An Ivy League law student fired a gun 15 times into his neighbor's apartment door Wednesday, shooting the lock off the door, police said.
No one was injured in the shooting in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, near the campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The second-year law student attends Penn; the victim attends Drexel, police said.
Police Lt. John Walker said the Penn student apparently thought the Drexel student might be a spy and wanted to confront him.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
0 commentsSaturday, January 27, 2007
0 commentsPeople still don't know difference between "reply" and "reply to all"
District 1 Town Councilor David Watson resigned from his position as council vice chairman Tuesday for unintentionally forwarding a personal and impolitic e-mail to a town committee on Jan. 14.
The e-mail, which Watson described as "at best politically incorrect and at worst very offensive" in a public apology on Jan. 16, contains nine embedded images of topless women under the heading "This is National Women's Breast Awareness Day." The only other text reads, "Beats ... Martin Luther King Day, doesn't it?"
The e-mail landed in the in boxes of 18 members of the New Elementary School Building Committee and to an individual with an Elmira College e-mail address on Jan. 14. Watson, who received the e-mail from a friend, maintains he doesn't know how the e-mail was forwarded.
The e-mail, which Watson described as "at best politically incorrect and at worst very offensive" in a public apology on Jan. 16, contains nine embedded images of topless women under the heading "This is National Women's Breast Awareness Day." The only other text reads, "Beats ... Martin Luther King Day, doesn't it?"
The e-mail landed in the in boxes of 18 members of the New Elementary School Building Committee and to an individual with an Elmira College e-mail address on Jan. 14. Watson, who received the e-mail from a friend, maintains he doesn't know how the e-mail was forwarded.
Girls charged with conspiracy to kill classmantes, Oprah, Tom Cruise and the Energizer Bunny
Six girls at a rural high school were charged with homicide conspiracy after their principal found a list of 300 names and officials discovered online postings suggesting they kill people, authorities said Thursday.
School officials said the list, discovered in a classroom trash can, mostly named students and faculty members but also included Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey and the Energizer Bunny.
Sequatchie County High School Principal Tommy Layne said that he initially considered it a joke, but that authorities then found the ninth-graders' online MySpace pages and postings that included the word "kill."
School officials said the list, discovered in a classroom trash can, mostly named students and faculty members but also included Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey and the Energizer Bunny.
Sequatchie County High School Principal Tommy Layne said that he initially considered it a joke, but that authorities then found the ninth-graders' online MySpace pages and postings that included the word "kill."
Celebrities play Disney roles
Beckham was among the celebrities photographed in roles of Disney movie characters last month during a "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion for Walt Disney theme parks.
The international soccer star, marketing giant and fashion icon was photographed as the prince from "Sleeping Beauty," astride a white horse and fighting a fire-breathing dragon.
"There were many Disney characters I liked as a kid," Beckham said in a statement released by Disney on Friday. "Now my sons love the Disney characters and it's a big part of their lives, a big part of many children's lives around the world. So to be part of that is an honor and very exciting."
The international soccer star, marketing giant and fashion icon was photographed as the prince from "Sleeping Beauty," astride a white horse and fighting a fire-breathing dragon.
"There were many Disney characters I liked as a kid," Beckham said in a statement released by Disney on Friday. "Now my sons love the Disney characters and it's a big part of their lives, a big part of many children's lives around the world. So to be part of that is an honor and very exciting."
Philadelphia to ban trans fats
Restaurants, food trucks and takeouts would be barred from using products that contain trans fats under legislation introduced in a City Council panel.
The Committee on Public Health and Human Services approved the measure Thursday, and it will go the full Council for the first of two votes on Feb. 1.
Restaurants would have to rid their kitchens of trans fats by Sept. 1 under the bill by Councilman Juan Ramos.
The Committee on Public Health and Human Services approved the measure Thursday, and it will go the full Council for the first of two votes on Feb. 1.
Restaurants would have to rid their kitchens of trans fats by Sept. 1 under the bill by Councilman Juan Ramos.
Man chases girl scout away with shotgun
An outing to sell Girl Scout cookies turns dangerous for a St. Louis firefighter and his daughter.
They claim that an elderly neighbor chased them with a loaded shotgun.
Terry Tedder says that on Tuesday night he took his 8-year-old daughter around their south St. Louis neighborhood to sell Girl Scout cookies.
They claim that an elderly neighbor chased them with a loaded shotgun.
Terry Tedder says that on Tuesday night he took his 8-year-old daughter around their south St. Louis neighborhood to sell Girl Scout cookies.
Fox News woman shows up anti-gay protester
It's someone like this who brings a bad name to the term christian.
Drexel student investigation
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said yesterday that the case of the dead newborn found in a bloody tote bag would have been solved already if the suspect's family were less "affluent and powerful."
Police said the woman who gave birth is an 18-year-old Drexel University freshman and the granddaughter of Albert E. Piscopo, 62, president and chief executive of the Glenmede Trust Co. Chitwood said police have been denied access to family members who have information about the incident.
An attorney for the family disputed Chitwood's complaint. "I am not going to respond to Mike Chitwood anymore," said Piscopo's attorney, Arthur T. Donato Jr. "Any suggestion that we have provided anything other than extraordinary cooperation is just wrong."
Police said the woman who gave birth is an 18-year-old Drexel University freshman and the granddaughter of Albert E. Piscopo, 62, president and chief executive of the Glenmede Trust Co. Chitwood said police have been denied access to family members who have information about the incident.
An attorney for the family disputed Chitwood's complaint. "I am not going to respond to Mike Chitwood anymore," said Piscopo's attorney, Arthur T. Donato Jr. "Any suggestion that we have provided anything other than extraordinary cooperation is just wrong."
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
1 commentsMy viking name is
Nikulás Shieldcrusher
Your Viking Personality: You're a fearsome Viking, but you aren't completely uncivilized. The other Vikings make fun of you for that. Unlike most Vikings, you don't have a quick temper; you tend to think about your actions before you undertake them. Sometimes you think too long. You're not a "berserker", but you're among the toughest sane Vikings around.
A long sea voyage aboard a Viking longboat would be difficult for you, but you might be able to manage it. You possess some skills which other Vikings respect, though in your case their respect is tinged with fear.
You have a fairly pragmatic attitude towards life, and tend not to expend effort in areas where it would be wasted. Other people tend to think of you as manipulative and conniving.
Get yours.
Let's not forget about this year's Razzies
Any honest Academy member will admit that Oscar voters are dealing with slim pickings for 2006. But at the other end of the quality scale, voters for this year's 27th Annual RAZZIE® Awards had literally dozens of deserving contenders to choose from. And choose they have…and RAZZ the nominees they will, in ceremonies to be held at 7:30pm/PST on Oscar eve, Saturday, February 24 at Hollywood's Ivar Theatre.
Heading the dis-honor roll of Worst Achievements in Film this year are a lascivious murder mystery that turned out to be a laugh riot, and a comedy nearly as devoid of laughs as SCHINDLER'S LIST: Sharon Stone as a "femme fatale" The L.A. Times called "footloose and panty-free" in BASIC INSTINCT 2 and Shawn and Marlon Wayans in their brother Keenan Ivory Wayans' blatant knock-off of a 1954 Bugs Bunny cartoon, LITTLE MAN. Each racked up 7 shots at the spray-painted gold statuettes no one in Hollywood really wants to "win." Joining these films in the final circle as Worst Picture nominees are M. Night Shyamalan's brain-dead bedtime story (and box office dud) LADY IN THE WATER, Oscar winner Nicolas Cage donning an unconvincing bear suit in the laugh-out-loud funny remake of the Australian thriller WICKER MAN, and a film helmed by the man many Internet users consider the worst director alive today, Uwe Boll's BLOODRAYNE.
Heading the dis-honor roll of Worst Achievements in Film this year are a lascivious murder mystery that turned out to be a laugh riot, and a comedy nearly as devoid of laughs as SCHINDLER'S LIST: Sharon Stone as a "femme fatale" The L.A. Times called "footloose and panty-free" in BASIC INSTINCT 2 and Shawn and Marlon Wayans in their brother Keenan Ivory Wayans' blatant knock-off of a 1954 Bugs Bunny cartoon, LITTLE MAN. Each racked up 7 shots at the spray-painted gold statuettes no one in Hollywood really wants to "win." Joining these films in the final circle as Worst Picture nominees are M. Night Shyamalan's brain-dead bedtime story (and box office dud) LADY IN THE WATER, Oscar winner Nicolas Cage donning an unconvincing bear suit in the laugh-out-loud funny remake of the Australian thriller WICKER MAN, and a film helmed by the man many Internet users consider the worst director alive today, Uwe Boll's BLOODRAYNE.
A great new board game
Hey Kids, it's Sock Full of Bees, the newest game from the makers of stampede. It's a swarm of fun, but bee careful...
Monday, January 22, 2007
0 commentsThe most profitable movie of 2006
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" sold a boatload of DVDs and took in a treasure trove at the box office, but it was merely the runner-up to a cartoon when it came to making money last year.
In a report released Thursday, Kagan Research called "Ice Age: The Meltdown" the most profitable widely released movie of 2006, estimating its cost at $256.4 million and revenue for all release windows at $1.1 billion. When the latter is divided by the former, the result is 4.11, which Kagan calls its Kagan Profitability Index.
Fox's "Ice Age" bests Kagan's No. 2 pick "Pirates," which sports a 3.93 KPI. Kagan puts costs at $423.8 million and revenue at $1.7 billion for Disney's "Pirates."
In a report released Thursday, Kagan Research called "Ice Age: The Meltdown" the most profitable widely released movie of 2006, estimating its cost at $256.4 million and revenue for all release windows at $1.1 billion. When the latter is divided by the former, the result is 4.11, which Kagan calls its Kagan Profitability Index.
Fox's "Ice Age" bests Kagan's No. 2 pick "Pirates," which sports a 3.93 KPI. Kagan puts costs at $423.8 million and revenue at $1.7 billion for Disney's "Pirates."
iPhone rival from LG
In the catwalk-crazed nooks of society, the fashionistas who gleefully fork over nearly $3,000 for a PRADA bag, can now have a new, matching accessory -- a PRADA phone. South Korea's LG Electronics has teamed up with Italy's high-end apparel and accessories manufacturer to produce an equally high-end phone.
The companies are touting the PRADA Phone by LG as a real breakthrough in the industry, describing it as the first completely touch-screen mobile phone, apparently sidestepping the fact that Apple introduced its own touch-screen iPhone just last week.
Indeed, there are numerous similarities. The PRADA Phone by LG plays music and videos on a wide, LCD screen. It has a 2-megapixel camera, eight megabytes of internal memory, and yes, it looks a lot like Apple's iPhone. The slick, button-free, touch-screen interface is particularly similar.
The companies are touting the PRADA Phone by LG as a real breakthrough in the industry, describing it as the first completely touch-screen mobile phone, apparently sidestepping the fact that Apple introduced its own touch-screen iPhone just last week.
Indeed, there are numerous similarities. The PRADA Phone by LG plays music and videos on a wide, LCD screen. It has a 2-megapixel camera, eight megabytes of internal memory, and yes, it looks a lot like Apple's iPhone. The slick, button-free, touch-screen interface is particularly similar.
They "were very upset when the detectives told them they had been having a sexual relationship with a 29-year-old man and not a pre-teen boy"
A charter school alerted authorities to a 29-year-old sex offender who tried to enroll there, pretending he was just 12, in what sheriff's officials said Friday may have been an attempt to lure children into sexual abuse.
The Yavapai County sheriff's office also said Neil Havens Rodreick II conned two men he was living with and having sex with into believing he was a young boy.
One of them, 61-year-old Lonnie Stiffler, called himself Rodreick's grandfather when he tried to enroll him at Mingus Springs Charter School as "Casey Price."
The Yavapai County sheriff's office also said Neil Havens Rodreick II conned two men he was living with and having sex with into believing he was a young boy.
One of them, 61-year-old Lonnie Stiffler, called himself Rodreick's grandfather when he tried to enroll him at Mingus Springs Charter School as "Casey Price."
Man accused of baby punching
25-year-old man in Mims, Fla., is accused of beating a baby and another young child with his closed fists and threatening to sexually molest the wives of the officers arresting him, according to Local 6 News partner Florida Today.
Darrel Ray Kessinger, of 13 Evergreen Place, was arrested late Saturday and charged with burglary with battery, child abuse, resisting an officer, corruption by threat and resisting without violence, reports show.
Police reports show the incident began about 1:48 a.m. Saturday when Kessinger got involved with an altercation with another man.
Darrel Ray Kessinger, of 13 Evergreen Place, was arrested late Saturday and charged with burglary with battery, child abuse, resisting an officer, corruption by threat and resisting without violence, reports show.
Police reports show the incident began about 1:48 a.m. Saturday when Kessinger got involved with an altercation with another man.
100 free games for 2007
It's not hard to find free games on the Internet -- but it's damn near impossible to sift through the terabytes of crap to find good ones. That's where the editors of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine come in: We've tracked down another 101 absolutely, positively, no-strings-attached free games that are actually worth playing, grouped them into handy categories, and put most of 'em up on FileFront.com. There's something here for everyone, from RPGs to real-time strategy to Asteroids Flash games, though we have to confess up front: There are actually more than 101 free games here. So no complaining that you're not getting your money's worth.
Dogs really can curb themselves
Raising pets can release modern people's tense mood and accompany them through happy or lonely time together. Tseng thinks that the relation between human beings and dogs should be like brothers and sisters, accompanying each other to grow up; and that is why the Company's name and trademark is the "Fellowlike"
Saturday, January 20, 2007
0 commentsMayor John Street is a genius and I think that he should run for president
Mayor Street embarked on a round of public events this week to sell his plan to combat violent crime. It turned into an offensive to combat the attacks on his crime record from former Councilman Michael A. Nutter and other mayoral candidates who say he should have been bolder on the issue.
Street's message, in essence: It's complicated.
He blamed violence, variously, on the war in Iraq, a lack of "love" in the city, media exaggeration, and politics.
Street's message, in essence: It's complicated.
He blamed violence, variously, on the war in Iraq, a lack of "love" in the city, media exaggeration, and politics.
Hungry hungry hippo... boo...
This is the terrifying moment a hippopotamus drags a zebra to its death — the first time an attack has been caught on film.
A BBC1 crew captured the incident and recorded the enormous hippo ripping its helpless prey apart with its massive jaws.
David Breed, a wildlife guide working with the crew in Kenya, said: “I’ve only seen hippos kill wildebeest at river crossings five times in 20 years. I have heard stories about hippo attacks on zebra, but I’ve never seen one.”
A BBC1 crew captured the incident and recorded the enormous hippo ripping its helpless prey apart with its massive jaws.
David Breed, a wildlife guide working with the crew in Kenya, said: “I’ve only seen hippos kill wildebeest at river crossings five times in 20 years. I have heard stories about hippo attacks on zebra, but I’ve never seen one.”
Starbucks takes growth hormones out of its milk, not that you ever really knew it was in there to begin with
First, Starbucks Corp. took the trans-fats out of its pastries, now it's taking artificial hormones out of its milk.
The worldwide coffee retailer said Tuesday it is moving forward with long-promised plans to make the milk and other dairy products it serves in its U.S. coffee houses free of a controversial artificial growth hormone used to increase milk production.
A conversion is initially aimed at all 5,500 U.S. company-owned stores, but Seattle-based Starbucks is also exploring such a move with more than 3,000 licensed locations, a company spokesman said.
The worldwide coffee retailer said Tuesday it is moving forward with long-promised plans to make the milk and other dairy products it serves in its U.S. coffee houses free of a controversial artificial growth hormone used to increase milk production.
A conversion is initially aimed at all 5,500 U.S. company-owned stores, but Seattle-based Starbucks is also exploring such a move with more than 3,000 licensed locations, a company spokesman said.
Man fights fire with fire
Faced with an aggressive grease fire on his stove, Gary Moore remembered advice from his high school debate team coach: Fight fire with fire. Without a moment’s hesitation, the 32-year-old reached for the model F-560 FireMaster flame thrower he keeps under the kitchen sink.
"I guess it's just an expression," said Moore after assisting his two-bedroom house to ashes.
The home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Exacerbating the situation was a still flame-throwing Moore, intent on carrying out his new approach to firefighting.
"I guess it's just an expression," said Moore after assisting his two-bedroom house to ashes.
The home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Exacerbating the situation was a still flame-throwing Moore, intent on carrying out his new approach to firefighting.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
0 commentsPhiladelphia cops oblige man yelling "Kill me!"
A knife-wielding man who allegedly lunged at police early yesterday in Center City was killed after numerous officers shot at him, police said.
At one point before he was shot down, the unidentified man yelled at police, "Kill me! Kill me!" according to Capt. Benjamin Naish, head of public affairs.
The shooting was caught on surveillance cameras installed outside the Robert N.C. Nix Federal Building on Market Street near 9th, according to Internal Affairs Chief Inspector Bill Colarulo. It was the second fatal shooting by police in the new year. In 2006, there were 20 such shootings.
Update: Experts say police justified in killing
At one point before he was shot down, the unidentified man yelled at police, "Kill me! Kill me!" according to Capt. Benjamin Naish, head of public affairs.
The shooting was caught on surveillance cameras installed outside the Robert N.C. Nix Federal Building on Market Street near 9th, according to Internal Affairs Chief Inspector Bill Colarulo. It was the second fatal shooting by police in the new year. In 2006, there were 20 such shootings.
Update: Experts say police justified in killing
Ultimate suit of armour
The grizzly man is back, and this time he's ready to take on bullets and bombs.
Troy Hurtubise, the Hamilton-born inventor who became famous for his bulky bear-protection suit by standing in front of a moving vehicle to prove it worked, has now created a much slimmer suit that he hopes will soon be protecting Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
He has spent two years and $15,000 in the lab out back of his house in North Bay, designing and building a practical, lightweight and affordable shell to stave off bullets, explosives, knives and clubs. He calls it the Trojan and describes it as the "first ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armour."
Troy Hurtubise, the Hamilton-born inventor who became famous for his bulky bear-protection suit by standing in front of a moving vehicle to prove it worked, has now created a much slimmer suit that he hopes will soon be protecting Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
He has spent two years and $15,000 in the lab out back of his house in North Bay, designing and building a practical, lightweight and affordable shell to stave off bullets, explosives, knives and clubs. He calls it the Trojan and describes it as the "first ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armour."
20 worst rhymes in pop music history
When Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder managed to rhyme “public” and “subject” in “Tears of a Clown,” it was sheer genius. Getting that perfect coupling of words and phrases is what makes for a brilliant song. Then there are musicians who just write down words because they rhyme, or because they think they rhyme, and hope that we won’t notice that the lyrics don't make any sense. Sometimes the songs are so good that we don’t notice. Then there are these examples.
Top 10 unfilmed comic book characters
Whenever comic book movies become popular, studios everywhere go into a feeding frenzy, buying up more rights to comic book titles than they can probably produce. You might think all the good comic book films have already been done, but as this list illustrates, you’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.
The number one criteria for this comic book list is they have to be basically do-able and film-able. Something like “The Dark Knight Returns” has excellent visual qualities, but it’s doubtful mainstream moviegoers could handle the sight of Batman laying into Superman, the punk pawn of the president. So, the following picks may not satisfy the ranks of salivating comic book fans (myself included), but they should at least hold the interest of non-comic book enthusiasts . . . and just maybe . . . a studio exec.
The number one criteria for this comic book list is they have to be basically do-able and film-able. Something like “The Dark Knight Returns” has excellent visual qualities, but it’s doubtful mainstream moviegoers could handle the sight of Batman laying into Superman, the punk pawn of the president. So, the following picks may not satisfy the ranks of salivating comic book fans (myself included), but they should at least hold the interest of non-comic book enthusiasts . . . and just maybe . . . a studio exec.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
0 comments 0 commentsJust use some common sense in Philadelphia... or anywhere
Since he got out of jail in August, police say, Walter Johnson has been trying to make a living as a smash-and-grab thief.
They say he worked a three-block radius around Presidential Boulevard, swiping more than $150,000 in iPods, cell phones and other hi-tech gear from parked cars.
Johnson, 30, of 54th Street near Kingsessing Avenue, Southwest Philadelphia, is accused of 61 counts of thefts from vehicles from August until his arrest this month.
They say he worked a three-block radius around Presidential Boulevard, swiping more than $150,000 in iPods, cell phones and other hi-tech gear from parked cars.
Johnson, 30, of 54th Street near Kingsessing Avenue, Southwest Philadelphia, is accused of 61 counts of thefts from vehicles from August until his arrest this month.
Philadelphia Orchestra wins MetLife Award
Camden Community Partnership Initiative includes Camden Music Workshop, Neighborhood Concerts, and School Partnership Program Partnership with Cooper University Hospital helped launch three-year-old initiative Camden Music Workshop presents culminating performance on January 19, 2007, featuring Music Director Christoph Eschenbach.
The Philadelphia Orchestra has received one of four MetLife awards for Excellence in Community Engagement by the American Symphony Orchestra League. The annual MetLife awards highlight programs from across the nation that can serve as models for other American orchestras. The Award was bestowed on The Philadelphia Orchestra for its Camden Community Partnership Initiative, a three-year-old partnership committed to using musical engagement as a means to improve the economic condition, emotional health, and future outlook of the city.
The Philadelphia Orchestra has received one of four MetLife awards for Excellence in Community Engagement by the American Symphony Orchestra League. The annual MetLife awards highlight programs from across the nation that can serve as models for other American orchestras. The Award was bestowed on The Philadelphia Orchestra for its Camden Community Partnership Initiative, a three-year-old partnership committed to using musical engagement as a means to improve the economic condition, emotional health, and future outlook of the city.
Spicey food may help fight cancer
The chemical in chillies that makes them hot to taste could be used to combat cancerous tumours, a new study has found.
Dr Andrew Westwell, a senior lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry at the Welsh School of Pharmacy, said the chemical compound capsaicin, that gives spicy food like curry its kick, could hold the key to the next generation of anti-cancer drugs that will kill tumours.
He was an adviser in a study, published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, that has proven for the first time that capsaicin can kill cells by directly targeting their energy source.
Dr Andrew Westwell, a senior lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry at the Welsh School of Pharmacy, said the chemical compound capsaicin, that gives spicy food like curry its kick, could hold the key to the next generation of anti-cancer drugs that will kill tumours.
He was an adviser in a study, published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, that has proven for the first time that capsaicin can kill cells by directly targeting their energy source.
Video games may help you get a job
Mathematics, science and video games? A U.S. university professor is urging schools to consider using video games as tools to better prepare children for the work force.
For although many educators scoff at the idea of video games in schools, the U.S. military has titles that train soldiers, teenagers with cancer use a game to battle their illness virtually and physically and some surgeons use video games to keep their hands nimble.
David Williamson Shaffer, an education science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says schools should use games to prepare children to compete in the work force, where juggling technology is a daily requirement.
For although many educators scoff at the idea of video games in schools, the U.S. military has titles that train soldiers, teenagers with cancer use a game to battle their illness virtually and physically and some surgeons use video games to keep their hands nimble.
David Williamson Shaffer, an education science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says schools should use games to prepare children to compete in the work force, where juggling technology is a daily requirement.
Going to college may cause memory loss
Going to college is a no-brainer for those who can afford it, but higher education actually tends to speed up mental decline when it comes to fumbling for words later in life.
Participants in a new study, all more than 70 years old, were tested up to four times between 1993 and 2000 on their ability to recall 10 common words read aloud to them. Those with more education were found to have a steeper decline over the years in their ability to remember the list, according to a new study detailed in the current issue of the journal Research on Aging.
The meaning of the results is less then clear, however.
Participants in a new study, all more than 70 years old, were tested up to four times between 1993 and 2000 on their ability to recall 10 common words read aloud to them. Those with more education were found to have a steeper decline over the years in their ability to remember the list, according to a new study detailed in the current issue of the journal Research on Aging.
The meaning of the results is less then clear, however.
Beckham set to play in U.S.
David Beckham is set to become the first modern footballer to have a stake in the football club he plays for - and share in its profits.
"Golden Balls" - as the tabloids call him - may not have a golden share but he will make money from LA Galaxy, possibly as much as $10m (£5.14m) a year in profits.
Insiders I have spoken to have painted a fascinating picture of the astonishing $250m (£128m), five-year deal he has signed with the Los Angeles team.
"Golden Balls" - as the tabloids call him - may not have a golden share but he will make money from LA Galaxy, possibly as much as $10m (£5.14m) a year in profits.
Insiders I have spoken to have painted a fascinating picture of the astonishing $250m (£128m), five-year deal he has signed with the Los Angeles team.
R.I.P. Iwao Takamoto
Iwao Takamoto, the animator who created the beloved character of Scooby-Doo and directed the cartoon classic "Charlotte's Web," has died. He was 81.
Takamoto, whose career spanned more than six decades and who learned the craft while in a Japanese-American internment camp, died Monday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said.
Takamoto assisted in the designs of some of the biggest animated features and television shows for Disney and the Hanna-Barbera animation team. They included "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp," "101 Dalmatians," "The Jetsons" and "The Flintstones."
Cisco sues Apple
Cisco Systems, with Chief Executive John Chambers, sued Apple Inc. in federal court on Wednesday, claiming that Cisco owns the iPhone trademark. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled the long awaited Apple iPhone at the MacWorld trade show in San Francisco on Tuesday, but Cisco claims that Apple does not have the right to use the name 'iPhone'.
In spite of some reports yesterday to the contrary, the matter of the high-profile product's naming had not been resolved behind the scenes between two of the biggest names in Silicon Valley.
In spite of some reports yesterday to the contrary, the matter of the high-profile product's naming had not been resolved behind the scenes between two of the biggest names in Silicon Valley.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
0 commentsIn case you live under a rock
iPhone combines three products — a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching — into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone also introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting you control everything with just your fingers. So it ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
0 comments 0 comments 0 commentsSounds like a good movie
Somewhere out there – possibly reading this very article – are the members of a most exclusive fraternity. These people (I think there may be three of them) may not know each other. They may not know they belong to such a tiny club. But they played a pivotal role in movie history: these people helped the Tom Sizemore and Katherine Heigl-starring movie Zyzzyx Road reach an astonishing 30 dollars at the domestic box office.
That’s not a typo. I didn’t mean 30 million dollars. Or 300,000 dollars. Zyzzyx Road, released on February 25th of 2006, was released in one theater, where it played for six days and earned 30 dollars total. That would be an average of five dollars per day, although Box Office Mojo tells us that the film actually made the bulk of its money – twenty bucks – on the opening weekend.
That’s not a typo. I didn’t mean 30 million dollars. Or 300,000 dollars. Zyzzyx Road, released on February 25th of 2006, was released in one theater, where it played for six days and earned 30 dollars total. That would be an average of five dollars per day, although Box Office Mojo tells us that the film actually made the bulk of its money – twenty bucks – on the opening weekend.
Don't mix alcohol and energy drinks
That midnight kiss on New Year's Eve may not have been the only thing that took your breath away. Those who celebrated the night with a few drinks may, next time, think twice about what they order once they hear about the health risks associated with mixing alcoholic beverages with energy drinks.
Popular energy drinks such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, Rockstar and Monster are a common choice of "mixers" for alcoholic beverages, but may pose health risks. And that's no bull.
"You can hinder your respiration," said Roger A. Clemens, of the University of Southern California's School of Pharmacy. "From a public health perspective, you should not mix stimulants with alcohol."
Popular energy drinks such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, Rockstar and Monster are a common choice of "mixers" for alcoholic beverages, but may pose health risks. And that's no bull.
"You can hinder your respiration," said Roger A. Clemens, of the University of Southern California's School of Pharmacy. "From a public health perspective, you should not mix stimulants with alcohol."
Gas cooker accident blows up half of island
This was the astonishing scene after a faulty gas cooker exploded in a timber-framed shack — and devastated a tiny Caribbean island.
The blast caused an inferno that leapt from hut to hut, taking less than 10 minutes to sweep across half the shanty town-style community.
As gas cylinders in more wooden homes exploded, many of Soledad Miria’s 1,014 inhabitants dived into the sea or took to fishing boats to escape. More than a third — 348 — were injured but, amazingly no one died.
10 gadgets that changed the world
The wheel. The plow. The gun. The electric light. The radio. The chip. The untidy march of human ingenuity and innovation has led you here, to our list of the 10 most life-altering devices of the modern era.
