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This is a great way to keep the cost down when you are planning a wedding.  Mason or canning jars can be bought from thrift or craft stores for very little money. You can make this beautiful canning jar wedding candle for pennies apiece.

Use recycled items whenever possible. I  used old potpourri and an old mason jar that washed up nicely. You can also do the jars in colors that correspond with the weddings color theme.

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• A wide mouth mason or canning jar (Craft stores sell them with a plain front – no writing)
• A glass votive candle holder
• Wide wire edged ribbon
• Potpourri, any type
• A short pillar candle
• Small silk roses  – I used white, but you can use any color
• A small length of pre-gathered lace (about one inch wide)
• Craft glue
• Spray paint (silver)

Spread some newspaper out and pour your potpourri on the paper.  Spray the potpourri with the silver spray paint. Make sure to cover all sides of the potpourri. Shake the paper a little to mix and spray again to make sure you cover all of the bare spots. Let this dry completely.

When the potpourri is dry, put it in the canning jar. Cut the pre-gathered lace to fit the neck of the jar with a half inch overlap.  Place the glass votive holder in the mouth of the jar.

Fasten the wire edged ribbon around the neck of the jar and allow the top edge of the ribbon to overlap the glass votive by a quarter of an inch. Tie a bow in the front of the jar and cover up the overlap of the lace.

Glue the small silk roses to the front of the bow and position the candle in the votive holder.

There are lots of variations to this project. Instead of using potpourri try using small sea shells or fill the jar with decorative marbles, pearls or miniature silk flowers.

Post from: Blisstree

Canning Jar Wedding Candles

Using agave in place traditional sugars in recipes is a snap to do, but it does take a little know-how. We have a few quick tips to aide you in your baking adventures to make sure each and every treat hits the sweet spot without any let down.

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Over the years we have worked with numerous marine transport companies, and have found the industry in general to be both interesting and, from time to time, significantly over- or undervalued.  One thing cannot be denied: the largest method of intercontinental transport is on the oceans and seas.  According to Yahoo! Finance, marine transportation is one of the “industries on the move” these days: http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/775.html.  Not surprising, and some of the gains are impressive.

Putting aside passenger lines, which are largely recreational, there are basically three large international categories of marine transport companies: (1) tanker companies, which carry “wet” cargoes that are often energy-related, as in crude oil or refined petroleum products, but could also be cooking oil or a variety of other liquid cargoes; (2) dry-bulk companies, which, as the name implies, carry dry cargoes of a wide variety, such as grains, scrap metals, coal, or ores; and (3) container companies, which carry anything that can be put into a standard freight container.   There are also some smaller categories, such as companies that carry compressed gases like LNG; or companies that operate vessels with a limited geographic range, such as barges, tugboats and riverboats of various kinds.

Most of the publicly listed marine transport companies are in one (or sometimes more) of the 3 main categories: tankers, dry-bulk, or containers.  The industry is further divided into companies that lease their vessels for lengthy periods (long-term time charterers) and those that lease their vessels for shorter times or even for short terms or for individual trips, pricing their services on the spot market, which fluctuates depending on demand.

Like the real estate market, the marine transport industry tends to follow boom-and-bust patterns.  In good times they over-build new vessels, which tends to create an over-supply of carrying capacity that sends rates down.  Put simply, when there are lots of carriers with empty ships,  rates go down.  We seem to be just coming off the bottom of one of those cycles, when “new-buildings” flooded the markets based on the boom shipping rates that prevailed at the beginning to the middle of the last decade.

Also like the real estate industry, when there is an over-supply that causes a rate plunge, some of the weaker companies can be forced out of business, which may create an even larger surplus of vessels as fleets are liquidated.  At the same time, there tends to be an increase in retiring older vessels, which are typically stripped and moored off countries like Bangladesh, where they are eventually cut up for scrap if all goes according to plan.

It was not until fairly recently that many marine transport companies were publicly traded.  Most were  privately held, many of them by Greek or Italian or Scandinavian owners, frequently multi-generational families.  But the large US investment banks “discovered” shipping companies as major users of capital, and flooded the industry with cash.  Then traditional commercial banks doubled up the cash available with debt leverage, since the equity spigots were flowing to make the balance-sheet ratios work.  One of the main results has been that there are now a wide variety of small-cap shipping companies whose shares may well be of interest to buyers familiar with the vectors that affect the business.

We do not recommend stocks; we just write about companies we find interesting.  Do your own diligence.  None of these companies is a client of the publisher of this blog.

One company that pops up on lists pretty regularly is Athens-based Diana Shipping (NYSE: DSX; http://www.dianashippinginc.com/). With its relatively conservative balance sheet, Diana’s stock has more than doubled since December 2008, when it hit a low of $7.24 — as of Friday, shares closed at $16.09, vs a 52-week high of $19.00, and trading volume exceeds 2 million shares per day.  Diana is a dry-bulk company, and anyone interested in dry-bulk shipping should become familiar with the “Baltic Dry Index” or BDI, which publishes rates for cargoes of various sizes daily.  A recent article in thestreet.com labels Diana a “winner,” quoting Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Natasha Boyden on the effects of heavy iron-ore buying in India as one of the influences: http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10655224/1/dry-bulk-shipping-winners-genco-diana.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA.

The other winner mentioned in that Yahoo! Finance article is New York-based Genco Shipping & Trading (NYSE: GNK; http://www.gencoshipping.com/), a newish company (2004) that operates 30+ ships (the largest of them are all named after Roman emperors) in the dry-bulk trade.  As of September 30, 2009, their earnings stood at $3.62 per share, although Genco used more cash in “investing activities” than it generated from operations, which is a good indicator that they see good deals afloat.  Their fleet is a combination of new and used vessels, with a predilection for sister ships (which are generally thought to simplify maintenance issues).  GNK shares closed Friday at $25.68 on average volume of nearly 2 million shares, and a market cap of about $815 million.

Bermuda-based Knightsbridge Tankers (Nasdaq: VLCCF; http://www.knightsbridgetankers.com/) is on the “wet” side of the business, as the name indicates.  It is much smaller than Diana or Genco, and owns 6 vessels; it had earned $0.74 per share as of 9-30-09, and the balance sheet showed a precipitous drop in cash, especially considering its short-term liabilities (look for yourself).  At any rate, the shares closed Friday at $14.96, down from a year-high of $17.16, but up $0.93 on the day, on volume of 111,000 shares and a market cap of about $256 million.

Hong Kong-based Seaspan Corporation (NYSE: SSW; http://www.seaspancorp.com/) is a container-ship operator which announced the delivery of its 43rd vessel on January 8 (it has 25 more on order), which are typically chartered for long periods at fixed rates to big shipping companies like Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and Mitsui.  Seaspan reported revenue for 9-30-09 of $207 million, actually a significant increase over 2008 (unusual in this industry), and says it has arranged for all the capital needed to complete the build-out of its intended fleet.  SSW shares closed Friday at $10.28, with a 52-week high of $13.07, but up $0.48 or nearly 5% on the day on heavier-than-normal volume of 477,000 shares.  Its market cap is just shy of $700 million, but one should endeavor to understand its issuance of preferred shares prior to making an investment decision.

There are many publicly listed shipping companies, but we will close this article with a glance at Athens-based Euroseas (Nasdaq: ESEA; http://www.euroseas.gr/), with a fleet of 15 vessels, 6 of which are dry-bulk carriers, with the remainder being container vessels, with a clear preference for long-term charter deals.  ESEA is much smaller than the other companies in this article, with a market cap as of Jan 8 of $133 million.  Its 9-month revenues of $47 million were just higher than its previous-year net earnings for the same period ($43 million), with profits for the 2009 9 months of $700,000 — but net income for the third quarter by itself was $2.2 million, which means things were trending up fairly strongly at least last fall.  ESEA shares closed Friday at $4.32 vs a year-high of $6.31 on average daily volume of 110,000 shares — but the shares were up $0.26 on the day, a gain of more than 6%, which reflects a gain in enthusiasm for the company and possibly the industry, at least on January 8, 2010.

After a few days of number crunching, here are the most popular games on the LIVE Service for 2009 based on connectivity.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)

1    Halo 3
2    Call of Duty 4
3    Modern Warfare 2
4    Call of Duty: WaW
5    Gears of War 2
6    GTA IV (Purchase and download the full game)
7    Left 4 Dead
8    Halo 3: ODST
9    FABLE II Episode 1 (of 5)
10   バイオハザード５」デモ (BioHazard 5 -  Resident Evil 5)
11   Halo Wars – Demo
12   RESIDENT EVIL 5   
13   Fallout 3
14   UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo
15   Left 4 Dead 2 – Demo
16   Gears of War
17   1 vs 100
18   Guitar Hero World Tour 
19   Guitar Hero III

20   FIFA 09

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
Click a title to send a free demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

1    Battlefield 1943
2    Castle Crashers
3    Trials HD
4    Hasbro Family Game Night **
5    Shadow Complex
6    Marvel vs. Capcom 2
7    Magic: The Gathering
8    UNO
9    Worms
10   Peggle
11   Worms 2: Armageddon
12   Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
13   'Splosion Man
14   A Kingdom for Keflings
15   3 on 3 NHL Arcade
16   The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
17   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Classic Arcade
18   Marble Blast Ultra
19   Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
20   Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

**Combined sales of all Hasbro Family Game Night titles

The above arcade list is based on full versions purchased.

Top Original Xbox Titles (based on UU’s)

1    Halo 2
2    Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3    Fable
4    Counter-Strike
5    Conker: Live Reloaded
6    Doom 3
7    Splinter Cell Chaos
8    SW: KOTOR
9    Star Wars: Battlefront
10    SW: Republic Commando
11    Burnout 3
12    Fable: Lost Chapters
13    Call of Duty 2
14    Call of Duty 3
15    Call of Duty Finest
16    MechAssault 2
17    Crimson Skies
18    Guilty Gear XX #Reload
19    Rainbow Six 3
20    Gauntlet Seven Sorrows

Top Indie Games (Full Versions purchased)

1    I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1
2    Avatar Drop
3    RC-AirSim
4    Headshot
5    Miner Dig Deep
6    Rumble Massage
7    Who Did I Date Last Night
8    Kodu Game Lab
9    Avatar Golf
10    Aquarium HD
11    myFishtank
12    Head Shot 2
13    DrumKit
14    A Perfect Massage
15    The Impossible Game
16    Inside Lacrosse's CL2010
17    ZP2K9
18    ezmuze+ Hamst3r edition
19    The Drinking Game
20    Physics Sandbox

Top Games For Windows LIVE (based on UU’s)

1    GTA IV
2    Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
3    Fallout 3
4    Shadowrun
5    Street Fighter IV
6    Halo 2 (PC)
7    Batman: Arkham Asylum
8    Resident Evil 5
9    Gears of War (Windows)
10    Red Faction Guerrilla
11    Battlestations: Pacific
12    Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
13    DiRT 2
14    Section 8
15    Quantum of Solace PC
16    FlatOut UC (PC)
17    Fuel
18    Viva Piñata
19    SWTCW: Republic Heroes
20    Juiced 2: HIN

These lists are based on global unique users connected to the Live Service during 2009 or in the case of Arcade and Indie Games, full versions purchased during the year.

Peru, South America | Inspired Inventions

The primary instrument at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory is an incoherent scatter radar, a type of atmospheric probe of which there are only a handful in the world. While your ordinary radar system or radio telescope has an appearance similar to a gigantic TV dish, the instrument at Jicamarca takes the form of 18,432 dipole antennae spread over nearly 85,000 square meters of Peruvian desert. Located about 25 kilometers outside the capital city of Lima, the observatory was built from 1960-61 for the purpose of studying the furthest reaches of our planet’s atmosphere.

The underlying concept of radar (radio detection and ranging) is simple: a radio wave is transmitted in the direction of a target and the reflection of that wave is analyzed. From the time delay between transmission and reception of the signal, the distance to the object can be determined. And from other characteristics of the reflected signal, various properties of the target itself may also be investigated. At Jicamarca, the target is the ionosphere, the uppermost part of the atmosphere located from about 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface and beyond.

Usually radar targets are discrete, solid objects such as planes or satellites. However, the ionosphere is a rather sparse layer of gas, where the density can drop to a mere 10,000 particles per cubic centimeter. For this reason, the radar at Jicamarca requires both an enormous power output and the utmost sensitivity to record the atmosphere’s weak reflections. While the power of the transmitted signal measures around two million watts (more power than 33,000 sixty watt light bulbs), the strength of the return signal is typically measured in only picowatts. To get an idea, a picowatt is one millionth of a microwatt, which is in turn one millionth of a watt. Put roughly, if the transmitted signal represented an entire beach, the returns would amount to only a few meager grains of sand.

The reason why the atmospheric reflections are so weak has to do with the name of the instrument, “incoherent scatter radar.” Through a process known as Thomson scattering, the transmitted radio waves cause electrons in the ionosphere to oscillate and subsequently emit small amounts of energy of their own. This energy constitutes the return signal and the “incoherent” in the instrument’s name comes from the fact that scientists are observing the collective emissions from a group of electrons rather than the energy from one single particle. So, while an incoherent scatter radar might sound like a machine used to produce a random mess of stuff, it is in fact a precise scientific instrument!

The Jicamarca observatory is operated by the Geophysical Institute of Peru. As one of the most sensitive atmospheric radars in the world, the Jicamarca instrument can probe the atmosphere up to altitudes of 5000 kilometers and higher.

Charles Barkley and Alicia Keys kicked off the decade’s first episode of Saturday Night Live over the weekend.

Perhaps Barkley’s funniest turn as host was as Alicia herself. The 6′5″ former NBA hoopster donned a curly wig and took his place behind a piano to play the sultry chart-topper during a sketch that aired during NBC coverage of the NFL Playoff game before the show.

The Grammy winner performed a couple of her hit songs during the show, most notably a version of “Empire State of Mind” to pay tribute to SNL’s hometown of New York City. A. Keys previously performed on a 2001 episode of SNL hosted by Reese Witherspoon. Charles made his last Live appearance alongside grunge pioneers Nirvana back in 1993.

Our Tether for BlackBerry Giveaway ended last night and we selected our 25 winners this Sunday morning. Emails are on their way to the winners whose usernames are listed below:

patrick, George Baker, dan, Brandon, C, willy, Laz, Marc Uydess, VS, abram, ben, joshgibsonpgh, oldandroid, strayduck, Paul, RT Muir, melvin, Capt AJ, Ryan, J.W. Price, Mark Schutt, Colleen, Alan Chan, joseph g, and Francisco Lara

Many thanks to those who entered and, if you didn’t win, you can score yourself a copy of Tether while it is still 50% off.

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When caught early, endometrial cancer has a high survival rate, but what if it could be prevented altogether with the help of a common drink?

Scientists from the National Shanghai Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research analyzed seven published studies on the role of green and black tea in the prevention of endometrial cancer.

Although they cautioned that more studies are needed, the scientists found that existing research reveals that consuming tea might provide protection from endometrial cancer, which starts in the endometrium — the lining of the uterus. That’s exciting news for women who love tea!

Green tea was found to have a better cancer-protecting benefit than black tea. Increased tea drinking (around two cups daily) was linked with a 25% reduced risk of having endometrial cancer.

The new analysis was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The number of new cases of endometrial cancer in the US in 2009 was predicted by the National Cancer Institute to be 42,160 with 7,780 deaths.

According to Mayo Clinic, some of the symptoms of endometrial cancer include any bleeding after menopause, prolonged periods or bleeding between periods, painful intercourse, unintended weight loss, unusual (nonbloody) discharge and pelvic pain. Unlike ovarian cancer which is much harder to detect, endometrial cancer is often caught early due to the bleeding symptom.

Endometrial cancer is diagnosed by physical exam, transvaginal ultrasound, endometrial biopsy or dilation and curettage (D and C). Treatment includes the surgical removal of the uterus and possibly tubes and ovaries as well. More advanced endometrial cancer may require additional treatments such as radiation, chemo or hormone therapy.

Do you drink green tea for its potential health benefits?

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Tea Could Prevent Endometrial Cancer

Massachusetts, US | Museums and Collections

When the prolific illustrator and author Edward Gorey died in 2000, the floors of his home sagged under the weight of 25,000 books, several cats, assorted collections of eclectic items gathered over the course of years at Saturday flea market outings, as well as 75 unpublished manuscripts. Lucky for the world, rather then parseling these all out, the illustrators home and collection have been converted into a museum dedicated to his life and works.

Edward Gorey was born in Chicago in 1925 to an artistic family, and by the time he enrolled at Harvard to study French in the 1950s he was already an established dandy. According to the Harvard Magazine, “He arrived sporting a full-length sheepskin-lined coat, sneakers, and thick rings on his long fingers. His hair was combed forward, Roman style. A typical freshman he was not.”

He cultivated his eccentrically artistic lifestyle during his university years, establishing his trademark style of raccoon fur overcoats worn with tennis shoes, and a habit of attending every performance of the New York ballet (which he did from 1957-1982). His first book The Unstrung Harp (“Or, ‘Mr Earbrass Writes a Novel’”), about the horrors of the writing life, was published in 1953. Since then he published over 100 more titles, usually in small hardback editions. His distinctive scratchy style of illustration and macabre humor lead to a cult following by the late 60s.

A very private person, Gorey was publicly perceived as cold, gothic, and eccentric. The back cover of his 1997 book The Haunted Tea-Cozy (“A Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas”) quotes the New Yorker: “Many of Edward Gorey’s most fervent devotees think he’s (a) English and (b) dead. Actually, he has never so much as visited either place.” In fact, his friends (who knew him as Ted) describe him as chatty and personable, which comes across immediately in documentary footage shot in 1996.

Gorey moved to Cape Cod in 1986 following the death of George Balanchine, the legendary choreographer of the New York Opera, and then into the 1820 house he called the Elephant House, now known as the Edward Gorey House, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. He filled his home with books and his unusual collections, and lived with as many as six cats at a time, whom he referred fondly to as his “people.” It was for their sake that he eventually dispensed with his habit of wearing fur coats. He worked in a tiny room under images by Matisse and Goya, and “an Indian sculpture of a tiger devouring a missionary” (almost certainly one of the sculptures made after Tipu’s Tiger), always writing his surreal stories first, illustrating with a slow and precise style, after.

In 1994, he was diagnosed with diabetes and prostate cancer, but in the end he died of a heart attack at age 75, on April 15, 2000. A portion of his ashes are being held in an urn pending the death of his last two cats, so they may be buried together in the yard of the house. A film about his life, shot between 1996 and 2000 is now in final production, and expected to be released soon.

The museum supports Gorey’s interest in animal welfare (he left his money to three animal welfare groups in his will), as well as displaying objects related to his life. The house has been cleared and rearranged since his death. Pictures taken by Kevin McDermott in the week after his death show piles of books and objects-on-objects. Most of his book collection was removed to make way for display items. Some things have been left as is, such as his cat-shredded divan, and his raccoon coat is in a display case.

Forming a macabre scavenger hunt, there are are scenes from The Gashleycrumb Tinies, on of his most famous morbid books recounting the gristly deaths of 26 youngsters in 13 rhyming couplets, hidden throughout the museum. According to some accounts there is a door at the back of a closet that leads to a secret room which once held his collection of children’s books.

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Renault

Dacia Logan, Logan MCV and Sandero Black Line – Click above for high-res image gallery

These days it seems like every color is being claimed for one cause or another. Medical research has laid claim to a few (pink and yellow come to mind), but so has the automotive industry: red for performance, green for hybrids, blue for clean diesels… Mercedes adopted black as the label for its most extreme AMG models, but now the shade is being used for something decidedly more low-rent: Renault’s budget brand and Romanian subsidiary, Dacia.

Available on the Logan, Logan MCV and Sandero – though not, apparently, on the Logan pick-up or the upcoming new Duster crossover – the Black Line adds a touch of class to the budget cars. The package, based on the Laureate trim level, adds such “special” touches as metallic paint, visible top-stitching on the black fabric upholstery, MP3-capable CD player and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Nothing ground-breaking here, and it’s not going to outshine an SL63 by any means, but finally a car Top Gear’s James May can drive to the symphony. Details in the press release after the jump and photos in the gallery below.

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Darkness Follows: Renault’s Dacia brand launches Black Line

Darkness Follows: Renault’s Dacia brand launches Black Line originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A look ahead to Week 12 of the fantasy basketball season.

Schedule Breakdown

Four-game teams: DET, IND, LAC, MIA, MIL, NOR, NYK, OKC, PHO, SAS, UTH, WAS

Three-game teams: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, GSW, HOU, LAL, MEM, MIN, ORL, PHI, SAC, TOR

Two-game teams: NJN, POR

Also see: Basketball Monster’s ease rankings and Rotowire’s value meter

Pickups/Plug-ins – Players owned in less than 40% of Yahoo! leagues

• Rafer Alston(notes) – Alston will be given every chance to monopolize the
point guard position for the Heat, as evidenced by his 35 minutes in a
somewhat surprising start Friday. His line in 428 career starts [splits]
is a reasonable place to set expectations – 12.8 points on 39-percent
shooting, 1.8 threes, 5.8 assists, 2.1 turnovers, and 1.5 steals. In
general, unchallenged starters at point guard don’t appear on the wire
with tremendous frequency and the Heat play the most games in each of
the schedule’s next six weeks. Week 12: @UTH, @GSW, @HOU, @OKC

• Kirk Hinrich(notes) – Hinrich is back in the Bulls’ starting lineup and has
been putting up useful fantasy numbers for most of the past month. Over
his past 11 games, he’s averaged 11.7 points, 1.9 threes, 4.1 boards,
4.9 assists, 1.1 turnovers, and 1.1 steals. Derrick Rose’s(notes) elevated
play has coincided with Hinrich’s promotion, so he’s not heading back
to the bench any time soon. Week 12: DET, @BOS, WAS

• Matt Barnes(notes) – That balanced overall game that has made Barnes a real
fantasy asset any time he’s seen 30-plus minutes is still with him. In
14 starts for the Magic, he’s averaged 12.5 points on 50-percent
shooting, 1.1 threes, 7.4 boards, and 1.5 steals-plus-blocks, and
Mickael Pietrus(notes) won’t be challenging him for starts any time soon. Week 12: @SAC, @DEN, @POR

• Erick Dampier(notes) – There’s not much to say here other than Damp deserves
to be widely-rostered any time he’s on the court. He had 13 boards
Sunday and his season averages include 8 points on 67-percent shooting,
9.4 boards, and 1.7 blocks. Week 12: LAL, OKC, @TOR

• Rasual Butler(notes) – Butler is back in the starting lineup for the
Clippers, ahead of Al Thornton(notes), and the team has won three straight
games since the move. In fact, the Clippers are 6-1 in games where
Thornton has been a reserve to this point (16-18 overall). Butler’s
role was established well before the move, however – over the past 12
games, he’s averaged 14.3 points on 48-percent shooting, 2.3 threes,
and 1.5 steals-plus-blocks in 31 minutes. Week 12: @MEM, @NOR, @LAL, CLE

• Ersan Ilyasova(notes) – I’m sure I don’t need to remind too many of you how inconsistent Ilyasova has been this season [game log]. Some reasons to think about an add at this point, if you are currently in the market for a free agent: Scott Skiles has stuck with him through the ups and downs, his Week 12 schedule is very friendly (@PHO, @POR, @GSW, @UTH), and the Bucks are tied with the Heat for the most games over the next seven weeks (25).

• Martell Webster(notes) – Webster played monster minutes (43 per game) and put up big-time numbers (20.3 points, 50% FG, 4 threes, 7 boards, 1.5 steals-plus-blocks) in the four games that Steve Blake(notes) missed with pneumonia. Blake is expected to be back Sunday, but Webster should get a look in the event that this hot streak translates into consistency moving forward. Week 12: MIL, ORL

• Kyle Lowry(notes) – Lowry is a great complement to a team with lots of scorers but is in need of other counting stats. He’s played less than 24 minutes just once since December 13, averaging 27 minutes, 9.1 points, 0.7 threes, 4.9 boards, 5.1 assists, 1.5 turnovers, and 1.3 steals in 15 games since. Week 12: @CHA, MIN, MIA

• J.J. Redick(notes) – The window isn’t likely to be large, but Redick will
start while Vince Carter(notes) misses time with a shoulder injury, and he’s
averaged 13.7 points, 2.4 threes, 95-percent foul shooting, 2.9
assists, and 0.9 turnovers in his seven starts thus far on the season.
The potential for VC to need more time off than is currently thought
adds a bit of intrigue here. Week 12: @SAC, @DEN, @POR

• A.J. Price(notes) – Price has accomplished more in the past five games in 19 minutes as a reserve (11.8 points, 1.4 threes, 4 assists, 1.2 turnovers, 1 steal) than Earl Watson(notes) has accomplished in 31 minutes as a starter (7 points, 0.6 threes, 6 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 0.2 steals). On Sunday, Price scored 19 of his 23 points while playing the entire fourth quarter, and we all know that Jim O’Brien hasn’t exactly been shy about shaking up his starting five. Week 12: TOR, PHO, @NJN, NOR

• Devin Brown(notes) – The Hornets’ current five-game winning streak has coincided with an uptick in Brown’s offensive contributions, as he’s averaged 15.4 points, 1.8 threes, and 84-percent foul shooting in 32 minutes during those games. Week 12: @PHI, LAC, @DET, @IND

• Flip Murray(notes) – Murray has been settling in as the Bobcats’ sixth man, a role he excelled in for the Hawks last season. He’s averaged 14.4 points on 47-percent shooting, 1.7 threes, 91-percent foul shooting, and 1.3 steals-plus-blocks in the past seven games where he’s seen at least 20 minutes of playing time. Deep-leaguers looking for some offense could do a heck of a lot worse with a roster spot. Week 12: HOU, SAS, PHO

• Dorell Wright(notes) – Wright had one of his more productive games Friday (28 minutes, 15 points, 1 three, 7 boards, 4 steals), which also coincided with Rafer Alston’s debut with the team. Alston’s arrival may prompt the Heat may give more time to the athletic Wright, at the expense of the one-trick pony Quentin Richardson(notes). There are no guarantees here, but it’s certainly something deep-leaguers should monitor. Wright’s career per-30 minute numbers include 6.1 boards, 0.9 steals, and 1 block, and he’s knocked down 37 percent of his threes so far this season (11 of 30). Week 12: @UTH, @GSW, @HOU, @OKC

Status Updates

• Carmelo Anthony(notes) – Anthony has missed the past five games with a bruised right knee but will likely be back in the lineup Monday. 

• Steve Blake – Blake has participated in two straight practices and is expected to be back on the active roster for the Blazers on Sunday. He lost eight pounds while he was battling pneumonia and is likely to have him minutes limited at the outset.

• Vince Carter – VC’s shoulder separation is painful but mild, and he’s currently day-to-day without a specific timetable for a return. Although it’s not expected to be a long-term issue at this point, consider him extremely questionable for the team’s back-to-back games on Tuesday/Wednesday. J.J. Redick will start while Carter is sidelined.

• Tyson Chandler(notes) – Chandler is still in a walking boot and isn’t much closer to returning to the lineup. Thursday marked the first time that he was able to walk without significant pain since being diagnosed with the stress reaction in his left foot.

• Mike Conley(notes) – Conley missed Saturday’s game after a hard fall Friday left him with back pain and a groin strain. The hope is that a few days rest will allow him to return to the lineup on Tuesday. If not, the Grizzlies are then off until Friday.

• Rudy Fernandez(notes) – Fernandez is expected to return in about a week to what is already a very crowded Blazers’ backcourt.

• Francisco Garcia(notes) – Garcia has returned to practice on a limited basis and could be back in the Kings’ active rotation by the end of the month.

• Kevin Garnett(notes) – KG missed his fifth consecutive game Sunday and the Celtics are "just going to wait" while he fully recovers from his hyper-extended knee. The vague reference puts his status for the team’s three games over the next four days in doubt, but be checking for individual game-time updates.

• Pau Gasol(notes) – Gasol (hamstring) will miss his fourth consecutive game Sunday, but he might be able to return on either Tuesday (@SAS) or Wednesday (@DAL).

• Ben Gordon(notes) – Gordon is day-to-day after tweaking his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s game.

• Blake Griffin(notes)
– Griffin continues to make progress, albeit at a slower pace than was originally projected. He’s expected to begin participation in non-contract drills sometime this week, but steps up to full contact and subsequent game action remain without a timetable.

• Al Harrington(notes) – Harrington has missed the past two games with a calf strain. He’s hoping to return to the lineup Monday, but he needs fluid in his calf to dissipate and his status won’t be known until game day.

• Josh Howard(notes) – Howard is day-to-day with a thigh contusion that kept him out of Saturday’s game.

• Allen Iverson(notes) – AI was seen limping after Friday’s game and did not play Saturday due to his continuing battle with left knee arthritis. He could be back in the lineup Monday, however. 

• Kevin Martin(notes) – Martin will meet with team doctors Tuesday and we may see a specific date for his return to the lineup emerge from the meeting.

• Tayshaun Prince(notes) – Prince is day-to-day after tweaking his left knee during Saturday’s game.

• Anthony Randolph(notes) – Randolph’s left ankle is severely sprained but not fractured, a CT scan revealed Saturday. He’ll undergo more testing Sunday in an effort to establish a timeline for his return.

• Rodney Stuckey(notes) – Stuckey is day-to-day after aggravating a right knee injury during Saturday’s game.

—

Photos via Getty Images

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising

Chandler, Arizona used car salesman “Crazy” Tracy Tingue has been put out of business at his current location, and that means his busty mannequins have gone with him. That’s right, his busty mannequins. To the chagrin of Chandler’s code enforcement officials, the AutoMart Superstore used mannequins immense of bosom to advertise its wares to passing motorists. Somewhere in Chandler’s sign laws, those kind of shenanigans are outlawed.

According to the East Valley Tribune, the dealership’s closure didn’t come at the hands of the city, though, but those of his landlord. Tingue and the property owner had a dispute, and the AutoMart was evicted. Tingue told one of his suppliers that he still has his inventory and he’s looking for another location, so you can probably expect those mannequins to return. Just maybe not in Chandler.

Be sure to follow the jump to check out some of Crazy Tracy’s commercials, which are just as schlocky but more humorous than we ever expected.

[Source: East Valley Tribune, YouTube]

Continue reading Report: Controversial AZ dealer with busty mannequins, crazy ads closes [w/video]

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When it rains, it pours for overzealous New York City food nannies. The city announced today that it has a new front in its war on food: salt. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is asking food manufacturers and restaurants to voluntarily reduce the sodium content of foods, with the goal of slashing salt intake by 25 percent over 5 years. (If the city’s past regulatory heavy-handedness is any indication, though, it means “voluntary” in the Tony Soprano sense of the word.) As we’re telling the media today, people should take NYC’s salt proposition with a grain of you-know-what:

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s latest assault on salt once again shows city regulators are dead set on demonizing and regulating just about every aspect of New Yorkers’ lives. These sodium guidelines are the latest example of the city’s disdainful belief that when it comes to matters of personal health, the city knows best.

Everybody needs salt to live; there’s little debate about that. But as for the city’s claim that sodium consumption is too high, it’s not so black-and-white. An October study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that people naturally regulate their salt intake, meaning that for every can of anchovies people eat, their bodies go for less salty food later on. In other words, government-induced ingredient tinkering would be an exercise in futility.

And as The New York Times notes, there are other problems with NYC’s hastiness:

An elaborate clinical trial could weigh the pluses and minuses of cutting salt in a large group of people. But that would cost millions, and it has not been done.

Dr. Michael H. Alderman, a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said the city’s initiative, if successful in reducing salt, would amount to an uncontrolled experiment with the public’s health.

“I’m always worried about unintended consequences,” he said.

One consequence may be that New Yorkers will have to pack a shaker in their pockets whenever they eat out. We’re sure that Mayor Bloomberg, who according to the Times enjoys salt as an extra topping on his pizza, will be one of them. And while Hizzoner is pouring it on, he should ask himself: Are people getting high blood pressure from eating too much salt, or from hearing too much nanny-state hysteria?

This bit of Blu-Ray news was left suspiciously out of Sony’s CES keynotes and big reveals, which doesn’t bode well…but anyway. Now it’s out: The BD Live feature MovieIQ Sync debuted with Michael Jackson‘s This Is It. Woo?

Now, what does this feature do, exactly? Well here’s a refresher…it lets you view supplementary materials on your PC or iPhone while you watch the movie, without any of it appearing on the TV screen. The “sync” part means the information presented on your monitor or iPhone is synced up appropriately with the movie.

The disc also has a feature that allows owners to create and share custom playlists using songs from the movie. Again, not a lot of fanfare about this. Could it be that most people don’t really mess around with all this extra crap on their discs, and just, you know, want to watch the movie? [BigPictureBigSound via Engadget]