Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker
So they broke up? Who are they? The Beatles broke up too.

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U.S. POSTAGE STAMP CELEBRATING MUSLIM HOLIDAY TO BE ISSUED BY UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
Eid Stamp Part of Holiday Celebrations Series.

Like it?

http://www.usps.com/news/2001/philatelic/sr01_054.htm
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Postal Service is expanding its Holiday Celebrations Series with a new stamp highlighting the Muslim holiday of Eid.

The 34-cent Eid stamp will be issued on Sept. 1 at the annual Islamic Society of North America’s convention at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Des Plaines, Ill, at 11:45 a.m. The stamp will be available at the convention and at post offices nationwide on Sept. 1.

“This is a proud moment for the Postal Service, the Muslim community, and Americans in general as we issue a postage stamp to honor and commemorate two important Islamic celebrations,” said Azeezaly S. Jaffer, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications for the Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamp. “The Eid stamp will help us highlight the business, educational and social contributions of the estimated six to seven million Muslims in this country whose cultural heritage has become an integral part of the fabric of this great nation.”

The Eid stamp commemorates the two most important festivals—or eids—in the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. On these days, Muslims wish each other “Eid mubarak,” the phrase featured in Islamic calligraphy on the stamp. “Eid mubarak” translates literally as “blessed festival,” and can be paraphrased as “May your religious holiday be blessed.” This phrase can be applied to both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Joining Jaffer will be Danny Jackson, Postal Service Vice President, Great Lakes Area; Mohamed Zakariya, calligrapher and Eid stamp designer and W. Deen Mohammed, spokesperson for the Muslim American Society.

“W.D.M. Ministry and the Muslim American Society members and our Muslim families celebrate the issue of this Eid stamp by the Postal Service,” said W. Deen Mohammed. “It is beautiful. We love it.”

The first day of the Muslim lunar month of Shawwal, Eid al-Fitr signifies “The Feast of Breaking the Fast.” This festival marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. As prescribed in the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, fasting during Ramadan begins from just before first light until sunset. Eid al-Fitr is observed by offering special alms with prayers, feasting, exchanging gifts and visiting family and friends.

Signifying “The Feast of the Sacrifice,” Eid al-Adha occurs approximately two months and ten days after Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Adha comes at the end of the hajj—the annual period of pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca—and commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail. (This is the Muslim account of the Judeo-Christian story of Abraham and Isaac.) Eid al-Adha is celebrated with prayers and social gatherings and traditionally includes the sacrifice of a lamb (or any other animal permitted for food in Islam) as an act of thanksgiving for Allah’s mercy. The sacrificial animal is distributed among family, friends and the poor.

In 2002, Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on Feb. 23 and Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Dec. 6.

Previous stamps in the Holiday Celebrations series are Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Cinco de Mayo. The Thanksgiving stamp will also be issued in 2001 as part of the series.

The Eid stamp, designed by Zakariya of Arlington, Va., features the Arabic phrase “Eid mubarak” in gold calligraphy on a blue background. English text on the stamps reads “EID GREETINGS.”

Employing traditional methods and instruments to create this design, Zakariya chose a script known in Arabic as “thuluth” and in Turkish as “sulus.” He describes it as “the choice script for a complex composition due to its open proportions and sense of balance.” He used homemade black ink, and his pens were crafted from seasoned reeds from the Near East and Japanese bamboo from Hawaii. The paper was specially prepared with a coating of starch and three coats of alum and egg-white varnish, then burnished with an agate stone and aged for more than a year.

Zakariya’s black-and-white design was then colorized by computer. The colors chosen for the stamp—gold script on a blue background—are reminiscent of great works of Islamic calligraphy. This is Zakariya’s first project for the Postal Service.

To see the Eid stamp, and other forthcoming stamps and stationery in the 2001 U.S. stamp program, visit the Postal Store at www.usps.com and click on “Stamp Release Schedule.” To see previous releases, select “Index of Stamp Issues.”

All current stamps and other philatelic products, as well as a free philatelic catalog, are available by calling toll free 1 800 STAMP-24. A selection of current stamps and gift items are also available online at the Postal Store.

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Remember the Magic 8 Ball? Where you’d ask a question then shake the 8 ball and get your answer? Here’s a little script that works the same, just with less shaking.
http://8ball.tridelphia.net/

Read More about the Magic 8 ball below:

/*
The Magic 8-Ball, manufactured by Tyco, is a toy used for fortune-telling. Invented by Abe Bookman in 1946 of the Alabe Toy Company, it is a hollow, plastic sphere resembling an oversized, black and white 8-ball. The fortunes are given by a white plastic die in the shape of an icosahedron, floating in a blue liquid, with answers to yes-no questions in raised letters on its 20 triangular faces. There is a transparent window on the bottom of the 8-ball, and when the ball is held so that the window faces up, the die floats to the top randomly exposing one of its faces in the window. As the raised white letters press against the window, they drive the dark blue liquid to the sides, away from the raised letters, so that the letters appear as white print on a still-dark-blue background (where a thin layer of fluid remains between the raised letters).

To use the ball, the user must hold it with the window down, ask a yes-no question, then turn the ball so that the window faces up. In the window, one face of the die will be visible, revealing the response to the user’s question. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to shake or jostle the ball before turning it, which can consequently create air bubbles that often visually distort the answer.

The 20 standard answers on a Magic 8-Ball are:

Signs point to yes.
Yes.
Most likely.
Without a doubt.
Yes – definitely.
As I see it, yes.
You may rely on it.
Outlook good.
It is certain.
It is decidedly so.
Reply hazy, try again.
Better not tell you now.
Ask again later.
Concentrate and ask again.
Cannot predict now.
My sources say no.
Very doubtful.
My reply is no.
Outlook not so good.
Don’t count on it.
*/

source: Wikipedia

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Jasper: Dad, how will Santa get my letter?

Me: We mailed it to him.

Jasper: How does Santa get mail?

Me: The postman takes it to him.

Jasper: How would anyone not get car-sick going all the way to the North Pole to deliver mail?

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So the pic I took of the UPS truck on fire got on ksl.com’s site:

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I saw this blazing UPS truck today as I was driving on the interstate. What can brown do for you?

I guess the holiday package you shipped UPS isn’t going to make it in time for the holidays. Perhaps next time don’t ship fireworks.

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The two main methods of delivering media over the Internet are Progressive and Streaming. The first method, using a standard web server to transmit the file is sometimes called ‘Progressive download’. The other method is a streaming media server. As you will see, the server and network transportation method is the substantial differentiator.

A web server is a computer with high speed access to the Internet typically customised for sending web pages and images to a web browser. Addresses normally begin with http:// (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) or https:// (for Secure communications). The server computer is running web server software such as Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) or Apache.

An Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape is typically used to access web sites hosted on the server. The same technology is often used to host computer files including executable programs, Adobe Acrobat (PDF) and Microsoft Word files.

The same technology is sometimes used for distributing media files containing video and audio. When player software, such as Windows Media Player or RealPlayer, is used to access media files from a web server, this is called ‘’Progressive Download.’’

In our streaming media example, the server would be, like the web server, connected to a high speed Internet connection. However in this case, the computer would be running streaming media server software such as Windows Media Services (Microsoft) or the Helix Server (RealNetworks).

The address would look something like mms://x.x.x.x/streaming_media_file_directory/media_file_name.wmv or rtsp://x.x.x.x/directory/filename.rm

Sometimes these addresses are hidden inside a text file which is downloaded from a web server and opened by the Media Player. This file might end in the .asx (Windows Media) or .rm (Real) file extensions.

The ‘’protocol’’ used by each of these technologies to send the media file over the Internet are different to each other. The specifics of this aspect are discussed in the Microsoft whitepaper referenced at the bottom of this article.

As we have shown, the difference between a streaming media and progressive download is the server software and corresponding network protocol used to transmit the media file. For organizations utilizing only a web server, distributing a media file using progressive download can often be the simpler option because it utilizes existing infrastructure.

As we have discussed, progressive download can be achieved using a regular web (http) server. The client handles the buffering and playing during the download process. If the playback rate exceeds the download rate, playback is delayed until more data is downloaded.

Files that are downloaded over the Web are generally only able to be viewed after the entire file is downloaded. Files delivered to the server using streaming media technology are playable at the same time they are received by the computer they are being played on.

A streaming server works with the client to send audio and/or video over the Internet or Intranet and play it almost immediately. They allow real-time ‘broadcasting’ of live events, and the ability to control the play-back of on-demand content. Playback begins as soon as sufficient data has downloaded. The viewer can skip to a point part way through a clip without needing to download the beginning. If the data can not be downloaded fast enough, a streamed web cast sacrifices quality in order for the viewing to remain synchronised with the original timing of the content.

source: http://www.dowire.org/wiki/Streaming_vs_Progressive_Download

Posted in: Flash Helps, Tech, The Good Times are Over | Comments Off

8 year old Gabriel (Gab) Adams: Amazing Feats and Huge Courage…this kid is amazing and the story is very inspirational

Watch this video:
http://www.kutv.com/video/?id=21401@kutv.dayport.com

(KUTV) He dives, swims and even break dances. To you or me those might not seem like extraordinary accomplishments but he does them all without arms or legs. Michelle King shows us how this amazing little boy is truly an inspiration.

http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_331011440.html

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Below is a listing of the NBA’s current 29 franchises sorted by their best season in team history and the division in which the team resided during that season.

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The other morning my wife, Joni, goes into the kids’ room to wake up the boys for school. Jasper, 5-years old, has always been a chore to get out of bed in the morning. Joni says, “Jasper, time to get up…”.

Jasper moans and slips out of bed falling to the floor and upon doing so Joni says, “Stand up Jasper.”

Jasper tunefully replies, “Get up, stand up…stand up for your rights.”

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The Jazz are on top of the power rankings on both ESPN and the NBA websites.

ESPN’s Power Rankings:

NBA’s Power Rankings:

Lets face it folks, the Jazz are playing great. Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Matt Harpring, Memhet Okur, Derek Fisher, and everyone else…are all playing as a team: the way basketball is suppose to be played. The rest of the NBA should take note and be sure to vote for all of the Jazz players on your NBA All Star ballot: http://www.nba.com/allstar2007/asb/eng/daily.html(you can vote once every day).

Now as for the College football rivalry week……does anyone care? Last night on one of the local sports week-end edition shows, the only thing they were “talkin” about was this rivalry. Sure, this rivalry is one of the strongest in the nation but we already know which team is going to win. Sure, the blue team is the superior team and is going to win. Sure, the favorite doesn’t always win but in this case I give them a 90% chance if chalking up digit in the “W” column. But come on…the Jazz are what’s “worth talkin’ about”. No, I’m not a fan of the blue team nor am I a fan of the red team…but face the facts people, the blue is going to win this one.

Now, for the rest of the week we have to endure this pointless banter on every sports-talk radio on the AM dial. Stupid things like: “What’s your favorite Co-Ed Joke?” and “The best blue vs. red game of all time” or “Who’s mom is uglier…blue player’s mom or red player’s mom”.

Sigh….I’m pulling for the purple team.

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“Flash Player Statistics, what are they? Where can I find them?”, I get this question all the time.

Folks, they are here on Adobe’s site: http://www.adobe.com/products/player_census/flashplayer/.

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I’m never going to Strawberry ever again.

Source: ksl.com

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=650916

/*
Searchers today found yet another body in Strawberry Reservoir, and again it’s not the body of a husband or wife missing for more than a week. It’s the second body found in the last 24 hours, as searchers continue to look for Steve and Catheryn Roundy.

Searchers on Strawberry in 95 There was a boating accident back in 1995 with three men on board at Strawberry. They were all from Utah County and now, after more than eleven years, their families may finally be getting some answers about what happened.

The men disappeared in September of 1995 as they were fishing on Strawberry in a boat. Despite several days of searching, their bodies were never found. But yesteday, searchers using new high tech sonar equipment, found and recovered a body and then today found and recovered another body, as well as the men’s boat at the bottom of the reservoir in 85 feet of water.

So far none of the bodies have been positively identified, while autopsies are performed. It’s believed the bodies could be Austin Lloyd of Spanish Fork, Daniel Maycock of Salem and Phillip Shepherd of Payson who were the fishermen who disappeared in 1995.

This is the third body that has been found in the last week, all of them have been in the water for several years. A body recovered last Friday was that of a man who drowned in 2001. It’s believed there are three more bodies still in there, one more of the fishermen missing since 1995 as well as those of Steve and Catheryn Roundy, who have been missing since last Wednesday.

Of course there are a lot of questions from people about why these bodies that have been in the water for years haven’t been found until now.

*/

Crazy

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Link: http://kuler.adobe.com/

Kuler is a brand new utility from the folks at Adobe that helps you create, explore and share color themes and schemes for your web pages, graphic design projects or if you feel you need a new paint job for your pad.

Basically, Kuler is for those people that have issues with coming up with a real snazzy color scheme for there project. With Kuler, folks can browse color schemes that people have submitted or create their own.

I give kuler a thumbs up.

Here is the one I created:

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Kobe Bryant is being sued by Bill Geeslin an Arkansas man, who says the Lakers ball-hog deliberately elbowed him during a Grizzlies’ game last year in Memphis.

Bill Geeslin sat in the stands when the Lakers played in Memphis last November. Geeslin’s 3-page lawsuit filed Tuesday claims that Kobe Bryant flew off the court during play, landed on Geeslin and “without provocation” committed assault and battery when he struck Geeslin with his elbow.
Geeslin claims seeks more than $75,000 in damages for unspecified injuries that required medical attention.

Geeslin’s attorney, Robert Coleman, declined to elaborate on the filing Wednesday but said he hadn’t been in contact with Bryant’s attorneys or agent.

A call to Bryant’s agent seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Source: Fox News

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6175382?FSO1&ATT=HMA

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