Moody said of the young patients there.
With his day job's hours cut recently thanks to a staggering economy, the gregarious Moody has more time to share his passion. His travels take him around the region and state, not to mention a prior venture to Dallas and a recent one to Chicago, the latter courtesy of the Pure Michigan travel campaign.
"There are not many carvers in Michigan, I hope there will be more," said Moody of those who tackle immense pumpkins.
A recent in-town job at Northwestern Michigan College had him transforming a 125-pound pumpkin into an eerie visage. Posted nearby were oversized boards featuring photos of his many creations, each of which sparks a recitation of weight, origin and place of carving.
"It's part of our seasonal fun -- low key," said Lisa Blackford, diversity coordinator and advisor at NMC. "It's fun to watch him and people have a lot of questions. And the artistic element is just unique."
For three hours, students and staff paused in the West Hall lobby to watch, talk and learn the tips and tricks Moody has mastered over 24 years.
First and foremost is to go with the flow while carving, listen to the pumpkin and don't bother planning.
"Pumpkins, they talk to me and I talk to them," said Moody, who carved his first pumpkin at age six but became a serious practitioner when his own son was a year old. "If you lock yourself into a pattern you can't take advantage of what there is in a pumpkin and then you might not complete a pumpkin."
A fishing tackle box stood open nearby, filled with various and sundry cutting or carving implements large and small. After years of experimenting with instruments up to and including chain saws and Dremel tools -- discarded as too messy -- Moody has settled on four knives. A can of cheap hairspray sits nearby, ready to "fix" the carving and help preserve the pumpkin longer.
While his demonstration pumpkins for traveling are usually smaller, at his home the sizes weigh in at well over 1,000 pounds. The largest this year is 1,489 pounds and includes a back door for kids to climb into. His Cinderella coach, a carving he dreamed of for years before doing it, will not be on display this year as he is building a new carriage to hold future pumpkins.
yankees world series
Yankees win the pennant, face Phillies in World Series
New York - It's an Amtrak World Series – the New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies.
New York, Oct 26: The New York Yankees, finally cashed in with their first pennant in six years on Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the AL championship series behind the arrogant pitching of Andy Pettitte.
Now, New York face defending champion Philadelphia in the World Series opener on Wednesday night. Cliff Lee is expected to face ALCS MVP CC Sabathia in an enticing pitching matchup between former Cleveland teammates.
“That’s what you play for,” Rodriguez said. “In order to win a World Series, you have to get there first.” “I couldn’t be more excited,” he said. “I feel like a 10-year-old kid.”
“I feared that I wouldn’t be able to contribute, so I had a lot of limitations,” Rodriguez said about his previous playoff failures. “The whole year for me was about trusting my teammates and being one of the guys.”
“It’s really not a surprise that we are here. I hate to sound like that,” said Sabathia, signed along with fellow free agents Teixeira and A.J. Burnett in a whooping $423.5 million off-season spending spree.
New York - It's an Amtrak World Series – the New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies.
New York, Oct 26: The New York Yankees, finally cashed in with their first pennant in six years on Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the AL championship series behind the arrogant pitching of Andy Pettitte.
Now, New York face defending champion Philadelphia in the World Series opener on Wednesday night. Cliff Lee is expected to face ALCS MVP CC Sabathia in an enticing pitching matchup between former Cleveland teammates.
“That’s what you play for,” Rodriguez said. “In order to win a World Series, you have to get there first.” “I couldn’t be more excited,” he said. “I feel like a 10-year-old kid.”
“I feared that I wouldn’t be able to contribute, so I had a lot of limitations,” Rodriguez said about his previous playoff failures. “The whole year for me was about trusting my teammates and being one of the guys.”
“It’s really not a surprise that we are here. I hate to sound like that,” said Sabathia, signed along with fellow free agents Teixeira and A.J. Burnett in a whooping $423.5 million off-season spending spree.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
daylight savings time 2009 fall back
Daylight Savings Time 2009 Fall Back,Day Light Savings 2009
Daylight Savings Time 2009 Fall Back, Day Light Savings 2009: When is Daylight Savings Time 2009 Fall Back? It is not today. Daylight Savings Time 2009 Fall Back use to be the last Sunday of October.
The net awoke Sunday with a mass of confusion (that was building up the last 72 hours) with many thinking they forgot to set their clocks back. No worries – it’s not until next week. Time to hit the snooze and roll over.
Two years ago, Daylight Savings Time 2009 Fall Back was switched from the last Sunday of October to the first Sunday of November. For 2009, that falls November 1, 2009.
So before you put your Kate Gosselin wig on, or grab hold of your fake Balloon boy costume, remember November 1 to set your clock back.
The next time you change your clocks is March 14 2010 – the second Sunday in March. And if you are wondering, while slang refers to it as “Savings Time”, it’s technically “Saving” Time.
marine corps marathon 2009
Results are coming for the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon 2009, you can watch the route map for the Marine Corps Marathon in 3D.
“Runners can read a course description, view the turn by turn directions of the course and check out the new 3-D Video Course Map from Harris Corp” says Marathon organizers.
The Marathon started at 8 AM Sunday. Marine Corps reps describe the course route as no different than previous years.
“The MCM will utilize the same course in consecutive years. The 2009 course showcases the best of Arlington, VA and the nation’s capital.
“The USATF certified route starts in Arlington, VA, and winds its way through Rosslyn along Lee Highway before turning on Spout Run and the George Washington Parkway. Runners will experience a climb on Lee Highway in the first few miles of the course, but are rewarded with a descent along Spout Run and the Parkway.
“After crossing Key Bridge into Georgetown, runners turn toward the Palisades Community when the course follows Canal Road, up to the reservoir and down MacArthur Boulevard. The course guides runners down popular M Street in Georgetown.”
At that point, runners begin to pass some of Washington’s best sites, from the Jefferson Memorial to the Kennedy Center.
“Runners will turn on Wisconsin Avenue and then K Street. The course passes the Kennedy Center and takes runners into Hains Point at approximately the halfway point of the race.
“Outside Potomac Park, runners pass the Jefferson Memorial before entering the National Mall and running by landmarks like the Lincoln, FDR, Korean War and Vietnam Veteran’s memorials, Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol. Runners continue along Jefferson Drive and turn onto 14th Street to “Beat the Bridge” at Mile 20 before returning to Virginia.”
The race eventually ends at the Marine Corps War Memorial, earning the title of Marathon of the Monuments.
“Runners can read a course description, view the turn by turn directions of the course and check out the new 3-D Video Course Map from Harris Corp” says Marathon organizers.
The Marathon started at 8 AM Sunday. Marine Corps reps describe the course route as no different than previous years.
“The MCM will utilize the same course in consecutive years. The 2009 course showcases the best of Arlington, VA and the nation’s capital.
“The USATF certified route starts in Arlington, VA, and winds its way through Rosslyn along Lee Highway before turning on Spout Run and the George Washington Parkway. Runners will experience a climb on Lee Highway in the first few miles of the course, but are rewarded with a descent along Spout Run and the Parkway.
“After crossing Key Bridge into Georgetown, runners turn toward the Palisades Community when the course follows Canal Road, up to the reservoir and down MacArthur Boulevard. The course guides runners down popular M Street in Georgetown.”
At that point, runners begin to pass some of Washington’s best sites, from the Jefferson Memorial to the Kennedy Center.
“Runners will turn on Wisconsin Avenue and then K Street. The course passes the Kennedy Center and takes runners into Hains Point at approximately the halfway point of the race.
“Outside Potomac Park, runners pass the Jefferson Memorial before entering the National Mall and running by landmarks like the Lincoln, FDR, Korean War and Vietnam Veteran’s memorials, Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol. Runners continue along Jefferson Drive and turn onto 14th Street to “Beat the Bridge” at Mile 20 before returning to Virginia.”
The race eventually ends at the Marine Corps War Memorial, earning the title of Marathon of the Monuments.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
time change fall 2009
I hope you haven’t forgotten to set your clocks back by 1 hour before you went to bed. Today is the day of time change for Fall 2009.
24th October 2009 is the day when you get one extra hour of sleep each morning. Have you woken up already?
Daylight saving time (DST), also known as summer time in British English, is the convention of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. Modern DST was first proposed by George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist in 1895. Many countries have used it since then.
Friday, October 23, 2009
taylor swift tickets
Taylor Swift concert tickets available on Friday, sold out in one hour
EDITOR'S NOTE: As of 11 a.m., no more tickets were available for this concert on Ticketmaster.com. American Bank Center officials may make more tickets available as the concert draws near.
Best friends Jessica Sowell and Jennifer Johnston packed comfy chairs, umbrellas, ponchos, laptop computers and cell phones Wednesday night to dart from school at noon Thursday to be the first in line for Taylor Swift tickets.
“Oh my God, we’re huge fans,” said Sowell, “and the concert is the day before Jennifer’s 18th birthday.”
The two Portland High School seniors watched movies at 3 a.m., thanks to Wi-Fi, and said they were living their established motto: Experience it!
They were first ahead of more than 20 people huddled beneath blankets, some with knit caps pulled over ears, before daybreak Friday outside American Bank Center ticket box office to get the coveted concert tickets that go on sale at 10 a.m.
“People are going absolutely wild about this concert,” said Christina Garcia, spokeswoman for the center, in a news release. “Our phones are ringing off the hook and the pre-sale tickets sold within minutes.”
Snug under a blanket next to the students San Diego resident Lizette Samaniego, 25, was determined to get floor seats to please her 4-year-old daughter, Saydee Galvan.
“Saydee wants to be Taylor Swift for Halloween, and I’ve already been to Laredo, the Valley, and San Antonio trying to find her a red dress like Taylor wore during the (MTV) music awards.”
She found a match in Alice, she said. “My daughter will thank me someday.”
Olga Fernandez, 19, and Felix Melendez, 18, darted at noon Thursday from their classes at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to wedge in line for tickets as Christmas gifts for their niece and nephew.
“We didn’t have the money for our own tickets,” Fernandez said. “So they will know how much we love them, sitting here all night, and not able to go ourselves.”
The couple had to be back in class by noon Friday, Melendez said.
The $61 tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for the 7 p.m. March 12, 2010 Taylor Swift concert with Kellie Pickler and Gloriana.
Even if tickets become unavailable, promoters open more seats as the concert approaches, Garcia said.
“There’s usually always single seats available,” she said. “So we don’t want the public to be alarmed thinking they can’t get tickets.”
somer thomson
Tips critical in solving Somer Thompson murder
The investigation into the murder of 7th-year-old Somer Thompson continues today, less than 24 hours after her body was found in a Georgia landfill.
An Orange Park, Florida-based task force has interviewed 155 registered sex offenders, looking for any possible connections to Somer's disappearance and murder.
During a morning news conference Clay County Sheriff Office Spokesperson Mary Justino says tips are critical to solving this heinous crime.
Somer disappeared early Monday (10/19) evening during a walk home from her nearby school.
Florida records reveal nearly 88 registered sex offenders live in the Orange Park community alone.
Police say the quick discovery of Somer's body may have provided critical evidence in apprehending and trying her killer.
steve phillips wife photos
There seems to be a completely different kind of “swine flu” sweeping the nation and the symptoms are: fame and an uncontrollable desire to sleep with young women who work for you. ESPN baseball analyst and former manager of the New York Mets Steve Phillips is the latest to be diagnosed with the pig disease after it was revealed he wallowed around with Brooke Hundley, a 22-year-old production assistant.
Actually, Phillips was previously diagnosed with sexual swine flu back when he was general manager of the Mets, taking a leave of absence when it was revealed he had an affair with Mets employee Rosa Rodriguez, who later filed a sexual harassment suit against Phillips which was eventually settled out of court.
Phillips has admitted to having sexual relations with Hundley on three occasion before dumping her, and that’s when the Fatal Attraction drama began. Brooke began to contact Phillips’ wife Marni Phillips via cell phone voice and text messages.
On Aug. 16, Marni said, Hundley left her “a detailed and very disturbing voice-mail message on my cellphone and a [text] message late that night.”
“The tone of the text message was, ‘I care about Steve, I make him happy, and we both can’t have him,’ ” Marni said.
Hundley also posed as a 16-year-old classmate of Phillips’ son on Facebook in an attempt to get information about his parents:
“She said that she had overheard my mom telling someone at my brother’s baseball game that my dad really likes someone at work and is probably going to move out and that if I need to talk to anyone, she would be willing to listen because her parents went through the same thing,” the boy told cops.
“She asked inappropriate questions about my parents, such as: Do they sleep in the same bed? Do you think they will be getting a divorce? Do they fight a lot?” the youth added.
He also said Hundely was flirtatious, claiming to have watched him at football practice. He broke off their conversations after being angered by Hundley’s references to his mother Marni as his dad’s “baby momma.”
Deciding to step up her insane in the membrane game, Brooke Hundley was seen leaving the Phillips home by Marni Phillips, who was returning with her 7-year-old son:
“I knew instinctively this was the woman Steve was involved with and I was terrified,” Marni told cops. “I immediately called 911. She got in her car, put it in reverse and smashed the rear end of her vehicle into the stone column.”
steve phillips girlfriend picture
Steve Phillips Girlfriend Picture’s no longer a secret
The story of Steve Phillips and his affair with Brooke Hundley, who worked at ESPN alongside Phillips, has been all over the news recently. He may have kept it secret for a long time, but it definitely is not a secret anymore.
And according to lalate.com, the Steve Phillips and Brooke Hundley affair story is unlike any other major media reported affairs of this year. Apparently, there have been allegations, of Hundley stalking Phillips’ son on Facebook and AOL.com.
But that’s not all, as there have also been allegations of Brooke phone stalking Phillips’ wife Marni. And since several pictures of Brooke have appeared on the Internet, people have been left wondering why Phillips cheated with her.
That question may not ever be answered, as Steve is not exactly explaining much. In a statement that he released about the affair, he just said that he was deeply sorry that he had put his family and his colleagues through it all.
The ESPN star analyst Steve Phillips has burnt all his fingers by allowing his girl friend to go to his house and terrorize his wife and kids. He is on leave from his office and his wife has already started proceedings for seeking divorce from Steve.
And as of sunrise Wednesday, it was also no longer a secret to American baseball fans. Steve Phillips’ story with Brooke Hundley is unlike other major media reported affair of 2009 - allegations of stalking Phillips’ son on Facebook and AOL.com, allegations of phone stalking Phillips’ wife Marni with a casted phone caller from Craigslist.
According to lalate.com, the Steve Phillips and Brooke Hundley affair story is unlike any other major media reported affairs of this year. Apparently, there have been allegations, of Hundley stalking Phillips’ son on Facebook and AOL.com.
But that’s not all, as there have also been allegations of Brooke phone stalking Phillips’ wife Marni. And since several pictures of Brooke have appeared on the Internet, people have been left wondering why Phillips cheated with her.
That question may not ever be answered, as Steve is not exactly explaining much. In a statement that he released about the affair, he just said that he was deeply sorry that he had put his family and his colleagues through it all.
More details: http://nikkicatsourasaccident.blogspot.com/2009/10/brooke-hundley.html
cookie johnson jeans
Who is the one behind the name Cookie Johnson jeans?
Like many women, I have an obsession with clothing. More specifically, denim. I have around 40 pairs of denim jeans, People are always interested about latest news at Oprah. Anybody appearing on the show will have the chance to become a superstar. And, for this week, Oprah staged the Cookie Johnson jeans. For women who have great bodies and lots of cash, Cookie Johnson jeans are just right for them.
The name Cookie Johnson is actually the name of Magic Johnson’s wife who thinks business most of the time. The time she appeared in Oprah together with her jeans, people became more interested about the stuffs.
Well, CJ Jeans deserves the popularity because it is actually a nice sort of denim jeans. However, it will cost you $150-$200 just to have one.
Cookie Johnson stresses that those jeans is best for women who are struggling to have the proper fit for them. This time they won't get frustrated looking on anywhere else just to have the desired fit. But, they would surely pay the price.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Adobe Flash Player
ARM ups speed, drops power with new chip
ARM has launched its Cortex-A5 MPCore processor, the latest in its series of embedded chips aimed at internet-connected devices such as handsets, set-top boxes, industrial and consumer electronics equipment.
With between one and four cores, the chip will run software developed for previous members of the Cortex family, including the A8 and 19 processors, the company said in its announcement on Wednesday. That software includes ports of Adobe Flash, Java, Microsoft Windows Embedded, Symbian, Android and other Linuxes, according to ARM.
"The launch of the Cortex-A5 processor reinforces ARM's leadership in innovation and technology, and sets a new standard for cost-effectiveness and power-efficiency in entry-level mobile devices," said Nathan Brookwood, research fellow at Insight 64, in a statement.
wesson family massacre story
Wesson Family Massacre Story,Wesson Family Massacre
Wesson Family Massacre Story,Wesson Family Massacre: Marcus Wesson was sentenced 102nd year imprisonment for sexual abuse of daughters and nieces in 2004. He was also convicted and sentenced death for the murders of nine family members. He made sexual abuse with female members and made some of them pregnant.
Kiani, Gypsy, Serafino, and their mother, Elizabeth belonged to victim’s family spoke out first time after the incident. They spoke about disaster their father left behind. One of the female said the she had two children from her father.
They spoke on Dr. Phil show. Dr. Phil made them feel comfortable and assured them that they are not responsible for what had happened. In the show he compared the stories of Jaycee Dugard from California and Elizabeth Smart from Salt Lake City. After the incident the Wesson family got some time to recover as Marcus Wesson is in the jail for 5 years. They are trying to get out of the disaster.
Following is the description in the book “By Their Father’s Hand, The True Story of the Wesson Family Massacre”
Neighbors were unaware of what went on behind the tightly closed doors of a house in Fresno, California-the home of an imposing, 300-pound MarcusWesson, his wife, children, nieces, and grandchildren. But on March 12, 2004, gunshots were heard inside the Wesson home, and police officers responding to what they believed was a routine domestic disturbance were horrified by the senseless carnage they discovered when they entered.
By Their Father’s Hand is a chilling true story of incest, abuse, madness, and murder, and one family’s terrible and ultimately fatal ordeal at the hands of a powerful, manipulative man-a cultist who envisioned vengeful gods and vampires, and totally controlled those closest to him before their world came to a brutal and bloody halt.
windows 7 upgrade
Experts say Microsoft new Windows 7 which debut Oct 22 will likely prompt computer users to make their first upgrade in eight years.
NEW YORK -- Microsoft is banking on Windows 7 to breathe new life into a PC world where most computer users are running XP -- an operating system that was released in the early day of the Bush administration. Experts expect that PC users will change their operating system for the first time in about eight years when Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) launches Windows 7 on Oct. 22.
Microsoft's last operating system, Windows Vista, was a disaster when it was released in 2007. Vista was plagued by bugs, software incompatibilities, sluggishness and annoying security alerts. The episode nearly destroyed the tech giant's reputation with consumers.
"The stakes for Microsoft are astronomically high after the Vista debacle," said Scott Anthony, managing director of Innosight Ventures, a venture capital and consulting firm. "There is a lot of hunger for computing power around the world, and this release will be a real test for Microsoft."
Positive reviews for Windows 7 have been pouring in. Computer experts say that Windows 7 is good -- if not perfect -- and has a shot at eventually usurping XP as the world's most prevalent operating system.
Right now 71.5% of PCs are still running XP, according to OS market share tracker netmarketshare.com, while 18.6% of PCs are running Windows Vista.
"There was lots of negativity around Vista, and Microsoft lost a lot of goodwill with its customers," said Ken Allen, a portfolio manager at T. Rowe Price who manages a tech fund that includes Microsoft as one of its holdings.
Microsoft has aggressively been rolling out products and services (think Bing and Zune HD) to boost its sales, which have declined in the previous two quarters. Its third quarter ended March 31 marked the first time sales fell in Microsoft's 23-year history as a public company.
"The 'bad will' that Microsoft engendered could be reversed if Windows 7 is well received," said Allen.
It appears Microsoft is on the right road. Demand for new computers is starting to heat up again, and many users are looking for an operating system upgrade. Windows 7's release coincides with holiday season shopping. With the economy showing signs of recovery, consumers may be more willing to loosen their purse strings.
What XP users can expect: Windows 7 is faster, more secure and easier to network with other computers than XP. Microsoft has also added a number of features to simplify tasks.
For instance, Windows 7 unveils a more efficient task bar allowing users to switch more easily between programs than the current Alt-Tab function in Windows XP. It also allows users to preview programs by hovering over icons on the taskbar.
Users will also be able to simply shake their mouse to unclutter their desktop rather than having to minimize multiple windows.
"Windows 7 is a far superior product than previous versions, and no one will be disappointed if they use it," said Vishal Dhar, co-founder of iYogi, a global tech support company for consumers. "At the right price point, [consumers] will upgrade for the new features."
Dhar said people used to XP will be most pleased with Windows 7's video editing capabilities, which XP did not accommodate, and speed. He also said the $119 upgrade price is likely low enough to lure people to upgrade.
But there's one hitch and it's a biggie: upgrading is far from easy. XP users who choose to upgrade their computers to Windows 7 will have to either wipe their hard drives or re-install all of their applications. That means finding the product keys and old CDs. As a result, some experts say XP users interested in Windows 7 are better off just buying a new computer.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Path Train
Jersey to NYC Path train crashes, several injured
13 injured passengers, 7 of whom were sent to hospitals, when a rush-hour Path train crashed upon arrival at the 33rd street Path station in Midtown this morning.
The 7:59 out of Hoboken pulled into the station and crashed into a “bumping block” at a slow speed at 8:14. Police say that the injuries are all very minor, mostly reported as neck and back pain. 600 passengers were on the train at the time of the crash, and investigators are currently trying to determine the cause of the incident.
The stretch of Sixth Avenue at 33rd street where the station was located was closed off during the investigation, but service was not disrupted. The Path train serves Jersey City, Hoboken, Harrison, and Newark out of points in Manhattan below 34th street.
marni phillips
ESPN analyst Phillips in 'Fatal Attraction' scandal
TV baseball analyst Steve Phillips had a brief affair with an ESPN production assistant who taunted his wife with like phone calls and a letter that bragged about her sexual encounters with Phillips after being dumped, The New York Post reported.
The former New York Mets general manager told his wife and police he slept with Brooke Hundley, 22, multiple times this summer before dumping her. The woman repeatedly phoned Phillips' wife, Marni, saying, "We both can't have him!" the police report says.
Police believe she also posed as a high-school classmate to contact Phillips' 16-year-old son, according to The Post. Hundley reportedly crashed her car while speeding away from the Phillips' home after leaving the letter, the Wilton, Conn., police report said.
"I have extreme concerns about the health and safety of my kids and myself," Steve Phillips said in a police statement, calling Hundley "obsessive and delusional."
Phillips, who declined to pursue criminal charges against Hundley, is now being sued for divorce by his 40-year-old wife, the newspaper reported. Phillips deeded the family's five-bedroom, multimillion-dollar Wilton home to her two months ago.
A source told the paper Phillips has been suspended for a week by ESPN. A representative of the cable network refused to comment, and Phillips did not return calls seeking comment. Hundley refused to talk when reached by The Post on Tuesday.
The developments come 11 years after Phillips, 46, took a leave of absence as Mets GM after admitting to having sex with a female employee who sued him for sexual harassment, a case later settled out of court. In a Wilton police report obtained by the newspaper, Phillips said he first met Hundley on assignment in St. Louis on July 13.
"Over a three-week span, I had a total of three sexual encounters with her," Phillips said in his police filing. "Those were the only times I spent any time alone with her."
TV baseball analyst Steve Phillips had a brief affair with an ESPN production assistant who taunted his wife with like phone calls and a letter that bragged about her sexual encounters with Phillips after being dumped, The New York Post reported.
The former New York Mets general manager told his wife and police he slept with Brooke Hundley, 22, multiple times this summer before dumping her. The woman repeatedly phoned Phillips' wife, Marni, saying, "We both can't have him!" the police report says.
Police believe she also posed as a high-school classmate to contact Phillips' 16-year-old son, according to The Post. Hundley reportedly crashed her car while speeding away from the Phillips' home after leaving the letter, the Wilton, Conn., police report said.
"I have extreme concerns about the health and safety of my kids and myself," Steve Phillips said in a police statement, calling Hundley "obsessive and delusional."
Phillips, who declined to pursue criminal charges against Hundley, is now being sued for divorce by his 40-year-old wife, the newspaper reported. Phillips deeded the family's five-bedroom, multimillion-dollar Wilton home to her two months ago.
A source told the paper Phillips has been suspended for a week by ESPN. A representative of the cable network refused to comment, and Phillips did not return calls seeking comment. Hundley refused to talk when reached by The Post on Tuesday.
The developments come 11 years after Phillips, 46, took a leave of absence as Mets GM after admitting to having sex with a female employee who sued him for sexual harassment, a case later settled out of court. In a Wilton police report obtained by the newspaper, Phillips said he first met Hundley on assignment in St. Louis on July 13.
"Over a three-week span, I had a total of three sexual encounters with her," Phillips said in his police filing. "Those were the only times I spent any time alone with her."
steve phillips
Phillips affair story has baseball world buzzing
I'm mentioning Steve Phillips because I do not want to be the one blog that does not. A report in Wednesday's New York Post details the messy end of an affair between ESPN analyst and former Mets general manager Steve Phillips and a 22-year-old production assistant and has quickly become the hot topic of the day.
It's a nice juicy story about a good Mets villain and you can read about it in the Post. For
whatever reason I just do not want to dish personal dirt. The goal of this site has always been to encourage the Mets to treat their fans with respect, dress nicely, and maybe win a World Series. I wish the franchise nothing but success.
As for Steve, my biggest problem with him is that he can't be bothered to get off speakerphone when calling 1050. It sounds like crap on every interview he does. What he does in his spare time is for other sites to discuss.
More importantly, can we start these playoff games at 7? I gave up after 5 and a half. It was 10:30. A typical regular season game ends around 9:45 so even accounting for the playoff starting 49 minutes later We shouldn't have to stay up until midnight. Half the population of the US lives in the eastern time zone.
I'm mentioning Steve Phillips because I do not want to be the one blog that does not. A report in Wednesday's New York Post details the messy end of an affair between ESPN analyst and former Mets general manager Steve Phillips and a 22-year-old production assistant and has quickly become the hot topic of the day.
It's a nice juicy story about a good Mets villain and you can read about it in the Post. For
whatever reason I just do not want to dish personal dirt. The goal of this site has always been to encourage the Mets to treat their fans with respect, dress nicely, and maybe win a World Series. I wish the franchise nothing but success.
As for Steve, my biggest problem with him is that he can't be bothered to get off speakerphone when calling 1050. It sounds like crap on every interview he does. What he does in his spare time is for other sites to discuss.
More importantly, can we start these playoff games at 7? I gave up after 5 and a half. It was 10:30. A typical regular season game ends around 9:45 so even accounting for the playoff starting 49 minutes later We shouldn't have to stay up until midnight. Half the population of the US lives in the eastern time zone.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Baloon Boy
Balloon boy story speaks volumes about our society
The idea that a young boy might have been trapped in a runaway hot air balloon is almost too terrifying to imagine, which would explain why so much of our nation was captivated by the story of 6-year-old Falcon Heene, who they imagined was suspended over Fort Collins, Colo., in a UFO-like balloon for a little while last week.
Revolution Money
Fifth Third Bank to Issue RevolutionCard from Revolution Money
Revolution Money has announced that 5th Third Bank has joined its Revolution Money network as an issuing bank. According to Revolution, "the combination of Fifth Third Bank’s card-issuing capabilities with Revolution Money’s marketing and customer servicing and communication capabilities will provide a robust platform for expanded adoption of RevolutionCard."
Revolution Money Chairman Ted Leonsis appeared on CNBC this morning to discuss the deal with Fifth Third. He was joined by Jim Robinson III, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express, who recently invested in and joined the board of Revolution Money and Steve Case, Co-Founder of AOL and Chairman of Revolution, LLC.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Artie Lange
Artie Lange calls in sick week two: the saga continues
Howard Stern Show fans who tuned in to hear the return of Artie Lange on Monday of the morning were treated to the news that the controversy embroiled comedian would be missing work once again.
Howard Stern started out Monday morning's show with the announcement that Artie Lange had sent yet another cryptic text message announcing that he was not coming in to the Sirius XM studios.
"I love Artie, but boy he's got a lot of issues. I don't know what's going on--and I kind of don't want to know what's going on.
Living To 100
The key scientific discoveries of the 21 century are coming from the biosciences. These discoveries will impact our lives in ways we can only begin to imagine. Now, two leading experts will help you imagine those impacts--and prepare for them.
Paul and Joyce Schoemaker preview the research innovations most likely to emerge in the coming years and reveal what they’re likely to mean for everything from human longevity to the health of society, from bioterrorism to personalized medicine.
Writing for every interested citizen and consumer, the Schoemakers illuminate the hottest technologies and most controversial issues associated with contemporary biotechnology--including stem cells, cloning, pharmacogenetics, DNA chips, proteomics, gene therapy, and much more.
Then, drawing on Paul Schoemaker’s unsurpassed experience helping global organizations prepare for the future, the authors sketch multiple long-term scenarios for the biosciences…and reveal how they will impact your health, family, career, and the society you live in.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
teeth whitening
Watch for this teeth-whitening scam
Consumers who thought they were signing up for a "free trial" of teeth whitening products are being repeatedly billed for services they did not want, says the Better Business Bureau, which has been deluged with complaints around the country.
The ads promising a whiter, brighter smile can be found on Web sites such as foxnews.com, CNN.com and abcnews.com, according to the BBB. They typically link consumers to phony blogs and fake news sites designed to look like impartial third-party endorsements of the products, BBB officials said.
For example, this site says "as seen on ABC, CBS News, CNN, USA Today and Forbes," and uses the trademarked logos. "While ads may have been placed on major news Web sites, reporters for USA Today or CNN did not write stories about the efficacy of the specific products sold," said Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the BBB serving Chicago and Northern Illinois.
Generally, the offer is a “no-risk, money-back guarantee” that includes a free trial. But Schaumburg’s William Truscott, 59, discovered the trial starts the minute you order the product, not when you receive it.
Truscott, an engineer with Motorola, had three days—not two weeks—to try his product before his credit card was automatically billed $88.
He contacted the BBB and filed a complaint against Advanced Wellness Research, a company that has also received thousands of complaints about its Acai berry supplements.
Other consumers have discovered mystery charges for services they didn't know were included when they signed up for their trials, the BBB said.
“I ordered the free sample by phone for what was supposed to be $1.99. I was billed for around $78 that I never expected,” said Ann Thoele of Elmhurst. Thoele, who filed complaints with BBB, the attorney general’s office and her credit card company. “I really don’t intend to pay.”
According to the BBB, several companies are behind the teeth whitening ads and Web sites including the following:
Advanced Wellness Research. The BBB serving West Palm Beach has received thousands of complaints from consumers regarding Advanced Wellness Research’s acai berry supplements and has begun to receive complaints from consumers about teeth whiteners sold under the names of Max White, My Whitening, Gleaming White Smile and many others.
Dazzle White, White Smile, Teeth Smile and Dazzle Smile. The BBB serving Edmonton has received 587 complaints in the last 12 months from consumers in 47 states, five Canadian provinces, and the United Kingdom. Complainants report being billed as much as $79 for the free trial and are charged for several other services—such as a weight loss program.
Ivory White. The BBB serving Denver has received 625 complaints from consumers in 46 states. Complainants say they were charged as much as $78 a month for their free trial. Related companies include Ortho White and Bella Brite which are accumulating complaints as well. All three companies have been asked to add more disclosure to their Web sites regarding the free trial offer. The BBB has not yet received a response to these requests.
To protect yourself, stay clear of supposed third-party endorsements. Be extremely cautious of any ad that links to a blog or Web site news articles and always read the fine print. Most Web sites don't disclose billing terms and conditions or they make them hard to find.
Before giving the company any credit or debit card information, review the Web site fully and be aware that free trials typically result in repeated billing. Finally, you can check out the company with the BBB before ordering a product, or file a complaint if you feel you've been ripped off.
Robot Chicken
EXCLUSIVE Q & A with stars of Robot Chicken: Star Wars The stars of Robot Chicken: Star Wars series will be at the Armageddon Expo in Auckland this Labour Weekend.
Before they hit New Zealand, we caught up exclusively with Seth Green, Matt Senreich & Tom Root to chat about the latest DVD release, Robot Chicken Star Wars Episode II and plans for the future.
biker boyz
Need for speed, call for safety: Strip offers racers a legal place to drag The lure of street racing can be irresistible for many teenagers.
Vividly portrayed in movies such as "The Fast and the Furious" series and "Biker Boyz," street racing is as engaging and addictive as it is dangerous.
In March, street racing claimed the life of an El Pasoan when he died inside his burning Nissan 350Z on Interstate 10 between Lee Treviño Drive and Zaragoza Road.
He was racing a man in a Nissan Maxima when both drivers lost control and hit two other cars, causing the Nissan 350Z to burst into flames, according to police reports.
As a safe alternative to illegal street racing, Lino Barragan has opened the El Paso Motorplex to licensed drivers who would like to put the pedal to the metal every Sunday night.
"We do this on Sunday so the kids won't be on the streets," Barragan said. "It's better if they race here because it's a safe environment and it's legal."
Anyone can bring out their car, and for $15, they get a crack at the quarter-mile track.
El Paso Motorplex has been open since April 2008 and has sponsored many major races. The speedway is on Gateway West near the Clint Interstate 10 entrance.
"The track gets better and better," Barragan said. "Along with what we do with the locals on Sundays, we bring in some big events. We brought in jet cars, and the Southwest Supercharges have already been here three times."
But on Sunday nights, it's all bout the locals.
Barragan estimates about 125 drivers have turned out each Sunday to race in everything from classic Volkswagens to Ninja motorcycles.
"This is the only track in El Paso and people love to run their cars here," he said. "They are happy when they leave the park and they are safe, and that's all that matters."
The car owners organize themselves and decide who races who.
"It's just a rush," said Steven Villanueva, who brought his souped-up Chevy Cobalt to race. "There is a lot of adrenaline going through you body. It's fun."
Drivers such as Villanueva don't have to worry about getting busted by police, or worse, injuring themselves or others in a street wreck.
If something does happen, the Clint Fire Department is standing by the sides of the racetrack, but so far, there have been no problems.
"I love coming out here," said Sandra Lujan, as she watched the races along with other spectators in the stands. "My boyfriend races so I come out and support him. I enjoy the different types of cars that race and appreciate what the owners put in them."
The atmosphere is festive at the El Paso Motorplex.
You know something special is about to happen when you hear big beefy engines revving as the racers watch for the light pole to signal the start of the race.
As the lights change from white to yellow and finally to green, the cars scream down the track, spinning their tires and spewing white smoke until your throat is choking and your eyes are tearing up.
The smell of burning rubber fills the air.
A quarter of a mile and 10 to 13 seconds later, just past two computerized timers overlooking the track, the same light pole that started the race flashes on the side of the winner's lane.
Juan Romero, 38, has felt the rush of speed and adrenaline run through his veins for 22 years.
"I've seen this track evolve so much," said Romero, who races a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 motorcycle. "The individuals you see out there on the track have the discipline to make the right choices about where to race."
Romero has a unique perspective when it comes to street racing.
"I work on an ambulance with the El Paso Fire Department, so I've seen first hand a lot of the stupid stuff the kids are getting themselves into," he said bluntly. "The majority of the stuff happening out there is kids not having the discipline, not having the motorcycle endorsement, not taking a safety class, and they are out there on the streets doing all kinds of crazy things. That's what gives them the adrenaline high."
Randy Garcia, another racer and owner of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14, said he is glad there is an alternative venue for street racers.
"This keeps the kids off the streets," he said. "Plus, they don't have to worry about the old lady in the van."
James Medina, sporting slick spiked hair, acknowledges is weakness for street racing.
"I still get an itch to race down some of the city's streets," said Medina, a 24-year-old UTEP student.
"I have a friend who got busted for street racing. He got his license revoked and he had to do some community service. It wasn't fun for him."
According to the Texas Transportation code, racing on the highway is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a one-year suspension of your driver's license with at least 10 hours of community service.
"We get our thrills whenever they have legal races here," Medina said. "I'll drive all my aggression out and then drive home safely."
Saturday, October 17, 2009
debs
Ask the average American if he or she recognizes the name Vanderbilt, Astor, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Sinclair, and Ford, to name a few of the more common entrepreneurs of U.S. history. Like as not they do. They know that these folks made millions of dollars; that their offspring still live in comfort, that products and institutions bear their names, and that their ingenuity and entrepreneurship helped make America what it once was, until our country's leaders lost their sense of direction and led the nation into its second Great Depression.
Granted these pioneers have been branded by some as robber barons, cut throats, and exploiters, but where would America be, for example, had the Vanderbilts not built the railroads that allowed this country to expand from a few colonies to 50 states?
Then ask how many can recall the name: Eugene Victor Debs. Unless they're students of American history, like as not you'll draw a blank. Mr. Debs was a union organizer back in the early years of the 20th Century. (Community organizers hadn't been invented then.) He also ran for president in 1912, and lost miserably. And his socialist activities landed him in prison in 1918. That should tell you something. Unlike the movers and shakers mentioned above, Mr. Debs today is but a footnote in American history texts.
Mirroring the spirit that drove America in its formative years Calvin Coolidge once remarked that "The business of America is business."
Unfortunately, our nation got a bit off track in the early 1900s, and in 1929, was plunged into the Great Depression. But along came the government. Under Mr. Roosevelt's watch the New Deal came into being and with it the Reconstruction Finance Corp., or as some called it, the "Millionaire's Dole." During this time the federal government became the largest single business on Earth, and bureaucratic meddling ran rampant. Sound familiar?
Had World War II not erupted there's no telling what might have become of the United States.
But, American business and the innate ingenuity of the American people emerged and the United States truly emerged as "The Greatest Nation on Earth," and the "Leader of the free world."
Today, unfortunately, America resembles post-war France and Charles De Gaulle who still thought they were living in the age of Napoleon. Our national treasure has been squandered by the foxes we put in charge of guarding the hen house and the socialist lion is licking its chops in anticipation of devouring us.
As we can see from Vietnam and the Mideast, war will not be our salvation this time, only our destruction.
Granted these pioneers have been branded by some as robber barons, cut throats, and exploiters, but where would America be, for example, had the Vanderbilts not built the railroads that allowed this country to expand from a few colonies to 50 states?
Then ask how many can recall the name: Eugene Victor Debs. Unless they're students of American history, like as not you'll draw a blank. Mr. Debs was a union organizer back in the early years of the 20th Century. (Community organizers hadn't been invented then.) He also ran for president in 1912, and lost miserably. And his socialist activities landed him in prison in 1918. That should tell you something. Unlike the movers and shakers mentioned above, Mr. Debs today is but a footnote in American history texts.
Mirroring the spirit that drove America in its formative years Calvin Coolidge once remarked that "The business of America is business."
Unfortunately, our nation got a bit off track in the early 1900s, and in 1929, was plunged into the Great Depression. But along came the government. Under Mr. Roosevelt's watch the New Deal came into being and with it the Reconstruction Finance Corp., or as some called it, the "Millionaire's Dole." During this time the federal government became the largest single business on Earth, and bureaucratic meddling ran rampant. Sound familiar?
Had World War II not erupted there's no telling what might have become of the United States.
But, American business and the innate ingenuity of the American people emerged and the United States truly emerged as "The Greatest Nation on Earth," and the "Leader of the free world."
Today, unfortunately, America resembles post-war France and Charles De Gaulle who still thought they were living in the age of Napoleon. Our national treasure has been squandered by the foxes we put in charge of guarding the hen house and the socialist lion is licking its chops in anticipation of devouring us.
As we can see from Vietnam and the Mideast, war will not be our salvation this time, only our destruction.
Bubble Boy
By now, along with the boy-in-the-hot-air-balloon hoax, you have probably heard that Google third-quarter earnings beat the street, indicating, as the Times put it, "Consumers are loosening the grip on their wallets and advertisers are trying to get their attention -- at least on the Internet." But, unlike like bubble boy, this is big news, and therefore deserves a second, third, and even fourth look.
The Times, for one, took the news as "the latest sign that the global economy may be on the mend."
"Investors that may have been skittish before, perhaps doubting the resiliency of Google in the recession can now relax,"
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