BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Snoop arrested in airport fracas

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Snoop arrested in airport fracas: "US rapper Snoop Dogg has been arrested after a fracas at London's Heathrow Airport that left seven police officers with minor injuries.

Police said 30 people were involved in a disturbance in a business lounge at Terminal 1 on Wednesday.

They were then told they could not board their flight and 'became abusive and pushed officers', police said.

The star, real name Calvin Broadus, and five other men were held on suspicion of violent disorder and affray.

The injured officers mainly suffered cuts and bruises, with one sustaining a fractured hand.

'Abusive'

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Police were called at 6pm last night to reports of a disturbance involving 30 people in a business lounge at Terminal 1.

'The party was told that they would not be permitted to board their flight and officers then attempted to direct the group to baggage reclaim.

'A number of the group became abusive and pushed officers.'

The six men, all US citizens, were taken into custody at two west London police stations.

Snoop Dogg and his entourage were due to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa.

He started his career in the early 1990s as a rapper and has since branched out into acting, starring in the remake of Starsky and Hutch. "

Berlusconi compares himself to Christ - Europe - MSNBC.com

First Kanye, now this.. Poor Jesus..

Berlusconi compares himself to Christ - Europe - MSNBC.com: "ROME - First it was Napoleon. Now it is Jesus Christ.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Belusconi has compared himself to both, prompting the open scorn of his political opponents and even the quietly raised eyebrows of his coalition partners.

“I am the Jesus Christ of politics,” Italian media quoted him as saying at a dinner with supporters on Saturday night. “I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone.”"

Variety.com - Fans flood Hong Kong Disneyland

Variety.com - Fans flood Hong Kong Disneyland: "Fans flood Hong Kong Disneyland
Park reached capacity on Monday and Tuesday

By PATRICK FRATER
Hong Kong Disneyland locked its doors two days running after selling out over the Chinese New Year holiday. Park reached its 30,000-visitor capacity on Monday and Tuesday, thanks to a combination of good weather and an influx of mainland Chinese tourists.... "

End of Hiro

NIGHTLIFER Nur Khan, who lorded over Maritime Hotel hotspot Hiro for two years, has left to start his own club. Khan - formerly at the reins of Sway, Spy and Wax - says he parted "amicably" with Maritime maestros Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson. "It's just time for me to move on to bigger and better things and a project of my own," says Khan, who is already scouting locations.

G-Spa & Lounge: NYC: New Horrible Club

This sounds miserable - both as a club and a spa. So would you like to try our new nicotene and vodka wrap? Or perhaps you would like to listen to our new soothing chime music tonight in the club?

"Tomorrow night, Sartiano and Akiva open their latest hotspot, the G-Spa & Lounge, in the basement of the Gansevoort Hotel. The club, a spa during the day, can only hold 75 people. "

Sky by broadband

Sky by broadband: "Sky by broadband is a new service exclusive to Sky digital customers. It allows you to enjoy hundreds of films on your PC, including a mix of Hollywood blockbusters and classic movie titles available on Sky Movies. "

CNN.com - Monkeys smash album sales record - Jan 30, 2006

CNN.com - Monkeys smash album sales record - Jan 30, 2006: "LONDON, England (Reuters) -- The Arctic Monkeys, who first built a loyal following on the Internet, have smashed the British record for the fastest-selling debut album.
The Sheffield rockers, who have already had two number one singles, released their album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' on January 23. It has since sold over 363,700 copies."

BBC - Radio Five Live - Audio Archive

BBC - Radio Five Live - Audio Archive: "Rupert Murdoch"

ABC News: Bode Suggests Bonds, Armstrong Cheating

ABC News: Bode Suggests Bonds, Armstrong Cheating: "GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany - Here we go again with Bode Miller. Just as the brash World Cup champion skier decided to skip this weekend's events to rest up for the Turin Games and get away from media scrutiny, Miller suggested in an interview with Rolling Stone that Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong took performance-enhancing drugs.
'Right now, if you want to cheat, you can: Barry Bonds and those guys are just knowingly cheating, but there's all sorts of loopholes,' he told the magazine.' If you say it has to be 'knowingly,' you do what Lance (Armstrong) and all those guys do, where every morning their doctor gives them a box of pills and they don't ask anything, they just take the pills.'
Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, declined to respond to Miller's comments. Telephone and email messages left with Armstrong representatives were not immediately returned Thursday."

Bode Miller: American Hero of the Hour?

Thank god someone still drinks, speaks their mind and competes like hell in America!

Tara Reid Strikes Again -

"Jan. 23, 2006 issue - It was shaping up to be a perfect honeymoon for George Smith and Jennifer Hagel Smith. Touring the Mediterranean aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship last summer, the couple, both 26, were enthralled by the luxurious casino in Monte Carlo and the shimmering Aegean Sea. On the Greek island of Mykonos on July 4—six days into their journey—George happened to meet the actress Tara Reid, with whom he giddily took a photo. But the Smiths' idyllic trip soon took a disastrous turn. Later that night on the ship, George somehow went overboard."
+Newsweek.

Skiing drunk 'not easy,' Bode says - Winter Olympics - MSNBC.com

Skiing drunk 'not easy,' Bode says - Winter Olympics - MSNBC.com: "NEW YORK - Bode Miller knows he puts his life at risk when he skis drunk, but the outspoken Olympic favorite admits he may try the dangerous activity again.
�Talk about a hard challenge right there. ... If you ever tried to ski when you�re wasted, it�s not easy,� Miller told �60 Minutes� for a segment that will air Sunday. �Try and ski a slalom when ... you hit a gate less than every one second, so it�s risky. You�re putting your life at risk. ... It�s like driving drunk, only there are no rules about it in ski racing.�
Asked if the risk meant he would never ski drunk again, Miller replied �No, I�m not saying that.�"

Feliz Navidad. Vuelto bronceado en 2006.

-W4 Team

Independent Online Edition > News

Independent Online Edition > News: "Dylan, 64, is set to breathe life into his latest incarnation next March, when he will begin a weekly, hour-long show presenting music apparently selected by himself. The man who wrote classics such as 'Mr Tambourine Man', 'Like a Rolling Stone' and 'The Times They Are A-Changin'', will also be offering commentary on music and other matters and will interview a yet-to-be-announced series of special guests. In addition, he will be taking e-mails from listeners."

Social Diary 12/5/05 - T�is definitely the season

Social Diary 12/5/05 - T�is definitely the season: "Tinsley Mortimer is the new Paris Hilton. Oh no, not really, you say? Oh yes, really. A girl with a high profile social name in New York (acquired, in this case, through marriage), who has come into celebrity via the party picture/celebrity photograph. It is only a question of time before the celebrity becomes international � just like her predecessor � and maybe even hits television or the movies. Really? That is exactly how Ms. Hilton (and her sister Nicky) began, unwittingly paving the way for other pretty young blondes who love the camera and vice versa. "

The New York Times: Travel

Intel reports this is completely overrated but Blue Bar for cocktails is great.

The New York Times: Travel: "Style-conscious guests at the Berkeley Hotel can enjoy designer food, served on Paul Smith china, that echoes the season's latest collections. This summer's treats, created by the designers themselves, include bikini biscuits by Gucci (right), Dolce & Gabbana tropical �clairs, Emanuel Ungaro white coconut shimmer meringues, and an Yves Saint Laurent vivid yellow mango panna cotta. "

US News Article | Reuters.com

I think it is great for America as it keeps the people who shop there away from me. Plus if I want those low low prices there is always walmart.com

US News Article | Reuters.com: "CHICAGO (Reuters) - Some 56 percent of U.S. consumers think Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is bad for America, according to a Zogby International poll released on Thursday by one of the retailer's most vocal critics.
The national poll -- commissioned by WakeUpWalMart.com, a union-funded group that has been pressuring Wal-Mart to raise employee wages and benefits -- surveyed 1,012 randomly chosen adults on their attitudes toward the world biggest retailer."

calendarlive.com: NBC's Couric May Jump to Rival CBS

Ugh. This could be the worst decision ever. Why not have Pamela Anderson host the news. At least she is hotter. Katie Couric is not hard news.

calendarlive.com: NBC's Couric May Jump to Rival CBS: "NEW YORK � NBC's 'Today' show co-anchor Katie Couric is being actively wooed by CBS to be its next evening news anchor � a move she is seriously considering, according to sources at both networks.

In recent weeks, CBS News President Sean McManus has been doggedly courting Couric to switch networks and assume the anchor seat of the 'CBS Evening News,' according to three senior editorial employees at CBS and NBC."

NYO - Observatory

NYO - Observatory: "These days, the Upper East Side and the Lower East Side have both become the forward positions of what can no longer be reasonably called the bridge-and-tunnel crowd. No point in dressing in rags and belting out lyrics from Rent, because every block of the East Village looks like frat row at the University of Michigan. In Manhattan the successful can�t afford homes, while the impoverished stay healthy, well-fed and drunk on their parents� credit cards."

CNN.com - Western resorts spruce up for ski season - Nov 15, 2005

CNN.com - Western resorts spruce up for ski season - Nov 15, 2005: "Tamarack, in its second year of operation, is adding a third high-speed quad, 10 new alpine trails and 1,700 additional vertical feet. Sun Valley has replaced its grooming fleet with 10 new machines, while Northern Idaho's Schweitzer Mountain is opening 400 new acres of terrain including five new runs for advanced, intermediate and expert skiers and riders. Schweitzer Mountain has also been chosen to host the World Cup Telemark Finals March 10-12, the first World Cup Telemark event to be held in the United States in three years."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Google extends searching offline

BBC NEWS | Technology | Google extends searching offline: "Google may already be dominant on the web but now it is stretching its wings to the physical world as well.
Google Space, at Terminal One of London's Heathrow airport, will allow people to log onto the net and check e-mail while they wait for flights.
For Google, the space will be used to test its myriad product launches on the public. "

Vegas Stripping L.A. of Its Luxury Luster - Los Angeles Times

Vegas Stripping L.A. of Its Luxury Luster - Los Angeles Times: "This year, more restaurants opened in Nevada than any other state in the nation, according to the National Restaurant Assn., thanks in large part to the competition among Las Vegas' luxury hotels. Once there, restaurateurs often find the city provides a near nonstop supply of big spenders."

New York Post Online Edition: gossip

To spend your thanksgiving at a nightclub sounds pretty damn depressing.

New York Post Online Edition: gossip: "THAT club queen Amy Sacco is hosting her fourth annual Wild Turkey Shoot soiree with a bevy of bold-faced buddies at Bungalow 8 tonight"

A Party Girl Leads China's Online Revolution - I am a dance girl, and I am a party member

A Party Girl Leads China's Online Revolution - New York Times: "SHANGHAI, Nov. 23 - On her fourth day of keeping a Web log, she introduced herself to the world with these striking words: 'I am a dance girl, and I am a party member.'
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image

Pictures from the Web log of a self-described Communist Party member from Shanghai who goes by the pseudonym Mu Mu. One expert says China's new bloggers talk back to authority, 'but in a humorous way.' 'I don't know if I can be counted as a successful Web cam dance girl,' that early post continued. 'But I'm sure that looking around the world, if I am not the one with the highest diploma, I am definitely the dance babe who reads the most and thinks the deepest, and I'm most likely the only party member among them.'"

A Party Girl Leads China's Online Revolution - I am a dance girl, and I am a party member

A Party Girl Leads China's Online Revolution - New York Times: "SHANGHAI, Nov. 23 - On her fourth day of keeping a Web log, she introduced herself to the world with these striking words: 'I am a dance girl, and I am a party member.'
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image

Pictures from the Web log of a self-described Communist Party member from Shanghai who goes by the pseudonym Mu Mu. One expert says China's new bloggers talk back to authority, 'but in a humorous way.' 'I don't know if I can be counted as a successful Web cam dance girl,' that early post continued. 'But I'm sure that looking around the world, if I am not the one with the highest diploma, I am definitely the dance babe who reads the most and thinks the deepest, and I'm most likely the only party member among them.'"

Tommy Lee Hotel Suggestions

Independent Online Edition > Profiles: "'Mind you, four days ago, I stayed in a hotel in Dallas, Texas, and - you are gonna love this - it was called The Notorious Suite. It had a raised stage and stripper pole in it.'"

CNN.com - Tyson dinner ends in mass brawl - Nov 16, 2005

Drink and Fight. A proper British Supper.

CNN.com - Tyson dinner ends in mass brawl - Nov 16, 2005: "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Guests at a British boxing dinner for former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson launched into a mass brawl.
Police said they were called to a 'large fight' at the Heritage Hotel in Derby, central England, where Tyson had appeared to launch a four-date promotional tour of Britain.
Around 20 people were involved in the brawl Tuesday evening, which saw chairs hurled, tables tipped over, glasses smashed and punches thrown."

BBC NEWS | Technology | US retains hold of the internet

BBC NEWS | Technology | US retains hold of the internet: "The US has won its fight to stay in charge of the internet, despite opposition from many nations.
In an eleventh-hour agreement ahead of a UN internet summit in Tunis, Tunisia, negotiators agreed to leave the US in charge of the net's addressing system. "

Young, Assured and Playing Pharmacist to Friends - New York Times

Young, Assured and Playing Pharmacist to Friends - New York Times: "Prescriptions to treat attention deficit disorder in adults age 20 to 30 nearly tripled from 2000 to 2004, according to Medco, a prescription management company. Medications for sleeping disorders in the same age group showed a similar increase. "

How to Sell a Movie (or Fail) in Four Hours - New York Times

How to Sell a Movie (or Fail) in Four Hours - New York Times: "In today's world of computerized supply chains, the whole process of releasing a movie on DVD has become one in which success can be measured nearly instantly. At 8 a.m. Tuesday, you arrive in the Southern California office of Universal or Sony. Already, Wal-Mart stores in the East have been open for four hours; based on the number of sales in that short time frame, their computer programs will calculate projections, accurate to within 5 percent, of how many total units of 'The Skeleton Key' or 'Stealth' will be sold in the first week, the first month, the first six months.
If your movie is performing below expectations, by the time you arrive at work Tuesday morning, already the unsold units are being loaded onto trucks to be returned. Something like this happened with DreamWorks Animation's 'Shrek 2.' The movie was a hit by any measure, but last May, when DreamWorks reported that it had sold fewer DVD's than it anticipated, its stock tumbled 17 percent over two days."

The Ghost in the CD - New York Times

The Ghost in the CD - New York Times: "In a PowerPoint presentation before the National Association of Recording Merchandisers in San Diego in August, Mitch Bainwol, the chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, underlined the urgency: 'Key point: Burning and ripping are becoming a greater threat than P2P,' a reference to peer-to-peer file sharing. "

CNN.com - Entertainment

CNN.com - Entertainment: "It is among the least likely of musical marriages: Neil Diamond, pop-rock hitmaker of the '60s, '70s and '80s, has paired with producer Rick Rubin -- known for his work with the Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine, among others -- for his newest album, '12 Songs.' The result: Diamond's best album in years, say reviewers."

CNN.com - Entertainment

CNN.com - Entertainment: "It is among the least likely of musical marriages: Neil Diamond, pop-rock hitmaker of the '60s, '70s and '80s, has paired with producer Rick Rubin -- known for his work with the Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine, among others -- for his newest album, '12 Songs.' The result: Diamond's best album in years, say reviewers."

Pitching a New Cellphone as a Reason to Live - New York Times

Pitching a New Cellphone as a Reason to Live - New York Times: "The new wireless companies, known as mobile virtual network operators, will provide consumers with Internet speeds comparable to those of broadband. Amp'd Mobile uses Verizon Wireless's high-speed network, which allows users to download information much faster than they could on a standard Verizon wireless network. "

Stars and Checkbooks Come Out to Set Records for 18 Artists, and One for Christie's - New York Times

Stars and Checkbooks Come Out to Set Records for 18 Artists, and One for Christie's - New York Times: "Yet Edward Dolman, the company's chief executive, said 82 percent of the buyers last night were American, in a radical shift from last week's Impressionist and modern art sale, where 47 percent of the buyers came from Europe.
'It's an interesting reversal,' he said, 'to see how Americans have so drastically shifted to this part of the market.' "

Just Googling It Is Striking Fear Into Companies - New York Times

Just Googling It Is Striking Fear Into Companies - New York Times: "'Google is the realization of everything that we thought the Internet was going to be about but really wasn't until Google,' said David B. Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School."

World's Most Expensive Cars 2005 - Forbes.com

World's Most Expensive Cars 2005 - Forbes.com: "These days, however, for those looking to dabble in the world of ultra-expensive cars, a million doesn't go as far as it used to. In fact, if one bought the awesomely fast, incredibly sexy Saleen S7 Twin Turbo in Europe for $670,000, the change from that million would just about pay for gas and insurance. "

CNN.com - Tech billionaire�revises mansion plans - Nov 2, 2005

CNN.com - Tech billionaire�revises mansion plans - Nov 2, 2005: "ALAMO, California (AP) -- Billionaire and former PeopleSoft Inc. owner David Duffield plans to revise blueprints to build a mansion larger than the Hearst Castle after neighbors complained the hotel-sized home was out of character with the area.
Duffield, the founder of the software company, released blueprints last month for the proposed 72,000-square-foot house in Alamo, California, a suburb east of San Francisco. It would have been bigger than Microsoft chairman Bill Gates' mansion and the White House."

TIME.com: The 2005 Global Health Summit Blog - Virgin Buys Tamiflu

TIME.com: The 2005 Global Health Summit Blog - Virgin Buys Tamiflu: "Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group Ltd. said today that his company is looking into machines and new technologies to put on aircrafts to kill germs in anticipation of a bird flu pandemic. He said his company has purchased 10,000 doses of the drug Tamiflu for his staff.
In response to questions about companies hording Tamiflu, Branson said, 'We've bought [Tamiflu] because our staff is on the front line.'
Branson also said that despite Virgin's best efforts to protect staff and passengers, if the flu starts spreading person to person, 'it will most certainly affect the airline industry.'"

WSJ.com - Google Opens Its Online Library

WSJ.com - Google Opens Its Online Library: "Google Inc. is making available thousands of public-domain works through its search engine today, the first large-scale results of a program to scan books and documents at several university and public libraries.
Users will be able to search for keywords in the text of the works Google is putting online and read the entirety of the texts -- at print.google.com -- through digital images of the book pages. They can also save individual pages and cut and paste selected content drawn from the collections of the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Harvard University and the New York Public Library."

CNN.com - Three stabbed�in park near White House - Nov 1, 2005

Crime in DC? Nah, you don't say. Pathetic.

CNN.com - Three stabbed�in park near White House - Nov 1, 2005: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- Three people were stabbed Tuesday in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, the Secret Service said.
'One individual has been detained,' said Eric Zahren, a spokesman for the agency. 'There are three apparent stabbing victims.'
Zahren said the attacks took place in the northeast corner of the park.
There was no immediate word on what prompted the attacks, investigators said.
Another person might have had their shirt slashed,' said Sgt. Scott Fear, a spokesman for the U.S. Park Police, which was also investigating."

Independent Online Edition > This Britain

Independent Online Edition > This Britain: "While American commanders expressed concern that their troops were catching venereal disease as they consorted with the 'hordes' of young women who congregated outside troop hostels and West End hotels, the Foreign Office and senior Army officers worried that wartime sexual liberation was sending the wrong image of Britain abroad and could hand the Nazis a propaganda coup.
In one particularly intemperate memo, the officer in charge of London's civil defence complained that Leicester Square had been turned into an open-air den of vice. Admiral Sir Edward Evans wrote to the head of Scotland Yard, Commissioner Philip Game: 'Leicester Square at night is the resort of the worst type of women and girls consorting with men of the British and American forces, with the latter predominating."

Tiny Vegas home sits at center of housing craze - Real Estate - MSNBC.com

Tiny Vegas home sits at center of housing craze - Real Estate - MSNBC.com: "Few would have said that about Corchuelo�s block just a few years ago. In the 1950s, the neighborhood was home to card dealers and strippers who used to sunbathe in the buff to avoid tan lines, giving the place its nickname, Naked City. By the 1980s it had become a pocket of prostitution and crime."

The Best Little Whorehouse on Harvard Square

The Best Little Whorehouse on Harvard Square: "Harvard has learned some new lessons this semester, after police busted the About Hair salon two blocks from Harvard Yard, for offering prostitution as well as haircuts. The store owner denied knowing what was going on in the back room, where two undercover officers reported receiving manual stimulation (one not being evidence enough, apparently). Government professor, conservative intellectual, and author of Manliness, Harvey C. Mansfield (�53) sees the alleged side business as consistent with the liberal campus�s ethos. �Prostitution is perfectly in accord with Harvard�s principle, which says that sex is okay when it is in private between consenting adults.� Novelist Patricia Marx (�75), visiting last weekend, asked, �What�s a little prostitution if they give a good shampoo and cut?� "

An Apple a Day for Health? Mars Recommends Two Bars of Chocolate - New York Times

An Apple a Day for Health? Mars Recommends Two Bars of Chocolate - New York Times: "But it is the glob of granola, rice and flavanol-filled cocoa powder at the heart of the bar made here - injected with a burst of liquid-canola plant sterols - that distinguishes CocoaVia from the company's M&M's, Snickers and Dove bars. Flavanols are naturally occurring chemicals in cocoa that have antioxidant qualities; sterols are plant-based chemicals found in a variety of foods.
Flavanols are what set Mars on a scientific search: if it could show that they helped improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, then foods with them could potentially help prevent heart disease.
In developing CocoaVia, Mars decided to add another major additive, plant sterols, which ultimately allowed it to make the claim that CocoaVia is good for hearts and arteries. And that is one reason Mars is placing them in the health food aisles - near nutrition bars rather than candy - of retailers like Wal-Mart and Target. "

WSJ.com - Scrambling to Pile On Perks

WSJ.com - Scrambling to Pile On Perks: "The two rivals kept up their pampering war even through the slump that began in 2001. In 2003, Virgin unveiled a seat that's more private than BA's and turns into a bed that's longer and wider. It also offers a bigger table for eating or working, and a bigger TV screen. Virgin's 'suite' is even certified for passengers to sit reclined during takeoff and landing.
'We admire what they've done,' says BA's Mr. Crump, adding that BA will introduce a new Club World seat next year that's 'radically different from the current model.'"

To See and Be Scene - Los Angeles Times

To See and Be Scene - Los Angeles Times: "'That's what so exciting about the time we're in right now. There's so much space for creativity. Our parents' generation had to deal with wars and Vietnam and all that. Ever since the '80s and '90s, it's been a real good time.'

But what about the war in Iraq?

'Are we actually dealing with any of it? I'm not getting recruited for war. I'm in my happy little bubble over here in sunny Los Angeles, California.'"

The L-Ification of Brooklyn - A Quest to Find the Edge of Gentrification

The L-Ification of Brooklyn - A Quest to Find the Edge of Gentrification: "Simon starts to laugh. �Millionaire or a bum! You ain�t one of those, you got no business living in Manhattan anymore. Word.� "

Madonna's frantic sex call to Rodman | This is London

Hilarious
Madonna's frantic sex call to Rodman | This is London: " I picked up the phone and Madonna was like, 'I'm ovulating, I'm ovulating. Get your ass up here'.
'So I left my chips on the table, flew five hours to New York and did my thing. 'We got done and she was standing on her head in an attempt to promote conception - just like any girl trying to get pregnant. I flew back to Las Vegas and picked up my game where I left off.' "

CNN.com - Europe, Asia in bird flu clampdown - Oct 21, 2005

CNN.com - Europe, Asia in bird flu clampdown - Oct 21, 2005: "'If it is proven to be human-to-human transmission, then we have to be very careful and we might have to close the border' with the mainland, Hong Kong Secretary for Health York Chow was reported as saying.
Hong Kong has been a hotbed of health alerts in recent years, including the outbreak of the SARS disease in 2003, which killed almost 300 people there.
The H5N1 bird flu strain also infected 18 people in Hong in 1997, six of whom died.
Consequently, Hong Kong's entire poultry population, estimated at around 1.5 million birds, was destroyed within three days. This is thought "

ABC News: Lil' Kim Acknowledges Beef With 50 Cent

Which is smart because she is behind bars which is always so safe.

ABC News: Lil' Kim Acknowledges Beef With 50 Cent: "NEW YORK Oct 7, 2005 � The bad blood continues between Lil' Kim and 50 Cent.
Though the rappers paired up for the 2003 smash 'Magic Stick,' the relationship between the two quickly disintegrated, and 50 Cent dissed Lil' Kim in performances.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press before she entered federal detention center to serve a year-and-a-day sentence for perjury Lil' Kim made it clear there would be no duets in the future between the two."

Is It Better to Buy or Rent? - New York Times

Is It Better to Buy or Rent? - New York Times: "Add it all up - which The New York Times did, in an analysis of the major costs and benefits of owning and renting, including tax breaks - and owning a home today is more expensive than renting in much of the Northeast, Florida and California. Only if prices rise well above their already lofty levels will home ownership turn out to be the good deal that it is widely assumed to be."

In Conservation Effort, U.S. Bans Caspian Beluga Caviar - New York Times

Boo.

In Conservation Effort, U.S. Bans Caspian Beluga Caviar - New York Times: "WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 - The United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday that it would ban the import of caviar from beluga sturgeon in the Caspian Sea, after caviar-exporting countries in the region failed to provide details of their plans to conserve the fish. "

America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times

Tax Dollars at work!

America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times: "ANNA NICOLE SMITH, the former Playboy cover girl accused of being America�s most brazen gold-digger, will try to persuade the US Supreme Court next week that she should inherit millions of dollars from her late husband, a Texas billionaire who married her when he was 89 and she was 26.
The judges of America�s highest court, a more cerebral audience than the stripper-turned-reality TV hostess usually entertains, informed Ms Smith yesterday that they will hear her appeal over the disputed fortune of her late husband, the wheelchair-bound oil tycoon John Howard Marshall II. "

New Orleans Mayor Defends Return Plan - Yahoo! News

New Orleans Mayor Defends Return Plan - Yahoo! News: "'They took everything � all the electronics, the food, the bikes,' said John Stonaker, a Wal-Mart security officer. 'People left their old clothes on the floor when they took new ones. The only thing left are the country-and-western CDs. You can still get a Shania Twain album.'"

UK Prime Minster Can Party

In other news Bush was seen at Hiro hanging from the rafters..
New York Daily News - Daily Dish & Gossip - Rush & Molloy: Pictorial counterattack may prove blow to Moss: "TONY BLAIR and an entourage of 10 dined at Soho House Tuesday night. Despite a full batallion of security, the British Prime Minister was ever so casual in an open-neck shirt."

IPod's Law: The Impossible Is Possible - New York Times

Just like Hollywood starlets, the Ipod is wasting away..
IPod's Law: The Impossible Is Possible - New York Times: "Apple is so confident in the Nano's appeal, in fact, that it has decided to make room in the product line by discontinuing the world's best-selling player, the iPod Mini. That's a gutsy move, because the Nano isn't really the same thing. "

Reasonable Gwyneth Paltrow

The Globe and Mail: Proof of blonde cognition: "Still, the mention of Dietrich takes us back to the non-American application of her talents, and to her current residence in London as the proud Mrs. Coldplay. 'Yes, well, I went to Spain in an exchange program at 15, and I've always been drawn to Europe. America is such a young country, with an adolescent swagger about it. But I feel that I have a more European sensibility, a greater respect for the multicultural nature of the globe. And it's a strange time to be an American now.'"

Exhausting Gwyneth Paltrow

The Globe and Mail: Proof of blonde cognition: "The voice regains its spark, the eyes lose their glaze and the fountain pours forth: 'I totally agreed with it. I feel like we're really in trouble. I just had a baby and thought, 'I don't want to live there.' Bush's anti-environment, pro-war policies are a dis. . . .' Well, you can guess the rest. Her speech is deeply felt and not unintelligent, yet entirely predictable and ill-suited to these pages, where analysis of American domestic affairs is confined to the highly partisan manoeuvrings of Brad and Jennifer. Sorry. Gwyneth's wall may be down, but the game, and my time, are up."

Burn, Baby, Burn

Independent Online Edition > Science & Technology : app6: "They believe global warming is melting Arctic ice so rapidly that the region is beginning to absorb more heat from the sun, causing the ice to melt still further and so reinforcing a vicious cycle of melting and heating.
The greatest fear is that the Arctic has reached a 'tipping point' beyond which nothing can reverse the continual loss of sea ice and with it the massive land glaciers of Greenland, which will raise sea levels dramatically."

Rupert Murdoch, Bending With the Wind

Rupert Murdoch, Bending With the Wind: "Recent friendly meetings between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Murdoch, recorded in the New York Observer, may be early signs of embryonic bet-hedging. Has Rupert begun to stir and put his loyalties in play again? Given his oft-expressed contempt for 'gabfests' (second only to Bleeding Heart Journalism as a Murdochian term of abuse), it's interesting that he will be showing up for the Clinton Global Initiative that starts in New York today.
Murdoch knows that occasionally shifting his political support in an unexpected direction is a tactic that increases his power. It means no one can ever take him for granted, and it is an effective means of convincing politicians that helping him with his business interests is both prudent and wise -- that what's good for the News Corp. is good for America/Britain/Australia.
When Murdoch's executives start publishing diaries about working for Rupert in the Dubya years, my guess is you will see an entry, dated sometime in 2005 or 2006, about the shift in mood on the day he first murmurs that the neocons 'have started to look like dying elephants.'"

Virgin plans oil refinery | Business Breaking News | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (14-09-2005)

Virgin plans oil refinery | Business Breaking News | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (14-09-2005): "Like the rest of the airline industry, Mr Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways has been stung by higher jet fuel prices and was forced to raise fuel surcharges for the second time in four months.
Hurricane Katrina sent oil prices soaring to $US70 a barrel because it shut several US Gulf Coast refineries, which turn crude oil into products like diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.
'If we don't start now to get more refineries built then fuel prices could literally rocket to $US100-$US200 (per barrel of oil) and the world economy would come to a grinding halt,' Branson said in an interview on financial news network CNBC overnight.
Mr Branson did not say where he wants to put his refinery, but some analysts said he should not look to the US, where no one has built a refinery in 29 years."

The Intimate World of Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch

So do we..

The Intimate World of Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch: " (Rupert thinks limousines pretentious). "

BREITBART.COM - Just The News: "Researchers fear the growing popularity of portable music players and other items that attach directly to the ears _ including cell phones _ is contributing to hearing loss in younger people.
'It's a different level of use than we've seen in the past,' says Robert Novak, director of clinical education in audiology at Purdue University in Indiana. 'It's becoming more of a full-day listening experience, as opposed to just when you're jogging.'
Increasingly, Novak says he's seeing too many young people with 'older ears on younger bodies' _ a trend that's been building since the portable Walkman made its debut a few decades back.
Everywhere she turns, Angella Day sees people carrying portable music players, often with the ear buds stuffed firmly in place. 'They're very widespread,' says Day, a senior at Chicago's DePaul University who regularly listens to music on her own iPod while studying or working out. 'So addicting.' "

CNN.com - BA hikes surcharge as oil rises - Sep 8, 2005

While continuing not to serve food on its flights!

CNN.com - BA hikes surcharge as oil rises - Sep 8, 2005: "LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British Airways is raising its fuel surcharge on long-haul tickets for the fifth time in a year following a surge in oil prices to record highs."

Showtime's Perennial Struggle to Capture That HBO Aura - New York Times

Showtime's Perennial Struggle to Capture That HBO Aura - New York Times: "But now Mr. Moonves, who will become chief executive of the broadcast and TV production units of Viacom next year, hopes to do what no Viacom executive has yet been able to do: turn Showtime into a hit maker to rival HBO.
It remains to be seen if he can find the same magic for Showtime that he used to overhaul CBS and make it the No. 1 broadcast network.
So far, Mr. Moonves professes confidence in Showtime management, which has generated buzz for some shows. Yet Showtime has been unable to increase subscriptions significantly; its 13.5 million subscribers are dwarfed by HBO's 28 million.
'I am a huge admirer of what HBO did,' Mr. Moonves said in a telephone interview. 'For the first time in many years Showtime is beginning to play in the same territory.'"

Hunter Thompson Suicide Note

BREITBART.COM - Just The News: "Douglas Brinkley, the presidential historian who is also Thompson's official biographer, writes that a Feb. 16 note may be Thompson's final written words. It reads:
'No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun _ for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax _ This won't hurt.'
Hunter left the note for his wife, Anita. He shot himself four days later at his home in Aspen, Colo., after weeks of pain from a host of physical problems that included a broken leg and a hip replacement.
Written in black marker, the note was titled, 'Football Season Is Over.' "

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Cold beer and hope in New Orleans

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Cold beer and hope in New Orleans: "Johnny White's has always been an institution on the corner of Bourbon Street and Orleans Street in the French Quarter and, despite it all, they somehow manage to keep cold beer on ice.
Run by alcoholics for alcoholics was how it was described to me, and that is not far off the mark.
'What is the toilet etiquette?' I asked the barmaid, wondering if I should just go out into the street.
'Here is the restroom key,' she said, handing me a torch, 'and watch the body on the stairs.'
Hellish sights
The body's name was Squirrel. He was banished to the landing for getting lippy when the cops dropped by, and he was just sleeping it off. "

Thailand Emerges As Fake Passport Capital - Yahoo! News

Thailand Emerges As Fake Passport Capital - Yahoo! News: "The most commonly seized fakes are Belgian, French, Portuguese and Spanish passports, which Thai police say are easily copied. Thai police seized 353 such passports from a Greek courier en route to London in March 2004 and 100 from a Spaniard and Dutchman trying to sell them in February to an undercover policeman in Bangkok. Another 452 were taken from Algerian-born Briton Mahieddine Daikh, who was going to deliver them to London in early August."

True Dat

OpinionJournal - Extra: "Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn't fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible--local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city's mayor, Ray Nagin.
The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his emergency operations center.
The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved."

CNN.com International

Somehow I don't think excitement would be the word I would use to describe it CNN.

CNN.com International: "Mexico excited to play role in relief"

stratosphere? Id say he is well further out than that..

New York Post Online Edition: gossip: "September 5, 2005 -- IS Michael Jackson (above) undergoing a radical makeover to look more 'macho' as part of a major comeback attempt? Michael C. Luckman, author of 'Alien Rock: The Rock 'n' Roll Connection,' claims Jacko, who just turned 47, is being overhauled in Bahrain and is in talks for long-term deal to perform regularly at a Las Vegas casino/hotel. Besides lifting weights with a trainer, Jacko plans to wear shorter wigs, less make-up, and generally try to look like less of a freak. Jackson's parents, Joseph and Katherine, are reportedly spearheading the revamping. 'Michael Jackson is headed to the stratosphere,' Luckman predicts to PAGE SIX. 'Nothing can stop him now.' "

'Entourage' Chillingly Realistic, Insiders Say - New York Times

'Entourage' Chillingly Realistic, Insiders Say - New York Times: "'I was fired from two agencies, and the first time, they padlocked my office, my assistant was crying and they were literally trying to take my Rolodex out of my hands - which I later learned you are legally allowed to take - as I was escorted from the building,' recalled Gavin Polone, a former agent and now a producer. 'The best thing was that they forgot to turn off my company car phone. And back then - this was in 1989 - your car phone bill could run $800 a month. I wound up using it for four more months.'"

My Way News

My Way News: "Meanwhile, scientists say they're alarmed by how much of the region's environmental defenses against future hurricanes and other big storms have become seriously compromised.
Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey who flew over the Gulf Coast from Florida to Louisiana said Thursday that most of the Chandeleur chain of barrier islands - the first line of storm defense for eastern Louisiana and western Mississippi - appears to be gone. What is usually a continuous line of dunes is now just marshy outcrops, said Ann Tihansky, a hydrologist with the survey. 'It's unbelievable,' she said, after reviewing the results of an aerial video survey.
'It just makes the coastline more and more susceptible because more of that storm surge can move further inland,' said Glenn Guntenspergen, a U.S. Geological Survey landscape ecologist who has studied the effect of hurricanes on Gulf Coast ecosystems.
With the loss of the islands and wetlands that buffer the region, he said, 'It becomes less and less likely for the systems to be able to recover from these kinds of storms. The systems as a whole are rapidly losing their ability to recover.'"

Waiting for a Leader - New York Times

Exhausting.

Waiting for a Leader - New York Times: "It would be some comfort to think that, as Mr. Bush cheerily announced, America 'will be a stronger place' for enduring this crisis. Complacency will no longer suffice, especially if experts are right in warning that global warming may increase the intensity of future hurricanes. But since this administration won't acknowledge that global warming exists, the chances of leadership seem minimal."

UK: Free Ipod Nano, Ipod Mini

Found this site which actually is pretty decent. Some friends did it in the states and apparently it works. Help me get a free Ipod!

http://ipods.freepay.com/?r=18370879

Movie - The Constant Gardener

Movie - The Constant Gardener: "In the transfixing thriller The Constant Gardener�an adaptation of John Le Carr�s novel by City of God director Fernando Meirelles�Ralph Fiennes gives one of the year�s subtlest, yet most exciting, screen performances, modulating from callow British diplomat to impassioned lover of both Rachel Weisz and Third World justice. Le Carr�s politics haven't been as artfully transferred to the movies since Richard Burton starred in Martin Ritt's The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (1965), a film so assiduously bleak, so British-German dour, it should have inspired a new genre: film gris."

The Mohawk Becomes, Well, Cute - New York Times

Maddox Macks the Mowhawk
The Mohawk Becomes, Well, Cute - New York Times: "Perhaps it was the wave of stylish men in New York and Los Angeles in the late 1990's who gelled their hair into luminous crests known as fauxhawks who paved the way for more extreme versions as a popular summer look. Or perhaps the Mohawk has re-entered the vocabulary of stylists who operate far from the barbershops near St. Marks Place, the city's historic thoroughfare for alternative style, thanks to the well-documented and ever-evolving Mohawk of one man, Maddox Jolie, 4.
Maddox, the adopted son of Angelina Jolie, is a regular face in the pages of Star and Us Weekly, and in the way of so many trends born in the pages of celebrity magazines, he has done for Mohawks what Harry Potter did for round spectacles. He made them trendy, starting a cut-to-the-scalp movement among Hollywood offspring that now includes the children of Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany: their sons Kai, 8, and Stellan, 1. Et tu, Natalie Portman?"

President vows massive aid to storm-hit area - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com

Wasn't the US worried about Crystal Meth last week? I can see demand rising!

President vows massive aid to storm-hit area - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com: "Additionally, Energy Secretary Samuel E. Bodman said the Transportation Department had waived rules governing trucker hours, a step he said would increase the supply of gasoline. "

Consumers Across the Country Eligible for Free Annual Credit Reports

Consumers Across the Country Eligible for Free Annual Credit Reports: "Starting September 1, consumers in 14 East Coast states join the rest of the country in qualifying for a free annual credit report from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies � Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The free reports were mandated by Congress in The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA), which requires the nationwide credit bureaus to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report, at their request, once every 12 months. Consumers who want to access their credit report online can go to www.annualcreditreport.com."

Suge Shot At the Shore

And the drinks keep flowing in true Miami style..
New York Daily News - Daily Dish & Gossip - Rush & Molloy: VMA parties were loaded with action: "Agun may have put a hole in Suge Knight's leg, but it sure didn't perforate the partying at last weekend's MTV Video Music Awards.
Bravery band member John Conway, who was staying at the Shore Club, where the hip-hop mogul was shot early Sunday, recalled: 'The deejay just kept playing. A half an hour later, it was like 'Hey - mai tais for everyone!' '"

Independent Online Edition > Profiles : app6

Independent Online Edition > Profiles : app6: "Have you and The Licks acquired any groupies yet?
ALI BASHEER, VIA E-MAIL
I think we have! They're the people who wear home-made shirts that say 'Lick me' on them. I like to call them 'Licks lovers'. I have seen them at loads of the gigs we've been doing in Europe: they're as cute as can be and they give me presents. People get creative with these presents. I've been given a rubber duck, a pair of boxer shorts, a painting and a bullet - people are really imaginative with the gifts they give us and I'm hugely grateful both for the presents and for the surprises. I never know what we will be given next."

Scientist: Brazil Nearly Built Atom Bomb

BREITBART.COM - Just The News: "Brazil's military continued work on an atomic bomb after it was ordered to scrap the program in 1985 and by 1990 had nearly finished building one, a leading nuclear scientist said.
Jose Luiz Santana, the former president of Brazil's nuclear energy commission, known by its Portuguese acronym CNEN, said the military was preparing a test explosion when the program was ultimately dismantled in August 1990. "

Vogue Answers: What Do Men Want? - New York Times

Vogue Answers: What Do Men Want? - New York Times: "The target reader is a man over 35 who earns more than $100,000 a year, is already living the life he wants rather than merely chasing it, and presumably isn't too embarrassed to be seen reading a magazine that for more than a century has been associated with women."

These Days Surf's Up on Cornwall's Northern Coast - New York Times

These Days Surf's Up on Cornwall's Northern Coast - New York Times: "WALK through Paddington Station in London on a Friday afternoon in July or August, and you might think you're in Laguna Beach. Students dressed in Rip Curl tank tops, Quicksilver shorts, Ray-Bans and flip-flops amble through the crowds of commuters rushing for their trains. While the suits are off to the suburbs, the kids are all headed for the coast. Specifically to north Cornwall on the 4:05 train, which will deposit them some six hours later in a region that's become known for offering some of the best surfing - and socializing - in all of Europe."

**Jetrosexual Emergency Averted: Virgin Atlantic website back up [16:58 GMT]**

BA on Stirke - Virgin Web Down

BA Heathrow staff on stike - Virgin Website down.
Great day for travel to/from the UK!

+Virgin Atlantic
+Sky News: BA Suspends Check-Ins.
+BBC: BA Flights hit as staff walk out.
+BAA: Disruption to BA flights from Heathrow Airport - 11 August 2005.

Sky News: BA Suspends All Heathrow Check-Ins

Ah Another summer in Europe.

Sky News : BA Suspends All Heathrow Check-Ins: "BA SUSPENDS CHECK-INS

British Airways has suspended all its check-ins at Heathrow Airport.
More follows..."

Stewart�s home confinement extended - The New Martha - MSNBC.com

One again this woman thinks she is above the law.

Stewart�s home confinement extended - The New Martha - MSNBC.com: "WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Martha Stewart will have to remain a domestic diva a little while longer.
The home-and-hearth marketing queen, who was due to complete five months of house arrest Aug. 10, has agreed to extend the sentence by three extra weeks, her lawyer, Walter E. Dellinger, said in a brief statement Wednesday.
It wasn�t revealed what Stewart did to earn the extra three weeks of confinement. Dellinger�s assistant, Ann Kienlen, said he would not elaborate beyond his brief announcement."

NYO - In With the Old: Rupert Installs Self at New York Post

The Media Mob - NYO: "In With the Old: Rupert Installs Self at New York Post
From tomorrow's Observer cover story on Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch:

Dynasties have their own logic, but generally they�re supposed to go to youth. The Murdoch family succession is going in the opposite direction. Now that Lachlan Murdoch has resigned as deputy chief operating officer of News Corp., a Post spokesperson has told The Observer that he will be replaced as publisher of the New York Post by its former publisher, Rupert Murdoch.

The restoration of the 74-year-old Mr. Murdoch to the vehicle into which he has thrown so much capital and passion comes after a week of the kind that the Post itself would revel in, of public family turmoil and power Parcheesi that exacted an emotional cost from his son.

Last Friday, July 29, shortly after his sudden abdication as the designated crown prince of News Corp., Lachlan Murdoch went to lunch at Da Silvano. The 33-year-old bluff and hardy publisher and News Corp. executive came in at around 1 p.m. with a group of about eight people, according to one eyewitness.

He stayed for five and a half hours.

�They started with�they all ordered Italian beers, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, the best line of Peroni,� the eyewitness said. Then came multiple bottles of Lupicaia wine, and cold cuts, truffled burrata cheese, stuffed zucchini blossoms, branzino, homemade pasta with more truffles. Lachlan Murdoch�s wife, bra and swimsuit model Sarah O�Hare, stopped by, bringing their infant son, Kalan.

By the last half hour of the meal, the bare-knuckled young publisher of the New York Post was in tears. �He was like, sort of crying on an elder gentleman at the table,� the eyewitness said. �It seemed to me like a very tender moment.�"

CNN.com - No-frills hotel for central London - Aug 2, 2005

CNN.com - No-frills hotel for central London - Aug 2, 2005: "EasyJet, easyCruise, and now easyHotel. The entrepreneur known for his no-frills ethos, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, is opening his latest venture.
In keeping with the 'easy' philosophy, frills are again being ditched in favor of value for money. EasyHotel is charging $35 (�20) a night for double rooms at its first hotel in central London.
Following in the footsteps of Japan's capsule hotel concept, these rooms are being heralded as Europe's smallest.
Rooms come in three sizes -- small, really small and tiny. At 80, 70 and 60 square feet (7.2, 6.3 or 5.4 square meters), there is little room to swing anything more than a carry-on bag."

Where's the real Surf City, USA? - Yahoo! News

Where's the real Surf City, USA? - Yahoo! News: "City officials here in Huntington Beach last week announced a new worldwide advertising offensive marketing the town as 'Surf City, USA.' It comes complete with government-registered trademarks and signed deals with merchandisers of everything from snorkels-and-fins to furniture. The move could bring hundreds of thousands of dollars into town coffers.
The only trouble is, officials in coastal Santa Cruz, several hundred miles north, say their town is the true 'Surf City, USA.' They have filed a formal complaint with the US Commerce Department, challenged Huntington Beach city council members to a surf-off, and opened a propaganda campaign - albeit a friendly one - of their own. At stake, they say, beyond the royalties paid by such agreements, is their very tangible identity as a worldwide tourist destination."

Music scandals | Sing a song of Spitzer | Economist.com

Music scandals | Sing a song of Spitzer | Economist.com: "IN 1980, according to a book about the music industry by Fredric Dannen called �Hit Men�, CBS Records decided to run an experiment with a band, Pink Floyd. Their concert dates were sold out in Los Angeles, and radio stations everywhere were playing �Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two)�. Dick Asher, the deputy president of CBS Records, wanted to find out whether the band's popularity meant he could refuse to pay the usual bribes, or illegal �payola�, to the four big Top-40 radio stations in Los Angeles. Like stations across the country, they claimed to make independent choices based on taste. But Mr Asher lost; only after Pink Floyd's manager insisted that CBS Records hand over the money did the stations spin the record. "

Gridskipper

If it is so easy find me a Friday night flight wiht a Sunday night return to: Nice, Ibiza, Barcelona or really anywhere exciting on the med this summer!

Gridskipper: "With similar price wars broiling across Europe, it's getting quite easy to cobble together all kinds of extremely cheap and flexible itineraries for European touring."

Porsche gives green light to 4-door sports car - Automotive - MSNBC.com

Porsche gives green light to 4-door sports car - Automotive - MSNBC.com: "FRANKFURT - Porsche will invest some $1.21 billion to develop a new four-door, four-seat �Panamera� sports coupe with a sales target of at least 20,000 units a year from 2009, it said on Wednesday."

Echinacea fails to treat or prevent colds in study - Alternative Medicine - MSNBC.com

Echinacea fails to treat or prevent colds in study - Alternative Medicine - MSNBC.com: "Being sick with a cold is nothing to sneeze at, but new research finds that taking the popular herbal remedy echinacea does nothing to treat or prevent it.
The federally funded study was what fans and foes of such substances say they have long needed � rigorous, scientific testing. It found that patients who took an echinacea plant extract fared no better than those who took a dummy treatment."

One Capri for 'Only Visiting' and One for 'Don't Even Ask' - New York Times

The elusive 'everybody' term.
One Capri for 'Only Visiting' and One for 'Don't Even Ask' - New York Times: "'Everybody passes through Capri, from Jennifer Lopez to prime ministers. E-ver-y-body,' said the crystal heiress Fiona Swarovski, whose house there was owned by the English music hall singer Gracie Fields. "

The New Yorker: The Critics: Books

Little has changed. People still drink all day long in London.

The New Yorker: The Critics: Books: "A typical day�s drinking for Samuel Pepys in early Restoration London might go like this. At about ten o�clock, he would have his �morning draft��usually �small� (or weak) beer, but sometimes regular beer or even wine. Cakes might be eaten with the draft, but dinner was the day�s main meal, then taken at noon, and, at least on some occasions, this was washed down with wine�possibly watered, given the volumes that Pepys records knocking back. During the rest of the working day, more wine might be consumed: Rhenish wine (sometimes sugared); �sack� (sherry or Spanish white wine); claret (red Bordeaux); �Florence� wine; �burnt� or �mulled� wine; wine flavored with wormwood. He might also have further drafts of beer (traditionally hopped) or ale (traditionally unhopped, and specified as Margate, Lambeth, China, or Hull). Like most seventeenth-century Londoners, Pepys drank little or no water. Beer and ale were scarcely thought of as intoxicants; you would have had to drink vast quantities of small beer to become �foxed� or �fuddled,� and, because the water available to Londoners was so foul, mildly alcoholic beverages were safer"

CNN.com - Goats, cows offered for Chelsea - Jul 27, 2005

Wouldn't this be trading like for like?

CNN.com - Goats, cows offered for Chelsea - Jul 27, 2005: "NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- A Kenyan says he offered Bill Clinton 40 goats and 20 cows for his daughter's hand in marriage five years ago -- and is still waiting for an answer.
Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor told the East Africa Standard newspaper last week that he wrote to Clinton asking for Chelsea's hand in 2000 during the then-president's visit to Kenya."

USATODAY.com - Fliers beware of the 'outhouse seat'

USATODAY.com - Fliers beware of the 'outhouse seat': "rans-Atlantic discounter delayed by fuel costs: Fledgling Maxjet Airways had planned to begin discount service from the USA to London this fall, but now says soaring fuel costs are forcing it to push back its projected launch date to spring 2006. 'The fuel issue is hurting everybody in the airline industry,' Mike Malik, Maxjet's chief marketing and information officer, tells The Washington Post (free registration). 'But when you're starting out it hurts even more.' Maxjet now hopes to begin flying to London's Stansted Airport from New York JFK and Baltimore/Washington by March, and possibly from Boston by May. The carrier has already leased one Boeing 767, but is now reported to be considering other, more fuel-efficient jets � such as the Airbus A330 or the Boeing 777. Posted 2:25 p.m. ET"

Welcome to AIM Fight

Not really sure the purpose of this but who knows. AIM Fight

CNN.com - Rice furious over Sudanese scuffle - Jul 21, 2005

CNN.com - Rice furious over Sudanese scuffle - Jul 21, 2005: "One of Rice's aides eventually said, 'We have a free press in the U.S.,' and a Sudanese official responded, 'Well, we don't here,' Koppel reported.
Rice is visiting Sudan hoping to shore up the country's new government following more than two decades of civil warfare between the largely Islamic north and the mostly Christian and animist south. "

CNN.com - Atta's father praises London bombs - Jul 20, 2005

CNN.com - Atta's father praises London bombs - Jul 20, 2005: "He passionately vowed that he would do anything within his power to encourage more attacks.
When asked if he would allow a CNN crew to videotape another interview with him, el-Amir said he would give his permission -- for a price of $5,000.
That money, he said, would not be kept for himself, but would be donated to someone to carry out another terror attack.
El-Amir said that $5,000 was about how much it would cost to finance another attack in London.
It is CNN policy not to pay people for interviews.
A lawyer by trade, el-Amir had a sign on his apartment door saying he was a consultant.
The security guard for the apartment building said el-Amir had been under surveillance by Egyptian agents for several months after the September 11 attacks, but no one had been watching him recently."

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Special Branch to track Muslims across UK

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Special Branch to track Muslims across UK: "Special intelligence units are being planned across Britain to monitor Muslims so the authorities can collect 'community by community' knowledge of where extremism is building up.
The Guardian has learned that the special squads, to be known as Muslim Contact Units and staffed by Special Branch officers, will be established in areas including Yorkshire, north-west England and parts of the Midlands.
After the London bombings police admit their intelligence of what goes on in Muslim communities is 'low', and urgently needs to be boosted.
Article continues




The police and Home Office say that a Muslim Contact Unit operating in London has already helped thwart extremist attempts to recruit young British Muslims to violent jihad, by working with Islamic communities."

ESPN.com - TENNIS - Cronin: Pressure on the American men

ESPN.com - TENNIS - Cronin: Pressure on the American men: "And where does that leave the Americans? Many are hoping that Roddick finally molds together all the pieces of his game and finds a way to take down the likes of Hewitt and defending U.S. Open champ Federer on the new U.S. Open series blue cement. He holds an ignominious 1-15 record against the pair. 'I want another crack at [Federer] till my record is 1-31,' said Roddick, who will attempt to defend the last outdoor hard-court title he won, in Indianapolis, this week. 'I still want to go against him again. You want to compete against the best. He's the measuring stick, so you know where you are and where you go.'"

Independent Online Edition > The X-rated films every child should see

Independent Online Edition > News : app2: "A 1950s thriller and a Danish film exploring the sexuality of teenage girls are among the top 10 films that British schoolchildren should see by the age of 14.
The list, compiled by the British Film Institute (BFI) after consulting up to 80 experts in cinema and education, includes only one film made in England. That film was Kes, Ken Loach's award-winning production about the relationship between a working-class boy from Barnsley and a kestrel.
A surprise omission was Billy Elliot, about a boy from a pit village who becomes a ballet dancer - which is on the curriculum in Sweden.
Cary Bazalgette, head of education at the BFI, said the top 10 was ' quite a controversial list that's likely to provoke continuing debate'.
'But that's the idea,' she added. 'We want people to discuss what children should see - rather than what they shouldn't see.' "

USATODAY.com - Airport Delay Times Survey

USATODAY.com - Travel News, Travel Deals, City Guides, Vacations, Flights, Hotels, Cruises, Car Rentals: "Delays, by the numbers: Find out how the busiest airports stack up."

Apple To The Rescue...Again? - Forbes.com

Apple To The Rescue...Again? - Forbes.com: "NEW YORK - Apple Computer, whose iTunes and iPods took a major step toward rescuing the music industry from the grip of pirates, is poised to do a similar service for videos.

Some of the top music labels say they've been contacted by Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) about the prospects of selling music videos on iTunes�probably ahead of a fall debut of a color-screen Apple full-motion video iPod. The labels ought to be jumping for joy.

Since the debut of MTV nearly a quarter century ago, the top music companies have been churning out music videos to fill an instant need for 24-hour services that reach their music buyer audience directly and immediately. As one music industry insider put it, 'the labels watched MTV build a multibillion dollar business on material they supplied for free.' "

New York Daily News - Daily Dish & Gossip - Rush & Molloy: Honeymoon's over for 'Wedding' star

Graff is right. We were there. But we may have been too drunk to notice anything.
New York Daily News - Daily Dish & Gossip - Rush & Molloy: Honeymoon's over for 'Wedding' star: "Paris Latsis' ex-girlfriend has slapped Paris Hilton - with a $10 million lawsuit.
Zeta Graff is suing the 'Hilton Camp' for causing 'a number of vicious lies ... to be published in the New York Post' about an incident June 1 at the London hot spot Kabaret. According to the Post, Graff 'went berserk' and 'attacked' Paris Hilton, attempting to pry loose a $4 million diamond necklace that had been loaned to Paris by Graff Diamonds - a company run by Zeta's ex-husband Francois Graff.
But Graff says this is all bunk. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, calls the story 'baseless' and unsupported 'by even a scintilla of truth.' In fact, according to court papers, Hilton actually approached Graff that night and whispered in her ear: 'You're a [bleep]ing [bleep]. I'm going to destroy you.'"

Showbiz | This is London

Sienna Single. Game On!
Showbiz This is London: "Actress Sienna Miller made a tearful appearance on the West End stage as she nursed her heartbreak over cheating fiance Jude Law

The 23-year-old turned up at Wyndham's Theatre in London last night without her diamond engagement ring.

She went ahead with her role as Celia in As You Like It barely 24 hours after Law admitted bedding his nanny Daisy Wright.

Her performance was faultless - but when the audience gave her a warm ovation at the curtain call the emotion finally got the better of her.

Her face crumpled and she wiped away tears as she walked into the wings."

How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart - New York Times

How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart - New York Times: "But the pi�ce de r�sistance, the item he most wanted to crow about, was Costco's private-label pinpoint cotton dress shirts. 'Look, these are just $12.99,' he said, while lifting a crisp blue button-down. 'At Nordstrom or Macy's, this is a $45, $50 shirt.'
Combining high quality with stunningly low prices, the shirts appeal to upscale customers - and epitomize why some retail analysts say Mr. Sinegal just might be America's shrewdest merchant since Sam Walton.
But not everyone is happy with Costco's business strategy. Some Wall Street analysts assert that Mr. Sinegal is overly generous not only to Costco's customers but to its workers as well.
Costco's average pay, for example, is $17 an hour, 42 percent higher than its fiercest rival, Sam's Club. And Costco's health plan makes those at many other retailers look Scroogish. One analyst, Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank, complained last year that at Costco 'it's better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder.' "

CNN.com - Syria travel boom despite trouble - Jul 17, 2005

Damascus safer than New York - clearly this guy is from upstate!
CNN.com - Syria travel boom despite trouble - Jul 17, 2005: "DAMASCUS, Syria (Reuters) -- Strolling in the narrow lanes of the oldest inhabited city in the world, American tourist David Kummer says he feels safer in its old souks than on the streets of New York.
'It's safer than New York here but Americans are fearful of Arabs, they think they are all terrorists. Most of it is prejudice but I wasn't scared,' said Kummer, 55, a teacher at a college in Valhalla, New York state, in the shady courtyard of an old Damascus home."

Robots replace child jockeys in UAE camel race - Yahoo! News

Robots replace child jockeys in UAE camel race - Yahoo! News: "ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Remote-controlled robot jockeys made their debut as camel riders in the United Arab Emirates Monday, competing in a trial race after the Gulf Arab state tightened a ban on child jockeys.

Robots weighing up to 15 kg (33 lb) were dressed in the clothes of human jockeys during the race held in the capital Abu Dhabi, which officials described as 'successful,' the WAM news agency reported."

NYO - Cover Story 1: "Not since Jeeves dismissed the First World War to Bertie Wooster as 'some slight friction threatening in the Balkans' have Britons made so light of evident catastrophe."

Lance Armstrong Interview | Outside Online

Lance may run for Governor?? C'est possible!
Lance Armstrong Interview | Outside Online: "You're going to be changing professions at some point.
I'll obviously stay involved with the team for the remainder of its existence. Many of the sponsors, I have long-term deals with�like Trek and 24-Hour Fitness and Nike and Discovery.

There's just a whole bunch of other stuff I want to do. I want to go ride my motorcycle on my ranch. I want to go kayak the Pedernales down to friggin' Lake Travis and call somebody and say, 'Uh, can you come pick me up?' I've got a lot of stuff, goofy things like that. I want to build a rock wall out here. Just weird things. Right now, I can't go build a rock wall, because I'd get arm muscles that I can't use. It sounds funny, but it's true�everything you do.

Maybe I'll run for governor. "

Massachusetts Man Completes First Transcontinental Trek | Outside Online

Massachusetts Man Completes First Transcontinental Trek | Outside Online: "July 13, 2005 Andrew Skurka walked and walked. And walked. He wore through 15 pairs of hiking shoes and trekked for 301 days to complete the 7,708-mile transcontinental Sea-to-Sea Route, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through a patchwork of long-distance trails beginning at Cape Gasp� Quebec, and ending at Washington State�s Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous United States. "

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Base on skis wins polar contract

A new arctic sea base for the UK. It looks like something out of Star Wars.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Base on skis wins polar contract: "The firm's concept comprises modular buildings that can be moved as the ice flows out to sea.
'All the buildings are on legs, and each leg has a ski at the bottom,' explained Hugh Broughton of Hugh Broughton Architects.
'So, when you want to move the buildings, you lower them down on their legs and they can then be moved around by a bulldozer,' he told BBC News.
This will prevent the possibility of the base drifting out into the ocean on the back of an iceberg that has 'calved' off the shelf - a fate that is expected to befall the current station unless it is soon dismantled and replaced. "

The New Power Brokers - New York Times

China China China.
The New Power Brokers - New York Times: "SHANGHAI, July 18 - They grew up during China's Cultural Revolution, when Mao Zedong's brutal political campaigns in the 1960's and 1970's tore apart families, pitting children against their parents and husbands against their wives.
Today, they are some of the most powerful deal makers in China, a group of rich and politically astute investment bankers who are helping transform China's economy and restructuring some of its biggest corporations.
Every major investment bank now has a Chinese-born star banker: Goldman Sachs has Fang Fenglei; Merrill Lynch has Erhfei Liu; Morgan Stanley has Jonathan Zhu; J. P. Morgan has Charles Li; and Citigroup has Wei Christianson.
They are so powerful and so sought after by Wall Street's biggest firms, their pay packages can reach $10 million a year after bonuses."

Tired of Prying Off Stickers? Tattooed Fruit Is on the Way - New York Times

I like all my melons tatooed.
Tired of Prying Off Stickers? Tattooed Fruit Is on the Way - New York Times: "A pear is just a pear, except when it is also a laser-coded information delivery system with advanced security clearance.
And that is what pears - not to mention organic apples, waxy cucumbers and delicate peaches - are becoming in some supermarkets around the country. A new technology being used by produce distributors employs lasers to tattoo fruits and vegetables with their names, identifying numbers, countries of origin and other information that helps speed distribution. The marks are burned onto the outer layer of the skin and are visible to discerning consumers and befuddled cashiers alike."

PAMELA Anderson is hoping her third wedding with Tommy Lee will be the charm

I got engaged at the Palms in Vegas. Afterwards we went to Jaguar for a few lap dances.

New York Post Online Edition:: "July 19, 2005 -- PAMELA Anderson is hoping her third wedding with Tommy Lee will be the charm. Lee � who has already walked down the aisle twice with Anderson � popped the question again on Friday at the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, our spy reports. 'He got her a black diamond with two gray diamonds on the side. After she said yes, they flew on the Palm's private jet back to L.A. � but they crossed out the 'l' on the side of the jet so it said 'Pam's.' ' The kooky couple then shacked up at the Mondrian for the weekend and told pals the wedding would happen 'this week.' A rep for Anderson said, 'I don't think so,' but then didn't call back after promising to check. "

In Croatia, a New Riviera Beckons - New York Times

In Croatia, a New Riviera Beckons - New York Times: "Recently rediscovered as an off-the-radar haven by the international celebrity set and their media-camp followers, Dubrovnik and Dalmatia's many romantic islands and hidden coves provided backdrops for lavish photo layouts in magazines like GQ, which this year proclaimed the Croatia 'the Next Riviera, ' and Sports Illustrated. In May, Croatia, a scythe-shaped country that sits astride the star-crossed, blood-drenched Balkans, was named the world's hottest travel destination in the new edition of the Lonely Planet guide to Croatia, which cited its 'rich diversity of attractions,' accessibility and 'relative affordability' (its currency, the kuna, is far friendlier to the dollar than the euro is) as well as its 'stunning beaches and islands' and 'magnificent food.'"

Report: Apple looking to sell music videos through iTunes - Jul. 18, 2005

Report: Apple looking to sell music videos through iTunes - Jul. 18, 2005: "NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Apple Computer has approached several major record companies about selling music videos through its iTunes store, according to a published report Monday. That could be a precursor to an iPod that plays video.
The Wall Street Journal reported the negotiations Monday, although an Apple spokeswoman declined to comment to the paper on what she termed 'rumors and speculation' about the company's plans.
Apple has told some entertainment-industry executives that it could announce a video iPod by September, according to the article. "

New TiVo strategy to encourage ad viewing - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com

New TiVo strategy to encourage ad viewing - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com: "TiVo, based in Alviso, Calif., has announced plans to insert symbols that identify advertisers during commercial breaks, making them more visible even when a customer is fast forwarding through them.
The ID tags are designed to alert TiVo customers to certain products. If customers are interested in learning more, they can pause the show they are watching to receive a �long-format� commercial or obtain information about the product. The new campaign will be launched with General Motors and The WB Network commercials."

Mars Attacks!

This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in
recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

Mars will be easy to spot. At the
beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10p.m.
and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.

By the end of August when the two planets are
closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its
highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. That's pretty
convenient to see something that no human being has
seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at
the beginning of August to see Mars grow
progressively brighter and brighter throughout the
month.


Share this with your children and grandchildren.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN

Fortune.com - 25 BREAKOUT COMPANIES 2005: Scanbuy

Fortune.com - 25 BREAKOUT COMPANIES 2005: Scanbuy: "Scanbuy
Technology: Consumer bar-code technology
Sector: Mobile Technology
Headquarters: New York, NY
Website: www.scanbuy.com

Bargain hunters have a new ally: the cellphone. Soon it will be easy to walk into a store, point your camera phone at the bar code on a product, and within seconds find the same item online for a comparable or better price.
Consumer bar-code technology, already common in Japan, is about to hit the U.S., says Olivier Attia. His 13-person company, Scanbuy, offers what he calls scancommerce software, which links any bar code to the Internet via camera phones. (The square code�above left�is designed to be especially phone-friendly.) The Nokia Series 60 and other phones can read the codes; they connect users to Amazon or PriceGrabber websites.
Before rushing to the mall, customers must download ScanZoom, Scanbuy's free software, to their cells. Scanbuy makes money by selling decoding technology to handset makers and by taking a cut from online retailers when goods are purchased via ScanZoom. Attia says he'll know he's arrived when 'the sign outside the store reads no pets, no food, and no bar-code scanning.' � Julie Schlosser"

How Would Adrian Grenier Spend $9,000?

How Would Adrian Grenier Spend $9,000?:"I go through long, drawn-out spurts of idleness and lasciviousness and very brief weekends of productivity."

Google's Growth Prompts Privacy Concerns - Yahoo! News

Google's Growth Prompts Privacy Concerns - Yahoo! News: "'This is a lot of personal information in a single basket,' said Chris Hoofnagle, senior counsel with the Electronic Privacy Information Center. 'Google is becoming one of the largest privacy risks on the Internet.'"

Zazzle.com - Buy & Sell Posters, T-Shirts, and Greeting Cards

Coolio. Hey if the google guys are investing in this let's all be lemmings!
Zazzle.com - Buy & Sell Posters, T-Shirts, and Greeting Cards

A Cellphone, a Movie Lobby and a Message - New York Times

A Cellphone, a Movie Lobby and a Message - New York Times: "Last month, 20th Century Fox signed a deal with Loews Cineplex Entertainment to distribute movie trailers, ring tones and pictures through kiosks in three Loews theaters, in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The promotional material can be picked up by anyone with a cellphone equipped to handle Bluetooth, a form of short-range wireless transmission.
Downloading a full-length movie trailer from the kiosk takes about 30 seconds, and there is no fee from the phone's service provider. One ring tone offered is an emphatic voice from the movie 'Kingdom of Heaven' that declares, 'Protect the stones!'
Moviegoers can also download cellphone screen 'wallpaper' of Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie in 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.' (Mr. Pitt has been downloaded more often.)"

The New Nanny Diaries Are Online - New York Times

Older women jealous of younger women. What's new.
The New Nanny Diaries Are Online - New York Times: "But there was more to my advocacy. Suddenly, with her in my employ, I felt I was young and hip by proxy. I might be a boring mother of two, but my nanny, why, she dined in the hippest Williamsburg restaurants and rated the sexual energy of men and women she met. I was amused - and more than a bit envious.
I was about to turn 40. I'd been married almost 15 years. My ability to attend literary readings and art gallery openings was hampered by two children, and my party life was relegated to the toddler birthday circuit. I imagined the snoozefest that would ensue if I were to post: "

Eclipse of the City - Forbes.com

Eclipse of the City - Forbes.com: "Today this long dominance by global cities may be ending. Instead of clustering increasingly in 'world cities,' economic power is now declustering away from the primary urban centers to a host of smaller cities as well as to the sprawling suburban periphery.

Such a notion violates the thesis held by many academic analysts like Saskia Sassen who see core cities like New York, London and Tokyo as occupying 'new geographies of centrality' that provide 'the strategic sites for management of the global economy.' Behind these giants she identifies a secondary list of global centers, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Frankfurt, Toronto, Sydney, Paris, Miami and Hong Kong. "

People and Things to Like--2005 - Forbes.com

People and Things to Like--2005 - Forbes.com: "Realclearpolitics.com. I've written about this illuminating source of political and economic commentary. It's become even better and this year joins my list. Each day the editors post the day's best columns, editorials and opinion pieces--with all views represented. The balance, however, tilts toward pro-growth, pro-family, pro-defense pieces--a good reason to like this Web site. "

Village People 'Cop' in Trouble With Law - Yahoo! News

You just have to laugh at a headline like this:
Village People 'Cop' in Trouble With Law - Yahoo! News

Independent Online Edition > Iraq: A nation where suicide bombing is a fact of life

Independent Online Edition > Middle East: "The favourite time for suicide bombers to strike is about nine in the morning. There is the crash of a distant explosion and the windows of my hotel room rattle in their frames. Sometimes, I go to the roof and see oily black smoke rising above the palm trees somewhere in Baghdad. No city in the world has suffered so frequently from suicide bombers. Four bombs detonated in London, but this is becoming an everyday ocurrence in Baghdad.
Last Friday, there were no fewer than 12 attacks killing at least 28 people. The studied cruelty of the bombers gets worse by the day. Last week, a man driving a car packed with explosives blew himself up beside a US Army Humvee and killed at least 18 children playing in the street. A distraught man called Qais who was mourning his children said: 'I have had to move from my home because I cannot bear to look at the place where my two sons - Ali was five and Abbas was six - were playing before they died.' "

Marrying Maps to Data for a New Web Service - New York Times

Marrying Maps to Data for a New Web Service - New York Times: "SAN FRANCISCO, July 14 - In 1991, David Gelernter, a computer scientist at Yale, proposed using software to create a computer simulation of the physical world, making it possible to map everything from traffic flow and building layouts to sales and currency data on a computer screen.

Mr. Gelernter's idea came a step closer to reality in the last few weeks when both Google and Yahoo published documentation making it significantly easier for programmers to link virtually any kind of Internet data to Web-based maps and, in Google's case, satellite imagery."

MTV.com : Laguna Beach

Ah Laguna Beach. Guilty Pleasure #223
MTV.com : Laguna Beach

WebCalendar:Burning Man Fesitval

Power ballads and smoothies with Aussies and Irish in the desert.
WebCalendar: "Passion?Fruit?Smoothie?
Description:Join geoculinarily dislocated compadres Kiwi and Irish as we serve up our mutually antipodean interpretations of what blended juice drinks should be all about, to the heartrending sounds of the worlds smoothest power ballads...
Date:Wednesday, August 31, 2005
(Updated: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 1:05pm)
Time:10:00am-11:00am
Duration:60 minutes
Hosted by/Camp Name:Kiwi&Irish/Black Rock International Burner Hostel
Email:averylargenumber@gmail.com"

My Morning Jacket Channels Skynyrd In Crowe Film

My Morning Jacket Channels Skynyrd In Crowe Film: "My Morning Jacket has often drawn comparisons to such southern rock forebears as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band, even if they're rooted more in its members' long-haired, bearded appearances than their music.

But in Cameron Crowe's new film 'Elizabethtown,' set in MMJ's home state of Kentucky, the group openly embraces the similarities, portraying a local band rocking through a cover of Skynyrd's classic 'Freebird.' The performance elevates to another level when a stuffed bird intended as a stage prop catches fire and activates the sprinkler system, soaking the patronage."

Talking Point: Agree/Disagree?

Patrick Neate on Sean Puffy Combs (Independent, London):

"I remember reading a description of early-20th-century American minstrels (white men blacking up to portray the stereotypical"negro"). The character was played as a kind of ignorant magpie who decked himself out in the shiniest gear, strutted inself-satisfaction, and spouted bullshit in words of three syllables.The crowds flocked. Now we have Sean Combs. I would suggest the only difference is that the minstrel's now a black guy."

'Wedding Crashers' Star Owen Wilson Makes Comedy Look Easy

Butterscotch Stallion dated Sheryl Crow. Amazing! 'Wedding Crashers' Star Owen Wilson Makes Comedy Look Easy: "Instead, he trademarked the role of the exuberant fool, a man utterly lost in dreams of manly heroism, radiating what his ex-girlfriend Sheryl Crow once called strident naivete. Over and over, his characters have been our comic Don Quixotes, aspiring to chivalric ideals, then failing, then finding some moral victory in the end a welcome antidote to the current era of overcooked heroism."

For Surfers, a Roving Hot Spot That Shares - New York Times

For Surfers, a Roving Hot Spot That Shares - New York Times: "With a device called the Junxion Box, the production company can set up a mobile multiuser Internet connection anywhere it gets cellphone service. The box, about the size of a shoebox cover, uses a cellular modem card from a wireless phone carrier to create a Wi-Fi hot spot that lets dozens of people connect to the Internet. "

Who Has Bloomberg's Number? Anybody With a Phone Book - New York Times

Why New York is great! Who Has Bloomberg's Number? Anybody With a Phone Book - New York Times: "Who Has Bloomberg's Number? Anybody With a Phone Book
Forget 311.
There is another number you can call the next time the garbage goes uncollected, the neighbors are too noisy or a pothole swallows your car. It is listed in the white pages under 'Bloomberg, Michael R.'
Call Mr. Bloomberg's home, and chances are, the mayor himself will answer. That is what an agitated New Yorker did late Monday evening, only to have Mayor Bloomberg himself pick up the bedside phone in his Upper East Sidetown house. As the mayor recounted it yesterday, the caller had 'a housing problem' and needed help.
'The young lady went on about how her mother had lived there, and the mother is deceased, and now she wanted to have the house,' Mr. Bloomberg said, adding, 'I couldn't quite figure out what the woman's problem was, but I said, 'Call me in the morning; here's the number.' '
Little did most city residents realize, the home telephone number of their billionaire mayor is right there in the phone book. Several times in recent years, and again at a news conference in Queens yesterday, Mr. Bloomberg has entertained audiences with anecdotes about people who have looked him up in the white pages and called at odd hours for assistance."

Our sister site, W4 is sending a champagne swat team in as we speak. New York Post Online Edition:: "OUR man in Saint Tropez reports the French Riviera resort is jumping this summer, with Club 55 (which is celebrating its 50th anniversary) doing over 800 seatings a day. Among the notables spotted: 'David Beckham and his Spice Girl wife trying to avoid paparazzi at 55 because they were guzzling Coca- Colas and he has a promotional contract with Pepsi . . . Karl Lagerfeld wearing long white gloves in addition to that high-neck shirt, even though the temperature was in the 80s . . . Liam Neeson as usual explaining he doesn't sign autographs or allow people to take pictures because he's 'superstitious.' ' "

Double Seven - Any Good, Anyone?

Double Seven
418 W. 14th St.
(9th & 10th Aves.)
Meatpacking District
212.981.9099 "

Northeast Intelligence Network

Northeast Intelligence Network: "13 July 2005: YNetNews.com is reporting that according to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the explosives used in the London bombings is actually of Chinese origin.
According to the newspaper, Mossad Chief Meir Dagan said the explosive in question is very powerful, and �much more lethal than plastic explosives and can be smuggled undetected due to its composition.�
�The Mossad was also able to determine the substance was developed and produced at the Chinese ZDF arms factory, located about 65 kilometers (about 40 miles) from Beijing,� the paper reports."

TIME.com: 3 Lessons from London -- Jul. 18, 2005

TIME.com: 3 Lessons from London -- Jul. 18, 2005: "Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc., wrote in the New York Times last week that the unemployment rate among 16- to 24-year-old Muslim men in Britain is 22%. He cited a British government report leaked to the Sunday Times in London last year that estimates between 10,000 and 15,000 British Muslims support al-Qaeda and similar groups."