There are about 15,000 plus auctions each day and this is the largest auction site of its kind. The limits are set in place to make sure that a few people do not take all of the goodies each month. The daily limit is 3 wins per user. QuiBids loves to make things fun for its users.
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Monday, March 28, 2011
QuiBids: Upping The Monthly Win Limit
There are about 15,000 plus auctions each day and this is the largest auction site of its kind. The limits are set in place to make sure that a few people do not take all of the goodies each month. The daily limit is 3 wins per user. QuiBids loves to make things fun for its users.
Frozen Four 2011: Dates, Times, What To Expect
This year, North Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota Duluth, and Notre Dame will square off in St. Paul, Minnesota. North Dakota was the only team to to enter the tournament as a one seed, and was the number two overall seed.
The semifinal games will be as follows:
No. 1 North Dakota vs. Michigan - 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD/ESPN3.com
Minnesota Duluth vs. Notre Dame - 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD/ESPN3.com
The National Championship game will take place Saturday, April 9 at 7 p.m. EST, and will be shown on ESPN HD/ESPN3.com.
The tournament has been very exciting so far. Last year's National Champions, third-seeded Boston College, fell to Colorado College in the first round. Number four seeded Miami (OH) also fell in the first round to New Hampshire.
Metro Business Calendar for March 28
"Income Distribution Planning: Emphasis on Principal Preservation and Liquidity," John Dragonas, personalized workshop, 4 p.m., MetLife Mid-Atlantic Financial Group, 6641 W. Broad St., Suite 404. Registration: John Dragonas, (804) 282-7522, ext. 125.
Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law Program at the University of Richmond, 4 p.m., Jepson Hall, Room 120. George DeMartino of the University of Denver will speak about the global economic crisis and the need for professional ethics among economists. Details: Brian H. Eckert, (804) 287-6659.
Professionals Referral Organization Women's Innsbrook Network, 4 p.m., Café Caturra Short Pump, 3332 Pump Road. Details: Ashley Stefanko, (804) 527-3902, ext. 51605, or ashley.stefanko@libertymutual.com.
Tuesday
Red Cross offers "Disaster Preparedness for Small Businesses" seminar, noon, Red Cross headquarters, 420 E. Cary St. Bring lunch. Registration: cderichmond@usa.redcross.org or (804) 343-2770.
"Retirement Planning and 401(k) Rollover Options," Merrill Lynch and William Kavanagh, noon, Eighth and Main Building, sixth floor. Registration: William Kavanagh, (804) 343-4226.
Synergy Business, noon, Bull & Bear Club, 901 E. Cary St., River Room, 21st floor. RSVP: Bill Rose, war9500@aol.com or info@synergyclub.biz.
"Retirement Plan Rollovers — Know Your Options," Bob Sullivan and Joe McVey with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, noon and 4 p.m., 600 E. Main St. Details: (804) 644-1104.
Women's Business Center at New Visions, New Ventures, "Get Started on the Path to Owning Your Own Business," noon, 701 E. Franklin St., Suite 712. Details: (804) 643-1081.
Virginia Credit Union, "First-Time Homebuyers" seminar, 6:30 p.m., 7500 Boulder View Drive in the Boulders Office Park. Registration: www.vacu.org/Learn/Seminars.aspx or (804) 323-6800.
Wednesday
Business Owners Institute, "Business Leaders Lunch Workshop," 11:30 a.m., Richmond Country Club, 12950 Patterson Ave. Cost: $13 for lunch. Pay at the door or register at www.businessownersinstitute.biz.
Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate, 10th annual Commercial Real Estate Awards, 5:30 p.m., Richmond Marriott, 500 E. Broad St. Cost: $75. To register: www.gracre.org.
Southeast High Speed Rail Association, 5:30 p.m., Colony Club, 10 E. Franklin St. Topic: "The Conservative Case for Intercity and Higher Speed Rail." Cost: $25 per person. Registration/details: www.SoutheastHSR.org/Speaker or (804) 864-5193.
Jepson School of Leadership Studies, 7:30 p.m., University of Richmond's Modlin Center for the Arts. Speaker: Ali Velshi of CNN. Topic: "Where in the World are We Going?" Reservations: (804) 289-8980.
Thursday
"Educational Session on Long-Term Care Insurance," 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Mid-Atlantic General Agency, 3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 400. RSVP: Tara Martin, (804) 288-8800.
"Retirement Plan Rollovers — Know Your Options," Bob Sullivan and Joe McVey with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, noon and 4 p.m., 600 E. Main St. Details: (804) 644-1104.
804UM (eight-oh-forum), 12:30 p.m., Omni Richmond Hotel, 100 S. 12th St. Keynote speaker: Andy Stefanovich of Prophet. Topic: "Provocative Questions and Bold Statements." Cost: $75. Registration: (804) 783-9304.
Commonwealth Financial Services workshop, 4 p.m., The Commonwealth Building, 7301 Forest Ave., second floor conference room. Speaker: Joe Schott. Topic: "Retirement Planning: Work Because You Want to Work, Not Because You Have to Work." Reservations: (804) 673-8910 or commonwealthfinancialservices@verizon.net.
"Roll It, Take It, Leave It: Know Your Employer Retirement Plan Options," by Lee Carroll of Edward Jones, 5:30 p.m., 15516 Westchester Commons Way. Reservations: (804) 897-1127.
Friday
Virginia Society of Association Executives meeting, Wyndham Virginia Crossings, 1000 Virginia Center Parkway. Seminar, 8:30 a.m.; reception, 11 a.m.; and luncheon, 11:45 a.m. Presenter: Doug Moran of If You Will Lead. Topic: "Succession Planning: Not What to Do But HOW to Do It Successfully!" Registration fees: $70 for seminar, $30 for lunch before noon Wednesday; $80 and $35 after that. Registration/details: (804) 747-4971 or www.vsae.org, click on Events.
Deborah Jackson
Mega Millions winners could come forward as soon as Monday
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Rose McGowan stops by a swinging 'Law & Order: SVU'
Rex Ryan Compares Himself to Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth
Ryan continued, saying that there's no reason he shouldn't talk up his team: “Babe Ruth had to walk up there by himself. But if everything was up to me and that we were going to win I’d hit one out, I believe myself I’m going to hit it out. More importantly, I believe in everybody—our players, our coaches, the fan base we have established here, everybody in the organization." When asked if these constant proclamations were getting a bit stale, he asked, "How am I crying wolf? We built a perennial winner. Now we've just got to find a way to get it done. All I want is to win two more games." However, if the lockout continues, that's just more time Ryan can devote to his acting career.
Bidari tries Al Capone route against bookies
In his letter, Bidari has named 10 top bookies, including the notorious Narahari and Fighter Ravi, who were arrested recently, and has asked the I-T department to come down hard on these offenders.
Bidari claims each of the 10 bookies named in the list owns property and other assets amounting to at least Rs 5 crore. Police claim the money for these investments came from their illegal betting business. Securing convictions for tax fraud is, perhaps, the easier way out, but Bidari can hardly be faulted for taking this route.
The laws against betting are weak at best -- the maximum sentence is a fine of Rs 500 and imprisonment for six months.
Over the last few weeks, Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths had arrested several bookies including Shibhu, Benaka, Soni, Mangi Lal, Harish and Akki Pete Babu.
Police had seized cash and other material such as laptops and mobile phones, found in their possession. Police had also busted another betting racket involving four brothers and had seized Rs 2.79 lakh in cash, a car, a two-wheeler, laptops and 20 mobile phones from them.
But much to their chagrin, many of the bookies obtained bail within a day. CCB sleuths say they are still investigating leads and claim that they have enough evidence to prove that the property which these bookies possess was bought with money obtained from their illegal betting business.
Alok Kumar, joint commissioner (crime), said: “Our investigations reveal that these bookies had bought a lot of property with money obtained through their illegal business. So we prepared a list of bookies and our police commissioner sent it to the income tax department, asking officials there to probe these properties and investments and take action.”
In his letter, Bidari has included details of the properties owned by these top bookies and also details pertaining to
benami properties and other investments made by them in different fields.
Several of the bookies also had links with others across the country, police claim.
Lord Of The Flies
All of the boys that are in this book are under 13. They have to come to some sort of government between the kids and the strong boys take over. The plan for the boys in the Lord of The Flies is to keep the fire burning bright enough so another ship can come and get them. Sadly enough they are scared into believing there is a monster on the island.
After reading a brief part of this book I came to the conclusion that this would not be something that my children would be reading. There was a little bit too much horror even for myself. If you are into that kind of thing the story is written quite well. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding.
Kelly Osbourne gets new wife for pet dog
The 26-year-old, who posted a picture of her new puppy on her Twitter page, said: 'I got a new dog last week and I'm so excited! She's a Pomeranian like Sid and looks like a mini version of him.
“She's only 10 weeks old and weighs less than a pound – how tiny is that? So far I've called her Noodles-For-Now because I might change it if I find a better name.
'I want her to be Sid's new wife, but he actually seems a bit scared of her – she playfully nipped him and he didn't know what to do!'
The former Dancing With The Stars contestant is even hoping the two dogs will eventually have puppies together.
Writing in her column for UK magazine Closer, she said: 'I'm hoping they'll have puppies – if they do, I probably couldn't bear to give any of them away.'
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Netflix shares climb after Credit Suisse upgrade
THE SPARK: Analyst John Blackledge upgraded Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix to "Outperform" from "Neutral" and said he does not expect a material effect on Netflix from Amazon's new movie streaming service, which it offers to its premium members who pay $79 a year for free or low-cost shipping on their orders.
THE BACKGROUND: The announcement from Amazon.com Inc., along with news that Warner Bros. was testing out a service to offer movies through Facebook, proved a drag on Netflix shares recently. The company made its name renting movies by mail and sending them out in those ubiquitous red envelopes. But more recently it's been focused on its streaming service, which lets people watch movies and TV shows over an Internet connection.
THE ANALYSIS: Blackledge said he doesn't see the Warner Bros. Facebook service as a material competition to Netflix. First, it's just a test with one movie. Second, the movies will be rented on an a la carte basis, rather than a subscription model like Netflix's. This business model, the analyst noted, "has not proven to be an effective competitor" to Netflix.
"(Netflix) has coped well with competing a la carte rental services for several years at this point, namely, Apple, the cable and satellite companies ... (Amazon's) a la carte service, etc.," Blackledge wrote.
Based on a Credit Suisse survey, the analyst also said that Amazon's new streaming service is unlikely to get Netflix users to cancel their subscriptions. Blackledge raised his target price to $280 from $180 and said Netflix is likely looking to expand further into international markets in the second half of this year and beyond.
Mega-small odds of winning Mega Millions 3-22-11
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Mega Millions Winning Numbers Worth $244 Million
After 13 consecutive drawings without a winner, the Mega Millions jackpot is up to $244 million, or a cash prize of $155.7 million. The run-up to the current jackpot began on Feb. 4 with a $12 million jackpot that went unclaimed.
No tickets claimed Friday's jackpot either.
Each ticket has a 1 in 172 million chance of winning the jackpot, according to newjerseynewsroom.com. In comparison, the chances of picking a perfect March Madness bracket are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808.
While the prize isn't the largest in Mega Millions history, it certainly has had people coming out in droves to try their luck. This is one of many recent large jackpots, and the second-largest in history was drawn in January, when two lucky winners split a prize of $355 million.
Dave to Katie: You can't go
The "CBS Evening News" anchor, a guest on last night's "Late Show," was grilled -- sort of -- by Letterman on whether she'll stay at CBS once her $15 million-a-year contract expires in early June.
"I have no idea, actually," Couric said, hesitating.
"So that means, theoretically, you could actually leave the network? You can't leave the network, could you?" Letterman asked half-seriously.
"I'm figuring out what I want to do," Couric replied. "I'm in the process of figuring it out."
"Once you take the anchor chair, that's what you do," Letterman shot back. "It's not like a temporary gig."
"Five years isn't too temporary," Couric replied.
Letterman then rattled off the names of several anchors -- Walter Cronkite, Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings -- who stayed in their network anchor chairs for years.
"They get in, they saddle up and they ride into the sunset. Into the sunset!" he said.
"I love doing the 'Evening News.' I'm really proud of it," Couric said.
"You can't leave. There's a period of adjustment to get accustomed . . . to build up faith in the character of the person presenting the news," Letterman said.
"OK. OK, Dave," Couric said, laughing.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
New Showtime-Netflix deal excludes 'Dexter,' 'Californication' and other new shows
When the new agreement kicks in, episodes of those shows will disappear from Netflix and will be offered exclusively on Showtime's online service.
"A number of Showtime original series will continue to be available and stream on Netflix including 'The Tudors' and 'Sleeper Cell,' among others," Showtime said in a statement, referring to programs that have gone off the air.
This is a significant departure from Showtime's current arrangement with Netflix, which expires this summer. Under that pact, the cable channel provided several seasons of "Dexter" and "Californication" to Netflix in an effort to introduce its signature shows to a wider audience.
When TV networks and studios first made deals with Netflix a few years ago, the Los Gatos company was considered an innocuous movie rental service much like the corner Blockbuster store. But now that Netflix has more than 20 million customers and its Internet streaming is more broadly accessible, the television industry is increasingly viewing Netflix as a deep-pocket rival that could eventually supplant cash-cow premium cable channels.
Showtime's chief rival, Time Warner Inc.'s HBO, has been particularly uncooperative, holding back all of its new television shows and movies. The smaller Starz and Epix premium channels, meanwhile, currently provide their movies and original programs, such as "Spartacus."
Showtime decided to clamp down on the rights to its first-run programs in an effort to use them as bait to sign up and retain subscribers. (Showtime doesn't control the rights to its popular series "Weeds," which is owned by Lionsgate.)
CBS Corp.-owned Showtime still sees a role for Netflix -- as a digital syndication outlet for older product. Last month, CBS similarly announced a $200-million deal with Netflix to distribute such classic CBS-owned shows as "Frasier," "Cheers," "Twin Peaks" and "The Twilight Zone."
If people want to watch recent Showtime programs online, they must pay for the channel. "Current and past seasons of our original series will be available to our authenticated subscribers via our TV Everywhere service Showtime Anytime," the company said in a statement.
Kristen Schaal a hit with outrageous Xperia Play Smartphone ads
In one of the ads, she becomes redundant as she watches herself on YouTube; in another she takes on a devilish persona when the commercial is played backwards; and in yet another ad she becomes obsessed with game play.
Evan Rachel Wood Debuts New Honey Blond Hair
We're still gasping from the drastic hair color transformation.
The 23-year-old actress ditched her famous magenta-red hair for a much lighter blond hue. But she wore her signature Veronica Lake-inspired waves and dark lipstick -- maintaining a bit of familiarity.
We love how Wood paired her new honey hairdo with a plum, long jersey sleeved Elie Saab gown and vintage-style earrings. And her milky complexion, perfectly arched brows, winged liner and perfect flush rounded out her red carpet look.
Wood plays the daughter of Kate Winslet's character in the upcoming HBO mini-series and the risqué role called for the young actress' first nude scene. But lucky for Wood, her co-star has stripped down on film several times before and was there to lend support.
"She coached me through my first nude scene," Wood told E! News at Monday evening's premiere. "I mean, she's done it all. She was literally next to the camera going
SEIU releases budget-balancing report
About a third of the savings in the SEIU Local 503 plan come from recommended reforms to state government that would eliminate inefficiencies and save money.
The reforms include weeding out unnecessary middle management; eliminating contracts for services the state could more affordably provide; produce more accurate projections for departmental expenditures; and improve collections for unpaid taxes.
The other two-thirds would come from closing down corporate tax breaks and limiting deductions available to people who earn more than $200,000 a year.
"I want to commend SEIU Local 503 for proactively engaging its members in exploring cost-saving measures for the state in the 2011-2013 biennium," Gov. John Kitzhaber said in response to the SEIU report. "This is a clear statement that in order to be successful, we must all participate in sharing the burden of our difficult budget reality.
"I will ask Michael Jordan, my new Chief Operating Officer, to review the suggestions and identify the most promising options for near-term savings. I look forward to working with all involved parties when we receive the Co-Chairs budget later this month."
Shady Grove Ruritan Club's pancake, sausage breakfast is Saturday
The menu will include traditional pancakes and sausage, blueberry pancakes, teddy bear-shaped pancakes for children. Sausage gravy, juice, coffee and tea are included in the cost.
Breakfast is $5 for adults and $2.50 for ages 6 to 12. Children ages 5 and younger eat free. Carry-out breakfasts will be available.
The pancake fundraiser supports Ruritan's community programs, such as college scholarships, scouting, youth sports and the Shady Grove playground.
All My Children: Should ABC Cancel It?
Rumors of cancellation are circling around the popular show that finally delivered Susan Lucci her Daytime Emmy. Various reports claim that ABC is considering reducing its afternoon drama lineup from three to two hours to make room for a new talk show, which could send AMC to the chopping block. But a rep for ABC Daytime shoots down the claims, telling PEOPLE in a statement, "The Deadline.com piece is just the latest story in a long line of stories about this same topic."
As of now, the rep adds, "There is no change for the current ABC daytime schedule."
Robert Redford bringing Sundance Film Festival to London in 2012
Redford, who founded the annual Utah based festival in 1981, announced on Tuesday (Mar. 15) that he will be bringing Sundance to London in the spring of 2012. The festival will run from April 26-29 at the O2 and will feature film screenings, live music, discussion panels and cultural events according to the AFP.
"It is our mutual goal to bring to the UK the very best in current American independent cinema, to introduce the artists responsible for it, and in essence help build a picture of our country that is broadly reflective of the diversity of voices not always seen in our cultural exports," Redford says.
We'll be interested to see how the Brits respond to our American independent films, but we applaud Redford's efforts to spread some positive U.S. culture to other parts of the world.
Friday, March 18, 2011
How Much Did The World’s Most Expensive Dog Sell For?
The gorgeous puppy-dog, named “Big Splash”, has an appetite to match its price-tag as well….
At the tender age of 11-months it weighs around 180lbs, and won’t think twice at wolfing down bowlfuls of fresh beef and chicken everyday, topped up with cod-liver-oil and raw bones to keep his teeth in excellent condition….
The Red Tibetan Mastiff, Big Splash, was bred by Mr Lu Liang who said:
“He is a perfect specimen.
“He has excellent genes and will be a good breeding dog.
“When I started in this business, ten years ago, I never thought we would see such a price tag.”
Tibetan mastiffs are considered by many Chinese to be a holy animal and have been used for generations to guard flocks of sheep, villages and temples in Tibet…
They are incredibly powerful animals and have been known to tackle predators as big as Wolves and Leopards…
All this has helped to increase their massive price tags, and made them a popular status symbol for the rich and famous…
Android app of the day: Currency Converter
Any conversion you make can be sent via email using the ‘Sent To A Friend’ option.
The app is updated every hour, so it’s not for very serious stock market types, but perfectly adequate for the traveler who’s trying to get an idea of how much the little statue of the Eiffel tower is in their own currency.
Soccer Break Friday – Champions League draw special
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea v Manchester United
Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk
Inter Milan v Schalke 04
As Gary Lineker put it, there will be an English team in the semi-finals, but could Tottenham make it two sides? Real are certainly not invincible.
Now, before taking a look at all the domestic leagues over the weekend, a recap of Thursday’s highlights from the Europa League. Quite a night of upsets.
Portuguese clubs lead the way in the second-tier European club competition with three representatives; the Netherlands have two sides in the last eight while Spain, Ukraine and Russia all have one.
What are your feelings on the Europa League? Prestigious cup worth winning, or would you rather your team wasn’t in it at all like Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben?
A player who seems to want the ground to swallow him up right now is Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli, the Italian shown a straight red card for a crazy challenge after 36 minutes of his side’s last 16 second leg match against Dynamo Kiev that the Mancunians went on to win but they lost the tie 2-1 on aggregate.
There’s a great weekend in store in Europe’s top leagues. In France, England and Italy the title tussles seem set to go down to the wire, while in Spain Real will hope to ride a wave of Champions League momentum to keep pressing leaders Barcelona, and in Germany the Bundesliga is Borussia Dortmund’s to lose.
Manchester United’s Premier League pursuers Arsenal made the surprise signing of Jens Lehmann this week as they seek to win their first trophy since 2005. Here’s a reminder about just how good, and unpredictable, the German is.
And finally, a look at the news Mohamed Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and a member of FIFA’s executive committee since 1996, is standing for the FIFA presidency.
Some tips for using Google for travel information
The search box on the Google home page puts all sorts of information at your fingertips without requiring you to go to separate websites.
Wondering about the weather where you're going? Type the name of any city or zip code in the search box with the word "weather." You'll get the current temperature and conditions, plus a four-day forecast.
Google also offers instant currency conversions. In the main Google search box, simply type the amount and type of currency and you'll get an instant conversion to dollars, unless you specify some other currency. So, type in "200 euros," and you'll get a conversion to $280.16 (depending on the day's rates), without having to go to a currency conversion website.
You can track flights through Google searches too, again without going to another website. Type "AF 22" in the search box and the following result pops up: "Track status of AF 22 from Paris (CDG) to New York (JFK)," with information about Air France flight number 22's departure and arrival time.
World time can be instantly accessed as well. Type "time Athens" or "Athens time" into the search box and the current time for Athens, Greece, appears.
Google Maps offers a wealth of information. Type a place name into the Google Maps search box, click on the result that matches your destination, and you'll get a map on the right hand side of the page and photos on the left. You can click for directions or, under "More," get the mesmerizing "Street View." Street View is available in 25 countries, but there are still some places where you'll have to stick with still photos, like Darwin, Australia.
Click "Search nearby" in Google Maps and you can find just about anything in the destination. Type in "museum" or "pizza" and listings pop up. Type in "hotels" and you'll get options for lodgings, check-in and check-out dates, along with a small photo, the hotel's address and phone number, a price, and reviews.
Using My Maps, you can also map out your walking tour and see how long it is in miles; add your favorite hotels and eateries as a guide for someone else; and after the trip, turn that map into a scrapbook with text, photos and videos you collected along the way. There's a tutorial to get you started.
Google Translate is a good resource for help with foreign languages. You can find a word, a phrase or have an entire document, Web page or message translated. It's instantaneous and includes some lesser-known languages such as Maltese and Galician.
So bring your web-ready device on your next trip, try some of these basic Google searches, and you'll be well-prepared for last-minute changes of plans, surprise thunderstorms _ and even conversations with the locals.
Yen currency exchange rate strengthened
Click here to see how much you can save with HiFX's Foreign Exchange services
SyFy Renews 'Being Human' for Season 2
In a statement, Mark Stern, SyFy President of Original Content, said the series "has proven to be a winner for Syfy on all fronts. ... Showrunners/writers Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke -- along with a superlative team of writers, cast, and production -- have created an amazing, compelling series in its own right. We can't wait to watch Aidan, Josh and Sally continue their struggle to be human in the second season!"
Based on the hit British series of the same name, 'Being Human' is Syfy's most successful winter season scripted series launch in six years. It's also the channel's most female-skewing scripted series ever.
The drama follows the trials and tribulations of three friends sharing a brownstone (and plenty of secrets) in Boston. Their lives are made more complicated than most because one's a vampire, one's a werewolf and one's a ghost.
'Being Human' launched on SyFy back in January, and it stars Sam Witwer ('Smallville'), Meaghan Rath ('18 to Life'), Sam Huntington ('Cavemen') and Mark Pellegrino ('Lost'). Although it's gained good ratings, it does face some competition for viewers from the original version, the third season of which is currently airing on BBC America.
You can read TV Squadder Maureen Ryan's take on the SyFy version here.
Monday, March 14, 2011
NCAA basketball tournament: Southwest Region preview
No. 1 Kansas: The Jayhawks are making their 22nd consecutive NCAA tournament appearance — the longest active streak in the nation — after winning their seventh straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title and the conference tournament for the fourth time in five years. Yet, both UCLA (77-76) and USC (70-68) nearly beat Kansas in Lawrence in December.
No. 2 Notre Dame: A loss to Louisville in a Big East Conference tournament semifinal probably cost the Fighting Irish a No. 1 seeding. As a consolation prize, they get favorable bracket placement and an opening-weekend assignment only a bus trip away.
No. 3 Purdue: Few expected the Boilermakers to win 25 games after they lost star Robbie Hummel, who suffered a torn knee ligament at the season's first practice. But who also would have thought they would lose their final regular-season game against lowly Iowa, then get blown out by Michigan State in a conference tournament quarterfinal?
No. 4 Louisville: The Cardinals play aggressive defense and have outstanding guards in Preston Knowles and Peyton Siva. When they're causing havoc and hitting jump shots, Louisville is as fun to watch as any team in the country.
Cinderella search
USC gets a first-round game against a team many experts say shouldn't be in the tournament, and a second game against a Georgetown team that has been struggling since playmaker Chris Wright suffered a broken hand a couple of weeks ago.
Top players
Marcus Morris, forward, Kansas: The Big 12 player of the year leads the Jayhawks in scoring (17.3) and is second in rebounding (7.2). His brother Markieff, another junior who, at 6 feet 10, is an inch taller, is second in scoring (13.6) and first in rebounding (8.2).
JaJuan Johnson, forward, Purdue: The Big Ten Conference player of the year is a dominant presence at both ends. He was voted the conference's top defensive player, and had team-best averages of 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Ben Hansbrough, guard, Notre Dame: This is the season he became something much more than Tyler Hansbrough's younger brother. He was the only unanimous choice to the All-Big East team after averaging 18.5 points and 4.3 assists.
Rim shots
■ Uh-oh, Kansas draws another "B" school — this time it's Boston University — in the first round. The Jayhawks haven't fared well in recent NCAA openers against "B" teams, losing to longshots Bucknell in 2005 (64-63) and Bradley in 2006 (77-73).
■ Illinois could be facing former Illini coaches in its first two games. For openers, Illinois gets Nevada Las Vegas and Lon Kruger, who guided the Illini from 1996 to 2000. A win there and Illinois could draw top-seeded Kansas and Coach Bill Self, who had the Illini from 2000 to 2003.
■ The national leader in rebounding and field-goal percentage does not play for any of the region's top-seeded teams. Morehead State's Kenneth Faried averages 14.5 rebounds, is shooting 64.4% and has 27 double-doubles in 33 games.
■ The most-watched appendage of this regional might well be John Jenkins' left foot. Vanderbilt's star sophomore guard is among the best pure shooters in the college game, but lately he has been bothered by a sore big toe. Jenkins is averaging 19.5 points and shooting better than 40% from three-point range. In high school, he was an All-American after a senior season in which he averaged 42.3 points and shot nearly 50% from beyond the arc.
Schools, math fans celebrate Pi Day -- Celebrate with pi, not cake
Pi, the number that expresses the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, was first calculated in ancient times. Though it's a number with no endpoint, its digits start with 3.14159. Thus, March 14, or 3/14, for Pi Day.
The first Pi Day was celebrated in 1989 at the San Francisco Exploratorium.
Now the celebration has spread around the world, and math teachers, students and other self-proclaimed math fans amused or intrigued by pi celebrate the number.
At Morgan Park Academy on the Southwest Side, teachers will focus on pi in class, said Morgan Park's math team leader, James Kowalsky. In his geometry class, Kowalsky in the past has had students take cardboard squares and cut them multiple times to fit them into circles, which allows students to calculate the area of the circles without using pi.
In an after-school pi event at Walter Payton College Prep, students will throw hot dogs on a floor marked with evenly spaced parallel lines. Why? Because the proportion of hot dogs that cross the lines when they fall works out to be approximately one over pi, said Payton mathematics chairman Paul Karafiol.
One highlight of many Pi Day events is a competitive recitation of the numerous digits of pi, which modern computers have calculated to a trillion decimal places. At Morgan Park, the record is 312 digits, while the DuPage Science Fiction and Fantasy Society has had someone recite more than 100 digits, and a Payton student who's now at Yale University remembered a mind-blowing 500 digits.
Jalen Rose’s comments on race in ESPN documentary are misguided
In discussing the movie since its production, Rose explained his thinking has changed with maturity, but he seemed to hold firm to his flawed belief that the experiences of some African Americans are “more black” than those of others. The premise, misguided as it is, asserts that academic achievement, professional accomplishment and affluence somehow reduces or eliminates a person’s “blackness.”
Rose isn’t the first to express such thoughts. There has been a long, ongoing debate among black folk about the issues he raised.
As for Rose’s accusations about Duke, he appears to use “Uncle Tom” to refer to Duke players from economically successful two-parent families rather than blacks who act subserviently to whites — the latter being the term’s most offensive and common meaning. I got to know several former Duke players during my time as a NBA beat writer, and none fit the the latter description.
But this is about more than Rose’s inaccurate generalization, which he could not possibly support without knowing the background of every African-American player Krzyzewski has recruited during his more than three decades at the school. Rose’s comments stirred thought on a much bigger issue: What constitutes a “true” black experience?
While covering the 2004 Major League Baseball playoffs, I was involved in a locker-room altercation after former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley called me an Uncle Tom.
Bradley, who also is black, was upset about my interview questions and attacked me personally with the worst two words one black man can direct at another. I had to be restrained.
The situation still angers me because Bradley essentially was saying I was “less black” than he because of his perception about my educational background and job. Presumably, I would have been more black to Bradley if I hadn’t worked hard to excel in school and earned a job at the top of my field.
As in every community, some African Americans don’t place as much value on education as others. Comedian Chris Rock tackled the sensitive issue in his groundbreaking 1996 HBO television special, “Chris Rock: Bring the Pain.” In it, Rock does a bit about how some blacks have more respect for people who return home from prison than those who earn master’s degrees.
Obviously, Rock was using hyperbole to get laughs. But he made a valid point about the need for greater emphasis on academic achievement in some segments of black society.
If no one in your family has attended college, the benefit of an education is harder to appreciate.
The urban-suburban argument also continues to drive the discussion. I’ve seen it from both sides. I grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and South Central Los Angeles. I live in the suburbs now.
However, my wife and I didn’t make the move to flee from “being black.” People make decisions about where they prefer to raise their families, and this is where we wound up.
I’m happy my son and daughter live in a two-parent home and that we’re able to provide for them. I take comfort in knowing I have a partner who shares my views on the educational foundation we’re laying for our kids together.
I don’t think that makes me any “less black,” though, than I was when I watched in amazement at how hard my mom worked as a single parent to send three sons to college. I still feel as black as I did when I lived next door to abandoned buildings and held my brothers at night when they were scared by gunfire.
My children won’t have those experiences. But to imply that because of that, their racial identity is somehow compromised is insulting — not only to them but to all of us who know how our skin color has shaped our lives.
Rose certainly knows what that means, but so does Grant Hill and Elton Brand. Each lived very different lives, but the experience of being black in America is what they — and all African Americans — have in common. It’s not a measuring stick to tell them apart.
Friday, March 11, 2011
San Diego State defeats Utah, 64-50, in Mountain West quarterfinals
Leonard had 13 points and 12 rebounds for his 19th double-double before sitting out the final seven minutes as a precaution because of a tight back. Thomas had 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Aztecs.
San Diego State (30-2) got off to a slow start against the seventh-seeded Utes (13-18), but it closed the first half on a 16-3 run and led, 30-15, at halftime.
No. 8 Brigham Young 64, Texas Christian 58: Jimmer Fredette had 24 points and the Cougars overcame a slow start against the Horned Frogs (11-22) in the Mountain West quarterfinals. With suspended forward Brandon Davies on the bench in street clothes, top-seeded BYU (29-3) had a tougher time than expected against a TCU team that went 1-15 in conference play before snapping a 13-game skid with a win over Wyoming in the play-in game.
No. 21 Connecticut 76, No. 3 Pittsburgh 74: Kemba Walker used a crossover dribble and shoulder roll to shake off a defender, then stepped back and swished the winning basket at the buzzer as the Huskies (24-9) beat the Panthers (27-5) in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at New York.
No. 11 Syracuse 79, No. 17 St. John's 73: Freshman center Fab Melo scored 12 points, including two layups in the final two minutes, and the Orange (26-6) defeated the Red Storm (21-11) in the Big East quarterfinals. Brandon Triche had a season-high 22 points for Syracuse.
No. 2 Kansas 63, Oklahoma State 62: Mario Little's three-point play broke a tie with 71 seconds to go and the Cowboys missed a desperation shot at the buzzer, allowing the Jayhawks (30-2) to escape with a victory over the Cowboys (19-13) in the Big 12 Conference tournament quarterfinals at Kansas City, Mo.
Etc.
The three officials cited for two errors in the final seconds of the St. John's-Rutgers game Wednesday withdrew from the rest of the Big East tournament. Veteran referees Jim Burr, Tim Higgins and Earl Walton missed two calls — a travel and stepping out of bounds — in the final 1.7 seconds of St. John's 65-63 second-round victory. Conference officials acknowledged after the game that the officials blew the calls. On Thursday, Commissioner John Marinatto said the three officials have "voluntarily withdrawn" in "the best interests of those involved."
First tsunami waves hit northern Calif. city near Oregon
If Tiki Barber succeeded on NBC's 'Today' show he likely wouldn't be looking to make NFL comeback
And for good reason. His mouth was going to make him a television star. A star so bright he would shine not only as a "regular" on NBC's "Today" show but also as a featured player on "Football Night In America."
See, if Tiki Barber had made it in TV, made it so big NBC would have added years and dollars when his three-year, $6 million contract expired in 2009, there would be no need to put the pads back on and be reduced to a one-word punch line.
Barber's comeback motives are being questioned. Is it born out of passion for the game or does he simply need the money? Ironically, his ultimate broadcasting agenda led to his TV demise. It's an ending built on Barber and NBC's unrealistic evaluation of his talent.
After Barber told Fox's Jay Glazer he wanted to play football again, the analysis began. Those moments when Tiki was critical of the Giants, whether it be Tom Coughlin or Eli Manning, were rehashed. The calendar pages were turned back to August 2007, when many who pay attention to such matters believe Barber's TV career started tanking. That's when he debuted on NBC's "Football Night In America" during halftime of a Giants-Ravens exhibition game.
In an instant (one minute, 15 seconds, to be exact) Barber created controversy. He questioned Manning's ability to lead, punctuating his measured analysis with what he thought was a throwaway line: "Sometimes it was almost comical the way he (Manning) would say things." Those words turned into headlines. Manning shot back a few days later, giving the story legs.
Barber was branded an ingrate by the Giants organization. Fans, who already perceived him as a phony, were further angered. NBC Sports suits were ecstatic. If Barber had tarnished his Giants legacy it was of no consequence to them. Barber was doing exactly what he was paid to do, offer a strong opinion. All the better that it generated controversy.
This was Barber's first, last and only great on-camera moment. His TV career was already headed down the tubes when he insisted on emphasizing his commitment to "Today" and setting his sights on becoming the next Matt which amounted to science fiction.
Still, Barber, in nearly every interview, expressed his goal. From the outside looking in this reinforced the notion his lucrative NBC contract was being driven by the network's news/entertainment division, not sports. The sports component was only used to justify his $2 million per year salary.
Superfast MRI technology helps map human brain
"When we made the first images, it was unbelievably fast," said Feinberg. "That's the scan, because the images are obtained simultaneously." He says the acceleration is the result of a breakthrough devised in a collaboration led by the University of Minnesota. It combines multiple radio frequency pulses to image different parts of the brain simultaneously. The signals are separated out by multiple receivers which measure the location and timing, producing a much faster scan.
"We used to be able to scan the brain the very fastest, with the echoplane imaging, in two to three seconds and now we're able to image in 100 to 300 milliseconds," said Feinberg.
With its leap in speed, researchers now believe the accelerated MRI could have an immediate impact on the most ambitious project ever undertaken to study the human brain.
It's dubbed the Human Connectome Project. Researchers at centers around the country are attempting to map the neural pathways that support human brain function, ultimately drawing a map of the brain's communication network.
"We're able to identify the networks much better and see more of them and more accurately," said Feinberg.
And by understanding the pathways of a normal brain, researchers believe they may unearth clues to disorders ranging from autism to Alzheimer's disease -- a quest that's now being accelerated by this new generation of MRI
Tsunami Reaches California After Soaking Hawaii
The tsunami, which has claimed hundreds of lives in Japan, triggered warning sirens across the Pacific and led to evacuations as far away as Hawaii and Oregon.
By the time the tsunami reached California around 7:45 a.m. PST, it had soaked Hawaii's beaches but done little lasting damage there.
Officials were cautiously optimistic that the West Coast would fare similarly, but warned of waves as high as 9 feet, and banned boaters and surfers in California from entering the water.
Warning sirens began blaring in some Oregon coastal communities in the small hours of the morning, and residents were urged to seek higher ground.
Orgeon officials said highways were congested with residents evacuating low lying ares near Florence.
Sam McAlmond, a resident of Gold Beach, Ore., chose not to evacuate, but is prepared to leave his home if it becomes necesary.
"This doesn't happen too often. We liked to see it if and when anything happens," he said of the tsunami. "We have all of our necessary equipment -- fresh water and food. Filled up the tank with gas and there is an escape route."
McAlmond said he had not seen any significant waves from his beach front home.
In California, the city of San Francisco activated it's emergency operations response team and closed its coastal highway. All coastal access to San Francisco area beaches have been closed.
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan Friday afternoon local time, triggering a tsunami that is speeding across the Pacific Ocean at speeds of 500 mph, as fast as a jet airplane.
GOP confident of chances in Florida Senate race
Brian Walsh, communications director of the community, said NRSC chairman John Cornyn had a "casual conversation" during the 2010 election cycle with Scarborough about the ex-congressman possibly running for a Senate seat -- but in New York.
This morning, we linked to a story in The Hill, a newspaper that covers Congress, that said Cornyn had talked to Scarborough about being a candidate in the Florida Senate race.
Florida will be a factor in the 2012 election cycle, as the GOP targets Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who is running for a third term. Republicans need a net gain of four seats to win majority control in the Senate.
"We already have plenty of great candidates looking at the Florida Senate race and we're confident any one of them can beat Bill Nelson in 2012," Walsh said
Scarborough, who served in the U.S. House from 1995 to 2001, has been talked about as a potential candidate and recently told PARADE magazine that he "may feel the need to run for office again" at some point
Relativity to sell DVDs, Blu-ray discs through Fox
The multiyear deal gives Relativity a way to tap into the U.S. home video market and market its self-financed and self-distributed films. It expects to put out about 12 to 15 films per year under the Rogue Pictures and Relativity labels.
Other films that Relativity co-finances with Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures or Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures are sold domestically by those studios' home video divisions. Internationally, Relativity sells distribution rights to partners abroad.
One of the movies to fall into the new deal, a thriller starring Bradley Cooper titled "Limitless," comes out in theaters next week.
khan academy: Will The Khan Academy Revolutionize the Classroom?
Shantanu Sinha, the president of Khan Academy, stated in a piece for the Huffington Post that, “for the most part, we didn’t teach kids with the computer, we taught them how to use the computer. Most kids need no help and could probably teach parents.” He added that, “in the end, computer labs were a side show, expensive investments largely squandered due to a lack of good content or purpose.”
The schools, they apparently have the computers. But the Khan Academy are on a quest to bring the content and “building the software and tools we think teachers and students really need.”
Last fall, the Khan Academy began their pilot program for math in a few 5th and 7th grade classes in Los Altos, California – a journey that has been captured by a documentary crew from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Their quest is to ensure that “students can truly work at their own pace on their own time.,“ and that “students actually master concepts before they move on.” They also want to provide educators with “real-time data.” Their hope is that this will allow teacher to “ make much better use of classroom time, with more peer tutoring, project-based learning, and one-on-one coaching. Most importantly, we are making learning fun.”
Sounds pretty good to me. But your child needn’t be in the pilot program in Silicone Valley to experience the Khan Academy’s approach. They want to educate everyone, anyone, anywhere, and everywhere. Their website features over two-thousand videos as well as about a hundred “self-paced exercises” on topics such as “arithmetic to physics, finance, and history.”And all for free. You can check out the Khan Academy and maybe learn something yourself right here.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
For the birds
Don't try telling pigeon-lover Mike Tyson that people might see a softer side of him on his new Animal Planet series, “Taking on Tyson.”
“No, please, nobody would ever think to misjudge me in that perspective,” says Tyson, on the phone from his home in Las Vegas.
“And when you see these [pigeon] guys, you’re gonna realize these guys are no pushovers, either.
“You’re gonna see that these guys are not, like, ‘Hey, let’s walk the kids across the street today.’”
In “Taking on Tyson,” premiering March 6 at 10 p.m., the ex-heavyweight champ — who showed some surprising comedy chops in “The Hangover” — takes his lifelong passion for pigeons to a new plateau by learning how to race homing pigeons, something he’d never experienced.
The series tracks Team Tyson — Mike and his lifelong friend/manager Mario Costa, pigeon trainer Vinnie Torrie [see sidebar] and piegon-coop managers (and brothers) Junie and Rickie Roman — as they gear up for the pigeon-racing season.
Tyson, of course, has proven his toughness throughout his life — and he’s as surprised as the next guy regarding the macho characters who comprise the pigeon-racing community.
“You have to be very careful. These pigeons guys are very temperamental,” he says. “They may not look like it, but these are tough guys. I don’t advise you looking at their backgrounds, their records.
“They may have some gruesome stuff that you’d be surprised about.”
Tyson himself has been fascinated with pigeons since he was a kid in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, where he had a hardscrabble upbringing before discovering he could box like nobody’s business.
Brownsville was, he says, “a lawless town — back then you could beat your woman and a cop would say, ‘Hey, just keep it down some.’ ”
His first-ever fistfight, in fact, was triggered when the neighborhood bully taunted Mike and killed one of his pigeons — getting himself pummeled to a pulp in the process.
“Everybody said, ‘You’d better fight, Mike,’ and I fought,” he says.
It was the last time anyone ever messed with Mike Tyson or his beloved pigeons.
“Taking on Tyson” is set predominantly in Jersey City, where Costa keeps his “Tyson’s Corner” pigeon coop, which includes some pigeons that Tyson, now 44, has had since he was 14 years old.
Cameras track Tyson, whose main pigeon coop is in Las Vegas, as he immerses himself in the pigeon-racing world, which includes professional racing clubs in all five New York City boroughs and the (mostly) men who take this sport very seriously.
“Some of these people are quiet, some of these people are gangsters, some of these people are murderers and they all have this affinity with these birds,” Tyson says.
“If I was just a normal guy looking at Mike Tyson flying birds, I would think, ‘These are some country-a** people from down South,’ and that’s what I would think if I went in with a closed mind.
“But these guys are pretty dedicated to this stuff and it’s something that’s not meant for the weak.
“I needed to do this to broaden people’s horizons about the pigeon world,” he says.
“And what I learned was that I didn’t know anything [about pigeon-racing]. I’m constantly mad on the show ‘cause sometimes I don’t like the result.
“I’m used to being in control — and I had no control in this situation.”
Five things you didn’t know about pigeon racing
1.) Homing pigeons, known as “homers,” can fly 600 miles in a day. Races range between 100 and 600 miles in distance.
2.) All landing times are registered on an electronic clock which activates when the first bird in the flock enters its respective coop. The bird with the highest average speed is declared the winner.
3.) When a homer is 10 days old, an identification band is clamped on its leg for life. On race day, a microchip is snapped on the bird’s other leg and registers its band number on an electronic pigeon clock when the bird passes over a scanning pad in the coop.
4.) Both male and female homers are used for racing. However, most pigeon fanciers prefer to race the females. Approximately 98% of the racers are men.