Huge Move for Space CHESS

NASA’s orbiting chess player is getting ready for the biggest move since his epic “Earth vs. space” match began: the move back down to Earth.

Astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who has been living and working on the international space station for the past six months, is coming home this weekend with the space shuttle Endeavour’s crew.

One of the things Chamitoff brought up to the station with him was a homemade, Velcro-equipped chessboard, suitable for zero-G play. He started off playing a series of games with mission controllers – and in late September he began his biggest match yet, against chess team members from Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue, Wash.

Actually, the whole world has gotten into the action by voting for the top move out of up to four suggested by the third- to fifth-graders. Which raises the question: “Is an astronaut smarter than a third-grader?”

So far, the kids are doing pretty well, even though Chamitoff is playing with the white pieces – which is usually considered an advantage. You can follow the game and vote for future moves via the U.S. Chess Federation’s Web site.

“Black is ahead by a pawn,” said Hal Bogner, director for the match, which was organized by the federation in cooperation with NASA. “But white has more mobility and is further along in bringing pieces out.”

Elliott Neff, who is coaching the kids, said it’s a good thing for Chamitoff that Earth’s moves are being chosen by Internet voting rather than strictly by Stevenson Elementary’s finest. “That’s what evens things out for Greg,” he said. (Neff, a self-taught chess master, has helped the Stevenson team win national titles and thus may be justified in dishing out a little trash talk.)

Everyone acknowledges that the game is just getting to the good part. Which raises the question: What happens to the Earth vs. space match when the player from outer space is back on Earth?

“He’ll finish out the match even while he’s on the ground,” Neff said.

Bogner said managing the Earth vs. space match has been a logistical challenge, especially because Chamitoff has so few leisure hours for playing games. (It’s currently his move, by the way.) “It was a scramble just to get going,” Bogner said. “Now that he’ll be back on the ground, there’ll be more communication and it’ll probably be getting more regular.”

Bogner estimated that the game would run through the winter, while Chamitoff recuperates from his stint in space. “And who knows, maybe into the spring,” he added. By then, Chamitoff may be up to traveling on the publicity circuit – and finally meeting his opponents face to face.

“Our hope is to set up an event with him and the schoolchildren he’s been playing sometime in the spring,” NASA spokeswoman Nicole Cloutier told me.

Neff said the high-profile chess match has been a lot of fun for the Stevenson team. “Being chosen to play against an astronaut has been an exciting event for them,” he said. “It just opens up their world, really.”

Chamitoff also has been tickled by the experience.

“I think chess is a great game for stimulating young minds for analytical thinking, which is so important in all aspects of life, but especially math, science and engineering,” he told the kids in an online video, “all the things that make the space station possible and our way of life possible.”

Which raises the question: Will the Earth vs. space chess games continue once Chamitoff is back on the ground?

Based on a Mission Control conversation monitored on Sunday, the space station’s crew might be setting the zero-G chessboard aside, at least for a while. Spacecraft communicator Terry Virts told space station commander Mike Fincke that with Chamitoff gone, “we won’t be playing chess anymore.”

“Maybe we can get a game of Pictionary going,” Virts said.

“That’s true,” Fincke replied. “That’s a little bit more my style.”

Jennifer Aniston gets a kick out of ‘Friends’

By Courtney Hazlett                                                                          

The Scoop

msnbc.com

Most actors tend to fall into one of two categories: those who loathe watching themselves on screen, and those who don’t. Jennifer Aniston, it would seem, falls staunchly in the latter category.

“There are times I don’t even remember that particular show. This is horrible to say, but there are times when I laugh my rear end off,” Aniston says of watching “Friends” reruns in the upcoming New York Times Magazine. “And I get in debates with people who are over and say, ‘ “Friends” is not my thing.’ Excuse you!”

Aniston also admits that she isn’t sure if “Friends” would be the success it was if it aired today, thanks to reality television’s influence on celebrity. “Hard to tell — that was a different time,” Aniston says. “Now TV has too much to do with celebrity. We have reality television, where people try to become celebrities

How Not To Get A Job

Vice presidents and Personnel Directors of the one hundred largest corporations were asked to describe their most unusual experience interviewing prospective employees:

• A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.
• Interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.
• Candidate announced she hadn’t had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewer’s office.
• Candidate explained that her long-term goal was to replace the interviewer.
• Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.
• Balding candidate excused himself and returned to the office a few minutes later wearing a headpiece.
• Applicant said if he was hired he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.
• Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions.
• Candidate brought large dog to interview.
• Applicant refused to sit down and insisted on being interviewed standing up.
• Candidate dozed off during interview.

The employers were also asked to list the “most unusual” questions that have been asked by job candidates:

• “What is it that you people do at this company?”
• “What is the company motto?”
• “Why aren’t you in a more interesting business?”
• “What are the zodiac signs of all the board members?”
• “Why do you want references?”
• “Do I have to dress for the next interview?”
• “I know this is off the subject, but will you marry me?”
• “Will the company move my rock collection from California to Maryland?”
• “Will the company pay to relocate my horse?”
• “Does your health insurance cover pets?”
• “Would it be a problem if I’m angry most of the time?”
• “Does your company have a policy regarding concealed weapons?”
• “Do you think the company would be willing to lower my pay?”
• “Why am I here?”

Also included are a number of unusual statements made by candidates during the interview process:

• “I have no difficulty in starting or holding my bowel movement.”
• “At times I have the strong urge to do something harmful or shocking.”
• “I feel uneasy indoors.”
• “Sometimes I feel like smashing things.”
• “Women should not be allowed to drink in cocktail bars.”
• “I think that Lincoln was greater than Washington.”
• “I get excited very easily.”
• “Once a week, I usually feel hot all over.”
• “I am fascinated by fire.”
• “I like tall women.”
• “Whenever a man is with a woman, he is usually thinking about sex.”
• “People are always watching me.”
• “If I get too much change in a store, I always give it back.”
• “Almost everyone is guilty of bad sexual conduct.”
• “I must admit that I am a pretty fair talker.”
• “I never get hungry.”
• “I know who is responsible for most of my troubles.”
• “If the pay was right, I’d travel with the carnival.”
• “I would have been more successful if nobody would have snitched on me.”
• “My legs are really hairy.”
• “I think I’m going to throw up.”

---

These quotes are taken from real résumés and cover letters and were printed in the July 21, 1997 issue of Fortune Magazine. (Note: all typographical errors, etc., are as intended.)

• “I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience.”
• “I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computor and spreadsheet progroms.”
• “Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year.”
• “Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave.”
• “Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial instutions.”
• “Failed bar exam with relatively high grades.”
• “It’s best for employers that I not work with people.”
• “Let’s meet, so you can ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over my experience.”
• “You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time.”
• “Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details.”
• “I was working for my mom until she decided to move.”
• “Marital Status: single. Unmarried. Unengaged. Uninvolved. No commitments.”
• “I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.”
• “I am loyal to my employer at all costs….Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice mail.”
• “I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one and absolutely nothing.”
• “My goal is be a meteorologist. But since I possess no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokeridge.”
• “I procrastinate, especally when the task is unpleasant.”
• “Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far.”
• “As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments.”
• “Instrumental is ruining entire organization for a Midwest Chain store.”
• “Note: Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as ‘job-hopping’. I have never quit a job.”
• “Marital Status: often. Children: various.”
• “Reason for leaving last job: They insisted that all employess get to work by 8:45 am every morning. I couldn’t work under those conditions.”
• “The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers.”
• “Finished eighth in my class of ten.”
• “References: none. I’ve left a path of descruction behind me.”

iCEphone: Quad band, two hinges, one cool phone

It is no surprise that the official slogan of the iCEphone is “the changing shape of mobile communications”. After all, it is common to see a mobile device that can fold out with one hinge, but this iCEphone has two hinges.

So, this three-sectioned phone is a four-in-one device. Not only is it a quadband 3G touchscreen cell phone, it is also a PDA with a QWERTY keyboard, a games console with a controller pad, and a GPS navigation system.

All of these features, except for the games console, are designed to help doctors. The iCEphone is billed as “the medical phone”, and it comes with on-board first aid software, medical history storage, and caller collect international emergency helpline.

Other features include two SIM slots as well as a slot for microSD. There is also Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.1 megapixel camera.

I believe that this phone was originally designed for British military standards. I’m not certain how it ended up being billed as “a medical phone”, but I can see this phone being used by everybody. Who wouldn’t want to have all these features on their cellular phone, and I’m not even a doctor or a soldier.

My source nor the official site give a price on this item, which is a shame. I would like to know where to buy it, and how much it is.

LIFT Concept Car takes parking up

One of our present-day problems that will only get worse in the future is parking. There are only so many places to put cars in the big city. I’m not looking forward to the days when parking garages will be as high as the Empire State Building.

Maybe we can use the parking method seen in I, Robot. Remember the scene where Will Smith parks his car, and then a giant robot arm takes his car and parks his car in a futuristic rack full of cars?

There is similar option for parking in the future called the LIFT. As you can see, this three-wheeled car has a back wheel behind it that can connect to an overhead track. Now the car can be put in an out-of-the-way place.

As you can see, the car is only designed for one person, which of course brings up a separate issue entirely. I suppose one-person cars might take up less space on the road. Considering most people drive to work and don’t carpool, one-person vehicles actually make a lot of sense.

I am wondering if putting cars on railings is a feasible option to getting more parking space. If all these cars are in a row, how do you get one car out that is in the middle?

Well, we shall see. I’m not certain when this will be available. As you can see, these pictures look a little CG.

Tycoon

1 hour ago:
You were attacked by omui.
You lost the fight, taking 21 damage and losing $0.

18 hours ago:
Criselle Zion Ampo, known as zeeus on Mob Wars, has accepted your recruitment request and is now a member of your mob.

3 days ago:
You were attacked by The Great Niraw.
You lost the fight, taking 21 damage and losing $0.

3 days ago:
You died, losing 11 experience points.

7 days ago:
You were attacked by Mr Frank Falcon
You won the fight, taking 13 damage and dealing 19 damage to your enemy. You gained 3 experience points.

7 days ago:
You were punched in the face by Mr Frank Falcon, taking 3 damage.

Join the Mafia!

Facebook – Mobwars craze

Join the Mafia, and start your own mob. Band together with your friends to become the most powerful force in the elite criminal underworld of Facebook.

I have been playing this mob war application at Facebook for several weeks now and it has been addictive. It seems very hard to buy all the expensive weapons and cars but I found a few tricks which would boost your way through.

The good thing about this game is that you are not selling your friends or challenging them, but just for the pleasure of being a mob and robbing from others. You can’t attack your friends who are in the same mob as you.

One of the method is to make sure you are getting the most out of the properties you buy, click on “The City” to buy land and property. Cubicle Denizen have a good excel sheet to show you how you could buy those city with the fastest return.

The City
My own method is to find other to fight, yes fighting is the fastest way to gain money because stamina regen very fast and 3 is actually enough. You may want to add a little more but on lvl 19, I am still using stamina of 3.

Fighting
Try hitting those who are having casino as their property, this is because you know they have money. If you find the right one save the link and attack them as much as possible. hehe . Aim for those who have a lot of lost, this is most probably their clone account on facebook, which is why they do not have the intention of defending their boss. $70,000 each attack is a very good sum, you heal and attack until the person goes to hospital. Make sure that you have some good weapon and armour, if you see my weapons, you could see that it is not very good weapons but enough to win.

Womanizer – Britney spears

Superstar,
Where you from? How's it going?
I know you,
gotta clue what you're doing 

You can play brand new to all the other chicks out here
But I know what you are, what you are baby 

Look at you, 

Gettin' more than just a re-up
Baby you,
Got all the puppets with their strings up
Fakin' like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em 

I know what you are, what you are baby 

Womanizer, woman-womanizer
You're a womanizer
Oh womanizer,
Oh you're a womanizer baby 

You, you, you are
You, you, you are
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (Womanizer) 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are
Boy don't try to front, 

I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

You got me goin', 

You're oh so charming
But I can't do it,
You womanizer 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

You say I'm crazy,
I got you crazy
You're nothing but a womanizer 

Daddy-O,
You got the swagger of a champion 

Too bad for you,
You just can't find the right companion
I guess when you have one too many,
Makes it hard, it could be easy
Who you are, that's just who you are baby 

Lollipop, 

Must mistake me, you're a sucker
To think that I,
Would be a victim not another 

Say it, play it how you wanna
But no way, I'm never gonna fall for you, never you baby 

Womanizer, woman-womanizer
You're a womanizer
Oh womanizer, 

Oh you're a womanizer baby
You, you, you are
You, you, you are
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (Womanizer) 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

You got me goin',
You're oh so charming
But I can't do it, 

You womanizer 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are
Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

You say I'm crazy,
I got you crazy
You're nothing but a womanizer 

Maybe if we both lived in a different world, yeah
(Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer, womanizer) 

It would be all good,
And maybe I could be your girl
But I can't, 'cause we don't, 

You... 

Womanizer, woman-womanizer
You're a womanizer
Oh womanizer,
Oh you're a womanizer baby 

You, you, you are
You, you, you are
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (Womanizer) 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are
Boy don't try to front, 

I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

You got me goin',
You're oh so charming
But I can't do it,
You womanizer 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

You say I'm crazy, 

I got you crazy
You're nothing but a womanizer 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

Boy don't try to front,
I-I know just, just what you are-are-are 

Womanizer, woman-womanizer
You're a womanizer 

Oh womanizer,
Oh you're a womanizer baby

What my name means…. what’s yours?

What Kellyjohn Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge – meaning you don’t spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you’re snobby or aloof, but you’re just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don’t get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you’re too busy having fun to care. You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you. You never give up, and you will succeed… even if it takes you a hundred tries. You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you… especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You’re a strong person. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What’s Your Name’s Hidden Meaning?

The Seat for Parents

This is an anecdote of Napoleon that occurred when he marched into Poland after he became emperor.

When he was staying in a small village in Poland, he was invited to dinner by the lord of a manor.

The lord of the manor welcomed Napoleon at the door and guided him to his dining room.

He passed the first and second seats among the highest seats at the table, and when he reached the third seat, he asked Napoleon to sit there.

As Napoleon sat down with an unpleased look on his face, one of his subjects rebuked the lord of the manor for his inhospitality towards the emperor.

Then the lord of the manor said.

“I am truly sorry, but these two seats are for my parents. The emperor is the head of our nation, but my father and mother are the head of our family.

Then Napoleon nodded his head in agreement with a big smile on his face.

***