Groklaw Summarizes the Lori Drew Verdict
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
Bootsy Collins writes "Last Wednesday, the Lori Drew 'cyberbullying' case ended in three misdemeanor convictions under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a 1986 US Federal law intended to address illegally accessing computer systems. The interpretation of the act by the Court to cover violations of website terms of service, a circumstance obviously not considered in the law's formulation and passage, may have profound effects on the intersection of the Internet and US law. Referring to an amicus curiae brief filed by online rights organizations and law professors, PJ at Groklaw breaks down the implications of the decision to support her assertion that 'unless this case is overturned, it is time to get off the Internet completely, because it will have become too risky to use a computer.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
DIY Wrapping Paper Saves Money and Personalizes Your Gifts [DIY]
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
Unless you had the foresight to stockpile wrapping paper after Christmas last year, you're looking at buying a lot of over priced paper this holiday season. At the business blog Strategize they came up with a cheap solution for wrapping tons of gifts without breaking the bank.
[We used the] basic brown shipping paper that you can purchase in any office supply or paper store. We wound up buying a pretty large roll of it in a 50 weight, but the entire roll was less than $50. The logo is applied with a self-inking rubber stamp that cost us around $25 and was produced in 24 hours by OfficeMax.
$75 for wrapping gifts might seem steep, but they wrapped around 150 gifts with those basic supplies putting their cost per gift wrapped at around fifty cents. They used their company logo as the adornment on the spartan paper, but you can easily substitute your own variety of craft store stamps or markers to the same effect. In an effort to recycle even more this year, I saved the enormous roll of art paper my toddler has been working her way through to be used as colorful wrapping paper. Should I run out, I'll set her to work with more crayons and restock. While you have gift wrapping on the brain, set up a gift wrapping station to speed up your holiday preparations. For other wrapping ideas check out how to Make Your Own Gift Wrap and how to Turn Catalogs Into Gift Wrap. Have you own creative way of wrapping gifts? Share in the comments below.
Atari 2600 stuffed into Game Gear, Sega Nomad seen casting envious glances
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
[Via technabob]
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
Atari 2600 stuffed into Game Gear, Sega Nomad seen casting envious glances originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsCartoon: Talking Web
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
The word on the street this month is speech. (Which makes it the spoken word on the street.) Speech-based iPhone apps are just a throat-clearing for the stream of oratory that IBM says we can expect from computer users within the next five years.
It may finally be time I did something about that compulsive swearing issue, unless I want some seriously skewed search results. But that may only be the beginning.
Sponsor
Just as a lot of us have sore arms, shoulders and necks from using mice and keyboards, we may find unexpected consequences from training our voices to use precise diction, simple sentences and clear directives. For instance, we may all end up sounding like voice-mail systems in real life. ("Darling, will you marry me?" "It sounds like you're asking me to marry you. I can help you with that.")
My biggest fear, though, is that we'll lose something far more precious than the nuance and subtlety of the human voice - and that's the ability to yell at a recalcitrant device with impunity. There's profound satisfaction in telling your computer to go screw itself, without worrying that it might attempt to comply with the instruction.
Recourse For Poor Customer Service?
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
eleventypie writes "I am in the Army and currently stationed in Afghanistan. Recently I found myself without a laptop so I decided to build a studio 17 from Dell. I designed/customized my laptop on 2008-09-17 and placed my order, which totaled approximately $1,700. The laptop was built and apparently shipped on 2008-09-28. Given my APO address, I know mail can sometimes take a little while to get here, though 7-10 days is normal. Dell said to give my laptop 6-8 business days and occasionally, it might take as much as 4-6 weeks. So on 2008-11-12 I sent another email to Dell informing them I still had not received my laptop. One person said to give it more time, while another person responded to my message telling me to send my address again and they would send me a replacement. So I sent my address immediately and never got a response. It is now the 30th of November and I still have no laptop and Dell seems to have quit responding to my emails. This is very frustrating being out $1,700 and not having a laptop to talk to my friends and family and do school work. Phone calls aren't easy so calling them is pretty much out of the question. Any advice on what I can or should do at this point to get the computer I ordered or get my money back?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
HOW TO: Vote for the Best How To Site
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
This article is part of the Open Web Awards, an open, international contest for the best websites and services.
It’s pretty simple, really. If you’d like to cast your vote for the best How To site online, simply:
1. Choose your favorite from the nominees below
2. Select that site in the widget’s dropdown menu
3. Enter your email address
4. Click Vote
5. We will send you a confirmation email. Be sure to click the link to verify your vote!
The How-To site with the most votes proceeds to the finals next week. Voting ends at midnight PST tonight. Good luck to all the nominees!
The Contenders
A Full Cup - offers how-tos for those seeking coupons and discounts.
Bright Hub - shares information about how scientific facts evolve into the latest technology.
Bukisa - lets you share your knowledge and then get paid when others access it
Church Media Design - offers tips and tricks for the church media designer in video podcast format.
College-Cram - social learning site that allows students to organize their schoolwork.
eHow - provides video and textual tutorials on hundreds of subject areas.
Howcast - offers professionally made and user generated how-to videos.
Makezine - features thousands of DIY projects for the hands-on enthusiast.
MyTechOpinion - provides product reviews, how-to articles, and technology-specific strategies for real estate professionals.
RepairPal - an in-depth how-to site for car maintenance and automotive repair.
WonderHowTo - a video how-to site.
VOTE NOW: One Vote Per Category Per Day
Now it’s time to vote for your favorite How-To site in the first of two voting rounds. You can vote for one company per day until midnight on November 30th (that’s today!).
Feel free to embed this widget on your own blog or website by clicking the “Grab This” button! For a timeline, rules and information on our 100 blog partners, please visit the Open Web Awards site.
Top Tip For Nominees
You got through? Congratulations! Did you know you can create a custom version of our voting widget above to post to your company blog or website? Just visit the Open Web Awards Widget Creator and check the box to preset a category or company. This means your fans only need to enter an email address to vote - simple!
Start Canvassing for YOUR Candidate!
Want others to vote for your favorite site? Of course you do! Why not leave a comment here and on any of our international partner blogs encouraging other readers to add their support? The more you promote your candidate across these blogs, the more likely it is for your site to proceed to the finals!
OWA Sponsors Love The Web
The Open Web Awards is made possible by our sponsors. By supporting the Open Web Awards, these companies reward and encourage innovative web technologies. We can’t thank them enough for sharing our passion: building great web companies.
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Prize Sponsor
“Infinite and Instant, Zazzle is the only on-demand retail platform for consumers and major brands, offering billions of retail quality, one-of-a-kind products, most of which are produced within 24 hours.”
DVD Identifier Gives You a Detailed Look at Your Discs [Featured Windows Download]
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
Windows only: Selecting blank media would seem to be a straight forward affair. You discover a certain brand works great for your purposes so you plan to buy more in the future. Simple! The label wrapped around the spindle of DVDs you just purchased doesn't tell the whole story however. While there are dozens and dozens of DVD brands, there are only a few actual manufacturers. If you're looking for that perfect burn and want to take another step towards becoming a blank-media connoisseur, DVD Identifier will help you dig beneath the labels and find more detailed information about your media. No need to waste burn time if you know the discs are low quality or won't be accepted by a finicky console or DVD player. For an interesting, albeit slightly dated, look at media quality and the varied labels of disc media check out the guide to high quality recordable DVDs. DVD Identifier is freeware, Windows only, and works on CD, DVD, HD DVD, and BLU-RAY media.
I Am In Mourning (or Robbing Hood: Pushing Daisies 2.7)
November 30, 2008 Category: The Disney Portal No Comments »
So, it’s true. Pushing Daisies has been canceled. Canceled. I’m so sad. And I guess the news sent me for a loop because I actually forgot to watch our favorite Pie show on Wednesday. What in the world? I mean, it may have had something to do with family from Mexico in town for Thanksgiving AND Christmas on Wednesday night. Or the big Turkey day on Thursday. Whatever the case, I have rectified the situation and am savoring every minute of my latest pie experience. (Plus, I highly doubt any of you were sitting around waiting for my recap on Thanksgiving morning. Right?)
Now, let’s hop right into it, shall we?
Of course, we get our theme for the evening from Young Ned. He becomes friends with a schoolmate and outcast, Eugene who has a pet python, Bilbo and a pet bunny, Akbar. (hee, hee) After a horrible accident, and the deaths of these two pets, Ned decides to use his gift to help his friend. He learns that an act of charity can outweigh the consequences of it’s actions.
Let’s see how this theme plays out…
First we have Ned (Oh, Ned. Ever afraid, sad, worried and brooding. How is Chuck, ever excited, happy and bubbling in love you?) stress baking in the kitchen. He is certain that Dwight Dixon (former bff of Charles Charles, Chuck’s dad) is going to find out that Chuck is dead…or well, that she’s alive. So, Olive heads off to Lily & Vivian’s house to gossip about Dwight (and do a little investigating while she’s there). And who beats her there? Well, Dwight, of course. He’s there to take Vivian out on the town.
The two new love birds are sitting on a park bench while Dwight serenades her with a clarinet (you know, the usual). Then, he asks her about Chuck. Vivian begins to cry that it’s her fault Chuck died. She shows Dwight Chuck’s obituary and Dwight recognizes her from The Pie Hole. (Notice the evil gleam in his eye!)
Dwight’s next stop is The Pie Hole where Olive is holding down the fort. Dwight leaves “a message” for Ned: Chuck’s obituary with obvious head shot included. Olive begins stress eating (at least 4 pies. Go Olive!).
Soon, Dwight heads back to the aunt’s house. This time for Lily and a heavy conversation that ends with Lily’s shotgun aimed at Dwight’s head. This conversation causes Lily to visit Chuck’s newly unearthed grave…and then Dwight’s hotel room which just happens to be FULL OF GUNS and Charles’ watch. Creeeeepy.
And as Chuck and Ned discuss Dwight and all his doings, they decide the best course of action is to WAKE Charles Charles and find out what Dwight’s intentions are. And this, my dear Pie Friends, is how our episode ends–with Ned and Chuck digging up her father’s grave. *shiver*
The End.
Oh wait. Yeah. There was this one little thing I forgot to mention—the murder investigation. To quote my favorite nanny, “If we must, we must.”
The facts are these…
Gustav Hopper, kabillionaire hires a modern day Robin Hood to steal his treasure…but only to test the faithfulness of his lovely (and mouthy) young wife.
Uhm…that’s really it in a nutshell. Do you want more? OK, ok…
Emerson takes the case because the Gustav is the inventor of the automatic yarn baller (uh, there may have been a better description than that…). And when our Pie Trio interviews poor Gustav (suspended in the chandalier that killed him) they discover why he was so rich–he was very bossy! He does all the talking and demands that his money-grubbing wife gets NONE of his money. He claims the bell man did it. And he mentions a second will in his safe at home.
While Emerson and Chuck interview the mouthy wife, Ned makes his way into the trophy room to find the will…and the trophies? Dead animals. *snicker* Ned finds an empty safe scribbled with the Latin phrase, “Orbis Pro Vox”. Which we soon discover is the slogan for “The Bell Men”…Robin Hood wannabes who ring bells a la The Salvation Army.
To catch this Robin Hood, they set up a sting at Lily & Vivian’s house (here we get to see Olive pretending to be a fabu wealthy wife with a pet pig). And we end with what we should have guessed at the beginning, Mouthy Wife and the Butler were in love lust. Gustav found out after he hired the Bell Man but before he could stop him. While trying to stop the Bell Man, a fight ensued and Gustav was accidentally killed when our Robbing Hood’s gun went off in the direction of his favorite chandelier.
And that really is the end.
Best Lines of the Night:
kinda-dead Gustaf to Chuck: “I like your moxy sassafrass!”
Emerson to himself: “Hello motive. Nice to see you again!”
Lily to Dwight, “You got your thumb on a big red button you do not want to push!’
In Conclusion:
We finally got an episode that propels the story and it doesn’t even matter because our precious Pie Hole is being canceled! *sob*
I can’t wait to see what Chuck & Ned discover in Charles Charles’ casket. I’m just guessing that it isn’t Charles. What do you think? (I don’t know what or who it might be, but another empty casket would just be fitting.)
Honestly, this episode wasn’t as amusing and colorful as usual. I only wrote down one Emerson zinger for goodness’ sakes. Of course, Gustav’s wife was quite funny. And Ned’s face when he walked into the trophy room…priceless!
Apparently we’ll be seeing all 13 of this season’s episodes. So, don’t cry too much, we’ll be together the rest of the season. And according to Pushing-Daisies.com, Bryan Fuller has pitched a comic book to DC comics and a big screen movie to finish out our story lines. Now wouldn’t that be great? Can I come to the premiere?
(I’ll be mourning Pushing Daisies at my blog ohamanda.com, feel free to come over. I’ll supply the tissues.)
(oh, and guess what I got? Olive’s Christmas album! Fa-la-la-la-la!)
Order Wall-E Today!
I Am In Mourning (or Robbing Hood: Pushing Daisies 2.7)
Declutter Your Home with the Suitcase Test [Clutter]
November 30, 2008 Category: Uncategorized No Comments »
A life cluttered with possessions is such a common state of affairs that George Carlin once based a well received comedy routine around the absurdity of the accumulation of material goods. Over at the financial blog The Simple Dollar, Trent decided to stare down his pile of goods through the belly of a suitcase. What if he needed to move on with his life with nothing more than a suitcase to haul his loot? What would make the cut? What if the suitcase became a perpetual litmus test?
If you carry it further, why not simply apply the “suitcase test” to every purchase that you make? If it’s not something that will fit in your “suitcase” - basic clothing, basic toiletries, cooking supplies, and a small number of splurge items - don’t buy it, or at least strongly consider not buying it.
After applying the suitcase test to the contents of his house, he and his wife went on to unload a considerable amount of their belongings with eBay sales and donations to Goodwill. What items would make the cut if you conducted your own suitcase test? If you think the suit case method a bit too extreme, start cutting down on your clutter by adopting the one in two out habit. Photo by Phineas H.
INGERSOLL MICKEY MOUSE DISNEY WATCH 1960’S VINTAGE (price: 200)
November 30, 2008 Category: Disney Watches No Comments »
 | US $200.00 End Date: Wednesday Dec-10-2008 12:44:27 PST Buy It Now for only: US $200.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
