ximblr.com

The WOW-PEN Joy joins the alternative mouse market

Sissy — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:45:26 +0000

June 26, 2008 If you spend long hours slaving over a hot keyboard, the latest vertically orientated mouse from WOW Technology might be worth a look. Mice designed to keep the wrist in the more natural handshake position are being pitched as ergonomically superior to lie-flat mouse and we were surprised to find so many variations on the theme

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Quick Takes: Madonna Constantine Fired, A Very Full Friday Option …

Derren — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:00:16 +0000

Teachers College of Columbia University has terminated the employment of Madonna G. Constantine, a tenured professor who was found by a university inquiry to have used the work of others in her papers numerous times. College officials referred calls to an outside public relations company, which in turn would only confirm that Constantine has been terminated, but that she may appeal the decision. When word of the findings became public in February, college officials stressed that Constantine remained employed. Constantine has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and accused her accusers of in fact copying her work — a possibility disputed by Columbia investigators. Teachers College officials said that a faculty panel reviewed the investigative group’s work before action was taken against Constantine. Her lawyer sent an e-mail to The New York Sun stating that his client’s accusers were liars. Last year, while charges were being investigated against her, Constantine found a noose outside her office and that incident — in which charges have yet to be filed — prompted widespread condemnations of racism. A grand jury investigating the noose incident has subpoenaed some of Constantine’s records.
The rising price of gas has prompted some colleges to eliminate Friday classes so students who commute can avoid driving to campus on one weekday. Volunteer State Community College is taking a different approach and giving students a Fridays-only option for general education through a program called “Full Time Friday.” Students will be able to take four general education courses in Friday meeting times only, which would be 8 a.m.-10:50 a.m.; noon-2:50 p.m.; 3:30 p.m.-6:20 p.m.; and 7 p.m.-9:50 p.m. In this way, students able to come to campus only once a week could move far along on general education requirements in a single semester. A combination online/in person option would allow students to come to campus only once a month.

insidehighered.com

Tags: constantine, g., madonna

Weeds: Lady's a Charm

Brennan — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:00:05 +0000

(S04E02) The season premiere took us to a new town, and “Lady’s a Charm” gave us a look into Nancy’s future as a drug trafficker. There’s room for improvement, that’s for sure. This week we learned more of the Botwin family history, got a brief and depressing Yiddish lesson, and, for the first time, I heard the word “schlimazel” outside the context of Laverne & Shirley .
The “Little Boxes” theme is gone for good. Instead, we got a quick shot of the Mexican border. I’ll miss the old song, but it no longer fits with the show’s new setting. I can’t decide if I like the music-free credits, or if a different theme song would have been a good idea. What song would suit Weeds now that it isn’t set in the suburbs?
It didn’t take long for Nancy’s troubles to catch up with her. Nancy spent most of the episode coming down from her “escape to the beach” high. She was so carefree and happy in the adorable opening scene that you just knew it wouldn’t last. Several unpleasant surprises brought Ms. Botwin back to reality–Silas’ renewed interest in marijuana growing, news of Celia’s arrest, and Guillermo’s drug trafficking fake-out. She wasn’t even privy to the worst bit of news: Roy Till has joined Team Celia, thanks to a border photo of Nancy and Guillermo. So much for a fresh start.
Remember how I said that last week’s episode made me a little squeamish? That goes double for this week’s chapter. There were bodily fluids all over the place, and the sound effects only made things worse. Bubbie’s death wish guaranteed that even more of that subject matter is in our immediate future. I hope that next week’s episode isn’t as Bubbie-centric as the preview implied. There are so many other storylines I’d like to see more of–Shane and Silas exploring their new hometown, Andy and Lenny’s relationship, and Nancy’s new career path. Why is the vegetable humor necessary? When Shane got stuck with Bubbie duty, the first thought I had was “Isn’t his character dark enough without this situation?” The same goes for Weeds in general. Bubbie’s journey into the afterlife isn’t working for me so far.

tvsquad.com

Tags: s04e02, weeds

Seven things you can say about George Carlin

Vergil — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:34 +0000

Are any of you fans of George Carlin, who died Sunday of heart problems? I didn’t follow his career or act much. He is best known for his “Seven words you can never say on television” bit, which led to a 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government’s authority to sanction stations. But he also won four Grammy Awards for his comedy albums, was nominated for five Emmys, was a best-selling author and was to receive the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this fall. Actor Ben Stiller said of Carlin: “He had an amazing mind, and his humor was brave, and always challenging us to look at ourselves and question our belief systems, while being incredibly entertaining.”
Crap. I didn’t know.
The man was a comic genius. He had a skewed way of looking at things, particularly language, that showed the absurd was often in front of our faces.
Get comfortable, George–it’s a non-stop flight, even if you insist that your flight stops!
I knew he had heart problems for years, but he was, what, 70? Still too young. Sigh. . .
Seven words - still some of the funniest stuff you’ll ever hear - 35 years later.
Some of you will delicate sensibilities may want to pass on this on.
Fleettwood again shows how it’s impossible to be reich-wing and cool at the same time.
It’s like his co-opting 60’s music–what made it and Carlin great was that they rejected utterly the smug, self-satisfied CON world-view.
My favorite routine of Carlin’s: build low cost housing for the homeless on golf courses.
Farewell, Hippy Dippy Weather, Man.
I LOVED GEORGE CARLIN!
I’d sneak down to watch his shows on HBO when my parents were asleep. And DUDE, his Bill and Ted movies were EXCELLENT (well, of course that was during my using days lol).

blogs.kansas.com

Tags: never, say, seven, television, words

THE BEST PLAYS IN RAVENS HISTORY ~ June 22, 2008

Forest — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:00:04 +0000

10. The Ravens took a 20-13 lead against the Cleveland Browns on a mild November 7, 2004 Sunday night. With 7:03 left on the game clock, Jeff Garcia rallied his team and took them to the Ravens 5 yard line with 45 seconds remaining in the game. With nothing to lose most expected the Browns to go for a two point conversion and the win should they score a touchdown. Facing a second and five, Garcia tried to hit Aaron Shea down near the goal line but Shea was hit by Ray Lewis just as the ball arrived (some believe perhaps a split second too soon). The pass deflected off Shea and into the hands of Ed Reed who scooped the ball just before it hit the end zone. 106 yards later, Reed’s record interception return for a score put an abrupt end to Cleveland’s comeback and sealed the 27-13 victory for the Ravens a score that certainly isn’t indicative of how close the game really was.
9. In Baltimore, we always feel that we’re on the short end of the stick when it comes to Monday Night Football. Not in 2002. The 0-2 Ravens were facing a smoking hot 3-0 Denver team on MNF. Despite a lackluster at best performance v. Tampa Bay the week before the Ravens’ early season bye, the atmosphere at then Ravens Stadium was electric. The voltage meter went off the chart after a long field goal attempt at the end of the first half by Denver’s Jason Elam fell way short and into the waiting arms of Chris McAlister who was standing 7 yards deep in the end zone. Initially McAlister hesitated but eventually emerged from the end zone after "encouragement" from Ray Lewis. Ray’s hit on a Denver special teams player Keith Burns was one for the ages and it sprung McAlister as he raced down the sidelines for an NFL record 107 yard scoring play.

ravens24×7.com

Tags: 2008, miss, tennessee

Emmy Watch: Reality roundtable

Raven — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:00:05 +0000

This year, the WGA strike removed any doubt about reality programming’s durability: The genre outwitted and outlasted scripted shows to become the biggest survivor for belt-tightening networks.
The most effective counter-programming against blocks of Fox’s “American Idol” were blocks of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”
With the strike over, new questions emerge, so The Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd went to the source for answers: Howard Owens, whose “American Gladiators” and “Loser” took off for NBC during the strike; Arthur Smith, whose “Hell’s Kitchen” for Fox received a post-”Idol” slot and broke its own viewership records; Jane Lipsitz, whose Bravo hit “Project Runway” got caught in an ongoing tug-of-war between NBC Universal and the Weinstein Co.; Mark Cronin, whose unique brand of docu-comic reality shows like “Rock of Love” and “I Love New York” dominate VH1 year-round; and Nick Emerson, whose “Supernanny” has been a ratings workhorse for ABC. Time to get real.
The Hollywood Reporter: What’s been the impact of the strike?
Howard Owens: It’s been good for business. But part of the strike is studios wanting to do things differently and not keep raising the ante. That’s difficult.
Jane Lipsitz: Ultimately, I think the strike isn’t good for anybody. I stopped going to television to see if anything new was going on. And if I’m doing that, I can’t imagine what viewers at home are doing. And if you’re promoting a reality show out of a big scripted hit, you want that show to have as many viewers as possible.
Arthur Smith: People fall out of a pattern.
Mark Cronin: People should stop going outside and playing and interacting and should sit home and watch TV. (Laughter.) I used some striking writers to break episodes for us. It was awesome. (Laughter.)
THR: Increasingly, new reality shows are either pretested overseas formats, presold brands like “Gladiators” or have a celebrity component attached. Is it getting tougher to sell something that doesn’t already have a built-in guarantee?

hollywoodreporter.com

Tags: camp, ratings, rock

MSU incoming freshman Daultan Leveille taken in first round of NHL …

Boniface — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:00:52 +0000

The NHL Draft was held Friday and Saturday in Ottawa. Find out which players with Big Ten ties were selected below:
MICHIGAN: Four future Michigan players were selected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday. Incoming freshman defenseman Brandon Burlon went highest when the New Jersey Devils selected him in the second round (52nd overall). Robbie Czarnik followed just 11 picks later (63rd overall) when the Los Angeles Kings picked him early in the third round. Greg Pateryn was chosen by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round (128th overall) and David Wohlberg joined Burlon as a Devils pick in the sixth round (172nd overall).
Burlon played the last two seasons for the St. Michael’s Buzzers (OPJHL) in Toronto. As an alternate captain for the Buzzers in 2007-08, he helped the squad record program records for wins (43), points (88) and fewest losses (4) en route to the OPJHL regular-season crown. The 6-0, 195-pound rearguard earned a 7-17-24 line to go along with 41 penalty minutes in 32 regular-season games. Burlon was rated the 41st-best North American skater in the NHL Central Scouting Service’s final rankings leading up to the draft.
Czarnik and Wohlberg were teammates on the U.S. National Team Development Program the last two years. In 50 games with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team, Czarnik (6-0, 178 pounds) posted a 16-15-31 line to finish fifth on the team in scoring and had 32 penalty minutes. Wohlberg (6-0, 192 pounds) accumulated an 11-11-22 line and 55 PIM in 46 games with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team. He also had 5-1-6 totals in six games with the U.S. NTDP Under-17 Team. The duo collected bronze medals at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship earlier this spring. In the NHL’s CSS final rankings, Czarnik was ranked 88th while Wohlberg was ranked 172nd.

bigtennetwork.com

Tags: 2008, draft, nhl

The FBI identified the Twin Cities as one of the 10 worst areas in …

Sarina — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:00:07 +0000

The FBI has identified the Twin Cities as one of the 10 worst areas of the United States for mortgage fraud and said it has literally dozens of criminal investigations underway here as part of a national crackdown on the problem.
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Mark Filip and FBI Director Robert Mueller called a news conference Thursday afternoon in Washington to announce a special enforcement effort targeting mortgage fraud and mortgage-related securities fraud.
The multi-agency initiative is called Operation Malicious Mortgage. From March 1 through June 18, the government charged 406 defendants in 144 mortgage fraud cases around the country. The FBI estimates the total losses from these cases at about $1 billion. Six of every 10 cases had losses of at least $1 million.
In Minnesota, it’s even worse, said Rick Thornton, assistant special-agent-in-charge of the criminal division in Minneapolis.
"We have three cases where we are expecting losses approaching $50 million — in each case," Thornton said. "That’s a real loss to one or more financial institutions."
Two of the biggest cases include the prosecutions of Parish Marketing and Development of Eagan and TJ Waconia of Roseville, said Paul McCabe, FBI spokesman in Minneapolis. The Parish case involved more than 200 homes in some southern Twin Cities suburbs; the TJ Waconia case involved 165 homes in Minneapolis. The losses in those cases are still being tallied. McCabe declined to discuss the third case, an indication that it may still be pending.
The FBI’s Minneapolis office currently has "40 plus" investigations underway, Thornton said. But even that understates the scope of the problem.
He stressed the fact that his agency has been participating in an informal mortgage fraud task force for some time with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s office, the Hennepin County Attorney’s office and other agencies. They work together, but each also has its own cases.

startribune.com

Tags: malicious, mortgage, operation

'Idol' Finale Cooks Up Wednesday Victory

Donna — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:00:03 +0000

Fast National ratings for Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The finale of “American Idol” produced an unexpected winner, but its domination of the night’s Nielsens was entirely expected.
FOX averaged a 17.3 rating/27 share in primetime. That translated to about 30.6 million viewers — up a bit from the 29.5 million who watched the 2007 finale. CBS was the best of the rest at 6.9/11. NBC, 4.4/7, came in third, followed by ABC at 2.9/5. The CW drew a 1.2/2.
In the adults 18-49 demographic, FOX’s 11.0 rating beat the combined total of the other four networks (and was on par with last year’s figure). CBS took second with a 2.7. NBC’s 1.7 beat ABC’s 1.2 for third, and The CW trailed at 0.6.
“American Idol” earned a 15.5/26 at 8 p.m. with the first half of its two-hour finale. “The Price Is Right Million Dollar Spectacular,” 5.0/8, put CBS in second. A “Law & Order” repeat on NBC delivered a 3.8/6, topping the 2.3/4 for a “Lost” rerun on ABC. The CW aired a “Farmer Wants a Wife” rerun.
The “Idol” finale improved to 19.1/29 at 9 p.m., peaking at 36.34 million viewers in its final half-hour as David Cook was named this year’s winner over David Archuleta. The season finale of “Criminal Minds,” 8.2/13, finished a healthy second for CBS. A second “Law & Order” kept NBC ahead of ABC and “Lost,” 2.0/3. Another hour of “Farmer Wants a Wife” posted a 1.2/2 for The CW.
At 10 p.m., “CSI: NY” ended its season with a 7.5/12 for CBS. The season finale of “Law & Order” scored a 5.9/10 for NBC. “Boston Legal” came in at 4.2/7 for ABC.
Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.

zap2it.com

Tags: farmer, wants, wife, winner

Jamie Lee Curtis among first five to get Honda FCX

Barbie — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:00:09 +0000

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis–the “scream queen” and comedic actress–headlines the quintet of environmentally conscious consumers who will get the first batch of fuel-cell Honda Clarity sedans when they arrive in the United States in July.
The FCX Clarity is powered by a motor that runs on electricity generated in the hydrogen-fed fuel cell. Its only emission is water vapor. The launch marks the first large-scale retail blitz for fuel-cell technology.
Honda plans to deliver 200 Claritys to the United States and Japan in the next three years, with the “vast majority” coming here, a spokesman said. Production began after a ceremony in Japan last weekend.
The four-passenger sedan has a driving range of up to 280 miles–30 percent more than Honda’s current-generation fuel-cell vehicle–and gets the equivalent of 74 mpg, Honda says. We first saw the FCX Clarity at the Los Angeles auto show last year, where we called it a “peacenik-mobile,” and its looks drew mixed reviews.
Meanwhile, Honda also named three Southern California dealerships located close to refueling stations that will handle leasing and service of the FCX Clarity. The stores are in Costa Mesa, Santa Monica and Torrance–which just happens to be the home of rival Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
FCX Clarity customers will get a subsidized lease of $600 a month for the car. The current-generation Clarity costs $500 a month but is leased to just three handpicked customers in Southern California and was built on an electric-vehicle platform.
Honda has been quick to tout the FCX Clarity as a breakthrough in alternative-fuel technology. Its lithium-ion battery pack is 40 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter than its predecessor.
Curtis, a Golden Globe-winning actress who starred in Halloween, True Lies and, more recently Freaky Friday, will get the Clarity with her husband, filmmaker Christopher Guest.
The rest of the early adopters are:

autoweek.com

Tags: 40, 74, magazine