‘Dusty Roads’ exhibit brings Nevada artists’ work together | NevadaAppeal.com

‘Dusty Roads’ exhibit brings Nevada artists’ work together | NevadaAppeal.com

Saturday on the river.

Sitting at Wingfield park contemplating social economic classes.

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The boobs.

Some days I wish I was straight.

Gas Prices

Cookies

Yummy organic chocolate chip cookies are about to come out of the oven.

Tonights Sunset

Kama Sutra for the computer guy.

Brilliant!

Barbie dolls of Northern Nevada

This was passed on to me a year or so ago. Enjoy.

Scouting for "Camel Toads" at pool.

This was a great laugh.

Allergens spring up as seasons change

April 3, 2008

Allergens spring up as seasons change

By TAMMY KRIKORIAN
tkrikorian@rgj.com

The beauty of spring blossoms brings something less desirable to Northern Nevadans: allergy season.

Dr. Leonard Shapiro, an allergist with Allergy & Asthma Associates, said trees have been pollinating since late February. Wetter winters, such as the one experienced this year, can make allergy season worse, Shapiro said.

"In wet years, there's heavier growth in plants and we do have more problems than in drought times," he said.

Tim Miles of Reno said he suffers from allergies in the spring and fall and has been feeling symptoms for about a month, including sneezing, congestion and ringing in the ears.

"(Spring) doesn't affect me as harsh as fall does, personally," Miles said.

Miles said he is allergic to ragweed, wheat, grasses and sagebrush. Symptoms are worse on windy days, he said, and when it's really bad, he gets run down.

"I sleep an extra hour or two hours a day during the height of the allergy season," he said.

Peak allergy season, and how long allergy season lasts, has to do with an individual's allergies, Shapiro said. Allergy season generally begins with tree pollination in the spring, continues with grasses in the summer and wraps up with weeds in early to late fall.

"We usually get a rush (of patients) in the spring," he said. "It stays busy spring through fall."

It starts with Juniper trees, followed by maple trees, then elms. Each lasts a couple of weeks, and in June the pine trees begin pollinating, especially noticeable at Lake Tahoe. Shapiro said most people aren't allergic to pine, but some are, and the pollination can last into fall.

Grass allergies usually kick in around May, and toward the end of July weeds such as Russian Thistle start. Next comes sagebrush and ragweed in late August and September.

Relief comes with a killing frost, except for those allergic to winter allergens such as pets, mold or a house dust mite.

Knowing you're allergic

Symptoms can include nasal congestion; a runny nose, usually with clear, watery mucus; itchy watery burning eyes; slight swelling around the eyes; and sneezing, said Dr. Kent Elliott of the Renown North Valleys Clinic.

Some cases produce itching, a rash such or hives. Those who go untreated will develop a cough, Elliott said, and people with asthma will notice an increase in wheezing or shortness of breath.

Shapiro said a fever or yellow and green mucus could indicate an infection rather than an allergy.

"Sometimes you can have a cold or virus on top of an allergy or vice-versa," he said.

How you become allergic

Most people begin developing allergies in childhood, Shapiro said.

"But for the individual, you can't say because you didn't have (an allergy) in childhood you're not going to have it as an adult," he said.

Changes in job, like moving from an indoor to and outdoor job or working with animals, could bring on an allergy.

Some people develop allergies when they move. For example, more ragweed grows east of Colorado than locally, Shapiro said. And more sagebrush grows in Northern Nevada than in the East.

People who move here may begin to develop symptoms after two or three years.

Treating an allergy

"In general we say if you can avoid what you're allergic to, that would solve problem," Shapiro said. For example, if you're allergic to cats, don't keep them as pets.

"Very often, avoidance doesn't work very well, especially with pollen allergy," he said. "Days when pollen counts are high, try to stay indoors."

Shapiro said it helps to keep doors and windows shut and to have air conditioning in the home and car because the air is filtered. Pollen can also end up in hair, so brushing or washing hair before bed can prevent it from ending up on the pillow. Wearing a hat outdoors is also a good idea.

Over-the-counter medications such as Claritin, Zyrtec or Sudafed can treat an allergy. If they don't work or have side effects, Shapiro said patients can be tested to find out what they're allergic to and receive shots.

Over-the-counter treatments such as nose sprays and eye drops should not be overused because they can cause reverse problems or make problems worse, Shapiro said. He recommends using them no more than five times a month or getting a prescription.

Chuck Boiselle, a pharmacist at Don's Pharmacy, said Zyrtec's switch earlier this year from prescription to over-the-counter hasn't had a huge impact because insurances haven't been covering allergy medications as much since Claritin went over-the-counter.

"(I also) tell someone to take a hot shower to get rid of a clog," he said.

Neti pots, which irrigate the nose with a saline solution, have also been popular, Boiselle said.

"The work pretty good, clearing the sinuses or allergens," he said.

Miles, born and raised in the area, said eating local honey or taking stinging nettle in pill form mellows out his allergy symptoms, though they don't completely go away. The pollen in the honey is supposed to counteract the allergic reaction, Miles said.

Last fall, he also got a steroid shot to help his symptoms.

For indoor allergies, Elliott said minimizing items such as stuffed animals, which can collect dust, and keeping curtains vacuumed will help.

"There's a lot of online allergy places where you can get special pillow covers, mattress covers, to protect the person from the dust that comes out of those items," he said. "Pillows, mattresses and bedding are a big source of allergens indoors."

Red Rock DJ Night

Seismic Shift To Smartphones

By Paul Carton and Jim Woods

Record numbers of consumers are abandoning their basic cell phones for more-advanced models, according to the latest ChangeWave consumer cell phone survey. The January survey of 4,182 consumers tracked key market share changes affecting cell phone manufacturers and service providers alike.

Research In Motion (RIMM) and Apple (AAPL) appear to be the primary beneficiaries of the seismic shift toward more-advanced cell phones. Looking ahead, the Apple iPhone is now the top choice among respondents planning to buy a new cell phone in the next six months (up one point to 17%), but second-place RIM has the most momentum (up three points to 15%).
No one can predict the future, but at ChangeWave Investing we’ve got the next best thing -- the ChangeWave Alliance. Made up of 13,000 strategically positioned experts, the Alliance can let you in on opportunities and risks months ahead of the crowd! Click here to learn more.

On the downside, one-time market dominator Motorola (MOT) has declined another four points in terms of future planned purchases, continuing a monstrous slide that began immediately after Apple CEO Steve Jobs' initial announcement regarding the iPhone.

As the above chart shows, Motorola's share of future planned purchases has plummeted during the past 12 months.

Feeling Satisfied?

Apple also maintained its big industry lead in customer satisfaction compared with the other major manufacturers: 72% of respondents having reported that they are very satisfied with their iPhone. RIM is a strong second with 55% having said that they are very satisfied.

To put this in context, the following chart shows the percentage of respondents who said they are very satisfied with their current cell phone, broken out by manufacturer.

As we've seen in our recent consumer surveys, Palm (PALM) now ranks at the very bottom in terms of customer satisfaction. And Motorola, Sony (SNE)/Ericsson (ERIC) and Samsung are tied for next-to-last place.

Warning Signs on the Consumer Front

Our surveys show that the overall consumer cell phone buying environment appears weaker -- only 23% of respondents said they'll purchase or upgrade their cell phone during the next six months. That's three points less than at any other point during the past year.

This finding is in line with the overall slowdown in consumer spending we've been tracking in our ChangeWave surveys during the past six months, and is a trend we will continue to watch closely in the weeks ahead.

Cellular Service Providers Battle it Out

Verizon (VZ), unchanged with 30%, and AT&T (T), down one point to 28%, remain locked in a tight battle for supremacy in the cellular service providers market -- with Verizon maintaining a slight edge in terms of current share among respondents.

The story is different, however, when it comes to future purchases. AT&T has regained its footing after falling precipitously in our past survey, with 25% of respondents who plan to switch carriers during the next six months now saying they'll go with AT&T. That's a two-point increase.

Verizon remains in second place with 21%, unchanged from previously.

When it comes to customer satisfaction, however, Verizon held on to top honors -- 42% of its customers said they're very satisfied. By comparison, only 30% of AT&T customers reported being very satisfied.

As these results clearly show, the consumer cell phone market is continuously evolving. And, as always, we'll keep our ear to the ground and monitor any new developments as they occur.
Let the ChangeWave Alliance take some of the guesswork out of investing and help you grow rich. Click here to make sure you're riding the next wave to amazing profits!

Paul Carton is Executive Director of the ChangeWave Alliance. Jim Woods is ChangeWave's Senior Editor. The Alliance is a network of 14,000 highly-qualified business, technology and medical professionals in leading companies of select industries. The Alliance is surveyed weekly on a wide range of business and investment research and intelligence topics.


Original page at:
http://www.changewave.com/freecontent/viewalliance.html?source=/freecontent/2008/02/alliance-020108-SeismicShiftToSmartphones.html

© 2008 ChangeWave Research. All Rights Reserved.
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God Hates Reno

Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, visits Reno to demonstrate at the funeral of Nevada soldier killed in Iraq. Counter-demonstrators convince the Baptists to cut their protest short.

Gay FAQ

"Can I ask you a Gay Question?" is how it usually starts. And before you know it, the confused hetero is popping that nagging query they've always wondered about, the one that demonstrates just how little time they've actually spent doing all that wondering, the one that deserves a riposte as unsettling as their question is dumb. In our never-ending quest to help you through life's little tortures, we've assembled a baker's dozen of real questions asked by real straight people and a few possible retorts for each. Ready?

1) What's it like?

Snappy response #1: What's what like?

Snappy response #2: Begin singing in your best Alanis gargle: "It's like ray-eee-yane on your wedding day..."

2) How come you don't look gay?

Snappy response #1: I had to send my uniform back-the A&F, shirt wasn't my color and the daisy duke shorts were a touch too small. But I should be getting my new one in the mail any day now.

Snappy response #2: How come you do?

3) Are you the man or the woman?

Snappy response #1: Bend over and I'll show you.

Snappy response #2: Well, to find that out, first, we both get naked and beat each other to a bloody pulp. Whoever's left standing is the man-you know, like the way your parents did it.

4) Do you take it up the butt?

Snappy response #1: No, I take it in the kneecap.

Snappy response #2: Yes, don't you?

5) Why haven't you just found a woman and settled down?

Snappy response #1: Because I can't seem to find one that likes both my boyfriend and I.

Snappy response #2: Because I'm scared! (Say this while collapsing to the floor and sobbing-you will scare them as a result and they will quit bugging you.)

6) Doesn't it hurt?

Snappy response #1: Only after I've spent a lot of money taking him to dinner and a movie and then discover he's a bad lay.

Snappy response #2: Not as much as you'd think. Of course, being unconscious sure helps.

7) Who invented gay sex?

Snappy response #1: I don't know, but I perfected it.

Snappy response #2: Me and your Dad.

8) What do your parents say?

Snappy response #1: They say, "Get a job and get out of our house! You're 28 already!" Oh, you mean about the fag stuff? I'm sorry, I didn't understand the question.

Snappy response #2: Well, actually they haven't spoken to me since high school after my guidance counselor helped me defect from their satanic cult. But 15 years of being sodomized by a goat is enough for anyone, don't you think?

9) Do you people really do "that thing" with gerbils?

Snappy response #1: Why yes! I have six of them up there right now!

Snappy response #2: Not anymore, since the popularity caused a national shortage of gerbils. Taco Bell has inspired a new craze now, however, with hairless Chihuahuas.

10) Do you hate women?

Snappy response #1: Only the ones who can't accessorize properly.

Snappy response #2: No, just you.

11) Do you swallow?

Snappy response #1: No, I share it with my boyfriend.

Snappy response #2: Just my leprosy medication. How about a hug?

12) You're not attracted to ME are you?

Snappy response #1: Well, compared to that toothless, greasy carnival worker standing over there operating the Tilt-A-Whirl, yeah, I am attracted to you.

Snappy response #2: Here, put this gorilla mask on. Oh yeah, now I'm attracted to you.

13). Are gay people bad drivers?

Snappy Response #1: Only when they are trying to drive while sitting on your Dads lap.

Snappy Response #2: Only when Madonna comes on the radio and we're trying to powder our noses on the dash board.

Snappy Response #3: Only when they're trying to turn the corner while getting head from your boyfriend.

Snappy Response #4: Only when they are rushing to Barney's for the after Christmas sale while coming off of "Tina" after an all nighter with your girlfriends brother.

Free Burma

Treatment

Johnny Cash Hurt

I hurt myself today
to see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
the only thing that's real
the needle tears a hole
the old familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but I remember everything
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar's chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
I am still right here

what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

if I could start again
a million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

New Studies Destroy the Last Objection to Medical Marijuana

US: Web: New Studies Destroy the Last Objection to Medical Marijuana: "NEW STUDIES DESTROY THE LAST OBJECTION TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Anyone who advocates for medical marijuana sooner or later runs into arguments about smoking: 'No real medicine is smoked.' 'Smoking is bad for the lungs; why would any doctor recommend something so harmful?' It's a line of reasoning that medical marijuana opponents have used to great effect in Congress, state legislatures, and elsewhere. Indeed, the FDA's controversial 2006 statement opposing medical marijuana was couched in repeated references to 'smoked marijuana.'

But new research demonstrates that all those fears of 'smoked marijuana' as medicine are 100 percent obsolete.

The smoking argument was the closest thing to a scientifically meaningful objection to medical marijuana. While marijuana smoke, unlike tobacco, has never been shown to cause lung cancer, heavy marijuana smoking has been associated with assorted respiratory symptoms and a potentially increased risk of bronchitis. That's because burning any plant material produces a whole lot of substances such as tars, and carbon monoxide that are not good for the lungs.

Nevertheless, inhalation is clearly the best method for administering marijuana's active components, called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids such as THC are fat-soluble molecules that are absorbed slowly and unevenly when taken orally, a"

Tomorrow the FBI will be able to wiretap all internet users

Cable modem companies, DSL providers, broadband over powerline, satellite internet companies and even some universities all have until the end of today to ensure "...the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have the necessary surveillance capabilities."

 

The Justice Department began lobbying the FCC in 2002 to reinterpret the law as applying to the internet as well and last June a divided federal appeals court upheld the expansion 2-1.

Basically, this means that starting today the FBI will have the ability to wiretap your internet connection, and means that "Common carriers, facilities-based broadband Internet access providers, and providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service..." must all now have incorporated into their networks the ability for law enforcement agencies to snoop on those for which they have a court ordered warrant.

 

It's been pointed out however, that even though it may not necessarily be easier to get a warrant and eavesdrop on somebody, the temptation to do so and avoid real gumshoe detective work will be high. Instead of having to really investigate what a person is up to, they may choose to just try and take a look at what they're doing instead.

 

Also, what will eventually happen I think is that the RIAA and the MPAA will try to petition courts to snoop on suspected file-sharers and gather intelligence and incriminating information with which to build a case against them.

 

I mean look how they were able to get so many congressman on board with the whole crackdown on colleges and universities, invoking phrases like "file-trafficking" and warning against job layoffs and unemployment due to losses from piracy. I mean if a law is being broken who's to say which ones they will or will not enforce? I think its only a matter of time.

No longer will ISPs be able to claim that it just doesn't have the means to assist copyright holders in determining who has been uploading content illegally, for now they will be able to monitor an IP address and all the traffic that it's responsible for on the network.

 

It also means that the govt will now have the ability to monitor for other illegal activity, like buying prescription drugs from Canada, browsing and purchasing drug paraphanalia like bongs, pipes, etc., or perhaps even forums or chatrooms of leftist or other radical organizations.

 

After today the internet will forever be under the watchful eye of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and you can rest assured that corporations and other private entities will do in everything in their power to use this resource for their own ends.

Great Aunt Gerry Allen

ALLEN, Geraldine Ann
''Gerry''
Aug 25, 1929-Apr 10, 2007
With her three children by her side, Gerry passed away peacefully after a long battle with Multiple Myeloma. She was 77 years old. She was a courageous fighter to the end; however, she was ready to be with God and those who had passed before her. Her positive attitude and friendly personality endeared her to the people she met. She was selfless to the end, donating her body to UCD Medical School. Left to cherish Gerry's memory are her children, Jim and Rick (Maggie) Allen, Jenny (Chuck) Bird; her grandchildren Jennifer, Katherine, Chris, Cody, Cecilia, Charley, and Kylie; her sisters Joyce Hamilton and Jean Osborne and their spouses, Jack and Jim, as well as many other family and friends. A celebration of Gerry's life will take place Tuesday, April 17 at 4:00 PM at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 5811 Walnut Avenue, Orangevale. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gerry's name to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 4604 Roseville Road, Suite 100, No. Highland, CA 95660
Published in the Sacramento Bee on 4/17/2007.

A Call for Manners in the World of Nasty Blogs

Is it too late to bring civility to the Web?

The conversational free-for-all on the Internet known as the blogosphere can be a prickly and unpleasant place. Now, a few high-profile figures in high-tech are proposing a blogger code of conduct to clean up the quality of online discourse.

Last week, Tim O’Reilly, a conference promoter and book publisher who is credited with coining the term Web 2.0, began working with Jimmy Wales, creator of the communal online encyclopedia Wikipedia, to create a set of guidelines to shape online discussion and debate.

Chief among the recommendations is that bloggers consider banning anonymous comments left by visitors to their pages and be able to delete threatening or libelous comments without facing cries of censorship.

Lake Tahoe

Day3- Lake Tahoe
Originally uploaded by inanutshell.

Sunset over Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe.

Why Verizon has been able to get by releasing new Blackberry devices a year after other carriers and why that time has come to an end | RIMarkable |

The official, unofficial BlackBerry Weblog: "Why Verizon has been able to get by releasing new Blackberry devices a year after other carriers and why that time has come to an end.

I was reading a comment from a RIMarkable reader that calls himself EvilHomer about why he feels Verizon will never gain an edge as far as BlackBerry devices are concerned over GSM based carriers. Although I don’t agree with every point, I think he is dead on for the most part.

His post really made me think about just how Verizon has been able to get by with their strategy of releasing new BlackBerry devices almost a year behind their GSM competitors and doing very well for themselves while doing so.

His post also made me think about how this time is coming to an end for Verizon.

Verizon owns the Business BlackBerry market

The majority of BlackBerry users in the United States use their devices for business and the percentage of business users on Verizon is probably the highest of the big 4 carriers. This is because Verizon has more business contracts than the other carriers and also because their personal plans are generally more expensive than the other carriers. They have the most business users and consumers aren�"

Woman turned away by doctor - for being American

Published: 29th December 2006 11:51 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/5932/

An American woman has been refused treatment by a doctor in Blekinge in southern Sweden because of her nationality. The woman's husband has now reported the incident to the Medical Responsibility Board.

Valery Johansson, who lives in a small town just outside Nashville, Tennessee, was in Sweden to celebrate Christmas with her husband's family.

On Christmas Day, worried that she may have contracted strep throat, she sought medical help. Her husband and niece made an appointment for her at a clinic in the town of Karlshamn.

'We went up there and the nurses were really nice. They did some swab tests, which they then passed on to a doctor,' Johansson told The Local.

Uncle Jim

Funeral Notices - sacbee.com: "ALLEN, James Earl
April 3, 1929-Dec 20, 2006
It is with great sadness the family of James Earl Allen announces his passing on December 20th at age 77. He died at home with his wife of 35 years, Linda, by his side. Big Jim was a resident of Sacramento for 43 years. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Linda; his son Jim and Jim's children Cody, and Jennifer and Katherine Shorett; his daughter, Jenny Bird, her husband Chuck and their children, Charley and Kylie; his son Richard, his wife, Maggie and their children, Christopher and Cecilia; his childrens mother, Gerry Allen; his brother and sister in-law, Mark and Pat Allen, as well as many other family and friends. Please join us in remembering this truly big-hearted man who will be greatly missed. A memorial gathering will take place at 2830 Sheridan Way on Friday, December 29, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in Jim's name may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 2720 Gateway Oaks Drive, Sacramento, CA 95833. "

Gay condo controversy

Gay condo controversy: "The Bay State, the birthplace of gay marriage, is on the cusp of another revolution in alternative living that could prove to be just as controversial - gay condo communities. "

Gartner predicts end of blogging hype

Novelty value will wear off, says analyst
Tom Sanders in California, vnunet.com 15 Dec 2006
ADVERTISEMENT

Blogging will peak in 2007, Gartner predicts, levelling off when the number of writers who maintain a personal website reaches 100 million.

Gartner analysts expect that the novelty value of the medium will wear off as most people who are interested in the phenomenon have checked it out, and new bloggers will offset the number of writers who abandon their creation out of boredom.

The firm estimates that there are more than 200 million former bloggers who have ceased posting to their online diaries.

Gartner made the assertion as part of its top 10 predictions for 2007. The firm also believes that Windows Vista will be Microsoft's last major update of its Windows operating system.

The software vendor is expected to borrow a page from the book of open source projects and create a modular operating system that allows for individual components to be updated.

Gartner's visionaries, however, refused to entertain pessimistic views about Microsoft's future fuelled by the rise online application providers such as Google and Salesforce.com."

The Piddler on the roof

PRANKSTERS drew a willy on the roof of a top school that was so large it could be spotted from SPACE. But it went unnoticed until it was seen on Google Earth.

A group of ex-pupils was last night blamed for the rude shape — snapped by satellite.

One former pupil of £2,906-a-term independent Yarm School at Stockton on Tees, Teesside, said: “A couple of ex-students hopped over the school fence on a weekend and went unnoticed by guards.

They managed to get on the roof of the Friary building and somehow mark on the willy. They also burnt a manhood into the grass.”

Although the shape on the roof has been scrubbed off it can still be seen on Google.

Google said: “If users spot something offensive we would consider having it removed.”

A bright idea that brought the winter sun to the disbelieving folk of Viganella

Cape Times: A bright idea that brought the winter sun to the disbelieving folk of Viganella: "A bright idea that brought the winter sun to the disbelieving folk of Viganella

December 01, 2006 Edition 1

VIGANELLA, Italy: Once upon a time there was a small village in the Italian Alps. It was a lovely little town with a lovely sounding name: Viganella.

Founded by a bishop in 1217, it lay in a steep-sided Alpine valley, not far from the Swiss border, and clung to a rock surrounded by two streams of fresh mountain water.

It had a small church, a medieval tower and a pretty square, where all of the town's 197 inhabitants would gather around a fountain to celebrate the annual feast of the Virgin Mary.

But Viganella had a big, big problem.

Each year, on November 11, the sun would disappear behind a 1 600-metre high mountain to the south, leaving it in near-total darkness for 84 days in a row. Flowers would die, temperatures would plummet and laundry would take forever to dry.

The people of Viganella dreaded the arrival of winter.

They would take a look at the sundial drawn on the facade of their church and sigh. They would become sleepy and SAD - the medical affliction known as 'Seasonal Affective Disorder', a condition whereby the lack of sunshine reduces people's production of melatonin, a natural hormone, and makes th"

Soy Makes You Gay

: "There's a slow poison out there that's severely damaging our children and threatening to tear apart our culture ….

The dangerous food I'm speaking of is soy. Soybean products are feminizing, and they're all over the place. You can hardly escape them anymore.

…

Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That's why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products. (Most babies are bottle-fed during some part of their infancy, and one-fourth of them are getting soy milk!) Homosexuals often argue that their homosexuality is inborn because 'I can't remember a time when I wasn't homosexual.' No, homosexuality is always deviant. But now many of them can truthfully say that they can't remember a time when excess estrogen wasn't influencing them."

Philip's an American Party

  

DL-MainPage.jpg (JPEG Image, 600x800 pixels)

DL-MainPage.jpg (JPEG Image, 600x800 pixels)

Reno 911 the Movie

Reno 911!

How did the BlackBerry get its name?

How did the BlackBerry get its name?In the real eary days of Research In Motion, BlackBerrys were very different than they are now. They were pagers without phone capability, More important than that for the purposes of this discussion, they weren't even called "BlackBerry," but RIM.

That was until RIM execs asked California-based branding consultancy Lexicon Branding to come up with a more descriptive name.

As an article in the Ottawa Citizen describes, someone had told Lexicon president David Placek that "the tiny buttons on RIM's device looked like a collection of seeds," writes reporter Alexandra Zabjek. "Lexicon began exploring different fruity names: strawberry, melon and an assortment of vegetables were all bandied about, with no success."

BlackBerry was selected because it met two qualifications- it was a "berry"-which has seeds- and implies a black colo, which all BlackBerrys were at the time the naming was implemented.

The name was also Ddeemed more unique and easier to trademark than if it had the term "mail" in it-like then then-hypothetical ProMail or MegaMail.

210 North opening draws gallery of celebrity guests

RGJ.com: 210 North opening draws gallery of celebrity guests: "Reno's Young Guard came out Friday for the invitation-only, friends and family opening of 210 North, the new club and lounge named for its address on North Sierra Street at West Second Street. Owners Jill Gianoli and Rob Stone, both former Eldorado entertainment execs, have sunk a potful of pretty pennies into gutting the 18,000-square-foot former restaurant space, and it shows. Reno has never had a club or lounge like 210 North."

Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan marijuana plants - CNN.com

Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan marijuana plants - CNN.com: "Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan marijuana plants
POSTED: 5:12 p.m. EDT, October 12, 2006
Adjust font size:
Decrease fontDecrease font
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OTTAWA, Canada (Reuters) -- Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of marijuana plants 10 feet tall.

General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defense staff, said Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.

'The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices. ... And as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests,' he said in a speech in Ottawa, Canada.

'We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them,' he said.

Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.

'A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those [forests] did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from th"

Burning Man 2006

Flickr: Burning Man 2006: "Top 10 signs that you have not fully gotten over burning man
view profile
LU$H Pro User says:

10. You start referring to your kitchen as Center Camp and you change the street signs on the corner to 5:30 and Venus.
9. You prefer using baby wipes instead of taking baths.
8. You don't feel comfortable going out at night without any glowsticks.
7. You insist that everyone at work refer to you by your playa name.
6. You try to re-build Thunderdome in your backyard.
5. You can't leave your house without goggles, dust masks, lingerie, hula hoops, and platform boots.
4. You look outside your window hoping to see the Man and the Temple every time you wake up, only to tear up when you realize it's not there.
3. Instead of reaching for a cup of coffee or red bull to wake up, you scrounge around your closet for any leftover specks of ecstasy or weed.
2. You find yourself handing out necklaces and hugs to random strangers while you wait in line at the grocery store.
1. You realize you can't go to sleep without the loud thump thump thump of a techno lullaby. "

2005-09-16-misc 045

2005-09-16-misc 045
Originally uploaded by escavetta.

Warmest Summer on Record at Reno

National Weather Service, Reno NV: "THE SUMMER OF 2006 WAS THE WARMEST ON RECORD AT RENO.THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD (JUNE...JULY...AUGUST) WAS 75.3 DEGREES. IN FACT...THE SIX WARMEST SUMMERS HAVE BEEN THOSE OF THE LAST SIX YEARS. THIS MAY BE THE RESULT OF THE WARM NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING DURING THE LAST DECADE. TEMPERATURE DATA FOR RENO EXTENDS BACK TO 1888. THE TEN WARMEST SUMMERS ON RECORD AT RENO ARE THE FOLLOWING:

AVG
TEMP SUMMER

75.3 2006
75.0 2003
74.2 2004
73.6 2002
73.4 2001
73.3 2005
73.1 1994
72.4 2000
71.8 1931
71.8 1988"

Black Rock City 2005

Flickr Photo Download: Black Rock City - 2005