Sunday, May 21, 2006

Golf Today's 2005 Golf Ball Comparison

Golf Today's 2005 Golf Ball Comparison: "
Golf Today’s 2005 Golf Ball Round-Up

by Terry VanderHeiden

One of the most technological advancements in the game of golf today is the golf ball. Golf balls today are so advanced that even Jack Nicklaus is calling for a new golf ball to be developed to be toned down 10 percent, to be used at next year’s Masters tournament.

Today’s golf ball is more consistent, flies farther, is ofter feeling off the putter face, spins more, spins less, flies higher, flies lower, stops fast, rolls farther than ever before. Confused? Not for long."

Wired News: House Backs $10 Million 'H Prize'

Wired News: House Backs $10 Million 'H Prize': "WASHINGTON -- Scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs will be able to vie for a grand prize of $10 million, and smaller prizes reaching millions of dollars, under House-passed legislation to encourage research into hydrogen as an alternative fuel.

Legislation creating the 'H-Prize,' modeled after the privately funded Ansari X Prize that resulted last year in the first privately developed manned rocket to reach space twice, passed the House Wednesday on a 416-6 vote. A companion bill is to be introduced in the Senate this week."

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Hot wine picks promise to tickle your taste buds - Maryland Beachcomber - delmarvanow.com

Hot wine picks promise to tickle your taste buds - Maryland Beachcomber - delmarvanow.com: "Hot wine picks promise to tickle your taste buds

By John Purnell
Photo
Beachcomber Photo by Cameron Adams

A Voga 2004 Pinot Grigio, packaged in a big beautiful bottle, is available at Connoisseurs in West Ocean City.


OCEAN CITY -- The resort has officially arrived when it comes to fine wine, especially bottles in the $15 range. And you always thought Ocean City was a beer kind of town. Wrong.

Vintners are packaging their products in all kinds of containers, not just glass, large casks and boxed wines.

At Connoisseurs, one of the most arresting bottles of wine ever produced practically smacks you in the face when you open the front door of the Teal Marsh food and wine shop off Route 611.

It's a big beautiful bottle of Voga 2004 Pinot Grigio that looks like a cross between a shampoo bottle and a cracked-pepper shaker. It sells for a very reasonable $11.99 and if you don't like the squat, rounded off look, keep looking and you'll find something you can enjoy.

Sleek and eye-catching, the bottle is attractively displayed with a rack of large wine glasses.

It's one of the new, better sellers, says Crystal Clayland, owner of the bustling little shop that opened in 2002 and turns out wonderful take-away meals or a sit-down dinner, if you prefer.

Also in West Ocean City, the Avalon Market -- with its 400 different labels of wine -- has a huge selection from which to choose, much of it in the $15 range, according to sommelier Rick Pairo and owner Rick Vach."

Friday, May 05, 2006

It's hard out there for a virgin...

My Way News: "It's hard out there for a virgin...
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May 5, 8:49 AM (ET)

BERLIN (Reuters) - A brothel has become the first in Berlin to offer special deals for virgins with prostitutes trained in the delicate art of catering for customers who have never had sex, a German newspaper reported Friday.

The brothel in the red light area of the Kreuzberg district of the city charges 60 euros for a half an hour of sex and works within the laws of Germany where prostitution is legal.

'These are men who either never had sex before or have never been in a brothel before,' the brothel's operator was quoted as saying in Berlin's B.Z. tabloid.

'It's the first house of love in Berlin that specializes in taking care of beginners,' wrote the daily on its front page.

Prostitutes are given 'sensitivity training' for first-time clients, who the brothel operator said are not necessarily young but often 40 or older: 'They need to be aware of how much courage it takes to go to a brothel the first time.'

"

"Former Disney dancer named Playmate of the Year

My Way News: "Former Disney dancer named Playmate of the Year

May 5, 8:17 AM (ET)

Playboy magazine's 2006 Playmate of the Year Kara Monaco and the magazine's founder Hugh Hefner...
Full Image

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A former Walt Disney World dancer who used to dress up as Cinderella and Snow White was named Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Year on Thursday.

Kara Monaco, 23, an aspiring actress from Lakeland, Florida, received a check for $100,000, a car and a sports motorbike from Playboy Enterprises Inc., company founder Hugh Hefner announced at the Playboy Mansion.

Monaco, a blonde, hopes to leverage her new role to boost her modeling and acting career.

She was Miss June in 2005.


"

Cheney on mission to get more oil for U.S.

USATODAY.com - Cheney on mission to get more oil for U.S.: "Cheney on mission to get more oil for U.S.
Posted 5/5/2006 8:41 AM ET
US Vice President Dick Cheney, left, attends a breakfast meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko sitting across the table.
Enlarge By Shawn Thew, AFP/Getty Images
US Vice President Dick Cheney, left, attends a breakfast meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko sitting across the table.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) — Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to Kazakhstan on Friday for talks with President Nursultan Nazarbayev, seeking to maximize access to the vast oil and gas reserves in the central Asian nation with a troubled human-rights record.

Cheney became the fourth top administration official to visit the former Soviet republic in recent months, underscoring the importance placed on a country that is strategically located and an ally in the war on terror, as well as rich in energy resources.

Administration policy favors development of multiple means of delivering Kazakhstan's energy supplies to markets in the West and elsewhere.

Among them, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher told Congress recently, the United States is 'working on securing the flow of oil' from North Caspian oil fields by tanker to a pipeline terminus in Azerbaijan. That route would bypass Russia and Iran. There has also been periodic talk of building a pipeline under the Caspian Sea."

My Way News Photo - PATRICK KENNEDY CRASH

My Way News Photo - PATRICK KENNEDY CRASH: "
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., looks on as during a debate in East Providence, R.I. in this Oct. 15, 2004 file photo. Kennedy crashed his car near the U.S. Capitol early Thursday, but he denied alcohol was a factor. 'I was involved in a traffic accident last night at First and C Street SE near the U.S. Capitol,' he said in a written statement released by his office Thursday afternoon. 'I will fully cooperate with the Capitol Police in whatever investigation they choose to undertake.' (AP Photo/Victoria Arocho, File)

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All right reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed."

My Way News - Kennedy Blames Accident on Sleep Medicine

My Way News - Kennedy Blames Accident on Sleep Medicine: "
Kennedy Blames Accident on Sleep Medicine
Email this Story

May 4, 11:04 PM (ET)

By ANDREW MIGA

(AP) Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., looks on as during a debate in East Providence, R.I. in this Oct. 15,...
Full Image


WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness.

Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said, 'I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident.'

Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy's gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

Kennedy said he returned to his Capitol Hill home on Wednesday evening after a final series of votes in Congress and took 'prescribed' amounts of Phenergan and Ambien, another prescribed drug that he occasionally takes to fall asleep.

'Some time around 2:45 a.m., I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote,' his second statement said. 'Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication.'"

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Federal Study Finds Accord on Warming - New York Times

Federal Study Finds Accord on Warming - New York Times: "Federal Study Finds Accord on Warming

Article Tools Sponsored By
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: May 3, 2006

A scientific study commissioned by the Bush administration concluded yesterday that the lower atmosphere was indeed growing warmer and that there was 'clear evidence of human influences on the climate system.'"

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

XM Satellite Radio Holdings Stock Falls

My Way Finance: "XM Satellite Radio Holdings Stock Falls

Wednesday May 3, 5:53 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES, May 03, 2006 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. stock fell Wednesday after competitor Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. announced it added more subscribers in the last quarter than XM.

Shares of XM fell 94 cents, or 5.1 percent, to close at $17.51 Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Shares traded as low as $16.86, below the 52-week low of $18.42 set Tuesday.

Sirius shares fell 16 cents, or 3.3 percent, to close at $4.72 on the Nasdaq.

Sirius narrowed the subscriber gap between itself and XM Satellite with the addition of Howard Stern, progress with its original equipment manufacturer partners, and the introduction of portable devices, said Stuart Kagel, an analyst with Janco Partners Inc.

Tuesday, Sirius said it added 761,187 customers, ending the quarter with 4.07 million users.

On the other hand, XM Satellite added 568,900 users in the same three-month period. The Washington, D.C.-based satellite radio company said it remains on track to reach 9 million subscribers and positive cash flow from operations by year end. XM finished the first quarter with a total of 6.5 million subscribers.

XM Satellite last week said it lost $149.2 million, or 60 cents a share, on revenue of $208 million in the first quarter.

In the same period a year earlier, it lost $120 million, or 58 cents a share, on revenue of $103 million.

Analysts were expecting a loss of 55 cents a share, according to Thomson Financial.

Overall, analysts have been pleased with the growth in the adoption of satellite radio. The number of subscribers grew approximately 57 percent, according to analyst estimates.

On Wednesday, a law firm filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of all persons who acquired the stock of XM Satellite Radio between July 28, 2005, and Feb. 15, 2006.

The lawsuit alleges the company misrepresented its ability to reduce the costs of new subscribers as it reached its goal of six million subscribers by the end of 2005. The law firm said that, despite XM's knowledge that it would be making expenditures in the fourth quarter to achieve the subscriber goal, the company failed to disclose to the market that these costs would help lead to increased losses."

Cat to Reunite With Owner After 10 Years

My Way News - Cat to Reunite With Owner After 10 Years: "SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Sneakers the cat is being reunited with his owner, hundreds of miles away from where the feline disappeared in 1996.

The long-haired black cat was given to Sacramento's Animal Care Services last week, where an employee scanned him for a microchip, a routine procedure.

The number on the chip was used to track down Allison MacEwan of Seattle, who said she placed newspaper ads and went door-to-door with fliers in a futile search for her lost cat a decade ago.

Officials on Wednesday said they aren't sure how the cat wound up in Sacramento.

MacEwan's daughter was 4 years old when her cat disappeared, and officials said she is now looking forward to being reunited with her childhood pet.
"

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Wal-Mart Worker Finds Man Glued to Toilet

My Way News - Wal-Mart Worker Finds Man Glued to Toilet: "SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - A 20-year-old was found by a Wal-Mart employee in the bathroom Sunday night after he sat down and was glued to the toilet seat.

The man, whose name was not released by police, was taken to the hospital late Sunday night, said Lt. Cheryl Rantz of the Salisbury Police Department.

'The man had gone into the bathroom and sat down,' she said. 'He was banging on the wall when the employee came in.'

Rantz said the man was treated and released.
"

Broadcast flag is back

IPac - Blog: "Broadcast flag is back

I just saw that Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the inspiration for our iPod campaign, introduced a Net Neutrality bill in the Senate today. Sen. Stevens took this oppertunity to slip the broadcast flag into the bill. From Multichannel:

According to a summary released by the Senate Commerce Committee, the Stevens bill would:
...
Authorize the FCC to establish a broadcast flag to allow TV stations to protect digital content from Internet piracy;There are lots of things going on in this bill, it's 135 pages, but any bill that enables the FCC to implement the Broadcast Flag must be stopped.



This is another tool in the arsenal of the Hollywood cartels. They are attempting to overwhelm the tech community by introducing terrible legislation after terrible legislation hoping that we don't notice or are spread too thin fighting their other bills. This comes right after IPPA (DMCA 2.0) in the House and Senator Feinstein's (D-Hollywood) PERFORM Act in the Senate.

Time to prep those phone calls and emails.

EDIT: Alex Curtis over at Public Knowledge has more on the new legislation including a copy of the actuall bill."

Monday, May 01, 2006

Anna Nicole Smith Wins Supreme Court Case - New York Times


Anna Nicole Smith Wins Supreme Court Case - New York Times: "The former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith was given a new chance by the Supreme Court today to try to get part of the vast fortune of her late husband, a Texas oil tycoon who was six decades her senior."

My Way - Sports News

My Way - Sports News: "ALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) - No controversy this time. Jimmie Johnson's win was fair and square.

Johnson erased a career full of Talladega Superspeedway troubles, barreling past teammate Brian Vickers with one lap to go then holding off a charge from Tony Stewart to win the rain-postponed Aaron's 499 on Monday.

It makes Johnson 2-for-2 in restrictor-plate races this year. And this one won't have an asterisk.

His season-opening Daytona 500 win fell under intense scrutiny when crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended for cheating during race preparations. Although Johnson rallied to win the race in a legal car, he was forced to defend himself and his team from a wave of criticism that spoiled the victory."

Summer vacation: To fly or drive? - Summer Travel - MSNBC.com

Summer vacation: To fly or drive? - Summer Travel - MSNBC.com: "The days of packing the kids in the station wagon and driving off for summer vacation may soon be just a fond memory. With gas prices nudging the $3-a-gallon mark, families are now sharpening their pencils and doing some math. This summer’s big vacation question is this: Should you drive or should you fly?"

Summer vacation: To fly or drive? - Summer Travel - MSNBC.com

Summer vacation: To fly or drive? - Summer Travel - MSNBC.com: "The days of packing the kids in the station wagon and driving off for summer vacation may soon be just a fond memory. With gas prices nudging the $3-a-gallon mark, families are now sharpening their pencils and doing some math. This summer’s big vacation question is this: Should you drive or should you fly?"