The Burning Bush

Wow, no news to report today...

Well to the disappointment of all my loyal readers there is no interesting news to report today. I have check all of my regular news sites and cannot find anything of interest to report...

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad today!

After work, tanning, the gym, and then a short bike ride with Guin, I came home to a Prime Rib dinner for my Mom and Dad's anniversary, their 33rd!

We then watched The Amazing Race.

SARSFest Coverage, disappointing.

Here I was ready to spend the evening watching the Toronto Rock Concert from Downsview Park in Toronto, but MuchMoreMusic and CBC are only showing limited highlights. They both keep saying that they will show The Stones later, but given that it is 9:30 already, it will probably only be one or two songs.

Guess I will have to wait for the DVD, if they make one...

One thing I do like about MMM coverage is that I have seen 3 girls flash the camera so far.

Vancouver 2010: What's Next?

What's Next? - News Release and Timelines
Volunteer Opportunitites
Jobs & Contract Opportunities

'Roman cosmetics' found at ancient dig

Archaeologists excavating the site of a major Roman temple in London have found a sealed box containing a white cream still bearing the fingermarks of the person who last used it, nearly 2,000 years ago.

"This is of major significance," said Museum of London curator Francis Grew on Monday.

The substance, which will now be chemically analyzed, could be face cream or even face paint, he told reporters.

"We are in completely uncharted territory here. Not only is the quality of workmanship of the box exceptional, but to find one in such good condition still sealed and with its original contents will raise huge interest around the world," he added. Full Story

Europe takes aim at U.S. space monopoly

In sectors ranging from aviation to mobile communications, Europe has come from nowhere to challenge the United States where it once dominated.

Now, experts are wondering if Europe may again be poised to catch the Americans napping -- this time in space. Full Story

I would really like to see space travel become commercialized! This is where the next space race will come from, not nations, companies.

Secret networks protect music swappers

They are the country clubs of the file-sharing world, exclusive Internet networks that require knowing the right people and having a wealth of content on your hard disk to get into the clique.

These private file-swapping networks have surfaced just as the music industry has been granted dozens of subpoenas seeking the names of those who trade copyrighted material on popular services such as Kazaa, Imesh, and Gnutella. Full Story

Hmm, they needed a study for this?!?!

The people who are the first on the block to see, do or buy something prefer the Internet to other media.

"The Web has become part of the core media to influentials," said Jon Berry, vice-president and senior research director of RoperASW New York. The research firm surveyed almost 9,000 online users to study the characteristics of the 10 per cent of society it says influences the attitudes and behaviour of the other 90 per cent. He said the Web is the top medium used by this group to research travel options and consumer products, to purchase and to read political news and information.

"Using the Internet is like breathing air," Berry added. "For companies that want to (reach) influentials, they have to consider the Internet."

Kodak struggles to find its focus

First, it was new competition. Then new technology. Now, analysts believe struggling Eastman Kodak Co. has only two to three years to find a place in the world of digital photography.

If not, the venerable pioneer of mass-market picture-taking, which grew fat in the 20th century off high-margin, silver-halide film packaged in ubiquitous yellow boxes, could begin to fade into history. Full Story

The day Telus made Telecom history

...will make them a leader in the industry

It's not as grand as Alexander Graham Bell's first long-distance call in 1876 or, 25 years later, Guglielmo Marconi's wireless transmission across the Atlantic, but April 22, 2002, is a day worth noting in Canadian telecommunications history.

One that passed largely unnoticed.

It was on that day that Girish Pathak, chief technology officer of Telus Corp., made a long-distance phone call from Vancouver to Toronto over a national telephone network using voice-over-Internet protocol, known as VOIP. Full Story

Steve Wozniak is at it again

Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak is turning his creative wheels again.

Make that his Wheels of Zeus Inc. -- a Los Gatos, Calif., startup he founded in 2002 to develop wireless technologies that would be "helpful to people's everyday lives."

The company, which has been working in stealth mode, announced its management team last Monday and unveiled a few product details.

The company hopes to create a wireless network of location-monitoring tags and base stations to help people keep track of pets, children, briefcases or other wayward things. The network will use a low-power, long-range radio technology -- the same 900-megahertz spectrum used on many cordless phones -- along with global-positioning satellite technologies. Full Story

'West Wing' small talk was big draw

As a former fan of The West Wing who harbored some hope of the show recapturing its former majesty - even without creator-genius Aaron Sorkin - this was unwelcome news indeed.

Jeff Zucker, NBC's entertainment president, has read the first two scripts of the new season. They were written by John Wells, ER's executive producer, who has taken over The West Wing (where he was also an executive producer) from Sorkin.

Zucker likes what he's seen. But from the sound of it, I'm not sure true West Wing fans will.

"I think that nobody was better at the small banter and the small talk than Aaron Sorkin," Zucker says. "Whatever is gone with not having that small talk and that small banter, I think that what John has brought to these first two scripts is some incredible, emotional moments, some incredible character development. Full Story

I agree with everything this guy says! Why they let Aaron Sorkin leave is beyond me!

'West Wing' foursome win hefty raises

For the second time in two years, four Emmy-winning co-stars of "The West Wing" reportedly are angling for a hefty raise.

Variety reports that Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and John Spencer have asked Warner Bros., the studio behind the NBC drama, to double their salaries from $80,000 to roughly $150,000 per episode.

In 2001, the four actors banded together and threatened to call in sick if their paychecks didn't get fatter. The studio came through with more money.

At the time, "The West Wing" was one of television's hottest dramas. Ratings have fallen since then, and series creator Aaron Sorkin and executive producer Thomas Schlamme left the show in May.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

I went into this movie not expecting very much considering some of the things I had read about it and the low key that the studio was keeping the advertising for this movie in. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story, acting, and effects were much better than I had thought they would be.

The one thing I didn’t like about the movie was how they fell into the typical Hollywood trap and blatantly left it open for a sequel, although it is highly unlikely that some of the original actors will reprise the roles given their past/current status.

The only character I didn’t know “their story” was that of Dorian Gray, when they were introducing him, I thought he might be Dracula, but then it wouldn’t have made sense given that Mina Harker was needed. I have read that the Invisible Man character was changed because of right’s issues, however, if you didn’t know his story to begin with, you won’t notice the change.

I think they could have spent a little more time describing the character’s different abilities, but other than that the movie was great.

I give this one a “See it in a good theatre and rent/buy it when it comes out on DVD” rating.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

I actually liked this movie more than the first one. The story seemed to be better and the acting was better. The effects were still pretty “fake” but considering it is supposed to be like the video game, were done pretty well. The only one I had a real problem with was the Shark scene.

There were a few minor plot holes near the end of the movie, but otherwise everything seemed to fit together. They could have used Ciarán Hinds better and the chemistry between Angelina and Gerard could have been a bit more believable.

Angelina was easy to look at, as always!

I give this one a “See it in a good theatre and rent/buy it when it comes out on DVD” rating.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Although you could tell that James Cameron wasn’t involved in the making of most parts of this movie, I do like that they did a good job of capturing his style and story elements.

Kristanna Loken’s opening scene was worth the price of admission, but I am an easy sell in that respect. I also loved Dr. Silberman’s scene, but for different reasons.

This film tries to address some of the nuances of traveling through time, but poses some questions that it doesn’t really address. Without giving too much away, think about the origins of SkyNet or the fate of John Connor.

Claire Danes’ talent seemed to be wasted in the role she played, it could have been so much better. There were attempts at making her like Linda Hamilton but those attempts seemed half-hearted and forced. The fact that it was pointed out at one point in the movie only made it worse.

Overall I liked this movie and I have heard that they are contemplating doing a fourth and depending on Cameron’s involvement, it could be good considering where they left off in this movie. However, with so many sequels that are made, it probably won’t be any better than this one and most likely will be a lot worse.

I give this one a “See it in a good theatre and rent/buy it when it comes out on DVD” rating.

28 Days Later

I really liked this movie although the story seemed to lose itself near the end. There were many aspects of how this movie was made that I really liked. The main one being the departure from “standard” horror films where they play “scary” music to let you know something scary is about to happen, where as this film, things just happen. I find that is way more scary.

There were a couple of “believability” issues that I had with the story and the main character. Namely, the “virus” and how the main character performed in the final confrontation sequence.

I have read that there are at least two other versions of this movie with different/extended scenes and alternate endings so I will have to wait until the DVD comes out to see what those differences really are. From what I have read, I think the original ending might have been a little bit better, although much darker and thus not as “pleasing” to some audiences.

I give this one a “See it in a good theatre and rent/buy it when it comes out on DVD” rating.

It's my Mom's Birthday today!

Happy (muffled number) Birthday Mom!

New director for 4th Harry Potter

Warner Bros. Pictures is considering director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) for the studio's fourth instalment of its Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire. If a deal is reached, Newell would be the first British director to direct one of the films based on British author J.K. Rowling's book series. Previous directors include American Chris Columbus and Mexican Alfonso Cuaron, who is currently directing the upcoming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Newell just finished directing Mona Lisa Smile, starring Julia Roberts.

Keira Knightley Wanted for 'Jurassic' Sequel

Young British star Keira Knightley is poised to sign for a role that will see her soar into the Hollywood 'superleague'. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl actress is wanted by superstar director Steven Spielberg to take a leading role in the fourth Jurassic Park blockbuster. Keira, 18, gushes, "It was so amazing because I've been a big fan of the original film for years. Steven said he liked my work in Bend It Like Beckham and wanted to meet me. I think Sam Neill really pushed for me as well, because we had worked together before on Doctor Zhivago. There were actually two roles in Jurassic Park IV that Steven thought I might fit. First there was the granddaughter part. The other was substantially larger but I won't go into any details in case I make Steven angry." In-demand Keira has also signed up with Spielberg's Dreamworks production company for a role opposite Jude Law in book adaptation Tulip Fever.

'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' Comes to Life

Classic fantasy novel The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe will become the latest book to be transformed into a movie. Andrew Adamson, a director on Shrek and next June's sequel, is in the early stages of adapting the 53-year-old novel, the most popular of CS Lewis' seven-part Chronicles Of Narnia. He has enlisted the New Zealand special effects studio behind the Lord Of The Rings trilogy to develop creature designs for the story, which follows four children who travel through a wardrobe to enter a mystical land ruled by an evil witch. The issue garnering a lot of attention is how Aslan the lion will be portrayed in the flick. Adamson says, "I read the book when I was eight years old and it seemed very real to me. Aslan has to be, first and foremost, a real lion."

Depp To Head to the Chocolate Factory?

Johnny Depp has become the surprise front-runner to play Willy Wonka in the remake of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Filmmaker Tim Burton was originally said to be deciding between Christopher Walken - who worked with Burton in Sleepy Hollow - and Michael Keaton - his star in Batman: Returns and Beetlejuice - for the role. But the success of Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl and past collaborations with Burton now has Hollywood sources putting Depp at the front of the race. The highly anticipated movie begins filming next year for a 2005 release.

Brutal tragedy ends storied tale

The internationally famous research by two Canadian naturalists showing that grizzly bears in the snow-swept Russian wilderness can live peacefully with humans has ended in a brutal tragedy, The Globe and Mail has learned.

The dozens of massive Siberian grizzly bears whose lives were catalogued for the groundbreaking eight-year study have been slaughtered in their nature sanctuary as a message to the Canadian researchers, Charlie Russell and Maureen Enns, to abandon the project. Their research has been the subject of a PBS television documentary, a bestselling book and hundreds of news stories across three continents.

The people who killed the bears nailed the gall bladder of a baby grizzly to the research station's kitchen wall as a gruesome taunt. Full Story

When are we supposed to go to the bathroom!?!?

NBC said Thursday that it plans to introduce a new feature called One-Minute Movies (or 1MM) beginning this fall that will run during commercial breaks. NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker described the concept at a news conference attended by members of the Television Critics Association. who are meeting for their annual summer tour in Los Angeles. He said that ten of the one-minute movies have already been shot. "NBC has always backed challenging storytelling and this compact concept will push the parameters of television in so many ways," Zucker said. The shorts are being produced by John Wells and directed by Paris Barclay.

So Joey and Rachel Will Be Kaput, Huh?

Thursday's official announcement that Matt LeBlanc will star in a spin-off series on NBC next year based on his Joey character in Friends touched off questions by reporters Tuesday about whether it didn't amount to a "spoiler." "Since Jennifer Aniston won't be in the Joey spinoff, doesn't it sort of kill the suspense with the Joey-Rachel romance?" a TV Guide reporter asked NBC's Jeff Zucker. The NBC Entertainment president responded: "You know, we're not going to talk about what's going to happen in the Joey show because I don't want to give away what's going to happen in the final year of Friends. And let's just say we are aware of what the producers are planning in this final season, and without giving anything away, I think that there are still quite a few surprises in store." Asked about initial reports that the new show will be set in Los Angeles rather than New York, the setting of Friends, Zucker replied that although no final decision has been made, "We'd have to explain, if he stayed in New York, where everyone else is. ... The easiest way is to take him out of New York." Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that in order to land LeBlanc for the spin-off (at a reported $500,000 per episode), Warner Bros., which will produce the show, had to agree to star LeBlanc in two feature films.

Winslet Pregnant, again

British actress Kate Winslet is pregnant with her second child, her first with new husband Sam Mendes. The Titanic star, who has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Mia from her first marriage to Jim Threapleton, yesterday revealed she'll be a mom again in the new year. The couple, who married in secret in the Caribbean in May, are said to be "euphoric" at the news. A spokesperson for the pair, currently holidaying in Tuscany, Italy, says, "They are absolutely delighted. Kate and Sam have been desperate to have a child together." News of the pregnancy has remained a well-kept secret for weeks, although Winslet didn't discover she was expecting a baby until after the wedding. The couple now plan to put work on hold as they prepare for the new addition to their family - Winslet has begun turning down job offers and Mendes has taken a break from work behind the camera and theatre work until at least the end of the year. A friend says, "They're over the moon. They had a very busy six months of the year and now they feel they've earned the right to relax with their families."

You know you waaaaaant it!

Off the floor and onto the wall
Choosing between LCD and plasma mega-TVs

Big, thin, and sexy: three words that sum up flat-panel mega-TVs. They hang on walls like paintings, yet deliver theatre-sized television images with the push of a button. As the Cheez-Whiz commercial says, you know you waaaaaant it!

Of course, there's a fourth word attached to flat panel mega-TVs: expensive. A top-of-the-line 42-inch Sony KE42XBR900 plasma flat panel will run you $16,999. Coming soon is a 50-inch Sony plasma screen priced at $22,999.

So what about you? Can you justify paying a premium for an ultra-cool flat-panel TV? More importantly, can you sell your spouse/life partner/significant other on the idea?

Well, before attempting to answer this question, you need to know a bit more about flat-panel technology. So what about you? Can you justify paying a premium for an ultra-cool flat-panel TV? More importantly, can you sell your spouse/life partner/significant other on the idea?

Well, before attempting to answer this question, you need to know a bit more about flat-panel technology. Full Story

Flash mobbing

Tech-savvy pranksters lure strangers by e-mail to converge at location

Flash mobs may be coming to a city near you.

What started in Manhattan has now spread to San Francisco, Minneapolis and London. Hundreds of people following e-mailed instructions suddenly converge on a location, act out a loose script, then quickly disperse after a preset time, usually 10 minutes. Full Story

Memories like video

Our memories are, to some degree, like a final-cut videotape: Research confirms that each of us continually edits and splices recollections, replacing one "picture" with another, sometimes with a little outside assistance. "Memory is a creative event, born anew every day," says Elizabeth Loftus, a University of California, Irvine, psychologist who is a leading expert on the malleability of eyewitness testimony. "You fill in the holes every time you reconstruct an event in your own mind." Full Story

Portobello Road, Portobello Road, street where the riches of ages are sold...

Anything and everything a chap can unload, are sold of the barrows of Portobello Road.

Ah, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I am going to have to watch that again some time....Substitutiary Locomotion - Treguna Mekoides and Tracorum Satis Dee...Bobbing along on the bottom of the beautiful briny sea...I could go on all night!

Anyway, what started all of this, we were watching a show on London and they showed Portobello Road and they have a website. http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/

Forget Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, see the real thing...ewww!

An exhibition of dissected human corpses which caused a storm of protest has prompted a rush of "body donors" who want to be preserved and put on display for future generations.

More than 20 people in Britain have agreed to donate their bodies to an institute run by German professor Gunther von Hagens, whose chosen preservation method is to skin the corpse, splay its insides and put it on display to the public. Full Story

The Body Worlds Exhibition

The Giz Wiz!

Check out The Giz Wiz! Really cool site.

Only in California...

Welcome to Baby Ink, where we believe that it's never to early to start expressing your unique personality through professional, high quality body art. Baby Ink locations are non-threatening, family friendly places where people of all ages can feel calm and at ease. Although we are the ORIGINAL body art chain to cater to toddlers and children, our experienced, talented staff is glad to work on people of all ages. So whether you're 8 months or 88 years old, if you're ready for a tattoo or a body piercing-the clear choice is Baby Ink!

Globalization takes toll on techies

To some high-tech workers, the New Economy is starting to look a lot like the Old Economy. And that is a frightening prospect.

In the Old Economy, the manufacturing sector has lost nearly 4 million jobs since 1980. Some jobs have disappeared because of increased productivity, but many affected workers in industries like steel, apparel and electronics have been replaced by lower-priced labor overseas. As globalization marches on, many jobs in the New Economy of services and high technology seem to be headed the same way. Full Story

Help Wanted: Microsoft Hiring

Microsoft is boosting its research and development investment by 8 percent to $6.8 billion, Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates told a crowd of analysts at the company's Financial Analyst Day in Redmond, Wash., on Thursday.

The company also said it plans to expand its workforce by between 4,000 and 5,000 positions worldwide during the fiscal year, including between 3,000 and 3,500 positions in the U.S. Full Story

Travel Accessories

Check out this company, Magellen's Travel Supplies.

Here is what I liked...

Evac-U8 Smoke Hood - Protect yourself from toxic smoke, the number one cause of fire fatalities.

Phoenix Motion Sensing Lantern - No more stumbling your way to the bathroom in dark hotel rooms. The Phoenix Motion Sensing Lantern automatically lights your way.

I found more, but I didn't feel like hacking the HTML Code to post them here. Go look for yourself.

This wasn't on that site, but it is cool anyway...

Oregon Scientific Digital Alarm Clock with World Time: This digital alarm clock sets itself to the US atomic clock, but also shows world time for 130 cities. Electro luminescence backlighting. Single alarm and daily self-resetting alarm.

Spy Kids Star's Family Can't See Movie

The mother and twin brother of Daryl Sabara can’t see the 11-year-old’s new movie, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.

Each suffers from a lazy eye syndrome that makes it impossible for them to use the 3-D cardboard glasses with red and blue lenses necessary for viewing the movie, which opens today.

But that’s all right because director Robert Rodriguez has made a special 2-D version of the film for them. He’s planning on showing it to them next week. The 2-D Spy Kids 3 will also be included in the DVD package of the movie later this year. Full Story

Gates and other execs outline plans for $6.8 billion research and development budget.

Bill Gates and other executives kicked off Microsoft's meeting with financial analysts on Thursday with an overview of the company's development projects, which will be fueled in the current fiscal year by $6.8 billion in spending on research and development, an 8% increase over last year. "There's a strong product pipeline," said Gates, Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect.
Among the areas of activity are Web services, improved management of PCs and servers, "unlocking" business information via XML, trustworthy computing, and advances in E-mail capabilities, Gates said. Key technologies under development include an overhaul of the Windows operating system, referred to as Longhorn, and a related project to build a new file system.

Products demonstrated at the event included the forthcoming OneNote 2003 application for creating documents that incorporate text, digital ink, and graphics; a next-generation PC prototype code-named Athens that features a large display, integrates with phones, and displays information about incoming calls; and Web conferencing made possible by the PlaceWare technology acquired earlier this year.

Microsoft execs outlined key products to be delivered over the next 12 months. They include:

Music swoop nets diverse downloaders

Move over college kids. Grandparents and roommates may be the first ones to pay for downloading songs on the internet.

The US music industry's earliest subpoenas, issued as part of a high-stakes campaign to cripple online piracy by suing some of music's biggest fans, are aimed at a surprisingly eclectic group: a grandfather, an unsuspecting dad and an apartment roommate. Full Story

Star Wars Kid Files Lawsuit

The parents of the infamous "Star Wars Kid" are suing classmates who posted a humiliating video of their son on the Net, according to Canada's Globe and Mail.

Quebec teenager Ghyslian Raza was the target of worldwide mockery when a private video he made of himself practicing his lightsaber moves was uploaded to the Net by kids at his school. Full Story

Padawan Junior High

Developing a mind-controlled wheelchair

Swiss and Spanish scientists are developing a mind-controlled wheelchair that could one day give severely paralyzed patients new independence.

The system will use electrodes embedded in a skullcap worn by the patient to transmit messages from the brain to a computer which passes them on to the chair through a wireless link. Full Story

Haven't even heard of this...

A vehicle control system that has been proven in Germany to cut down dramatically on accidents is available on just 6 percent of vehicles in the United States. Full Story

Punta Cana Pictures

Finally got the Punta Cana Pictures online!

Going Where No 'Star Trek' Has Gone Before?

Star Trek co-exec producer Rick Berman insisted Wednesday, "I don't think the franchise is in trouble," despite a significant downturn in the ratings for Enterprise and the poor performance of Nemesis at the box office. Speaking to TV critics at their annual "tour" in Hollywood about last season's ratings drop, co-exec producer Brannon Braga said, "I don't think, creatively, we were doing anything wrong. ... It can be debated whether there are problems with the show. There are many people that love the show. We're very proud of the show, but we did feel that ... it was time to do something differently. ... Is the franchise waning? Probably somewhat, but it's been around a long time." UPN Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff said that the network was listening to viewers "who were very clear about some of the things we could have been doing better, and those are the improvements that we made."

A Friend In Deed

NBC has struck a deal with Matt LeBlanc for him to star in Joey, based on his Friends character, beginning in September 2000, USA Today reported today (Thursday). The newspaper said that the deal will be announced today. According to the newspaper, no pilot script has been written, the deal having apparently been struck following a pitch in which it was suggested that the LeBlanc character move to the West Coast to pursue his acting career, where he would be joined by a love interest and an ensemble cast. USA Today also reported that LeBlanc will take a significant pay cut from the $1-million-per-episode salary he now commands for Friends.

Next: Your Neighborhood Big-Mac Theater?

Universal is looking to sell the right to put a corporate name on its 18-screen theater complex located in the CityWalk entertainment center adjacent to the studio, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Thursday). The move comes in the wake of a boom in naming rights for sports arenas and stadiums and could touch off similar deals for the names of theater complexes all over the country, the Times indicated. The newspaper indicated that some 30 companies -- and even the armed forces -- have expressed interest in Universal's offer.

Disney Movies To Debut Online

It will take a mouse to catch a mouse when Disney begins making available movies from its library to the Movielink website beginning next month. Users of the service that provides films for $2.95-$4.99 per download will also be able to catch movies from Disney's Miramax unit, including Oscar winner Chicago. "Our relationship with Movielink opens the door to exciting new territory. ... This deal ... is part of Disney's overall strategy to make digital content available in both a convenient manner for a customer-friendly price," Dan Cohen, of Disney's Buena Vista Pay TV unit, said in a statement. The deal leaves 20th Century Fox as the sole studio that has not signed a licensing deal with Movielink.

Demi Moore Has a Close Encounter of the Watery Kind

Semi-retired actress Demi Moore has had a shocking aquatic experience - after an over-sexed dolphin took a liking to her. Moore was visiting Las Vegas with toy boy lover Ashton Kutcher, ex- husband Bruce Willis and children Tallulah, Scout and Rumer for Duran Duran's concert at The Joint, when they took a family trip to a water park. The extended family unit visited Siegfried And Roy's Secret Garden And Dolphin Habitat to take a swim with the much-loved mammals when one dolphin took an unwelcome shine to Demi. An onlooker laughs, "Dolphins are very sexually aggressive, and one went after Demi in a big way," adding that the Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle actress had to vacate the pool in a hurry.

Oh, to be a bug...

As life goes, it doesn't get much better than for male Zeus bugs. The tiny water bugs that are common along Australia's east coast have an easy life. Their female partners provide free food, transport and unlimited sex whenever they want it.

"All the advantages in this relationship seem to fall to the male with no obvious advantage for the female, yet the female Zeus bug seems a willing partner in this one-sided affair," Mark Elgar of the University of Melbourne in Australia said. Full Story

Antarctic seal kills snorkeling scientist

A British marine scientist has been killed by a seal while snorkeling off the coast of Antarctica, newspapers reported on Thursday.

Kirsty Brown, 28, was attacked by a leopard seal on Tuesday while she carried out research close to the Rothera research station, about 800 miles (1,290 km) south of the Falkland Islands.

Horrified colleagues watched as Brown, a qualified diver, was pulled underwater and drowned by the seal.

Professor Chris Rapley, director of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), said Brown's death had shocked her colleagues.

Leopard seals can grow up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) long and are one of Antarctica's fiercest predators. Favorite prey are penguins but they also hunt other seals and fish.

"In 30 years we have never experienced anything like this," a BAS spokesman told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"Leopard seals are incredibly inquisitive, but are not normally aggressive. If a diver can see a leopard seal, then they will not go in the water because there is a small risk. But to our knowledge, this has never happened before."

Sad state of affairs

Denied in Ontario, teen goes to Princeton
Three universities reject top student

A Hamilton high school student whose scientific research on Alzheimer's disease won her international acclaim is going to Princeton after three Ontario universities rejected her in part because they have no means to deal with exceptional applicants.

Eva Vertes, 18, whose first-place finish in last year's Intel International Science Fair landed her on the cover of Maclean's magazine, was not admitted to the University of Toronto, the University of Western Ontario or her hometown school, McMaster, where she spent many after-school evenings doing research in one of Canada's top neurology labs. Full Story

Deet & Sunscreen Don't Mix

Mixing sunscreen and bug juice has become part of the summertime tradition these days, prompted by the searing sun and threat of West Nile Virus.

But people protecting themselves from sunburn and mosquito bites might be hindering rather than helping their health. Dr. Xiaochen Gu, a scientist at the University of Manitoba, has found that using DEET and sunscreen at the same time can exacerbate the side effects of the bug spray ingredient.

Those side effects range from rashes on the skin to dizziness and disorientation to changes in blood pressure and even seizures. Full Story

Since I don't normally wear either, I should be okay.

Amazing!

I saw this when my mom was watching Oprah today it is absolutely amazing! I love when they have stories like this on TV. It just makes me so glad that we live in a time when they can do things like this for people.

SpeechEasy - A True Fluency Device

For years, it has been known that people who stutter tend to become more fluent when they speak in unison with another person. This phenomenon, known as the ‘choral effect’, can be seen when a person who stutters becomes more fluent while singing in a choir or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance within a crowd.

Through the use of Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) and Frequency Altered Feedback (FAF), SpeechEasy™ effectively creates the illusion of another person speaking in unison with the user. By emulating this ‘choral speech’ pattern, a SpeechEasy™ user can become 50 – 95% more fluent.

Driving Under Influence of a Phone

Talking on a cell phone behind the wheel is more dangerous than driving drunk, researchers from the University of Utah conclude in a new study.

And it makes no difference whether the telephone is hand-held or, as permitted by New York State law, used hands-free, researchers say in a paper presented yesterday by academics at an auto safety conference in Park City, Utah. Full Story

Microsoft Offers Improved Legal Protection

Microsoft is ready to take the heat if its products land customers in trouble.

The Redmond, Washington, software maker will pay its customers' full legal bills if they get sued over intellectual property issues relating to its products. Also, Microsoft no longer limits its liability when a customer suffers damages due to gross negligence or intentional misconduct on Microsoft's part, said Morris Kremen, associate general counsel at Microsoft, in an interview on Tuesday. Full Story

My Cookbook

I have put my favourite recipes online now.

Check out my Cookbook. I will be post more as I make them, but most of my favourites are on there now.

Patrick Stewart's Throat Ravaged by Infection

Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart was forced to dramatically quit the stage last Tuesday half way through his performance of Ibsen's The Master Builder. The bald actor, a member of the revered Royal Shakespeare Company, lost his voice mid-way through the show and understudy Paul Stewart stepped into the breach for the character of Solness. A theatre spokeswoman says, "Patrick took to the stage with a throat infection which got progressively worse through the performance, and he felt he could not perform adequately for the audience so he handed over to Paul." Patrick's lilting Yorkshire, England tones are much-loved by theatre-goers - and one critic recently said Stewart "swills vowel sounds around his mouth like the finest port".

Angelina's Ready for Sex Again

Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie hasn't had sex in a year since splitting with ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton - and she can't wait to make love again. The Tomb Raider babe has made much of her single status since parting ways with the Monster's Ball actor last July - despite reports linking her with first husband, British actor Jonny Lee Miller. She recently said, "I haven't had sex in a really long time. I am beginning to think I am really supposed to be alone and that's OK." But she now admits the novelty of a chaste life is wearing thin; "I'm single. I haven't been dating. I haven't had sex for over a year. It's horrible. God help the next person. I'm looking forward to the next time, of course."

Zeta To Replace Kidman in Pitt Flick?

Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones is poised to take over Nicole Kidman's role in the Brad Pitt movie Mr. And Mrs. Smith. The Welsh beauty is keen work with Jennifer Aniston's hunky husband after problems with Kidman's hectic shooting schedule forced her to consider pulling out the project. However, producers are scrambling to find a way round the difficulties of Kidman's workload so she can play opposite Ocean's Eleven hunk Pitt in the story of a bored married couple who discover they are both assassins. If Zeta-Jones does end up in the lead role it will be the first time she has shared screen time with Pitt. They worked together on animated flick Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas, but never met until its premiere.

That sounds like it could be a cool movie!

Still, SOOO FULL!!!!

Last night we had a wonderful dinner party. We started eating at around 6:00 and didn’t stop until 8:00! Unfortunately, this made us very full for volleyball and we didn’t perform as well as we should have and lost the game. I think if we had been at top form, we could have beaten the team we played fairly easily.

Thanks to Allen for making pizza, Guin for making the Hickory Smoked Cheese Bread, Kate for making the cupcakes, and to Amy and Chris for just coming over, I had a wonderful time and hope you did too.

So take note everyone else, next time you are invited over, first, show up, and second, bring a large appetite!

I will be posting my recipes, for those of you who want them, later.

Hollywood to pirates: Please don't steal

The movie industry is trying a new approach to stop people from downloading pirated copies of films over the Internet: It's asking them nicely.

Movie studios were launching a campaign Tuesday with television ads and in-theater spots featuring makeup artists, set painters and other crafts people saying that piracy robs them of a living. Full Story

Michael Jackson: Don't jail downloaders

Michael Jackson says Congress should make no laws that could land music fans in jail for downloading songs illegally over the Internet.

"I am speechless about the idea of putting music fans in jail for downloading music. It is wrong to download, but the answer cannot be jail," Jackson said in a statement released Monday.

The pop star was referring to a bill before Congress that would make it a federal felony to obtain copyright works over the Internet without permission. Full Story

New music download service launches

A new Internet music download site for PCs debuting Tuesday boasts the cheapest per-song rates yet but many of the same restrictions on copying that have stymied wider use of other music services.

Although online retailer BuyMusic.com will offer a catalog of more than 300,000 songs from the five major record labels, users of the service will not necessarily have the freedom afforded customers of Apple's iTunes service to transfer the music purchased to multiple computers and portable devices, or to burn it to compact discs. Full Story

Band of Brothers II - Hanks goes back to war

From the Oscar-winning Saving Private Ryan to the 10-part mini series Band of Brothers, Hanks has donned the fatigues as actor and director to film hyper-realistic interpretations of GI Joe during the Normandy landings.

And now he and best pal director Steven Spielberg have been handed a warm water port for their next war-torn gritty series – a 10-part untitled project set in the Pacific during WWII.

The budget is an impressive £80m which outshines the measly £7m they spent on six-time Emmy Award winner, Band of Brothers.

And while Band of Brothers was based on a best-selling book by Stephen E Ambrose, the new series will have an original writer Bruce McKenna, who wrote three instalments of Band of Brothers.

The specifics of the Pacific adventure are predictable – it follows a company of US soldiers in their struggle against the Japanese – but the results will no doubt be eagerly anticipated.

Fans will expect quite a bit of bang from Spielberg and Hanks’ 80m bucks.

"My god, it's full of stars!"

An Australian astronomer claimed on Tuesday to have completed the most accurate calculation ever of how many stars shine in the visible universe (some 70 sextillion, or 70 thousand million million million). Full Story

Look what popped out of the Toaster over the weekend!

Bill sent me a bunch of things this weekend, I had some fun playing the game and chuckled at the funnies he sent. Have a look.

Seconds of Madness - Cool skating type game.
Commercial - What are they actually trying to sell here?
Lightsabres - For Jedi 12 and older.
Boners - Who's your bone daddy!?!?

Long time, no post!

As you can see it has been a long time since my last post…but hey, if I didn’t have a life there wouldn’t be much to post, right!?!?

Anyway, on Friday we played Volleyball on court one and we won (and not by default)! Then after volleyball, Amy, Erik, Cathy, Kate, and I stayed at the Lodge to have Drinks and Wings. Well I didn’t have any wings (chicken allergy) but I did help Cathy with her Nachos. At about 10:30, we all left and Kate and I went to do some grocery shopping for camping.

On Saturday Amy, Chris (baby Chris), Cathy, Kate, and I went Camping out at Blue Lake. The weather was nice on Saturday and we went swimming a couple of times. That night we were told to quite down by the park rangers as Cathy and her rowdy friends were being too loud. We called it a night around 1:30 AM.

Sunday it rained off and on all day, but the evening was nice and the night was clear. Kate and I went for a nature walk while Cathy had a snooze. Kate was excited cause she saw a Pitcher Plant.

We packed up by 2:00 PM on Monday then came home and went to the gym. Last night was pretty uneventful. After going to the store for stuff for Sun Salad and Pizza for tonight, then making the dressing for the Sun Salad, I watched Donald Trump’s New York and More Billionaire Toys on the Travel Channel.

Tonight everyone is coming over for Sun Salad (That’s what I am making), Hickory Smoked Cheese Bread (Guin is making that), Allen’s Famous Pizza (Allen), and something for Dessert that Kate is making. So we should be nice and lethargic for Volleyball tonight!

Dictionary for Buffy Slang

Cult TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer has become such a part of contemporary culture its slang vocabulary has now been collected in a new dictionary. Slayer Slang was written by leading American linguist Professor Michael Adams and contains a comprehensive guide to the hip talk spoken by star Sarah Michelle Gellar and her pals. For example, if Buffy was to say, "I'm in a pre-posy with that dollsome Mr. 'I Loved The English Patient'", what she means is, "I'm in the early stages of a relationship with that extremely attractive sensitive man."

Depp's Dope Plans for His Kids

Movie hunk Johnny Depp will buy marijuana for his kids when they start showing an interest in the drug because he fears street dealers will cheat them. The liberally-minded actor - and father to Lily-rose, four, and baby Jack - is convinced the gesture will help keep his children away from more dangerous drugs. Depp, married to French actress Vanessa Paradis, says, "Out on the street, you never know what you're getting and suddenly two days later, you're beating yourself in the head with a tennis racket, wearing a towel and quoting Poe. You don't want that for your kid."

Travolta Smarts Over 'Chicago'

Hollywood star John Travolta hates anyone mentioning the musical movie hit Chicago - because he's still furious he turned down the lead role. The Pulp Fiction actor was originally offered the starring role in the 2003 Oscar-winning musical, but passed on the chance because he wasn't convinced the ambitious project would be a big screen success. However, with fellow middle-aged sex symbol Richard Gere in to the role, the Rob Marshall directed flick turned into one of the most successful movies of the year. When asked about it in a recent interview Travolta smarted, "You're rubbing salt in my wounds! I'm still angry with myself that I turned down the role of the lawyer in Chicago that Richard Gere then got."

Julia Roberts in Heart Scare

America's sweetheart Julia Roberts had a dramatic collapse from chest pains while celebrating her anniversary in Italy. The Pretty Woman actress and her husband Danny Moder were enjoying a holiday to mark their year as a couple on July 7, when Julia allegedly slumped to the ground in agony. According to Britain's Daily Star newspaper, panicked Danny called for help - fearing she was having a heart attack. Italian cardiologist Salvatore Greco says, "They told me that they had given her a medicine that had worked and she felt all right." A friend of the pair's adds, "Julia was getting ready for dinner when she was suddenly gripped by a searing pain in her chest. When she returns to America, she plans on getting a full physical."

And you think you have problems...

So that is why the Diving sucked when we were there!

A new study paints a grim picture of the health of coral reefs across the Caribbean. In the past three decades, the amount of coral cover has dropped about 80 percent, according to researchers in the journal Science. Full Story

Satellite-driven tractors may save sick soil

The world's over-farmed soil is sick and has been rapidly getting sicker, but scientists say space-age, satellite-driven tractors are coming to the rescue.

Heavy modern farm equipment is killing the soil through repeated compaction and tilling, which in turn worsens salinity that kills crops.

But a new world of automatically steered tractors, guided by satellites, will allow them to run on pre-determined tracks and lessen their impact on the soil. Full Story

Welcome to the 'new' Web, same as the 'old' Web

Do you remember the day you first surfed the Web, stretched out your arms over the vastness of cyberspace, teleported from site to site with an almost exhilarating power? Or alternately, sat waiting for "fat" pages to load?

Well, hang on to your hats boys and girls, because your experience of the World Wide Web is about to change, possibly for the first time since Mosaic, one of the first graphical browsers, was unleashed in 1993 from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Full Story

I do remember my first time on the web...there weren't even any pictures on sites until about a year after I was online! And then it was a single image centred in the middle of the page!

'Hooters of coffee'

Controversy is brewing over a cafe that bills itself "the Hooters of coffee" -- complete with scantily clad waitresses, a foosball machine and a macho motif.

Owner Tony Nunez believes city officials are unfairly targeting his coffee shop, Sugars, blaming it for parking hassles in the family oriented neighborhood and alleging that the mobster-themed cafe is a den of prostitution.

Since the cafe opened in February, city inspectors and police have ticketed Nunez, his business partners or his landlord for playing live music and sponsoring lingerie shows, and for failure to properly maintain the building's plumbing and patio.

Michael Hannon, deputy director of code enforcement for San Jose, says officials are merely trying to get Sugars up to compliance. He denies any harassment.

The cafe, a former record store decorated with posters from gangster movies, has perked up neighbors -- including many who want it closed.

"The desire of the neighborhood has always been for a Starbucks," said Ted Cunningham of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association. "I feel they snuck in."

That'll get you "up" in the morning!

ISS Says Cisco Operating System Has Security Flaw

A security flaw has been found in Cisco Systems Inc.'s (CSCO) internetwork operating system that could allow hackers to penetrate all of Cisco's routers.

Cisco released a security advisory detailing "a significant denial of service vulnerability that affects its entire line of IPv4 devices," Internet Security Systems Inc. (ISSX) said Thursday. Full Story

Our finest in "action"...

An RCMP internal probe into officers boozing at the G8 summit in Kananaskis last year has been expanded to include a criminal investigation of sexual misconduct and possibly sexual assault. Full Story

Implantable human tracking chip launched

Borrowing from technology for tracking pets, a U.S. company on Thursday launched Mexican sales of microchips that can be implanted under a person's skin and used to confirm health history and identity. Full Story

All they need to do is to put a GPS Unit and a Cell Phone Transceiver in it and we have a real tracking system. Scary, I know, but it is probably coming for Child Sex Offenders and other criminals. Kids could have them implanted and have them turned off at age of majority. And so on...

Latest Internet trend: Scamming the scammers

Turning the tables on perpetrators of Nigerian e-mail scams is the latest Internet craze, with online vigilantes seeking revenge and a few chuckles by scamming the scammers.

It's sweet revenge against a scourge that litters e-mail boxes and ruins lives. Full Story

Depressed? Maybe it's your blue genes

Scientists have discovered a set of genes that helps explain why some people bounce back from life's traumas while others sink into depression.

The finding, which could lead to a simple and controversial test to identify individuals at risk of depression, suggests up to 31 per cent of people have genetic protection against the blues while 17 per cent are genetically more prone to depression when hit by the death of loved ones, job loss or marriage breakups. Full Story

Fat Boy Slim to remix Sympathy for the Devil

The Rolling Stones will release three remixes of their 1968 song Sympathy for the Devil in September including one by Fatboy Slim.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards gave the Brighton based DJ permission to remix the track because they liked his remix of Satisfaction.

The remix along with two others by the Neptunes and Full Phatt will get radio play from Monday, July 21.

A video of one of the remixes, featuring footage from Jean-Luc Godard's One Plus One film featuring the Stones playing the track at London's Olympic recording studios, has been commissioned to promote the track.

According to Billboard, the mixes will be added to new copies of the Stones' 40 Licks hits package released last year by Virgin Records to mark the band's 40th anniversary.

Sympathy for the Devil, from the Beggars' Banquet album, remains one of the band's best loved records and live favourites, although it was never released as a single in the UK or US.

As long as he removes most of the "woo who"s from it, I will be happy!

J-Lo's bum steer

Jennifer Lopez's bottom - hailed as Hollywood's sexiest posterior in a poll conducted earlier this year - has been reportedly downsized in publicity photos for her new film.

The singer-actress's famously large behind was retouched in posters and billboard pictures to advertise the romantic comedy Gigli.

"Columbia's marketing division airbrushed her butt to make it smaller and pumped up her chest," a source, who had seen the before and after shots, told the New York Post.

J-Lo was said to be unhappy with the way her curvature was diminished in the photos, where she appears beside her co-star and finance, Ben Affleck.

Lopez, 33, met Affleck while filming Gigli last year. The film is to be released in the US later this month.

Actress Kate Winslet was unhappy when GQ magazine recently airbrushed a photo to make her look slimmer on the magazine's front cover.

It is probably because the studio couldn't get a "Wide Screen" poster made!

Moore is less in whiny, cloying 'How to Deal'

You never realized how big a void John Hughes left when he stopped making teen-angst movies until you see how completely "How to Deal" fails in filling it.

The review goes on to spoil the entire movie, so I didn't read it all, but I hate to tell you Sean, that may be true but I would go see it even if it was just Mandy Moore sitting there reading the Dryden Observer!

'Boys II' goes from bad to (probably) worst...

It may be too early to label Bad Boys II as the worst picture of the summer -- there is, after all, more than a month of movies left to go, including something called Jeepers Creepers 2 -- but it's certainly not too soon to call it the vilest film of the season. The latest collaboration between director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, two filmmakers who bring out the worst in each other, is just as bloated and fatuous as their previous efforts (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Rock). Bad Boys II, in which Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reprise their roles as a pair of bickering Miami cops who bend every rule, is all slick, stylish nonsense, about as coherent and garish as Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, only this one is an hour longer and doesn't have any musical numbers. Full Story

Well I haven't seen Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle yet, but I have seen Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and The Rock and I liked all of those movies, so I should probably like Bad Boys II. Sorry Rene!

'Don't call me a pirate. I'm an online fan.'

Whitney, a Los Angeles 16-year-old, doesn't look a thing like Johnny Depp. And she says that, no matter what Hollywood might think, she and her friends are hardly pirates.

The voice of a new generation says the industry is out of touch and needs to get with the times - stop charging so much for CDs, move its business online where millions of consumers already are, and stop trying to make criminals out of people who love its product.

Pay sites, of course, do exist. But they've had limited impact, in part, says Whitney, because they're so limited. The most promising new service, Apple's iTunes works only on Macintosh computers, which represent just 3 percent of the national home computer market. Other services have gaping holes in their listings, such as no original Beatles tunes or no songs by Madonna or the Rolling Stones. This would be like a department store without any dresses or shoes, say users like Whitney, who have tried the pay sites and found them wanting. Although she has never paid for a download, if a good site came along, Whitney says 99 cents sounds like the right amount to pay per tune. After some mental math, though, she is hesitant to say she would pay almost $1,200 for the collection of free songs she now has on her computer.

Once the lawsuits go ahead, more parents may find themselves taking a sterner approach. The minimum damages the court can assess is $750 per song; the maximum $150,000. Multiply that by 1,192, and well, you get the idea. Full Story

The end of Netscape

After laying off 50 staff at Netscape, AOL has moved all remaining employees to another project, heralding the inevitable demise of the browser.

The news was posted to a public forum by AOL staff member Dan Veditz, according to a report by ZDNet.

Veditz said that the majority of remaining staff have been moved to an 'AOL Communicator' messaging client project, leaving less than six people to transfer Netscape's browser development to the Mozilla Foundation.

The Mozilla Foundation was launched by open source group Mozilla.org to promote and develop the Mozilla browser and its cross-platform toolkit for developing Internet-based applications.

AOL announced on Tuesday that it was to invest $2 million in the new foundation.

New Kazaa software thwarts anti-swapping efforts

New unauthorized versions of two programs that use the popular Kazaa peer-to-peer file-sharing service are designed to frustrate efforts by record companies to identify file-swappers, says a report published by Extremetech.com.

Both programs, Kazaa K++ 2.4.0 and Kazaa Lite 2.4.0, published on the Internet last week as free downloads, now subscribe to the PeerGuardian database of IP addresses, which attempts to catalogue all Internet addresses used by or suspected to be used by music labels, the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, and other agencies. Full Story

Microsoft warns of design flaw on newest software

Microsoft has admitted there's a dangerous design flaw in its latest Windows Server 2003 software. The software is aimed at large corporate customers.

The company says the flaw could allow hackers to seize control of a Windows computer over the Internet, stealing data, deleting files or eavesdropping on e-mail. Full Story

The FrontPage Dragon has been Slain!

I have finally figured out how to fix the photo album problems I have been having. I had to cut and paste the file that FrontPage was trying to link to with a script into the actual page I wanted the photo album to appear in.

So, Jeff's pictures are online now and I will be doing the Punta Cana ones shortly.

Paparazzi Invited to Ben and Jen's Wedding

Jennifer Lopez's wedding to Hollywood hunk fiance Ben Affleck will amazingly be a paparazzi friendly event. Unlike fellow star couple Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, who signed an exclusive magazine deal and banned guests from bringing cameras, Ben and Jen are happy to share their special day with the rest of the world. Lopez says, "If people want to be outside and they want to take our picture, then OK. We're not going to be with the 24 million security guards. We wanna just have a nice wedding, have it be a beautiful day and if there happen to be cameras outside, then that's fine. We're not gonna obsess over them." The pair have yet to set a date for the big day - expected to be later this year.

I have two thoughts on this... The first is that they have probably accepted that the Paparazzi will stalk them anyway and might as well set up something to appease them instead of being inconvenienced by them. The second is that they might just be "show boating".

I still like what Bill Gates did when he got married. They were married in Hawaii, so he bought out the resort they were at and hired every helicopter on all of the islands so that no one from the press could get there. Most people want his money, I would just be happy with what he spent on his wedding, his house, or his taxes last year! (I'm guessing $2-5 Million for the wedding, $40 Million for the house, and $768 Million in Taxes all in US Funds)

Drew Barrymore: "I Am Bisexual"

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle star Drew Barrymore has laid to rest years of speculation by confirming she is bisexual - and claims to have bedded "lots of women". The Hollywood actress - who's had two failed marriages, and is now dating The Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti - has confirmed she harbors sexual feelings for both sexes. Barrymore has confessed to sleeping with a long line of women during her troubled teenage years - which saw her battling a drug addiction from the age of 11. She says, "Do I like women sexually? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have always considered myself bisexual. I love a woman's body. I think a woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful. Being with a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else. When I was younger I used to go with lots of women. Totally - I love it."

Mummified daughter kept for aliens

A distraught Kazakh mother kept her daughter's mummified corpse in her apartment for three years hoping she would be resurrected by aliens.

The mother was undergoing medical checks at a psychiatric clinic. Her daughter's remains had been given a proper burial. Full Story

It is not improbable that some day in the distant future an alien race may decide to study human beings by cloning them or resurrecting those in Cryonic Suspended Animation. I mean we are trying to do it with species on this planet, see previous posting about Wooly Mammoth.

Bill would jail Internet song swappers

Internet users who allow others to copy songs from their hard drives could face prison time under legislation introduced by two Democratic lawmakers Wednesday.

The bill is the strongest attempt yet to deter the widespread online song copying that recording companies say has led to a decline in CD sales.

Sponsored by Michigan Rep. John Conyers and California Rep. Howard Berman, the bill would make it easier to slap criminal charges on Internet users who copy music, movies and other copyrighted files over "peer-to-peer" networks. Full Story

U.S. Says PM's 'Priceless' Gift to Bush Is Worth $20

To Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, the pen holder he gave visiting G8 leaders at last year's Kananaskis summit was the perfect gift to reflect Canada's rich natural history. Carved from 70-million-year-old Alberta fossils, it was inlaid with Canadian maple and topped with a 24-carat gold fountain pen.

But to the U.S. State Department, the item was a near-worthless bauble, with a value of a mere $20 that placed it among the cheapest gifts President George W. Bush received last year from other heads of state. Full Story

Dark matter map reveals galaxy cluster's appetite

Astronomers have created the first detailed map of dark matter in a cluster of galaxies. The map indicates that such clusters grow by swallowing individual galaxies, as well as providing a timely reality check for cosmological theories of dark matter.

The galaxy cluster studied, CL0024+1654, is one of the largest structures in the Universe. It is 4.5 billion light years away and, although too faint to be seen with the naked eye, spans an area of sky as large as the full Moon. Full Story

More playing with Genetics

Glowing 'Frankenfish' swamp Taipei, Taiwan. Their weird glowing green color makes them look like they've been swimming in a nuclear plant's spent fuel pond. But the zebra fish on sale in Taipei shops have an even stranger background: They're the latest in genetically modified fish, and their bodies contain DNA from jellyfish, which makes them shimmer in the dark. Full Story

Welcome to Jurassic Park

Scientists hoping to clone prehistoric woolly mammoths are preparing their first frozen DNA samples in a bid to revive the species.

The specimens of bone marrow, muscle and skin were unearthed last August in the Siberian tundra where they had been preserved in ice for thousands of years. Full Story

Look out Avril fans!

A live, digital-only EP from Avril Lavigne's "Try to Shut Me Up" World Tour, has just been released!

The EP consists of 5 tracks taped at her concert in Dublin, Ireland on March 23, 2003. That night, the original venue proved to be too small, and was moved to a much larger venue, "The Point," where a huge, crazy Irish crowd of 10,000 kids enjoyed Avril at her best.

Entitled, Avril Live: Try To Shut Me Up, the EP's tracklisting is:

1. Sk8er Boi
2. Nobody's Fool
3. Basketcase (a Green Day cover!)
4. Unwanted
5. Losing Grip

These are not only the first live tracks from Avril Lavigne commercially ever released, this is the first live digital-only album released on legitimate digital distribution services! Go Avril!

On July 15th, this EP went live on the Apple iTunes site in a 30-day exclusive.

Tracks are available for $0.99 per track or $4.95 for the complete EP. On August 15th, the EP will be available for purchase on all major digital distribution services, including Musicnet, Pressplay, Rhapsody, and others. At that time, look for live footage from her concert online as well!

Plus, if you like the live tracks, watch for Avril's DVD and live CD, My World, due out in October. The DVD includes footage from her recent world tour, backstage and on-the-road antics with her band, and a behind-the-scene glimpse into Avril's life.

Christina's too Dirty

MTV bosses considered the original cut of Christina's new single Can't Hold Us Down too sexy for its young audience.

The raunchy star - who dressed up in leather chaps to box with another woman in the video for her song Dirrty - has slammed the decision, claiming that male rappers get away with much more in their videos.

Christina said: "It's funny. There are all those hip-hop videos where women are objectified, but when a woman does it, it's a shock. But it's something I'm proud of."

She continued: "It's not like Madonna hasn't been there before.

"It's not like you've never seen a woman who's comfortable with her sexuality and her body and with being in control of her surroundings and situation."

Avril on iTunes

Avril Lavigne is sending a subtle message to Metallica, Linkin Park and other groups who have pulled their music off Apple's iTunes recently - Let Go.

While several artists have distanced themselves from the online music store because it makes tracks available individually, the Canadian singer is supporting the new service by giving iTunes an exclusive live EP.

The five-song collection, available only at iTunes beginning Tuesday (July 15), features "Sk8er Boi," "Losing Grip," "Nobody's Fool," "Unwanted" and a cover of Green Day's "Basket Case." Each track is 99 cents.

The material was recorded March 23 at the Dublin, Ireland, date of Lavigne's recent Try to Shut Me Up world tour. Additional performances from the tour will be available September 29 on a full-length CD and DVD titled My World. That collection, available in stores, will also include backstage footage of Avril's shenanigans with her band.

Fans looking for new Lavigne music are also in luck, as the song "I Don't Give" will be featured on the "American Wedding" soundtrack, due July 22 (see "New Avril Lavigne, New Found Glory Songs On 'American Wedding' Soundtrack").

In other Avril news, although a script based on the lyrics to "Sk8er Boi" is being written (see "Avril's Tale Of Sk8er Boi Meets Girl Optioned For Movie"), the singer has said she will not appear in the movie. The Matrix, who co-wrote and produced the hit, are overseeing the project.

The Woods

M. Night Shyamalan's upcoming thriller The Woods, starring Joaquin Phoenix, continues to attract quality actors. Full Story

Arr! The Curse of The Corporate Pirates!

Eager to unearth more buried treasure now that "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" raised its flag high at the box office this past weekend, the Walt Disney Co. is already talking of setting sail on a sequel to the theme park ride-inspired feature.

In anticipation of the film's success, Disney had already made sequel arrangements with such key cast members as Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, as well as with the behind-the-scenes duo of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski. And the studio has also begun talks with "Pirates" scribes Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio about drafting a sequel, though no specific story line has yet been set.

Since its opening last Wednesday, "Pirates" has earned more than $78 million, including a $46.6 million opening-weekend take that easily won last weekend's box office battle.

Microsoft Awarded Homeland Security Contract

The federal government put its money where its mouth is on the matter of IT security and awarded a $90 million contract to Microsoft Corp. to provide the Department of Homeland Security with desktop and server software.

The five-year contract, which the new department announced Tuesday, establishes Microsoft as the primary technology provider to DHS and consolidates existing Microsoft contracts at the federal agencies that were incorporated into the new department.

The agreement covers approximately 140,000 desktops, which will include standard configuration, Windows XP operating system, Microsoft Office Professional and Core Client Access licenses. According to the department, it will provide for a more standard computing environment and reduce deployment, implementation and maintenance costs.

Oh, they are really begging to be hacked now!

WiFi media adaptors link PCs with stereos

Cisco and Sony have both released 'media adaptors', to allow people to play digital music on their stereos and show digital photos on their TVs, using a Wi-Fi access point at home. Full Story

Open wide, Canada!

Canada can send a strong message - and get into the Guinness Book of Records - if four million Canucks gobble up a million pounds of beef on Labour Day, says the Kinsmen Club of Canada. Full Story

Marine caught, Shevaun safe

Shevaun Pennington, the 12-year-old who disappeared with a former US Marine, has been found safe and well. Toby Studabaker, the 31-year-old with whom she ran away, has been arrested in Germany. Full Story

Missing Girl and Ex-Marine Contact Relatives

A 12-year-old British girl who ran off with a former U.S. Marine she met on the Internet has called her parents to tell them she is safe, police said on Wednesday.

British police launched an international hunt for Shevaun Pennington after she ran away from home and flew to France with 31-year-old Toby Studabaker on Saturday.

"Shevaun rang her mum at home to say that she was safe, but did not say where she was," a police spokesman said.

"Although Shevaun did not say whether she was with Studabaker, we believe they are still together," he added. The call was made between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. (3 p.m. and 4 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday.

The case has increased concern in Britain about so-called "grooming" by adults who contact children via the Internet.

Police superintendent Peter Mason told a news conference Shevaun probably felt a deep attachment to Studabaker, since the couple had conducted an online relationship for some time.

He appealed directly for her to come home, stressing she had done nothing wrong.

"She is not in any trouble whatsoever. Our main concern is to get her back home safe," he told reporters.

Studabaker's family say the former Marine has also been in contact, both with them and with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

"He said Shevaun is fine, she is not hurt," sister-in-law Sherry Studabaker told Britain's ITN news. "He has not touched her or done anything with her. He is very upset because she has lied (about) her age to him."

He had not revealed where he was when he called, nor whether Shevaun was with him, she said. He had thought she was 19.

Sherry Studabaker said she had given him the phone number of the FBI, and that he had promised to call the authorities.

"I had talked to (the FBI), and when I was speaking to the lady on the phone she told me she had another Studabaker on the phone, so that made me feel very proud and very happy that he did what I asked him to do," she said.

Studabaker was given an honorable discharge from the U.S. military on June 30 after serving for more than three years. He was a lance corporal based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

He left Detroit on Friday and flew to Manchester, northern England, near Shevaun's home in Wigan, before flying on to Paris with her.

British police released fresh pictures of Studabaker taken from security cameras at Manchester airport. The former Marine was wearing a dark T-shirt and had short hair, rather than the shaven head seen in photographs released previously.

Cool, look for Winnipeg's Hidden Waldo

Click to enlarge.

Check this picture out. Brian sent me this link and said that it kind of looks like a stick figure holding the Airport in it's right hand and I have to agree.

Voodoo gaming laptop

While previous gaming bricks needed bulk to keep cool, Voodoo's M:355 notebook crams serious performance into a relatively slender shell shellacked with a race-car paint job. Full Story

Cheap digital SLRs

You might assume that the latest professional cameras, ranging from a once-unheard-of 11 megapixels to 14 megapixels, would cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. They used to. Here are relatively affordable cameras that seamlessly blend the benefits of digital photography with old-school science. They offer some of the best looking and largest images we've ever seen, film or digital. Full Story

Still to pricey for my blood, well not really but considering I have taken one roll of film worth of pictures since I was in High School it probably isn't really worth it for me. Now the Pentax OptioS, you know the one that fits in an Altoids Can...

Sucks that your sick, but hey look what we've got!

A high tech gift for kids at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles is adding some fun to their hospital stays. Starlight Fun Centers are mobile entertainment units that contain a liquid crystal television, a Nintendo GameCube, and a DVD player.

Bored? WriteAPrisoner!

Convicted child killer Susan Smith, she was the one that strapped her two kids into the car and rolled it into a lake then went on TV saying they were missing and asking for help finding them, has become a big draw online, bringing thousands of visitors to the personal ad she placed on WriteAPrisoner.com. The heavy site traffic and overwhelming influx of more than 6,000 letters and email messages have prompted the site to ask Smith to withdraw her ad.

Voyeurs "R" Us

Tamara Perez saw an extremely unpleasant surprise while visiting a Georgia Toys "R" Us store recently: a spycam installed in the store's bathroom ceiling. The cops are having such a hard time tracking down the culprit, because the camera used a wireless transmitter capable of transmitting the signal outside of the store.

She is suing Toys "R" Us for Invasion of Privacy. Toys "R" Us issued a statement that the camera was not part of the store's surveillance system.

Again, why sue the store!?!? Yes, Toys "R" Us Corporate is starting up a spin-off company that will post these videos on the Internet...

New from the land of Pasi

Check out this Wearable Computer Company from Finland. It is call Clothing+ and they don't actually have a wearable PC yet, but they have some pretty cool devices using Blue Tooth.

More on the Missing 12 Year Old Girl

Toby Studabaker, the former U.S. marine who disappeared with a 12-year-old English girl, has phoned his relatives to say the missing girl is safe and that he was going to contact the FBI, his brother said Tuesday. Full Story

Hard Times Ahead For Dryden

Well unless you live under a rock (or don't live in Dryden) you have probably heard the Weyerhaeuser announced today that they will be laying off an additional 330 People from the Mill. 110 from the Sawmill that will be shutdown completely and 220 from the Pulp and Paper mill.

From CKDR...

Weyerhaeuser has confirmed layoffs at its Dryden Mill, with 330 hourly positions axed.

The company has announced that the Sawmill will close permanently October 11th affecting 110 employees.

In addition, 220 positions in the Pulp and Paper sector and Converting Operations will be eliminated, effective October 11th.

The company says comprehensive programs are in place for impacted employees including severance packages, counselling and relocation assistance.

The job cuts are part of Weyerhaeuser's efforts to remain competitive and to match production.

British police doubt returned passenger is girl who went to Paris with US man

A 12-year-old girl who went to Paris with a former U.S. marine flew back to England by herself, French police said Tuesday. But British police said they don't believe the returning passenger was the missing girl.

The saga began when Shevaun Pennington left Britain on Saturday with Toby Studabaker, 31, of Constantine, Mich., whom she apparently met through the Internet, British police said. French police said Shevaun stayed in Paris for only a few hours Saturday before flying to Liverpool airport and that the former marine did not go with her.

A British police spokesman said, "We are very, very dubious," that the S. Pennington listed on the return flight is the missing Shevaun, because the passenger was one of a group of five on a previously booked ticket. Full Story

The Musical Stylings of Famous Erik

Checkout Famous Erik's music postings.

Mobile phone calls over the internet

Agere Systems launched a new chip set that leverages its expertise in two technologies to enable low-cost, mobile phone calls over the internet. Agere's wireless VoIP phone solution integrates its WaveLAN wireless networking and proven VoIP technology onto a single platform. In addition, Agere has signed an agreement with NTT-ME to incorporate NTT's Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) software into Agere's wireless IP phone solution. As a result, Agere plans to offer a development platform and reference design for handset manufacturers that will enable phones to be built that are interoperable with residential and enterprise broadband VoIP networks deployed by NTT. Full Story

Finding Nemo's secret

Don't tell the children, but Nemo may be a potential transsexual. To ensure harmony in its tight-knit fishy community, it appears that the colorful clownfish can adjust its sex, size, and growth rate. Full Story

Injury award could jeopardize school trips

A $2.9-million court award to a former Richmond high school student injured on a school ski trip to Whistler is raising liability questions for school boards around B.C.

Travis Murao, 20, became a quadriplegic after landing on his head while trying a snowboarding jump on Blackcomb during a school-sponsored trip three years ago.

Blackcomb was held 70 per cent liable, but the judge said the Richmond school district must pay 15 per cent – or more than $400,000. Full Story

Murao himself admits he should not have been in the terrain park, and the judge has held him 15 per cent liable for the accident.

I think he should be 95% liable, if not 100%! Sure the school may have not followed all the rules for field trips, but I don't think it was their fault he was being an ass!

Take some responsibility for your own actions!

12-year-old girl disappears with Internet boyfriend

British and French police are looking for a 12-year-old girl and a 31-year-old former U.S. Marine who met over the Internet.

Shevaun Pennington hasn't been seen since Saturday.

She disappeared from her home in Manchester, England, taking some clothes and her passport.

Shevaun told her parents she was going to meet some friends, but was apparently joining Tony Studabaker, a man she'd met in an Internet chat room a year ago.

The girl spent hours online and had mentioned an American boyfriend to people.

Studabaker left the Marines two weeks ago after spending three years in the service. He served some time in Afghanistan and earned a good conduct medal.

His relatives say he thought Shevaun was a 19-year-old college student, not a pre-teenaged school girl.

"As her mum, I just say come home, please come home. It doesn't matter what's happened, what you've done, whatever. We just want you back," said Joanna Pennington.

Where the couple has gone isn't clear.

British police say the two met at Manchester airport, then flew south to London and on to Paris.

French police are adamant that the couple never arrived in Paris, saying their names couldn't be found on the flight list.

Both forces are continuing the search despite the disagreement.

I wonder if he really thought that she was 19 until he met her, or even if he still thinks she is 19...

WINner Tweak

Check out this program...

WINner Tweak - freeware software for tweaking, optimizing, tuning Windows NT/2000/XP. With WINner Tweak you can easy increase performance and manage your system using utilities such as WINner Tweak Disk Cleaner and WINner Tweak Startup Manager.

WINner Tweak allows you to change settings and tweak everything that are normally hidden inside configuration files. You can choose between five different sections: Windows Tweaks, Hardware Tweaks, Security Tweaks, Network Tweaks and Software Tweaks.

Download now

Confronting Sequel-Itis

Several top film executives have conceded that they may have miscalculated by betting too heavily on sequels for their summer releases. Amy Pascal, chairman of Sony/Columbia, told today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times: "You can't rely on formula. ... You have to look at what's working and what's working is stuff that's fresh." Added Nina Jacobson, production president of Walt Disney Studios: "Certainly a lesson to be learned is: Don't make sequels that cost twice as much as the originals. ... You're basically betting double or nothing that twice as many people want to go see your movie." Similarly Revolution Studios chief Joe Roth observed, "It's a fallacy to think that just because you had a big hit movie, that your audience is going to grow" with a sequel.

Commodore 64 Makes a Comeback

Tulip Computers, which owns the Commodore brand name, plans to relaunch the brand to take advantage in an upsurge of interest in the obsolete Commodore 64 (C64) computer and its 1980s-era games, the company said in a statement Friday. Full Story

Good Day for Fishing

Just got back from going up Lac Seul for a day of fishing. The weather was great, fishing was a bit slow but we came back with our limit of 16 fish for the 4 of us. I, however, only caught two of those.

Mom had the biggest, 20.5", but it was just in the slot size for Lac Seul (18"-21") so we had to throw it back. But she also got the biggest 'keeper' at 17.5" so she felt better. Cathy didn't get any slot size this time, which is unusual for her as she usually catches most of hers in the slot. The rest of the fish we brought home were between 15"-16", the good eaters.

I ended up getting pretty sunburnt, but I will be brown tomorrow.

So, it was a great day all around!

Still no pictures...

Well I just tried to recreate Jeff's Photo Album from Joel and Sarah's Wedding and still the same screwy outcome. I think something may be wrong with my Laptop after I installed a new Firewall Client on my machine on Friday. I will try again on Monday, hopefully I won't have to re-image my machine.

Dryden LAN Party

At the Dryden LAN Party over at Bill's house today. Haven't actually got playing anything yet, but we should be having some StarCraft and/or WarCraft 3 games later in the day.

Death to FrontPage!

Well I had my pictures from Punta Cana and Jeff's from Joel and Sarah's wedding online, but FrontPage screwed them up so I had to remove them and start again from scratch.

I should have them back online by tonight...

More Photos Online

Got the pictures from our Punta Cana trip online, as well as those from Joel and Jeff's cameras.

Kilometer-long microscope in the works

British scientists are lobbying to build the world's most powerful microscope, an instrument so advanced that it can see individual atoms moving. Full Story

Controversial Chicks still getting' in their licks

The Dixie Chicks may have ruffled feathers with their anti-Bush remarks in early March, but the controversy hasn't dampened their popularity in liberal-minded Seattle. Full Story

Open source targets Microsoft Exchange

A new open-source effort dubbed OpenGroupware.org has been launched with the explicit intent to create applications that compete with Microsoft Exchange server products. Full Story

Shattered Windows

A class of attacks that allows a user to take control of any PC or server could leave computer systems in corporations and Internet cafes vulnerable to attack, a researcher says.

Dubbed "shatter" attacks by the original discoverer, the class of security hacks uses the Windows messaging system to request that insecure but privileged applications run malicious code. The Windows messaging system is the medium through which applications and the Windows operating system communicate with each other. Full Story

Trojan Hijacks PCs to Peddle Porn

Spammers based in Russia are using stealth and a sophisticated new Trojan horse program to turn home workstations into unwitting hosts in a pornography and spam distribution ring, say security experts. Full Story

Truckload Sale hits Dryden

Safeway is having a Truckload sale today of Ground Beef, $1/lb. My mom just went and bought 30 lbs! Better get there quick!

Now blank CDs don't have to look so... blank.

The new Epson Stylus Photo 900 lets you print directly to special printable CDs (and DVDs) which cost only pennies extra. Finished discs look and feel professional. Labels won't bubble up and create havoc in your player.

Check out the full review.

McGregor Leads The Way at Film Festival

Ewan McGregor's upcoming film Young Adam has been picked to launch a major movie event in his native Scotland next month. The steamy movie - about a young man working on a barge, who discovers a corpse in the canal - will lead the way at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which runs from August 13 to 24. The graphic tale, directed by David Mackenzie, contains scenes that have been compared to those involving Marlon Brando in controversial 1972 classic Last Tango In Paris. British gangland thriller I'll Sleep When I'm Dead will also be screened at the festival, as will Cannes Film Festival favorite Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood.

Burton's Willy Wonka Dilemma

Cult movie maker Tim Burton is struggling to cast a Willy Wonka for his upcoming adaptation of Roald Dahl novel Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - he can't decided between two of his favorite leading men. Both Christopher Walken - who worked with Burton in Sleepy Hollow and Batman Returns - and Michael Keaton - his star in two Batman films and Beetlejuice - are reportedly in the running. So far no names are attached to the picture, which is due to begin filming next year for a 2005 release.

KaZaA Lite K++ Edition

A few weeks ago I told you about eMule, my new favorite peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Before that I told you about KaZaA and KaZaA Lite. But now I have a new favorite: KaZaA Lite, the K++ edition.

Just look at this partial feature list and you'll see why I like it.

• No spyware, adware, pop-ups, or banner ads. (Yeah!)
• No bitrate limits for MP3 files. (Cool!)
• Multisource downloads have a maximum of 40 simultaneous sources. (Me like!)
• Finds sources for a download once every minute instead of every 10 minutes. (Oh yeah!)
• Uploaders can't cut in line anymore regardless of their participation level. This improves the number of completed uploads and takes away the advantage that cheaters have. (Ha!)
• Shared files are scanned every five minutes instead of every minute to save system resources.

Ready to try the software? Download it now.
KaZaA Lite K++
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