NEL Dog Bench

This NEL-designed furniture can be used as a side table, stool, bench, bookshelf, magazine rack, newspaper holder, or as bookends. I can't decide if it's more abstract modern irony or rural craft fair corniness.

Cameron Plays The Field, But Not Just With Ashton

Cameron and Ashton are still hard at work on the set of What Happens In Vegas in NYC. It looks like their characters are having fun wrestling and goofing around, but off-set Cameron has a different man to get playful and flirty with. Apparently she and Bradley Cooper were getting close over the weekend on dates, at parties and football games. Page Six reports:

They dined at Asia de Cuba at Morgans Hotel Saturday night and then hit the "SNL" after-party at Primehouse on Park Avenue South. One onlooker told us the twosome "were very close and lovey. Something is definitely going on, and it's clear they are more than just friends."They were also spotted on the sidelines at the Giants game on Sunday, along with team owner Steve Tisch, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

We knew that Cameron was keeping her options open, and now that John is out of the picture, sounds like she and Bradley are heating things up. This girl obviously has no problem finding a date, but it will be interesting to see whether or not she's ready to get serious again.

Mobile Marketing Services

Well, the truth is that every day I spend a lot of hours surfing the net; trying to find new sites, services and ideas. These days I am looking for buying a cell phone and I have visited hundreds of this kind of websites. A few days ago, while I was surfing the net trying to find a cell phone that I really like, I discovered a great mobile marketing company that cater for all sort of companies ranging from small to large. It is Cellit Mobile Marketing, a Chicago-based mobile marketing company that has services to help small businesses and large companies leverage the power of mobile marketing to reach customers using mobile phones.

Two of the most popular services by Cellit Mobile Marketing are House4Cell and CouponZap. House4Cell is the best and most impressive solution for providing property information while collecting leads. House4Cell is the promising and uprising of real estate. CouponZap is more than just a mere coupon, it is so versatile that it offers simple but many ways in mobile marketing. It suits all types of business regarding their solution for mobile marketing. They are quite a number of options available, such as Text-To-Vote, which collects the opinions of the customers in real-time through interactive polling. Both House4Cell and CouponZap provide easy to use web-based front-ends. You can visit their sites to see some demo’s about the technology which clearly shows their ease of use.

Visit Cellit Marketing and its two sister company House4Cell and CouponZap to learn more and test out the demonstration of their wonderful services that they provide. Affordability, world class services and ease of usage never comes much often as this.

The only thing you can be sure of is thet Cellit mobile marketing is somewhat revolutionary. Do visit www.cellitmarketing.com and you will understand why I am telling this..

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

More than 20 years ago, the month of October was dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness and the importance of early detection. As we all know, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States and according to the American Cancer Society, it's estimated that about 178,480 women in the US will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2007. With so many people affected by this disease, it's important to raise awareness and become as educated as possible. There are so many great resources out there and here are just a few websites to help you locate any information you might need.

• National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: More than just one month a year, the NBCAM has a website with breaking news on breast cancer, lists of patient services, and basic as well as detailed information on the disease.

• American Cancer Society: The ACS is dedicated to educating women on how to reduce their risk of developing the disease and finding the best options for treating breast cancer. They believe in early detection and recommend that all women over 40 receive an annual mammogram. The ACS website is loaded with information and they have 24 hour telephone service to offer the comfort of live support and to answer questions about cancer, link callers with resources in their communities, and provide information on local events (1-800-ACS-2345).

Trend Alert: Pears

Maybe it's just because pears are in season here in sunny California, or because I'm still drooling over YumSugar's bubbly pear cupcakes, but I can't seem to get pears off my mind lately. They seem to be everywhere I look these days, and I'm loving it.



Did you know that there are 30 different species of pears in the world? Well, there are, and there are even more home décor items related to the crisp fruit out there right now. From trays and casseroles to handmade pillows, sophisticated pear interpretations are popping up in every category of the shelter market. I'm not talking about Art 101 style still-life paintings of apples and pears organized nicely in a bowl, but updated, modern silhouettes of the fruit as well shabby-chic renditions.

I've trend-spotted more pear finds than would be sane to buy, so click the images below and let me know which is your fruit-bearing fave.

Crockpot Pork Roast

Although summer is over and fall is kicking in, there's still a lot of sunlight each day. During this time of year, where the weather is still nice — at least it is here! — but hearty fall flavors are calling your name, do yourself a favor and make a crockpot meal. Cooking with a crockpot — or slow cooker as it's also known — means that a filling meal will be waiting for you after a full day of playing outdoors. So gather up your ingredients, stick them in the crockpot and enjoy your day!

Did Letterman Go Too Far With The Paris/Jail Jokes?

Paris Hilton visited the Late Show With David Letterman on Friday night and the interview didn't go as planned for the heiress. She was there to promote her new fragrance Can Can and talk about Repo! The Genetic Opera, but Dave just wanted to ask about jail. Paris stayed good natured even though she very clearly wanted to change the subject. She eventually pouted until she got her way, but not before Dave got in a few good jabs. Watch it below and let us know — do you think Letterman crossed the line with Paris?

The Word On BackgammonMasters.com - Animation Series

The animation world has received a new update from BackgammonMasters. It's the Life According to Jean-Claude, the second episode of BackgammonMasters.com's Jean Claude animation series. BackgammonMasters.com's Jean Claude based backgammon game is one of the most famous animation series games enlisted on most of the leading animation games web sites on the internet.

The new update to the Backgammon Jean Claude animation series is here to create another wave of buzz and excitement among all Jean Claude game lovers throughout the internet. The tiger mascot Jean Claude is the key figure of all Backgammon Jean Claude animation blackjack games with Jean Claude projected as guru of all subjects whether it is batle of Barbarossa or its world war II.

If you've ever checked out the Backgammon blackjack episodes and animation games, you already know about Backgammon's leadership in ongoing competition tournaments and prize promotions along with their animation games. All this induces a passion full of excitement and full entertainment among all games and participants and among all fans of Jean Claude episodes from backgammon.

The first episode of the Jean Claude animation series was already a world level success throughout the world, and now the exciting second episode is here to cheer up all Jean Claude's fans that are eagerly anticipating the next version of the series backed with lot of competitions to participate and prizes to be won.

The skill games series of backgammon download now allow game players to play backgammon as well as Poker through their power skill game software themed by the power tiger mascot Jean Claude.

White Bean Soup

Wondering what to make for dinner? How about a tasty vegetarian soup with Mexican influences? Canned beans allow this soup to come together in under 30 minutes. Poblano chilies pack heat, but a dollop of sour cream balances out the spiciness.

Flavored with cumin and lime juice, this soup is best paired with an icy cold beer or a margarita on the rocks. Double the amount in the recipe and you'll have a great meal to serve while entertaining. Purchase store bought chips and a selection of salsas, then invite some friends over and call it a party.

Do You Share Your Bathroom?

Some of us are spoiled and have a bathroom all to ourselves, and others have to share with a significant (or insignificant) other. Regardless, those few square inches of counter and cabinet space that help us function every morning are valuable, and shouldn't be taken for granted.

St. John and Angelina Say Goodbye?

After her long day of doing good, Angelina was back in mommy mode in NYC yesterday. She headed to pick up Maddox with Z in tow, and judging from her name tag, it looks like Mad isn't the only one who's in school these days. We love that Zahara was keeping it real by rockin' her name tag even after class let out. As for Angie, OK Magazine is reporting that St. John is planning on ending their relationship with the actress who has been their gorgeous model since September 2005. It always seemed like an odd pairing but if the news is true, then we hope that means Angie will be wearing more color in the future. She certainly was looking fresh and happy in all white sporting some fabulous Louboutins.

Cool Idea: NYC's Floating Farm

Since more than half of the world's population now lives in cities, it makes sense that we try to grow more of that food within the cities themselves.

Enter the Science Barge. The barge uses a system of recirculating greenhouse hydroponics to grow tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and peppers. Hydroponics doesn’t use soil, and the barge irrigates with rainwater and river water. The Science Barge itself is powered with solar, wind, and biofuels.

Midday Muse: Serious Cathedral Ceilings

This church-turned-house in Brisbane, Australia, (via Desire to Inspire) gives new meaning to the term "cathedral ceilings," and it looks downright peaceful. How do you feel about high ceilings?

Chicken Pot Pie Two Ways - Beginner & Expert

The days are getting shorter, and I've noticed a cold nip in the air. While it's not yet time to bring out my boot collection, it is time to start making delicious comfort foods. Chicken pot pie, with its creamy filling and flaky crust, is one of my all time fall favorites. It's classic, retro, and soothing-to-the-soul. As tempting as it is to pop a frozen pot pie in the oven, why not take a few extra minutes to make your own homemade version? I've found two tasty recipes: one that comes together easily, and another that is much more challenging. Choose the one that best suits your needs and skills as a cook.

Paris Has A Swede New Import

Paris wasn't ready to let her newest boy escort her to the amfAR Rocks benefit in NYC last night but she met up with him at Butter later on for a few photo ops. We already knew that Paris likes her boys young and international but apparently rich is no longer on her list of requirements. She picked up her 22-year-old Swedish boy toy Alex Vaggo on a street corner outside of his $27 dollar per night hostel and he's already reaping the benefits of hanging out with Paris — she's even trying to score him a gig with Ford Models. Not too shabby for a guy who was just checking out a few of the sights in Hollywood. He'll definitely have a pretty sweet story to take home with him even if it doesn't work out with Paris.

Leafy Autumn Accents

In case you haven't noticed, I get really excited about the arrival of autumn. There's something about the crisp, cool air that makes me want to hang a festive but unfussy wreath and make spiced cider.

Of course, there's nothing more classically autumnal than images of falling leaves, so I've been scouting out some pretty fall accents with a leafy look. The best part about most of my picks is that while they look autumnal, they don't scream fall, so you can also use them year round. Check out my choices below and tell me what you think.

Cashmere Mafia Keeps Us Waiting

Lucy Liu and her Cashmere Mafia co-star Bonnie Somerville were dressed to the nines on the set in NYC yesterday. Patricia Field and the masterminds over at ABC must be hoping to use the characters' elaborate wardrobes to get our attention. It's worked before and therefore they are obviously being compared to the SatC ladies. We can't help but wonder what the shoe discussions would be like if all these working women ran into each other on their sets. Fall TV has just started but unfortunately we're going to have to wait until November to see Cashmere Mafia.

Cheese Board

I love cheese. It is one of my all time favorite foods. Whenever I host an impromptu dinner party, cheese inevitably makes it into the first course. However there is just one teeny weeny problem, I never know what to display the cheese on! My cutting boards are not exactly "party ready" and a plate doesn't do the cheese justice.

To remedy this problem, I've decided I need a cheese board — a little wooden board that I will only use to display and devour cheese. Can you help me find one? Search the web for a cheese board that is rustic and attractive. Nothing too showy, it should be a backdrop to highlight glorious cheeses. Save the boards in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Cheese Board. I'm looking forward to browsing your finds!

GeekSugar has put together an explanation on how to use the fun bookmarking feature, so check it out to learn more.

Room Therapy: Missoni-style Bedspread

Welcome to the second posting of our new CasaSugar feature, Room Therapy, where users submit questions and you the readers help answer them. The questions can be about anything, from a decorating conundrum in your home to a coveted piece of furniture you can't find anywhere.

Today's question comes from PartySugar, who just moved into a new apartment. She says that she's feeling overwhelmed by her decorating needs. In particular, she's looking for a bright, Missoni-style bedspread that has a little less sticker shock.
To help PartySugar, leave a comment below, or create Casa Cravings for any products or web sites that you think would help. Just be sure to tag your Casa Cravings with the phrase "Missoni Bedspread." (Here's a post explaining what a Casa Craving is and how to create one.) Thanks! I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

Paris Hilton Goes Leg & Underwear Shopping

Paris Hilton spent the afternoon shopping yesterday, including a stop at Agent Provocateur, which is a good call because it looks like she could use a bra. It doesn't look like Maggie G's saucy ads inspired her to buy anything though. It also would seem that she spent some time clutching her Blackberry Curve as she considered boots that are made to look like a bare leg wearing heels? What even are those? So bizarre, but something tells me if anyone would wear 'em it would totally be Miss Hilton. I'm sure she has room for them in her fitness room turned shoe closet.

Bet with Bet365.com

Bet365.com is one of the leading betting and gaming companies in the UK. Bet365.com is is a licensed company and has more than 600 employees. They also have about one million customers in about 140 different countries of the world.

They have lots of cool features on their site. One of them is their "LIVE TV" coverage. They show games and other sports events like for example boxing or tennis. You can watch the games you betted on right on their site via an imbedded software.
Bet365.com supports accounts in different currencies and operates a system called "single wallet" across its sportsbook, its casino and its online poker games.

Unfortunately it´s not possible for US players to bet on Bet365.com until there has been a clarification of the laws in the United States. But nevertheless it´s still a great place to play online poker while you watch the game you’ve betted on for non-US residents. Bet365.com is your place to go if you’re not a US resident.

At Bet365.com you´ll be offered great odds as well as a well-designed "easy-to-bet" web site. Bet365.com also offers a range of free bets and bonuses in regular intervals. If this got you interested, check out their website today and have fun betting.

Further information by the advertiser:

At bet365 we provide a range of online betting services through our online casino, Sportsbook facility, interactive games section and online poker playing area. We provide a one wallet system so that you can enjoy the benefits of our full range of services through one manageable account.

Switched On: Touched by a hacker

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

I glanced at the clock, 1:36 PM. Perhaps I should not have gotten my hopes up. For weeks I'd been exchanging e-mail with an elite hacker who promised to speak with me about the latest attempt to free hardware from the shackles of manufacturers that bind it, sticking it to such companies by making their products more desireable.

Just then, Skype lit up like a flaming notebook battery. It was the notorious hacker 5m0kNcR4K. A shadowy figure in the videoconferencing window spoke in a disguised voice.

"I'm in ur Skype, grantin' ur interview. Do not try to identify me. By using advanced digital video effects, I have pixelated my facial image, put myself in silhouette, and added a big blue dot in front of my face."

"What video effect makes it look like you have bunny ears?"

"Oh, that's just a mask I picked up at Party City."

"We could have just spoken by phone, you know. Or just used VOIP. Besides, I thought we were set to talk at 1 PM."

"I thought 13:37 would be more appropriate."

Continue reading Switched On: Touched by a hacker

This Just In: Yanko Design Opens an Online Store

All you design junkies out there probably know Yanko Design, which is a great blog devoted to the modern aesthetics of technology, interiors, architecture, and industrial design. Now comes the news that Yanko has opened an online store filled with crave worthy designs.


Yanko partnered with a number of luxe brands, including Eva Solo and Umbra, to fill out its inventory. The store features everything from computer accessories to the Sumo Omni Lounge ($149, above left) I blogged about a while back and this very cool Rosendahl Wine Tube ($99, above right). Check out the shop and tell me what you think.

Motorola intros D7 / D8 MOTOLIVN landline phones

Wow, talk about being on a roll. Not even a week after unleashing the awfully-titled TLKR walkie-talkie, Motorola is gettin' even more platitudinal with its new duo of MOTOLIVN landline phones. Both units tout location-free bases, "eco-mode" for saving energy, ten ringer melodies, a built-in speakerphone, and up to ten-hours of talk time (100-hours in standby). The D7 is said to be available in silver with a blue-backlit screen, while the D8 range can be picked up in black or white and comes Skype-enabled for those interested. Both handsets look to be available right now in Germany, and while the D7 starts at €49.99 ($70), the D8 gets going at €69.99 ($97).

The New All-In-One Chat Tool imo.im

If you like accessing all your IM clients with meebo, imo.im is a new instant messaging tool that you can use to link your accounts as well as start chat groups.
It's especially good for Google users since Gtalk doesn't offer group chat functionality. Still in Alpha phase, don't expect imo to have a bunch of mind-blowing features just yet, although the company promises some in due time. via mashable

CZJ Goes Wild In Tokyo

Before setting off on her India movie-making adventure, Catherine Zeta-Jones showed off her No Reservations in Tokyo. She looked smokin' hot, as usual, but this dress has nothing on that fiery little red number she wore to the NYC premiere of the movie. Neither her costars nor Michael was by her side for this one, but that dress is exciting enough to carry the event all by itself. Not many women can pull of floor length animal print and still look classy, but CZJ is definitely one of them.

Who Looked Better in a Side Updo at The Emmy Awards?

I'm not so sure that I completely understand this hairstyle, but since both Kate Walsh and Heidi Klum usually look stunning, I am going to let it pass and even praise them for taking a beauty risk. Paired with their bold red lips and glamorous dresses, they stand out on the red carpet somehow seem to get away with this strange side updo. How do you feel about this hairstyle, and who do you think wore it better?

Add a Splash of Lime To Your Water

TeamSugar member aistea311 recently posted one of my favorite tips. I live by this one every day and definitely think it's worth mentioning.
To spruce up an ordinary bottle of water, add fresh squeezed lime juice. For extra kick, do like aistea311 and add a few packets of Splenda and a splash of club soda.
While it is a super simple tip, it's definitely one worth keeping in your repertoire. If you don't have fresh lemons or limes on hand, you should consider keeping a bottle of 100% lime or lemon juice on hand. I personally have both, and find that it's a nice treat to be able to spruce up my water. Plus, guests are usually wowed when they ask for water and you say, "plain, with lemon, or with lime?"

Who Wore It Better? French Connection Green Tie Dress

French Connection dresses are really popular these days! Lauren Conrad wore her green French Connection dress at LAX, while ex-professional wrestler Stacy Keibler wore hers at the French Connection celebrity styling event, as well as at a pre-Emmys party. I prefer the casualness of LC's ensemble. Stacy's looks too formulated with the peep toe pumps. Who do you think wore it better?


Bauer-Griffin & Source

Cat-spiration!

After a nice, relaxing weekend, Mondays can be a b*tch. But not if you have some cat-spiration to get you going. Like this furry dude, you, too can just do it!

DIY: A Mailing-Tube Wine Rack

If the wine racks for beginners I featured earlier today don't fit your look or your price range, then perhaps you'll be interested in this project from ReadyMade on how to make your own wine rack from mailing tubes. The process is ridiculously easy, and the results are surprisingly cute, so you can have a bevy of bottle storage in no time.

Bottle Pocket Wine Rack via ReadyMade

What You'll Need

• Cardboard mailing tubes (ours were 3 1/2" in diameter x 36")
• Paint (optional)
• Round color-coded stickers (optional)
• Plenty of wine
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Hand saw
• Sandpaper (200 grit)
• Paintbrush (optional)

For step-by-step instructions, read more

Words That Move You...

Sometimes all it takes are a few good words to get you moving...

“Go pump some neurons! Expand your craniums!”— Robin Williams, in “Mrs. Doubtfire”

Great quote, especially since exercise makes you smarter.

Source

Just Another Day At The Office For Cameron

Cameron Diaz looked all ready for a day at the office and then a picnic on the set of What Happens In Vegas. Her famous famous legs were mostly covered up, but still showed off her rocking body in those business-y/summery-y dresses. She may be keeping her options open these days with the menfolk, as she should, but I think the ol' career path is pretty much all set. Well, at least if this LA girl ever ends up with an office job (ha), she looks good in the wardrobe.

1800nodrugs Helpline

Fighting any addiction is a complicated and expensive procedure. Even since the problem started gaining exposure, more and more drug rehab centers have built all all over the country. And when you're looking for help, finding the right rehab center for you can be quite a headache.

There are a lot of different options for drug rehabilitation. There are many inpatient drug treatment and long term addiction treatment programs available for people that need it.

There are many different types of addictions and because of this drug treatment programs work best when they are specifically tailored to the individual involved. Drug rehab is not a one size fits all type things.

Finding the best treatment program for you or your loved one that is effective and lasting is one of the most difficult and important decisions you will have to make.

1800nodrugs.com can help, their very compassionate and knowledgeable counselors can help you make the most effective decision. The 1800nodrugs.com is a non profit organisation that helps addicts find a treatment centre that is right for them.

1800nodrugs.com’s goal is to achieve relationships with drug rehab program providers to place in drug rehabilitation treatment those individuals suffering from drug addiction and drug abuse related issues.

1800nodrugs.com has an extensive range of drug addiction and drug rehab information on their website for you to explore.

One last but not lest benefit is the possibilities that 1800nodrugs offers is financial options for families for dealing with the money burden that comes along with the rehabilitation treatment.

They were referred to a Drug Rehabilitation Centre through 1800nodrugs.com, a drug addiction referral service. Drug treatment program is very specific to the individual involved.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the disease of drug addiction or alcoholism ring 1800nodrugs or go to their website. Let them help you find the most effective and lasting drug rehab treatment program for you or your loved ones. It is one of the most difficult and important decisions you will have to make.

Definition: Faux Finish

Faux finishing is the art of using paint to create the illusion of texture or depth on otherwise flat surfaces, such as walls, furniture, and floors. The decorative painting technique has exploded in popularity in recent years, and you can now buy many different types of specialized brushes and glazes available to help achieve faux finishes.


There are a number of faux finish techniques, including sponge painting (above left), "ragging" or rag painting (right), and color washing. Faux finishes can also be used to replicate the look of a specific surface, such as leather, stone, cracked plaster, or gilded wood.

Source

Name That Dish!

This is a traditional Mexican dish whose main ingredient is Ilan Hall's guilty pleasure food. Do you know what it's called?

Samsung's BD-UP5000 HD DVD / Blu-ray combo player gets previewed

The folks over at HDGuru managed to spend a few quality minutes with Samsung's forthcoming hybrid player, and initial impressions look to be pretty positive. Granted, their BD-UP5000 was a pre-production sample, but they were mighty impressed with the BD-Java / HDi support, HDMI 1.3 functionality, and the Reon scaler chip within. During limited time with the player, the assortment of HD DVDs and Blu-ray films that they got to view "all looked spectacular, with every image appearing clean, crisp and sharp as a tack," and the "faster chapter changes and quicker entry into other menu functions" compared to previous generation units were highly praised, too. Overall, it seems that we've got a respectable combo player on the horizon for those not willing to choose a side, so be sure and give the read link a visit if you're too impatient to wait for a full-on review.

Paris Hilton Thinks You’re Retarded

Paris Hilton wants to have children of her own, and although she is open to adopting, she has no intention of that happening any time soon. “Someone just said that I’m adopting four blonde babies,” Hilton recently said in an interview. “That’s retarded. No, I’m not.”

She also makes it clear that she and “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier are “totally just friends,” saying he is like a mentor to her. Hilton then added: “I think it’s cool to talk to someone in L.A. who has more to talk about than all this artificial crap people talk about. It’s nice to talk to someone who’s real.”

IdeaFestival 2007: Tiffany Schlain Is An Apple Fangirl

Tiffany Schlain is obsessed with technology and the Internet, which makes perfect sense considering she’s the founder of The Webby Awards. We’re still waiting for ours, Tiffany. ☺ She’s here promoting her new film The Tribe, but her Apple fangirlism was quite apparent. She grew up in the Bay Area and her first computer was an Apple II, which coincidentally was equipped with a Disk II that was created by Woz (coverage on Woz coming in a couple hours). Her current arsenal includes a MacBook Pro and iPhone, which went off twice during her presentation. Her worst fears had come true at our expense. Heh.

Google Sponsors Robotic Race to the Moon

Google most certainly has a fascination with the space beyond the atmosphere of the Earth. After all, they recently launched the new addition to Google Earth called Google Sky (a virtual telescope), and they routinely work closely with NASA on various projects. Now they’re getting involved in outer-space another way, through a robotic race to the moon which they’re sponsoring called Google Lunar X Prize. The winner of the race will receive a whopping $20 million dollar prize with a $5 million dollar second prize, and $5 million in bonus prizes.

Getting a robot to the moon is no easy task, and Google along with the X Prize Foundation realize this. That’s why the first place prize can be awarded anytime between now and December 31st, 2012 - over 5 years from now. To obtain the first place prize, a team "must successfully soft land a privately funded spacecraft on the Moon, rove on the lunar surface for a minimum of 500 meters, and transmit a specific set of video, images, and data back to Earth." If no one is able to accomplish that task before the given date, the award will drop to $15 million until December 31st, 2014 when the contest would end.

After Google announced the race to the moon, Gearlog sat down with Google co-founder Larry Page to ask him about visiting space. He was asked if the race would be a "fulfillment of childhood fantasies" to which Page responded that he’d love to go to space. He said "I think everyone wants to go into space… if it’s easy, efficient, and affordable." Page was also asked how Google could contribute to this race other than sponsoring it, and he said "Our engineers are really excited about this. They put up this Moon product; you can see the old Apollo data really well, and that’s just great - as our technologists get excited about things…"

It makes sense now why Google launched a new version of Google Moon without the cheese. Remember the cheese? Not too long ago Google’s sense of humor was found on the surface of the moon. If you zoomed it as far as you could - this is what you’d see:

No joking anymore! Getting to the moon is serious business now, and Google along with the X Prize Foundation are hoping that this international competition will end up introducing us to low-cost ways of getting robots into space for exploration. As XPGeek said in the forum, the last time we were at the moon was "almost 40 years ago. That’s the farthest we have gone, and we haven’t been back since." I think it’s about time, don’t you?

Source: Reuters

BackgammonMasters offers Games with No Rake

I like playing backgammon. It is a fun game of skill and strategy. But when I enter a casino setting, my game of choice is Blackjack . I've always loved the game, and have ever since I learned it as a kid. Figuring out how to get to 21 is a lot of fun for me -- and I'm pretty good at it. And now I am pleased to see that one of my backgammonfavorite sites, BackgammonMasters.com, is offering blackjack to interested players.

This will be a great site for eh online gaming community. After all, BackgammonMasters.com is available in 10 different languages, allows for chat capabilities, and now, with its Blackjack game, will allow for 5-player games and the possibility of viewing a game in progress for a while before jumping in. Those are some neat features, and are expected to produce a 300% increase in traffic for BackgammonMasters.com.

Now you have seen my previous posts about this backgammon site in the past, BackgammonMasters.com, and their fantastic, high-quality offerings. With this expanded offering, there is even more of a reason for you to visit as they seek to dominate the world of online games of skill.

One neat thing about the neblackjack offering is that you can now log on and play up to four different games at once in their rich. three-dimensional gaming environment. You certainly can't do that in Vegas or Atlantic City, can you? Of course not -- you can only play one game at a time. And of course, you can also play Backgammon, Poker and Perudo at the site as well, so you really do have some incredible gaming opportunities available to you.

The Terror Dream

Jane at FireDogLake recommends Susan Faludi’s latest book, The Terror Dream:

In The Terror Dream, Faludi has written what I think is an important work for the moment as we try desperately to extricate ourselves from an imperialistic foreign policy and politicians who are locked into a narrative where bellicosity is equated with strength.

Yep, that sounds very familiar. Anyway, being the voracious reader that I am, I’ll be picking up this book on Jane’s recommendation and look forward to the Book Salon on November 4th with Susan Faludi.

Don’t sweat copyrights, it’s good for the economy

Fair use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws is worth more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue, or a sixth of GDP.

Do you buy it?

That tally is provided via a study commissioned by the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a bunch of firms that support fair use.

The report is well-documented, but I’d encourage you to read it for yourself with an emphasis on the methodology. Mike Masnick at Techdirt says it best: Reports from the BSA, RIAA and MPAA are blatantly one-sided in support of copyrights (they typically blare about piracy losses). However, this report coming from a group that includes Google, Yahoo and Microsoft is also one-sided.

In other words, the truth (as usual) is somewhere in the middle.

The CCIA says:

Companies benefiting from limitations on copyright-holders’ exclusive rights, such as “fair use” – generate substantial revenue, employ millions of workers, and, in 2006, represented one-sixth of total U.S. GDP.

Let’s give CCIA some credit for trying to quantify fair use’s impact on the economy. Unfortunately, the court system may not care. Copyrights feed into profit motive. Tell Viacom, which is suing Google over YouTube, that its copyright limits are for the greater good.

CCIA says:

In the past twenty years as digital technology has increased, so too has the importance of fair use. With more than $4.5 trillion in revenue generated by fair use dependent industries in 2006, a 31% increase since 2002, fair use industries are directly responsible for more than 18% of U.S. economic growth and nearly 11 million American jobs. In fact, nearly one out of every eight American jobs is in an industry that benefits from current limitations on copyright.

What’s notable about this report is that there are a lot of examples how fair use plays into every day capitalism. I’ll have to weed through the report in its entirety to figure out what makes sense. I encourage you to do the same.

Update: Weeding complete. Color me skeptical on this report and most industry backed studies. But honestly nothing I can write is going to be as good as Nick Carr’s missive. Here’s a sampling:

Even by the woeful standards of the bespoke research industry, this study is a crock of shit. It’s not just bad; it’s absurd. What the authors have done is to define the “fair-use economy” so broadly that it encompasses any business with even the most tangential relationship to the free use of copyrighted materials. Here’s an example of the tortured logic by which they force-fit vast, multifacted industries into the “fair use” category: Because “recent advances in processing speed and software functionality are being used to take advantage of the richer multi-media experience now available from the web,” then the entire “computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing industry” qualifies as a “fair-use industry.” As does the entire “audio & video equipment manufacturing” business. And the entire software publishing industry. And the entire telecommunications industry. And - hey, why not? - the entire insurance industry. Stock markets and commodity exchanges? Sure, throw them in, too.

Chris Crocker @ Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Everybody must be well aware of Chris Crocker’s complete meltdown on YouTube (it’s been viewed more than 8 million times) regarding the world picking on Britney Spears for her 2007 VMAs performance. He even scored a webcam guest spot on last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Chris explained his behavior to Jimmy saying, “Britney Spears and I are] both beautiful women. More than that, we’re both underdogs. Everybody wants to be us. They accuse both of our breasts being fake.”

Apparently he’s been in touch with Britney’s camp and Jimmy tries to get Chris to admit it.

Chris, while adjusting his stuffed bra, joked: “You’re putting words in my mouth and that’s not what I want you to put in my mouth.”

Google Street View may break Canadian law

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

You may recall my earlier posts about Google’s new Street View. Although Google is now allowing anyone to report identifiable faces, license plates, etc., which Google will then zap, Canadian privacy law may not be satisfied by the zap process.

Canadian law obliges businesses wishing to disclose personal information about individuals to first obtain their consent. Stoddart said pictures of people on Street View were clear enough to be considered personal information.

“The images … appear to have been collected largely without the consent and knowledge of the individuals who appear in the images,” wrote Stoddart.

“I am concerned that, if the Street View application were deployed in Canada, it might not comply with our federal privacy legislation. In particular, it does not appear to meet the basic requirements of (the law).” Source: Reuters

We Say: When I posted about the privacy issues, many felt that with all the traffic cams, etc. we have, privacy is a thing of the past. I guess in Canada it’s not as far in the past as here.

Motorola to launch RAZR2 Luxury Edition for holidays

It’s like the RAZR2 isn’t already one of the coolest lookin’ devices out there, now Moto wants to go one step further to add a luxury element to its baby. Apparently, the RAZR2 Luxury Edition will be hitting the stores just in time for Christmas and will allow its buyers to additionally differentiate themselves from the rest of us, mere mortals. The “18k gold-plated accents against an ebony vacuum metal finish” should be enough, but Motorola didn’t wanted to stop there. Hence, there’s the chemically-hardened glass and an engraved diamond pattern shines on the navigation wheel, as well as the new casing casing enhanced by a soft-touch back and embossed with a snakeskin effect. In addition, the luxury-limited pack also contains such accessories as wired headphones, matching carrying case, and polishing bag. Nice pack, too bad we’ll have to sell both arm and leg to have one of these…

[Via: Engadget Mobile]