The hardest part, I find, is the math: not just the labor of tracking everything I put in my body but the way in which calorie counting makes the no-free-lunch adage so viscerally clear. Bacon cheeseburgers, chocolate, a martini-all are pleasures now completely ruined by the knowledge that the massive caloric debts that they create must be paid for with days or even weeks of caloric cutbacks. Other abnegations-the dinner invitations regretfully declined, the awkward orders of soda water on the rocks at "drinks" with friends and colleagues, the freakishly ascetic feeling of sitting gaunt and empty-plated before a calorie-packed family dinner-are met with the compensatory feeling one gets when walking a righteous, if lonely, path.

*****

The 1,800 daily calories I've been consuming fall well short of the minimum 2,500 recommended for adult males, and two months on this caloric budget has shrunk my 43-year-old, five-eleven frame from an almost officially overweight 178 pounds to a high-school-era 157. Friends and loved ones, I've noticed, have started sounding more concerned than impressed when they see how much weight I've lost, but here within the charmed circle of tonight's dinner party, I don't feel so much scrawny as trim-dashing, even. Standing around the kitchen's broad butcher-block prep table with these five world-class calorie restricters, I recognize our thinness as sophisticated and sane, the height of a slender, Nick and Nora Charles sort of elegance.

*****

A sixth guest arrives: my friend Adam, whom I've invited along for a variety of reasons, including both his outside perspective and his promise to bring a bottle of wine. It's a Pinot Noir, per April's request-the grape of choice for the calorie-restricted set, rich in anti-aging resveratrol-and she has Adam fill our glasses with exactly 74 calories' worth of it. Well, some of our glasses. Paul and Meredith practice a one-meal-a-day variety of CR, and it so happens they already ate. "Cheers, anyway," says Paul, quite cheerfully, as he and his wife raise their glasses of water with us.

We move to the table, which April has set with the salad course: the aforementioned 24 grams of arugula per plate, dressed with lemon juice and cushioning a couple of scallops sautéed in garlic, white wine, and cilantro. We begin to eat, and I experience a minor culinary epiphany: Mildly sickened by the taste of scallops for most of my adulthood and afflicted, for as long as I can remember, by an aversion to cilantro that borders on the emetic, I find myself now tucking into April Smith's cilantro-infused scallops-and-arugula salad as if it were the best salad I have ever tasted. And I'll be goddamned if it isn't.

*****

For dessert, we get a CR-perfect parfait: organic strawberries, nonfat ricotta, flaxseed oil, and hazelnuts. It's very good, and it's gone too fast, and as long as we're rewriting the book on table manners here, I can't see the harm in scooping out the last bits of ricotta with my fingers.

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Carve a Virtual Pumpkin

This virtual Pumpkin Patch from iq Marketing lets you carve up a pumpkin without making a mess on your kitcken table and floor. There are three sizes of pumpkins to choose from. The tool even lets you place a lit candle inside the pumpking when are done. It's a good way to test out some of your crazier pumpkin carving ideas and see if they might actually work. Here are some details about the site from the press release.

Hundreds of pumpkins with just www.iqpumpkinpatch.com printed on them were mailed this past week by iq to help grow the patch. Pumpkins with the URL also showed up in surprising and unexpected places all over the Twin Cities and beyond.

Jan Finken, owner and CEO of iq Marketing said "In today's world of consumer generated messaging, you can send your message in so many ways. We are giving the consumer a new fun way to do this."

The site was programmed by Whoop Design. Romeo Azar of Whoop stated, "This site is amazing and it syncs perfectly with the culture of iq. It is always fun for us to design an application that promotes creativity."

You can also email your virtual carved pumpkins to a friend or add your carving to the virtual pumpkin patch.

Posted on October 28, 2006
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Mischa Barton Discusses Dating

Mischa Barton sports new bangs, darker hair and no makeup as she goes on a caffeine run with rocker boyfriend Cisco Adler. Mischa recently discussed her thoughts on dating actors.

Mischa Barton has revealed dating actors isn't all it's cracked up to be - sure, they understand about the business but she finds them too vain. She said recently: "I have dated actors and I have to say it’s a very odd experience."

"It's a little unsettling to be with someone who cares about how they look as much as you do." Mischa, who has been dating musician Cisco Adler for almost a year, added: "I would have to have a guy with humour and a sense that they are comfortable with themselves."

So it's Cisco's amazing sense of humor, total lack of fashion sense or personal hygiene that makes him so appealing to Mischa. Perhaps this also explains the Brandon Davis dating episode. Although Brandon doesn't have an impressive sense of humor, he deserves a gold medal in not caring what he looks like when he goes out.

(Photo via X17online.com.)

Posted on October 27, 2006
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Carmen Electra's Credit Card

Carmen Electra has launched her own credt card, which features her face on the card. Ok, it's really Payment Data Systems that is issuing the card. From the official press release:

Payment Data Systems, Inc. (OTC BB:PYDS.OB - News), an integrated electronic payments solutions provider, announced the Carmen Electra Prepaid MasterCard® and the Carmen Electra Gift MasterCard are anticipated to be available for purchase on Monday July 17, 2006.

The Carmen Electra Prepaid MasterCard and Carmen Electra Gift MasterCard cards are the first series in the company's celebrity prepaid card portfolio. Louis Hoch, President and COO of Payment Data Systems, Inc. said, "We are excited to partner with such a talented personality as Ms. Electra to offer this exciting card program. The Carmen Electra Prepaid MasterCard and Carmen Electra Gift MasterCard cards are unlike any others because of their extremely competitive pricing, exclusive Carmen Electra content and continuously evolving features and benefits."

The Carmen Electra Prepaid MasterCard and the Carmen Electra Gift MasterCard are issued by MetaBank pursuant to a license by MasterCard International. The Carmen Electra Prepaid MasterCard and the Carmen Electra Gift MasterCard are marketed and administered by Payment Data Systems, Inc. For updates, please see http://www.carmencard.com.

So it's really a pre-paid credit card, or a gift card. We're sure your girlfriend would love one for Christmas! Or then again, maybe not so much...Hey, at least she's got clothes on.

(Photo via Splash News.)

Posted on October 26, 2006
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Madonna Talks Adoption On Oprah

Madonna appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show today to discuss the controversy surrounding her adoption of little David Banda. She talked about how she found him and how sick he was when she first met him in person.

"I'm financing a documentary about orphans in Malawi, so I was allowed to view footage and photographs of a lot of the children. An 8-year-old girl who is living with HIV was holding this child. I became transfixed by him. … But I didn't yet know I was going to adopt him. I was just drawn to him."

David had spent most of his life in an orphanage with 500 other orphans. Madonna didn't know the state of David's health when she was visiting Malawi and considering adopting David. She brought a pediatrician to test all of the children's health for their overall well being, and later learned that David tested negative for tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and other common illnesses striking African orphans.

"When I met him, he was extremely ill," Madonna says. "He had severe pneumonia, and he could hardly breathe. I was in a state of panic, because I didn't want to leave him in the orphanage because I knew they didn't have medication to take care of him. We got permission to take him to a clinic to have a bronchial dilator put on him. … He had pneumonia and was given an injection of antibiotics. He's still a little bit ill, not completely free of his pneumonia, but he's much better than he was when we found him."

Madonna also discussed recent contradictory statements by the boy's biological father that he didn't understand what the adoption entailed.

"Here's what I knew. David had been living in this orphanage since he was two weeks old," Madonna says. "He had survived malaria and tuberculosis, and no one from his extended family had visited him since the time he arrived. So from my perspective, there was no one looking after David's welfare."

Once David's father was located, he initially said he gave his son up for adoption always hoping that someone like Madonna would be able to give him a better life, and agreed to the adoption. Now, according to the press, David's father is saying he did not fully understand what he was doing when he agreed to let Madonna adopt his son.

"I do not believe that is true. I sat in that room, I looked into that man's eyes," Madonna says. "I believe that the press is manipulating this information out of him. I believe at this point in time, he's been terrorized by the media. They have asked him things, repeatedly, and they have put words in his mouth. They have spun a story that is completely false."

Madonna sounded very sincere and was quite emotional during the interview. And just look at this darling photo released by Madonna's publicist! Baby Davie is clearly happy with his new family, which includes a loving mother and father and two siblings who are already close to him. We say, Davie's found a good home, leave the family alone.

Posted on October 25, 2006
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KFed Takes On Shakespeare

Kevin Federline is going to make his film debut in a Shakespearian street hip hop movie.

The wannabe rapper is expanding his repertoire into acting and it may upset his missus BRITNEY, whose own foray into movies didn't go down too well. Kev will appear in Caught On Tape written and directed by Stickey Fingaz. Ray actor Bokeem Woodbine, Cedric teh Entertainer and Vivica A. Fox star alongside K-Fed.

The movie, about a boy who secretly videos his mum's boyfriend plotting a crime, will be a first as it muses rap dialogue with exploring the human condition like William Shakespeare did. Sticky, who also plays Wesley Snipes' vampire slaying role of Blade in a new Bravo TV show, said people will be surprised by Kev's thespian talents. "Right now I'm creating the future of movies and music. I've just written produced and directed two movies coming out with Lionsgate next year and basically the movies are all in rap.

"Everyone always asks if I wanna do music or movies and I can't decide so I thought I'd put the two together," Sticky told Bizarre. "Caught On Tape is a hardcore musical, lot of violence, lot of sex, lot of action, lot of drama, lot of sentiment and romance as well. It's the first time this has ever been done. "Kev Fed is going to be in it, it's his acting debut. He's really cool, he's dope. Just keep the paparazzi away from him and he'll be ok.

"They almost ran me off the road trying to take pictures of Kev. I'm like, 'dude, hey, I'm the talent, he's just married to somebody.'" Sticky joked. "He has an album coming out, I've heard it and it's good."

K-Fed and Shakespeare: those are two names that should never be uttered in the same sentence. The horror of this upcoming film is just too much for us to contemplate.

Posted on October 24, 2006
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The Tackiest Halloween Display Ever

It just doesn't get any tackier than the guy who thought a recreating a plane crash in his front yard would be a funny thing to do for Hallween The Reuters Blog reports:

So, for a Halloween tableau this guy made his yard look for all the world like a plane crash site. I guess all the suicide bomber backdrops were already rented out. We're told the police visited his home, thinking the crash was real. All I know for sure is, a real 747 in flames could nose-dive straight into his house next week, and nobody would pay any attention, no matter what.

A mock-up of a plane crash is displayed as part of a Halloween display in the garden of a home in Los Angeles October 20, 2006. The homeowner is an aircraft mechanic in training and the parts are from a real Gulfstream jet. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

So far the comments about the display quite a bit of hostility towards the homeowner. We think that on Halloween night, he's going to be getting more tricks than treats. What a jerk.

Posted on October 23, 2006
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The Addictive Nature of the World of Warcraft

This description of the addictive nature of the World of Warcraft MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) has got the blogosphere buzzing. Written by someone that made it to the highest levels of the game (he was a member of the largest council on what is now one of the oldest guilds in the world), he details how he spent more and more time online playing WoW. It hurt him academically, socially and physically.

I just left WoW permanently. I was a leader in one of the largest and most respected guilds in the world, a well-equipped and well-versed mage, and considered myself to have many close friends in my guild. Why did I leave? Simple: Blizzard has created an alternate universe where we don't have to be ourselves when we don't want to be. From my vantage point as a guild decision maker, I've seen it destroy more families and friendships and take a huge toll on individuals than any drug on the market today, and that means a lot coming from an ex-club DJ.

*****

The worst though are the people you know have time commitments. People with families and significant others. I am not one to judge a person's situation, but when a father/husband plays a video game all night long, seven days a week, after getting home from work, very involved instances that soak up hours and require concentration, it makes me queasy that I encouraged that. Others include the kids you know aren't doing their homework and confide in you they are failing out of high school or college but don't want to miss their chance at loot, the long-term girl/boyfriend who is skipping out on a date (or their anniversary - I've seen it) to play (and in some cases flirt constantly), the professional taking yet another day off from work to farm mats or grind their reputations up with in-game factions to get "valuable" quest rewards, etc... I'm not one to tell people how to spend their time, but it gets ridiculous when you take a step back.

It's a disturbing story, one that we've heard too often. We love gaming, but we believe that all things should be done in moderation. Except for blogging, of course.

For a humorous take on the "people who have no lives" who spend all their time online playing WoW, don't miss the South Park's episode called "Make Love Not Warcraft." It's absolutely hilarious. You can see the full episode here.

(Via Slashdot.)

Posted on October 20, 2006
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FBI Wants ISPs to Track All Users

The FBI now wants ISPs to track every movement their users make. All the time. Forever.

FBI Director Robert Mueller on Tuesday called on Internet service providers to record their customers' online activities, a move that anticipates a fierce debate over privacy and law enforcement in Washington next year. "Terrorists coordinate their plans cloaked in the anonymity of the Internet, as do violent sexual predators prowling chat rooms," Mueller said in a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Boston.

"All too often, we find that before we can catch these offenders, Internet service providers have unwittingly deleted the very records that would help us identify these offenders and protect future victims," Mueller said. "We must find a balance between the legitimate need for privacy and law enforcement's clear need for access."

The speech to the law enforcement group, which approved a resolution on the topic earlier in the day, echoes other calls from Bush administration officials to force private firms to record information about customers. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, for instance, told Congress last month that "this is a national problem that requires federal legislation."

Justice Department officials admit privately that data retention legislation is controversial enough that there wasn't time to ease it through the U.S. Congress before politicians left to campaign for re-election. Instead, the idea is expected to surface in early 2007, and one Democratic politician has already promised legislation.

We hope that this outrageous breach of civil rights and privacy of netizens is stopped in its track by privacy activists. What's more likely is that a provision will be slipped into some omnibus spending bill in early 2007 and it will become law.

Posted on October 19, 2006
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Writers Write, Inc. Launches VideoNacho.com

Writers Write, Inc. announces the launch of VideoNacho.com. VideoNacho.com features the Web's hottest short videos and film clips. Video Nacho's editors find the best videos on the Web so you don't have to: music, comedy, pets antics, social commentary: it just has to be entertaining. Enjoy a delicious short new video snack every afternoon. Calorie-free, it's sure to give you a lift!

VideoNacho.com is the twentieth blog to join the Writers Write Lifestyle Network. It follows the launch in May, 2006 of WatchersWatch.com, a blog covering what's hot in movies and television.

Posted on October 18, 2006
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Madonna Talks Adoption

Madonna has released an open letter to the media about the hysteria surrounding her adoption of David Banda from Malawi:

Oct. 17, 2006 - My husband and I began the adoption process many months prior to our trip to Malawi. I did not wish to disclose my intentions to the world prior to the adoption happening as this is a private family matter. After learning that there were over one million orphans in Malawi, it was my wish to open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty and in many cases death, as well as expand our family.

Nevertheless, we have gone about the adoption procedure according to the law like anyone else who adopts a child. Reports to the contrary are totally inaccurate. The procedure includes an 18-month evaluation period after which time we hope to make this adoption permanent. This was not a decision or commitment that my family or I take lightly.

I am overwhelmed and inspired by my trip to Malawi and hope that it helps bring attention to how much more the world needs to do to help the children of Africa.

My heartfelt thanks for all the good wishes I have received and I hope the press will allow my family some room for us to experience the joy we feel to have David home.

Madonna Ritchie October 17, 2006 London, England

*****

We are absolutely apalled by the way Madonna has been vilified for trying to do a good thing. She -- unlike some other celebrity couples -- has actually already written a check for $3 million to build an orphanage in Malawi. She consulted Bill Clinton and Bono's adviser before embarking on her project to help the orphans of Malawi. She didn't just randomly select a country -- she researched it first and decided where she could do the most good.

Whether you love or hate Madonna's work as an artist, you have to admit that this is not a woman who does anything on impulse. She's a planner and a doer. She is also reportedly an excellent mother.

Many interviews with aid workers are supportive of Madonna. The fact is that life for the orphans in Malawi is horrific. The priest who runs the orphanage says he can't feed all the children, and that even one has found a good home is a blessing. Any mother who already has two children is fully aware of the time committment in raising another child -- to claim Madonna and Guy want to adopt David Banda because he would make a nice fashion accessory is absolutely ludicrous.

The so-called charities who want to stop the adoption should be ashamed of themselves. Because plenty of childless American and European families are watching this drama unfold. And most of them are thinking "What a nightmare -- let's not adopt from Africa at all." And that is a shame. Because every child needs a home with parents -- an orphanage is no substitute for a loving parent, whatever her race or religion.

Posted on October 17, 2006
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Is Brandon Davis Out of Cash?

Creepy oil heir Brandon Davis of the now infamous Lindsay Lohan firecrotch diatribe may be broke. According to Page Six, Davis just bounced a check for $10,000 to "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis.

Oily heir Brandon Davis appears to be running out of reserves. Though he made fun of Lindsay "Firecrotch" Lohan, scoffing that she "only" had $7 million, the grandson of supposed billionaire Marvin Davis bounced a $10,000 check he gave to "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis, and he's also said to owe record producer Scott Storch and The Palm casino owner George Maloof. Other clues the Davis clan isn't as liquid as was believed: Brandon's aunt, Patty Davis Raynes, is suing the family for more inheritance; his grandmother, Barbara, sold the family's estate in Beverly Hills for close to $42 million; and sources say Nancy Davis (Brandon's mom) is quietly selling her Bel Air home for around $15 million.

Before Brandon told Page Six, "[Bleep] you," and hung up, he explained that his check had bounced because he was switching banks and that he'd paid Francis back in cash (which Francis denies). The check, a copy of which was obtained by Page Six, states it was refused for "insufficient funds." The family still has enough money for a spokesman, who told us, "There is no truth to these rumors." But he wouldn't comment on specific allegations.

This is just terrible news. What if Brandon has to actually get a job some day?? How tragic for him.

Posted on October 16, 2006
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K-Fed Bans Male Dancers From Britney's Videos

Kevin Federline has forbidden wife Britney Spears from using male backup dancers in the videos for her comeback album.

Britney Spears has been banned by husband Kevin Federline from having male dancers in her new video. Britney - who has just given birth to the couple's second son, Sutton Pierce - is keen to re-launch her pop career and had hired dancer Matt Felker, who appeared in her 'Toxic' video, to work with her on the promo for her new single.

But Kevin, who met the 'Toxic' singer when he was a dancer on her world tour, was far from happy with his wife's choice and demanded she axed all the male performers because he is worried she will find love with another dancer. A source told In Touch Weekly magazine: "Kevin insisted that Britney fire Matt and all of the other male dancers she'd hired and replace them with females. "He is surprisingly insecure and secretly terrified she will leave him if her career takes off again."

Kevin has also reportedly told Britney - who he has another son, Sean Preston, with - not to worry about losing her baby weight in a bid to deter potential suitors. The source added: "He's even telling her she doesn't need to lose all of her pregnancy weight. Kevin doesn't want Britney to be making sexy moves again."

So long as she doesn't hire any straight male backup dancers, what's the problem? We know K-Fed and Cris Judd both married pop stars by being the only straight male within miles when Britney and JLo went on tour. So why not fire up the gaydar and screen carefully? Or could it be that K-Fed wants to meet the hot female backup dancers?? We're just askin'...

(Photo via Splash News.)

Posted on October 13, 2006
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Outrage Over Angelina Jolie Playing Biracial Mariane Pearl

Angelina Jolie is in Pune, India filming A Mighty Heart, the screen adaptation of Mariane Pearl's book about her husband's death. Daniel Pearl was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal who was killed while investigating a terrorism story in Pakistan.

Some groups are furious that Jolie has been made up to look like Mariane Pearl, who is biracial. The groups say Jolie is acting in blackface and it is an affront to people of color.

The film, simply called "A Mighty Heart," will tell of Pearl's experience after her husband was abducted by Islamic extremists in Pakistan in early 2002. A month later, his captors released a video depicting his murder. Pearl, who is reportedly of Afro Cuban/Dutch heritage, was pregnant with their son Adam at the time.

Since the news came out a few weeks ago, message boards across the Internet have been on fire, expressing harsh criticism about Jolie playing the role of Pearl. On BET.com's own boards, user chantejoy calls the very idea a "new generation of Hollywood in blackface."

"With talent such as Halle Berry, Thandie Newton and Jennifer Beals available - just to mention a few - what is Hollywood's excuse for casting a white woman this time?" she asks. "Anyone who has seen a photo of Mariane Pearl can tell she is a woman of color."

But Mariane Pearl has repeatedly said how happy she is to have Jolie playing her. Mariane Pearl went through hell when her husband disappeared, was tortured and then killed. It's her story to tell: shouldn't she have the last word? If Mariane wants Angie in the role, it's her business and no one else's.

Posted on October 12, 2006
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Teens Prefer to be Chipped

A recent British poll reveals that teens would prefer to pay for purchases using a chip embedded under their skin.

Some customers are willing to have microchip implants as a means of paying in stores, a report out today says. Teenagers are more open to the idea of having a high-tech shopping experience, the Tomorrow's Shopping World report suggests. Around 8 per cent of 13 to 19-year-olds were open to the idea of microchip implants while 16 per cent wanted trolleys to be fitted with SatNav systems.

This compared to just 5 per cent and 12 per cent respectively for adults asked the same questions. Two thirds of teenagers and 62 per cent of adults questioned for grocery think tank IGD's report wanted self-scanning systems at shop check-outs. Some 7 per cent of people in both age groups were willing to use biometric iris or retina recognition payment systems.

On a more low-tech note, 61 per cent of adults and 57 per cent of teenagers wanted staff to pack their bags in shops. And a "cashless society" is not expected to have materialised within the next decade. The report says 39 per cent of teenage respondents and 30 per cent of adults said they would still be using cash in 10 year's time. It adds: "The current and future progress of technology services in store is counter-balanced by the need for shopping with some form of 'human contact'."

One third of adults and 40 per cent of teenagers wanted lots of staff involvement with the shopping experience. The report, sponsored by technology services company EDS, followed an IGD poll of 500 teenagers and a similar number of adults about their predicted grocery shopping habits for the next decade.

These teens really need to read more cyberpunk. Because these things always start out innocuously enough with a chip under the skin, then the next thing you know you're part of the Collective. Resistance is Futile.

Posted on October 11, 2006
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Big Boy Look Alike Contest Winner Announced

11-year-old Ian Appold of Bay City, Michigan has won the Big Boy look-alike contest. He does look a lot like Big Boy in the photograph.

"Congratulations to Ian and his family and we'd like to thank all of the contestants who participated in our 70th anniversary Big Boy Look-Alike Contest," said Tony Michaels, CEO of Big Boy Restaurants International LLC. "We received entries from all over the country -- we even had an entry from Manila. This contest was a fun way for people to show their affection for the character and actually have a chance to dress up as Big Boy and win great prizes," Michaels added.

Ian Appold and his family will come to the Big Boy headquarters, 11 a.m., Wednesday, October 11 to pick up some of his prizes and gifts. Big Boy headquarters is located at One Big Boy Drive in Warren, Michigan (south of 10 Mile, east of Ryan). The 4-foot Big Boy statue will be shipped to Ian, where he has said he'll proudly display it in his room at home.

You can see the runner-ups who were totally pwned by Ian Appold on this page of Big Boy's website.

Posted on October 10, 2006
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Paleontologists Find Jurassic Sea Monster Fossil

Paleontologists discovered and ancient Jurassic graveyard full of ancient predatory sea reptiles that look like sea monsters.

The ancient graveyard once lay deep underwater during the Jurassic period, about 200 million to 145 million years ago The site now sits on the island of Spitsbergen, part of the Norwegian-owned Svalbard archipelago, which lies about 600 miles (966 kilometers) from the North Pole.

In total, 28 well-preserved skeletons of marine reptiles that lived some 150 million years ago have been identified at the site, reports a team from the University of Oslo Natural History Museum in Norway. The fossil haul includes the Monster, an estimated 33-foot-long (10-meter-long) pliosaur that has not yet been fully excavated. Pliosaurs were the top marine predators during a time when the oceans were teeming with large, meat-eating reptiles.

"It was the T. rex of the ocean," said Jørn Hurum, co-leader of the research team. "It would have eaten everything." So far the team has found the Monster's skull, which measures 6.9 feet (2.1 meters) in length, along with dinner plate-size neck vertebrae and portions of the lower jaw containing teeth as thick as cucumbers. The fossil specimen may represent the largest complete pliosaur ever found, Hurum says.

"It looks very promising, because we've got 6 meters [20 feet] of vertebrae and the skull and part of a flipper, so it's probably complete," Hurum said

Ah, the Jurassic. What lovely, sweet creatures lived during that time period. Interesting as it is, we think we'll skip the entire Mesozoic Era during any future time travels. But we still like learning about it -- from a safe distance, of course.

Posted on October 9, 2006
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The Robot That Loves Hello Kitty

Pink Tentacle reports that Sanrio, the company that owns the license to Hello Kitty, has now created a female robot.

Kokoro, a Sanrio Group company specializing in the design and manufacture of robots, unveiled its new Actroid DER2 feminine guide robot at Sanrio headquarters in Tokyo on October 4.

Actroid DER2 is an upgraded version of Kokoro’s previous fembot, Actroid DER, who has made quite a name for herself by providing services at a number of events, including the 2005 World Expo. Compared to the previous model, DER2 has thinner arms and a wider repertoire of expressions. The smoothness of her movement has also been improved, making it now even more likely for the uninitiated to confuse her with an actual human being.

Actroid's limbs, torso and facial expressions are controlled by a system of actuators powered by pneumatic pressure. Once programmed, she is able to choreograph her motions and gestures with her voice.

Kokoro intends to rent Actroid DER2 to companies and events. The basic rental fee is expected to be 400,000 yen (US$3,500) for 5 days, plus extra fees for technical support, delivery and choreography changes. For those who can’t cope with a sayonara after 5 days, there is a late fee of 80,000 yen per day.

You can watch Actroid DER2 on a YouTube video here. First off, she needs a better name than Actroid DER2. Second, her hands are way too big -- they look like linebacker's hands. Other than that, she appears to work pretty well.

One thing's for sure: the Japanese are kicking our butts in robot technology. You never see weekly robot reports in the U.S., which is probably why no one here seems to realize that most manual labor will be done by robots within twenty-five years. We can't wait!

Posted on October 6, 2006
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Is Your College Worth the Price?

Is your college worth what you're paying to go there? Parents and students are increasingly unhappy with the lack of detailed information that would allow them to accurately assess the value of a degree from any given college or univesity. But there's a move afoot to change that.

When you're in the market for a new car, you read reviews of various makes, visit dealers and go for a few test-drives. You want to know about things like gas mileage, repair costs and resale value. That kind of careful consumerism is exactly what Education Secretary Margaret Spellings would like to bring to the process of picking a college. "We need to make higher education more accountable," says Spellings, "by opening up the ivory towers and putting information at the fingertips of students and families."

Making data more accessible is a major recommendation of a new report from a commission Spellings created to study the future of higher education. With the annual bill at $40,000 for elite private universities, college is a huge investment and a source of enormous future debt. But it's almost impossible for students to compare schools in different states to see which ones are really worth those big bucks. Families generally rely on what they hear from relatives, friends and guidance counselors. Rankings, like U.S. News & World Report's influential survey, say something about how hard it is to get into a school, but little about what happens to students afterward. And the news is often not good: Although nearly two thirds of high-school graduates enroll in college, more than 40 percent drop out. Even those who graduate frequently lack the skills necessary to succeed at work.

Spellings and others would like a national database that discloses things like graduation rates, how well students are educated and how much they earn afterward.

The project is in the works, but the article concludes that it will be years before colleges cough up the real data that people need to make an informed decision.

Posted on October 4, 2006
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Free Hugs

One of the most popular online videos this week has been the Free Hugs video, which has been seen by over a million people already. The video, which is based on a true story, is about a man named Juan Mann who is trying to get give out some free hugs.

Sometimes, a hug is all what we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

The video is backed up with a great song from Sick Puppies. The video was uploaded to the PeaceonEarth123 channel.

Posted on October 3, 2006
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Esquire Names Scarlett Johanssen Sexiest Woman Alive

Scarlett Johanssen has been named the Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire magazine.

The 21-year-old actress poses in come-hither garb on the cover and inside pages of the magazine’s November issue, on newsstands Oct. 18. On the cover, she wears a bra and a white Calvin Klein mini-dress; In a series of photos inside (showing her as an "enigmatic trailer-park temptress," the magazine says), she wears cleavage-baring black lingerie paired with an open white robe, among other get-ups.

Johansson, whose screen credits include The Black Dahlia, Lost in Translation and Match Point, says she would rather be admired for attributes other than sex appeal. "What about my brain? What about my heart? What about my kidneys and my gallbladder?" she asks, addressing all the hoopla about her curves in an interview in the magazine.

She is no stranger to the paparazzi's cameras, and once flashed a sign proclaiming, "the person taking this picture is harrassing me." "Apparently I spelled 'harass' wrong,' she recalls. "It was horrible. I couldn't remember whether it was one 'r' or two, and I asked like four people, and they said two."

We're sure sure Scarlett has a perfectly lovely gallbladder. But that doesn't mean that we ever want to see it -- for any reason whatsoever.

Posted on October 2, 2006
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