Movie Stars who Die the Most

Ever wonder which of your favorite movie stars are killed off the most? It might not surprise you that Robert DeNiro tops the list with 14 deaths, but did you know that in 2 of Bruce Willis' 11 movie deaths the killer was his ex-wife Demi Moore? The full list is here. 

Beer Goggles are a Myth

The well-worn concept of 'beer googles' that make men view women as more attractive the more they drink is a myth, claim scientists. More here. 

Where the Government Spends your money

Click here for the full picture. 

LaCie iamaKey (needs a new name)

With the new LaCie iamaKey, inventive storage meets data protection. The key-shaped design is functional and memorable, and the protection that the LaCie iamaKey offers makes it extremely reliable. Best of all, with its 4GB and 8GB models, you can fit an enormous amount of data in a small flash drive. With the universal Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface, iamaKey can be used with both PC and Macs. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 not only offers universal compatibility and cross-platform convenience, but features a hot-pluggable connection and high-speed transfer rates, and is Windows ReadyBoost™ compatible. With its eye-catching design, the iamaKey certainly stands out, but its connector (Gold SIP) is both water- and scratch-resistant, making it one of the most durable and thinnest USB keys on the market. Protective edges on the connectors ensure that you'll always insert the LaCie iamaKey properly, keeping it usable and safe. By it here. 

World's Best Hotel Beds

Click here to see the other beds. 

tiny puppy set to be the world's smallest dog

He is a third of the size of an average guinea pig, and weighs in at just a few ounces - but this tiny puppy could be a big deal when it comes to world records. The miniscule chihuahua-Jack Russell cross - appropriately named Tom Thumb by its owners - is a serious contender for the title of being the smallest dog on the planet. Little Tom was born just three weeks ago as part of a surprise litter to mum Spice, a chihuahua. More here. 

Martellus Bennett's thought on Female Farting

Martellus Bennett has his own blog over at the Dallas Morning News that started a week ago. In this post he discusses what to do if your chic farts. The typos are minimal and forgivable since he is the Cowboys second best current tight end. Here is a little excerpt: 

"Man what do you do if your chic farts?It doesn't seem as if women should fart. I was walking in the grocery store in the chips and dips aisle. This lady was walking in front of me pushing her cart she stopped to pick up some pringles and let one rip. Sounded like a growl and and a motor but smelt like a dead carcus. OMG! Now I knew it wasn't me LOL and we were the only two people on the aisle. She just smiled and kept walking like nothing happened the smell followed her. I swear I could see it like smoke out of a train just nasty."

Scientists explain why scratching helps relieve an itch

Scratching helps to relieve an itch because it reduces the sensations of pain sent to the brain, a new study has found. However, the effect was produced only when the skin was genuinely itchy, researchers found. Neuroscientists believe that the findings could be used to discover potential treatments, including drugs, to offer relief to patients suffering from chronic itches. More here. 

Beating a DWI case may soon get a lot tougher: Blood Draws

Drivers stopped on suspicion of DWI can refuse to take roadside sobriety and breath tests, and about half of the nearly 4,000 people arrested annually in the city of Dallas for DWI refuse the breath test. The number of "total refusals" of both kinds of tests have been skyrocketing in the last year and a half, say officers, judges and lawyers. Drivers are getting smarter about the law, and DWI cases are getting tougher for police and prosecutors to win. To counter that, police have arranged to have judges standing by on no-refusal weekends, ready to sign search warrants that allow officers to get blood from drivers whether they like it or not. The weekend before this St. Patrick's Day, 32 people were arrested for DWI, and about half refused to give up their blood voluntarily to a certified medical technician stationed at the jail. Two resisted even after being served with search warrants and were cuffed and strapped into a chair so their blood could be drawn. More here. 

Stem cells to grow bigger breasts

A Stem cell therapy offering “natural” breast enlargement is to be made available to British women for the first time. The treatment could boost cup size while reducing stomach fat. It involves extracting stem cells from spare fat on the stomach or thighs and growing them in a woman’s breasts. An increase of one cup size is likely, with the potential for larger gains as the technique improves. More here.

24-year-old SMU grad shot, killed outside Dallas club

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From the Dallas Morning News: A 24-year-old SMU graduate was fatally shot outside a downtown Dallas nightclub early Sunday morning when someone from a passing vehicle fired into a crowd, police said. Jessica Chanè Waldron was waiting with a friend outside the 2026 Ultra Lounge on Commerce Street about 2:20 a.m. for a valet to return with their car, police said.

Witnesses told police they heard multiple gunshots. “I’ve been hit,” Waldron said before she fell to the ground. More here. 

Cuban fined $25K for ref complaints on Twitter

From ESPN: The NBA slapped Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with a $25,000 fine Sunday for publicly criticizing the officials after Denver's 103-101 win over Dallas. Cuban used the Twitter online social network to complain after Friday night's game that Denver's J.R. Smith was not called for coming off the bench to taunt Antoine Wright after he missed a shot near the Nuggets bench. Cuban said in another posting Sunday that he "can't say no one makes money from twitter now. The NBA does." More here. 

Teenager paints giant phallus on roof of parents' home

A teenager inspired by ancient fertility symbol has painted a 60 ft long phallus on the roof of his parents 2 million house in England. It was up for over a year before they found out. More here. 

Drama Next Door

From the Dallas Morning News: The owner of Bob's Steak & Chop House, the well-known, high-end Dallas steak restaurant, has been indicted for theft. Bob Sambol could face up to life in prison under the indictment, which was released Thursday. According to records, Sambol asked an investor, Lee Thompson, for $300,000 to add a cigar lounge to the restaurant's Oak Lawn location. Thompson was supposed to get a percentage of the profits in return, and the expansion was supposed to begin in January of last year, according to the records. But that didn't happen, and Sambol didn't pay back the money, the records say. An arrest warrant for Sambol was to be issued. Neither he nor his attorney could be reached immediately for comment.

New York City Sitcom Map

In Italy, a Vending Machine Even Makes the Pizza

NY Times Article: Over the last decade, Mr. Torghele, 56, an entrepreneur in this northern Italian city who first made money selling pasta in California, has developed a vending machine that cooks pizza. The machine does not just slip a frozen pizza into a microwave. It actually whips up flour, water, tomato sauce and fresh ingredients to produce a piping hot pizza in about three minutes. More here. 

5 Mixed Drinks Manly Men Can Drink (And Remain Manly)

If you’re reading this and are a man, you probably have a penis. Since you have a penis, you primarily drink beer and whiskey. Good man. Manly man. When you go to a bar, however, beer all the time can get a bit boring, and you may be looking for something like a strong mixed drink. However, being the manly man you are, you’ve never ordered a mixed drink before, and don’t actually know what drinks are safe to order without risking penile deflation. Worry not, my friend. Read on, follow our guidelines, and we’ll show you what you can order to drink, and still be a manly man.

1. Irish Car Bomb

Hell even the name sounds manly. This drink is a shot glass filled with Irish Whiskey (preferably Jameson) with Baileys Irish Cream floated on top. The shot is then dropped into a glass of Guinness and downed. All Irish, contains both whiskey and stout beer. Definitely a man’s drink.

2. Jagerbomb

Another bomb? Could be a trend… A Jägerbomb is a drink in which the only liquor is Jägermeister. Basically you fill a glass with Red Bull energy drink, a very masculine bull-like energy drink, then drop in a shot full of Jägermeister and chug it. On a side note, Jägermeister is in my copy-paste clipboard because you can’t fucking type ä on a normal keyboard. Damn Germans.

3. Martini

Ok, so no trend. The primary reason a martini is on this list is because James Bond drinks them. Shaken, not stirred. Otherwise, this would be a pretty hoity-toity drink. But, because James Bond is so manly and cool, what with all the explosions and all (ok, maybe a trend), anything he drinks voluntarily has a degree of awesome to it. A martini is gin and vermouth, garnished with an olive. Though on occasion, its masculinity is insulted with a sliver of lemon peel.

4. Hurricane

In the words of Alan Jackson, “Pour me something tall and strong, make it a Hurricane, before I go insane.” The man needs a damn stiff one. A Hurricane is a great answer. Jack Sparrow would appreciate this one, as it’s made with light rum, dark rum, passionfruit syrup, and lime juice. Since rum is the primary ingredient, and the drink was originally given away in New Orleans to sailors, this one has earned a spot on the list. Plus, it’s the manliest tropical drink you can get in Margaritaville. Look at it, doesn't it look refreshing? 

5. Lynchburg Lemonade

This tastey alternative to a boring lemonade is made with Jack Daniels, Triple Sec, lime soda, and sour mix. It looks lke lemonade, tastes like lemonade, contains whiskey, was and is sold as a cocktail by Jack Daniels. This drink is safe to drink anywhere, anytime. Even at 9:00 am on Sunday. 

A-Rod in Love with Himself (not photoshopped)

I always knew this to be true. Apparently, this photo was taken the same day that he was questioned by an ESPN reporter regarding past steroid use. Also of note, A-Rod imbibed several shots of patron to prep for tie photo shoot. Full article here. 

Hard Rock Cafe stages its Dallas comeback

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before the Hard Rock decided to come back to Big D. They are planning an almost 9,000 square foot space on N. Houston Street. More here. 

Franchiser Ed Bailey vs. McDonald's Corp.

From a D Magazine Article: When restaurateur Ed Bailey filed suit last year against the giant McDonald's Corp., he was living up to his reputation as a strong-willed business pioneer. One of the nation's largest McDonald's owner/operators, Bailey has succeeded by calling his own shots on everything from eateries' decor to employee-training practices. The rest of it here. 

Now Ed has put up all of his 63 McDonalds up for sale. Here is the update. 

Basically McDonalds agreed to buy all of Ed's stores, but also gave him the option to sell them individually for more. I guess Ed wants to create his own Patrizio's franchise. There are now 4 in the metroplex. 

Boxed Water

Drinking bottled water is for assholes who hate the planet. Boxed water is for enlightened awesomes. People who drink boxed water are also taller, wittier, and better in the sack. More here. 

Rocket Scientists Shoot Down Mosquitoes With Lasers

Excerpt from the WSJ article: A quarter-century ago, American rocket scientists proposed the "Star Wars" defense system to knock Soviet missiles from the skies with laser beams. Some of the same scientists are now aiming their lasers at another airborne threat: the mosquito. In a lab in this Seattle suburb, researchers in long white coats recently stood watching a small glass box of bugs. Every few seconds, a contraption 100 feet away shot a beam that hit the buzzing mosquitoes, one by one, with a spot of red light.The insects survived this particular test, which used a non-lethal laser. But if these researchers have their way, the Cold War missile-defense strategy will be reborn as a WMD: Weapon of Mosquito Destruction. Continued here. 

On Vacation!!!

Rick Santelli and the "Rant of the Year"

First Dog Chosen: Portuguese Water Dog

The dogs medium-sized and are supposed to be good temperamentally. Also, Ted Kennedy has two, and you don't mess with the Kennedys, unless you are David Paterson. In other first animal news....Socks is dead...RIP.

Cake Balls!!!

No....this is not some new middle school derived homophobic word, but Cake balls are just what you’ve been waiting for—bite-size bits of moist cake blended with rich frosting, surrounded in a deliciously beautiful confectionery coating. This appears to be an exciting twist on cupcakes and a sophisticated alternative to traditional desserts, it’s no wonder why they are becoming such a sweet sensation. The Cake Ball Company is located on Northwest Hwy near White Rock lake. They claim it is a one of a kind experience. Website here.

Rape Stats, Not Athletic Stats!

Bush Visits SMU Today

Usability Analysis of Apple.com: Why is it so Good?

We all have been influenced in some way by Apple, whether it be their brilliant OS, stunning industrial innovation, or the trends they have started in web/application design. Apple focuses a lot on usability. This can be seen in their products, and Apple.com. It is important for Apple.com to be a usable site, because it leaves a good impression on users, and they will therefore be more likely to buy products from Apple. Click here for the full in depth analysis. 

1. The Most Usable Content Navigation and Menus

2. Clean and Flowing Grid-Based Layout

3. Consistent and Smooth Colors; High Quality Images

4. Smooth and Scannable Content Organization

5. Fast Load Times

6. The Search

7. The Subtle Details

 

A History of Home Values

Here's the big problem with almost all the current rhetoric about the housing crisis: It presumes that the goal should be to get house prices rising again.  The problem with that idea is that, even after a 25% decline, house prices are still way too high. Even if there is a government mechanism that could stop house prices from plummeting and artificially pump them up again, therefore, it would just postpone the inevitable. The rest of the article and a bigger picture  are here. 

Four Bad Bear Markets

20 Most Valuable Blogs

Well, to no one's surprise, 'the Nomad Surfer' didn't even make the top 100, maybe next year. Here is the link. 

Gawker Properties -- $170 million.

Huffington Post -- $90 million.

The Drudge Report -- $48 million.

Perez Hilton -- $32 million.

Sugar, Inc -- $27 million.

TechCrunch -- $25 million.

MacRumors -- $21 million.

SeekingAlpha -- $11 million.

GigaOm -- $9.5 million.

Politico -- $8.7 million.

SmashingMagazine -- $7.7 million.

SearchEngineLand -- $4.5 million.

Boing Boing -- $3.6 million.

ReadWriteWeb -- $3.4 million.

SB Nation -- $2.7 million.

Destructoid -- $2.5 million.

Mashable -- $2.5 million.

Alley Insider sites -- $2.25 million.

/film -- $2.1 million.

The Superficial Network -- $2 million

Neatorama -- $1.5 million.

Daily Kos -- $2 million.

Talking Points Memo -- $1.2 million.

VentureBeat -- $1 million.

Wowowow.com -- $1 million.

How The Three-Tiered Beer Distribution System Works

An interesting insight into why we have the three-tiered distribution system. Beer distributors generate $8 billion dollars per year, which is passed on to the consumer. The article is here.

Southwest Airlines' Bikini Plane

Southwest Airlines has entered into an awesome partnership with Sports Illustrated; this was the result. More here. 

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

The cutting-edge of sports therapy: Injecting athletes with their own blood to speed recovery of everything from tennis elbow to knee tendinitis. According to an article in today's Times, injecting someone with their own blood “catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue.” Sounds pretty good! Platlet-rich plasma is derived by placing a small amount of the patient’s blood in a filtration system or centrifuge that rotates at high speed, separating red blood cells from the platelets that release proteins and other particles involved in the body’s self-healing process, doctors said. A teaspoon or two of the remaining substance is then injected into the damaged area. The high concentration of platelets — from 3 to 10 times that of normal blood — often catalyzes the growth of new soft-tissue or bone cells. Because the substance is injected where blood would rarely go otherwise, it can deliver the healing instincts of platelets without triggering the clotting response for which platelets are typically known. More here. 

The Video Guide to Successful Seduction

Kiva.org

Well, today I finally decided to give this whole micro-financing thing a try. Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. After the loan is given, I will get journal reports and be able to track how much of the loan has been paid back. After the loan is repaid, I can then lend the money to another person. From what I have read, men are less likely than women to repay the loan. I, however, have more faith in my gender, so I lent two half men. 

Who I split my $200 between:

Maria Elisa is 45 and  from Ayacuccho, Peru. She used to have a soda fountain shop with three employees, but now she wants expand into a full restaurant. She needed a $950 loan to buy rice, sugar, and some more sodas. Why I chose Maria...I liked how she already had a functioning business with three employees; past performance is a great indicator of future success. 

Emmanuel Amofah is from Swido, Ghana. He requested $375 loan to buy some palm fruit so he and his machine can produce palm oil to sell at Ayaase Road near Cape Coast. He has been doing this for 2 years now and wants to increase business. Why I chose Emmanuel...he has received schooling through senior high. I am sure it isn't as good as here in the states, but I respect his educational accomplishments.

Mr. Yon Mouk is from the Preak Traeng Village in Cambodia (I have no idea where that is). Mr. Yon Mouk is 46 years old and requested a $2,725 loan to buy some piglets to start pig breeding business. Why I chose Mr. Mouk...I liked his simple idea...pig farmers, like prostitutes, have been around for a long time (well not in Israel).

Mrs. Srorn Chhay is a 38 year old widow from Tep Archurun Village, Cambodia. She asked for $1,975 to buy grocery products to stock her store. Why I chose Mrs. Chhay...from what I could tell her store was the main store in the village...she practically has a monopoly on the small store market...winner winner chicken dinner. 

David After Dentist

This is Why You're Fat

In my quest be more calorie conscious, I came across This is Why You're Fat. They had some good ideas for State Fair food, but thankfully I didn't see my idea for a corny burger ( a hamburger with corn batter around it instead of a bun). I am glad so see one my ideas hasn't been done just yet. 

Identical Twins Escape Death Penalty

A pair of identical twins escaped being convicted and hanged on drugs charges in Malaysia, due to confusion over which one of them was the culprit, reports said on Saturday.The 27-year-old twins, R. Sathis Raj and Sabarish Raj, had been charged with trafficking 166 kilos of cannabis and 1.7 kilos of raw opium in 2003. But police had trouble identifying which one was in possession of the drugs."This is a very unique case as they are identical twins. Even the DNA evidence could not prove anything as the DNA could be either Sathis' or Sabarish's," said High Court judge Zaharah Ibrahim. More here. 

Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves

All the photos of the ridiculous things humans do to their pets, compiled onto one handy blog with fitting captions. Naturally, this would be right up our alley because it seems like we feature tortured pets every day. More pics here.  Crazy poodle travesties. 

Bill Brewer Likes Him Some Fancy Suits

On the back page of the Personal Journal section today, there appears a story headlined, "Inside a Bastion of Old-School Power Attire." The story is about how the recession is making even junior lawyers rethink their corporate casual attire. Really, though, the piece reads like a Match.com ad for Brewer and how handsome he his, how shiny his shoes are, etc. So good on Brewer’s PR man. He earned his keep. 

6 Cars on Death Row

Times are tough and these cars got purged:

1. Honda S2000
2. Chrysler PT Cruise (really gonna miss this one)
3. Saturn Sky
4. Hummer H3
5. Lexus SC
6. Dodge Viper

More info here. Article via Evan. 

Free Wine at Cork on February 18

On February 18, head over to Cork in the West Village, a really cool little wine store that you’ve probably heard about before. They will be doing a free tasting of Lungarotti wines, from 5:30–7pm. You’ll especially want to check out Lungarotti’s new Pinot Grigio and the ever-popular Rubesco. Did I mention the free-ness? For more info, go here. Cya there. 

Via Professor Moss

Tough Guy Challenge: on my "to do" list

Billed as "the safest most dangerous taste of physical and mental endurance pain in the world", the Tough Guy Challenge took place yesterday, February 1st, on South Perton Farm, near Wolverhampton, England. Thousands of challengers (men and women) started the endurance race, with hundreds dropping out along the way due to exhaustion or injury - broken bones, dislocations, and over 600 cases of hypothermia. Even the overall winner, James Appleton, was treated briefly for hypothermia. The course takes racers through 21 obstacles - through mud, freezing water, across ropes and burning terrain. The challenge is also a fundraiser for charity, with funds going to the Mr. Mouse Farm for Unfortunates, which looks after hundreds of retired horses and provides jobs to young offenders. Here are a handful of photos from yesterday's race. More photos here. 

Triathlon Training

So I have officially re-begun training for a triathlon. I needed a little bit of instruction when it came to the art of swimming, running and biking. So I went on the web and found this site that features some Tri coach giving 5 minute instructional videos, enjoy. 

Porn Clip Penetrates Super Bowl Broadcast

One minute it was Kurt Warner going deep ... the next , it was some porn star!?  Bowl fans in Tucson, Ariz. were subjected to 30 seconds of hard core porn -- wang and all -- when somehow, the game feed was suddenly interrupted by a clip from an adult television channel. Comcast -- the cable company in Tucson -- is working on an explanation, but right now it appears the porn break in only occurred in its standard-definition feed reaching analog TV sets. More here. 

NYT Article: Billable Hours Giving Ground at Law Firms

Over the last couple decades, high leverage--the practice of having each equity partner supported by three or more associates or income partners--was accepted as a basic tenet of profitability. A firm billed out these junior lawyers at significantly more than it paid them, often getting billings that were triple the lawyer's salary. It seemed like a sure-fire way to make money. But high turnover and rocketing salaries ate into profit margins. Now, the whole pyramid model is looking fragile. More here. 

8th Annual Wish Auction for Dallas Contemporary

Here is "Burmese Monastery" that I donated to the Wish Auction to benefit the Dallas Contemporary Art Museum. You can be on it here and the bidding starts a 60% retail value!

Does Apple have a case against Palm?

There's been some growling and teeth-barring between Apple and Palm lately, but Engadget wanted to know: does Apple really have a case against Palm for their patented technology? They put their legal correspondent, Nilay Patel, on the case, and in this long but very interesting analysis piece, he answers: probably. Here is the link.

E*TRADE Baby Outtakes

Gym Lets You Bench Press Dwarves

A GYM in London has replaced its dumbbells with human weights - including dwarves who shout encouragement to motivate exercise. Gymbox at Bank - in the centre of the capital's financial district - today introduced its bizarre fitness regime with human weights ranging from a 155kg man to a 30kg female. 

The human dumbbells wear black leotards with their weights printed across their chests and sit on adapted machines to let the weightlifter visualise what they are lifting. More here. 

The Obamameter

PolitiFact has complied about 500 promises that Barack Obama made during the campaign and is tracking their progress on their Obamameter. They rate their status as No Action, In the Works or Stalled. Once we find action is completed, we rate them Promise Kept or Promise Broken. Here is one of their Obamameters:

No. 505: Create a $3,000 tax credit for companies that add jobs

The Promise:

 

"During 2009 and 2010, existing businesses will receive a $3,000 refundable tax credit for each additional full-time employee hired."

The Update:

 

Congress balks at $3,000 tax credit per worker