Monday, January 19, 2009

Study Claims Women Multitask TV/Internet Twice as Much as Men [Concentration]


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Study Claims Women Multitask TV/Internet Twice as Much as Men [Concentration]

A data-capture study finds that from ages 15 and 48, women tend to watch TV while surfing the net at the same time nearly twice as much as men. The data, released by Integrated Media Measurement Inc., also finds that while men's use of both major screen media tends to drop off toward age 40, women's ramps up, possibly due to the time constraints of children.

The study leaves a lot of questions lingering, of course, like what kind of "internet use" is being done. Whether surfing channels while surfing the web is benign background tasking or destructive switchtasking depends on the person, and the data being handled. It is intriguing, though, to look down the road and wonder whether multitasking will remain a young person's game, or become a fact of grown-up life.









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Saturday, January 17, 2009

Top 10 Ways to Save Money in a Recession [Lifehacker Top 10]


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Top 10 Ways to Save Money in a Recession [Lifehacker Top 10]

Times are tough, money's tight, and nobody should be spending more than they need. If you think you've exhausted all avenues for saving a buck, check out our ten suggestions for saving money in a recession.

Photo by Bob Jagendorf.

10. Get better at re-using your stuff

It's the kind of stuff that fueled your grandparents' stories about hard times: Stretching supposedly disposable, used items further than most consumer companies want you to; Using your mind—and your hands—to solve problems without jumping in the car and busting out the wallet. We suggest finding inspiration from how Lifehacker readers creatively reuse disposable items. Re-purposing isn't all about balled-up tinfoil and grimacing, of course. Our most popular re-purposing posts of 2008 show that a little thought and some creative tinkering usually pays off with a one-of-a-kind solution to household needs.

9. Cut your food costs

Other than shelter (rent) and water (also rent, or municipal bills), food is the one thing you have to spend money on every day. If you really want to hack down your bills, carnivores can save money by buying whole animals—a process that's easier than they might think. For a weekend kick, you can make your favorite chain restaurant recipe at home. Stay away from the high-fat cruft on dollar menus and switch to a cheaper, healthier Mediterranean diet or these twenty health foods for $1 or less. And for those nights when cooking a full, heal...



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Friday, January 16, 2009

Patrick McGoohan dies at 80


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Patrick McGoohan dies at 80

Patrick McGoohan dies at 80; TV's 'Secret Agent' and 'Prisoner' - Los Angeles Times — FYI. One of my all-time favorites gone. He was not a number.
Patrick McGoohan, a two-time Emmy Award-winning actor who starred as a British spy in the 1960s TV series "Secret Agent" and gained cult status later in the decade as [...]


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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Monday, January 12, 2009

Father accused of selling girl into marriage for cash, beer


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Father accused of selling girl into marriage for cash, beer

The agreed-upon price was $16,000 in cash, 150 cases of beer, 150 cases of soda, several cases of meat and two cases of wine, police said.



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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Score Half-Price Meals Courtesy of Your Local TV Station [Deals]


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Score Half-Price Meals Courtesy of Your Local TV Station [Deals]

In the strange-but-true category of thriftiness: it's quite possible your local TV station is sitting on a pile of restaurant gift-certificates that could be yours for a steal

You can buy heavily discounted restaurant gift-certificates from your local TV station to restaurants in your area.. Cheap meals courtesy of Channel 5 News? What? Paul Michael from the financial blog Wise Bread did some investigating after his wife was tipped off this the gift certificate/TV station relationship and found it was entirely legitimate. As explained by Stephanie Riegal of BusinessReport.com:

The company that came up with the concept is the Cleveland-based IncentRev, and it's a coupon broker that facilitates the on-air promotions. Essentially, it works like this: A retailer—say, a new restaurant—"buys" exclusive air time with the station in exchange for 100 gift certificates, which the station then promotes on air for half-price. Viewers can buy the gift certificates on a first-come, first-serve basis by accessing the station's Web site. All parties involved say it's a win-win arrangement. Viewers get a bargain. A small retailer essentially receives free advertising. And IncentRev, which does all the paperwork, and the station split the money.

The only catch seems to be that as the deals become better known, the certificates are harder to come by. You can search for certificates by plugging in the call letters for the local station into the URL for IncentRev, like so: http://XXXX.incentrev.com where XXXX is the call letters. You can also search for deals in your city or state by flexing a little google-fu and using search terms like site:incentrev.com new york. Photo by Wolfgang Staudt.









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Houston couple arrested on forgery charges


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Houston couple arrested on forgery charges

Baytown police arrested a man and a woman for attempting to use counterfeit $100 bills at local businesses. Police found the suspects had $16,000 worth of counterfeit bills.


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Border-fence workers for Houston firm face pot charges


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Border-fence workers for Houston firm face pot charges

Three construction workers for the company building part of the border fence and an international trade bridge to Mexico remained in a South Texas jail Friday after they were caught with nearly 600 pounds of marijuana.



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Death row inmate pulls out eye, eats it


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Death row inmate pulls out eye, eats it

A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye, authorities said Friday. Andre Thomas told officers he ate it.


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Saturday, January 03, 2009

Normally I Enjoy Your Pornographic Web Site, But This Time You've Gone Too Far


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Normally I Enjoy Your Pornographic Web Site, But This Time You've Gone Too Far

To the people at Sexxxotika.com, let me begin by saying that I thoroughly enjoy your pornographic web site. I have been a paying member since September, and since then have reveled in the graphic images of female nudity and hardcore sex. But I'm afraid this week your site went too far.


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Mugger Can't Believe Crap Victim Has On MP3 Player



 
 

Sent to you by James via Google Reader:

 
 

via The Onion on 1/3/09

BOSTON—Following the successful mugging of a jogger in Franklin Park, petty criminal Derek Mesker announced Monday that he cannot believe the...

 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

Friday, January 02, 2009

Recently Unearthed E-Mail Reveals What Life Was Like In 1995


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Recently Unearthed E-Mail Reveals What Life Was Like In 1995

KNOXVILLE, TN—Archaeologists say the ancient Internet users must have struggled to understand the frightening new technology.


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Monday, December 29, 2008

Roomba Violates All Three Laws Of Roombotics


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Roomba Violates All Three Laws Of Roombotics

CHARLOTTE, NC—While the Roomba is only programmed to vacuum, its owner, 35-year-old claims adjuster Ken Graney now fears it may have taught itself to tidy up.


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Tough Questions to Help You Declutter [Clutter]


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Tough Questions to Help You Declutter [Clutter]

With an influx of holiday gifts and trinkets, now is the perfect time of year to ask some tough questions about your things. Erin at the blog Unclutterer has a list to get you started.

In an effort to make more conscious choices about the objects she shared her home with, Erin began aggressively asking questions about them. The questions helped her overcome a dilemma:

Each object exists in my space for a reason, and a chunk of time, planning, and research was dedicated to its acquisition, and there are further evaluations to let it stay. I make an investment of myself in every object, and that is why it's hard for me to say that I'm not attached to these objects.

Even dedicating more thought to her acquisitions than most do, she still found it hard to work around the attachments we all form to things in our physical space. Using a series of questions like: "Does this item make my life easier, save me time, save me money, fulfill an essential need?" helped Erin sort through things more effectively and objectively. The questions are divided into two camp, those for the things you already own and those for the things you are about to acquire. If you're looking to live more consciously with your things this year and make better use of your physical space, Erin's list is a great spring board to taking an engaged look at your possessions. For other decluttering techniques check out how to declutter your home with the suitcase test and how to form an attack plan for a cluttered messy home.Photo by Diego Cupolo.









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Sunday, December 28, 2008

Man Who Used Stick To Roll Ball Into Hole In Ground Praised For His Courage


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Man Who Used Stick To Roll Ball Into Hole In Ground Praised For His Courage

SAN DIEGO—A man who used several different bent sticks to hit a ball to an area comprised of very short grass surrounding a hole in the ground...


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Friday, December 26, 2008

“Public Urination Permitted After 7.30pm”


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"Public Urination Permitted After 7.30pm"

City hit by 'legal to pee' prank
People should ignore signs telling them that it is legal to urinate in certain public places in Nottingham, the city council said.
The signs, which were put up by pranksters in and around Nottingham, are designed to look official.
They feature a toilet sign and include the words: "Public Urination Permitted [...]


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Nationals Book It After Foul Ball Accidentally Smashes Capitol Rotunda


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Nationals Book It After Foul Ball Accidentally Smashes Capitol Rotunda

WASHINGTON, DC—An 8,976-foot foul ball off the bat of Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman crashed through the U.S. Capitol Building rotunda Sunday afternoon, prompting both the Nationals and the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates to gasp, turn...


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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Decking the halls at the last house standing


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Decking the halls at the last house standing

At night you don't see much in Gilchrist. That's because there isn't much left after the hurricane. But one family is trying to bring a little holiday spirit back to the beach. 


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Monday, December 22, 2008

Passenger Twitters During Plane Crash


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Passenger Twitters During Plane Crash

"Holy fucking shit I wasbjust in a plane crash!" Mike Wilson, a Denver resident and passenger on Continental flight 1404, tweeted (posted updates to his Twitter account) about his experience when the Houston-bound flight crashed this weekend. According to his tweets, this was plane crash number two for Wilson. And, bus travel is becoming a more attractive option.





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Windows XP's Availability Extended Until May 2009 [Windows XP]


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Windows XP's Availability Extended Until May 2009 [Windows XP]

Presumably due to its popularity—and Vista's low adoption rates—Microsoft has extended Windows XP's life from January till May of 2009. The BBC reports that hardware firms will be able to get XP licenses delivered up until May 30, 2009, instead of January 30, the original cutoff date.










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National Champion LSU Retires At The Top Of Its Game


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National Champion LSU Retires At The Top Of Its Game

NEWORLEANS—Mere moments after hoisting the crystal national championshiptrophy, Tigers coach Les Miles announced that LSU had made the decision to "goout on top" and retire after almost 150 years as a public...


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Jessica Simpson Completes Elaborate Plan To Destroy Cowboys' Season


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Jessica Simpson Completes Elaborate Plan To Destroy Cowboys' Season

DALLAS—Speaking to reporters she had invited into her impenetrable subterranean Texas lair on Monday, Jessica Simpson gloated over the victory she recently achieved after nearly two years of using her personal charms, her unique brand of...


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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

ExxonMobil to pay hefty fine for emissions


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ExxonMobil to pay hefty fine for emissions

BAYTOWN — After reporting themselves to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ExxonMobil will pay $6.1 million in civil penalties for violations of the Clean Air Act reported in 2007.


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The Onion's 2008 In Review: Politics


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The Onion's 2008 In Review: Politics

In 2008, two Democratic governors, Eliot Spitzer of New York and Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, were disgraced by illegal activities. What do...


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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Mayor White confirms he's running for Senate


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Mayor White confirms he's running for Senate

Houston Mayor Bill White finally confirmed what 11 News first reported last week: He is running for the U.S. Senate seat expected to be vacated by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison.


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Security Experts Advising You Stay Off Internet Explorer (For Now) [Internet Explorer]


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Security Experts Advising You Stay Off Internet Explorer (For Now) [Internet Explorer]

A serious scripting hack that can grab passwords (or, potentially, do worse) from any version of Internet Explorer is leading security and malware experts to suggest switching from Internet Explorer to Firefox, Chrome, Opera, or any other browser, if only for the time being. Microsoft itself is, of course, asking users to just be cautious while it works on a fix. The BBC article thumbnails security tips, including switching IE's security settings to "High," if you won't be migrating (or can't switch at work). [via]










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Top US Anti-Kidnapping Expert KIDNAPPED in Mexico — CRIPES!


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Top US Anti-Kidnapping Expert KIDNAPPED in Mexico — CRIPES!

US anti-kidnapping expert kidnapped in Mexico | KOMO News - Seattle, Washington | National & World News
A U.S. anti-kidnapping expert was abducted by gunmen in northern Mexico last week, a sign of just how bold this nation's kidnapping gangs have become.
U.S. security consultant Felix Batista - who claims to have helped resolve nearly 100 kidnap [...]


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Friday, November 21, 2008

Turkeys killed as Palin addresses media - Politics- msnbc.com

Video shows bloody work while Alaska governor describes turkey pardon

WASILLA, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin has granted the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to one lucky turkey, but the video that shocked some viewers captured what was happening in the background.

As she answered questions Thursday at Triple D Farm & Hatchery outside Wasilla, cameras from the Anchorage Daily News and others showed the bloody work of an employee slaughtering birds behind the former Republican vice presidential candidate.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Big gator spotted roaming through Ike debris on Bolivar Peninsula



Some Bolivar Ferry passengers got quite a surprise while touring the Ike-ravaged peninsula Tuesday.

Friday, November 07, 2008

Sarah Palin's Clothes: GOP Lawyer Dispatched To Alaska To Retrieve Some

Reporting from Phoenix -- Sarah Palin left the national stage Wednesday, but the controversy over her role on the ticket flared as aides to John McCain disclosed new details about her expensive wardrobe purchases and revealed that a Republican Party lawyer would be dispatched to Alaska to inventory and retrieve the clothes still in her possession...

For weeks, the McCain-Palin campaign has dealt with the fallout from the disclosure that the Republican National Committee was billed for $150,000 in wardrobe purchases for the Palin family -- a discovery that was widely ridiculed and undercut Palin's hockey mom appeal.

Several McCain aides said they had recently discovered that Palin's traveling staff had used personal credit cards to spend as much as $20,000 to $30,000 on additional wardrobe items for Palin.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Internal Battles Divided McCain and Palin Camps

By ELISABETH BUMILLER
PHOENIX — As a top adviser in Senator John McCain’s now-imploded campaign tells the story, it was bad enough that Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska unwittingly scheduled, and then took, a prank telephone call from a Canadian comedian posing as the president of France. Far worse, the adviser said, she failed to inform her ticketmate about her rogue diplomacy.

As a senior adviser in the Palin campaign tells the story, the charge is absurd. The call had been on Ms. Palin’s schedule for three days and she should not have been faulted if the McCain campaign was too clueless to notice.


Jeeze -we came close to having a monumental pinhead up there. Still might, as she might try to get herself into Felon Steven's seat. We are not done with the Wasilla Hillbillies.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

In Conn., A Longtime GOP Congressman Ousted

New England's last Republican Congressman Christopher Shays of Connecticut has lost his seat. He was ousted by Democrat and former Goldman Sachs executive Jim Himes. Himes talks about the upset and his plans for Connecticut's Fourth District.

Unnamed McCain Aide

The Palins where like "Wasilla Hillbillies looting every Nieman Marcus from Coast to Coast"

Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress


WASHINGTON—After emerging victorious from one of the most pivotal elections in history, president-elect Barack Obama will assume the role of commander in chief on Jan. 20, shattering a racial barrier the United States is, at long last, shitty enough to overcome.