Prompts

So, I feel like I haven’t written much of substance on here recently. And because I’ve been posting some old posts I’ve sort of ended up with a month long writer’s block that I haven’t done anything or had any reason to get over. That said, the best way to get over writer’s block is [...]

Yahoo's stock is trading more heavily than usual on speculation that the company is again holding acquisition talks with Microsoft. Citing anonymous sources within both companies, technology blog TechCrunch reported on Tuesday that Microsoft and Yahoo are holding official negotiations after talks broke down on May 3. This time around, Microsoft's offer is below $33 per share, according to Tec

A worker removing old tiles and clearing the former Universal Hotel Liquidators site in New Haven, Conn. reported the building’s owner to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) this week after becoming suspicious about the presence of asbestos inside the building. According to an article in the New Haven Register, Ernie Jones says he left [...]

BetUS Posts Odds On Likely Scenarios For Friday The 13th June 3 2008. To many, Friday the 13th is a day to fear, or at least be wary, and strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Netflix Delivers DVDs to your home. NO LATE FEES. Try for FREE! I am baffled why otherwise intelligent people would call for more regulation from the government. Albany is taking notice. A series of high-profile car accidents around the state over the past year, including the horrific one in which five Rochester-area girls died last [...]

A nuclear power plant in Georgia was recently forced into an emergency shutdown for 48 hours after a software update was installed on a single computer. The incident occurred on March 7 at Unit 2 of the Hatch nuclear power plant near Baxley, Georgia. The trouble started after an engineer from Southern Company, [...]

As our regualar readers are aware, Miss Artistic is coping with depression and in an effort to help her work through it I have been researching what I can do at home to help supplement her medication and therapy. I have picked up a multivitamin and an Omega-3-6-9 softgel.  I have procured some lavender oil to [...]

Though 'American Idol' is still an enormous hit, ratings have slipped this season. NBC's Michael Okwu reported on what changes may be ahead for the FOX program on the 'Today' show after the network sent out a market research survey for viewers to pro

Warning: NSFW audio Videotaped Florida Teen Beating Prompts Calls To Block Violent Content — Video — InformationWeek — What is the logic of blocking violent content if it gets these idiots busted? The parents of a Florida teen who has lost her hearing and sight after she was attacked by other teens want video-enhanced Web sites [...]

Friday Night’s episode of Eastenders has prompted over 100 complaints to the BBC. The episode saw Max Branning being buried alive and Monday’s episode saw the grave being filled in. Tanya Branning was seen getting the ultimate revenge on her cheating husband Max who was drugged before being put in a grave dug by Sean Slater. The episode [...]

FREE flow of champagne. Fine wines. And a gourmet spread of meat and seafood. In addition, fans paying $7,500 for the premier Paddock Club seats during the SingTel Singapore GP will soak in the experience in a bigger Pit Building that boasts more luxurious hospitality lounges. On Friday, Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran revealed that the enhancements made to the Pit Building design came about due to the 'strong demand' for these top-class seats. 'But this is a happy problem to have,' Mr Iswaran said. According to Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) brand development manager Eileen Lee, the additional work on the Pit Building will see construction costs raised from $33 million to $40 million. STB also added that constructi

HAMILTON - After three Butler County car dealerships were accused of selling fake IDs to help illegal immigrants buy cars, a state lawmaker is planning legislation that would add another step to block them from getting temporary license tags or registrations. “I can’t stop you from buying a car. I think that would be unconstitutional. You have a right to buy anything you want, as long as you have the money. But what I can do is stop you from obtaining a tag or license to put on that car,” said state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Fairfield. Combs said Friday that his office has asked the Ohio Legislative Services Commission to research and draft a proposal that would require vehicle purchasers to prove U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status before obtaining a temporary tag

Cars can catch fire even when parked and idle, automaker warnsDon't park them in your garage!General Motors Corp. is recalling more than 207,000 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix sedans and urgently warning owners not to park them in garages or other structures because they can catch fire.The fire-prone vehicles are the 1997-2003 Buick Regal GS and Grand Prix GDP models with 3.8-liter supercharged V-6 engines.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on its Web site that, “Fires may be caused by drops of engine oil being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.”A fire can start if the oil gets hot enough, NHTSA warned. The safety agency said that if the exhaust manifold is hot enough and the oil gets below a heat shield, "it may ignite into a s

Each month I review my client's merchant account statements. I want to make sure they are saving at least as much money I promised and are having their transactions qualify for the lowest rates. I... Merchant Accounts Made Simple. Taking the mystery out of hard to read merchant account statements, misleading teaser rates and terms such as "EIRF", "interchange" and "non-qualified". Plus some thoughts on how business should be done.

Each month I review my client's merchant account statements. I want to make sure they are saving at least as much money I promised and are having their transactions qualify for the lowest rates. I... Merchant Accounts Made Simple. Taking the mystery out of hard to read merchant account statements, misleading teaser rates and terms such as "EIRF", "interchange" and "non-qualified". Plus some thoughts on how business should be done.

Each month I review my client’s merchant account statements. I want to make sure they are saving at least as much money I promised and are having their transactions qualify for the lowest rates. I just got off the phone with a new client of mine; a winery in St. Helena, CA. They are [...]

People in Reno, Nevada are buying up pepper spray and stun guns in droves lately. Apparently fearing for their safety after the killing of Brianna Denison by a serial rapist, many young women are looking for any means possible of fending off a possible attack. One of the more popular models are the half-ounce canisters in leather cases that can be [...]

CAPE CANAVERAL, - The six astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis will conduct an unprecedented third inspection of their orbiter's heat shield before landing this week to ensure its integrity after an unidentified object appeared to shake free of the spacecraft this morning, NASA's shuttle chief said late Tuesday.NASA space shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said Atlantis' STS-115 astronaut crew will use their orbiter's 50-foot robotic arm to scan sensitive heat shield areas Wednesday and remains on track for a planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center here Thursday at 6:21 a.m. EDT (1021 GMT)."We still aiming for Thursday," Hale said. "We have no reason, we think, not to go take a look."Commanded by veteran NASA spaceflyer Brent Jett, Atlantis' STS-115 crew was slated to land at the Shuttle Landing Facility here at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 5:58 a.m. EDT (0958 GMT) Wednesday after an 11-day mission to resume construction of the International Space Station (ISS).Bu

“Build it and they will come” they said, but perhaps if Apple had known “they” meant patent lawyers they might’ve been less impressed.  Klausner Technologies Inc. has filed a $360m suit against the makers of the iPhone regarding its Visual Voicemail interface, claiming that it impinges on US patent 5,572,576 granted in 1996, which documents a system of displaying messages in a selectable-list format.   (more…) Share This

Anna Nicole Smith book prompts$60M suit(AP) AP - Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer and companion, Howard K. Stern, filed a$60 million libel lawsuit Tuesday against Rita Cosby and her publisher over a book she wrote that claims Stern and Smith's ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, had a sexual encounter. 'Indiana Jones'lawsuit settled(AP)AP - The producers of the new"Indiana Jones"movie have settled a lawsuit against an actor accused of breaching a confidentiality agreement by revealing the film's plot in a newspaper interview. O.J. ordered to surrender Rolex, assets(AP) AP - O.J. Simpson was minus one Rolex watch— real or otherwise— Tuesday after a judge ordered him to hand it and other assets over to the father of slaying victim Ron Goldman. Bookmark to:

One more college essays to cope with? Life is bursting with wonderful news but this one screws up all of your plans. No panic, believe our long essay writing experience, that there is nothing impossible in this world. Ok, stop moralizing! Let us give you some concrete pieces of advice for your essay writing. We hope college essay prompts suggested below will turn your writing process from the routine occupation into the interesting and capturing one. Make use of the college essay prompts and enjoy your writing process! (more…)

Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Germany took steps to repair relations with China after Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the Dalai Lama, angering the government in Beijing.Christoph Heusgen, Merkel's foreign policy adviser, phoned China's ambassador to Germany, Ma Canrong, today to assure him of Merkel's commitment to pursuing closer bilateral ties, according to government spokesman Thomas Steg.

Are you dealing with frustration, anger or disbelief about delays in diagnosis or lack of belief of the role of food in illness or health?Daily I hear stories of frustration, anger, or disbelief about the lack of understanding or appreciation of the role of food and the gut in health. In the Celiac community and literature delays of diagnosis of Celiac disease in adults are known to average between eleven and thirteen years. Many children have diagnoses delayed for years and some are missed completely until after adolescence when additional growth is not possible or in early adulthood when inability to get pregnant or multiple miscarriages have already occurred. The epidemic of chronic illnesses linked to food and the gut remain unrecognized.Many other people suffer from chronic fatigue, gas and bloating, joint aches, mental fogginess or onset of irreversible autoimmune diseases. Many people just feel poorly and don’t know why. Some believe they found a link between food and their p

Arsenal have overtaken both Chelsea and Manchester United to become the second richest football club in the world, behind only Real Madrid. The move to the Emirates stadium is said to be responsible for £190 million gunners turnover for the 2006/07 season. With the most expensive tickets in the Premiership, it is not too startling that Arsenal earn a massive £3.5 million a match at the 60,432

Some users more equal than others Sun Microsystems in the next few days plans to issue an update that plugs a serious security hole in the most recent version of its Java Runtime Environment, more than a week after providing a fix for the same vulnerability in an earlier version of the program. The lag [...]

The latest in what seems to be a growing number of food recalls involves a snack food called Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks. This follows on the heels of last week's recall of Veggie Booty Snack Food.These recalls are apparently due to an ingredient used in both products that is suspected of being contaminated. In 17 states, over 50 people have contacted salmonella from eating the affected snacks.Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and vomitting. It can be especially problematic, even fatal, among people with poor immune function, the elderly or small children.The manufacturer, Robert's American Gourmet, is recommending that consumers who have either of these foods in their homes throw them out immediately. Reimbursement is available by calling 1-800-626-7557.

The new evidence that eldest children develop higher I.Q.’s than their siblings has intensified the debate over two of the most stubborn questions in social science: What are the family dynamics that enhance intelligence? And can they — and should they — be changed?The new findings, from a landmark study published [recently], showed that eldest children had a slight but significant edge in I.Q. — an average of three points over the closest sibling. And it found that the difference was not because of biological factors but the psychological interplay of parents and children.Predictably, the study set off a swarm of Internet commentary from parents, social scientists and others, speculating about what in families could enrich one child’s intellectual environment more than others’.“Anyone with siblings wonders about this,” said Sue Monaco, 51, of Delaware, who has two sons and five siblings. She was one of about 150 readers who posted questions...to a New York Times Web fo

SELMER, Tenn. –When a drag racing car slammed into a crowd of people who had lined the street for a parade in southwest Tennessee, leaving at least six dead, several Baptist ministers quickly were on the scene or at the local hospital.The tragedy occurred during the Cars for Kids Car Show, an annual charity event [...]

Angry parents confronted Chicago Public Schools administrators Tuesday about allegations that a Southwest Side elementary school principal faked grades for 23 eighth-graders.The principal, Eugene Taylor, was removed from McKay Elementary last week but continues to be paid while school officials investigate.In his first public remarks since his removal, Taylor denied the allegations and dubbed it a "witch hunt" by disgruntled staff members and Chicago Board of Education officials. Taylor, who was not present when parents confronted school officials, shifted the blame to an assistant principal who he said ordered teachers to change the grades."It was not me . . . No one is questioning [the assistant principal]. It's all me because I'm the fall guy, I'm the principal," Taylor said. "They are out to get me . . . this is ridiculous."During their meeting with administrators at the school, parents and teachers blasted Taylor's leadership during his 18 months at McKay. They also lashed out

A message of love to an unknown "Gina" is scrawled across the lanes of an overpass on Highway 520 in the Arboretum on Tuesday in Seattle. The message was painted on an unused ramp on the highway in the serene park. The painter and the recipient of the message are mysteries.Source: SeattlepiTechnorati Tags: love message

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - John Edwards is blending a new television commercial with his online Web message, giving his activist supporters a voice in demanding that Congress stand up to President Bush’s veto of a withdrawal timetable for Iraq. The ad promptly set off a rare public spat between Edwards, a [...]

A high school teacher who faced losing her job after a student newspaper published an editorial advocating tolerance of gays can continue teaching at another school.Amy Sorrell, 30, reached an agreement that allows her to be transferred to another high school to teach English because she could not afford the cost of fighting the school district over her discipline."The school administration has said in no uncertain terms that she's not going to be given a journalism position," Proctor said.School officials in the conservative northern Indiana community about 10 miles east of Fort Wayne said Sorrell did not comply with an agreement to alert the principal about controversial articles.Sorrell said she is "very proud" of Megan Chase, the student who wrote the editorial calling for tolerance and acceptance of gays, and the Tomahawk's other writers and editors.This from CNN.

From the department of "Why didn't I notice this before?" comes a very useful command line tip. By selecting the Quick Edit Mode check box, you enable copy and paste from the Command Prompt window. To copy, select the text in the Command Prompt window with your left mouse button, and then right-click. To paste, either at the command prompt or in a text file, right-click. It works with the windows clip board as well. Copy something from a windows application and then right-click in the command prompt. How did I live with out this wonder? powered by Bloget™

Can you imagine the rather heated conversations going on between the White House and the FBI the last few days? People have always been suspicious of the Patriot Act, especially since the Presidents popularity has plummeted over the war in Iraq. This puts the entire administration under a magnifying glass and you damned well know that two groups of people are rubbing their hands in glee right now and thats the Democrats and Al Qaeda. ~RJH  Washington Post story link   FBI Audit Prompts Calls for ReformSome Lawmakers Suggest Limits On Patriot ActBy Dan Eggen and John SolomonWashington Post Staff WritersSaturday, March 10, 2007; Page A01Lawmakers from both parties yesterday called for limits on antiterrorism laws in response to a Justice Department report that the FBI improperly obtained telephone logs, banking records and other personal information on thousands of Americans.The audit by the department's inspector general detailed widespread abuse of the FBI's authority to seize

Freewrite, cluster, or use whatever method works for you, and use each one in a separate writing session. Set your timer for 15 minutes...* Fat* The smell of snow* Angels* Write about something you stole (or was stolen from you).* Write about guilty pleasures.* Beads* Write about things that are too loud.As always...have fun!

When I was asked to help teach my son’s fifth grade creative writing class, I was surprised the teacher had not heard of freewriting. As I explained the concept, she gave me a quizzical look. I can understand her skepticism, because as a teacher, she has to teach her students the rules of grammar and spelling, and freewriting throws those concepts out the window. Though resistant, she agreed to try it.I remember reading of Natalie Goldberg’s (Writing Down the Bones) experience when she told her students to describe their favorite meal. She told her students not to write, “It’s good” or “tastes yummy.” She urged them to use concrete words and specific sensory details. Goldberg said the writing was energetic. I borrowed her idea, and my experience was the same. Many students grinned as they wrote as fast as they could. Some tilted their heads back as if smelling their favorite meal. The experience was as inspiring to me as it was to them. Many clamored to read their pieces