Video iPod at last?

Apple Computer plans a major announcement next week in San Francisco, sparking speculation that the company that revolutionized digital music will unveil a video-playing iPod or an iTunes mobile phone.

Irish project aims to bring art to space, and space to Earth

AFP - Space Synapse, an Irish project at the cutting edge of both art and scientific research, wants to install an interactive work of art on board the International Space Station within the next two years.

Photo: (AFP/NSAS-HO/File)

"My bad, officer..."

Bandages on his left hand from a mountain biking accident, President Bush said he's doing well — and so apparently is the Scottish police officer with whom he collided last month.

Sorry. No cancelling allowed.

America Online agreed to pay $1.25 million to the state of New York and reform its customer service procedures, the state attorney general announced last week.

The agreement stems from consumers' complaints that AOL customer service representatives would either ignore requests, or make it unduly difficult, to cancel their service, according to a statement from Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer said that an incentive system AOL had developed for its customer service representatives contributed to most of the actions that drew complaints.

Worth printing out and sticking to the fridge....

For those without the NBA League Pass Cable Package, here's a chronological rundown of the big Suns games on national TV for the 05-06 season.

After winning a league-best 62 games last season, the national spotlight will be on the Phoenix Suns as they tip off the club’s 38th NBA season with its 2005-06 season opener against Dallas at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at America West Arena. The opener, which will be televised on TNT, is one of 31 Suns games that will be showcased on national television.

The Suns will be telecast nationally nine times on TNT, 10 on ESPN, four on ABC and eight on NBA TV (part of League Pass cable package). When the NBA schedule was released one year ago, Phoenix had a total of 15 national television dates and seven were on NBA TV. In addition, ESPN Radio will air five games.

All times are Pacific.
10/27/2005 6:00pm Golden State at Phoenix (TNT) Preseason
11/1/2005 7:30 pm Dallas at Phoenix (TNT) Home opener for Phoenix and Nash facing his old friends.
11/3/2005 7:30 pm Phoenix at L.A. Lakers (TNT) Home opener for the Lakers and coach Phil Jackson's return.
11/10/2005 7:30 pm Detroit at Phoenix (TNT) NBA Finals preview?
11/19/2005 5:30 pm Phx at Spurs (NBATV) (League pass req.) First rematch against the team that ended the Suns season
11/23/2005 4:30 pm Phoenix at Houston (ESPN) McGrady and Yao are always fun to watch.
11/25/2005 7:30 pm New Jersey at Phoenix (ESPN) Vince Carter and former Suns Cliff Robinson and Jason Kidd return.
12/9/2005 7:00 pm New York at Phoenix (ESPN) Quinten Richardson, Penny and Stephon return.
12/14/2005 5:00 pm Phoenix at Dallas (ESPN)
1/6/2006 7:30 pm Miami at Phoenix (ESPN) NBA Finals preview?
1/7/2006 6:00 pm Spurs at Phx (NBATV) (League pass req.)
1/20/2006 7:30 pm L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (ESPN) Kobe comes to town.
1/26/2006 5:00 pm Phoenix at Miami (TNT) NBA Finals preview?
1/29/2006 10:00 am Phoenix at Cleveland (ABC) LeBron, LeBron, LeBron.
2/16/2006 7:00 pm Houston at Phoenix (TNT)
3/5/2006 12:30 pm Phoenix at Dallas (ABC)
3/9/2006 7:30 pm San Antonio at Phoenix (TNT) Another matchup against the world champs.
3/21/2006 7:30 pm Phoenix at Utah (TNT)
3/30/2006 5:00 pm Phoenix at Indiana (TNT)
4/2/2006 10:00 am Phoenix at Detroit (ABC)
4/7/2006 7:30 pm L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (ESPN)
4/13/2006 7:30 pm Dallas at Phoenix (TNT)
4/16/2006 12:30 pm Phoenix at L.A. Lakers (ABC)

Other games...
2/22/2005 6:00 pm Boston at Phoenix (ESPN)
3/3/2005 7:00 pm Orlando at Phoenix (ESPN)
4/14/2005 7:30 pm Phoenix at Golden State (ESPN)

Die Jar Jar... Die.

I got to live the fantasy of many Star Wars fans.

I slayed Jar Jar.

I couldn't help Han, though.

Fun at the toy store

This toy store clerk was such a good sport and we had lots of fun. He grabbed the Jar Jar head from behind the counter and the Emperor from a "do not touch" type of display, all while saying.. "oooh.. this would be good for the picture..."

Just another day at the office.

THATS a loooong way down

In this artist rendering provided by Destination Grand Canyon, a glass skywalk is shown extending from the Grand Canyon. With land along the canyon, the Hualapai Tribe is planning to build a glass-bottomed walkway that will jut out 70 feet from the canyon's edge and provide a view to the canyon floor with the Colorado River....

4,000 feet below.

The skywalk is expected to open in January.

(AP Photo/Destination Grand Canyon)

Luck be a lady....

I won $6.00, thank you very much.... Everyone should see Vegas at least once. This weekend marked my first trip, and it was amazing. This is actually a shot I took, a rarity on this site, I know. But not a bad shot after a night out, eh? If you squint, you can see a huge iPod billboard. Thats the thing to do in Vegas, you know... Listen to your iPod.

Enjoy more of my pics here.

Diploma just got shinier...

For the fourth year in a row, Portland State University’s curriculum is among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The magazine’s “America’s Best Colleges 2006,” on newsstands this Monday, features Portland State under the section “Choosing a School: Programs to Look For” in five categories: Internships/Co-Ops, Senior Capstone, First-Year Experiences, Learning Communities and Service Learning.

This is the fourth year that U.S. News’ Best Colleges issue has listed schools with “outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success.”

Dear Michael...

*** Update *** Finley ended up signing with the san Antonio Spurs... Ugh..*** The Suns are one of a dozen teams fighting for the attention of free agent all star swingman Michael Finley. Finley was recently waived by Dallas and NBA rules prevent him from resigning with them next year. My Phoenix Suns, who originally drafted Finley, fresh off of losing two starters from last years team, have taken a step I've never seen.

Theyve gotten the fans involved.

Thats right, you can email Michael and tell him how much you want him to come to Phoenix. The Suns have promised each email will be delivered to Finley's agent.

So, heres what I wrote.

Michael-
The fans of Phoenix know how talented you are, and how saught after you are by several other teams. But we know, more than anyone else besides Dallas, how special you are as a person. We had the first hand opportunity to watch you grow and become the amazing all around athlete, teammate, professional and generous community member that you are. These teammates, inches away from a title, have a critical role to fill, want and need Michael Finley to fill it. This organization and this community will love and appreciate you wherever you go. But know that you are sorely missed by all and welcome with open arms.

You can send Finley your own email and help bring him back to Phoenix here.

Its official!!

Mental Health Parity Now the Law

Mental health parity is now the law in Oregon. Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski signed Senate Bill 1 into law Monday. It requires insurance companies to offer as much coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical ailments.

Governor Ted Kulongoski signed the bill surrounded by state lawmakers and advocates for the mentally ill who have been pushing this idea for more than ten years.

"It doesn't get any bigger than this."
--President of the Oregon Senate, Peter Courtney (D)

Peter Courtney: "For me personally, the most veteran member of the legislature, this will probably be my greatest piece of legislation that I was involved with. It doesn't get any bigger than this."

Colin Fogarty, OPB News

The new guys...

Last updated 9/6...

Kurt Thomas
Amare Stoudemire wanted Thomas and the Suns sent Quinten Richardson to New York to get him. Last year, the 6-9 forward ranked #6 in the NBA in rebounds per game (10.4) and #4 in defensive rebounds per game (8.3). This gives Phoenix three (Marion and Stoudemire) of the top twenty rebounders in the NBA last year.

Raja Bell
The Suns got Bell, a former Dallas teammate of Steve Nash, to backup Joe Johnson. Suprise! Now Bell will likely start. Lucky break for Phoenix. Spurs star Manu Ginobli reportedly was unhappy that Bell went to Phoenix because he hates to play against him. This was clearly the Suns strategy as Ginobli torched Phoenix in the Conference Finals.

Brian Grant
Injuries marred his performance last year, if he is as healthy as his agent says he is now, this could be a steal for Phoenix.

Boris Diaw
Phoenix will get Diaw as part of the sign and trade that sent Johnson to Atlanta. Phoenix had tried to acquire Diaw, 23, in the past, and sees the 6-foot-8 French guard as the potential backup point to Nash. He defends and runs well but lacks a long-distance touch.

Dijon Thompson
Drafted by New York this summer, Phoenix picked him up as part of the Richardson trade. In his senior year at UCLA, he led his team in scoring (18.4 ppg, fourth in the Pac-10) and rebounding (7.9 rpg, third).

James Jones
The 6-8, 220-pound guard/forward led the Pacers in three-point accuracy last season and was 25th in the NBA overall (.398). He started a total of 24 games this season and as a starter, he averaged 7.1 ppg and 3.7 rpg.

Pat Burke
The NBA’s first Irish-born player has played seven of his eight professional seasons in Europe. Last season, he played for Real Madrid, where his team won the 2004-05 ACB Spanish League Championship. The 6-11 250 pound Burke averaged 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds on .511 shooting from the field in a combined 41 regular season and 19 playoff games. With the Orlando Magic in 2002-03, he averaged 4.3 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 62 games.

Lucas Tischer
Tischer, a muscular 6 feet 9 and 230 pounds, went undrafted but joined Phoenix's summer team, which included Tischer's former junior national teammate, Leandro Barbosa. He could be a candidate for the NBA Development League, where teams can now give a player court time while keeping his rights.

Brother and sister reach the finish line

Under a colorful sunset, ASU battles Stanford at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

Skinny dip... downtown?

A naked man swimming in the Willamette River towards Ross Island Wednesday morning prompted a 9-1-1 call from an apparently alarmed onlooker, but the swimmer was allowed to continue.

The Willamette River runs through downtown Portland.

“It’s not a crime to be naked [in public],” said Sgt. Brian Schmautz with the Portland Police Bureau.
According to Oregon law, it’s not illegal to be naked anywhere in public unless the naked person has the intent to be sexually aroused.

The 9-1-1 call came in about 10:30 a.m. Police, fire and county officials were notified, Schmautz said.
The man was not expected to face any charges.

ANTONIA GIEDWOYN, kgw.com Staff

Dems: Bush VA Budget Would Hurt Veterans

President Bush's proposed budget for the Veterans Affairs would prevent about 3,000 Portland vets from getting healthcare, according a minority report from the House Committee on Government Reform. Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer says he requested the study after many local veterans contacted him to complain.

Program Finds Success with Job Help for Mentally Ill

State health officials announced promising results today from a pilot program meant to find work for people with serious mental health problems.

Phoenix Suns Schedule Announced

The Suns home opener and season opener (vs. Dallas) and first road game (vs. Lakers) are both on TNT! (Nov 1st and 3rd). Seeing Nash play against his best friends in Dallas is always a treat... Who knows, maybe former Phoenix Sun and current Dallas Maverick Michael Finley may again be a Sun when these two meet...and The Laker game marks the first game back as head coach for Phil Jackson.

November 19th on NBATV, Phoenix will visit San Antonio for the first time since losing to them in the Western Conference Finals.

Vince Carter and former Suns Cliff Robinson and Jason Kidd come to Phoenix November 25th on ESPN.

Assuming Joe Johnson ends up in Atlanta, the Suns will face them for the first time since the trade in Phoenix on December 4th.

Quinten Richardson, Penny and Stephon come to Phoenix Dec. 9th in the first matchup since the trade.

Jake Voskul makes his return to Phoenix on February 25th. He should get a heroes welcome.

The Suns dont come to Portland until March 12th and then again for the last game of the year, April 19th.
The Suns first visit to Seattle isnt until March 14th.

867-5309...

Most students (52%) in grades K-12 say they know more screen names than home telephone numbers, thanks to the popularity of instant messaging.

Source: NetDay/BellSouth Foundation

Saturday Part 2

Sonja has dubbed Sundays, "Saturday, Part 2" in leiu of calling it Sunday, which typically is depressingly known as the day before Monday.
Way to go, Sonja.

Put your textbooks away and buckle up

A high school in Vail, Arizona will become the state's first all-wireless, all-laptop public school this fall. The 350 students at the school will not have traditional textbooks. Instead, they will use electronic and online articles as part of more traditional teacher lesson plans.

Call me...

Internet telephone service tiptoed a few more steps into the wireless realm recently as Skype and Boingo unveiled a service to enable Voice-over-Internet calls over Wi-Fi hot spots, while Samsung and LG announced plans to develop mobile phones that combine cellular and Wi-Fi technologies.

Competition thankfully slashing costs of broadband

Telephone and cable TV companies are slashing broadband prices and boosting connection speeds as the two monopoly-prone industries prepare to lock horns on multiple fronts.

THATS magic...

The new Harry Potter book sold an astonishing 6.9 million copies in its first 24 hours, smashing the record held by the previous Potter release. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" averaged better than 250,000 sales per hour, more than the vast majority of books sell in a lifetime.

iPod Video?

Apple Computer has been talking to several major recording companies, looking to license the sale of music videos through the popular iTunes music site, The Wall Street Journal reported recently.

Negotiations are an indication that Apple is moving to release a device that plays video files, possibly by September, the Journal says. Analysts see the development as likely because of Apple's strength in video software, including the Quicktime movie format and video-editing software, such as Final Cut Pro and iMovie.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Support the troops

A majority of U.S. soldiers in Iraq say morale is low, according to a recent Army report that finds psychological stress is weighing particularly heavily on National Guard and Reserve troops.

AP Poll: Americans say WWIII likely

From the "Give Peace A Chance" file...

Americans are far more likely than the Japanese to expect another world war in their lifetime, according to AP-Kyodo polling 60 years after World War II ended. Six in 10 Americans said they think such a war is likely, while only one-third of the Japanese said so.

Most people in both countries believe the first use of a nuclear weapon is never justified.

Fumble!

A federal judge has ordered former football star O.J. Simpson to pay $25,000 in damages for pirating satellite television signals from DirecTV.

Download this...

In another milestone for Internet video, nearly 433,000 people simultaneously watched NASA's webcast of last week's space shuttle launch, according to the AP.

That's more than twice the 175,000 streams that America Online Inc. had at its peak July 2 for the Live 8 concerts, an event widely cited as a coming-of-age moment for online video. It also nearly quadrupled a record for NASA set three weeks ago during Deep Impact's encounter with the comet Tempel 1.

Photo: AFP/NASA

Moby Has Newfound Respect for Eminem

Moby says he has newfound respect for Eminem — who once mocked him in a song — because the rapper criticized President Bush and the war in Iraq on his last album.

"I found myself respecting him for doing that," Moby told reporters during a promotional stop in Hong Kong for his latest album "Hotel."

Tip of the iceberg

Thirty percent of U.S. troops surveyed have developed stress-related mental health problems three to four months after coming home from the Iraq war, the Army's surgeon general said last week.

Scientists Claim Discovery of 10th Planet

This artist's concept, released by NASA, shows the planet catalogued as 2003UB313 at the lonely outer fringes of our solar system. Our Sun can be seen in the distance. The new planet, which is yet to be formally named, is at least as large as Pluto and is about 9 billion miles, or three times Pluto's distance from the sun. It is very cold and dark. The planet was discovered by the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, Calif. (AP Photo/NASA, Caltech)

Thats amazing...

All 309 passengers and crew survived after an Air France Airbus burst into flames when it overshot the runway and crashed into a gully at Toronto's Pearson International Airport in a lightning storm earlier this week.

Listen up...

Yesterday, Yahoo Inc. began testing a new search engine feature that will pore through millions of songs offered by popular Internet music services like iTunes, Rhapsody and Napster.

The free service, available at http://audio.search.yahoo.com, boasts an index of more than 50 million audio files, including newscasts, speeches and interviews posted online, as well as the Internet's deepening pool of "podcasts" - recordings made to be played on a computer or a digital device such as the iPod.

Pretty cool...

Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Simon will perform together for one night only to raise money for research into autism. The concert will be held Sept. 24 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Tom Brokaw of NBC News.

Check out http://autismspeaks.org.

No kidding....

AP - Americans' approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest level yet, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that also found fewer than half now think he's honest.

Change Afoot for Driver's Licenses

The Oregon House voted Wednesday to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to collect biometric data from drivers. That's identifying physical information that's unique to each individual, such as a retina scan.

Yahoo Opens Hillsboro Call Center

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski welcomed the internet company, Yahoo, to its new customer calling center in Oregon Tuesday. The California-based business has already hired about 50 staff locally and plans to add up to 180 within the next year.