The Series Continues...

Paul Connors/Associated Press

MVP x2

The Arizona Republic is reporting that Nash will win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight season. The NBA is not expected to announce the MVP until early May.

(Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty Images)

Highlights Game 1

The best broadcaster in the business, Al McCoy, is featured in this recap of Game 1 Suns / Lakers.

1-0 ...Suns

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant hides his face during the final seconds of a 107-102 loss to Phoenix. The win gives Phoenix a 1-0 lead in the first round best of seven series. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Who can resist puppies and babies?

Mandy is the chillin' puppy and Rowan is the happy baby.

Playoffs today

NBA Playoffs
Phoenix vs. L.A. Lakers
First Round - Game 1: Sun April 23
Lakers at Suns 12:30pm (PST) ABC TV

"I'm coming to play," Marion said of the matchup. "We're going to go out with one thing we're focusing on - that big-ass trophy at the end of the road."

Photo: Arizona Republic

Child protection legislation

Yesterday, The Oregon House approved HB3511 by a 54-6 vote. That bill would triple the minimum prison sentence for adults convicted of rape, sodomy, sexual penetration or kidnapping of a child 11 or younger, from eight years and four months to 25 years, plus post-prison supervision for life. The Senate approved the bill by a 30-0 vote. Gov. Ted Kulongoski is expected to sign the legislation into law this month.

Oregon Receives Suicide-Prevention Grant Money

Kristian Foden-Vencil, OPB

Oregon's senators announced Thursday a $400,000 suicide prevention grant for the state.

The money will come from the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which passed in 2004 and is named for Senator Gordon Smith's son, Garrett, who took his life while at college.

Lisa Miette, with the Oregon Department of Human Services, says the tragedy has drawn attention to the issue and the grant will help in a number of ways.

Lisa Miette: "It will require hospitals to report suicide attempts treated in emergency rooms -- to facilitate outreach by local mental health. We will work with schools and communities to establish a comprehensive suicide prevention program, known as Safe Teen, in the schools."

The money will also provide suicide prevention training for people who work with youth and help businesses that employ people younger than 24 to establish their own programs.

Experts estimate that every three and a half hours someone is admitted to the hospital in Oregon following a suicide attempt.

About 60 youths kill themselves each year.

It's showtime

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- With a triple-double against the Trail Blazers, Steve Nash made it clear he is ready for the playoffs.

Nash had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Phoenix Suns brought Portland's dismal season to a merciful end with a 106-96 victory Wednesday night.

"I'm ready to roll now. I'm excited," Nash said.

Shawn Marion had 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, who had already clinched their second straight Pacific Division title.

The Suns will face the Los Angeles Lakers, who beat the New Orleans Hornets 115-95 Wednesday night to clinch seventh place in the Western Conference. The first-round, best-of-seven series opens Sunday in Phoenix.

"They've been playing well. It'll be tough," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said about the Lakers. "We have home-court advantage and we'll play our style of basketball and see where it goes."

"I'm coming to play," Marion said of the matchup. "We're going to go out with one thing we're focusing on - that big-ass trophy at the end of the road."

NBA Playoffs
Phoenix vs. L.A. Lakers
First Round
(Times listed are Phoenix time, which, at this time of
year is the same as Portland)

Game 1 Sun April 23 Lakers at Suns 12:30p ABC
Game 2 Wed April 26 Lakers at Suns 7:30p TNT
Game 3 Fri April 28 Suns at Lakers 7:30p ESPN
Game 4 Sun April 30 Suns at Lakers 12:30p ABC
Game 5 *Tue May 2 Lakers at Suns TBA TBA
Game 6 *Thu May 4 Suns at Lakers TBA TBA
Game 7 *Sat May 6 Lakers at Suns TBA TBA

Eat your Wheaties

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns is being recognized with another honor -- his own Wheaties box. The package was unveiled today at the US Airways Center. Nash is the first Suns player to appear on the Wheaties box.

Nash, currently averaging more than 19 points and leading the league with over 10 assists per game, has his Suns poised for another strong playoff run.

Nash has made significant contributions off the court as well, including founding The Steve Nash Foundation in 2001 to help underserved children in their development and education.

"Appearing on the Wheaties box is a great honor for me," Nash said. "The list of basketball greats who have been on the box through the years is legendary, with guys like Jordan, Bird, West and Cousy. I'm honored to be included among that group."

"Steve Nash provides a great source of inspiration for anyone who is reaching for their dream," said Eric Treschuk, Wheaties Marketing Manager. "No one works harder or plays the game more unselfishly, but his dedication and perseverance truly set him apart. Wheaties is thrilled to welcome him into the family."

The new 12- and 18-ounce Steve Nash Wheaties packages will be sold nationally by the end of April.

Macworld: News: ThinkFree Office Online adds Flickr support

The online version of ThinkFree Office, the free Microsoft Office alternative, now adds support for Flickr, the free photo blogging and sharing service owned by Yahoo.

ThinkFree Office online software lets you access your documents from any compatible computer that can access the Web.

ThinkFree Office is a Mac, Linux and Windows-compatible productivity software suite that provides word processing, presentation software and spreadsheet calculation software that uses the same file formats as Microsoft’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint software.

The new feature lets ThinkFree Office Online users connect to their Flickr accounts, adding images to their documents.

Vice President booed in Washington

Greeted with loud boos, Vice President Dick Cheney threw out the ceremonial first pitch earlier this week at the Washington Nationals’ home opener.

Think we're trying to say something, Dick?

Disappointed Blazers fans can cheer for new team on the rise

The Portland LumberJax won the West Division Title tonight with their win against the Swarm at Minnesota, 13-8. The win gives Portland an 11-5 record for the season, and the Jax are riding a six-game winning streak into the playoffs. They will host the West Division semi-final game next Saturday, April 22 at 7:30p in the Rose Garden against fourth-seeded Arizona Sting. The LumberJax are the first expansion team in league history to clinch a division title.

The Portland LumberJax (www.PortlandJax.com)were founded on May 11, 2005 as an expansion franchise in the National Lacrosse League, which features the best lacrosse players in the world. The LumberJax are owned by the youngest majority owner in professional sports, 24-year-old Angela Batinovich.

Macworld: Study: Windows Media loses ground to Apple H.264

StreamingMedia.com compares Apple's QuickTime H.264 codec to other video compression standards.

Report: Amazon plans to take-on iTunes, iPod

Amazon plans to take on Apple in the digital music business with its own online store and portable music player, the Wall Street Journal reports.

EvolutionTV PVR adds iPod, PSP video compression

The updated software adds real time video compression for video iPods and Sony Playstation Portables (PSP), removing the need to go through software exporting to those devices.

Dogs Dispatched to Comfort Ill Children

Therapy dogs, so often associated with nursing homes, have expanded their range. The trained animals now comfort people everywhere from disaster sites to hospitals, schools, even prisons. A recent trend is for dogs to work in libraries, helping children practice reading aloud. The dogs provide an attentive, non-judgmental audience for young readers still building up their confidence.

Therapy dogs were dispatched to Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 attacks and to the Gulf Coast after Katrina. They have been a big hit at facilities serving emotionally troubled or learning disabled children.

"The demand is always more than the supply," says Kelly Morrone, a manager of volunteer services. "Never enough dogs."

Strength

Nash's season over

I nearly had a heart attack when I read that headline on the Arizona Republic's website.

Reading further, I learned that the season is over for Tyson Nash, who plays left wing for the Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona's pro hockey team.

Coyotes General Manager Mike Barnett said earlier this week Tyson Nash likely would undergo season ending surgery to correct a bone defect in his right knee.

Phoenix Suns superstar Steve Nash is just fine.

Deliberate or not, I'm sure the article's author, David Vest, got what every writer wants: the reader's attention.

Nash to return to birthplace

Nash will go to Johannesburg in September as part of Basketball Without Borders' annual outreach camps around the world promoting basketball, education and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Nash's wife, Alejandra, was as interested as he and they pursued the South Africa camp.
Nash was born in South Africa, where his father was a pro soccer player, but left when he was 1.

"You're excited with the steps they've taken and you're frustrated that some have taken so long," Nash said. "Now, we're facing a new crisis in Africa. It never ends for those people and it's one we've turned our backs on for a long, long time."

Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

Mac-compatible Ding ready for takeoff

"Ding", Southwest Airlines airfare-tracking application added Mac compatibility recently. Ding sits on your desktop, awaiting news from Southwest of any fare deals. When the airline sends out such a message, the application notifies you with a "ding".

Ding has been available to Windows users for a little more than a year leaving some Mac users feeling stranded at the gate by Southwest.

“My husband is an avid Mac user,” said Anne Murray, the airline’s senior director of Internet marketing. “So how would you like to have been me for the past year?”

TunePower gives video iPod extra juice

Belkin's TunePower provides iPod video users with up to six additional hours of video playtime.

Microsoft readying PSP challenger, reports say

Published reports claim that Microsoft is developing a portable gaming device that also plays video and music.

PlayStation 3 will outsell Xbox 360, In-Stat says

Despite the delay of the PlayStation 3, Sony is expected to continue its domination of the game console market.

"If you need help, hang up and dial Jajah"

Jajah is a new telephony service that uses your existing phone and a Web browser to make and accept calls.

Historic Journey

Greenpeace Arctic explorers, Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen, are gearing up for a grueling expedition to highlight global warming and help save the polar bear.

This will be first ever unsupported summer crossing of the Arctic Ocean.

The team will depart from Ward Hunt Island, Canada on May 1st.

Visit their website dedicated to the trek at ProjectThinIce.org

IRS still putting taxpayer data at risk

The IRS is continuing to put taxpayer data at risk, according to a report from the US GAO.

Macworld: News: Avie Tevanian to leave Apple

The man behind Mac OS X is leaving Apple to pursue other interests.

King summer special

Turner Network Television (TNT), which scored big last year with the adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot, is scaring up a top notch cast for its latest venture into King territory, NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES: FROM THE STORIES OF STEPHEN KING. This anthology series of eight one-hour episodes adapted from King's short stories will feature such notable performers as Emmy winner and Oscar® nominee William H. Macy, Emmy winner Kim Delaney (NYPD Blue, CSI: Miami), Steven Weber (The Shining, Wings), Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under) and Oscar® winner William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Village).

NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES will premiere on TNT in summer 2006.

Swimming in a basketball court

“Liquid Freedom” is the title given to Sprite’s TV ad, featuring a basketball court that morphs into a swimming pool. The advertisement was launched in Australia in March 2005, making it to the Cannes Lions shortlist for 2005. See the ad here.

ABC takes shows online for free, with ads

ABC plans to offer four shows for online viewing, for free.

The Beatles confirm online music plans

The Beatles are planning to put their music online.

NBA Commissioner: Seattle 'not interested in having the NBA there'

David Stern gave another warning that the SuperSonics could eventually leave Seattle, saying Thursday that the city is, "not interested in having the NBA there."

Macworld: Apple's greatest hits: 30 significant products

Macworld editors came up with the idea of celebrating Apple's 30 years of existence by selecting a number of interesting, memorable, and just plain cool releases from the company.

Dave Matthews Band catalog now on iTunes

Due to fan feedback, Dave Matthews has made his entire catalog available on iTunes.

"Internet cloud" in Portland's forecast

The Oregonian reports...
Portland picked MetroFi Inc. today to build a citywide wireless Internet cloud.

California-based MetroFi said it plans to offer free, advertising-supported wireless Internet access in Portland at download speeds of 1 megabit per second, with uploads at 256 kilobits per second.

A banner ad would appear on users’ screens while they're online with MetroFi’s network, with ad revenue supporting the network. Subscribers could also pay for an advertising-free version for about $20 a month.

The decision still has to be approved by the Portland City Council. Portland said today that parts of the network could be online for preliminary tests this year, though it could take years to build out the entire system.

Failure

1. Go to Google
2. Type in "Failure"
3. Click "I'm feeling lucky"
4. Enjoy the results :)


And no, this is not Google's doing.... Check this out.

Thanks to Sonja for the heads up.

Honey, I'm taking the train downtown to grab some cash!

Last night, at about 6:00 p.m. (during the peak of rush hour) a man walked into the Wells Fargo Bank at 635 S.W. Sixth Ave. in downtown Portland, demanded cash, then left on foot and boarded a MAX train, Portland's public light rail transit system.

Portland police officers captured the man a short time later on another MAX train. He was being held in Multnomah County jail Thursday night and is expected to be formally charged today. His identity was not released.

Ironically, an unconventional robbery took place earler the same day. At a Washington Mutual Bank in Clackamas, a man in his late teens or early 20s, walked into the bank, demanded cash, threatened a weapon and left on a mountain bike, witnesses told investigators.

A mountain bike.

Temperature drop in Hell

Hi everyone!
I'm in shock at this news I read today. It IS computer news, and Mac news at that... (Apple's stocks jumped as a result) ...But technology experts are saying this effects both Mac and PC users in a big way.

It's not quite Coke saying to Pepsi: "It's all good, we're friends now..."

But its close.

Think of it as having your cake and eating it to.

Or having the the best parts of two of your favorite cars in one.

Here are parts of the official news story....

Maccentral - Jim Dalrymple
Apple today introduced Boot Camp , new public-beta software for Mac OS X that lets users of Intel Macs boot directly into Microsoft Windows XP.

"After we released the Intel-based Macs we had a lot of customer requests asking if it's possible to run Windows on those machines," Brian Croll, Apple's senior director of Software Product Marketing, told Macworld. "We decided we would help it along by creating Boot Camp."

The software, available today as a public preview version of a feature from the forthcoming Mac OS X Leopard, includes an assistant application to aid with drive partitioning and the installation of Windows drivers for Mac hardware.

When you run the application, Boot Camp prompts you to burn a CD, which contains all of the necessary drivers to run networking, Bluetooth, graphics and other functions in Windows. After the Windows install is complete, you insert the disk and it automatically installs the drivers.

Previously Apple executives had suggested that the company "wouldn't stop" owners of Intel-based Macs from booting into Windows XP. With Boot Camp, Apple is giving them a leg up on the process.

However, Apple made it very clear that Windows would not be made available on future Macs and the company would not support the operating system.

"We are not going to sell or support Windows," said Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing David Moody. "You have to bring your own Windows."

Time will tell if running Windows natively on a Macintosh will help sales of hardware, but Apple believes it eliminates one obstacle for many users.

"This will really help a lot of folks make up their mind whether to move over to the Mac," said Croll. "We think this makes the Mac even more appealing for all those Windows users who are considering the switch."

1...2...3...

Call it a coincidental sign of our digital times or a reason to stay up late and stare at the clock. Either way, early Wednesday morning the time and date will be:

01-02-03-04-05-06.

At 1:02 a.m. and three seconds on Wednesday, April 5, 2006, it will be the first hour of the day, the second minute of the hour, and the third second of that particular minute during the fifth day of the fourth month of "06".

"It just happens to be a chronological oddity," said Geoff Chester, spokesman for the U.S. Naval Observatory, an official world atomic clock timekeeper.

Barkley headed to Hall

Charles Barkley, one of the most popular sports figures in Phoenix history, has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, sources told The Arizona Republic on Saturday. Barkley was elected in his first year of eligibility.

The official announcement is scheduled for Monday. Barkley was not immediately available for comment.

Barkley was the NBA's MVP in 1993 when he led the Suns to the NBA Finals before they lost to Chicago in six games. He averaged 23.4 points and 11.5 rebounds and was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

My name on a building... At last.

I've seen my name in some interesting places in the past including a Harley dealership and an old 1921 French film...

But now, it appears my name is on a building:

The Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute at West Virginia University.

Ok, ok, there is no relation here - (...At least I haven't had any scholarships offered to me from West Virginia University or family from the area..)

The REAL story here is researchers at the institute are uncovering some amazing data about a memory gene that may have implications for memory loss and progressive conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Read the story on usatoday.com here.

Schnauzers chillin'

Miniature schnauzers wearing sun glasses are seen at Tokyo Pet Show 2006 in Chiba, east of Tokyo Friday. About 20,000 people are expected to visit the country's largest pet convention which will be held until Sunday, organisers said. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao