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2009-01-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

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2007-06-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks for reading Groupster!

Since Groupster was all about giving you a wide range of topics we decided to move it to a larger space so you can easily find the topics that interest you. Come check us out at SnagWire.

Forget photobucket....use Flektor

2007-05-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

Uploading to photobucket is not fun...

You have to do it one photo at a time. Flektor lets you get content from other sources, flickr, myspace, your computer and photobucket. I would go with flickr. Download flickrs upload tool and you add folders of photos at a time. Flektor's interface is much better than photobucket, in a sense its a profile page, you can even add friends. Flecktor as more options for creating content than photobucket, slideshows, video, polls, chat, and even a web cam feed. How about putting a web cam on your Myspace? Cool. So if you want to add new content to you webpages and profiles go sign up to Flecktor.

here is a sample flektor video

Potterland is coming....look witchy!

2007-05-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

"The plans I have seen look incredibly exciting and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed," Rowling said of the Orlando park that is scheduled to open in 2009.

J.K. Rowling, who became the world's first billion-dollar author on the back of Harry Potter's success, has given the go-ahead for the creation of a Florida theme park dedicated to the schoolboy wizard.

The park is a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment, whose Potter films have so far grossed more than $3.5 billion worldwide, and Universal Orlando Resort (Warner Bros. Entertainment is owned by the same parent company as CNN).

In a statement rich in entertainment hyperbole, the builders of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" said they planned to "create the world's first immense Harry Potter themed environment."

Barry Meyer, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment, said: "Over the years we've received thousands of letters from fans around the world wishing they could visit Hogwarts (School) and the wonderful locations described in each of J.K. Rowling's beloved stories."

The park's opening could help to quell the withdrawal symptoms of Potter fans around the globe who have bought 320 million copies of her wizard tales and turned every one of the films into a box office hit.

Will this kill the Harry Potter themed conventions that have sprung up all over the country? Why would you go to a hotel and talk about it when you can go to Hogwarts and live it!

I hope that they do not make it just for kids (ala Legoland). Many Adults love the books and have grown up with the story. It's been ten years since the release of The Philosophers Stone. Potter fans are fanatical, who else waits in line at midnight to read a children's novel, so they better pay attention to detail when creating Potterland or they will get a severe waving of a wand.

via[cnn]

Jordin "jorbacca" Spark had help winning Idol

2007-05-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

According to MSNBC she had a vocal coach.

“Jordin was just 14 years old when she studied with me in 2004,” vocal coach Melissa Black told Star magazine. “Her mom, Jodi Sparks, and her grandmother, Pam Wiedmann — who acts as her manager — found me on the Internet. We were together for nine months of intense vocal work, with Jordin taking one 30-minute class a week at $25 per class … I knew she wouldn’t take long to perfect her craft because she was so good.”

Black says they haven’t spoken since Sparks stopped taking the classes, and she said mostly good things about her alleged former student. Nevertheless, Black admits, she was “hurt for a week” when the “Idol” winner said that she hadn’t had any formal training. “Jordin didn’t have to mention my name, but at least acknowledge you had training,” she told the tab. “But I’ve moved on, and I hold my head up high.”

This may come as a surprise to Sparks’ fans because on her official bio on the “Idol” Web site, when asked if she ever had formal training, Sparks answered, “No.”

Dear Rosie, Shhhhh. Love, America

2007-05-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

What ever happened to the "Queen of Nice"

Rosie O'Donnell who used to discuss issues such as cancer, depression and foster care? Her style of comedy has changed, and many Americans are disappointed.

1996 was Rosie's first appearance on television gave her the nickname "Queen of Nice" because of her interest in helping people and dealing with sensitive topics on live television. Her latest talk show has turned into one filled with controversy and adds fuel to the fire of many Americans. From her mockery of the Chinese Language in November 2006 to her ongoing feud with Donald Trump a month later, her battles never seem to end.

Recently, she called Elisabeth Hasselback a coward for not answering one of her questions on the show regarding the war. Elisabeth was on Season 2 of Survivor, The Outback. She became one of the most loved reality stars on television because of her relationship with an older man on the show and her genuine and kind behavior. Unlike Rosie, some people don't like to discuss such issues as American troops being called terrorists.

Congratulations, Rosie, you upset America again! As heated as Americans were with this argument, it brought the show its best ratings yet. So, maybe we really should congratulate Rosie because controversial behavior is only bringing in the dough.

Lindsay Lohan drunk at the wheel again..

2007-05-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Lohan has checked into rehab.

"It's so weird that I went to rehab," Lohan said in Allure magazine's May issue. "I always said I would die before I went to rehab."

The move followed a weekend during which the wild-child actress crashed her Mercedes, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and was photographed closed-eyed and slumped in the passenger seat of a friend's car.

The 20-year-old "admitted herself to an intensive medical rehabilitation facility" on Monday, according to a statement released by her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick. The statement added, "Because this is a medical matter, it is our hope that the press will appreciate the seriousness of the situation and respect the privacy of Lindsay as well as the other patients receiving treatment at the facility."

This is Lohan's second rehab stint this year. She said in January that she had checked into a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment.

Maybe she can be Paris' cell mate? c,mon ladies you have enough cash to hire a driver. There is nothing wrong with going out and getting smashed, but please get a cab!

via[msn]

Lemon Battery

2007-05-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Creating a battery from a lemon is a common project in many science text books

Successfully creating one of these devices is not easy.
Batteries consist of two different metals suspended in an acidic solution. Copper and Zinc work well as the metals and the citric acid content of a lemon will provide the acidic solution.
Batteries like this will not be able to run a motor or energize most light bulbs. It is possible to produce a dim glow from an LED.

The lemon: A large, fresh, "juicy" lemon works best.
The nail: Galvanized nails are coated in zinc. I used a 2" galvanized common nail.
The penny: Any copper coin will work. (Canadian pennies from 1960 - 2001 all worked)

Creating the battery: Insert a penny into a cut on one side of the lemon. Push a galvanized nail into the other side of the lemon. The nail and penny must not touch.

This is a single cell of a battery. The zinc nail and the copper penny are called electrodes. The lemon juice is called electrolyte.

All batteries have a "+" and "-" terminal. Electric current is a flow of atomic particles called electrons. Certain materials , called conductors, allow electrons to flow through them. Most metals (copper, iron) are good conductors of electricity. Electrons will flow from the "-" electrode of a battery, through a conductor, towards the "+" electrode of a battery. Volts (voltage) is a measure of the force moving the electrons. (High voltage is dangerous!)

I have connected a volt meter to our single cell lemon battery. The meter tells us this lemon battery is creating a voltage of 0.906 volts.
Unfortunately this battery will not produce enough current (flowing electrons) to light a bulb.

The two lemon batteries, combine to produce a voltage of 1.788 volts. This combination still does not create enough current to light a small bulb. Note the red wire connecting the batteries is joined from "+" (penny) to "-" (galvanized nail).

Four lemon batteries create a voltage of 3.50 volts. We should be able to light up a small device like an LED (Light Emitting Diode).
Note the connecting wires go from "+" to "-" on each battery.

To turn on an LED you must determine the "+" and "-" connections. If you look closely at the red plastic base of an LED you will notice a "flat" spot (indicated by arrow above). The wire that comes out beside the flat spot must connect to the "-" side of a battery, the other wire to the "+" side.

Important information about LEDs: LEDs are designed to work at very low voltages (~ 2V) and low currents. They will be damaged if connected to batteries rated at over 2 volts. LEDs require resistors to control current when used with batteries rated at over 2 volts. Lemon batteries produce low current. It is OK to connect an LED to a lemon battery.

In the image, electrons flow from the "-" (nail) end of our lemon battery through the LED (making it glow) then back to the "+" (penny) end of the battery. This is an electronic circuit. The LED glows dimly with this configuration.

Improving your battery.

The quality of the copper and zinc can be a problem for a battery like this. Pennies in particular are rarely pure copper.
Try substituting a length of 14 gauge copper wire (common house wire) for the penny. Experiment with different lengths and configurations of electrodes. Other sources of zinc and copper may be found in the plumbing supply department of a hardware store.

Sith Rules at Star Wars Celebration IV

2007-05-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

aka. C-4

I went to C-4 over the weekend. I went with 6 friends and had a great time just looking at all the fans dressed in costumes. The lectures were great. We saw AnthonyDaniels, Peter Mayhew and others. Seth Green showed a sneek peek of the Robot Chicken Star Wars special that will be on Cartoon Network June 17. They will have a full half hour of Star Wars parody!. There was actually too many things to see in one day. Charles Ross entertained us with the one man Star Wars Trilogy in 30 min, a lightspeed adventure! You could also help build an ewok village diorama. I hope they have C-5 next time in Los Angeles, If you live in the SoCal area you should definitely go next time..

Will Maroon 5 Still Be Loved?

2007-05-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Maroon 5's new album, "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" has a hit "Makes Me Wonder" that jumped 63 spaces to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart, but it seems as if this song is their only hope for success this time around.

2002 launched the start of Maroon 5's career with hits such as "Harder To Breathe," quickly followed by "She Will Be Loved," "Sunday Morning," "Sweetest Goodbye" and of course "This Love." What was it about this album that grasped the attention of America? Perhaps, it was the sex involved in the lyrics or the very idea of writing an entire album about this one girl, Jane. Jane became this metaphore for our ex-girlfriend Susie or ex-boyfriend Jon with each song writing another journey into the tangled hearts of lovers; each a stanza of passion that America fell in love with.

On the contrary, Maroon 5's new album, which took them 5 years to finally come out with, "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" (how ironic) has not produced the same domino effect with the songs. Yes, it is still early to judge, but after listening to the cd, one can see that this cd had different intentions. Even lead singer Adam Levine said

"Yeah, you feel that, because you're like, 'Holy s--t. I wrote this song, and it was so famous, huge, everyone knows it. They sing it at our shows, and all you get on the street is, 'I love that song.' You build this up like it's a big thing. You can't ignore that, but at the same time you have to train yourself to forget about it so you can write a song that's still sincere."

Some of the songs you can actually dance to, and it's a bit more edgy, but will America like this this change or miss the more emotional, sensitive but sexual Maroon 5? Is Maroon 5 set up for another path of success or should we wish them our sweetest goodbye?

Vegas, Oh how you've changed!

2007-05-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

For a southern California native, I am shocked that I had only been to Las Vegas 3 times in my entire life. The first time was a family trip when I was 9. The second was a brief one day stay while on a road trip from Utah back to California. and then again 3 years ago for a wedding.

This 4th trip to Vegas was a revelation.

It was fitting, that I found myself at Circus Circus, the first place I stayed in Vegas at the age of nine. Initially, it seemed all too familiar as if nothing had changed in the years that have passed. The exterior, the familiar stroll through the casino.. the registration counters, the Midway. But, I decided to explore a little more and leave no stone unturned.

I hit the Midway and the arcade and all that nostalgia hit when the acrobats took center stage. But, still, I knew there was more to be seen. I was curious to find out what all this hullaballoo was over "The Adventuredome". After a few twists and turns, a few stairs, I made a left down some corridor and found myself looking up at this massive roller coaster and quickly gathered this wasn't the Circus Circus I remembered. Here I was standing in this vast amusement park, I was paralyzed. Well, mostly jealous because when I was a kid, all I got to see was the Midway and the hotel room.

My experience at Circus Circus led me to believe there was far more to The Strip than beyond that of which I knew. I had always known Vegas as a place to gamble. That's it. Going to Vegas meant hitting the casinos and walking up and down the strip. I quickly found, that the best way to learn about Las Vegas, is on the bus. The Deuce is a double-decker bus that goes up and down the strip and downtown areas. The thing is, you're gonna be packed in with all these people from all over the world who are staying at various hotels and all experiencing Las Vegas in their own ways. So you can eaves drop or converse with strangers and get information and opinions.. horror stories, "best time ever" stories.. you get it all. And it's unavoidable because traffic on the strip can linger and if you have the time, you can learn a lot about Vegas on The Deuce.

Las Vegas was starting to welcome me and let me know that there was so much more to do and experience beyond the casino. I was starting to feel the vibe a bit, seeing shows and walking through some great hotels. However, the one single event that showed me how much more Las Vegas had to offer was the moment I stepped into Jet nightclub at the Mirage at 12:32 AM.

Honestly, for someone who prides herself on knowing a great club, Jet quickly climbed the ranks of my "best of list" for both west and east coast night clubs. I loved the decor, the fancy bouncers (gotta have that earpiece), and even the layout. I made my way through the massive crowd of nicely dressed people and found a spot to observe the spectacle. Everyone looked good. It was great to see everyone dancing and singing along, filling in the lyrics when the music dropped out. I was impressed how well DJ'd it was and how the crowd was just in non-stop hysteria. I felt like I was in a movie.

After I got back to LA from Vegas, I was still buzzing from the trip. All I could say was, Vegas, Oh how you've changed!

Alex

Halo 3 Master Cheif, Naked!?

2007-05-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Bungie made me 'LOL' at this one. "Halo 2 Vista Ships with partial nudity".

It has come to our attention that an unfortunate, obscure content error which includes partial nudity was included in our initial production of "Halo 2" for Windows Vista. As such, we have updated the initial game packaging at retailers with a label, so customers are aware before purchasing the game. Additionally, we've developed an online update which can be downloaded from www.halo2.com to remove the content.

Ok, I watched all the beta testing and the developers play through every scene of many video games. How the heck do you let nudity "slip through"? I smell a conspiracy!

via[kotaku]

George Foreman Says He Was Drugged Just Before His Fight With Ali

2007-05-29T10:04:00.001-07:00

Muhammad Ali was at his bombastic best, just days before he was supposed to have his head handed to him in the Rumble in the Jungle. Listen to what he said 33 years later, and the words still sparkle to those who remember a magical time, if not such a magical place.

read more | digg story

Mini Britney, K-Fed diss

2007-05-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

Mini Britney has her very own pint-sized PopoZao -- a little person version of K-Fed.

Mini Britney Spears, rocked out to two of Ms. Spears' biggest hits, "Toxic" and "Oops ... I Did it Again," in her Brit-inspired flight attendant and red latex uniforms. It truly must be seen to be believed.

Mid-performance, a gold-chain, wifebeater-wearing, thugged-out Fed-alike (played by Wee Matt) took over the stage, and just like the couple's colossal counterparts, they argued! Mini Brit even offered some tender parting words to the lil' guy -- "Get the f**k outta here!"

She's good.

Watch the diss here!

A real Jurrasic Park like tale

2007-05-29T09:19:00.001-07:00

International wildlife experts have located hundreds of wild elephants on a treeless island in the swamps of south Sudan, where they apparently avoided unchecked hunting during more than 20 years of war.

This is really cool. It excites the Indiana Jones in me.
read more | digg story

Top Rove aide, you're fired, clears out office

2007-05-29T09:13:00.001-07:00

Didn't they say something bad about cutting and running?

read more | digg story

Night Vision Slows Bootleg Movies

2007-05-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

Darn, making bootleg movie copies is getting harder. :(

Movie theatres nabbing bootleggers easier now with night vision goggles. Its been effective in Malaysia, catching 17 cases for the premiers of "Pirates of the Carribean" and "Spiderman 3". So, don't get too involved in the throws of "Movie PDA". Unless you dont mind giving a watchful eye a little show.

via[reuters]

Don't touch my booty!

2007-05-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

My unbiased Pirates review.....

I can see why the pre-release critics reviews were off. This movie was good but not great. The main reason is that it didn't feel like an extension of the first two films. It does not begin were dead mans chest ended causing a "WTF is going on?" This coupled with the fact that the first 20 min were an artistic, cinematic telling of Jack stuck in Davy Jone's locker (Davy Jone's locker must be a metaphor for a highly drunk on rum dream state). Sure, I like abstract films but when you bite into an apple you don't want it to taste like a pickle. There are a couple things that happen in the film that needed more time to make it believable even though the movie is nearly 3 hours long. To end the trilogy or not to end the trilogy that is the question. C'mon Disney, let it go make a new film. The ending was a bit too vague for me. They wanted to leave it open for another production, but really how could they keep people interested? I lost interest in the story of worlds end real fast. They just didn't make a strong enough point of the plot. It wasn't a total crapper though, some good humor moments thanks to dead monkey.

Well at least they got a jar of dirt...

Icequarium, Only in Japan

2007-05-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Only in Japan will you find a frozen aquarium. This ones in a Kessennuma aquarium, and is home to 40 frozen blocks of the local sea life. Everything except dolphins and giant squid. Jump for more photos of frozen schools.

via[pinktentacle]

Sony Makes Flexible Flat Screen

2007-05-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sony's good for things like this, they recently got in gear for some more competition. Their flexible OLED screen shows promise, and could be used in ways that haven't been thought of yet like books showing demonstration videos, or advertising in magazines, even portable devices like media players and cell phones. Video after the jump.

To run through the numbers, the screen is 2.5", 0.3 mm thick, 120 x 169 pixels, weighing 1.5 grams. The glass substrate it is made of lets it pretty flexible without creasing. Expect for this to create more advances in tech.

via[crunchgear]

Autobots...Lets Roll!

2007-05-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Somehow I don't think this is making it into the movie....

Launched in 1984, the Transformers toyline was promoted through both a comic book by Marvel Comics and an animated series produced by Sunbow Productions. Although the comic outlived the animated series by a number of years, it was the animated series that truly captured the hearts and minds of children worldwide more so than any other piece of Transformers media from its twenty year history. With the original show's conclusion in 1987, original series exclusive to Japan were created which ran until 1990, and the franchise was later re-imagined with the fully CGI Beast Wars in the late 1990s. The current run of cartoons have been co-productions between America and Japan.

The transformers movie is opening July 4th 2007
Roll out!!

Bush Expects "Heavy Fighting" In the Weeks to Come

2007-05-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Washington DC - President George W. Bush held a press conference at the White House this morning to announce that he expects "heavy fighting" in Iraq in the weeks and months to come. "We can expect more American and Iraqi casualties," Bush said. "We must provide our troops with the funds and resources they need to prevail." You can read more of Bush's comments, and the Democratic response, here.

Bush also discussed the Justice Department's probe against Attorney General Anthony Gonzales' firing of US Attorney's in 2006, calling it "grand political theatre." This comes the day after former Justice Department official Monica Goodling testified that Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty was "not fully candid" about the 2006 firings of U.S. attorneys. You can read about her testimony here.

So while we have expectations of a violent summer in Iraq (tends to happen when you have a violent winter, spring and fall), we don't have a date for the return of our troops. Is it just me, or does it feel kind of shameful that the politicians that sent these men and women to war in the first place will be watching them on plasma television sets in their summer vacation homes, getting up every now and then to address the media, to tell them that the war is being won, that more money is needed and that whoever votes against it supports terrorism.

Of course, this comes on the same day that more prewar Intelligence, this time from the Senate Intelligence Committee, may be declassified and released. CNN reported that "a former intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision to go to war had been made months before the 2003 papers were drafted and analysts had no delusions that they were going to head off military action. Rather, the official said, they hoped their warnings would be considered in the planning."

Upon release of this 511 page report, Bush's approval ratings could drop even below the reported 34%.

Sources: CNN, Fox News (Poll)

Mac vs. PC .......again

2007-05-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

You can create your own south park character here

Backlash Over Giambi's Comments Continues

2007-05-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

This Time at the Offices of Major League Baseball.

ESPN reports that Jason Giambi met with lawyers representing MLB Commissioner Bud Selig over comments made by Giambi in USA Today last week. For those sports fans that have been living under a rock (and with the Ducks in the Stanley Cup, I don't blame you), Giambi spoke candidly about steroids to USA Today last week, and his comments have MLB trying to figure out if they are actually an admission of wrongdoing. You can read Giambi's comments here...

This is not Giambi's first suggestion that he's taken banned performance enhancing drugs. In December of 2004, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the "Giambino" (as Yankees fans affectionately call him) admitted to a Federal Grand Jury that he had indeed taken steroids and human growth hormone, but because the testimony had leaked and was never publicly released, Major League Baseball could essentially do nothing. Since then, Giambi has received an additional six steroid tests a year.

Giambi declined to go into detail, saying I can't really talk about anything." Read more about the meeting here.

Regardless of Giambi's past, I strongly doubt MLB is using this as anything more than an excuse to go after him. Giambi's comments were spot on; baseball should apologize to its fans. Maybe Selig and Co. weren't handing out the steroids, but they certainly turned their backs to the problem and let guys like McGwire and Bonds juice up and take records that shouldn't belong to them. Doing steroids is wrong, cheating the game is wrong, and Giambi seems to be the only player willing to man up and lobby for the fans of the game.

Sources: ESPN, USA Today

Sony's New WalkMan is iPod Competition

2007-05-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

iPod Nano just got some more competition. The Sony NW-S705F is easy on your eyes and ears with its sleek design, and on-board noise canceling technology (noise canceling ear buds included). So You wont kill your hearing like I do everyday trying to drown out all the excess noise that I'm around.

The Nano-sized device has flash based memory, so you can shake it all you want with no skipping while your 1GB or 2GB library is playing.The fresh Walkman also has a 50 hour battery life makes it ok that you have to use the specific Sony music management program to add/remove songs on your player.

via[cnet]