KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- He has no memory, no one knows who he is and he has $1 million in medical bills.
Friday night, police in Kissimmee were trying to solve the mystery of a man hurt in a traffic accident. In his lucid moments, he's told his doctors in Spanish, he thinks he's from Mexico and was born in December, 1939. That would make him 68 years old.
"After about 18 years, I can't think of any other traffic related homicide investigation that we've had where we had anybody who wasn't identified," said Lt. John Lewis of the Kissimmee Police Department.
No one has reported a missing man matching his description. If he's homeless, no local police officers or social workers recognize him.
Kissimmee police plan to fingerprint the John Doe.
It was last November 19, just after 6:00pm. The victim was standing on the median of East Vine Street. As he went to cross the westbound lanes near Michigan Avenue he was struck by a 20-year-old woman driving a Jeep.
No charges were filed against the driver. The accident report only lists him as unknown.
A private investigator the hospital hired has not been able to trace his relatives through any tattoos or other physical characteristics. He does have one outstanding feature; he has two silver teeth.
"Thank god he's still alive, but we'd still like to know who he is," said Lewis.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Shark attacked fisherman on deck
Shark attacked fisherman on deck
An Australian fisherman was attacked by a shark - on the deck of his boat.
The shark's jaws latched so tightly onto his leg that its head had to be cut off to free him, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
The shark had been hauled aboard a fishing boat off Coolangatta, on the Gold Coast.
The mako shark, which was three metres long, whipped around and grabbed the man's right calf after he stepped on its tail.
"There are a few hands on the deck and they could not release the shark from the leg at all until they had cut the shark's head off," said a spokesman for RACQ CareFlight, which was called to fly the man to hospital.
"It was locked on. The bite has gone down to the bone. I've seen a photo of the wound and it's pretty messy."
The 20-year-old fisherman is in a stable condition in the Gold Coast Hospital after emergency surgery.
A paramedic, Darrin Hatchman, said the man was lucky to be alive because the bite narrowly missed arteries and major blood vessels and at the back of the knee.
An Australian fisherman was attacked by a shark - on the deck of his boat.
The shark's jaws latched so tightly onto his leg that its head had to be cut off to free him, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
The shark had been hauled aboard a fishing boat off Coolangatta, on the Gold Coast.
The mako shark, which was three metres long, whipped around and grabbed the man's right calf after he stepped on its tail.
"There are a few hands on the deck and they could not release the shark from the leg at all until they had cut the shark's head off," said a spokesman for RACQ CareFlight, which was called to fly the man to hospital.
"It was locked on. The bite has gone down to the bone. I've seen a photo of the wound and it's pretty messy."
The 20-year-old fisherman is in a stable condition in the Gold Coast Hospital after emergency surgery.
A paramedic, Darrin Hatchman, said the man was lucky to be alive because the bite narrowly missed arteries and major blood vessels and at the back of the knee.
Tyson In Africa - Not So Good....
Tyson turmoil in South Africa!
Wednesday, January 30 2008
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is not receiving a warm welcome in South Africa. Iron Mike is in Johannesburg to help promote the big boxing card on Saturday. However, every step of the ex-champion has been dogged by protests. Buckling under pressure, Jacob Zuma, leader of South Africa's ruling ANC party, cancelled an appearance at a charity event due to the presence of Tyson. Also, radio station Talk Radio 702 cancelled an interview with Iron Mike after angry listeners bombarded its switchboard.
Wednesday, January 30 2008
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is not receiving a warm welcome in South Africa. Iron Mike is in Johannesburg to help promote the big boxing card on Saturday. However, every step of the ex-champion has been dogged by protests. Buckling under pressure, Jacob Zuma, leader of South Africa's ruling ANC party, cancelled an appearance at a charity event due to the presence of Tyson. Also, radio station Talk Radio 702 cancelled an interview with Iron Mike after angry listeners bombarded its switchboard.
Tickets ... Make you sick?
By VALERIE KALFRIN, The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA - Gina Boyd's day already had soured when her 3-year-old daughter began vomiting in her Dodge Caravan.
Then she got a traffic citation.
Boyd, 27, of Temple Terrace, received a $123 citation from a Hillsborough County deputy on Monday after she made an improper U-turn on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at Fletcher Avenue to pull over and attend to her daughter Emily, 3.
"We were in a pretty gross situation," Boyd said Tuesday. "While I'm catching her throw-up, I hear sirens behind me."
Boyd is a stay-at-home mother of three whose husband is in the Army, serving in Iraq. She said she realizes she violated the law but wished the deputy had exercised discretion upon seeing why she had made the improper turn.
Instead, she said, Deputy Jon Tillis told her she could have called an ambulance if there was an emergency. He also blamed her for spurring the driver behind her to make the same turn, she said.
"I feel like I'm in one of these unjust situations," said Boyd, adding that she wants to go to court over the citation but cannot afford court costs or child care. "I would like for his supervisor to look at the situation and see it's ridiculous. ... I didn't do anything but help my daughter."
Tillis, 50, declined to comment.
TAMPA - Gina Boyd's day already had soured when her 3-year-old daughter began vomiting in her Dodge Caravan.
Then she got a traffic citation.
Boyd, 27, of Temple Terrace, received a $123 citation from a Hillsborough County deputy on Monday after she made an improper U-turn on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at Fletcher Avenue to pull over and attend to her daughter Emily, 3.
"We were in a pretty gross situation," Boyd said Tuesday. "While I'm catching her throw-up, I hear sirens behind me."
Boyd is a stay-at-home mother of three whose husband is in the Army, serving in Iraq. She said she realizes she violated the law but wished the deputy had exercised discretion upon seeing why she had made the improper turn.
Instead, she said, Deputy Jon Tillis told her she could have called an ambulance if there was an emergency. He also blamed her for spurring the driver behind her to make the same turn, she said.
"I feel like I'm in one of these unjust situations," said Boyd, adding that she wants to go to court over the citation but cannot afford court costs or child care. "I would like for his supervisor to look at the situation and see it's ridiculous. ... I didn't do anything but help my daughter."
Tillis, 50, declined to comment.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Seminoles Rush to Unveil Vegas-Style Slot Machines
Seminoles Rush to Unveil Vegas-Style Slot Machines
By South Florida Sun-Sentinel - 1/25/2008
They didn't get this far without a little gamble in them.
The Seminole Tribe, which defeated the state and federal governments in court three decades ago to usher in the Indian casino era, said Thursday it will immediately install Las Vegas-style machines at its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. The games go public Monday, just two days before a crucial Supreme Court hearing on whether a deal approving the new games is even legal.
The timing is typical for the Seminoles, who have a proud tradition of bucking authority and fighting any attempts by state government to regulate their actions or interfere with their operations. As a sovereign nation they have been largely successful, and attorneys and tribal leaders said they are confident they will prevail again.
"The tribe has a right to proceed with the games, and in fact, they have an obligation to proceed because every day they don't, the state loses money," Seminole attorney Barry Richard said. "The tribe has already given the state $50 million, and they are just doing what they've already agreed to do."
In November, Gov. Charlie Crist reached a compact with the tribe that allows it to upgrade slot machines, install blackjack and baccarat tables, and host high-stakes poker games at its seven casinos. The tribe agreed to pay $50 million up front to the state, part of a guaranteed minimum of $375 million over the first three years.
The agreement also calls for the tribe to give the state a minimum of $100 million annually thereafter, and possibly much more, based on a percentage of total revenues outlined in the compact.
The state Legislature objected and filed a lawsuit challenging Crist's authority to act without its approval. On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case, which both sides say will play a key role in the future of gambling on Seminole reservations.
By South Florida Sun-Sentinel - 1/25/2008
They didn't get this far without a little gamble in them.
The Seminole Tribe, which defeated the state and federal governments in court three decades ago to usher in the Indian casino era, said Thursday it will immediately install Las Vegas-style machines at its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. The games go public Monday, just two days before a crucial Supreme Court hearing on whether a deal approving the new games is even legal.
The timing is typical for the Seminoles, who have a proud tradition of bucking authority and fighting any attempts by state government to regulate their actions or interfere with their operations. As a sovereign nation they have been largely successful, and attorneys and tribal leaders said they are confident they will prevail again.
"The tribe has a right to proceed with the games, and in fact, they have an obligation to proceed because every day they don't, the state loses money," Seminole attorney Barry Richard said. "The tribe has already given the state $50 million, and they are just doing what they've already agreed to do."
In November, Gov. Charlie Crist reached a compact with the tribe that allows it to upgrade slot machines, install blackjack and baccarat tables, and host high-stakes poker games at its seven casinos. The tribe agreed to pay $50 million up front to the state, part of a guaranteed minimum of $375 million over the first three years.
The agreement also calls for the tribe to give the state a minimum of $100 million annually thereafter, and possibly much more, based on a percentage of total revenues outlined in the compact.
The state Legislature objected and filed a lawsuit challenging Crist's authority to act without its approval. On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case, which both sides say will play a key role in the future of gambling on Seminole reservations.
T-Mobile Gets Popped!
Class Action Firm Wins Full Recovery and Fees in T-Mobile $2.2 Million Settlement
Zack Needles
The Legal Intelligencer
01-18-2008
In a case that was originally worth less than a tank of gas, Haverford, Pa., class action firm Chimicles & Tikellis reached a settlement with T-Mobile USA worth almost $2.2 million, requiring the cellular services provider to reimburse class members with a net recovery of the full amount of unrefunded billing overcharges.
Counsel fees, which were also paid by T-Mobile as a condition of the settlement, totaled $1,097,808.
The settlement, which was approved by a Michigan federal court in December, put an end to a class action complaint levied against T-Mobile in 2006 alleging that the company had overcharged customers from April 2003 until June 2006 due to an internal billing system error.
According to Steven A. Schwartz of Chimicles & Tikellis, who argued the case in conjunction with E. Powell Miller, formerly of Michigan-based Miller Shea, now with The Miller Law Firm, 100 percent recoveries are uncharacteristic of most class settlements.
"We think it's very rare for a class action case," he said. Joshua C. Schumacher, an associate at Philadelphia plaintiffs class action firm Berger & Montague, said that while it was difficult to comment specifically on the T-Mobile case without knowing all the facts, a 100 percent recovery is not only uncommon, it's almost unimaginable in class action settlements.
"One hundred percent is truly a phenomenal recovery," he said. "Fifty percent would be phenomenal, but 100 percent is virtually unheard of."
According to the plaintiffs' memorandum in support of the proposed settlement, in January 2006 T-Mobile responded to the class complaint by instituting two computer programs designed to reimburse affected customers but failed to keep track of the refunds, making it impossible to know exactly how much money the company had paid back. As a condition of the settlement, T-Mobile was required to hire an outside research consultant to calculate how much of the estimated $6.7 million owed to subscribers had been paid through the automated reimbursements. The consultant concluded the company still owed about $2.2 million to its customers.
Schwartz said the company conceded to a full recovery settlement plus about $1.1 million in counsel fees relatively early in the negotiations, even agreeing to pay for the plaintiffs' notice and claims administration, despite their being no statutory provision requiring them to do so. While Schwartz said his firm never received hard numbers for those fees or for the cost of statistical analysis, it is estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Schumacher said it's atypical for a defendant to agree to pay legal fees in addition to a full recovery.
"I would classify that as not commonplace," he said.
Schwartz believes the defendant's willingness to grant all of the plaintiffs' wishes was indicative of fear that its case wouldn't hold up at trial.
"This was truly a case where [T-Mobile] had no defense on their merits that they wrongfully collected money from their subscribers for services subscribers had already paid for," he said.
Robert Kaplan of New York-based Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman, who represented T-Mobile, did not respond to a phone message before press time. A spokeswoman for T-Mobile said she could not comment on the case.
The case began in 2005 with one plaintiff, Michigan resident Chun Wing Wong, who claimed he was overcharged for Web and e-mail access based on usage even though he paid a flat monthly rate of $4.99 for unlimited access.
According to the original complaint, when Wong notified the company about the error, customer service representatives admitted to him orally and in writing that the company was aware of an internal computer glitch. Still, T-Mobile refused to fully reimburse Wong because he failed to complain within 60 days of the first incorrect bill, a company policy it refused to waive. Wong's total claim in the lawsuit complaint was for $19.75.
After Wong filed suit, T-Mobile immediately moved to compel arbitration, citing its contract with Wong, which contained an arbitration agreement and a class action waiver, but was denied. According to Judge Nancy G. Edmunds' court order denying arbitration, T-Mobile's contract with Wong stated that if the court found the class action waiver unenforceable, the case would not go to arbitration. Edmunds deemed the waiver unenforceable because it would have robbed the proposed class of its rights under Michigan's Consumer Protection Act.
Soon after, the number of plaintiffs ballooned from one Michigan resident to about 350,000 people nationwide.
Schwartz said he was amazed at the company's initial unwillingness to resolve the issue before the class was certified.
"T-Mobile could have avoided all of this for $20," he said. According to Schwartz, avoiding arbitration and being granted permission to move forward as a class action was a major hurdle for the plaintiffs to overcome before being able to negotiate a settlement on their own terms.
"Once we won that battle, we had to draw a line in the sand and demand full recovery of the unpaid overcharges," he said.
Schwartz, who, along with Miller also reached a full recovery settlement with Siemens Medical Solutions in 2005, said he hoped both cases would serve as counterexamples to those who see class action settlements as a quick way for attorneys to make a fortune and class members to make pennies on the dollar.
He said that this can occur, but holding out for a better settlement can be beneficial for both the plaintiffs and the plaintiffs' attorneys, provided the case meets certain standards.
"It has to be a strong case on merit, there has to be credibility on the plaintiffs' side that [if settlement can't be reached] they can take the case to trial and win," he said. "And plaintiffs attorneys should set their sights high in terms of what they're willing to settle for."
For now, he and Miller are two-for-two as a team in obtaining full recovery settlements.
"Hopefully we can continue that record into the future," Schwartz said.
Zack Needles
The Legal Intelligencer
01-18-2008
In a case that was originally worth less than a tank of gas, Haverford, Pa., class action firm Chimicles & Tikellis reached a settlement with T-Mobile USA worth almost $2.2 million, requiring the cellular services provider to reimburse class members with a net recovery of the full amount of unrefunded billing overcharges.
Counsel fees, which were also paid by T-Mobile as a condition of the settlement, totaled $1,097,808.
The settlement, which was approved by a Michigan federal court in December, put an end to a class action complaint levied against T-Mobile in 2006 alleging that the company had overcharged customers from April 2003 until June 2006 due to an internal billing system error.
According to Steven A. Schwartz of Chimicles & Tikellis, who argued the case in conjunction with E. Powell Miller, formerly of Michigan-based Miller Shea, now with The Miller Law Firm, 100 percent recoveries are uncharacteristic of most class settlements.
"We think it's very rare for a class action case," he said. Joshua C. Schumacher, an associate at Philadelphia plaintiffs class action firm Berger & Montague, said that while it was difficult to comment specifically on the T-Mobile case without knowing all the facts, a 100 percent recovery is not only uncommon, it's almost unimaginable in class action settlements.
"One hundred percent is truly a phenomenal recovery," he said. "Fifty percent would be phenomenal, but 100 percent is virtually unheard of."
According to the plaintiffs' memorandum in support of the proposed settlement, in January 2006 T-Mobile responded to the class complaint by instituting two computer programs designed to reimburse affected customers but failed to keep track of the refunds, making it impossible to know exactly how much money the company had paid back. As a condition of the settlement, T-Mobile was required to hire an outside research consultant to calculate how much of the estimated $6.7 million owed to subscribers had been paid through the automated reimbursements. The consultant concluded the company still owed about $2.2 million to its customers.
Schwartz said the company conceded to a full recovery settlement plus about $1.1 million in counsel fees relatively early in the negotiations, even agreeing to pay for the plaintiffs' notice and claims administration, despite their being no statutory provision requiring them to do so. While Schwartz said his firm never received hard numbers for those fees or for the cost of statistical analysis, it is estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Schumacher said it's atypical for a defendant to agree to pay legal fees in addition to a full recovery.
"I would classify that as not commonplace," he said.
Schwartz believes the defendant's willingness to grant all of the plaintiffs' wishes was indicative of fear that its case wouldn't hold up at trial.
"This was truly a case where [T-Mobile] had no defense on their merits that they wrongfully collected money from their subscribers for services subscribers had already paid for," he said.
Robert Kaplan of New York-based Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman, who represented T-Mobile, did not respond to a phone message before press time. A spokeswoman for T-Mobile said she could not comment on the case.
The case began in 2005 with one plaintiff, Michigan resident Chun Wing Wong, who claimed he was overcharged for Web and e-mail access based on usage even though he paid a flat monthly rate of $4.99 for unlimited access.
According to the original complaint, when Wong notified the company about the error, customer service representatives admitted to him orally and in writing that the company was aware of an internal computer glitch. Still, T-Mobile refused to fully reimburse Wong because he failed to complain within 60 days of the first incorrect bill, a company policy it refused to waive. Wong's total claim in the lawsuit complaint was for $19.75.
After Wong filed suit, T-Mobile immediately moved to compel arbitration, citing its contract with Wong, which contained an arbitration agreement and a class action waiver, but was denied. According to Judge Nancy G. Edmunds' court order denying arbitration, T-Mobile's contract with Wong stated that if the court found the class action waiver unenforceable, the case would not go to arbitration. Edmunds deemed the waiver unenforceable because it would have robbed the proposed class of its rights under Michigan's Consumer Protection Act.
Soon after, the number of plaintiffs ballooned from one Michigan resident to about 350,000 people nationwide.
Schwartz said he was amazed at the company's initial unwillingness to resolve the issue before the class was certified.
"T-Mobile could have avoided all of this for $20," he said. According to Schwartz, avoiding arbitration and being granted permission to move forward as a class action was a major hurdle for the plaintiffs to overcome before being able to negotiate a settlement on their own terms.
"Once we won that battle, we had to draw a line in the sand and demand full recovery of the unpaid overcharges," he said.
Schwartz, who, along with Miller also reached a full recovery settlement with Siemens Medical Solutions in 2005, said he hoped both cases would serve as counterexamples to those who see class action settlements as a quick way for attorneys to make a fortune and class members to make pennies on the dollar.
He said that this can occur, but holding out for a better settlement can be beneficial for both the plaintiffs and the plaintiffs' attorneys, provided the case meets certain standards.
"It has to be a strong case on merit, there has to be credibility on the plaintiffs' side that [if settlement can't be reached] they can take the case to trial and win," he said. "And plaintiffs attorneys should set their sights high in terms of what they're willing to settle for."
For now, he and Miller are two-for-two as a team in obtaining full recovery settlements.
"Hopefully we can continue that record into the future," Schwartz said.
Teen's plan to crash plane at concert foiled
NASHVILLE, TN. -- A 16-year-old runaway from California is accused of plotting to hijack a plane and crash it into a Hannah Montana concert.
Police arrested the teenager at the Nashville airport Tuesday. He had handcuffs, rope and duct tape with him along with a copy of the flight plan and schedule.
Passengers were there when the teen was arrested but no one was hurt.
Authorities said they think the teen is suicidal. Authorities searched the boy's home in California and found a mock cockpit.
The FBI is investigating the case and has charged the teenager with felony terrorism.
'Shenanigans' claimed in Hogan divorce
Linda Bollea is accusing estranged husband Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement.
PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The divorce between Hulk Hogan and his wife is getting ugly.
Hogan, also known as Terry Bollea and his wife Linda have been going through divorce proceedings since November.
This week, Linda asked a judge to stop her estranged husband from spending any of the $10 million he received in the sale of one of their homes.
She asked that all of his accounts be frozen.
But that's not all.
According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper, The St. Petersburg Times, Linda Bollea is accusing the former wrestling star of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement. Linda Bollea also has accused him of other "legal shenanigans.'
As a result, Linda Bollea reportedly removed $1.5 million from the couple's accounts, although she said she has not spent it. Linda Bollea's petition for divorce in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court seeks half of the couple's assets. They were married in 1985.
NASHVILLE, TN. -- A 16-year-old runaway from California is accused of plotting to hijack a plane and crash it into a Hannah Montana concert.
Police arrested the teenager at the Nashville airport Tuesday. He had handcuffs, rope and duct tape with him along with a copy of the flight plan and schedule.
Passengers were there when the teen was arrested but no one was hurt.
Authorities said they think the teen is suicidal. Authorities searched the boy's home in California and found a mock cockpit.
The FBI is investigating the case and has charged the teenager with felony terrorism.
'Shenanigans' claimed in Hogan divorce
Linda Bollea is accusing estranged husband Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement.
PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The divorce between Hulk Hogan and his wife is getting ugly.
Hogan, also known as Terry Bollea and his wife Linda have been going through divorce proceedings since November.
This week, Linda asked a judge to stop her estranged husband from spending any of the $10 million he received in the sale of one of their homes.
She asked that all of his accounts be frozen.
But that's not all.
According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper, The St. Petersburg Times, Linda Bollea is accusing the former wrestling star of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement. Linda Bollea also has accused him of other "legal shenanigans.'
As a result, Linda Bollea reportedly removed $1.5 million from the couple's accounts, although she said she has not spent it. Linda Bollea's petition for divorce in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court seeks half of the couple's assets. They were married in 1985.
Teen's plan to crash plane at concert foiled
NASHVILLE, TN. -- A 16-year-old runaway from California is accused of plotting to hijack a plane and crash it into a Hannah Montana concert.
Police arrested the teenager at the Nashville airport Tuesday. He had handcuffs, rope and duct tape with him along with a copy of the flight plan and schedule.
More Information
* Hannah Montana concert schedule
Passengers were there when the teen was arrested but no one was hurt.
Authorities said they think the teen is suicidal. Authorities searched the boy's home in California and found a mock cockpit.
The FBI is investigating the case and has charged the teenager with felony terrorism.
'Shenanigans' claimed in Hogan divorce
Linda Bollea is accusing estranged husband Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement.
PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The divorce between Hulk Hogan and his wife is getting ugly.
Hogan, also known as Terry Bollea and his wife Linda have been going through divorce proceedings since November.
This week, Linda asked a judge to stop her estranged husband from spending any of the $10 million he received in the sale of one of their homes.
She asked that all of his accounts be frozen.
But that's not all.
According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper, The St. Petersburg Times, Linda Bollea is accusing the former wrestling star of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement. Linda Bollea also has accused him of other "legal shenanigans.'
As a result, Linda Bollea reportedly removed $1.5 million from the couple's accounts, although she said she has not spent it. Linda Bollea's petition for divorce in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court seeks half of the couple's assets. They were married in 1985.
NASHVILLE, TN. -- A 16-year-old runaway from California is accused of plotting to hijack a plane and crash it into a Hannah Montana concert.
Police arrested the teenager at the Nashville airport Tuesday. He had handcuffs, rope and duct tape with him along with a copy of the flight plan and schedule.
More Information
* Hannah Montana concert schedule
Passengers were there when the teen was arrested but no one was hurt.
Authorities said they think the teen is suicidal. Authorities searched the boy's home in California and found a mock cockpit.
The FBI is investigating the case and has charged the teenager with felony terrorism.
'Shenanigans' claimed in Hogan divorce
Linda Bollea is accusing estranged husband Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement.
PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The divorce between Hulk Hogan and his wife is getting ugly.
Hogan, also known as Terry Bollea and his wife Linda have been going through divorce proceedings since November.
This week, Linda asked a judge to stop her estranged husband from spending any of the $10 million he received in the sale of one of their homes.
She asked that all of his accounts be frozen.
But that's not all.
According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper, The St. Petersburg Times, Linda Bollea is accusing the former wrestling star of trying to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement. Linda Bollea also has accused him of other "legal shenanigans.'
As a result, Linda Bollea reportedly removed $1.5 million from the couple's accounts, although she said she has not spent it. Linda Bollea's petition for divorce in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court seeks half of the couple's assets. They were married in 1985.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
thebiggame2009.com
Tampa's Next Super Bowl Could See Tickets At $900
By Baird Helgeson of The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 23, 2008
TAMPA - Football fans who want to attend next year's Super Bowl in Tampa should prepare to pay a lot more for tickets than they did the last time the area hosted the event, seven years ago.
Ticket prices for the 2009 Super Bowl have not been released, but attendees of this year's game in Glendale, Ariz., will pay $700 to $900 a seat, said Reid Sigmon, executive director of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee.
Super Bowl attendees in 2001 paid $325 to $425 a seat to watch the Baltimore Ravens clobber the New York Giants 34-7 at Raymond James Stadium.
"The NFL realized the tickets had more value," Sigmon told a group of business leaders at the University of Tampa this morning.
Stubhub.com, a Web site that buys and sells concert and game tickets, is offering tickets to the Feb. 3 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants for $2,450 to $18,500.
Sigmon and other members of the host committee will spend the coming months looking for corporate sponsors and trying to ensure next year's event is successful.
The host committee has raised about $2 million toward its goal of $8 million in private donations, said Sigmon, who helped organize previous Super Bowls in Jacksonville and Tampa. "We feel pretty good about where we are at."
Taxpayers will kick in up to $4 million to cover Tampa Bay's Super Bowl costs through tourism tax revenue from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and a state grant.
This spring, the host committee will begin recruiting roughly 7,000 volunteers needed for Super Bowl-related activities. Many of the volunteers will work as ambassadors to help visitors at the airport, hotels and at the NFL Experience, an interactive theme park with games, displays and various entertainment attractions.
For the latest information, check out the host committee's Web site: www.tampabaysuperbowl.com/.
By Baird Helgeson of The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 23, 2008
TAMPA - Football fans who want to attend next year's Super Bowl in Tampa should prepare to pay a lot more for tickets than they did the last time the area hosted the event, seven years ago.
Ticket prices for the 2009 Super Bowl have not been released, but attendees of this year's game in Glendale, Ariz., will pay $700 to $900 a seat, said Reid Sigmon, executive director of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee.
Super Bowl attendees in 2001 paid $325 to $425 a seat to watch the Baltimore Ravens clobber the New York Giants 34-7 at Raymond James Stadium.
"The NFL realized the tickets had more value," Sigmon told a group of business leaders at the University of Tampa this morning.
Stubhub.com, a Web site that buys and sells concert and game tickets, is offering tickets to the Feb. 3 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants for $2,450 to $18,500.
Sigmon and other members of the host committee will spend the coming months looking for corporate sponsors and trying to ensure next year's event is successful.
The host committee has raised about $2 million toward its goal of $8 million in private donations, said Sigmon, who helped organize previous Super Bowls in Jacksonville and Tampa. "We feel pretty good about where we are at."
Taxpayers will kick in up to $4 million to cover Tampa Bay's Super Bowl costs through tourism tax revenue from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and a state grant.
This spring, the host committee will begin recruiting roughly 7,000 volunteers needed for Super Bowl-related activities. Many of the volunteers will work as ambassadors to help visitors at the airport, hotels and at the NFL Experience, an interactive theme park with games, displays and various entertainment attractions.
For the latest information, check out the host committee's Web site: www.tampabaysuperbowl.com/.
Southwest plans high-speed Internet trials
Southwest Airlines announced Wednesday that it plans to begin trials of satellite-to-airplane broadband Internet service sometime this summer.
Spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said Wednesday morning that initially Southwest plans to test the service on four planes. But because the airline's planes fly many different routes, she did not anticipate--at least not yet--that travelers would be able to plan to fly on one of those planes.
That means that in the early going at least, the service--which will allow passengers to access the Internet if they have their own Wi-Fi-enabled laptops--will be available at random.
McInnis did not say if Southwest's service would limit what kind of sites or applications passengers could access, as does JetBlue's recently added service.
But she pointed out that because the service is satellite-to-plane--whereas JetBlue's, for example, is ground-to-air--it would ensure consistent connectivity, even over water.
It's not entirely clear what benchmarks Southwest will use to determine the success or failure of the trial. McInnis said that the airline will examine whether the technology works and whether it performs according to plan.
Spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said Wednesday morning that initially Southwest plans to test the service on four planes. But because the airline's planes fly many different routes, she did not anticipate--at least not yet--that travelers would be able to plan to fly on one of those planes.
That means that in the early going at least, the service--which will allow passengers to access the Internet if they have their own Wi-Fi-enabled laptops--will be available at random.
McInnis did not say if Southwest's service would limit what kind of sites or applications passengers could access, as does JetBlue's recently added service.
But she pointed out that because the service is satellite-to-plane--whereas JetBlue's, for example, is ground-to-air--it would ensure consistent connectivity, even over water.
It's not entirely clear what benchmarks Southwest will use to determine the success or failure of the trial. McInnis said that the airline will examine whether the technology works and whether it performs according to plan.
iPhone Update - Pretty Cool!
Jobs, iPhone have Skyhook pointed in right direction
By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — The big idea came on a trip: Ted Morgan and Michael Shean used Wi-Fi signals in their travels so often to pick up e-mail, they saw a business opportunity in their future.
What if they could figure out locations and directions via Wi-Fi signals instead of the more commonly used Global Positioning System (GPS)?
After discovering that it could work, they left their jobs at e-billing company eDocs and formed Skyhook Wireless in 2003. The Boston-based firm raised $16.8 million and signed up several partners to showcase the technology, including AOL (TWX) and mapping firm Navteq (NVT).
Last week, Skyhook was thrust to center stage courtesy of Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs. He not only demonstrated Skyhook at the Macworld conference here, but also gave a detailed and spirited explanation of how the technology works. "Isn't that cool?" Jobs said. "It's really cool."
Now, users of the iPhone and the iPod Touch (an iPod that can pick up Wi-Fi signals) can find their location and, in conjunction with mapping information from Google (GOOG), get instant directions. The feature is part of a software update that is free for the iPhone and $20 for current Touch owners.
The alliance and plug from Apple are "enormous for us," Skyhook CEO Morgan says. "It's a huge endorsement of the technology."
Morgan won't discuss terms but says Skyhook generally gets a royalty on each device sold, similar to how GPS tech companies work with device manufacturers.
USA TODAY caught up with Morgan and Shean during their Macworld visit. During our time together, we drove around the city to see if the iPhone really could tell we were near the Golden Gate Bridge, at Fisherman's Wharf or cruising down zig-zaggy Lombard Street.
No wrong turns: Skyhook worked as advertised.
Morgan explained how the technology works: "Every Wi-Fi access point, whether public or private, sends out a signal every second or so, like a lighthouse. We pick up those signals and use our technology to calculate your exact location."
What Skyhook does not do, Skyhook Vice President Shean says, is connect to those Wi-Fi networks. "We're detecting, not connecting."
To get the system up and running, Skyhook sent teams of drivers around the USA and Canada to map out hot spots; it now has 70% of North America covered. Skyhook vehicles now are cruising Europe and Asia to add to the database.
Skyhook's system works best indoors and in urban settings, Morgan says, while GPS is better in areas with clear views of the open skies, to reach satellite signals. He believes device manufacturers will eventually use GPS and Wi-Fi together to serve customers.
Skyhook isn't the only company touting GPS alternatives.
Google introduced its free "My Location" technology in late November, picking up its information from cellphone towers. Google's offering works on a handful of Motorola (MOT) and Sony Ericsson (SNE) phones, smartphones from BlackBerry (RIMM) and "most" Windows (MSFT) Mobile devices, Google says.
Apple uses both Skyhook and Google technology on the iPhone. It looks for Wi-Fi signals first, and if there are none, it switches to Google's cell-tower information.
Targeting the mobile consumer
According to market tracker Strategy Analytics there will be 4.1 billion mobile phone subscribers by 2010, up from 3.1 billion in 2007.
Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research, (FORR) says many phones sold by Verizon, (VZ) Sprint (S), AT&T (T) and T-Mobile have some form of location information available, usually for an extra monthly fee.
With the iPhone deal behind him, Morgan's goal for 2008 is to get other handset manufacturers to use his Wi-Fi technology, as a less expensive and what he deems more reliable alternative to GPS.
He'll have a much easier time pulling this off than before, Golvin says.
"Getting the credibility associated with not just a well-liked company (Apple), but one with such huge visibility, is very significant," he says. "And then to be associated with the iPhone as well makes it really extra special."
Greg Sterling, an analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, sees the real potential of Skyhook's instant-location technology in advertising.
The mobile consumer, he says, "is typically closer to a purchase than somebody sitting behind a desk."
Marketers, he adds, "can figure out where the consumer is, and that makes it that much easier to sell them something. The advertising is directed to you."
For the future, Morgan says, he wants to go beyond the phone and get Skyhook's software on laptops and gaming and music devices: "every Wi-Fi-enabled device."
A handful of music devices and cameras currently have Wi-Fi capability; most don't. Morgan envisions his technology helping folks "geotag" photos (identify shots from trips to Florida and Canada as an organizational timesaver) and sync songs as a way of eliminating wires.
"You're not going to buy these devices in the future if it doesn't have directions or local services to it," he says. "This is a huge opportunity for us."
By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — The big idea came on a trip: Ted Morgan and Michael Shean used Wi-Fi signals in their travels so often to pick up e-mail, they saw a business opportunity in their future.
What if they could figure out locations and directions via Wi-Fi signals instead of the more commonly used Global Positioning System (GPS)?
After discovering that it could work, they left their jobs at e-billing company eDocs and formed Skyhook Wireless in 2003. The Boston-based firm raised $16.8 million and signed up several partners to showcase the technology, including AOL (TWX) and mapping firm Navteq (NVT).
Last week, Skyhook was thrust to center stage courtesy of Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs. He not only demonstrated Skyhook at the Macworld conference here, but also gave a detailed and spirited explanation of how the technology works. "Isn't that cool?" Jobs said. "It's really cool."
Now, users of the iPhone and the iPod Touch (an iPod that can pick up Wi-Fi signals) can find their location and, in conjunction with mapping information from Google (GOOG), get instant directions. The feature is part of a software update that is free for the iPhone and $20 for current Touch owners.
The alliance and plug from Apple are "enormous for us," Skyhook CEO Morgan says. "It's a huge endorsement of the technology."
Morgan won't discuss terms but says Skyhook generally gets a royalty on each device sold, similar to how GPS tech companies work with device manufacturers.
USA TODAY caught up with Morgan and Shean during their Macworld visit. During our time together, we drove around the city to see if the iPhone really could tell we were near the Golden Gate Bridge, at Fisherman's Wharf or cruising down zig-zaggy Lombard Street.
No wrong turns: Skyhook worked as advertised.
Morgan explained how the technology works: "Every Wi-Fi access point, whether public or private, sends out a signal every second or so, like a lighthouse. We pick up those signals and use our technology to calculate your exact location."
What Skyhook does not do, Skyhook Vice President Shean says, is connect to those Wi-Fi networks. "We're detecting, not connecting."
To get the system up and running, Skyhook sent teams of drivers around the USA and Canada to map out hot spots; it now has 70% of North America covered. Skyhook vehicles now are cruising Europe and Asia to add to the database.
Skyhook's system works best indoors and in urban settings, Morgan says, while GPS is better in areas with clear views of the open skies, to reach satellite signals. He believes device manufacturers will eventually use GPS and Wi-Fi together to serve customers.
Skyhook isn't the only company touting GPS alternatives.
Google introduced its free "My Location" technology in late November, picking up its information from cellphone towers. Google's offering works on a handful of Motorola (MOT) and Sony Ericsson (SNE) phones, smartphones from BlackBerry (RIMM) and "most" Windows (MSFT) Mobile devices, Google says.
Apple uses both Skyhook and Google technology on the iPhone. It looks for Wi-Fi signals first, and if there are none, it switches to Google's cell-tower information.
Targeting the mobile consumer
According to market tracker Strategy Analytics there will be 4.1 billion mobile phone subscribers by 2010, up from 3.1 billion in 2007.
Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research, (FORR) says many phones sold by Verizon, (VZ) Sprint (S), AT&T (T) and T-Mobile have some form of location information available, usually for an extra monthly fee.
With the iPhone deal behind him, Morgan's goal for 2008 is to get other handset manufacturers to use his Wi-Fi technology, as a less expensive and what he deems more reliable alternative to GPS.
He'll have a much easier time pulling this off than before, Golvin says.
"Getting the credibility associated with not just a well-liked company (Apple), but one with such huge visibility, is very significant," he says. "And then to be associated with the iPhone as well makes it really extra special."
Greg Sterling, an analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, sees the real potential of Skyhook's instant-location technology in advertising.
The mobile consumer, he says, "is typically closer to a purchase than somebody sitting behind a desk."
Marketers, he adds, "can figure out where the consumer is, and that makes it that much easier to sell them something. The advertising is directed to you."
For the future, Morgan says, he wants to go beyond the phone and get Skyhook's software on laptops and gaming and music devices: "every Wi-Fi-enabled device."
A handful of music devices and cameras currently have Wi-Fi capability; most don't. Morgan envisions his technology helping folks "geotag" photos (identify shots from trips to Florida and Canada as an organizational timesaver) and sync songs as a way of eliminating wires.
"You're not going to buy these devices in the future if it doesn't have directions or local services to it," he says. "This is a huge opportunity for us."
Pinellas County sobriety checkpoint results
Pinellas County deputies and officers from the Largo Police department conducted two sobriety checkpoints over the weekend.
Sgt. Michael Peasley II from the sheriff's office said 34 people were arrested on 48 charges, including 12 for DUI.
In addition, 152 traffic citations were issued and 18 vehicles were impounded.
Specific arrest charges:
12 DUI
10 Driving while license suspended or revoked
7
No valid driver license
6 Possession of a controlled substance (misdemeanor)
5 Warrant arrests
3 Possession of a controlled substance (felony)
1
Carrying a concealed weapon
1
Possession of a fake driver license
1
Minor in possession of alcohol
1
Providing a false name to a law enforcement officer
1
Tampering with evidence
The first checkpoint was Friday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Badcock Home Furniture Store on Missouri Avenue in Largo, and the second was conducted on Saturday from 12:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. at the Pinellas Preparatory Academy on Belcher Road in Largo.
About 440 vehicles passed through the two checkpoints and 129 drivers were diverted for assessment.
Sgt. Michael Peasley II from the sheriff's office said 34 people were arrested on 48 charges, including 12 for DUI.
In addition, 152 traffic citations were issued and 18 vehicles were impounded.
Specific arrest charges:
12 DUI
10 Driving while license suspended or revoked
7
No valid driver license
6 Possession of a controlled substance (misdemeanor)
5 Warrant arrests
3 Possession of a controlled substance (felony)
1
Carrying a concealed weapon
1
Possession of a fake driver license
1
Minor in possession of alcohol
1
Providing a false name to a law enforcement officer
1
Tampering with evidence
The first checkpoint was Friday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Badcock Home Furniture Store on Missouri Avenue in Largo, and the second was conducted on Saturday from 12:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. at the Pinellas Preparatory Academy on Belcher Road in Largo.
About 440 vehicles passed through the two checkpoints and 129 drivers were diverted for assessment.
Hopkins-Calzaghe fight set
Hopkins-Calzaghe fight set
Pair to vie for light heavyweight belt April 19
By STEVE CARP
REVIEW-JOURNAL
World super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe will make his long-awaited U.S. debut against Bernard Hopkins on April 19 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Thomas & Mack director Daren Libonati confirmed the date and site. An official announcement is expected to be made today in London.
Calzaghe (44-0, 32 knockouts), a 35-year-old from Wales, will move up to light heavyweight to face Hopkins (48-4, 32 KOs), who last fought July 21 when he defeated Winky Wright at Mandalay Bay. Hopkins' Ring Magazine light heavyweight title will be on the line.
Calzaghe last fought Nov. 3 when he took a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Mikkel Kessler.
Calzaghe has held the WBO super middleweight title for more than 10 years with 21 successful defenses, the longest reign of any fighter in history. But he has fought outside of the United Kingdom only three times and always has wanted a high-profile fight in the United States.
In Hopkins, he has the big-name opponent he coveted.
The two have been engaging in a war of words for a couple of months, and they nearly came to blows in the media center and later at the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Ricky Hatton weigh-in at the MGM Grand on Dec. 7.
Hopkins, a 43-year-old from Philadelphia, was fined a record $200,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission for starting a melee at the weigh-in for the Wright fight.
Hopkins-Calzaghe will be televised on HBO, not on pay per view as was originally planned.
Golden Boy Promotions will promote the fight in conjunction with veteran British promoter Frank Warren.
Tickets will go on sale Feb. 6 at the Thomas & Mack box office, through Planet Hollywood's Web site and at UNLVTickets.com.
Pair to vie for light heavyweight belt April 19
By STEVE CARP
REVIEW-JOURNAL
World super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe will make his long-awaited U.S. debut against Bernard Hopkins on April 19 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Thomas & Mack director Daren Libonati confirmed the date and site. An official announcement is expected to be made today in London.
Calzaghe (44-0, 32 knockouts), a 35-year-old from Wales, will move up to light heavyweight to face Hopkins (48-4, 32 KOs), who last fought July 21 when he defeated Winky Wright at Mandalay Bay. Hopkins' Ring Magazine light heavyweight title will be on the line.
Calzaghe last fought Nov. 3 when he took a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Mikkel Kessler.
Calzaghe has held the WBO super middleweight title for more than 10 years with 21 successful defenses, the longest reign of any fighter in history. But he has fought outside of the United Kingdom only three times and always has wanted a high-profile fight in the United States.
In Hopkins, he has the big-name opponent he coveted.
The two have been engaging in a war of words for a couple of months, and they nearly came to blows in the media center and later at the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Ricky Hatton weigh-in at the MGM Grand on Dec. 7.
Hopkins, a 43-year-old from Philadelphia, was fined a record $200,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission for starting a melee at the weigh-in for the Wright fight.
Hopkins-Calzaghe will be televised on HBO, not on pay per view as was originally planned.
Golden Boy Promotions will promote the fight in conjunction with veteran British promoter Frank Warren.
Tickets will go on sale Feb. 6 at the Thomas & Mack box office, through Planet Hollywood's Web site and at UNLVTickets.com.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Watts Up????!!?!
TAMPA - A man and his roommate got quite a surprise when they opened their electric bill Friday.
The Tampa Electric Co. bill showed the couple owed almost $100,000.
"I have no idea how I ended up with a $100,000 electric bill," Richard Grieshop said. "There's no way. I don't think anyone uses that in a lifetime."
Grieshop and his roommate, Lynda Williams, live in a one-bedroom mobile home. Both use wheelchairs and live on fixed incomes.
Their power had been turned off during the holidays, but with help from friends and social services, they got the lights turned back on about two weeks ago, Grieshop said.
"I have cancer of the esophagus. I have problems breathing. I have to have breathing equipment. Lynda's paralyzed; she has to have it for her electric wheelchair."
Grieshop said he called TECO and was told to pay up or face having his power turned off again.
A Tampa Electric spokesman told News Channel 8 that a system error generated the bill and that Grieshop and Williams don't owe $99,999.
The spokesman said Grieshop need only call customer service again to get the problem solved.
Grieshop said that's good news.
"We're just trying to make it here, living in the world without having to live in a nursing home."
The Tampa Electric Co. bill showed the couple owed almost $100,000.
"I have no idea how I ended up with a $100,000 electric bill," Richard Grieshop said. "There's no way. I don't think anyone uses that in a lifetime."
Grieshop and his roommate, Lynda Williams, live in a one-bedroom mobile home. Both use wheelchairs and live on fixed incomes.
Their power had been turned off during the holidays, but with help from friends and social services, they got the lights turned back on about two weeks ago, Grieshop said.
"I have cancer of the esophagus. I have problems breathing. I have to have breathing equipment. Lynda's paralyzed; she has to have it for her electric wheelchair."
Grieshop said he called TECO and was told to pay up or face having his power turned off again.
A Tampa Electric spokesman told News Channel 8 that a system error generated the bill and that Grieshop and Williams don't owe $99,999.
The spokesman said Grieshop need only call customer service again to get the problem solved.
Grieshop said that's good news.
"We're just trying to make it here, living in the world without having to live in a nursing home."
Cheaper Gas?
AAA: Gas prices to go down this week
South Florida Business Journal
Expect to see slightly lower gas prices at the pump this week, thanks to a slowing economy and increased crude oil and gasoline inventories.
AAA reports that a number of oil industry analysts say they expect oil to continue to decline, now trading below $90 a barrel for the first time since November.
In Florida, the price of self-serve regular gasoline currently averages $3.09 a gallon, down from $3.14 a week ago.
It is averaging $3.04, down from $3.08 a month ago in Fort Lauderdale; $3.14, up from $3.13 a month ago in Miami; and $3.18 in West Palm Beach/Boca Raton, up from $3.15 a month ago.
South Florida Business Journal
Expect to see slightly lower gas prices at the pump this week, thanks to a slowing economy and increased crude oil and gasoline inventories.
AAA reports that a number of oil industry analysts say they expect oil to continue to decline, now trading below $90 a barrel for the first time since November.
In Florida, the price of self-serve regular gasoline currently averages $3.09 a gallon, down from $3.14 a week ago.
It is averaging $3.04, down from $3.08 a month ago in Fort Lauderdale; $3.14, up from $3.13 a month ago in Miami; and $3.18 in West Palm Beach/Boca Raton, up from $3.15 a month ago.
Three More Years!
Bucs retain Allen, Gruden through 2011
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Success in 2007 means player personnel managers will be rewarded with extended contracts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
General Manager Bruce Allen and Head Coach Jon Gruden signed three-year contract extensions through the 2011 season, the team said Tuesday. No terms were disclosed.
Allen just completed his fourth season with Tampa Bay, leading the Buccaneers to division titles in 2005 and 2007.
Allen has been effective in constructing the club's roster via free agency, trades and the National Football League Draft, a release said. Gruden has captured a club-record three division titles in his first six seasons since 2002 and led the Bucs to its first Super Bowl title. His five division titles since 2000 tied for second-best among all active NFL head coaches, and his four 10-win seasons over that same period are tied for fourth-best in the NFL, the team said.
Tampa Bay's 2007 defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL in passing defense and second in total defense, and the special teams unit produced the first kickoff return for a touchdown in the 32-year history of the franchise.
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Success in 2007 means player personnel managers will be rewarded with extended contracts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
General Manager Bruce Allen and Head Coach Jon Gruden signed three-year contract extensions through the 2011 season, the team said Tuesday. No terms were disclosed.
Allen just completed his fourth season with Tampa Bay, leading the Buccaneers to division titles in 2005 and 2007.
Allen has been effective in constructing the club's roster via free agency, trades and the National Football League Draft, a release said. Gruden has captured a club-record three division titles in his first six seasons since 2002 and led the Bucs to its first Super Bowl title. His five division titles since 2000 tied for second-best among all active NFL head coaches, and his four 10-win seasons over that same period are tied for fourth-best in the NFL, the team said.
Tampa Bay's 2007 defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL in passing defense and second in total defense, and the special teams unit produced the first kickoff return for a touchdown in the 32-year history of the franchise.
Fed cuts interest rates three-quarters of a point
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve, confronted with a global stock sell-off fanned by increased fears of a recession, cut a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point on Tuesday.
Super Grouper in Pinellas Pond!!
It lacks the carnal drama of a python-alligator showdown in the Everglades, or the body-slamming potential of a leaping Suwannee sturgeon. But given its staid urban habitat, this quirk of nature bears telling.
A large goliath grouper lives in a stormwater retention pond in mid Pinellas County.
It probably came from the bay through an outlet pipe when it was young - perhaps more than a decade ago. A fisherman who recently hooked it thinks it approaches 180 pounds, still modest for a species that can top 800.
Now it may be landlocked - too fat to squeeze back through the pipe to a more natural setting.
"That's the first time I ever heard about" a goliath living in a retention pond, says Jim Colvocoresses, biologist for Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. "But I could see how it could happen. For the first six years of their lives, they are pretty much an inshore, shallow-water animal."
- - -
Goliath grouper, once known as jewfish, have been protected since 1990, when federal scientists worried that they were being hunted out of existence.
In recent years, commercial and recreational anglers have complained that goliath are once again dominating reefs and wrecks from Key West to Crystal River. Goliath usually eat lobster, crab and shrimp, the marine world's easy pickings, but they are also opportunistic.
Anglers sometimes hook a tasty, legal fish, but before they can bring it to the boat, a goliath appears from deep and inhales it.
"You can go out to the Skyway on any given day and catch a jewfish. It's nothing to catch 10," says Brian Spaeth, a 22-year-old Madeira Beach resident. "They are huge. Three of us can put three rods with 100-pound test line on one hook, and still we can't pull them up."
Spaeth knows fish. His father owns a seafood house. As a youngster, he kept posters on his bedroom wall to identify species.
One of his favorite fishing holes is a retention pond, several hundred yards across, that connects to the bay. Saltwater flushes back and forth with the tide, as do marine species like snook, redfish and mullet.
Private homes and commercial property surround the pond, which has no public access. Spaeth knows a few property owners, who let him cross to the pond.
When he was 10 or 11, he says, he was casting an artificial lure on 10- or 12-pound line.
"I was just passing time when this huge fish comes up and eats the Mirrolure. I was stunned. I froze. I tried to set the bait and it flies out of his mouth."
A fish on his species poster had the same buggy eyes, same coloring and same rounded back fin. It looked like a goliath grouper and to a young boy, it felt like about 50 pounds.
Spaeth says he has fished the pond for snook probably 150 times since that first sighting. Three or four times something really big hit his line and snapped it. He often would see telltale wakes of a huge fish cruising near the top.
"It was not a typical wake. It was like a small watercraft."
Mike Dunsizer, a veteran fisherman who frequents a retail store along the pond, says he has seen a goliath near the store several times. It used to park under an overhanging tree until someone chopped the tree down.
"He would sit right under that tree," Dunsizer says. "We thought he was looking at us."
The fish was similar in size to a wall-mounted, stuffed grouper in the store, and that fish weighed about 125 pounds, Dunsizer says.
In November, Spaeth and his friend Brad Marinec went fishing in the pond. The Times is not identifying the exact location of the pond to protect the fish. They used mullet for bait, 400 yards of 50-pound test line and a 4/0 hook - big gear for big fish.
It is legal to hook a goliath as long as you release it as quickly as possible, preferably by cutting the line, said Lee Schlesinger, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
But don't delay the release.
Last year, Max Mayfield, former director of the National Hurricane Center, was fined after he caught a 200-pound goliath in the Keys, because the charter captain brought it onto the boat just long enough to snap a souvenir photo.
Spaeth says he did not target the goliath while snook fishing, but acknowledged that he used heavy enough gear - just in case.
He was sitting on the grass when his reel began clicking, just like the scene in Jaws, where Robert Shaw quietly dons his fighting harness just before the shark takes off.
When Spaeth tightened the line, the fish took off for the center of the lake, maybe 200 yards away, where it tired itself by swimming back and forth. After about 10 minutes, Spaeth reeled it next to shore.
"I was putting as much pressure on him as I could without breaking the line," Spaeth said. "When I got him close, he made a huge boil. About the size of a car.
"We realized at that point it wasn't a snook."
Marinec jumped in the water, knee-deep, to remove the hook. He tried to wrap his arms around the fish, but it was too fat to encircle. So he cut the line as Spaeth snapped a photo with a cell phone.
If the fish is the one Spaeth first hooked as a youngster, it would now be at least 10 to 12 years old. A wild goliath in the gulf that age could easily weigh 200 to 300 pounds, according to a 1999 federal synopsis of goliath literature.
Of course, the pond grouper may be skinnier if it lacks lobster and has to chase mullet for its dinner.
"This fish may not be typical of the natural growth rates," says Luiz Barbieri, a supervising marine biologist with the research institute.
"Either this guy can't figure the way out or that connection to the ocean is blocked. It's been there for a while and it has learned to get food. It may not be doing too bad."
About the protected species
Goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara)
-Largest of the western north Atlantic groupers.
-Can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh as much as 800 pounds.
-Relatively long-lived, with a documented case of 37 years old.
-The Florida record is 680 pounds, caught off Fernandina Beach in 1961.
-For their first five years or so they prefer to live along mangrove shorelines, after which they join the adults offshore among ledges, caves and shipwrecks.
-Overfishing led to a population decline by the 1980s; species has been protected since 1990.
-Called jewfish until a name change in May 2001.
Arresting Grandma! GOOD GRIEF!!
Clearwater Officer Arrests Grandmother At McDonald's
By CHRIS ECHEGARAY of The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 22, 2008
CLEARWATER - The 75-year-old grandmother who was arrested on Thursday for disorderly conduct at a McDonald's gave an officer lip with her fries, according to a police report.
Jean Merola swore at the officer and said, "You are an evil man. Your wife is going to divorce you. Your kids probably hate you, too. You are going to hell," according to the report.
Merola had ordered french fries without salt from her silver Lincoln Town Car at the McDonald's at 1934 N. Hercules Ave. She was asked by McDonald's staff to move forward and told that her food would be brought to her.
Officer Matthew Parco was behind Merola in line and had received his drink; he asked her to move up so he could get around her but she didn't respond. Parco went to talk to her when Merola yelled at him, according to the report.
Parco spent about 20 minutes asking Merola to move the car before she was arrested. Merola kept asking for the police chief and making a scene at the drive-through, according to the report.
In a separate statement to another officer, the McDonald's manager gave an account similar to Parco's, police reports show.
Merola has denied blocking any vehicles and made no apologies, saying a curb prevented her from moving. She has said the Clearwater mayor called to apologize.
By CHRIS ECHEGARAY of The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 22, 2008
CLEARWATER - The 75-year-old grandmother who was arrested on Thursday for disorderly conduct at a McDonald's gave an officer lip with her fries, according to a police report.
Jean Merola swore at the officer and said, "You are an evil man. Your wife is going to divorce you. Your kids probably hate you, too. You are going to hell," according to the report.
Merola had ordered french fries without salt from her silver Lincoln Town Car at the McDonald's at 1934 N. Hercules Ave. She was asked by McDonald's staff to move forward and told that her food would be brought to her.
Officer Matthew Parco was behind Merola in line and had received his drink; he asked her to move up so he could get around her but she didn't respond. Parco went to talk to her when Merola yelled at him, according to the report.
Parco spent about 20 minutes asking Merola to move the car before she was arrested. Merola kept asking for the police chief and making a scene at the drive-through, according to the report.
In a separate statement to another officer, the McDonald's manager gave an account similar to Parco's, police reports show.
Merola has denied blocking any vehicles and made no apologies, saying a curb prevented her from moving. She has said the Clearwater mayor called to apologize.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Lawyers start new practice: Get buyers out of contracts
South Florida Business Journal - by Julia Neyman
Mark Freerks
‘At first, this was just a small idea … [then] things went crazy,’ attorney David Philips says of the demand for his practice.
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A year ago, Miami attorney David Philips was busy drafting condo documents for major South Florida developers. But when the market slumped, he found a new legal specialty: getting buyers out of contracts.
"I'm pulling my hair out," Philips laughed, referring to the huge volume of his new work.
In the last eight months, he says he has counseled more than 100 buyers who no longer want the condos they put down deposits for. He charges $1,000 a session.
"At first, this was just a small idea, like a little embryo," Philips said of the new practice, which he runs through Web site www.condominium911.com with his partner, Kent H. Robbins. "Then, all of a sudden, the walls caved in and people started flooding through the doors, and things went crazy."
More than 40,000 units planned during South Florida's real estate boom are just now coming online, and analysts project that up to half of the condo buyers, many of them speculators, will walk away from their purchases. Some are willing to leave fat deposits on the table, but many, like Philips' clients, are looking for loopholes to get out with cash intact.
Most attorneys use one of two strategies to get buyers out. The Interstate Land Sales Disclosure Act route holds that if developers don't file certain reports with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, they must "substantially complete" the project within two years of signing the purchase agreement. Midtown Miami has fallen victim to more than a dozen buyer suits relying on this statute.
The second method relies on "material and adverse changes" that were made to the project after buyers signed the purchase agreement.
Ocean Marine Yacht Club in Hallandale Beach was hit with "material and adverse" suits after it scrapped its marina, and Philips has filed nine suits against Miami's Opera Tower, claiming the size of its pool and quality of kitchen tiles were changed.
Developer: attorneys are vultures
Opera Tower developer Tibor Hollo expressed a view shared by many area developers: Attorneys like Philips are vultures preying on buyer hysteria to make a buck.
"What's developed is a cottage industry of certain attorneys who don't have anything else to do, so they go and solicit people to represent them and take part of the money," he said.
Philips responded that attorneys shouldn't exploit buyers by shooting them into baseless litigation, but defends his practice, saying it's time developers were held accountable for delivering on what they promised.
"It's a buyer's market now," he says. "Buyers want to understand what they got themselves into in the last couple of years and what their rights are under the contract, so they can make an informed decision of how to move forward."
But aren't some speculative buyers just trying to get out of bad investments?
"But isn't that OK?" Philips countered.
He said he sympathizes with developers, many of whom are being squeezed by overly aggressive banks that are threatening to resize loans if projects don't close. But that's the developer's business, he said. His business it to keep the domino from falling on the buyer.
Philips isn't the only attorney counseling buyers who get cold feet. Attorney Michael J. Schlesinger said he needs all 10 fingers and all 10 toes to count the number of developers he's filed buyer suits against.
Schlesinger started getting calls in late 2006, and for the last four months he's been getting four or five calls a day from buyers wanting out of contracts. He has had to add attorneys to his law office to handle the sudden influx of work.
"The economy has made a new type of law practice or specialty, or subspecialty," he said. "These loopholes [to get buyers out of contracts] were not used, except for in the last eight months."
That means attorneys like Schlesinger and Philips have to go back to their condo law textbooks and investigate arcane federal statutes to tackle legal issues that didn't exist when the market was hot.
The new practice also throws a learning curve at attorneys trying to fend off buyer suits: Greenberg Traurig attorney Ronald Rosengarten, who represents several South Florida developers, said there isn't much case law on the issue. Rosengarten predicts that as buyer back-out suits head toward verdicts, courts will have to opine on the topic, setting precedent for future rulings.
For the time being, early adapters like Philips are raking in the business and, in their eyes, playing good cop to erring developers.
"You're finally getting attorneys to stand up and say, 'Hey developer, you must deliver on what you promised,'" he said. "We're Big Brother and we're watching you."
Mark Freerks
‘At first, this was just a small idea … [then] things went crazy,’ attorney David Philips says of the demand for his practice.
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A year ago, Miami attorney David Philips was busy drafting condo documents for major South Florida developers. But when the market slumped, he found a new legal specialty: getting buyers out of contracts.
"I'm pulling my hair out," Philips laughed, referring to the huge volume of his new work.
In the last eight months, he says he has counseled more than 100 buyers who no longer want the condos they put down deposits for. He charges $1,000 a session.
"At first, this was just a small idea, like a little embryo," Philips said of the new practice, which he runs through Web site www.condominium911.com with his partner, Kent H. Robbins. "Then, all of a sudden, the walls caved in and people started flooding through the doors, and things went crazy."
More than 40,000 units planned during South Florida's real estate boom are just now coming online, and analysts project that up to half of the condo buyers, many of them speculators, will walk away from their purchases. Some are willing to leave fat deposits on the table, but many, like Philips' clients, are looking for loopholes to get out with cash intact.
Most attorneys use one of two strategies to get buyers out. The Interstate Land Sales Disclosure Act route holds that if developers don't file certain reports with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, they must "substantially complete" the project within two years of signing the purchase agreement. Midtown Miami has fallen victim to more than a dozen buyer suits relying on this statute.
The second method relies on "material and adverse changes" that were made to the project after buyers signed the purchase agreement.
Ocean Marine Yacht Club in Hallandale Beach was hit with "material and adverse" suits after it scrapped its marina, and Philips has filed nine suits against Miami's Opera Tower, claiming the size of its pool and quality of kitchen tiles were changed.
Developer: attorneys are vultures
Opera Tower developer Tibor Hollo expressed a view shared by many area developers: Attorneys like Philips are vultures preying on buyer hysteria to make a buck.
"What's developed is a cottage industry of certain attorneys who don't have anything else to do, so they go and solicit people to represent them and take part of the money," he said.
Philips responded that attorneys shouldn't exploit buyers by shooting them into baseless litigation, but defends his practice, saying it's time developers were held accountable for delivering on what they promised.
"It's a buyer's market now," he says. "Buyers want to understand what they got themselves into in the last couple of years and what their rights are under the contract, so they can make an informed decision of how to move forward."
But aren't some speculative buyers just trying to get out of bad investments?
"But isn't that OK?" Philips countered.
He said he sympathizes with developers, many of whom are being squeezed by overly aggressive banks that are threatening to resize loans if projects don't close. But that's the developer's business, he said. His business it to keep the domino from falling on the buyer.
Philips isn't the only attorney counseling buyers who get cold feet. Attorney Michael J. Schlesinger said he needs all 10 fingers and all 10 toes to count the number of developers he's filed buyer suits against.
Schlesinger started getting calls in late 2006, and for the last four months he's been getting four or five calls a day from buyers wanting out of contracts. He has had to add attorneys to his law office to handle the sudden influx of work.
"The economy has made a new type of law practice or specialty, or subspecialty," he said. "These loopholes [to get buyers out of contracts] were not used, except for in the last eight months."
That means attorneys like Schlesinger and Philips have to go back to their condo law textbooks and investigate arcane federal statutes to tackle legal issues that didn't exist when the market was hot.
The new practice also throws a learning curve at attorneys trying to fend off buyer suits: Greenberg Traurig attorney Ronald Rosengarten, who represents several South Florida developers, said there isn't much case law on the issue. Rosengarten predicts that as buyer back-out suits head toward verdicts, courts will have to opine on the topic, setting precedent for future rulings.
For the time being, early adapters like Philips are raking in the business and, in their eyes, playing good cop to erring developers.
"You're finally getting attorneys to stand up and say, 'Hey developer, you must deliver on what you promised,'" he said. "We're Big Brother and we're watching you."
U2 on seeing selves in 3-D: 'It's kind of horrific'
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) -- After a career playing to sold-out stadiums, U2 did what their fans have done for years -- stood in line to see U2 perform.
That concert was "U2 3D," a film of the band's 2005-06 Vertigo tour, shot at several shows in South America with new 3-D technology.
"I was really hoping we weren't crap after all these years. Luckily we weren't," guitarist The Edge told The Associated Press before the band donned plastic glasses to watch the movie's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday night.
The Edge, joined by singer Bono, drummer Larry Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton, joked about the absurdity of seeing themselves perform after playing together for more than 30 years.
"It's kind of horrific," to see himself on stage in 3-D, said Bono. "It's bad enough on a small screen. Now you get to see the lard arse 40-foot tall."
VIDEO LINK:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/21/film.sundance.u23d.ap/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
The Edge said the 3-D technology allowed "the songs to shine through," though he was surprised to see the chemistry of the band in the details on screen, and how far apart his bandmates were on stage.
"Are you saying you felt lonely up there?" said Bono, smiling.
"No, I felt lonely for Larry," The Edge replied.
"He likes being on his own," said Bono. "Didn't you bring him back a bottle of water?"
Bono said he loved playing to the enthusiastic audiences of Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro.
"Irish people are essentially Latin people who don't know how to dance," he said. "When people are screaming and roaring and shouting, the humbling thing is to realize it's not really for the band or artist on the stage. It's for their connection with the songs. A song just can own you ... . I think that's why concerts are so powerful. If that song is such a part of your life, and you hear it, it's too much almost."
Bono also expressed hope that the film would allow more people to experience their music, especially teenagers and college students who might not be able to afford the pricey tickets to their sold-out shows.
The band is working with longtime producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno on a new album that will merge Lanois' respect for traditional music and Eno's futuristic sound.
"Music like the band had formed on Venus, and somewhere between that is our next album," Bono said. "Where they join, where something feels always existing but you never heard it before, that seems to be what the two of them bring out in us."
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) -- After a career playing to sold-out stadiums, U2 did what their fans have done for years -- stood in line to see U2 perform.
That concert was "U2 3D," a film of the band's 2005-06 Vertigo tour, shot at several shows in South America with new 3-D technology.
"I was really hoping we weren't crap after all these years. Luckily we weren't," guitarist The Edge told The Associated Press before the band donned plastic glasses to watch the movie's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday night.
The Edge, joined by singer Bono, drummer Larry Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton, joked about the absurdity of seeing themselves perform after playing together for more than 30 years.
"It's kind of horrific," to see himself on stage in 3-D, said Bono. "It's bad enough on a small screen. Now you get to see the lard arse 40-foot tall."
VIDEO LINK:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/21/film.sundance.u23d.ap/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
The Edge said the 3-D technology allowed "the songs to shine through," though he was surprised to see the chemistry of the band in the details on screen, and how far apart his bandmates were on stage.
"Are you saying you felt lonely up there?" said Bono, smiling.
"No, I felt lonely for Larry," The Edge replied.
"He likes being on his own," said Bono. "Didn't you bring him back a bottle of water?"
Bono said he loved playing to the enthusiastic audiences of Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro.
"Irish people are essentially Latin people who don't know how to dance," he said. "When people are screaming and roaring and shouting, the humbling thing is to realize it's not really for the band or artist on the stage. It's for their connection with the songs. A song just can own you ... . I think that's why concerts are so powerful. If that song is such a part of your life, and you hear it, it's too much almost."
Bono also expressed hope that the film would allow more people to experience their music, especially teenagers and college students who might not be able to afford the pricey tickets to their sold-out shows.
The band is working with longtime producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno on a new album that will merge Lanois' respect for traditional music and Eno's futuristic sound.
"Music like the band had formed on Venus, and somewhere between that is our next album," Bono said. "Where they join, where something feels always existing but you never heard it before, that seems to be what the two of them bring out in us."
Dungy staying with Colts
Dungy staying with Colts
Monday, January 21, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Dungy is sticking with the Colts.
The team said Monday Dungy will remain with Indianapolis through at least the 2008 season before turning over the coaching to hand-picked successor Jim Caldwell.
Dungy, the first black coach to win a Super Bowl in 2007, spent a week meeting with his family, close friends and trusted colleagues while deciding whether to return for a seventh season with the Colts.
"It was a family decision," Dungy said. "We're on board, and we look forward to '08, look forward to putting together a winner."
Team owner Jim Irsay said Dungy would stay at least one year and could stay longer.
"This isn't a victory lap for Tony," Irsay said.
It's the third straight year Dungy seriously considered retiring.
The debate focused on Dungy's desire to balance family and football, especially after his family moved back to Tampa earlier this month. His 16-year-old son Eric now attends Plant High in south Tampa, and Irsay's willingness to let Dungy spend more time in Florida was a factor in the decision.
Irsay has said Dungy could spend Friday nights there watching his son's football games, but insisted the Colts job would be more than a part-time gig for Dungy.
Dungy, 127-65 in 12 years with the Bucs and Colts, said he decided he could give coaching and his family life the "passion" both deserved.
"I wouldn't shortchange my family," he said. "I wouldn't come back if my wife or my children were not for it."
Monday, January 21, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Dungy is sticking with the Colts.
The team said Monday Dungy will remain with Indianapolis through at least the 2008 season before turning over the coaching to hand-picked successor Jim Caldwell.
Dungy, the first black coach to win a Super Bowl in 2007, spent a week meeting with his family, close friends and trusted colleagues while deciding whether to return for a seventh season with the Colts.
"It was a family decision," Dungy said. "We're on board, and we look forward to '08, look forward to putting together a winner."
Team owner Jim Irsay said Dungy would stay at least one year and could stay longer.
"This isn't a victory lap for Tony," Irsay said.
It's the third straight year Dungy seriously considered retiring.
The debate focused on Dungy's desire to balance family and football, especially after his family moved back to Tampa earlier this month. His 16-year-old son Eric now attends Plant High in south Tampa, and Irsay's willingness to let Dungy spend more time in Florida was a factor in the decision.
Irsay has said Dungy could spend Friday nights there watching his son's football games, but insisted the Colts job would be more than a part-time gig for Dungy.
Dungy, 127-65 in 12 years with the Bucs and Colts, said he decided he could give coaching and his family life the "passion" both deserved.
"I wouldn't shortchange my family," he said. "I wouldn't come back if my wife or my children were not for it."
Boxing News: Hatton, and Jones v. Trinidad Wrap Up
Hatton back in May or June!
Monday, January 21 2008
IBO light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton is currently escaping the cold in Manchester by vacationing in South Africa. "The Hitman" told Sky Sports News that he plans to be back in the ring at the end of May or the beginning of June. Ricky stated his comeback bout, which could take place at the 48,000-seat City of Manchester Stadium, would not be against WBC super lightweight rival Junior Witter. "Junior Witter has made a career for himself on slagging me off," he said. "I don't know whether I want to give him the best pay day of his life. When someone slags you off you don't repay them by giving them their best payday."
________________________________________________
Trinidad-Jones Post Fight Wrap Up
http://www.fightnews.com/greene65.htm
Monday, January 21 2008
IBO light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton is currently escaping the cold in Manchester by vacationing in South Africa. "The Hitman" told Sky Sports News that he plans to be back in the ring at the end of May or the beginning of June. Ricky stated his comeback bout, which could take place at the 48,000-seat City of Manchester Stadium, would not be against WBC super lightweight rival Junior Witter. "Junior Witter has made a career for himself on slagging me off," he said. "I don't know whether I want to give him the best pay day of his life. When someone slags you off you don't repay them by giving them their best payday."
________________________________________________
Trinidad-Jones Post Fight Wrap Up
http://www.fightnews.com/greene65.htm
I can't wait for Entourage to start up again!
It's not TV, it's HBO — on your computer
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
HBO, one of the few remaining holdouts from online video, is jumping in and offering viewers Sopranos on the go.
On Tuesday, the pay-cable network unveils HBO On Broadband, featuring 400 hours of movies and original series that can be downloaded to computers.
The catch: To gain access, you must be a digital cable customer who subscribes to HBO, and you must use your cable company as your Internet provider. And, at least initially, you must live in Milwaukee or Green Bay, where Time Warner Cable will first test the service. (There's no extra cost for online access.)
Like HBO On Demand, introduced in 2001, HBO Broadband offers a broad selection of programming, including 130 movie titles that rotate monthly and top hits ranging from The Sopranos to Sex and the City, as well as documentaries. Usually, about six episodes will be offered at any one time, but for one series every month, every episode ever produced will be available.
HBO co-president Eric Kessler blames technological issues for the delay in offering online video but says the new service continues the network's plan to "enhance the value of the HBO subscription by giving viewers greater access to our content."
He says the service will most appeal to business travelers who want to watch HBO on the road and younger viewers "who generally tend to watch more TV through their PCs." A Macintosh version of the service is not yet available, nor is it compatible with Apple's iPods. And satellite-dish providers such as DirecTV can't offer it.
Compared with HBO On Demand, a subscription service that reaches about one-third of HBO's 29 million homes, the broadband service offers more than twice as much programming.
Users can program their computers to download new movies or episodes, DVR-style, as they become available. The service recommends programs based on viewing history, offers different user accounts for family members and includes parental controls that restrict access by rating. And it includes a live feed of HBO's main channel in the Eastern time zone.
So far, HBO has offered only a limited amount of programming as iTunes podcasts and on its own website, usually clips or sample episodes.
But "it's inevitable for all TV networks that they have some broadband play," says SNL Kagan analyst Deana Myers. "There's a whole generation of people growing up using the Internet."
Like On Demand, HBO On Broadband is designed to keep subscribers from pulling the plug, and it may spur some to "bundle" their cable and Internet service with one company.
"It encourages customers to take our bundle and keep it," says Peter Stern, executive VP at Time Warner Cable, which says 365,000 Wisconsin customers will have access to the new service. No timetable has been set for expanding the service to other cable companies or Time Warner systems.
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
HBO, one of the few remaining holdouts from online video, is jumping in and offering viewers Sopranos on the go.
On Tuesday, the pay-cable network unveils HBO On Broadband, featuring 400 hours of movies and original series that can be downloaded to computers.
The catch: To gain access, you must be a digital cable customer who subscribes to HBO, and you must use your cable company as your Internet provider. And, at least initially, you must live in Milwaukee or Green Bay, where Time Warner Cable will first test the service. (There's no extra cost for online access.)
Like HBO On Demand, introduced in 2001, HBO Broadband offers a broad selection of programming, including 130 movie titles that rotate monthly and top hits ranging from The Sopranos to Sex and the City, as well as documentaries. Usually, about six episodes will be offered at any one time, but for one series every month, every episode ever produced will be available.
HBO co-president Eric Kessler blames technological issues for the delay in offering online video but says the new service continues the network's plan to "enhance the value of the HBO subscription by giving viewers greater access to our content."
He says the service will most appeal to business travelers who want to watch HBO on the road and younger viewers "who generally tend to watch more TV through their PCs." A Macintosh version of the service is not yet available, nor is it compatible with Apple's iPods. And satellite-dish providers such as DirecTV can't offer it.
Compared with HBO On Demand, a subscription service that reaches about one-third of HBO's 29 million homes, the broadband service offers more than twice as much programming.
Users can program their computers to download new movies or episodes, DVR-style, as they become available. The service recommends programs based on viewing history, offers different user accounts for family members and includes parental controls that restrict access by rating. And it includes a live feed of HBO's main channel in the Eastern time zone.
So far, HBO has offered only a limited amount of programming as iTunes podcasts and on its own website, usually clips or sample episodes.
But "it's inevitable for all TV networks that they have some broadband play," says SNL Kagan analyst Deana Myers. "There's a whole generation of people growing up using the Internet."
Like On Demand, HBO On Broadband is designed to keep subscribers from pulling the plug, and it may spur some to "bundle" their cable and Internet service with one company.
"It encourages customers to take our bundle and keep it," says Peter Stern, executive VP at Time Warner Cable, which says 365,000 Wisconsin customers will have access to the new service. No timetable has been set for expanding the service to other cable companies or Time Warner systems.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
You Can't Wear That!
Florida banks to would-be robbers: no hats, hoods or shades
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Surveillance videos of hooded bank robbers wearing impenetrable black shades could be a thing of the past for Florida banks, if they participate in a new statewide effort to curb holdups.
The Florida Bankers Association, in cooperation with the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol and Fraud-Net, announced a new program that strongly encourages patrons to remove hats, hoods and sunglasses when they enter Florida banks.
The program, dubbed "No Hats, No Hoods, No Sunglasses," stops short of denying service to clients wearing the offending clothing or accessories. Bank personnel will direct those who refuse to remove hoods, hats or sunglasses to areas of the bank with more experienced tellers and heightened security.
"Bankers aren't just going to hope robbers won't come," said FBA President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Sanchez in a release. "We're going to be proactive by implementing policies and technology that will help prevent robberies and apprehend robbers if attempts are actually made."
FBA officials said Florida banks were robbed 361 times in 2007, 40 percent more often than in 2006. About 122 of those robberies involved perpetrators wearing facial disguises, masks, head coverings or helmets, according to the FBA.
A similar program begun in Missouri in May 2003 decreased bank robberies from 139 in 2002 to 87 in 2006, according to the Missouri Bankers Association.
Florida banks that choose to participate in the program will post information throughout branches alerting patrons to the new policy.
FBI statistics ranked Florida ninth in bank robberies in 2006.
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Surveillance videos of hooded bank robbers wearing impenetrable black shades could be a thing of the past for Florida banks, if they participate in a new statewide effort to curb holdups.
The Florida Bankers Association, in cooperation with the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol and Fraud-Net, announced a new program that strongly encourages patrons to remove hats, hoods and sunglasses when they enter Florida banks.
The program, dubbed "No Hats, No Hoods, No Sunglasses," stops short of denying service to clients wearing the offending clothing or accessories. Bank personnel will direct those who refuse to remove hoods, hats or sunglasses to areas of the bank with more experienced tellers and heightened security.
"Bankers aren't just going to hope robbers won't come," said FBA President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Sanchez in a release. "We're going to be proactive by implementing policies and technology that will help prevent robberies and apprehend robbers if attempts are actually made."
FBA officials said Florida banks were robbed 361 times in 2007, 40 percent more often than in 2006. About 122 of those robberies involved perpetrators wearing facial disguises, masks, head coverings or helmets, according to the FBA.
A similar program begun in Missouri in May 2003 decreased bank robberies from 139 in 2002 to 87 in 2006, according to the Missouri Bankers Association.
Florida banks that choose to participate in the program will post information throughout branches alerting patrons to the new policy.
FBI statistics ranked Florida ninth in bank robberies in 2006.
Friday, January 18, 2008
This Would Have Been A Good Fight Ten Years Ago
Being a boxing fan, I always like a good match up. These two guys are legends of their time, but it's a little too late for all the hoopla of a PPV fight. I'd watch it, but paying for it on Pay Per View .... well, not so much...
David Santos Picks Jones to Win By Knock
Probably a good fight....
Plans for Mayweather-De La Hoya rematch near completion
An announcement of a September fight is expected by next week, at the latest. It's likely to be held at the Home Depot Center or at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
By Lance Pugmire
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 18, 2008
Negotiations for a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Oscar De La Hoya rematch are nearing a conclusion, and an announcement of a September fight between the pair is expected by next week at the latest, Golden Boy Promotions executive Richard Schaefer said Thursday.
Carson's Home Depot Center and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas have emerged as the finalists for the site, after De La Hoya said in November he would like to fight in May at Dodger Stadium.
"Nothing's finalized, nothing's signed, but it will be in September, and [De La Hoya's] going to wait to fight until then," Schaefer said. "It's too big of a fight."
Mayweather (39-0, 25 knockouts) beat De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) by split decision May 5 at MGM Grand, a bout that featured a record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and the publicity boost of HBO's four-part reality series, "24/7."
De La Hoya hasn't fought since. Mayweather, meanwhile, scored an impressive 10th-round knockout win Dec. 9 over England's Ricky Hatton in a welterweight title defense at MGM Grand to reinforce his stature as boxing's best pound-for-pound fighter.
The Mayweather-Hatton bout drew 850,000 pay-per-view purchases, and a De La Hoya rematch probably would fall between Mayweather's last two pay-per-view totals because the first bout was criticized for segments of inaction.
Schaefer said the current negotiations include discussions about the fighters' weights. It could be a non-title bout with a weight limit between welterweight (147 pounds) and super-welterweight (154 pounds).
The impending Mayweather deal removed unbeaten World Boxing Assn. champion Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs) from De La Hoya's list.
Cotto's promoter, Bob Arum, said Tuesday that his champion will meet former reality television fighter Alfonso Gomez of "The Contender," April 26 in Atlantic City.
Although a De La Hoya bout would've secured a massive payday for the talented but uncharismatic Puerto Rican, Arum said the fight would've been lopsided.
"Anyone who wants to see Cotto-De La Hoya is a sadist," Arum said. "Oscar realized at this stage of his career, what does he want a Cotto for? Even if he didn't have a business career waiting on him, he has a life."
The Cotto fight will give Arum's three stars fights in consecutive months, starting with the Feb. 16 rematch between Kelly Pavlik and dethroned champion Jermain Taylor, and the March 15 rematch between World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and Arum's Filipino star, Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao knocked down Marquez three times in the first round of their 2004 meeting, but Marquez rallied to claim a draw. He's vowing to keep his belt and stop Pacquiao's claim as the "Mexican Assassin," after Pacquiao's triumphant series over Mexico legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.
"I don't know why people think he's the Mexican killer," Marquez said Tuesday at a news conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "He didn't beat me. This fight is for me, my fans, and the Mexican people."
Pacquiao, with ideas of fighting for two more belts, including Hatton's light-welterweight title, later this year, is taking the Marquez challenge seriously. Instead of training again in his home country, where distractions are a constant, he'll spend the next two months at trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
"I need to train hard and have 100% into my conditioning," Pacquiao said.
News item: The year's first pay-per-view fight is Saturday night, pitting former champions Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr.
Reaction: This shows how far all involved have fallen. Trinidad's career was sealed in 2005 after a one-sided loss to Winky Wright. Jones, 39, has lost three of his last five fights. And promoter Don King has sunk to new lows of greed, charging $15,000 for some ringside seats, and placing the bout on pay-per-view.
David Santos Picks Jones to Win By Knock
Probably a good fight....
Plans for Mayweather-De La Hoya rematch near completion
An announcement of a September fight is expected by next week, at the latest. It's likely to be held at the Home Depot Center or at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
By Lance Pugmire
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 18, 2008
Negotiations for a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Oscar De La Hoya rematch are nearing a conclusion, and an announcement of a September fight between the pair is expected by next week at the latest, Golden Boy Promotions executive Richard Schaefer said Thursday.
Carson's Home Depot Center and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas have emerged as the finalists for the site, after De La Hoya said in November he would like to fight in May at Dodger Stadium.
"Nothing's finalized, nothing's signed, but it will be in September, and [De La Hoya's] going to wait to fight until then," Schaefer said. "It's too big of a fight."
Mayweather (39-0, 25 knockouts) beat De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) by split decision May 5 at MGM Grand, a bout that featured a record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and the publicity boost of HBO's four-part reality series, "24/7."
De La Hoya hasn't fought since. Mayweather, meanwhile, scored an impressive 10th-round knockout win Dec. 9 over England's Ricky Hatton in a welterweight title defense at MGM Grand to reinforce his stature as boxing's best pound-for-pound fighter.
The Mayweather-Hatton bout drew 850,000 pay-per-view purchases, and a De La Hoya rematch probably would fall between Mayweather's last two pay-per-view totals because the first bout was criticized for segments of inaction.
Schaefer said the current negotiations include discussions about the fighters' weights. It could be a non-title bout with a weight limit between welterweight (147 pounds) and super-welterweight (154 pounds).
The impending Mayweather deal removed unbeaten World Boxing Assn. champion Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs) from De La Hoya's list.
Cotto's promoter, Bob Arum, said Tuesday that his champion will meet former reality television fighter Alfonso Gomez of "The Contender," April 26 in Atlantic City.
Although a De La Hoya bout would've secured a massive payday for the talented but uncharismatic Puerto Rican, Arum said the fight would've been lopsided.
"Anyone who wants to see Cotto-De La Hoya is a sadist," Arum said. "Oscar realized at this stage of his career, what does he want a Cotto for? Even if he didn't have a business career waiting on him, he has a life."
The Cotto fight will give Arum's three stars fights in consecutive months, starting with the Feb. 16 rematch between Kelly Pavlik and dethroned champion Jermain Taylor, and the March 15 rematch between World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and Arum's Filipino star, Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao knocked down Marquez three times in the first round of their 2004 meeting, but Marquez rallied to claim a draw. He's vowing to keep his belt and stop Pacquiao's claim as the "Mexican Assassin," after Pacquiao's triumphant series over Mexico legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.
"I don't know why people think he's the Mexican killer," Marquez said Tuesday at a news conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "He didn't beat me. This fight is for me, my fans, and the Mexican people."
Pacquiao, with ideas of fighting for two more belts, including Hatton's light-welterweight title, later this year, is taking the Marquez challenge seriously. Instead of training again in his home country, where distractions are a constant, he'll spend the next two months at trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
"I need to train hard and have 100% into my conditioning," Pacquiao said.
News item: The year's first pay-per-view fight is Saturday night, pitting former champions Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr.
Reaction: This shows how far all involved have fallen. Trinidad's career was sealed in 2005 after a one-sided loss to Winky Wright. Jones, 39, has lost three of his last five fights. And promoter Don King has sunk to new lows of greed, charging $15,000 for some ringside seats, and placing the bout on pay-per-view.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Today's Weird News
Cool Technology!! See video below... Thanks Rom!
Magazine says AP working on Britney obit
‘We are not wishing it ... we would have to be prepared,’ editor says
MSNBC News Services
updated 10:48 a.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 18, 2008
Usmagazine.com is reporting that The Associated Press has begun preparing Britney Spears’ obituary.
“We are not wishing it, but if Britney passed away, it’s easily one of the biggest stories in a long time,” AP entertainment editor Jesse Washington tells the magazine.
“I think one would agree that Britney seems at risk right now,” Washington says. “Of course, we would never wish any type of misfortune on anybody and hope that we would never have to use it until 50 years from now ... but if something were to happen, we would have to be prepared.”
Washington also tells Us that the AP has a “pretty extensive obituary operation,” and that staffers are “constantly adding people.”
It’s not uncommon for news organizations to have obituaries prepared for celebrities and other high-profile individuals, but they are generally much older than the 26-year-old Spears.
Couple Find Nearly $12K in 'Cold Cash'
JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) - A Janesville couple are hoping they will be allowed to keep the nearly $12,000 in cash they found in their refrigerator when they moved into an apartment.
"It would be a very big help," said Colleen Mesler, 65. "We've been waiting and waiting, and nobody's called to claim it. Other people have found money and got to keep it."
Mesler cried as she talked about the money she found while cleaning the refrigerator in her apartment in early December.
The previous renters have been charged in drug trafficking cases. Police searched the apartment in February and seized crack cocaine, marijuana, a scale and other materials related to drug sales. They found $1,100 on one of the defendants but no bills with serial numbers matching those undercover agents used to buy drugs.
Lost man survives a week by eating snow
Fri Jan 11, 10:24 AM ET
A Japanese climber lost in the mountains for more than a week in frigid conditions survived by eating snow before making his way down to a ski resort on Friday, Japanese media said.
Masayuki Nakamura headed into the Azuma mountain range about 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo on December 30, saying he planned to be back on January 2.
But he became disoriented in the snow and wandered the area for more than a week, reports said. He had no mobile phone and his food supply ran out after a few days.
A ski resort employee found Nakamura walking along a road close to the ski hills Friday, Kyodo news agency said. He was taken to hospital suffering from mild frostbite.
"I really thought I was done for, so I was truly happy that I made it," Kyodo news agency quoted him as telling a reporter. "I never want to climb a mountain again."
Janesville Deputy Police Chief David Moore said the city will likely keep the money.
"If it is determined that the money is the proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs, then it would be contraband, and on behalf of Janesville taxpayers, we would seize that money," Moore said. But, he added, that has not yet been determined.
Colleen Mesler found the moldy and deteriorating bills wrapped in tin foil and plastic in the freezer. Her husband told her to throw the tray out.
"I thought it was old meat, stale meat," said Jim Mesler, 55.
"But it didn't smell like bad meat," Colleen Mesler said. "I pulled it apart and found $100 bills. I was more shocked. 'I'm not throwing this away,' I thought."
The couple spent the afternoon warming the bills in the oven and separating them with tweezers.
"About $2,000 of it was torn up, or we couldn't get the mold off it," Jim Mesler said. "I just went and looked in the mirror and thought, 'Nothing like this happens to us.'"
Police estimated the stash at $11,950. A precise tally wasn't possible because some bills were stuck together or had deteriorated, according to a court document.
The couple said they would still turn in the cash if they had to do it over. But with an income below poverty level, they are hoping the money will eventually be returned to them.
What would they do with it?
"Pay our bills," the couple said in unison.
Hey, You. You're on Jury Duty
Jan 10, 8:17 PM (ET)
ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (AP) - Faced with a shrunken jury pool, a judge resorted to some sidewalk justice in hopes of filling it out. It worked. Judge Harold Eaton, Jr., discouraged when a 34-person pool of would-be jurors for a sex case was reduced to 20 people, sent sheriff's deputies into the street to summon people to join in Wednesday.
Taking up positions on a sidewalk in front of the U.S. Post Office, Caledonia County Sheriff Michael Bergeron and three uniformed deputies stopped people, asking if they lived in the county. If they did, and were 18 or older, each was given a summons to report to the courthouse.
According to Bergeron, "99.9 percent were just excellent" about being summoned. "They were great. We certainly appreciate that."
"We hope it won't happen again."
Defense attorney David Sleigh objected to the impromptu jury pool, telling Eaton he should postpone the draw and start with a new pool. Eaton denied that request.
The 12-person jury picked will hear the case of Aldoph Charron, 65, of St. Johnsbury, who is charged with two felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.
REASON #476 - WHY NOT TO GO TO TIJUANA!
6 bodies found in Tijuana after shootout
Police: Executed kidnapping victims found after gunmen took refuge
The Associated Press
updated 3:52 a.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 18, 2008
TIJUANA, Mexico - Officials said they found six executed kidnapping victims inside a Tijuana house where gunmen took refuge Thursday during a chaotic three-hour shootout with soldiers and police.
The victims, all male, were blindfolded and gagged and had been shot in the head, said Edgar Millan, a spokesman with the federal Public Safety Department, at a news conference in Tijuana.
Soldiers, state and local police were sent in to help control the firefight that began when federal agents prepared to raid a house near the U.S. border that police now say was a shelter for a cell of the Arellano Felix drug cartel.
Three nearby schools were evacuated, and television showed police running with small children in their arms while shots rang out.
Millan said the shootout killed one gunman and wounded four officers, in the latest outbreak of violence across the border from San Diego.
Four gunmen arrested
Four gunmen were arrested -- one is a state police investigator and another a Tijuana police officer, he said. The four men will be flown to Mexico City for questioning.
Millan said officials recovered 11 automatic rifles and three bulletproof vests inside the house.
Already this week, gunmen shot and killed eight people in Tijuana, including two local police officers, as well as a district commander, his wife and his 12-year-old daughter.
Also Thursday, employees at Tijuana's City Hall and police headquarters were evacuated after receiving death threats over a police radio frequency, said Abraham Sarabia, a spokesman for city police.
Mexico has seen a spike in gang-related killings since the beginning of the year. The Mexican government has described the violence as revenge for President Felipe Calderon's year-old crackdown on organized crime that sent thousands of soldiers and federal police into violence-plagued cities nationwide.
In the central Mexican state of Hidalgo on Wednesday, assailants killed the director of public safety for the town of Tulancingo.
Jose Alvarado was shot more than 20 times, Hidalgo state police director Ahuizotl Figueroa said.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Magazine says AP working on Britney obit
‘We are not wishing it ... we would have to be prepared,’ editor says
MSNBC News Services
updated 10:48 a.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 18, 2008
Usmagazine.com is reporting that The Associated Press has begun preparing Britney Spears’ obituary.
“We are not wishing it, but if Britney passed away, it’s easily one of the biggest stories in a long time,” AP entertainment editor Jesse Washington tells the magazine.
“I think one would agree that Britney seems at risk right now,” Washington says. “Of course, we would never wish any type of misfortune on anybody and hope that we would never have to use it until 50 years from now ... but if something were to happen, we would have to be prepared.”
Washington also tells Us that the AP has a “pretty extensive obituary operation,” and that staffers are “constantly adding people.”
It’s not uncommon for news organizations to have obituaries prepared for celebrities and other high-profile individuals, but they are generally much older than the 26-year-old Spears.
Couple Find Nearly $12K in 'Cold Cash'
JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) - A Janesville couple are hoping they will be allowed to keep the nearly $12,000 in cash they found in their refrigerator when they moved into an apartment.
"It would be a very big help," said Colleen Mesler, 65. "We've been waiting and waiting, and nobody's called to claim it. Other people have found money and got to keep it."
Mesler cried as she talked about the money she found while cleaning the refrigerator in her apartment in early December.
The previous renters have been charged in drug trafficking cases. Police searched the apartment in February and seized crack cocaine, marijuana, a scale and other materials related to drug sales. They found $1,100 on one of the defendants but no bills with serial numbers matching those undercover agents used to buy drugs.
Lost man survives a week by eating snow
Fri Jan 11, 10:24 AM ET
A Japanese climber lost in the mountains for more than a week in frigid conditions survived by eating snow before making his way down to a ski resort on Friday, Japanese media said.
Masayuki Nakamura headed into the Azuma mountain range about 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo on December 30, saying he planned to be back on January 2.
But he became disoriented in the snow and wandered the area for more than a week, reports said. He had no mobile phone and his food supply ran out after a few days.
A ski resort employee found Nakamura walking along a road close to the ski hills Friday, Kyodo news agency said. He was taken to hospital suffering from mild frostbite.
"I really thought I was done for, so I was truly happy that I made it," Kyodo news agency quoted him as telling a reporter. "I never want to climb a mountain again."
Janesville Deputy Police Chief David Moore said the city will likely keep the money.
"If it is determined that the money is the proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs, then it would be contraband, and on behalf of Janesville taxpayers, we would seize that money," Moore said. But, he added, that has not yet been determined.
Colleen Mesler found the moldy and deteriorating bills wrapped in tin foil and plastic in the freezer. Her husband told her to throw the tray out.
"I thought it was old meat, stale meat," said Jim Mesler, 55.
"But it didn't smell like bad meat," Colleen Mesler said. "I pulled it apart and found $100 bills. I was more shocked. 'I'm not throwing this away,' I thought."
The couple spent the afternoon warming the bills in the oven and separating them with tweezers.
"About $2,000 of it was torn up, or we couldn't get the mold off it," Jim Mesler said. "I just went and looked in the mirror and thought, 'Nothing like this happens to us.'"
Police estimated the stash at $11,950. A precise tally wasn't possible because some bills were stuck together or had deteriorated, according to a court document.
The couple said they would still turn in the cash if they had to do it over. But with an income below poverty level, they are hoping the money will eventually be returned to them.
What would they do with it?
"Pay our bills," the couple said in unison.
Hey, You. You're on Jury Duty
Jan 10, 8:17 PM (ET)
ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (AP) - Faced with a shrunken jury pool, a judge resorted to some sidewalk justice in hopes of filling it out. It worked. Judge Harold Eaton, Jr., discouraged when a 34-person pool of would-be jurors for a sex case was reduced to 20 people, sent sheriff's deputies into the street to summon people to join in Wednesday.
Taking up positions on a sidewalk in front of the U.S. Post Office, Caledonia County Sheriff Michael Bergeron and three uniformed deputies stopped people, asking if they lived in the county. If they did, and were 18 or older, each was given a summons to report to the courthouse.
According to Bergeron, "99.9 percent were just excellent" about being summoned. "They were great. We certainly appreciate that."
"We hope it won't happen again."
Defense attorney David Sleigh objected to the impromptu jury pool, telling Eaton he should postpone the draw and start with a new pool. Eaton denied that request.
The 12-person jury picked will hear the case of Aldoph Charron, 65, of St. Johnsbury, who is charged with two felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.
REASON #476 - WHY NOT TO GO TO TIJUANA!
6 bodies found in Tijuana after shootout
Police: Executed kidnapping victims found after gunmen took refuge
The Associated Press
updated 3:52 a.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 18, 2008
TIJUANA, Mexico - Officials said they found six executed kidnapping victims inside a Tijuana house where gunmen took refuge Thursday during a chaotic three-hour shootout with soldiers and police.
The victims, all male, were blindfolded and gagged and had been shot in the head, said Edgar Millan, a spokesman with the federal Public Safety Department, at a news conference in Tijuana.
Soldiers, state and local police were sent in to help control the firefight that began when federal agents prepared to raid a house near the U.S. border that police now say was a shelter for a cell of the Arellano Felix drug cartel.
Three nearby schools were evacuated, and television showed police running with small children in their arms while shots rang out.
Millan said the shootout killed one gunman and wounded four officers, in the latest outbreak of violence across the border from San Diego.
Four gunmen arrested
Four gunmen were arrested -- one is a state police investigator and another a Tijuana police officer, he said. The four men will be flown to Mexico City for questioning.
Millan said officials recovered 11 automatic rifles and three bulletproof vests inside the house.
Already this week, gunmen shot and killed eight people in Tijuana, including two local police officers, as well as a district commander, his wife and his 12-year-old daughter.
Also Thursday, employees at Tijuana's City Hall and police headquarters were evacuated after receiving death threats over a police radio frequency, said Abraham Sarabia, a spokesman for city police.
Mexico has seen a spike in gang-related killings since the beginning of the year. The Mexican government has described the violence as revenge for President Felipe Calderon's year-old crackdown on organized crime that sent thousands of soldiers and federal police into violence-plagued cities nationwide.
In the central Mexican state of Hidalgo on Wednesday, assailants killed the director of public safety for the town of Tulancingo.
Jose Alvarado was shot more than 20 times, Hidalgo state police director Ahuizotl Figueroa said.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Like I need another Blog....
I know, I know, what is he crazy or something? Well, maybe I am. Not that I have any time for it really, but I thought I would cut down on my outgoing email, and still have an ability to share information about current events, gadgets, videos, pictures, etc., and the wacky world we live in.
As you know, I have a family blog, but thought it would be easier to post this kind of stuff on a separate website, instead of sending all of it via email. It's also easier for you to share with your family, friends, and co-workers, if you'd like to pass it on.
In tonight's posting, I've uploaded a variety of articles and information about gadgets, the drunkest driver ever, Bill Gates, Allstate Insurance, healthy habits, GPS Liability, the Apple iTouch, and even cameras at red lights possibly coming to Tampa Bay.
Let me know what you think. Please share the link with others, and submit things you'd like for me to post. TGIF!!
Frank
P.S. Since the political campaigning is in full swing, I'd love to get anything that would be fun or interesting to share about the candidates. Thanks!
As you know, I have a family blog, but thought it would be easier to post this kind of stuff on a separate website, instead of sending all of it via email. It's also easier for you to share with your family, friends, and co-workers, if you'd like to pass it on.
In tonight's posting, I've uploaded a variety of articles and information about gadgets, the drunkest driver ever, Bill Gates, Allstate Insurance, healthy habits, GPS Liability, the Apple iTouch, and even cameras at red lights possibly coming to Tampa Bay.
Let me know what you think. Please share the link with others, and submit things you'd like for me to post. TGIF!!
Frank
P.S. Since the political campaigning is in full swing, I'd love to get anything that would be fun or interesting to share about the candidates. Thanks!
Drunkest Driver EVER!!!
Oregon woman nine times over state blood alcohol content limit
JANUARY 10--In what may be the most extreme drunk driving case ever, an Oregon woman was arrested last month with a .72 blood alcohol level--nine times the state's legal limit. Terri Comer, 42, was arrested after she was discovered unconscious in her car, which sheriff's deputies found running and in a snow bank on a highway in Klamath County at 11:30 AM on December 28. After breaking a car window, rescuers removed the comatose Comer from her Toyota and transported her to a local hospital, where a blood draw revealed the .72 BAC. She was reportedly hospitalized for a day before being released. As seen in a police photo, Comer's vehicle came to a stop about 50 feet in front of one of those portable traffic signs reminding motorists not to drink and drive (a close-up of the sign can be seen here). Comer is pictured below in a 2006 mug shot snapped after a prior drunk driving arrest. In that case, her BAC was recorded in the relatively minor .3 range. In November, another Oregon woman, Meagan Harper, was nabbed for drunk driving with an extreme BAC. In her case, Harper's BAC was measured at .55. Comer's .72 edges out what TSG has previously identified as the highest BAC we've ever seen. That fallen record (.69) was held by Willard Ashley III, an Indiana man who was busted in October 2003.
JANUARY 10--In what may be the most extreme drunk driving case ever, an Oregon woman was arrested last month with a .72 blood alcohol level--nine times the state's legal limit. Terri Comer, 42, was arrested after she was discovered unconscious in her car, which sheriff's deputies found running and in a snow bank on a highway in Klamath County at 11:30 AM on December 28. After breaking a car window, rescuers removed the comatose Comer from her Toyota and transported her to a local hospital, where a blood draw revealed the .72 BAC. She was reportedly hospitalized for a day before being released. As seen in a police photo, Comer's vehicle came to a stop about 50 feet in front of one of those portable traffic signs reminding motorists not to drink and drive (a close-up of the sign can be seen here). Comer is pictured below in a 2006 mug shot snapped after a prior drunk driving arrest. In that case, her BAC was recorded in the relatively minor .3 range. In November, another Oregon woman, Meagan Harper, was nabbed for drunk driving with an extreme BAC. In her case, Harper's BAC was measured at .55. Comer's .72 edges out what TSG has previously identified as the highest BAC we've ever seen. That fallen record (.69) was held by Willard Ashley III, an Indiana man who was busted in October 2003.
Healthy Habits Can Mean 14 Extra Years
Healthy Habits Can Mean 14 Extra Years
January 8, 2008
LONDON (AP) -- To get an extra 14 years of life, don't smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation.
That's the finding of a study that tracked about 20,000 people in the United Kingdom.
Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge and colleagues calculated that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than those who didn't.
"We've known for a long time that these behaviors are good things to do, but we've never seen these additive benefits before," said Susan Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health at Britain's Medical Research Council, which helped pay for the study.
"Just doing one of these behaviors helps, but every step you make to improve your health seems to have an added benefit," said Jebb, who was not involved in the study.
The benefits were also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from. The findings were published online Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal.
The study included healthy adults aged 45 to 79. Participants filled in a health questionnaire between 1993 and 1997 and nurses conducted a medical exam at a clinic. Participants scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake.
Until 2006, the researchers tracked deaths from all causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory diseases. People who scored four points were four times less likely to die than those who scored zero, the research showed.
Khaw said that the study should convince people that improving their health does not always require extreme changes to their lifestyles.
"We didn't ask these people to do anything exceptional," Khaw said. "We measured normal behaviors that were entirely feasible within people's normal, everyday lives."
Public health experts said they hoped the study would inspire governments to help people adopt these changes.
"This research is an important piece of work which emphasizes how modifying just a few risk factors can add years to your life," said Dr. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization.
But because the study only observed people rather than testing specific changes, experts said that it would be impossible to conclude that people who suddenly adopted these healthy behaviors would automatically gain 14 years.
"We can't say that any one person could gain 14 years by doing these things," said Armstrong. "The 14 years is an average across the population of what's theoretically possible."
But experts worry that the new findings may still not be enough to persuade people to change their unhealthy ways.
"Most people know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking is not good for you," Jebb said. "We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change."
January 8, 2008
LONDON (AP) -- To get an extra 14 years of life, don't smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation.
That's the finding of a study that tracked about 20,000 people in the United Kingdom.
Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge and colleagues calculated that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than those who didn't.
"We've known for a long time that these behaviors are good things to do, but we've never seen these additive benefits before," said Susan Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health at Britain's Medical Research Council, which helped pay for the study.
"Just doing one of these behaviors helps, but every step you make to improve your health seems to have an added benefit," said Jebb, who was not involved in the study.
The benefits were also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from. The findings were published online Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal.
The study included healthy adults aged 45 to 79. Participants filled in a health questionnaire between 1993 and 1997 and nurses conducted a medical exam at a clinic. Participants scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake.
Until 2006, the researchers tracked deaths from all causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory diseases. People who scored four points were four times less likely to die than those who scored zero, the research showed.
Khaw said that the study should convince people that improving their health does not always require extreme changes to their lifestyles.
"We didn't ask these people to do anything exceptional," Khaw said. "We measured normal behaviors that were entirely feasible within people's normal, everyday lives."
Public health experts said they hoped the study would inspire governments to help people adopt these changes.
"This research is an important piece of work which emphasizes how modifying just a few risk factors can add years to your life," said Dr. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization.
But because the study only observed people rather than testing specific changes, experts said that it would be impossible to conclude that people who suddenly adopted these healthy behaviors would automatically gain 14 years.
"We can't say that any one person could gain 14 years by doing these things," said Armstrong. "The 14 years is an average across the population of what's theoretically possible."
But experts worry that the new findings may still not be enough to persuade people to change their unhealthy ways.
"Most people know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking is not good for you," Jebb said. "We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change."
iRecord for IPod from : http://www.hammacher.com/
The One Touch Any Media iPod® Uploader.
This device, the first of its kind, converts any type of video or audio, including cassette tapes, vinyl records, television shows, and VHS tapes, directly to an iPod® at the touch of a button. The device allows you to preserve your audio and video memories without having to rely on a conversion service or risk long-term damage to the original medium, and no computer or special software is required. The converter plugs into any audio or video device equipped with RCA connections and S-Video (standard on nearly all A/V components) with its included audio/video cables. Simply push the record button, and content is converted to digital MP3 (audio) or MPEG4 (video) format three hours of 320 x 240 resolution video content takes up approximately 1 GBand is stored immediately onto an iPod® (video iPod® required for video content). Data can also be uploaded to a USB flash drive or USB hard drive plugged into the converter's USB port; it automatically detects if it has attached an iPod® or USB key. Plugs into AC.
Item 73745 ................... $199.95
Available for Immediate Shipment.
Pari-mutuel industry suffers bad November
Pari-mutuel industry suffers bad November
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Florida's pari-mutuel receipts plunged in November. Greyhound racing fell 12 percent to $30.5 million, compared to the same month in 2006. Horse racing dropped 12 percent to $55.9 million.
Tampa Greyhound track reported $5.9 million in total handle, down from $6.2 million in November 2006. The track's racing schedule was run at St. Petersburg's Derby Lane.
Overall, the pari-mutuel industry suffered a nearly $12 million decline in handle during November.
It fared much better in card rooms, as receipts increased to $6.8 million from $3.9 million in November 2006. Derby Lane's poker room dipped slightly, to $583,398. It reported $629,243 in receipts in November 2006.
Competition will ramp up shortly, as the seven casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe add Class III gaming machines and blackjack and baccarat to their product line. Currently pari-mutuel facilities in Broward County are allowed Vegas-style slot machines, but not blackjack and baccarat.
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Florida's pari-mutuel receipts plunged in November. Greyhound racing fell 12 percent to $30.5 million, compared to the same month in 2006. Horse racing dropped 12 percent to $55.9 million.
Tampa Greyhound track reported $5.9 million in total handle, down from $6.2 million in November 2006. The track's racing schedule was run at St. Petersburg's Derby Lane.
Overall, the pari-mutuel industry suffered a nearly $12 million decline in handle during November.
It fared much better in card rooms, as receipts increased to $6.8 million from $3.9 million in November 2006. Derby Lane's poker room dipped slightly, to $583,398. It reported $629,243 in receipts in November 2006.
Competition will ramp up shortly, as the seven casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe add Class III gaming machines and blackjack and baccarat to their product line. Currently pari-mutuel facilities in Broward County are allowed Vegas-style slot machines, but not blackjack and baccarat.
Not ready for an iPhone - Try an iTouch!
Apple has a great product that is a great combination of features.
Check out the iTouch at : http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/
Is GPS liability next?
Is GPS liability next?
By Eric J. Sinrod
http://www.news.com/Is-GPS-liability-next/2010-1033_3-6226346.html
Story last modified Wed Jan 16 04:00:03 PST 2008
An automobile driver recently was held responsible for crashing a rental car into a train after following global positioning system instructions that put his rental car onto the train tracks.
This raises the specter of automobile drivers pointing the liability finger at GPS providers and filing lawsuits against such providers when GPS instructions are not accurate.
The facts of the particular rental car-train crash were reported at LoHud.com (a news outlet for New York's Lower Hudson Valley) on January 3. A California computer technician who was visiting the East Coast followed the car's GPS instructions, which told him to turn right as he was crossing the railroad tracks. He was trying to get to a parkway shortly beyond the tracks.
As the driver crossed the tracks, the car become stuck and could not move. The driver tried but failed to reverse the car off of the tracks. Ultimately, he left the vehicle.
The driver witnessed an oncoming train. He waved his arms, trying to stop the train. However, the train was not able to slow down enough to avoid a collision. The train smashed into the car. Although nobody was hurt, hundreds of passengers were delayed for two hours, and a number of other trains were canceled or delayed in the wake of the accident.
Because of the collision, the rental car, the train, and more than 200 feet of the electrified third rail of the tracks were damaged. The rental car driver was issued a summons and is being held liable for the damage to the train and track.
Does the rental car driver have recourse against the GPS provider? What if the instructions provided to him were not accurate in terms of his intended destination?
While not enough is known as to whether the GPS instructions in this particular instance were accurate, the question still remains, because, even though GPS instructions are of great value and often are correct, they are not perfect.
I recall one instance, when I rented a car in Florida. The GPS system told me I arrived at my destination, when in fact I was still in the middle of a highway with about another half mile to go before arriving. It was a good thing I did not assume I had arrived and simply stopped in the middle of the highway.
I remember another time when I was trying to get to a gym for a youth basketball tournament, and the GPS instructions concluded my route by leaving me at the end of a cul de sac facing a field with no gym in sight. No harm, no foul, as I found the gym a few miles away on my own.
But getting back to the question of what happens if a GPS unit's instructions lead to an accident? While a driver might argue that he or she paid for a service, is entitled to rely upon the accuracy of the service, and can seek to hold the provider of the service responsible if the service does not perform properly, a GPS service provider would have counterarguments.
Who bears responsibility?
First, likely, the written contractual materials, and the click-through materials to operate a GPS device, would disclaim any responsibility in this scenario and would require the driver to ensure that his or her driving of the vehicle was safe wholly apart from whatever the GPS device tells him or her to do.
The question then would be whether this would be considered a bargained for and enforceable contractual provision, or whether it would be considered an unenforceable "adhesion contract." That would be for a judge to decide.
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Second, separate from contractual terms, a GPS service provider could argue that it was not too long ago that GPS devices weren't available to drivers. Indeed, to this day, many drivers do not use such devices. Thus, for decades and even now, drivers must independently figure out how to get to their intended destinations. Accordingly, just because a GPS now might provide some assistance, it is unreasonable to allow a driver to fob off all responsibility on the GPS provider.
On the other hand--and when it comes to legal matters, there always is another hand--a GPS device, when operational, at a minimum, is very distracting, and at most, is quite commanding. When tooling through unfamiliar territory and given explicit directions by a GPS device, a driver must make a decision in a split second what to do. At that point, it might not be unreasonable if he or she relied upon the GPS instructions.
As technology advances, the law follows, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more GPS cases going forward that map out (pardon the pun) this area of the law.
By Eric J. Sinrod
http://www.news.com/Is-GPS-liability-next/2010-1033_3-6226346.html
Story last modified Wed Jan 16 04:00:03 PST 2008
An automobile driver recently was held responsible for crashing a rental car into a train after following global positioning system instructions that put his rental car onto the train tracks.
This raises the specter of automobile drivers pointing the liability finger at GPS providers and filing lawsuits against such providers when GPS instructions are not accurate.
The facts of the particular rental car-train crash were reported at LoHud.com (a news outlet for New York's Lower Hudson Valley) on January 3. A California computer technician who was visiting the East Coast followed the car's GPS instructions, which told him to turn right as he was crossing the railroad tracks. He was trying to get to a parkway shortly beyond the tracks.
As the driver crossed the tracks, the car become stuck and could not move. The driver tried but failed to reverse the car off of the tracks. Ultimately, he left the vehicle.
The driver witnessed an oncoming train. He waved his arms, trying to stop the train. However, the train was not able to slow down enough to avoid a collision. The train smashed into the car. Although nobody was hurt, hundreds of passengers were delayed for two hours, and a number of other trains were canceled or delayed in the wake of the accident.
Because of the collision, the rental car, the train, and more than 200 feet of the electrified third rail of the tracks were damaged. The rental car driver was issued a summons and is being held liable for the damage to the train and track.
Does the rental car driver have recourse against the GPS provider? What if the instructions provided to him were not accurate in terms of his intended destination?
While not enough is known as to whether the GPS instructions in this particular instance were accurate, the question still remains, because, even though GPS instructions are of great value and often are correct, they are not perfect.
I recall one instance, when I rented a car in Florida. The GPS system told me I arrived at my destination, when in fact I was still in the middle of a highway with about another half mile to go before arriving. It was a good thing I did not assume I had arrived and simply stopped in the middle of the highway.
I remember another time when I was trying to get to a gym for a youth basketball tournament, and the GPS instructions concluded my route by leaving me at the end of a cul de sac facing a field with no gym in sight. No harm, no foul, as I found the gym a few miles away on my own.
But getting back to the question of what happens if a GPS unit's instructions lead to an accident? While a driver might argue that he or she paid for a service, is entitled to rely upon the accuracy of the service, and can seek to hold the provider of the service responsible if the service does not perform properly, a GPS service provider would have counterarguments.
Who bears responsibility?
First, likely, the written contractual materials, and the click-through materials to operate a GPS device, would disclaim any responsibility in this scenario and would require the driver to ensure that his or her driving of the vehicle was safe wholly apart from whatever the GPS device tells him or her to do.
The question then would be whether this would be considered a bargained for and enforceable contractual provision, or whether it would be considered an unenforceable "adhesion contract." That would be for a judge to decide.
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Second, separate from contractual terms, a GPS service provider could argue that it was not too long ago that GPS devices weren't available to drivers. Indeed, to this day, many drivers do not use such devices. Thus, for decades and even now, drivers must independently figure out how to get to their intended destinations. Accordingly, just because a GPS now might provide some assistance, it is unreasonable to allow a driver to fob off all responsibility on the GPS provider.
On the other hand--and when it comes to legal matters, there always is another hand--a GPS device, when operational, at a minimum, is very distracting, and at most, is quite commanding. When tooling through unfamiliar territory and given explicit directions by a GPS device, a driver must make a decision in a split second what to do. At that point, it might not be unreasonable if he or she relied upon the GPS instructions.
As technology advances, the law follows, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more GPS cases going forward that map out (pardon the pun) this area of the law.
Is Pinellas County Next?
Hillsborough Greenlights More Study Of Cameras At Red Lights
By Mike Salinero of The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 16, 2008
TAMPA - Cameras at red lights, which police say save lives and drastically cut the number of light-jumpers, may be coming to Hillsborough County in the near future.
Hillsborough County commissioners on Wednesday gave the sheriff's office a green light to further investigate installing the cameras at 10 of the county's most dangerous intersections. The intersections were not identified.
The cost of installing and maintaining the lights would be entirely funded through fines, sheriff's Cpl. Rob Rodriguez said.
"There will never be an expense to the taxpayers," Rodriguez said.
The lights have been effective in reducing the number of red light violators everywhere they've been tried, from New York to Apopka. The Central Florida town had nearly 300 violations at two intersections before the lights were installed. In the two months after installation, the number of violations dropped to 18.
In 2006, Hillsborough deputies wrote 4,800 red light violations, with three fatalities attributed to red light runners. In 2007, the sheriff's office caught 3,784 violators. One fatality was directly attributable to a red light violation that year.
"Those are just the ones that are proven," sheriff's Col. Greg Brown said. "The numbers are much higher."
Commission chairman Ken Hagan, who began the push for the cameras, admitted to occasionally running through a yellow caution signal. He said he would look back to see whether a police officer was watching.
"What I'd usually find is that two or three cars were following me," Hagan said.
Rodriguez said the sheriff's office would conduct public outreach before placing the cameras to let drivers know they're coming. For the first month, offenders would get a warning notice. He said there would be little cost increase to the courts because most drivers decline to contest the citations when they see the photographs of their vehicle in the intersection under a red light.
The photographs would be available online.
The traffic citations would be established under a county ordinance so there would be no points added to a driver's record and no reports to insurance agencies.
The main goal is not punishment, the deputies said, but to cut the number of violations and save lives.
By Mike Salinero of The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 16, 2008
TAMPA - Cameras at red lights, which police say save lives and drastically cut the number of light-jumpers, may be coming to Hillsborough County in the near future.
Hillsborough County commissioners on Wednesday gave the sheriff's office a green light to further investigate installing the cameras at 10 of the county's most dangerous intersections. The intersections were not identified.
The cost of installing and maintaining the lights would be entirely funded through fines, sheriff's Cpl. Rob Rodriguez said.
"There will never be an expense to the taxpayers," Rodriguez said.
The lights have been effective in reducing the number of red light violators everywhere they've been tried, from New York to Apopka. The Central Florida town had nearly 300 violations at two intersections before the lights were installed. In the two months after installation, the number of violations dropped to 18.
In 2006, Hillsborough deputies wrote 4,800 red light violations, with three fatalities attributed to red light runners. In 2007, the sheriff's office caught 3,784 violators. One fatality was directly attributable to a red light violation that year.
"Those are just the ones that are proven," sheriff's Col. Greg Brown said. "The numbers are much higher."
Commission chairman Ken Hagan, who began the push for the cameras, admitted to occasionally running through a yellow caution signal. He said he would look back to see whether a police officer was watching.
"What I'd usually find is that two or three cars were following me," Hagan said.
Rodriguez said the sheriff's office would conduct public outreach before placing the cameras to let drivers know they're coming. For the first month, offenders would get a warning notice. He said there would be little cost increase to the courts because most drivers decline to contest the citations when they see the photographs of their vehicle in the intersection under a red light.
The photographs would be available online.
The traffic citations would be established under a county ordinance so there would be no points added to a driver's record and no reports to insurance agencies.
The main goal is not punishment, the deputies said, but to cut the number of violations and save lives.
Making Money With A Blog - Maybe...but not me...yet...
New Services Help Bloggers
Bring in Advertising Revenue
By Kelly Spors
From The Wall Street Journal Online
If you're not making money off your blog, 2008 might be the year.
As more people see potential in earning money off the Internet, there is a quickly expanding array of advertising services and tools for bloggers that go well beyond the standard pay-per-click text ads or display ads.
Many of the most widely used programs are adding features to allow users to customize the appearance and placement of ads on their sites. Some also are introducing newer money-making mediums such as audio and video ads.
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It Becomes a Full-Time Job
"There's going to be a lot of new business models in 2008 that are geared toward more monetization," says Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of strategic services for Nielsen Online, the Web analysis unit of the Nielsen Co.
Blog publishers could certainly use the help in making money. The vast majority of publishers make less than $10 or $20 a month through advertising, according to Internet-advertising experts. How much money is made through advertising on a site depends much on how much traffic a site gets, the trustworthiness of the content and how relevant the ads are to the visitors.
Audio and Video
Starting Feb. 1, San Diego-based V2P Communications is offering five-to-eight-second audio ads, called NetAudioAds, that will automatically play when a visitor lands on a blog or Web site. Publishers sign up for the free service and V2P then lines up advertisers, who bid on rates they will pay to have their ads played on a given blog. Bids generally start around $14 per 1,000 plays. Blog publishers get a 25% cut of the ad revenue.
About 25,000 publishers have signed up so far, says Michael Knox, V2P's co-founder, and several large companies and 2008 presidential campaigns have expressed interest in becoming advertisers through the service. A site that gets 2,000 unique visitors per day with an advertiser paying $14 per 1,000 plays might earn $28 a day, or $196 a week.
Another model that's expected to gain traction this year are ads connected to videos. Revver Inc.'s Revver.com lets advertisers tack on ads to videos uploaded to the video-sharing site. Publishers who then put those videos on their sites, earn 20% of all ad revenue generated from plays of the videos on the blogs. Revver and the videos' creators, often amateurs, split the remainder.
In October, Google Inc. released Video Units, a program that allows Web-site publishers who use its AdSense program -- which places Google-brokered ads on other Web sites based on the sites' content -- to add YouTube videos to their blog sites and have ads appear on the video player.
Some ad services are trying to help publishers expand their advertising by putting ads in their blog's Really Simple Syndication, or RSS feeds, which send blog posts out to subscribers. Some services even specialize in providing ads to publishers that pop up when someone visits the blog from a mobile phone.
More Appealing
Many of the most widely used ad programs -- such as AdSense and Amazon.com Inc.'s affiliate-marketing program, where publishers get a cut of all sales generated from ads on their site -- also are trying to make ads more appealing. For instance, they have rolled out new features in recent months to give publishers more control over how the ads look and where they are placed.
AdSense recently began testing gadget ads, which are more visually stimulating with graphics and interactive features than the traditional basic text ads the program offers.
"One of the biggest things we're trying to do is create more ad formats for publishers," says Google spokesman Brandon McCormick, adding that AdSense paid $3.5 billion to publishers in the first three quarters of 2007.
Meantime, Amazon.com in September introduced several free widgets -- easy-to-use programs that, by plugging a code into a site or blog, let publishers customize how and where ads appear in a blog. One widget lets people embed links to Amazon products in their text, while another lets publishers create a slideshow of relevant Amazon products displayed on their site. Amazon affiliates earn up to a 10% commission on all sales directed from their ads.
Enough to Make a Living
Some bloggers already are seeing results. Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay.com, a site with articles on rainforest conservation and other environmental issues, makes $15,000 to $18,000 a month from AdSense, using various types of ads. Mr. Butler says his blog currently gets about 1.3 million unique visitors per month.
He's planning to eventually experiment with Google's video player ads and create his own video content for the site. "The rainforest has always been my passion, but I never expected to make a living off of it," says Mr. Butler, who quit his job as a product manager in 2003 when he realized he could make a living off his site.
Darren Rowse, the Melbourne, Australia-based writer of ProBlogger.net, a popular blog that teaches other bloggers how to make money, earned roughly $250,000 in 2007 off ads on three blogs he writes. Mr. Rowse says he makes the most off traditional display advertising, where advertisers pay a fee to appear, but he also has used affiliate ads and Google AdSense.
Mr. Rowse says publishers should experiment with several types of advertising and use an analytics program to figure out which ones are most effective. Once they do that, bloggers should, for the most part, rely on just one or two advertising programs "so they don't clutter the site," he says. Bloggers should be careful to pick advertising that doesn't appear to taint the content or reputation of the site, he adds.
Mr. Rowse says certain types of advertising can be most effective for certain sites. For instance, affiliate programs, such as Amazon's, tend to work best on sites with loyal followers who trust their blogger for recommendations. Sites with lots of general search-engine traffic but fewer devotees may do better with a contextual ad program, such as AdSense. Regular display ads can also be very effective, he says, depending on how well the ad matches the site's content.
Bring in Advertising Revenue
By Kelly Spors
From The Wall Street Journal Online
If you're not making money off your blog, 2008 might be the year.
As more people see potential in earning money off the Internet, there is a quickly expanding array of advertising services and tools for bloggers that go well beyond the standard pay-per-click text ads or display ads.
Many of the most widely used programs are adding features to allow users to customize the appearance and placement of ads on their sites. Some also are introducing newer money-making mediums such as audio and video ads.
Related Articles
Can You Blog Your Way
To Big Bucks? Some Do
Twentysomethings in D.C.
Turn to Careers in Blogging
As Blogging Goes Corporate,
It Becomes a Full-Time Job
"There's going to be a lot of new business models in 2008 that are geared toward more monetization," says Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of strategic services for Nielsen Online, the Web analysis unit of the Nielsen Co.
Blog publishers could certainly use the help in making money. The vast majority of publishers make less than $10 or $20 a month through advertising, according to Internet-advertising experts. How much money is made through advertising on a site depends much on how much traffic a site gets, the trustworthiness of the content and how relevant the ads are to the visitors.
Audio and Video
Starting Feb. 1, San Diego-based V2P Communications is offering five-to-eight-second audio ads, called NetAudioAds, that will automatically play when a visitor lands on a blog or Web site. Publishers sign up for the free service and V2P then lines up advertisers, who bid on rates they will pay to have their ads played on a given blog. Bids generally start around $14 per 1,000 plays. Blog publishers get a 25% cut of the ad revenue.
About 25,000 publishers have signed up so far, says Michael Knox, V2P's co-founder, and several large companies and 2008 presidential campaigns have expressed interest in becoming advertisers through the service. A site that gets 2,000 unique visitors per day with an advertiser paying $14 per 1,000 plays might earn $28 a day, or $196 a week.
Another model that's expected to gain traction this year are ads connected to videos. Revver Inc.'s Revver.com lets advertisers tack on ads to videos uploaded to the video-sharing site. Publishers who then put those videos on their sites, earn 20% of all ad revenue generated from plays of the videos on the blogs. Revver and the videos' creators, often amateurs, split the remainder.
In October, Google Inc. released Video Units, a program that allows Web-site publishers who use its AdSense program -- which places Google-brokered ads on other Web sites based on the sites' content -- to add YouTube videos to their blog sites and have ads appear on the video player.
Some ad services are trying to help publishers expand their advertising by putting ads in their blog's Really Simple Syndication, or RSS feeds, which send blog posts out to subscribers. Some services even specialize in providing ads to publishers that pop up when someone visits the blog from a mobile phone.
More Appealing
Many of the most widely used ad programs -- such as AdSense and Amazon.com Inc.'s affiliate-marketing program, where publishers get a cut of all sales generated from ads on their site -- also are trying to make ads more appealing. For instance, they have rolled out new features in recent months to give publishers more control over how the ads look and where they are placed.
AdSense recently began testing gadget ads, which are more visually stimulating with graphics and interactive features than the traditional basic text ads the program offers.
"One of the biggest things we're trying to do is create more ad formats for publishers," says Google spokesman Brandon McCormick, adding that AdSense paid $3.5 billion to publishers in the first three quarters of 2007.
Meantime, Amazon.com in September introduced several free widgets -- easy-to-use programs that, by plugging a code into a site or blog, let publishers customize how and where ads appear in a blog. One widget lets people embed links to Amazon products in their text, while another lets publishers create a slideshow of relevant Amazon products displayed on their site. Amazon affiliates earn up to a 10% commission on all sales directed from their ads.
Enough to Make a Living
Some bloggers already are seeing results. Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay.com, a site with articles on rainforest conservation and other environmental issues, makes $15,000 to $18,000 a month from AdSense, using various types of ads. Mr. Butler says his blog currently gets about 1.3 million unique visitors per month.
He's planning to eventually experiment with Google's video player ads and create his own video content for the site. "The rainforest has always been my passion, but I never expected to make a living off of it," says Mr. Butler, who quit his job as a product manager in 2003 when he realized he could make a living off his site.
Darren Rowse, the Melbourne, Australia-based writer of ProBlogger.net, a popular blog that teaches other bloggers how to make money, earned roughly $250,000 in 2007 off ads on three blogs he writes. Mr. Rowse says he makes the most off traditional display advertising, where advertisers pay a fee to appear, but he also has used affiliate ads and Google AdSense.
Mr. Rowse says publishers should experiment with several types of advertising and use an analytics program to figure out which ones are most effective. Once they do that, bloggers should, for the most part, rely on just one or two advertising programs "so they don't clutter the site," he says. Bloggers should be careful to pick advertising that doesn't appear to taint the content or reputation of the site, he adds.
Mr. Rowse says certain types of advertising can be most effective for certain sites. For instance, affiliate programs, such as Amazon's, tend to work best on sites with loyal followers who trust their blogger for recommendations. Sites with lots of general search-engine traffic but fewer devotees may do better with a contextual ad program, such as AdSense. Regular display ads can also be very effective, he says, depending on how well the ad matches the site's content.
Finally - Time to Fight Back!
I was delighted to hear good news. Time for Allstate to play the same rules as the rest of us:
Florida halts new Allstate policies
South Florida Business Journal - by Kate Howell
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has suspended Allstate Cos.'s certificate of authority to write new insurance in Florida until it fully complies with subpoenas relating to its property insurance rates.
"If Allstate is willing to pay $25,000 per day in fines to a Missouri court for its ongoing failure to provide similar documents, it's obvious to me that it will take more than a monetary sanction to get them to comply with our subpoenas," McCarty said in a news release.
Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate said it was surprised by OIR's actions and committed to working with regulators.
In a written statement, Allstate said it has provided nearly 40,000 pages of information and will continue to "produce responsive documents" for OIR on a rolling basis. It added that it has yet to receive an order from OIR regarding the suspension and is evaluating its options.
"At this time, it is not clear how this action will affect Allstate or the more than 1,100 Allstate agents in Florida who are small business owners and employers," statement said.
McCarty halted a hearing looking into Allstate's reinsurance program, relationships to risk modeling companies, insurance rating organizations and insurance trade associations Tuesday when the companies refused to provide documents subpoenaed Oct. 15. Instead, the Office of Insurance Regulation said it received 51 pages of objections to the subpoenas.
The companies were subpoenaed after requesting rate increases averaging 42 percent. Regulators wanted to know why Allstate failed to comply with a new insurance law passed last year which expanded the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to give insurers access to less expensive backup insurance. Insurance companies were to apply the savings toward lower rates.
Attorney Joseph Dawson, whose firm Dawson & Finkelstein sues insurance companies over unpaid claims and unfair business practices, said other insurance companies will be watching the fallout of Allstate's suspension closely.
"They are seeing that they are going to have to support rate hikes with sufficient data," Dawson said.
He added that the suspension reflects a "premium sensitive" attitude in Florida's government that could lead to a strong response "if insurance companies fail to adhere to their obligations under the new insurance law."
The indefinite suspension applies to Allstate Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co. and Allstate Property and Casualty Co., and it only suspends the companies from writing new business in Florida. Existing policyholders will not be affected, and the companies must continue to make filings, including audited annual financial statements, quarterly financial statements and rate filings.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he supports McCarty's decision.
"It is clear to me that Allstate must have something to hide if they are unwilling to comply with the commissioner's requests," Crist said in a news release.
Florida halts new Allstate policies
South Florida Business Journal - by Kate Howell
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has suspended Allstate Cos.'s certificate of authority to write new insurance in Florida until it fully complies with subpoenas relating to its property insurance rates.
"If Allstate is willing to pay $25,000 per day in fines to a Missouri court for its ongoing failure to provide similar documents, it's obvious to me that it will take more than a monetary sanction to get them to comply with our subpoenas," McCarty said in a news release.
Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate said it was surprised by OIR's actions and committed to working with regulators.
In a written statement, Allstate said it has provided nearly 40,000 pages of information and will continue to "produce responsive documents" for OIR on a rolling basis. It added that it has yet to receive an order from OIR regarding the suspension and is evaluating its options.
"At this time, it is not clear how this action will affect Allstate or the more than 1,100 Allstate agents in Florida who are small business owners and employers," statement said.
McCarty halted a hearing looking into Allstate's reinsurance program, relationships to risk modeling companies, insurance rating organizations and insurance trade associations Tuesday when the companies refused to provide documents subpoenaed Oct. 15. Instead, the Office of Insurance Regulation said it received 51 pages of objections to the subpoenas.
The companies were subpoenaed after requesting rate increases averaging 42 percent. Regulators wanted to know why Allstate failed to comply with a new insurance law passed last year which expanded the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to give insurers access to less expensive backup insurance. Insurance companies were to apply the savings toward lower rates.
Attorney Joseph Dawson, whose firm Dawson & Finkelstein sues insurance companies over unpaid claims and unfair business practices, said other insurance companies will be watching the fallout of Allstate's suspension closely.
"They are seeing that they are going to have to support rate hikes with sufficient data," Dawson said.
He added that the suspension reflects a "premium sensitive" attitude in Florida's government that could lead to a strong response "if insurance companies fail to adhere to their obligations under the new insurance law."
The indefinite suspension applies to Allstate Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co. and Allstate Property and Casualty Co., and it only suspends the companies from writing new business in Florida. Existing policyholders will not be affected, and the companies must continue to make filings, including audited annual financial statements, quarterly financial statements and rate filings.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he supports McCarty's decision.
"It is clear to me that Allstate must have something to hide if they are unwilling to comply with the commissioner's requests," Crist said in a news release.
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