Technology Slice Blog

Comcast Twitter - Chicago, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan were being affected by a Comcast Internet outage late Sunday night according to a rash of complaints on Twitter and confirmation from Comcast officials. The outage of high-speed Internet started at 7:30 p.m. and the cause is being investigated, though no timeframe for a repair was offered. The ComcastCares Twitter account stated that there was a problem with Comcast DNS servers, similar to an outage affecting the Northeast on November 29. A temporary workaround recommended users change their DNS servers to the Google 8.8.8.8 setting, explained further here. Cable and phone service were not affected. Comcast Twitter

New Advanced Dental Technology In Cosmetic Dentistry - As a cosmetic dentist in New York City, Victor Oelbaum, DDS says he and his team go to great lengths to ensure each patient is comfortable and satisfied with their office, regardless of the procedure being performed. He adds that cutting-edge technology plays an important role in the comfort of their patients, as well as the dentists, dental specialists, hygienists, and office managers at the practice, which is why Dr. Victor Oelbaum and Associates is able to provide the highest standard of dental care possible. One area in particular Dr. Oelbaum says dental technology truly enhances his connection with patients is through the use of OPMI pico, an innovative dental microscope. When performing a range of procedures, whether general, cosmetic, or restorative in nature, Dr. Oelbaum says the microscope delivers detailed images that allow him and his team to better explain the diagnosis. Ultimately, he adds that providing patients wi...

New Multiple Sclerosis Treatment - Stem cells in the brain were found to regenerate myelin sheath which protect nerve fibers. Myelin also helps conduct electrical signals, impulses; it facilitates the good flow of electricity along the nervous system from the brain. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have multiple areas where the myelin has disappeared, leaving a scar (sclerosis). Scientists from Cambridge and Edinburgh University found a biological "switch" which helps stem cells in the brain regenerate myelin in laboratory rats. They wrote about their research in Nature Neuroscience. However, it will be several years before any treatment for humans is developed and approved, they added. They hope their technology may help in the development of new medications that target the pathway they identified to halt and perhaps even reverse MS. In this study the scientists looked at how the MS patient's own stem cells repair myelin. They identified RXR-gamma, a specific...

Pittsburgh Steelers Take Lead - Troy Polamalu provided Ben Roethlisberger another chance to beat the Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh's battered quarterback did just that. Roethlisberger threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Redman with 2:51 left after Polamalu forced a fumble with a sack of Joe Flacco, and the Steelers beat the Ravens 13-10 Sunday night to gain sole possession of first place in the AFC North. A fierce defensive battle turned when Polamalu hit Flacco's arm on a safety blitz. The loose ball was taken 19 yards by Lamarr Woodley to the Baltimore 9, setting up Pittsburgh's lone touchdown. Pittsburgh Steelers Take Lead

California Gay Marriage Ban Overturned - The long-running fight over gay marriage in California heads to a federal appeals court on Monday for two hours of high-stakes argument that could set the stage for an eventual showdown at the US Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco must decide whether a federal judge was correct when he ruled in August that the US Constitution protects the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. The federal judge said a state effort to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples “unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry” guaranteed to all persons. The case has national implications because if the US Constitution protects a fundamental right to gay marriage, no state would be permitted to limit marriage to only those of different genders. Currently, 45 states have laws or constitutional provisions restricting marriage to one man and one woman. Five states – Massach...

Illegal Immigration Measures - Opponents of the measure, similar to Arizona's suspended law, fear alienating the fastest-growing voting bloc and further hampering the party's ability to win elections in the state. A nascent California ballot measure that seeks to replicate Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants is dividing the state's Republicans, with a number of prominent strategists and leaders fearing that it could further harm their party's already fraught relationship with Latinos — the fastest-growing segment of the electorate. It's unclear whether the ballot's backers will have the financial resources to gather enough signatures to place the measure on the 2012 ballot. Several Republicans said that even the effort to do so has the potential to increase the chasm between the party's candidates and the voting bloc whose record-breaking turnout tilted races in November and delivered a clean Democratic statewide sweep in a yea...

Terrell Suggs Is Back - Among the many faces of Terrell Suggs is his self-described "Darth Sizzle." That's the Terrell Suggs who leans into a microphone with hooded sweatshirt pulled forward on his face and, for a few seconds, mumbles unintelligible lyrics for assembled reporters. At other times, the eighth-year Ravens linebacker will be alternately loud — for instance, singing the theme from the movie "Titanic" while walking out to practice — or hilariously funny — like the time he dressed up in skin-tight Wranglers and extra large tennis shoes for a '70s-themed Halloween party. But regardless of his ever-changing face, Suggs is always outrageous. And never more so than when the subject is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who arrive Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium for an AFC North brawl that will probably decide the division race. Terrell Suggs Is Back

Grace Potter VH1 Divas - The duo shut things down at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar for "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" when they played their breakout 1976 single "Crazy on You." This time, the ladies got some back up from relative newbies Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, with Potter splitting vocal duties with Heart frontwoman Ann Wilson. Nancy Wilson kicked off the set with a nimble solo that scored excited cheers from the soldiers. The screams reached a fever pitch when the bass line from "Crazy" rattled in the speakers, and the service members went wild. Sporting a long dark coat with a generous silver pendant dangling from her neck, Ann helmed the first verse before strutting down the runway to the center of the crowd for the chorus. Potter, who was manning the keys, chimed in for the second verse, later picking up her mic and meeting Ann in the middle of the stage. Although she wasn't center stage, Nancy still commanded attention, leapi...

New Show Bama Belles - As we count down the clock to a new Bama Belles episode that is set to take place today at 22:00 on TLC – we take a look at a sneak peak of the episode titled ‘Southern and Way Proud of It’. If you’re looking to watch Bama Belles season 1 episode 1 online trailer or just interested in a brief Bama Belles ‘Southern and Way Proud of It’ preview, then read on below. Bama Belles Season 1 Episode 1 ‘Southern and Way Proud of It’ Preview As far as Lifestyle Reality shows go, Bama Belles is considered among the top series on TV and it looks as though today’s episode will please loyal fans of the show who’ve been tuning in since it first premiered in December 5 2010. The series premiere introduces Amie, Jana, Melissa, Dakota and Val, a diverse group of Southern women who reside in rural Dothan, Ala. New Show Bama Belles

Plane Crashes Into House In Utah - A small plane has crashed in a neighborhood the northern Utah city of Roy, setting at least three homes on fire. Roy Police Chief Greg Whinham tells The Salt Lake Tribune that no one died in the Sunday evening crash, but the pilot was "severely" injured. The newspaper reports the small plane was flying toward the Ogden-Hinckley Airport when it began hitting utility poles and crashed into a cluster of trees, causing an explosion. Whinham says all the neighborhood's residents have been accounted for, and no one but the pilot is reported to be hurt. KSL-TV reports the pilot was the only person in the plane. Residents near the crash site are being evacuated to a church. Whinham tells the Tribune the aircraft was badly damaged but appears to be a small, noncommercial plane. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. ...

Chrome OS For Netbooks Coming Soon - All thanks to people like Michael Arrington, we’re often left to question the degree of legitimacy of a news piece. Anyways, you guys must’ve heard about the upcoming OS by Google. Yeah, it’s called the Chrome OS. Last time in the Web Kit 2.0 conference, Google’s CEO – Eric Schmidt said that the new operating system will be released in “few” months. By the way, Google is also going to release a Chrome Notebook to match along with the OS. If so, then we have another reason to wait for the OS. They’re already calling it the Chromebook, which may hold a few new features. We have an idea that the notebook and OS duo will make use of the cloud based services, but other than that, there’s nothing more to tell. The big question is that do we really need the Chrome OS to join the laptop and netbook platform? People say that this operating system is different in terms of core technicalities and functions. It may prove to be an invaluable asset to the ...

Dexter Hop A Freighter - Season five had found itself a nice little groove in the last few weeks, but "Hop a Freighter" erased a lot of the goodwill that recent episodes had generated. It's not that it was bad, but rather that it was predictable in that way that "Dexter" seasons always are. And it dashed any hope that the slightly tweaked format of the season would lead to a significantly different ending. Specifically, I don't think they could have come up with a less inspired, less interesting means of dealing with the Liddy problem. Dexter has barely found out that someone associated with Miami Metro is watching him, and has no idea that it's Liddy, and then within the space of about 10 minutes, he's taken prisoner by Liddy, finds out everything Liddy was up to and most of what Quinn does and doesn't know, and manages to put a knife through the guy's heart. Bing, bang, boom; complications (almost) all gone, and there's so much oth...

College Football Bowl Games 2010 - Q. What’s the over/under on Auburn-Oregon in the BCS title game? It opened at 74 — and that seems a bit low for these two offenses. Oregon finished No. 1 nationally in scoring at 49.3 ppg and No. 2 in total offense with an average of 537.5 yards. Auburn was No. 6 in scoring at 42.7 and No. 7 in total offense at 497.7 yards. That’s 92 points and more than 1,035 yards combined per game for this two. Neither defense appears capable of slowing the other offense, either. Q. Which bowl game is really a phony marquee matchup? It’s a tie between the Outback, which will pair 7-5 Penn State vs. 7-5 Florida, and the Sun Bowl, which pits 7-5 Notre Dame against 7-5 Miami. On name value, they look like attractive games. TV should like them, anyway. The reality? Penn State’s quality victory is over Temple; Florida went 3-5 over its final eight games; Notre Dame is playing with a backup quarterback (Tommy Rees) and Miami no longer has a coach after a loss to So...

Notion Ink Adam Tablet PC - The folks who are making the intriguing Notion Ink Tablets are nothing if not great teases. The company blog has been revealing bits of info for quite some time. Well, now it looks like the folks at Notion Ink are getting closer to release. In case you haven’t been following long, Notion Ink is producing a Tablet, using Pixel Qi technology. Yes, digital Inking is a part of the scope as is the display technology that is not only a power saver but one that will allow outdoor viewing with ease. They’ve passed through the FCC (hinting that they did this process a bit differently making it harder for FCC snoops to find the info-that sounds like a challenge to me). They are also getting ready for pre-orders with an interesting twist. If you’ve been a member of “the family” by commenting on their blog, you’ll be allowed first crack at pre-orders. Don’t go over there to leave a comment hoping to join that party. Only those who did so before that news are eligible...

New Facebook Scam Spreading Fast - Curious to see who views your Facebook profile page? You're out of luck. Status updates, Facebook groups, and pages claiming to let users see who has viewed their Facebook profile pages are scams, often linking users to ad-filled sites. In recent days, for instance, you may have seen your Facebook friends speaking in bizarrely adolescent chatroom vernacular: "OMG OMG OMG... I cant believe this actually works! Now you really can see who viewed your profile! on [LINK]." "If you're tempted to click on the link, you're taken to a webpage that encourages you to go a little deeper and permit an application to have access to your Facebook profile," wrote Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, in a blog post. According to Sophos, over 60,000 people clicked into the claim in a few hours. But as Facebook noted in July, there is no way anyone can see who has viewed their profile, and no way others ca...

Comcast Outage Chicago - Comcast officials said a widespread Internet service outage was affecting the Chicago area, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan tonight. The outage of high-speed Internet started at 7:30 p.m., said Angie Amores, a Comcast spokeswoman. The cause was being investigated, she said. Officials did not have an estimated time of when the service will be restored, Amores said. Amores said that cable and phone service were not been affected. Corporate officials were using Twitter to update customers on developments on the outage, she said. William Gerth, an official from the Comcast corporate office in Philadelphia, said he was alerting customers via Twitter account @comcastcares with details about the outage. He said that engineers were working on a domain name system issue and suggested following the temporary solutions on the Twitter page. As of 9:40 p.m., customers calling 1-800-Comcast were greeted by a recorded message saying that the company was ex...

Facebook Cartoon Character Hoax - Cartoon characters have been showing up all over Facebook this week in a reported effort to raise awareness of violence against children. Now as the campaign is nearing its end, rumors are swirling that the entire Facebook cartoon campaign may in fact be a complete hoax. It all started out innocently enought with a few cartoon pictures popping up on friends profiles. Then came the walls posts announcing that the cartoon characters were actually part of a campaign to help stop violence against children. Is the Cartoon Character Campaign on Facebook a Hoax? The messages themselves read something like, “In support of anti-child violence, change your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood. Until Monday Dec. 6, there should be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion of memories. Join the fight against CHILD ABUSE. Invite your friends to do the same.” The catch is that nobody can really seem to pinpoint the origin of the ca...

Undercover Boss: ABM Industries - The President and CEO of ABM Industries (Henrik Slipsager), one of the nation's largest facilities services contractors, offering janitorial, engineering, parking and security services for thousands of clients, takes a journey within his own corporation. Show follows high level corporate executives as they slip anonymously into the lowest level jobs within their companies. Once undercover, they'll get their hands dirty with the rank and file, find out what their employees REALLY think of them and how smoothly their companies are REALLY run. In the process, these senior executives learn about themselves and the spirit of their work force. you must read this. once you have started there is no turning back. a little 10 year old girl was raped and murderded in 1945. her body was not found until 1947. then a boy last week read this and did not copy and paste this message. the dead girl appeared in his room haunting hi...

TNA Final Resolution 2010 - FanHouse will have complete results for all TNA Final Resolution 2010 pay-per-view matches starting at 8 PM ET on Sunday, December 5. The show is headlined by a TNA World Championship rematch between champion Jeff Hardy and challenger Matt Morgan, with Mr. Anderson as the special guest referee. The show features nine big matches, which are listed below. Final Resolution 2010 will be the seventh event under the Final Resolution chronology. Be sure to check back on Sunday night for a full listing of results. TNA Final Resolution 2010

BYU TV With Dave Rose - "BYU Basketball with Head Coach Dave Rose" can be seen Sunday nights at 11:00pm on KSL 5 TV (starting December 5th) and heard Monday nights at 7:00pm on KSL Newsradio (starting November 29th). "Voice of the Cougars" Greg Wrubell will host both programs, as he and Coach Rose review previous games, preview upcoming contests and introduce viewers and listeners to members of the BYU Basketball team. Sunday night's TV broadcast will also feature a weekly "X's and O's" segment, as Coach Rose breaks down plays from recent games to illustrate his team's offensive and defensive tactics. Monday night's radio show will originate from Legends Grille in the BYU Student-Athlete Building; fans are invited to attend and enjoy the live broadcast. Those who attend the show will get the chance to ask Coach Rose a question during a live "Q and A" segment. BYU TV With Dave Rose

Facebook Cartoon Profile Pic News - The new Facebook trend includes changing your profile image to a cartoon character. Some call it a scam, but others say it is a new Internet phenomenon. The latest trend in Facebook culture is changing your profile pic to help fight child abuse. Have you noticed friends and family suddenly changing profile pictures to cartoon characters? The Facebook trend started as a game, but it has soon morphed into a phenomenon that continues to proliferate across the Internet. The trend was a small game in Greek that started in mid-November, but it was only until December 5, 2010 that has now made it a part of Facebook culture. Even “60 Minutes” interview with Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday, December 05, 2010 included comments on the new Facebook trend. Does Changing Your Facebook Image to a Cartoon Profile Really Fight Child Abuse? Some users have questioned if this new cartoon profile pic trend is a scam. It is not a scam, but it was originally set as a game...

Samsung Galaxy Tabs Flying Off The Shelves - After reaching that all-important milestones of selling more than 600,000 units of the device back in mid November, things have gotten even better for Samsung Galaxy Tab. Thanks to the warm reception and brisk sales of the tablet, the company now expects the device to sell about 1.5 million units by the end of the year. So far, the company has exceeded its own target of selling 1 million units of the Galaxy Tab — even though the year is yet to end. Given that the last sale data was released in November, it means it took just a little over than two weeks for the companyto add 400,000 more sales. While this could be due in part to the holiday season, it’s an impressive feat nonetheless. And we haven’t even passed Christmas yet — one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Samsung stated that its device has been greatly received in their home town as well, that’s where 10 percent of the sales came from. In addition, it is planning to rel...

Bank Of America Home Loans - Bank of America Corp., battling demands for almost $13 billion of refunds from mortgage investors, reported that the fastest-growing group of claims involves loans to people with the best credit scores. Claims for refunds on prime mortgages surged 150 percent to $3.6 billion in the first nine months of 2010, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank said last month in its quarterly report. Claims on subprime loans, made to borrowers deemed more likely to default, were little changed at $579 million. Mortgage investors can demand refunds from a bank if a loan was based on faulty data about the home or borrower. Overdue prime mortgages set a record this year, opening more loans to scrutiny for defects that could entitle investors to a buyback. The Congressional Oversight Panel said last month that too many repurchases could rattle the financial system, and Bank of America’s stock dropped 27 percent this year through yesterday, partly on concern that $4.4 ...

Comcast Customer Service - Comcast subscribers from Boston to Washington, D.C., found themselves without Internet access Sunday night after a major outage affected parts of the East Coast. Reports first seemed to surface on Twitter last night from Comcast customers tweeting that their Internet service had gone down. Comcast's own customer service Twitter feed, known as Comcastcares, confirmed the outage, initially pointing to an issue in Boston but soon revealing that the problem was more widespread. Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas told CNET through e-mail that last night Comcast engineers identified a server issue that affected Internet service for customers primarily in the Boston and D.C./Beltway areas. Though the outage focused on Boston and Washington, D.C., a Comcast customer service technician reportedly told NBC News that there were "significant Internet outages" in Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, and New Hampshire, according to ...

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - This is the first Harry Potter review since I have started this blog. And because I am so fond of the books and films there will probably be more ramblings regarding the series as a whole then the specific quality of the film. Needless to say, since I was introduced to the Harry Potter craze at the first film, I have yet to forgive my parents for not sending me Hogwart's. Ok, I know Hogwart's is not a real place, but the idea of this extraordinary world took me and millions under its spell. The fantasy of Harry, Ron and Hermione takes a dark turn in this first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As this book was already strong, I anticipated the film would offer the same connection I found through reading. I felt the division of this book really benefits the story telling of this in-depth conclusion to a series so many are deeply invested in. I have always found myself to be a bit of kindred spirit with Harry. If you are at al...

Chelsea Handler On Angelina Jolie - The comedian goes all out at a recent show saying she thinks Angelina is completely fake and that’s why she has no friends! It looks like Jennifer Aniston really does have a great friend in Chelsea Handler as the comedian can’t stand Angelina Jolie! Chelsea said at a recent performance, “She can rescue as many babies from as many countries as she wants to. I don’t f**king believe you … she gives interviews, ‘I don’t have a lot of female friends.’ Cause you’re a f**king c**t … you’re a f**king b***h.” Chelsea and Jen have become close pals over the past few months, even heading down to Mexico together for Thanksgiving. And it is safe to say after this rant we will not be seeing Angelina on Chelsea’s show anytime soon. Chelsea Handler On Angelina Jolie

Cancun Climate Talks - Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa said she had asked other pairs of rich and poor nations -- including Sweden and Grenada and Australia and Bangladesh -- to work to end other, lesser disputes at the November 29 to December 10 talks. "The conditions are in place to reach a broad and balanced package of decisions," she told delegates from almost 200 nations in the Mexican beach resort of Cancun. "However, the positive outcome that our societies demand is still not complete." The talks seek a package of measures including a new fund to channel aid to developing nations as well as ways to share clean technology, protect tropical forests that store carbon and help the poor adapt to the impact of climate change. A treaty is out of reach after a 2009 summit in Copenhagen summit fell short of a legally binding deal to avert what U.N. climate experts say will be droughts, floods, heatwaves and rising sea levels caused by a build-up of...

Harlem Globetrotters Will Use 4 Point Shot - The Harlem Globetrotters will debut a 4-point shot on Sunday when they begin their 220-city North American tour against the Washington Generals at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Florida (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The shot -- from one of two designated areas about 35 feet from the basket on each half of the court -- is 12 feet longer than an NBA 3-point attempt. The shot will be available the final 3 minutes of each quarter. "We created the behind-the-back pass, the 3-point shot, the alley-oop and we're once again re-inventing the game," said Globetrotters guard Dizzy Grant, who stopped by ESPN's offices in Bristol, Conn., on Thursday. "In practice, we keep challenging each other on who can hit the most. We've had guys hit four or five in a row lots of times." The Generals, who haven't beaten the Globetrotters since 1971, also will have the opportunity to use the shot. "W...

2010 Bowl Schedule - ROSE BOWL: Wisconsin vs. TCU is official, but of course we knew that. The Rose was taking the Pac-10 and Big Ten champs, and if they lost one of them to the national title game (Oregon), the Rose had to take the non-AQ team. Both teams average 43 points per game, but I can see Wisky wearing down the Horned Frogs a bit. I like the Badgers, 31-24 SUGAR BOWL: Ohio State vs. Arkansas. Again, not surprising, we knew this was going to happen. Yeah, yeah, I know QB Coach/OC Garrick McGee has done a great job with Ryan Mallett, but I'm not exactly sold him. I can see the Buckeyes shutting him down when it matters. I like the Buckeyes, 24-20. ORANGE BOWL: Well, dilemma solved. Stanford vs. Virginia Tech. Orange Bowl officials went with the best matchup rather than inviting the more geographically placed team in UConn. I like Stanford in this game, 35-31. FIESTA BOWL: So that means it's Oklahoma vs. UConn. Good luck getting any kind of TV rating 2010 Bowl ...

Bowl Games Roundup - Many college football teams accepted bids to play in bowl games on Sunday. Here's a look at Sunday's announcements: • Michigan will take on Mississippi State on Jan. 1 in the Gator Bowl. • Penn State is heading to the Outback Bowl to face Florida on Jan. 1. • Georgia Tech will play Air Force in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Dec. 27 in Shreveport, La. (5 p.m. ET/ESPN2). • South Carolina will face Florida State Dec. 31 in Atlanta at the Chick-fil-A Bowl. • Maryland will face East Carolina in the Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman in Washington on Dec. 29. • North Carolina will play Tennessee in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, in Nashville (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). • Boston College will face Nevada in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco on Jan. 9 at 9 p.m ET. • Miami and Notre Dame have accepted invitations to play in the Hyundai Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas. • Baylor will play Illinois...

Facebook NSPCC Campaign - There are great ideas behind social causes and Facebook is a place where people can easily organize the cause of their choice with a viral push behind it. The latest, in case you haven’t noticed all of your friends turning into cartoon characters, is a campaign to raise awareness against child abuse. The idea is simple — change your picture to draw attention to the fact of child abuse. It’s supposed to serve as a reminder with the hope that you’ll then donate to the child protection service or organization of your choice. To us, the all-caps message looks like something that you’d see in a spammy, forwarded email promising you money for continuing to forward it. However, our investigation of the source behind the campaign leaves us a bit stumped. Though the NSPCC has backed the original campaign, there is no information about who started it or where it’s from. Now that the rumor mill has started, others are fighting hard to spread whichever side they ha...

Major Landslide In Medellin - Torrential rains have caused a major landslide in Medellin, Colombia's second largest city, burying as many as 200 people, according to Red Cross officials. Earth and debris loosened by weeks of downpours engulfed homes in the suburb of Bello on Sunday. Sniffer dogs were nosing through the rubble to try to find survivors, and digging equipment was being moved to the scene. "The initial count is that there may be 150-200 people considered missing. So far we have rescued three alive," said Cesar Uruena, a Red Cross operations deputy director. "We are focused on moving rubble to see if we find survivors. We've never had this many people affected [in Colombia] by the rainy season." John Rendon, emergency management director of Antioquia state, confirmed that one body has been recovered. Weeks of drenching rain has damaged road and bridges across the Andes mountains. The Red Cross has said that at least 176 deaths have bee...

Wikileaks Shut Down - Amazon denies it shut down WikiLeaks website because Joe Lieberman asked, only for a ToS violation. But Senator Droopy tells it different, suggests other hosters should follow AWS's lead. WikiLeaks website has been shut down temporarily, after Amazon censored it. Joe Lieberman apparently put pressure on Amazon to pull the site. But the cloud service provider isn't talking. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers accuse Amazon of being selective with its freedom of speech defenses. Wikileaks Shut Down

Playstation Phone Released - The folks at Engadget continue to get the scoop on Sony Ericsson’s rumored Playstation Phone. This time, they found a pair of YouTube videos showing a little bit of the device in action. And so far, it’s promising in its simplicity. Rather than gum up the works with Sony’s Xperia operating system, the phone is running stock Android, supposedly version 2.3. Playstation games are accessed through a Playstation app. Hopefully, it stays this way. I don’t think Sony needs to heavily modify Android to make a good gaming phone, as long as the games are easily accessible and on par with Sony’s PSP handheld. Like the Xbox Live app on Windows Phone 7, a standalone app could help act as a unifying hub for the Playstation Network. Indeed, if the finished product isn’t much different than what’s shown here — and if there is a finished product in the first place — the biggest question is whether the games will be actual PSP titles. And don’t forget that a PSP2 is ...

Pfizer CEO Retires - Pfizer Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Jeffrey Kindler has retired after 4 1/2 years leading the world's largest drug maker by sales, saying the demands of the job have worn him out. Ian Read, a Pfizer veteran who has been heading sales and marketing of the company's pharmaceuticals business, has taken the CEO post, Pfizer said Sunday night. Mr. Read was also named a company director. The board plans to appoint a nonexecutive chairman from its current membership when it meets within the next two weeks. The 55-year-old Mr. Kindler steered Pfizer through the $68 billion takeover of rival Wyeth, then divided the company into business units. The moves seemed to pay off in recent months, with Pfizer gaining approval of the childhood vaccine Prevnar 13. The company also reported impressive clinical trial results for a cancer therapy called crizotinib and a pill for treating rheumatoid arthritis, both of which have the potential to be blockbusters. But ...

Ben Obomanu Suffers Laceration - Ben Obomanu suffered a hand laceration, not a fracture, in Sunday's win over the Panthers. Obomanu took a huge hit over the middle from Panthers S Charles Godfrey in the second quarter and did not return. It's obviously a serious gash, but a fracture would have cost Obomanu his season. With Mike Williams (ankle, foot) in doubt, Obomanu belongs on a roster in all formats while we await a timetable. Ben Obomanu Suffers Laceration

Mark Zuckerberg On 60 Minutes - In an upcoming TV interview on Sunday night, 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl talks to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg about a number of things, one of them being Facebook’s new user profile pages. Stahl promises in a preview video that the public would see the overhauled design for the profile pages “for the first time tonight on 60 Minutes.” “You’re showing us something that no one else has seen yet — very soon, starting tomorrow,” says Stahl in the interview preview. This suggests that Zuckerberg originally intended to unveil the new profiles on Monday instead. That’s obviously not the case, since Facebook unveiled the update itself and is now allowing users to upgrade to the new profile already. So what happened? I’ve reached out to Facebook and CBS via email to ask, but in the meantime, we can only speculate. Perhaps one factor here was that CBS’s 60 Minutes scooped itself. The video preview allowed news sites to pick up on the story about the new ...

Sonny Barger Sons Of Anarchy - Sons of Anarchy is an adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club. In the season 3 Finale a special appearance is made by Sonny Barger, who was a founding member of the Oakland Chapter of the Hells Angels. Sony Barger played a character named "Lenny the Pimp" Janowitz, who is a founding member of the fictional Sons of Anarchy MC. 84 Shovels on the FX Community forum wrote "This reminds me of something I was pondering the other night after the finale... was wondering if SOA has made real 1% clubs have to put up with more people approaching them, as if they're nice-guy-celebs. Reminded me of some years back when I was biking up Yosemite way with a group of friends. We pulled into a station to gas up, and a minute later a group of HA pulled in to do the same. I glanced up and went back about my business, having no particular affinity for 1%ers, and knowing they certainly had no af...

Wikileaks Insurance File - Julian Assange apparently has a back-up plan if WikiLeaks gets taken down. The secretive Australian who has been in hiding to avoid rape charges in Sweden, as well as any shadowy assassins who may want to rub him out, had a massive "doomsday file" posted online which may contain all of the leaked documents in unredacted form. A file named insurance.aes256, which was posted in July, is more than a gigabyte in size and encrypted with a 256-digit key, according to Fox News. "Julian's a smart guy and this is an interesting tactic," said Ben Laurie, a London-based computer security expert who has advised WikiLeaks. "He will hope it deters anyone from acting against him." Assange spoke of the mystery file earlier this year, noting that it could be opened easily, if WikiLeaks revealed the password. "All we have to do is release the password to that material, and it is instantly available," he said. Meanwhile, ...

Dez Bryant Leg Injury - Already playing with a bruised back and a sprained left ankle, Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant suffered a right ankle injury on a fourth-quarter kick return against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Fox Network reported that Bryant fractured the ankle. Indianapolis' Kavell Conner held onto Bryant's leg while tackling him on a kickoff return. Bryant was taken directly to the locker room by the medical staff. He did not put any pressure on his right leg as he was carried off. Earlier, Bryant had a kickoff return to the Indianapolis 16-yard line called back because of a holding penalty. He had one catch for 14 yards after being held without a catch on Thanksgiving by New Orleans. Bryant's rookie season has been filled with dazzling plays and injuries. He missed five preseason games with a high right ankle sprain. He has also played through bruised ribs. Meanwhile, Cowboys slot cornerback Orlando Scandrick suffered a concussion and did not ...

Ben Bernanke On 60 Minutes - On the heels of a disappointing jobs report, the country's top economist told 60 Minutes the outlook isn't much brighter. "At the rate we're going, it could be four, five years before we are back to a more normal unemployment rate," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told 60 Minutes in an interview to air Sunday night, according to a transcript released by CBS. The 60 Minutes broadcast comes just a couple days after the government released a jobs report bringing two downbeat surprises: the economy added only 39,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate rose to 9.8%. Stubbornly high unemployment is one reason Bernanke is standing by the Fed's recent controversial decision to initiate a $600 billion bond-buying program, its second round of so-called quantitative easing or QE2. It is meant to stimulate the economy by keeping interest rates low and encouraging consumers to spend more and businesses to create jobs. Ben ...

New Profile Design For Facebook Users - In a whirlwind of a day, we learned that Mark Zuckerberg would be appearing on 60 Minutes tonight to chat about a Facebook Profile redesign, only to see said redesign roll out mere hours later. Now we’re wondering what you, the readers, think. Facebook has changed a lot this past year, what with the Open Graph, revamped messaging system and the addition of Places (to name a few alterations), so it should come as no surprise that the social networking site would give itself a touch-up as well. We know that everyone out there has strong opinions about Facebook’s new look — it’s like New Twitter all over again — and we want to know what you think. So take our poll below and elaborate in the comments. New Profile Design For Facebook Users

Kennedy Center Honors - The formal dinner that kicks off the annual Kennedy Center Honors could have been a one-of-a-kind jam session. Perhaps because rock legend Paul McCartney and country legend Merle Haggard were among the honorees, along with Broadway lyricist Jerry Herman, a record number of great voices and musicians were among the guests. Let's see: Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Itzhak Perlman, Renee Fleming, Jennifer Hudson, Harolyn Blackwell, Steven Tyler, Jessye Norman, Leon Fleisher, Denyce Graves, Joshua Bell, Terence Blanchard, Kris Kristofferson, Barbara Cook, Norah Jones, Kid Rock, Theodore Bikel, Matthew Morrison, and Gwen Stefani and No Doubt. And those Broadway babes: Carol Channing, Chita Rivera, Christine Baranski, Angela Lansbury, Karen Ziemba, and Florence Henderson, and actor Alec Baldwin did warbled his way through a concert version of "South Pacific." Kennedy Center Honors

Boris Johnson Cancels FIFA Stay - London Mayor Boris Johnson has reportedly withdrawn his offer to let FIFA executives stay at the London Dorchester for free during the 2012 Olympics in the capital. According to the BBC website, Johnson's snub to FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his team was provoked by the decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia ahead of England. The English bid was eliminated in the first round of Thursday's vote in Zurich and Johnson, who travelled to Switzerland in a bid to convince FIFA executives to vote for England, has responded to that blow by handing out the hotel ban. Free hotel rooms for VIP guests are handed out by Locog, the Olympic organising committee, and the BBC say Johnson is understood to have discussed the issue with Locog chairman Sebastian Coe. Johnson has yet to officially comment on the decision to cancel the free stay, but he had previously decribed the failed bid as a "big blow and tremendously disappointing". ...

Paul Wulff Will Return - Paul Wulff will return for his fourth year as head football coach at Washington State. Wulff and athletic director Bill Moos met Sunday afternoon and Wulff was told the news. In a round-about way. First the two talked about the Apple Cup, the good and bad elements of it. “Then we just talked about what we can continue to do to keep making us better,” Wulff said. “We didn’t talk long enough to go through all of it but we will continue to meet and talk, just to keep each other updated. “Basically, we talked about how supportive he is and we’re building and growing a program. That was really the extent of it.” There was speculation concerning Wulff’s status much of the season, as Moos, who took after WSU in the spring, continually stated it would be evaluated after the season ended. “President Floyd has said from the beginning that the decision on Paul Wulff’s future is mine,” Moos said in a release Sunday. “I appreciate his trust and know that his go...

McDowell Beats Tiger - U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell capped off his greatest year by putting together the greatest comeback ever against Tiger Woods in the Chevron World Challenge. Woods looked as though he would recover from losing a four-shot lead Sunday when he stuffed his approach to inside 3 feet on the 18th hole, but McDowell knocked in a 20-foot birdie putt that forced a playoff. On the first extra hole, McDowell again made a birdie putt from 20 feet. This time, Woods couldn't match him. His 15-foot birdie putt slid by on the right, and Woods ended a calendar year without winning. Woods had never lost a tournament as a pro when leading by at least three shots going into the final round. It was the first playoff in the 12-year history of the Chevron World Challenge. Replaying the 18th hole, McDowell earned another birdie while Woods had to settle for a par. McDowell shot a 3-under 69 in the final round and finished at 16 under. The win gave McDowell his fourt...

Thousand Oaks California 2010 - Tiger Woods' hopes for winning his first tournament this year took a huge blow at the 13th hole Sunday when he made a double-bogey seven and dropped two shots behind Graeme McDowell in the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks. Woods started the round with a four-shot lead at 17 under par but made bogeys on two of the first three holes while McDowell made three birdies on the front nine. Then, on the par-five 13th -- with Woods clinging to a one-shot lead -- Woods' game fell apart as a light rain began falling. His third shot landed in the deep rough left of the green, and his pitch went past the pin and off the green again. He chipped back on and two putted, with the last putt lipping out of the cup. McDowell, meanwhile, reached the 13th green in two shots and the U.S. Open champion two-putted for a birdie to go 17 under par for the tournament with five holes to play. Woods had led after each of the first three rounds, and he has n...

Music City Bowl 2010 - North Carolina will play Tennessee in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, in Nashville (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). It is the first meeting between the schools since 1961. “I congratulate our team, and especially the 17 seniors, for the extraordinary job they’ve done in leading our program to a third consecutive bowl appearance,” coach Butch Davis said in a prepared statement. “Regardless of the situation, this team fought week after week to make our fans proud. We look forward to representing North Carolina against a talented Tennessee team.” Carolina (7-5, 4-4 ACC) is in a bowl game for the third straight season, the school’s longest streak since going to seven straight bowl games from 1992-98. The Music City Bowl is Carolina’s 28th all-time postseason bowl game, but first in Nashville, which is hosting its 13th bowl game. Carolina and Tennessee will be meeting for the 32nd time, and first since a 22-21 UNC win in 1961. The Volunteers lea...

Chick Fil A Bowl 2010 - South Carolina is coming back to Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl. One day after being routed by top-ranked Auburn in the Southeastern Conference championship game, the Gamecocks accepted an invitation Sunday to face Florida State in the New Year's Eve bowl at the Georgia Dome. The 19th-ranked Gamecocks were passed over by two Florida bowls, the Capital One and the Outback, after their 56-17 loss to Auburn. That left the Chick-fil-A Bowl with a matchup of teams that lost in their respective conference championship games. Officials with the Atlanta game had already announced they would take the loser of the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. No. 23 Florida State (9-4) was defeated by Virginia Tech 44-33. Chick Fil A Bowl 2010

FDA Warning On Invisalign - The FDA issues an Invisalign warning, and the company Align Technology Inc. is working to resolve issues that Food and Drug Administration has found. Invisalighn is a popular teeth straightener that is marketed as an alternative to metal braces especially for adults who need braces. The FDA Invisalign warning says that Align Technology did not report information about the side effects that patients can have when using the product. Although the company received the FDA warning this summer, they just announced that they received it a few weeks ago. According to the FDA, the company did not report serious side effects of Invisalign, and that is required by law. The allergic reactions that Invisalign patients complain of are swollen lips and mouth ulcers, which have to be quite painful to deal with. Plus, it would make it very difficult to continue suing the Invisalign straightening trays. The company is working to resolve the issues listed in the FDA Inv...

British Independent Film Awards 2010 - On paper, it sounds less than thrilling – one man, one stammer, one speech therapist. But big things are being predicted for The King's Speech and its expected awards season success began last night when it won the top prize at the British independent film awards. The film, telling the true story of George VI's battle to overcome his chronic stammer and make the speech of his life, was named best film at the 13th Bifas. It won the biggest share of prizes – five awards in total at the London ceremony, also hoovering up most of the acting honours. Colin Firth won best actor for his moving performance as the reluctant king who was forced on to the throne by his brother's abdication in December 1936 – a portrayal that is also putting him on most Oscar tip-lists. Helena Bonham Carter was named best supporting actress for her role as Elizabeth – before she became the Queen Mother – while Geoffrey Rush won best supporting actor for h...

Firebreather Movie The First CGI Movie - Firebreather premiered on Cartoon Network last night, Nov. 24, the channel's first original computer-generated imagery (CGI) movie, based on the comic book series by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn. The story is about Duncan, a troubled teenager—with scaly orange skin and a taste for coal. Turns out Duncan is half Kaiju, an ancient race of dragons exiled to live underground since a war with humans 16 years ago when Duncan was born. Duncan’s fire-breathing father, King Belloc, wants to be reunited with his son, who he believes is destined to lead the next war against the humans. Meanwhile, his mother, the human who saved mankind from the Kaiju during the last war, wants Duncan to be normal and do his homework. Tough choice! Director of Firebreather Peter Chung has worked on 2D animation for almost 30 years, including the Aeon Flux series. He discussed the 3D movie in an interview yesterday with the Los Angeles Times. Firebreather Movie T...

Chevron World Challenge Leaderboard - Tiger Woods is currently making a blinding return to form in the Chevron World Challenge taking place at the Sherwood Country Club in California. He retained his advantage from Round 2 with a third Round score of 68, four-under-par, managing 2 birdies over the last 3 holes. The final round will begin later today (Sunday) and with Woods currently on -17 (total after 3 rounds), four shots ahead of Graeme McDowell in second position on the leaderboard, Woods is looking set to take a tournament victory for the first time this year, according to Sky Sports. The first 3 on the leaderboard after Round 3 going into the final round today are as follows – 1 Tiger Woods Round 3 score 68 Total 199 Total under par -17 2 Graeme McDowell Round 3 score 68 Total 203 Total under par -13 3 Paul Casey Round 3 score 69 Total 207 Total under par – 9 You can see the complete leaderboard information after round 3 at the pgatour website here. It certainly looks a...

Adrian Gonzalez Trade Stopped - When SI.com’s Jon Heyman first reported that the trade designed to send Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox was killed by a contract dispute, my reaction was: “Wow, that’s crazy.” But it’s not crazy. Not at all. In fact, both sides were right to balk. Adrian Gonzalez hit .298/.393/.511 this past season with 31 home runs and 101 RBI while playing solid defense at the first base position. He’s 28 years old, talented as any first baseman in the league not named Pujols and looking to cash in on his impending free agency. So when the Red Sox made a mandate Saturday that Gonzalez sign a long-term contract extension before finalizing the blockbuster five-player trade, he asked for a deal similar to the eight-year, $180 million behemoth that Mark Teixeira signed in December of 2008 with the Yankees. Remember, the Red Sox helped drive up that Teixeira contract. But they’re not wrong for choosing to not pay it now. Gonzalez will be a free agent next win...

Champs Sports Bowl 2010 - As recently as two months ago -- and certainly before the season began -- a potential invitation to the Champs Sports Bowl at season's end would have been looked upon as a disappointment for West Virginia's football team. The hopes and expectations were much higher. But on Sunday that's exactly the postseason ticket that was punched for the Mountaineers. The No. 22 Mountaineers (9-3), foiled originally by their own mistakes earlier this season and finally by Connecticut on Saturday night, have been given the Big East's consolation prize. They will likely face unranked North Carolina State (8-4) in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, which this season replaces the Gator Bowl as the Big East's top non-BCS destination. The official announcement was not due until later Sunday, but when the Sun Bowl announced that it was pairing Notre Dame with Miami, it was obvious that Florida Citrus Sports, which runs the Champs Sports Bowl, had passe...

Alamo Bowl 2010 - The Washington Huskies and Arizona Wildcats are both awaiting a decision from the Alamo Bowl, leaving each team’s post-season future up in the air. Whichever team the Alamo Bowl leaves behind will head to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl. Once the Alamo’s decision has been made, the dominoes will begin to fall. With only four Pac-10 teams bowl-eligible, and two going to BCS bowls, the bowl picture is simple for the Pac-10. Oregon will play for the national championship, Stanford will head to whichever BCS Bowl selects them as an at-large and the two other teams — Washington and Arizona — will head to the Alamo or Holiday Bowl. What’s the difference between the two. Both are prestigious bowls — with the Alamo Bowl the top Pac-10 tie-in, followed closely by the Holiday Bowl. In the Alamo Bowl, whichever Pac-10 team is chosen will square-off against the No. 3 team in the Big 12, likely Oklahoma State. In the Holiday Bowl, it’s another Big 12 team, this time the No. 5 ...

Meineke Car Care Bowl 2010 - The University of South Florida's bowl destination has been confirmed. The Bulls have accepted a bid to play in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, where they will face Clemson in a Big East vs. Atlantic Coast Conference clash on Dec. 31 in Charlotte. USF completed a 7-5 regular season, the program's first under Coach Skip Holtz, with Saturday night's loss to Connecticut. Clemson finished its regular season at 6-6. This will be the first meeting between the Bulls and Tigers. This will be USF's second trip to the Meineke Car Care Bowl, which also served as the first bowl appearance in Bulls program history in 2005. USF lost to N.C. State in that game, 14-0. The Meineke Car Care Bowl is set for a noon kickoff from Bank of America Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN. Meineke Car Care Bowl 2010

Gator Bowl 2010 - A source with knowledge of the situation told The Detroit News on Sunday night that Michigan (7-5) will face No. 21 Mississippi State (8-4) in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. Most of the projections, even as late as Sunday afternoon, had Michigan playing Florida (6-6) in the Gator. But the Gator Bowl committee made a "last-minute decision," according to the source. This will be the first bowl game for Michigan under coach Rich Rodriguez, who is completing his third season as head coach. The Wolverines last made a bowl in January 2007, when they defeated Florida, 41-35, in the Capital One Bowl in Lloyd Carr's last game as Michigan coach. Mississippi State is a run-oriented offense and is ranked 16th nationally, averaging 215.8 yards a game. Vick Ballard is the team's leading rusher, averaging 81.1 yards. Defensively, the Bulldogs are ranked 20th in rushing defense (121.67 yards) and 53rd in total defense. Michigan has built huge offensive ...

Dwayne Bowe Underperforms - In perhaps Dwayne Bowe’s most forgettable game of the season, the Chiefs perhaps saw Sunday how valuable the fourth-year wide receiver is to their offense. Bowe had zero catches against Denver, and Kansas City’s offense struggled. There’s a correlation there, the same as there is when running back Jamaal Charles has an unproductive contest, rare as those have been. The Chiefs need Bowe – and quarterback Matt Cassel, for that matter – to be in top form each week, and they’ll need both of them at their best next week at San Diego. Speaking of that game… The Chiefs didn’t have an especially passionate performance against a struggling Broncos team, and that’ll have to change next week against the Chargers. There are four games left in the regular season, but there’s no doubt that next week’s contest will have a major impact on the AFC West race. The Chiefs remain in control of their own destiny, but they’ll need a far better showing next week than they had ...

Insight Bowl 2010 - The Insight Bowl typically matches a mid-tier Big 12 team against a mid-tier Big Ten team. This year, that might mean Nebraska — fourth in line in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, Missouri, and Oklahoma State — hooks up with Iowa — a distant fourth at best after Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan State — get to duel in the desert. It would be a neat game between two proud programs that rarely get to link up, and a preview of future Big Ten games. Nebraska will be in Iowa's division when the Big Ten moves to a division format in 2011, and that means this game will go from a rare treat this season to a yearly occurrence next year. This may not be quite what Iowa's fan community at Black Heart Gold Pants wanted from this year's bowl, but it's not a terrible game, despite featuring two teams that faded badly down the stretch. If Taylor Martinez can get healthy for this one, and Iowa's defense can work out the kinks that plagued it against Northweste...

Sun Bowl 2010 - But the Miami Hurricanes (7-5) will be taking on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5) for the first time in 20 years when the teams meet New Year's Eve in the 77th annual Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. "This is one of those situations where the history speaks for itself," UM interim head coach Jeff Stoutland said in a statement released by the school. "We have two great programs that have a rich football tradition and we are playing in the second-oldest bowl on national television." UM, still searching for a head coach after Randy Shannon was fired hours after a season-ending loss to South Florida on Nov. 27, enjoyed a spirited rivalry with Notre Dame in the 1980s when both teams were in the national title hunt. The Canes played the Irish 19 times from 1971 to 1990 -the last few meetings among the most memorable in college football history. In 1987, the Canes shut out Notre Dame 24-0 in the Orange Bowl in late November then went on to i...

Facebook Cartoon Profile Pic, Fight Child Abuse - If you logged onto Facebook recently you may have noticed that a bunch of your friends have changed their profile pictures to cartoon characters. Here's why: the Campaign to End Violence Against Children is asking users to change their profile pictures to their favorite childhood cartoon to raise awareness about "Worldwide Violence Against Children and Child Abuse." To ensure that your friends get the message, the cause also asks that users post this status--or something like it--along with the change: Change your FB Profile Picture to a Cartoon from your childhood. The goal is to not see a human face on FB till Monday December 6th. Support the fight against child abuse by copying and pasting this as your status and joining this group to support this sometimes over looked cause! Invite friends to join and do the same. Will the bevy of childhood memories flooding your newsfeed affect any real change? Malcolm Gladwell...

Hard Drive Diagnostic - Hard Drive Diagnostic is a malicious malware application that disguises itself as a system optimization tool. Hard Drive Diagnostic will tell you that you it has detected critical errors on your pc. It will tell you that they can only be removed if you purchase a license for the Hard Drive Diagnostic application. The kind of critical errors it will inform you about are usually hard drive errors is random access memory issues. however, it may come up with quite a few other problems for you. Here are a few of the messages you may receive while running the application; Windows can’t find hard disk space. Hard drive error Windows was unable to save all the data for the file \System32\496A8300. The data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware. Bad Sectors on hard drive or damaged file allocation table – Critical Error Hard drive does not respond to system commands – Critical Error Requested registry access is not allowe...

Unabomber's Property Sale - The Montana property once owned by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski is on the market. Located in Lincoln, Montana, this plot of land is where the Unabomber dropped off the grid in the 1970s to pursue a life of survivalism and anarchy. John Pistelak Realty, which listed the parcel, describes it as “obviously very secluded.” The 1.4 acre property is where Kaczynski was captured in 1996. Thankfully, he won't be able to enjoy the land ever again (he's serving a life sentence with no parole), but that shouldn't mean someone can't enjoy it, right? As is, the new owner will have to lead the same disconnected lifestyle that Kaczynski had, giving a hearty "neener-neener" to our industrialized society. Or, the listing mentions, you can indeed plug into the grid and have flowing water and power. Modern luxuries just make life easier, NewsFeed thinks. The one conspicuous piece missing from the land is Kaczynski's hand-built cabin, which i...

California International Marathon 2010 - In a stunning wire-to-wire upset, Canadian Dylan Wykes won the 28th California International Marathon on Sunday. Overlooked by his opposition, the 27-year-old runner from Vancouver led virtually the entire 26.2-mile course from Folsom to the state Capitol to finish in 2:12:39, 11 seconds ahead of Audriy Toptun of the Ukraine. Tesfaye Alemayehu of Ethiopia was third, more than a minute behind the top two at 2:13.59. "I just put my head down and kept going," Wykes said shortly after crossing the finish line at 9th Street and Capitol Mall. "The course was unbelievable. The weather was great. I just had to stay within myself. I just stayed focused." This was only Wykes' fourth marathon - his first in Sacramento and his first victory. His previous personal record was 2:15:15. "They didn't expect anything of me," said Wykes, who led by more than 300 yards through most of the race. "But this was exact...

Las Vegas Marathon 2010 - Josh Cox won the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on Sunday and Dorota Gruca took the women's race on her 40th birthday. Cox, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., completed the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 5 seconds to earn his first Las Vegas title. Steve Dekorker of Seattle was second in 2:31:19. "The game plan was to get the ball rolling on the back half," Cox said. "I kept the horses in the barn during the first half. I was taking it one mile at a time. I was trying to keep (my pace) under control." Cox took the lead for good with 3.7 miles to go, passing third-place finisher Stalin Barros of Ecuador, who crossed in 2:31:52. "When you make your move, you want to make it definitively — to make it so it hurts the other runner mentality," said Cox, who is training in Arizona to set the 50-kilometer record. Gruca, a native of Poland who has lived in New Mexico for 12 years, finished in 2:44:31 after taking t...

Brett Favre Still Starting QB - Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said Sunday that he would retain Brett Favre as his starting QB if the veteran is healthy enough to play next Sunday. Favre was knocked out of Sunday's 38-14 win against the Buffalo Bills with a shoulder injury. Backup Tarvaris Jackson led the Vikings to the win by going 15-for-22 for 187 yards with two TD passes and three INTs. After the game, Frazier said there would be no quarterback controversy. "Brett Favre is our quarterback," Frazier said. Favre said his throwing shoulder was sprained, that X-rays were negative and that he expected to have an MRI on Monday. But he held off predicting whether he'd be able to play next week against the New York Giants. After he was injured and returned from a brief foray into the locker room, Favre said he asked himself, "'Can I be effective?' "And the answer was no in my mind," he said. "That's saying a lot for me....

Jason Werth Signs With Nationals - The Nationals have signed free agent outfielder Jayson Werth, according to a source, robbing the division rival Philadelphia Phillies of one of their best players and making stunning improvement to their immediate chances at contention. Werth, a client of Scott Boras, had been reportedly pursued by the Boston Red Sox, among other teams, agreed to a seven-year deal. The Nationals will make it official with an announcement at 5 p.m. tonight. Werth batted .296/.388/.532 with 27 home runs last season. We'll have much, much more later on this news, which kicks off the winter meetings in Orlando. Jason Werth Signs With Nationals

Angelica Panganiban Tonsil Problems - Due to her heart problem, young actress Angelica Panganiban has been advised to undergo tonsillectomy. “It's something [like a] clog. I don't know what it is exactly pero link 'yon sa tonsil niya. Ina-advise nga sa kanya na tanggalin ang tonsil niya," Derek Ramsay, Angelica’s long-time boyfriend, confirmed in a recent interview with ABS-CBN. Angelica told “The Buzz” in an interview last year that she was planning to undergo the surgery of having her tonsils removed, which is said to precede a heart operation. “Natatakot din po ako, syempre, kasi sa age ko may heart ng issue na pinag-uusapan. Hindi pa rin kasi ganun ka-advisable na magpa-opera ako dun sa heart ko so gusto nilang unahin ‘yung tonsils ko,” she was quoted as saying. The actor is trying to convince Angelica to push through with the operation, the same way she and his family prevailed over him with his knee surgery in February. "So, ikaw kailangan mo ng g...

Julian Assange Is A Wanted Man - Regardless of your view of the WikiLeaks data dumps, the latest tranche raises a new question: what exactly does Julian Assange want? The previous two releases of data on Afghanistan and Iraq fitted the profile of a man holding the US to account for the unexposed consequences of its actions in war. The indiscriminate release of more than 250,000 diplomatic cables interrupts that narrative. It has no target, and no theme. The cables themselves are a mixture of serious reports and needlessly catty gossip. Where is the public interest in reporting that Kim Jong-Il is looking "flabby"? Jon Stewart went as far as to posit that the cables had been penned by celebrity gossip-monger Perez Hilton. Suggestions, however, that Assange did this without clear purpose are foolish. The man is now on Interpol's most wanted list, under arrest notice for alleged sexual offences, and is facing official calls for extradition, with unofficial calls for m...

Wetten Dass Accident Stops Show - A performer using power stilts stumbled and injured himself in front of millions of viewers Saturday in three European nations, forcing the live TV variety show to be called off. The accident marred Wetten, dass...? (I'll bet that...), the most popular Saturday night show in the German-speaking part of Europe. The family-oriented show, a German television staple for decades, features members of the public who offer to perform unlikely feats of skill for a panel of celebrities who must predict whether the feat will succeed and submit to a humorous penalty if they guess wrong. Samuel, 23, had offered to leap over five oncoming cars in the studio with spring-powered stilts, which enable him to jump like a kangaroo. His first jump succeeded, he balked at the second and he failed to clear the third car, crashing on his face and lying prone. The cameras swung away, showing only the dismayed studio audience in the western German city of Dusseldor...

Jonathan Brookins Is The Ultimate Fighter - Jonathan Brookins nearly saw the biggest opportunity of his life turn into his worst nightmare. Thankfully for the lightweight, he realized the face-to-fist defense he was executing in the 1stRound against Michael Johnson in the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter 12″ wasn’t gonna cut it. Brookins took a unanimous decision win over his fellow TUF 12 teammate, despite eating countless shots to the dome in the opening round. Johnson appeared well on his way to pulling off the upset, but Brookins bounced back to convincingly outwrestle Johnson in the final two stanzas. “I was stunned,” Brookins said of the opening five minutes. “Typical Michael Johnson, just beating up on people.” Brookins showed exceptional submission skills on the reality show, and it was clear that the canvas was where he’d capture the six-figure UFC contract on Saturday. Although he swept the 155-pound tournament, the up-and-comer’s standup game leaves a lot to be desir...

Ultimate Fighter Finale - In mixed martial arts action, on Saturday night, lightweight Jonathan Brookins took home the championship title during the Ultimate Fighter Finale. This makred the end of season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter" series. The 25-year-old Brookins (13-3) scored a win by 29-28, 29-28, 29-27 via the judges' scorecards. In the first round at the Palms Casino Resort, it was all Johnson, who was a 2-1 underdog in many analyst accounts. Brookins was caught with a fist as he moved forward diring the first round and Johnson annihilated him on the mat. Brookins never truly recovered and Johnson hurt him badly with repeated strikes and elbows. Ultimate Fighter Finale

Fiesta Bowl 2010 - No, that isn't official but its a lock. Oklahoma will face off against the Connecticut Huskies in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day. Its a decision that just comes down to dollar, viewers (which equals more dollars) and common sense. Because the Fiesta Bowl is host site for this season's BCS championship game they're going to have last pick on the at large teams. The Sugar and Rose Bowls are going to take TCU and Arkansas in any order (my bet is that the Hogs wind up in New Orleans) which will leave the Orange Bowl to chose between Stanford and UConn. Let's see here, the Cardinal were ranked 4th in last week's BCS standings and have an 11-1 record. The UConn Huskies weren't ranked at all in last week's BCS standings and weren't found in any of the polls either. If you're the Orange Bowl committee its a no brainer! You take Stanford and build a match-up between the second best team in the Pac 10 and the ACC Champion. That ...

School Gyrls Special - In “A Very School Gyrls Holla-Day” (Nickelodeon, Saturday), the stars of Nick Cannon’s “School Gyrls” featurette return, narrating as their future aged selves a spaghetti-strap-thin tale of being trapped in a mall overnight it’s just connecting tissue, really, between some new and old holiday songs in modern modes and makes no particular sense, but it’s loose and likable. The story-to-song ratio is much higher in “Big Time Christmas” (Nickelodeon, Saturday) an hourlong expansion of “Big Time Rush,” Scott Fellows’ exuberant boy-band-as-Monkees-as-Looney-Tunes Nickelodeon series, that finds its stars trying to get home to Minnesota. Guests include Miranda Cosgrove, from “iCarly,” and the bizarrely wholesome Snoop Dogg, who helps the boys cut a new version of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Tragedy briefly strikes when they are told, “Justin Bieber just released ’50 Days of Christmas’ with 50 Cent. It’s over eight hours long, and it’s a masterpiece.” School Gyrls i...

Robert Deniro, Diddy Dirty Money - Robert DeNiro is in the house, y’all, along with Diddy-Dirty Money. Just as God always intended. Will there be more references to the “Godfather” trilogy or the “Fockers” trilogy tonight? Will Bill Hader bust out his Al Pacino impression so we can finally witness “Heat II: Electric Boogaloo”? Will tonight’s episode be on the same level of quality as “Goodfellas” or “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle”? So many questions, I know! Only one way to answer them: via a sketch-by-sketch recap. That’s just how we do what we do round here. Onto the show, after the break... “Cold Open”: I guess Jay Pharaoh will be President Obama when he grabs the impression from Fred Armisen’s cold, dead hands. Luckily, this isn’t an Obama sketch but one about Julian Assange, aka Mr. Wikileaks himself. “Wikileaks: TMZ” isn’t the most original way to take this scandal to the potentially unaware public, but poll “Wikileaks” versus “TMZ” and you’ll understand why they we...