Archive for June, 2009
Irish rockers U2 have revealed they picked a space-age circular stage for their world tour — kicking off spectacularly tonight at Barcelona’s giant 97,500-capacity Camp Nou stadium.
Bono & co’s 100-date, £90m U2360 tour will arrive in Dublin next month.
U2’s small central set, tipped to rotate, is beneath a giant, four-legged construction dubbed the “Claw” measuring a world-record 50metres high, 58m wide and 47m deep.
Based on Los Angeles Airport’s Theme Building, the Claw is so big that roadies first arrived four weeks ago to build it.
The tour, the band’s first since 2005’s Vertigo, is their most expensive in their 33 years together, in which time they have been touted as the best live act on the planet.
Full BelfastTelegraph Article
From a fan’s perspective, I like how close the crowd can get to the band and how there’s great line of sight – especially with the speakers out of the way.
The article also mentions what the first and last song of the concert will be, but I won’t spoil that for you.
June 30th, 2009
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Brigham Young University, the Mormon church school where students agree to live a chaste and virtuous life, has lifted its almost three-year policy of blocking access to YouTube.
Administrators lifted the ban on Friday, citing an increasing amount of educational material on the popular video-sharing site, university spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said.
YouTube has its own filters for porn, but BYU added it to the list of Web sites blocked by campus online filters in 2006 because administrators felt there was too much content that could violate the school’s strict, conservative standards.
Full Article
June 30th, 2009
Holy Land Experience doesn’t want you to know when it schedules its required free day each year out of concern over a possible “uncontrollable situation.”
At least that’s the conclusion to be drawn by a letter the religion-based theme park sent to the office of Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan.
Donegan asked the park for documentation of its free days after I reported earlier this month that the park gave out conflicting information about the day.
Holy Land, owned by Trinity Broadcasting Network, is required to drop its normal $35 ticket price and offer free admission one day each year in exchange for a property-tax exemption that saves it about $300,000 annually, according to a 2006 state law designed to guarantee the exemption.
Full Article
June 30th, 2009
Through a unique process that does not involve the use of any chemicals nor does it alter nature’s balance in peanuts, over 85% of the fat is removed from the peanuts. Essentially, the oil is squeezed out of roasted peanuts and what remains is our famous powdered peanut butter.
* Directions: Just mix 2 tablespoons of PB2 with 1 tablespoon of water and stir until smooth.
* Can be mixed directly with jelly or jam for a PB2 and Jelly sandwich.
BellPlantation.com
June 30th, 2009
- If you’re a Star Wars fan and someone that keeps up with pop-culture, then you will probably get the above picture.
- An impulse buy happened yesterday, and if WifeGeeding is upset, she shouldn’t be upset at me but my buddy Tim who has got me addicted to searching for items on CraigsList.
- I bought a brand new Vudu player for $65, which normally retails for something closer to $150.
- Don’t know what a Vudu player is? Well, I really didn’t either until yesterday. In short, I can download movies (rent or own) via the Internet and watch them on my TV just like a DVD player with no monthly fees.
- Yeah, that doesn’t sound too impressive, but I can download movies not only in HD, but in 1080P, not just 1080i.
- Don’t understand that 1080 talk? Don’t worry, it’s geek talk for HD quality. Just know that P is better than I.
- Right now my current TV can only show a 1080I picture. Maybe my next impulse buy will be a new TV?
- Actually, I’m in the market for a 1080P projector.
- A couple of Swedish parents have stirred up debate in the country by refusing to reveal whether their two-and-a-half-year-old child is a boy or a girl.
- The last photos of Michael Jackson on stage.
- I find it amazing that someone can just rent a venue like the Staples Center out just for rehearsals.
- It appears that Dell is working on something to compete with the iPod Touch. Even if they do create a better product, what’s really going to matter is how they decide to market it. And as of right now, nobody in the tech world can beat Apple’s marketing.
- It wouldn’t surprise me if there was another celebrity death by the end of the week. Cronkite? Billy Graham? Liz Taylor?
- I always wondered what would happen if someone like Conan, who just started to host The Tonight Show, just died within a few weeks of taking the reins.
- Yeah, that sounds creepy and morbid, but death is in the news.
- Days With My Father has bits and pieces of pictures and thoughts from a son who’s father has no short term memory. Yes, it’s an emotional heart tug. The site is a bit hard to navigate, so my hint to you is to click on the left where more photos will appear, choose a photo, and scroll down to read the story.
- Grace
June 30th, 2009
When the Sony Walkman was launched, 30 years ago this week, it started a revolution in portable music. But how does it compare with its digital successors? The Magazine invited 13-year-old Scott Campbell to swap his iPod for a Walkman for a week.
Link
My favorite part of the article: It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape.
June 29th, 2009
Here’s an interesting article on the Obamas’ new church home which includes a bit of history of how other presidents worshiped and the struggles of praying in public and inconveniences other church members because of security.
There’s a bit of a local connection as we learn that Obama’s new pastor is Southern Baptist and graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
UPDATE: Appears the White House is refuting the Time report. Link
June 29th, 2009
Indian defence scientists are planning to put one of the world’s hottest chilli powders into hand grenades.
They say the devices will be used to control rioters and in counter-insurgency operations.
Researchers say the idea is to replace explosives in small hand grenades with a certain variety of red chilli to immobilise people without killing them.
The chilli, known as Bhut Jolokia, is said to be 1,000 times hotter than commonly used kitchen chilli.
Full BCC Article
June 29th, 2009
In the seventh inning of a recent game between the Red Sox and the Braves, Atlanta’s Peter Moylan fired a two-strike fastball to Kevin Youkilis. Although the home plate umpire called it a ball, Braves fans could’ve been forgiven for thinking the pitch nipped the outside corner. Viewers in Boston, however, knew the ump made the right call.
This difference of opinion wasn’t the result of home-team favoritism. Rather, it stemmed from differences in the local television broadcasts. The Red Sox telecast on NESN is one of only three in Major League Baseball that places its main camera directly behind the pitcher in straightaway center field. The other 27 clubs, including the Braves, put the camera off-center, about 10 to 15 degrees toward left field. That offset angle means the vast majority of baseball fans get a skewed sense of the pitcher-hitter confrontation, the matchup at the very heart of baseball. For fans of the Braves and most other teams, judging balls and strikes is a matter of guesswork.
Full Slate Article
June 29th, 2009
Here are the ingredients:
340g pineapple (190 kcal)
70g asparagus (14 kcal)
360g bacon (1152 kcal)
750g cheese (2700 kcal)
275g mayonnaise (1980 kcal)
170g shrimp (145 kcal)
400g ham (520 kcal)
200g salami (780 kcal)
600g tomato paste + dough (1098 kcal)
1 egg (90 kcal)
And here’s the final product:
Read about the making and inspiration of the pizza at Metrobloggen.
June 29th, 2009
In a seriously bad dose of karma, a Minneapolis ambulance rushing to the scene of an ambulance crash has crashed.
The first ambulance crash involved a taxi that didn’t get out of the way at 3:15am Saturday morning. 15 minutes later the second ambulance called to attend to injuries in the first ambulance crash hit a minivan driving without its lights on.
Full Article
June 29th, 2009
- While most Michael Jackson fans have Thriller rated as his or her favorite video, I’ve been a sucker for Smooth Criminal. There’s something about the gangster period of time in which this video is set, the tip of the cap to Fred Astaire, that white suit which makes him stand out from all the others, that coin hitting the jukebox, and above all else, that lean that just came out of nowhere. The first time I saw that lean, as a kid, I wondered if it was real or not, and tried it myself.
- Did you know that Michael Jackson actually had a patent for that lean? It’s called the method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion.
- Yes, I know, Michael Jackson the man was a very troubled individual, but I really admire Michael Jackson the artist. And yes, I can differentiate the two.
- My very first cassette tape was Thriller. I know most covers of that album only has a picture of him, but I remember the one with the baby tiger. Maybe the tiger was on the inside flap? I can’t remember.
- I can remember putting that tape in my jambox and cranking up the speakers with my neighborhood friends breakdancing in a circle.
- I can still cut a pretty decent rug. Trust me.
- I have really enjoyed watching all of his videos over this weekend on MTV, VH1, BET, and a few other channels. For me, as of right now, it’s not getting old. But I can understand why it might be for those that didn’t really follow him or listen to his music.
- I actually watched the BET Awards last night. They changed a whole lot of the format of the show up in just a few days to honor Jackson. Jamie Fox did a good job, changing from MJ costume to MJ costume.
- Bel Biv Devoe performed – that took me back to good times.
- Believe it or not, last night wasn’t the first time I watched the BET Awards.
- The old and new Uhura (Star Trek) presented the award, but the new Uhura started the presentation without the older one because she was in the ladies room. Just awkward.
- I recall that the actress that played the original Uhura had a brother that died in the Heaven’s Gate cult.
- I also downloaded a fair share of MJ music over the weekend as well.
- If you want to listen to his music but not download anything, his website allows you to do that right now.
- I was so jealous in the second grade when my friend Jamie was the first to show up to school with a zipper jacket.
- Someone on the radio mentioned when he sang ABC with the Jackson Five, you could hear the innocence. I thought that was a pretty insightful and correct.
- I think he really set himself apart when he appeared at the 25th anniversary of Motown show on NBC. He actually got a phone call from Fred Astaire after that performance. Now that’s pretty cool.
- Most meaningful and touching Michael Jackson song: Man in the Mirror The video itself is pretty moving.
- One person that should be most thankful for Michael Jackson is Weird Al – he would never have had the success without Jackson. I took a peek at his website, no mention of Jackson’s passing.
- Very interesting photos of a building that fell in Shanghai. It fell like a book that was upright, and then on its side.
- Did you know the same person that came up with the idea for Tivo came up with the idea for the Kindle? Link
- I noticed out local Krispy Kreme is now out of business.
- MythBuster Adam Savage had some issues with AT&T
- I think I do a pretty good job of making my state registration and safety stickers on my windshield align up properly.
- Those stickers are made so that if removed, they are ruined. But when you get a windshield replaced, those folks are pretty good at transferring them from the old windshield to the new one.
- I hear the new Toll Tags from the NTTA are nothing more than just a sticker.
- Toll roads in DFW are starting to multiply like rabbits.
- I was talking to someone a few years younger than me who somewhat recently moved to Lubbock and is looking for a church home. She said she prefers mainline over evangelical, but above all prefers a traditional worship experience where the choir must wear robes. In DFW, I saw a robed choir, or a traditional worship service (no drums or guitars, overhead projectors, etc) is a rarity. If I had to guess, I would say only 10% of churches in DFW offer such a service.
- There’s nothing wrong with a traditional service, but I think it’s just a sign of the times that that form or worship is dying out. It makes me wonder what worship will look like around DFW and the nation twenty years from now.
- I never feel comfortable writing “that that” or “have had.”
- In case you ever wanted to trade your child
- Grace
June 29th, 2009
It is a desperate cry – or rather a very loud trumpet – for attention.
These elephants were painted black and white to look like the pandas who have stolen all their fans.
The elephant is Thailand’s national symbol, but the country has gone panda-crazy since the birth of a female panda cub to pandas Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang at Chiang Mai zoo in Bangkok.
Full MailOnline Article with more Pics
June 29th, 2009
I listed the top 15, click to enlarge or just go directly to the site.
Could this be a bit of an economic stimulus?
June 26th, 2009
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