Cash For Clunkers

Cash For Clunkers


President Barack Obama stated during a speech regarding the auto industry this morning that he backs a form of incentives for car buyers who trade up from aging, inefficient vehicles to more fuel-efficient ones. Apparently you can trade in an old car (clunker) in for cars that are more fuel efficient for a largely discounted price.

You can use the resources all around the site to learn more about this great program.

Lebron James 60 Minutes

Basketball sensation, Lebron James was on 60 Minutes last night talking about both his life and career. What really surprised me was how much of a good and genuine guy he seemed to be. Lebron was interviewed about his humble life growing up and how he used basketball as a springboard to accomplish everything else in his life. He is still a member of the same community he grew up in and seems to give a great deal back to the whole area. Among his interests besides basketball, Lebron James has the goal of building the first billion dollar sports empire, along with dancing and acting as he had done when he hosted Saturday Night Live.

One controversy brought about was Lebron's firing of his manager and replacing him with friends from his home town of Akron Ohio. This, however turned out to be a great decision on the part of James because he has turned out to be a great success, both in his basketball career and in his endorsements. Lebron is one of a few stars who gets to control his image in the face of the media through controlling how he appears in commercials and advertisements.

One more thing to note about Lebron James' appearance on 60 minutes was his underhanded shot from beyond half court from his old high school in Akron. The shot was set up for him to make on camera but apparently he made it on his first which is incredible to say the least.

Esty.com

Esty.com is an Ebay like site that is less well known but has great products. Esty is a site where users can buy and sell handmade products as well as art supplies and any soft of homemade craft. The items on Esty.com are surprisingly nice and you would be surprised what sort of telent everyday people are making and selling on Esty. I personally love the custom t-shirts found on the site, they also have some great artwork, and anything eco friendly. There is a small flat fee for selling items that you only pay after an item is sold and the fee is very reasonable. You should definatly check this site out.

Azalea Trail Run

The Tyler Azalea Trail is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and one of the festival's top events takes place today.
The Tyler Azalea 10k, which benefits the Children's Village, is scheduled to be held this morning at Bergfeld Park, 1510 South College Ave.
The race takes runners on a tour of the Azalea District, which organizers consider "one of the most beautiful courses in Texas."
According to the Tyler Chamber of Commerce, the course is "mile after mile of azaleas, dogwood trees and spring flowers that you have to see to believe. The breathtaking beauty of our azalea and spring flower trail has been praised by visitors as a floral wonderland and a photographer's paradise."
Registration will be held from 6:30-8 a.m. The 10k and two-mile run/walk will begin at 8 a.m., and will be followed by a 10 a.m. awards ceremony.
The entry fees are $30 for the 10k and $15 for the two-mile run/walk.
The entry fee for children 12-under is $10.The run will feature a chip timing system this year. Runners will have timing chips attached to their shoes, but all awards will be based on gun time.
The Azalea 10k is part of the USATF Southwestern Association Grand Prix Series, which consists of seven road races. For more information on the series, contact Barrett Hopper by email at coachbarrett@mustangstc.com or by phone at 972-249-8882.

Source:
http://www.tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090328/NEWS08/903280315

Duke Villanova - Too Much For Duke

The message was clear last night. All that talk about how good and how tough the Big East has been this season had some merit.
A lot of merit.
In another display of presence and power, the Big East took over TD Banknorth Garden last night as first Pittsburgh, then Villanova took care of business, setting up an NCAA East Regional final tomorrow night of Eastern powers.
Pittsburgh, the No. 1 seed in the region, knocked off Atlantic 10 party crasher Xavier, which set up Villanova against Duke, a white-collar and blue-blood meeting of teams with similar academic pedigrees.
But after a first half in which Villanova dominated everything but the scoreboard, coach Jay Wright's team broke the game open midway through the second half and rolled to a 77-54 victory and the first All-Big East regional final since 1987, when Providence defeated Georgetown to advance to the Final Four.
With UConn knocking off Purdue in a West Regional semifinal in Glendale, Ariz., the Big East has three spots in the Elite Eight and a guaranteed slot in the Final Four. With Louisville, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, and Syracuse, a No. 3 seed in the South, playing tonight, the Big East still has visions of placing four teams in the Final Four.
Villanova (29-7) entered the tournament as a No. 3 seed and the fourth-best team in the Big East, which produced three of four No. 1 seeds - UConn, Louisville, and Pittsburgh.
If Villanova plays the way it did last night, the Wildcats could alter the depth chart.
Villanova won't back down to Pittsburgh, a team the Wildcats beat in January, and they didn't back down to Duke. Villanova came out and played defense - limiting Duke's best player, Gerald Henderson, to one basket in the first half. The Wildcats shut off Duke's 3-point shooting. Offensively, they were solid and, at times, spectacular as they worked inside and outside, methodically taking apart Duke, just as it took apart UCLA in the second round, which means the Wildcats, with a lone national championship on their résumé, have waltzed over two programs that have combined for 11.
How good was Villanova?
Where do you want to start? Although the Wildcats only managed a 26-23 lead at halftime, the statistics told a story of Villanova's domination on defense. The Blue Devils, who finished 30-7, a tribute to coach Mike Krzyzewski's abilities, couldn't score from long range. Actually, the Blue Devils had trouble scoring at all.
Henderson was held to 7 points. The Blue Devils' 3-point prowess - one of the keys to their success - was shut off as they made 5 of 27 from long range. Henderson was a woeful 1 of 14 from the floor and Duke made only 16 of 60 shots.
Offensively, Villanova did what it had to do with efficiency. Guard Scottie Reynolds had a game-high 16 points, and center Dante Cunningham had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Reggie Redding wasn't far behind with 11 points and nine rebounds.
"We've been getting better and better as the season goes along and that's really exciting," said Wright, as the Wildcats put together one scoring burst after another, outscoring Duke, 51-31, in the second half.
The Wildcats took care of business quickly in the second half, doubling their lead to 16 during a four-minute stretch.
"The team continues to get better and that's the beauty of this team," Reynolds said.
Krzyzewski acknowledged Villanova's potential. "They have a chance to do something special," he said.
As the clock ticked down to the final seconds, Villanova supporters had a request. "We want Pitt. We want Pitt."
Wright says he will deal with Pittsburgh when the time comes. "I just watched the game against Xavier," said Wright. "Just seeing that beast [Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair] . . . I don't want to think about it yet."
Villanova will get Pittsburgh tomorrow in an East Regional final that very well could turn into the Big East's private party next week in Detroit.

Source:
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_basketball/articles/2009/03/27/villanovas_pedigree_too_much_for_duke/

Earth Hour - Shedding Light With Darkness

New York City's Empire State Building is scheduled to go dark for one hour Saturday night.
So are the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza and many other iconic structures.
The lights will be going out for Earth Hour, organized by the World Wildlife Fund to draw attention to global warming, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday local time around the world. That's when organizers of the event, which began in Sydney in 2007, want everyone to turn off non-essential lights.
About 2,800 cities in 83 countries — including 250 in the United States — had signed up, according to Dan Forman, a spokesman for World Wildlife Fund, an international conservation organization that boasts 1.2 million national members and close to 5 million globally.
Forman said organizers want to send a message to Congress and to global leaders working this year on climate change legislation and a treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.
"It's all about the symbolism," he said. "We fully recognize that one hour does not put a dent in the climate crisis."
The effort has its critics.
"We think Earth Hour, even if you are super-concerned about global warming, is a little lame, and we are making fun of it," said Eli Lehrer, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a Washington, D.C., think tank that supports limited government and decries global warming "alarmism."
CEI has announced a "Human Achievement Hour" to counter Earth Hour. The group says millions of people will participate by turning the lights on, going to a concert or seeing a movie. "It's obviously tongue-in-cheek," Lehrer said.
Many companies, however, are serious in support of Earth Hour, Forman said. Coca-Cola, for example, has pledged to turn off its big signs around the world, including a marquee in New York's Times Square.
Schools and universities across the country are also participating, including the University of Louisville.
"We are trying to change the cultural attitudes and behavior," said professor Barbara Burns, chairwoman of the university's Sustainability Council. "And one of the first steps is awareness."

Source:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-03-26-earthhour_N.htm

woai weather - 24 hour tv weather station

News 4 WOAI Weather Plus is a brand new, full-power digital TV station serving San Antonio and South Texas. This is the first and only TV station of its kind in San Antonio that specializes in in-depth local weather information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to the extensive coverage of local weather, national weather news will be provided by NBC.
News 4 WOAI Weather Plus is anchored by WOAI 4 Warn Storm Team local meteorologists Jennifer Broome, Maclovio Perez, Steve Linscomb and Bill Dante, who provide round-the-clock local weather and travel information for numerous Texas cities including San Antonio, Kerrville, Hondo, Del Rio, New Braunfels, Seguin, Goliad, and more.
“This new local television station redefines local weather reporting,” noted Greg Derkowski, Director of Creative Services at News 4 WOAI. “Viewers will no longer have to wait for weather on the 8’s. They will see local Doppler radar five times within every 15 minutes, and continuous access to live local weather conditions – even during commercials!”
Television viewers in the San Antonio area can access News 4 WOAI Weather Plus in a variety of different ways. Time Warner Cable San Antonio® digital TV subscribers can simply tune their digital cable receivers to channel 80. Subscribers to Grande Communications and Guadalupe Valley Telecommunications Cooperative (GVTC) will find the station on digital cable channel 130. News 4 WOAI-TV executives anticipate that most cable providers in South Texas will begin carrying News 4 WOAI Weather Plus on their cable systems in the very near future.
In addition, viewers who have a High-Definition TV set (HDTV) with built-in digital receivers can tune to digital channel 4.2 to receive News 4 WOAI Weather Plus for free over the local airwaves. It’s important to know that viewers who have HDTVs without built-in digital tuners or digital cable service need to purchase an HDTV receiver and an indoor or outdoor antenna to view the station.
Viewers using regular standard definition TVs without digital cable service should purchase a digital set-top-box receiver and an indoor or outdoor antenna. Most HDTV set-top-box receivers convert standard definition digital signals, like News 4 WOAI Weather Plus, into vibrant and crisp looking standard definition for your regular TV. Executives at News 4 WOAI-TV suggest that many popular electronics stores carry several brands of HDTV or digital receivers for a little over $200, with the prices steadily decreasing.
In a recent study conducted by NBC Universal, 67 percent of television viewers polled listed local broadcast stations as their primary source of weather information. News 4 WOAI Weather Plus will soon become that information lifeline for San Antonio – coupling the national strength of the #1 NBC News network, with the depth and expertise of its local, on-air weather talent. In addition to its local talent, the NBC News network has an experienced group of more than 1,000 reporters and meteorologists in more than 200 markets, which makes News 4 WOAI’s Weather Plus station a part of the country’s weather powerhouse.
"Weather affects us all!” said Jennifer Broome, meteorologist at News 4 WOAI-TV. “Travelers, school teachers, senior citizens and parents alike will be able to rely on the first local weather station that masters in-depth local, regional and national coverage. What makes News 4 WOAI Weather Plus even more exciting is that it’s the first and only station in San Antonio to offer 24/7 local and national weather coverage using the most innovative digital over-the-air broadcast technology.”
News 4 WOAI Weather Plus launches with a number of special features that distinguishes their coverage from its only other 24 hour weather station competitor, the Weather Channel. These features include having local current conditions always on the TV screen, local meteorologists covering dangerous severe weather outbreaks, local 4x4 Doppler Radar, station availability on cable and for free over the local airwaves - even during cable outages - and the advantage of being operated by a local broadcasting company. News 4 WOAI Weather Plus features a balance of national and local coverage, with continuously updated forecasts throughout the day and night.
About News 4 WOAI Weather Plus: News 4 WOAI Weather Plus is operated by News 4 WOAI-TV, the NBC affiliate in San Antonio, Texas. The new station was created through a joint venture with the NBC/Universal television network. News 4 WOAI is a leading provider of local news, weather, and sports information for South Texas. The station and its employees have been recognized for outstanding journalism numerous times, including several Emmy awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, and recognition from the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.

Source:
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/WOAI-Launches-24-Hour-Weather-TV-Station/J80ZGBOiOEu2-xsPd7KI-Q.cspx

White House Easter Egg Roll 2009

Parents have been given an extroardinary opportunity that was previously unavailable under the Bush administration: obtaining Easter Egg Roll tickets online. Parents of years past have been forced to line up outside downtown to secure tickets, limiting attendance to local families able to miss work. The new ticketing policy forces new questions to arise: will tickets be scalped for high prices? Will out of towners get tickets but fail to show? And that's where I come in, townies and tourists! Tickets are on sale today (probably right now—the time was undisclosed at press time) and I want you to know how easy it is get get to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.But before we continue I need you to understand one thing. You. Can. Not. Drive. to the White. House. Though our new President's administration is savvy to new media, the security-based policies yore remain: you can not drive to the front door, or in this case, the South Lawn, of the White House. Not even on April 13, 2009 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Here are some tips:

Take Metro

Allow at least one hour to get there

Account for little legs, and later, tired legs, on the pedestrian leg of your journey

The nearest Smart Bike station is Metro Center


Source:
http://www.examiner.com/x-1095-DC-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m3d25-How-to-Get-to-the-White-House-for-tours-and-Easter-Egg-Roll

Shawn Johnson Stalker

In addition to newfound fame, Shawn Johnson has acquired some new fans, for better or for worse.
The 17-year-old gymnast obtained a restraining order Wednesday against a man who was arrested yesterday after jumping the fence at CBS studios, where Dancing With the Stars is taped, purportedly with the intention of getting close to his favorite contestant.
Per court documents filed by Johnson's parents, Los Angeles police found a "a loaded .45 handgun, a loaded shotgun, and materials classically used for kidnapping including duct tape, zip ties [and] a map to the victim" in 34-year-old Robert Michael O'Ryan's car.
"Also found were love letters, clippings and other information on [Johnson]," the petition continued.

Officers searched the car after receiving a trespass call from CBS security, who detained O'Ryan on the lot Monday afternoon and called the cops after the suspect admitted to having two guns in his car.
O'Ryan is said to have told police upon being taken into custody that he had packed all his belongings and left his life in Yullee, Fla., to be with Johnson in California.
"He believes that she speaks to him personally through the television set and through ESP and that they will have a child together, he stated he would be with her no matter what," Johnson's mother, Teri, wrote in a declaration also filed today.
Johnson "is in fear for her life, she is extremely upset by this incident and her entire family and those around are all extremely concerned and fearful that [O'Ryan] might try to kidnap her or harm her in an effort to make good on his statements," the order states.
The restraining order mandates that O'Ryan stay at least 100 yards away from Johnson, her parents and her Dancing partner, Mark Ballas.
O'Ryan, who has been booked on suspicion of carrying a loaded gun in public, is being held in lieu of $35,000 bail.
"The matter has been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney's office," a rep for Johnson said in a statement to E! News. "It is currently an ongoing investigation and we are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved."
A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for April 14.

Source:

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b106151_alleged_shawn_johnson_stalker_arrested.html

New National Park

A new national park may emerge from a small patch of lush oasis just 15 miles from Manhattan in northeastern New Jersey's industrial mecca.
The U.S. house passed a bill Wednesday that designates Paterson's Great Falls as a national park. It now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it as early as next week.
The bill comes two years after the National Park Service, under the Bush administration, declined to recommend protected status for the Great Falls.
The state has sought national park status for the 77-foot waterfall for years, in hopes that doing so would help attract more visitors to the site. The Great Falls is the second largest waterfall on the East Coast.
A national park designation would also make the area eligible for millions of dollars in federal funds. Exactly how much the state will get to run the park has yet to be determined.
"We have finally done it," said Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a Paterson native who introduced the bill along with Sen. Frank Lautenberg. "The approval of this national park by Congress clears the way for President Obama's signature and marks a historic moment for the city of Paterson and the state of New Jersey."
New Jersey has 13 national parks and 51 state parks. The Great Falls National Historical Park will cover about 35 acres in Paterson, the state's third largest city.
Considered the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, the Great Falls once provided its water to generate power to run mills that produced silk, locomotives, aircraft engines and guns.
In 1778, Alexander Hamilton first visited the falls and noted its waterpower potential for industrial development. Years later, as the country's first treasury secretary, he selected the site to become the nation's first planned industrial city.
The Rogers Locomotive Works and the Allied Textile Printing site — where the first Colt .45 revolvers were manufactured — constructed their products with help from power from the falls.
The area was named a National Historic District in 1976.
Jeff Tittel, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club, lauded the bill to make the park a national treasure.
"We tend to save monuments of the rich and famous, and we need to save the historical sites of the people who actually built America," he said. "Paterson's Great Falls — that's where America was made."

Source:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJeLBIXnid_Wj_9fAmMCxZJgpqYgD975DRPG5