I never was a basketball person, at all, I hated it, but looking at these 2 following links, makes me wonder a few things
1) I wonder what he's up to these days
2) Will there ever be another MJ who was so influential to a sport
3) What has happened to basketball since the 90's
4) Will there ever be anyone who can walk in the air like its a set of stairs
Everything used to Michael Jordan this n that when the basketball segment came on the news at sports time. And now its like... basketball? Whats that?
It goes to show, that one person CAN make a difference to the world.
Link 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFxXSXGd4hs
Link 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3tFagQbBX4
Those are just vids I found off another forum, and I know I've seen some others of him, but I mean, the man was a god among gods. Think about what he did for Nike and for basketball. And now? Nike is just another shoe, and basetball is just another sport....
____________
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Players Union Sues NBA Over New Ball
The players' association filed two unfair labor practice charges Friday against the NBA over issues with the new ball and the league's crackdown on player complaints.
The charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board.
"I think that's right within the NBA's wheelhouse," Dallas owner Mark Cuban said. "They say the NBA stands for 'Nothing But Attorneys,' so we're going to be great at dealing with those issues."
A number of players publicly have complained about changing the ball from leather to a microfiber composite. Although players are adjusting to the new ball, they're having a much harder time with the crackdown on reactions after the whistle, often referred to as a "zero-tolerance policy."
NBA commissioner David Stern enacted the policy, saying players were reacting too strongly after calls, and it has led to an increase in technical fouls called this season.
"It takes away from your natural reaction, the things that make basketball what it is," said Jerry Stackhouse, the Mavericks' player representative. "You think Bill Bradley never hit the support after he was called for a foul? That's the model citizen of all former NBA players. It's just a natural thing to do."
With players fined for each technical they receive, union director Billy Hunter told The Associated Press last month that legal action could be the next step if Stern didn't tell the referees to "back off."
There have been 175 unsportsmanlike technicals called through 225 games this season. There were 120 through the same number of games last season, though the number is on par with the amount from two years ago.
"Our obligation to represent our membership dictates the filing of these actions," Hunter said in a statement. "There is virtual unanimity amongst the players about their concerns and intense dislike for the new synthetic ball and the 'zero tolerance' policy.
"After extensive consultation with our membership and player leadership we determined that this was the appropriate course of action."
NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the league was "reviewing what they have filed."
The players feel they were entitled to have input on both changes before they were put into play. In its release, the union said the "zero-tolerance policy" was implemented without any consultation or advanced notice as required "according to the terms of the National Labor Relations Act and the 2005 NBA/NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement."
"You never want to feel that the NBA's a dictatorship," Wizards veteran Antonio Daniels said.
The section of the CBA regarding On-Court Conduct, states, in part:
"Prior to the date on which any new rule promulgated by the NBA becomes effective, the NBA shall provide notice of such new rule to the Players Association and consult with the Players Association with respect thereto."
The crackdown isn't a new rule, however, but rather a point of emphasis. Under Stern's directive, players are fined $1,000 for each of their first five technicals. The fine increases by $500 for each five after that, capped by a $2,500 penalty for each one starting with the 16th. A one-game suspension also comes at that point and for every other technical thereafter.
"To give a technical foul, it's giving money back," Stackhouse said. "If it's a technical foul, all right, penalize the team. But don't take guys' money for natural reactions toward heat of the moment things. We're not robots. They would say they don't want us to become robots, but that's what it's becoming.
"Everything doesn't have to be we're going to show you by taking your money away. A thousand dollars is a thousand dollars, no matter whether you are making $9 million or $30,000."
Players also argue they weren't involved in the decision to use a new ball. The league unveiled it in June and sent one to its teams and all players before the start of training camp. It also was used in the All-Star game and during summer league play.
Superstars such as Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James are among those who have blasted it, and many others have complained that it feels and performs far differently than the old leather ball, criticizing the way it bounces off the floor and the rim.
"I was surprised when they announced that they were changing the ball," Sacramento's Shareef Abdur-Rahim. "That shouldn't happen without some input from the players. I've never cared for the new ball, and I'm a big guy. When ballhandlers like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are complaining about it, that says a lot."
The charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board.
"I think that's right within the NBA's wheelhouse," Dallas owner Mark Cuban said. "They say the NBA stands for 'Nothing But Attorneys,' so we're going to be great at dealing with those issues."
A number of players publicly have complained about changing the ball from leather to a microfiber composite. Although players are adjusting to the new ball, they're having a much harder time with the crackdown on reactions after the whistle, often referred to as a "zero-tolerance policy."
NBA commissioner David Stern enacted the policy, saying players were reacting too strongly after calls, and it has led to an increase in technical fouls called this season.
"It takes away from your natural reaction, the things that make basketball what it is," said Jerry Stackhouse, the Mavericks' player representative. "You think Bill Bradley never hit the support after he was called for a foul? That's the model citizen of all former NBA players. It's just a natural thing to do."
With players fined for each technical they receive, union director Billy Hunter told The Associated Press last month that legal action could be the next step if Stern didn't tell the referees to "back off."
There have been 175 unsportsmanlike technicals called through 225 games this season. There were 120 through the same number of games last season, though the number is on par with the amount from two years ago.
"Our obligation to represent our membership dictates the filing of these actions," Hunter said in a statement. "There is virtual unanimity amongst the players about their concerns and intense dislike for the new synthetic ball and the 'zero tolerance' policy.
"After extensive consultation with our membership and player leadership we determined that this was the appropriate course of action."
NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the league was "reviewing what they have filed."
The players feel they were entitled to have input on both changes before they were put into play. In its release, the union said the "zero-tolerance policy" was implemented without any consultation or advanced notice as required "according to the terms of the National Labor Relations Act and the 2005 NBA/NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement."
"You never want to feel that the NBA's a dictatorship," Wizards veteran Antonio Daniels said.
The section of the CBA regarding On-Court Conduct, states, in part:
"Prior to the date on which any new rule promulgated by the NBA becomes effective, the NBA shall provide notice of such new rule to the Players Association and consult with the Players Association with respect thereto."
The crackdown isn't a new rule, however, but rather a point of emphasis. Under Stern's directive, players are fined $1,000 for each of their first five technicals. The fine increases by $500 for each five after that, capped by a $2,500 penalty for each one starting with the 16th. A one-game suspension also comes at that point and for every other technical thereafter.
"To give a technical foul, it's giving money back," Stackhouse said. "If it's a technical foul, all right, penalize the team. But don't take guys' money for natural reactions toward heat of the moment things. We're not robots. They would say they don't want us to become robots, but that's what it's becoming.
"Everything doesn't have to be we're going to show you by taking your money away. A thousand dollars is a thousand dollars, no matter whether you are making $9 million or $30,000."
Players also argue they weren't involved in the decision to use a new ball. The league unveiled it in June and sent one to its teams and all players before the start of training camp. It also was used in the All-Star game and during summer league play.
Superstars such as Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James are among those who have blasted it, and many others have complained that it feels and performs far differently than the old leather ball, criticizing the way it bounces off the floor and the rim.
"I was surprised when they announced that they were changing the ball," Sacramento's Shareef Abdur-Rahim. "That shouldn't happen without some input from the players. I've never cared for the new ball, and I'm a big guy. When ballhandlers like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are complaining about it, that says a lot."
Nas Sons Mobb Deep, 50 Cent Calls Oprah an "Oreo," Game Has No Game, Jay-Z Gets Booed
In this week's Pulse Report, the streets are buzzing about Nas calling Mobb Deep a disgrace, 50 Cent describing Oprah Winfrey as an "Oreo," The Game hollering at Vida Guerra and Nas' baby mother getting chewed up on the radio.
1. Nas sons Mobb Deep. A lot of name calling this week. Havoc and Prodigy can talk ca ca about Nas all they want. The Queensbridge lyricist isn't fazed by any of it. During a recent interview on Baltimore, MD's Power 92.1 Jamz, God's Son responded to Mobb's claims that he signed to Def Jam in response to the Queens duo joining the G-Unit roster. "Mobb Deep signing to G-Unit is a disgrace to hip-hop," Nas told DJ Rosetta Devine during the interview. "I love them little brothers, but don't speak on Nas. It doesn't make sense. You learned from me. That's the bottom line."
Mr. Jones then stated his position, sharing that he's now past feuds and wishes for rap artists to unite. "What we do is a form of unity," Nas explained. "It's easy to sell records if I diss you. Who can sell records on love?" "It's easy to tattoo somebody's crew on your knuckles and act like you tough," the lyricist continued. "But be a man, let's see how far you get. And I believe in Mobb Deep. I believe that they will prosper even though they say negative stuff. They my little duns. Those are my little babies."
2. Fif calls Oprah an oreo cookie. Just when the "Oprah bites" bandwagon seemed over with, the billionaire is back in Fiddy's line of fire. The Queens, NY rapper gets politically incorrect in Elle Magazine's January issue, accusing Winfrey of being black on the outside, but white on the inside. "[Oprah] started out with black women's views but has been catering to middle-aged white Americans for so long that she's become one herself," Fif told the New York Post's Page Six. "I think the idea of being publicly noted that she's a billionaire makes [black women] interested in seeing her views. But it's even more exciting to the demographic of white American women she's been aiming at to see that she has the exact same views that they have." Damn, homie!
3. Vida's Game encounter. Last week, SOHH.com reported that Vida Guerra is considering responding to The Game's "Wouldn't Get Far," a song on which he accuses the former video chick, but more importantly recent Playboy centerfold of hoeing around. Anyhow, Vida recently spoke to SOHH and recounted meeting Game several times. Apparently, Chuck Taylor initially had dreams of beating a video chick. "I met him one time, we were walking down Melrose. The girl I was with, she was doing my road managing. She was checking out his car. He had a Charger. And she was like, 'man, that sh*t is nice,'" Miss Guerra-Johnson told SOHH. "And she's like, 'you should let me ride it sometimes. He's like, yeah. No problem, as long as you tell Vida to go on a date with me.'" Oh boy! According to wifey, JT (Game's government initials) was quite persistent. "During Christmas, Jamie Foxx had a Christmas party at his house. And he went to the party and I was talking to him and he was cool and we exchanged email addresses," Vida detailed. "He kept sending me emails like, "hey, you wanna hang out? And I was always like, 'I'm doing something. I'm doing something instead of straight up saying no.'"
Email addresses? How the hell you gon be a multiplatinum rap star and all you're getting is an email? The Game needs to change his name because he obviously has none.
4. Jay-Z gets booed. Before the comments get filled with "you're a hater" messages, let it be known. The Jay-Z album ain't that bad, according to yours truly. It ain't hot, but not bad either. However, it seems like most are truly disappointed with Jay's latest effort. During a recent Raekwon performance, one of Rae's accomplices asked the audience how they felt about the Jay-Z album. The crowd automatically countered with boos. "How many of ya'll feeling that Jigga album? Keep it real," Rae's comrade asked the audience. Rae then co-signed the crowd's opinion. "I don't like it. I ain't trying to make no scene. For real, for real. That's word to everything I love. I ain't know you was gon say that." [Watch]
5. Everybody hates Carmen. By the looks of things, Carmen Bryan, Nas' baby moms, is respected just about as much as Superhead. Details on her tell-all book, "It's No Secret" popped up earlier this week. While heads knew to expect juicy new details about her relationship with Nas and her affairs with Jay-Z and Allen Iverson, the book promises to take a few gratuitous shots at Kelis and Beyonce. In the book, Bryan alleges that Kelis doesn't wear deodorant, claims Nas turned down a date with Beyonce because her breath stank and says Hov scrubs his ass in the shower. What? Who cares? Bryan also claims God's son has beaten her up in the past and that she pepper sprayed him anytime he was caught cheating.
With details of her book widespread, Bryan made appearances on "The Wendy Williams Experience" and Ashy and Egypt In The Morning on New York's Power 105.1. Williams reportedly chewed her up and spit her out while Egypt lost her cool and even called her what many think she is, "a bi*ch."
6. Has Melyssa Ford found a match? Nope. Not according to the latest news or gossip columns. Check it! Last week's reports on Vida's response to Game also included a comeback from the self-proclaimed black Jessica Rabbit, Melyssa Ford. On Chuck Taylor's "Wouldn't Get Far" off Doctor's Advocate, the former video model was accused of sleeping her way to the Grammy Awards. Well, it doesn't seem likely. The latest half ass rumor says Ford has something going on with a nobody, some miscellaneous rapper nobody has heard of. Yeah right! No Grammys there. Inexplicably, after SOHH posted "60 Seconds with Melyssa Ford," word began spreading that Ms. Ford (no Honda Accord by the way) may have gotten a little extra flirty with this guy. [Watch SOHH's 60 Seconds w/ Melyssa Ford]. Ok, I know H. Dot, but nobody else does, especially not no Melyssa Ford. She probably don't know dude's name whether that be his government or moniker. The only thing dude has going on is some bitty trailer on SOHH. [Watch trailer here.] This ain't Paramount Pictures. But back to "60 Seconds. The first thing dude claims in the interview was, "Melyssa Ford is rubbing my back." Allegedly! The footage shows no such thing. Wamp wamp!
On a parting note, shouts to the SOHH Forum members. Yesterday, one particular member pointed out that there seems to be a bandwagon of artists dissing the members or forums. Good point. During a recent Baltimore radio appearance, Nas shouted out the forums, at which point some host said that "The Spot" won't leave the God's Son/Hov feud alone. Here you go, members. The stage is yours now.
1. Nas sons Mobb Deep. A lot of name calling this week. Havoc and Prodigy can talk ca ca about Nas all they want. The Queensbridge lyricist isn't fazed by any of it. During a recent interview on Baltimore, MD's Power 92.1 Jamz, God's Son responded to Mobb's claims that he signed to Def Jam in response to the Queens duo joining the G-Unit roster. "Mobb Deep signing to G-Unit is a disgrace to hip-hop," Nas told DJ Rosetta Devine during the interview. "I love them little brothers, but don't speak on Nas. It doesn't make sense. You learned from me. That's the bottom line."
Mr. Jones then stated his position, sharing that he's now past feuds and wishes for rap artists to unite. "What we do is a form of unity," Nas explained. "It's easy to sell records if I diss you. Who can sell records on love?" "It's easy to tattoo somebody's crew on your knuckles and act like you tough," the lyricist continued. "But be a man, let's see how far you get. And I believe in Mobb Deep. I believe that they will prosper even though they say negative stuff. They my little duns. Those are my little babies."
2. Fif calls Oprah an oreo cookie. Just when the "Oprah bites" bandwagon seemed over with, the billionaire is back in Fiddy's line of fire. The Queens, NY rapper gets politically incorrect in Elle Magazine's January issue, accusing Winfrey of being black on the outside, but white on the inside. "[Oprah] started out with black women's views but has been catering to middle-aged white Americans for so long that she's become one herself," Fif told the New York Post's Page Six. "I think the idea of being publicly noted that she's a billionaire makes [black women] interested in seeing her views. But it's even more exciting to the demographic of white American women she's been aiming at to see that she has the exact same views that they have." Damn, homie!
3. Vida's Game encounter. Last week, SOHH.com reported that Vida Guerra is considering responding to The Game's "Wouldn't Get Far," a song on which he accuses the former video chick, but more importantly recent Playboy centerfold of hoeing around. Anyhow, Vida recently spoke to SOHH and recounted meeting Game several times. Apparently, Chuck Taylor initially had dreams of beating a video chick. "I met him one time, we were walking down Melrose. The girl I was with, she was doing my road managing. She was checking out his car. He had a Charger. And she was like, 'man, that sh*t is nice,'" Miss Guerra-Johnson told SOHH. "And she's like, 'you should let me ride it sometimes. He's like, yeah. No problem, as long as you tell Vida to go on a date with me.'" Oh boy! According to wifey, JT (Game's government initials) was quite persistent. "During Christmas, Jamie Foxx had a Christmas party at his house. And he went to the party and I was talking to him and he was cool and we exchanged email addresses," Vida detailed. "He kept sending me emails like, "hey, you wanna hang out? And I was always like, 'I'm doing something. I'm doing something instead of straight up saying no.'"
Email addresses? How the hell you gon be a multiplatinum rap star and all you're getting is an email? The Game needs to change his name because he obviously has none.
4. Jay-Z gets booed. Before the comments get filled with "you're a hater" messages, let it be known. The Jay-Z album ain't that bad, according to yours truly. It ain't hot, but not bad either. However, it seems like most are truly disappointed with Jay's latest effort. During a recent Raekwon performance, one of Rae's accomplices asked the audience how they felt about the Jay-Z album. The crowd automatically countered with boos. "How many of ya'll feeling that Jigga album? Keep it real," Rae's comrade asked the audience. Rae then co-signed the crowd's opinion. "I don't like it. I ain't trying to make no scene. For real, for real. That's word to everything I love. I ain't know you was gon say that." [Watch]
5. Everybody hates Carmen. By the looks of things, Carmen Bryan, Nas' baby moms, is respected just about as much as Superhead. Details on her tell-all book, "It's No Secret" popped up earlier this week. While heads knew to expect juicy new details about her relationship with Nas and her affairs with Jay-Z and Allen Iverson, the book promises to take a few gratuitous shots at Kelis and Beyonce. In the book, Bryan alleges that Kelis doesn't wear deodorant, claims Nas turned down a date with Beyonce because her breath stank and says Hov scrubs his ass in the shower. What? Who cares? Bryan also claims God's son has beaten her up in the past and that she pepper sprayed him anytime he was caught cheating.
With details of her book widespread, Bryan made appearances on "The Wendy Williams Experience" and Ashy and Egypt In The Morning on New York's Power 105.1. Williams reportedly chewed her up and spit her out while Egypt lost her cool and even called her what many think she is, "a bi*ch."
6. Has Melyssa Ford found a match? Nope. Not according to the latest news or gossip columns. Check it! Last week's reports on Vida's response to Game also included a comeback from the self-proclaimed black Jessica Rabbit, Melyssa Ford. On Chuck Taylor's "Wouldn't Get Far" off Doctor's Advocate, the former video model was accused of sleeping her way to the Grammy Awards. Well, it doesn't seem likely. The latest half ass rumor says Ford has something going on with a nobody, some miscellaneous rapper nobody has heard of. Yeah right! No Grammys there. Inexplicably, after SOHH posted "60 Seconds with Melyssa Ford," word began spreading that Ms. Ford (no Honda Accord by the way) may have gotten a little extra flirty with this guy. [Watch SOHH's 60 Seconds w/ Melyssa Ford]. Ok, I know H. Dot, but nobody else does, especially not no Melyssa Ford. She probably don't know dude's name whether that be his government or moniker. The only thing dude has going on is some bitty trailer on SOHH. [Watch trailer here.] This ain't Paramount Pictures. But back to "60 Seconds. The first thing dude claims in the interview was, "Melyssa Ford is rubbing my back." Allegedly! The footage shows no such thing. Wamp wamp!
On a parting note, shouts to the SOHH Forum members. Yesterday, one particular member pointed out that there seems to be a bandwagon of artists dissing the members or forums. Good point. During a recent Baltimore radio appearance, Nas shouted out the forums, at which point some host said that "The Spot" won't leave the God's Son/Hov feud alone. Here you go, members. The stage is yours now.
50 Cent Appalled By James Bond Gun Posters
50 Cent is accusing Hollywood of double standards after seeing the new James Bond holding a gun in posters for Casino Royale - a year after billboards of him sporting a weapon caused a furore. The rapper - real name Curtis Jackson - is appalled by the fact no one has raised a fuss about Daniel Craig's gun-toting posters when he was castigated for posing with a weapon in billboards for movie Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. He says, "Get Rich Or Die Tryin' comes out and they want to protest because they see a gun in my hand but James Bond comes out or Mr + Mrs Smith will come out with guns and it's acceptable. "You can see any kind of gun there is to see on the covers of films. You can go in Blockbuster and see every gun that was ever made." The rap star calls for one universal ruling about weapons in movie posters - and he'll accept whatever the Hollywood film police decide. He adds, "Let's not start with 50 Cent and stop with 50 Cent. Let's do it everywhere else and make it unacceptable period. I would gladly join the rest of entertainment if we get there."
Grandma sold drugs to support bingo habit
• Woman, 61, caught last year with 214 pounds of pot in car
• Prosecutor: "Bingo problem" led to conviction of "otherwise nice person"
• Woman faces three to 12 years in prison
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SIERRA VISTA, Arizona (AP) -- A grandmother found with a trunk full of marijuana was convicted of drug running in what prosecutors said was an attempt to earn cash for a bingo habit.
State troopers found 10 bundles of pot totaling 214 pounds hidden in Leticia Villareal Garcia's car trunk last year when they stopped her outside Bisbee, in far southeastern Arizona.
Villareal, 61, told jurors before they convicted her Thursday that her only regular income was a $275 monthly welfare check, but she frequently played bingo and occasionally won thousands of dollars.
Prosecutor Doyle Johnstun said the game was Villareal's undoing.
"People who play bingo almost every night of the week end up losing in the long run," Johnstun told jurors. "The underlying issue is that she's got a bingo problem, which explains why an otherwise nice person might get sucked into something like this."
Jurors rejected Villareal's argument that she'd been tricked into carrying the drugs.
Villareal faces three to 12 years in state prison when she is sentenced December 18.
• Prosecutor: "Bingo problem" led to conviction of "otherwise nice person"
• Woman faces three to 12 years in prison
Adjust font size:
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SIERRA VISTA, Arizona (AP) -- A grandmother found with a trunk full of marijuana was convicted of drug running in what prosecutors said was an attempt to earn cash for a bingo habit.
State troopers found 10 bundles of pot totaling 214 pounds hidden in Leticia Villareal Garcia's car trunk last year when they stopped her outside Bisbee, in far southeastern Arizona.
Villareal, 61, told jurors before they convicted her Thursday that her only regular income was a $275 monthly welfare check, but she frequently played bingo and occasionally won thousands of dollars.
Prosecutor Doyle Johnstun said the game was Villareal's undoing.
"People who play bingo almost every night of the week end up losing in the long run," Johnstun told jurors. "The underlying issue is that she's got a bingo problem, which explains why an otherwise nice person might get sucked into something like this."
Jurors rejected Villareal's argument that she'd been tricked into carrying the drugs.
Villareal faces three to 12 years in state prison when she is sentenced December 18.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Spray On Condoms!!!
BERLIN -- German sex educators plan to launch a spray-on condom tailor-made for all sizes.
Jan Vinzenz Krause from the Institute for Condom Consultancy, a Singen-based practice that offers advice on condom use, told Reuters today the product aimed to help people enjoy better and safer sex lives.
"We're trying to develop the perfect condom for men that's suited to every size of penis," he said. "We're very serious."
Krause's team (spraykondom.de) is developing a type of spray can into which the man inserts his penis first. At the push of a button it is then coated in a rubber condom.
"It works by spraying on latex from nozzles on all sides," he said. "We call it the '360 degree procedure' - once round and from top to bottom. It's a bit like a car wash."
Krause said the plan is to make the product ready for use in about five seconds. He said it would function more effectively as a contraceptive because it would fit better and not slip.
However, before the new condom can be sold in shops, the firm must ensure that the latex is evenly spread when sprayed, as well as optimise the vulcanization process.
Krause hopes the high tech condom, which will be available in different strengths and colours, will on the market by 2008.
He said the spray can would likely cost some 20 euros ($26) as a one-off purchase. The latex cartridges - sufficient for up to 20 applications - would cost roughly 10 euros, he said.
Krause said he had hit upon the idea when considering the difficulties some people faced using condoms, and drew inspiration from spray-on plasters now used in medicine.
Jan Vinzenz Krause from the Institute for Condom Consultancy, a Singen-based practice that offers advice on condom use, told Reuters today the product aimed to help people enjoy better and safer sex lives.
"We're trying to develop the perfect condom for men that's suited to every size of penis," he said. "We're very serious."
Krause's team (spraykondom.de) is developing a type of spray can into which the man inserts his penis first. At the push of a button it is then coated in a rubber condom.
"It works by spraying on latex from nozzles on all sides," he said. "We call it the '360 degree procedure' - once round and from top to bottom. It's a bit like a car wash."
Krause said the plan is to make the product ready for use in about five seconds. He said it would function more effectively as a contraceptive because it would fit better and not slip.
However, before the new condom can be sold in shops, the firm must ensure that the latex is evenly spread when sprayed, as well as optimise the vulcanization process.
Krause hopes the high tech condom, which will be available in different strengths and colours, will on the market by 2008.
He said the spray can would likely cost some 20 euros ($26) as a one-off purchase. The latex cartridges - sufficient for up to 20 applications - would cost roughly 10 euros, he said.
Krause said he had hit upon the idea when considering the difficulties some people faced using condoms, and drew inspiration from spray-on plasters now used in medicine.
The New HONDA CRX looks really bad imo
In the music world, a remix is an iconic old song that has been made fresh, young and hip again. Honda’s Remix, which just made its international debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, manages to do the same thing in an automotive context, bringing to mind the lightweight and sporty CRX, a car still missed by enthusiasts worldwide.
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Purely a styling exercise, the front-wheel-drive Remix is styled by Ben Davidson of Honda’s Advanced Design Studio in Southern California, a young designer who through no small coincidence likes to spin tunes as a DJ in his spare time. By mixing fluid lines with geometric shapes appearing on nearly every surface of the car, Davidson has crafted a car with a jet-fighter-esque canopy that manages to recall the much-loved CRX yet at the same time be thoroughly modern. As a compact, lightweight, fuel efficient and sporty 3-door hatchback, the Remix will likely appeal to young urban folks with a strong sense of style…but who also need a little bit of practicality in their lives, which is provided by a generous rear storage area. The Remix show car does not have an engine and a transmission at the moment, but Honda says a possible production version likely would be powered by a small displacement 4-cylinder mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The suspension and brakes, we’re told, would be tuned on the track for crisp driving manners.
Although there are no plans to build a production version of the Remix, Honda, like all automotive companies, builds styling exercises each year to gauge public reaction. At the Los Angeles show, and others thereafter, Honda will capture data on the car, and possibly learn that it should build a production version. We feel that Honda will more than likely incorporate some of the Remix’s unique design elements into a sporty new compact 3-door hatchback and call it the CRX. Fans the world over will be delighted.
Police track reckless driver on YouTube
Police track reckless driver on YouTube
OSLO, Norway -- Police took up pursuit in cyberspace after a young Norwegian posted on the Internet video of his wild car driving. Following an electronic trail that he left online, police caught him and slapped him with real-life fine $1,300.
The Norwegian, identified only as a man in his early 20s, posted the video called "Driving in Norway" on Google Inc.'s popular video-sharing site YouTube. The recording showed the car's speedometer hitting up to 150 miles - 240 kilometers - per hour on a public highway near Oslo.
"We're touching 240," a voice could be heard saying. "We know it will do it. This is a little nice."
The video was removed from the Web site after it made national news in Norway last week.
Police said they could prove only that the man had driven an average of 86 miles per hour and based the fine, which the motorist accepted, on that speed. Norway's speed limit is as high as 62 miles per hour, though lower on most roads.
"It is disturbing that young people test high speeds on highways like that, and then, on top of it, use the Net to boast about the misdeed afterward," said Morten Hassel of the district police's traffic unit.
link in
OSLO, Norway -- Police took up pursuit in cyberspace after a young Norwegian posted on the Internet video of his wild car driving. Following an electronic trail that he left online, police caught him and slapped him with real-life fine $1,300.
The Norwegian, identified only as a man in his early 20s, posted the video called "Driving in Norway" on Google Inc.'s popular video-sharing site YouTube. The recording showed the car's speedometer hitting up to 150 miles - 240 kilometers - per hour on a public highway near Oslo.
"We're touching 240," a voice could be heard saying. "We know it will do it. This is a little nice."
The video was removed from the Web site after it made national news in Norway last week.
Police said they could prove only that the man had driven an average of 86 miles per hour and based the fine, which the motorist accepted, on that speed. Norway's speed limit is as high as 62 miles per hour, though lower on most roads.
"It is disturbing that young people test high speeds on highways like that, and then, on top of it, use the Net to boast about the misdeed afterward," said Morten Hassel of the district police's traffic unit.
link in
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
a reallay great gamers site check it out now
Check out this hot games site i found on the net its got some really hot games on it I really luv a few of them heheheh
check it out now guyz
http://www.gamesbob.com
check it out now guyz
http://www.gamesbob.com
Michael Jackson is caught on myspace looking for kids lmao PROOF
check otu this image lmao MJ is looking for some kiddies on myspace, wotch out kids who are underage on myspace hehehe.
source in click here
source in click here
Snoop Reveals Details On Suge Knight Beef
Snoop Dogg may be one of the most easy going rappers in Hip-Hop, but the West Coast rhymeslinger exposed a different persona years ago while contemplating the death of his former Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight.
In an upcoming interview with Rolling Stone, Snoop traced the source of his frustration to when Dr. Dre left Death Row to start his Aftermath record label.
That move, coupled with Snoop's defection to Master P's No Limit Records, resulted in bad blood with Knight, who was serving a five year jail sentence at the time.
"The n***a threatened my life when he was in jail," Snoop revealed to the publication. "N***as tried to get at me at concerts; they put my address on a tape. He was gonna give a n***a a Benz if a n***a cut my hair. All kinda f****n' with me."
Despite the attempts, Snoop had a plan for shifting the momentum of the beef after Knight was released from jail in 2001.
"I had to let him know I didn't give a f***k about none of that fake-a** power s**t you was supposed to be on, and all this money and all these Bloods you hidin' behind," the rapper explained. "I felt like challenging him would either expose his whole card or I would have to kill the n***a. And I was ready to do it. That's where I was with it. So when he got out of jail, I'm f****n' with him."
The conflict escalated further with the release of the song "Pimp Slapp'd," a diss song aimed at Knight.
"I stepped to him [four years ago] at the BET Awards with my n***as, and he was more scared than a motherf****r," Snoop said. "That was the scenario when n***as knew the balance had shifted. That's when everybody felt like the floodgates was open on Suge. Snoop dissed him in public, and he didn't do nothing."
Despite Knights fearsome reputation, Snoop brushed off any fear of retribution from Knight.
"Never was afraid of him," the lyricist told Rolling Stone. "I was afraid I was gonna have to kill him. That's what I was afraid of."
Snoop credited his friend and spiritual advisor Bishop Don Magic Juan, for offering a peaceful alternative in the form of discussion.
"Bishop kept saying, 'I don't like that situation. Y'all need to talk.'" the rapper said. "I was like, 'F talking. F*** that n***a.' But after hearin' him say it so many times, it got to the point where I was on peace, like, 'OK, I ain't tryin to f*** cuz up.' A lot of n***as put fuel to the fire. Bishop put water. It takes a grown man to do that."
The full Snoop Dogg cover story can be found in the new issue of Rolling Stone, which hits newstands Friday (Dec. 1).
In an upcoming interview with Rolling Stone, Snoop traced the source of his frustration to when Dr. Dre left Death Row to start his Aftermath record label.
That move, coupled with Snoop's defection to Master P's No Limit Records, resulted in bad blood with Knight, who was serving a five year jail sentence at the time.
"The n***a threatened my life when he was in jail," Snoop revealed to the publication. "N***as tried to get at me at concerts; they put my address on a tape. He was gonna give a n***a a Benz if a n***a cut my hair. All kinda f****n' with me."
Despite the attempts, Snoop had a plan for shifting the momentum of the beef after Knight was released from jail in 2001.
"I had to let him know I didn't give a f***k about none of that fake-a** power s**t you was supposed to be on, and all this money and all these Bloods you hidin' behind," the rapper explained. "I felt like challenging him would either expose his whole card or I would have to kill the n***a. And I was ready to do it. That's where I was with it. So when he got out of jail, I'm f****n' with him."
The conflict escalated further with the release of the song "Pimp Slapp'd," a diss song aimed at Knight.
"I stepped to him [four years ago] at the BET Awards with my n***as, and he was more scared than a motherf****r," Snoop said. "That was the scenario when n***as knew the balance had shifted. That's when everybody felt like the floodgates was open on Suge. Snoop dissed him in public, and he didn't do nothing."
Despite Knights fearsome reputation, Snoop brushed off any fear of retribution from Knight.
"Never was afraid of him," the lyricist told Rolling Stone. "I was afraid I was gonna have to kill him. That's what I was afraid of."
Snoop credited his friend and spiritual advisor Bishop Don Magic Juan, for offering a peaceful alternative in the form of discussion.
"Bishop kept saying, 'I don't like that situation. Y'all need to talk.'" the rapper said. "I was like, 'F talking. F*** that n***a.' But after hearin' him say it so many times, it got to the point where I was on peace, like, 'OK, I ain't tryin to f*** cuz up.' A lot of n***as put fuel to the fire. Bishop put water. It takes a grown man to do that."
The full Snoop Dogg cover story can be found in the new issue of Rolling Stone, which hits newstands Friday (Dec. 1).
50 CENT STIRRED BY DEATH THREAT IN IRAQ
Tough guy rapper 50 CENT was given another sharp dose of his own mortality during a trip to visit US troops stationed in Iraq last year (05) - when one soldier told him he was in danger. The IN DA CLUB hitmaker, who has been shot at nine times, admits he was treating the trip to the Middle East as just another show until he realised he could be bombed to bits in seconds. He explains, "I had an opportunity to perform for the soldiers in Iraq when I went on tour for (film) GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN'. As soon as I got there, a guy said, 'Listen, I'm not gonna bulls**t you, you can die today.' "At first I thought, 'Why did I even come here?' At the end of that experience the people that got to see me perform may be the last thing they see; the last time they enjoy something before they go out tomorrow to fight - and some of them may not come back, bottom line. "You have 55 members in your platoon and tomorrow comes and you got 47, and then 30 members in your platoon and they come in and fill your barracks again." 50 Cent used his experiences of meeting troops in Iraq for new movie HOME OF THE BRAVE.
MySpace at school and work! It Works! I have tested it!
If you want to login to MySpace while at school or work or view any other site without being caught go to this site! I've tried it at school and at work once and it works all the time and its fast. It will bypass filters and hide what your looking at for any site you want to go to.
click here to visit the site
click here to visit the site
Monday, November 27, 2006
Lmao at this weightloss joke!!!
A man decides it's time he lost some weight, and he sees an ad for an amazing weight loss program. The basic package guarantees you'll lose 10lbs in a week or your money back, so he calls up and orders it.
A couple of days later, there is a knock at the door. He opens it to be met by a gorgeous, athletic brunette in her early 20s. She is wearing nothing but a pair of running shoes and a sign round her neck with the words "If you catch me, I'm yours." She then runs off, and the man gives chase. It takes him a while but eventually he cathces her, and it's worth all the breathlessness and pulled muscles. This carries on every morning for the whole week, and he is over the moon when he weighs himself and finds he has indeed lost 10lbs!
He calls the company back and orders the next package up, guaranteeing a loss of 20lbs in a week. He receives a knock at the door, and he is met by a tall statuesque blonde. She is wearing nothing but a pair of running shoes and a sign round her neck with the words "If you catch me, I'm yours." She then runs off, and the man gives chase. She is very fast and he runs at full pace all day to catch her, but eventually he does and has the time of his life. His heart is pounding and he can barely breathe, but it's all worth it. This carries on every morning for the whole week, and he can't contain his joy when he weighs himself and finds he has indeed lost 20lbs as promised!
He calls the company again and orders their full-strength package, guaranteeing a loss of 50lbs in a week. The operator says "Are you sure? This is our full-strength package and shouldn't be taken lightly." He insists that she sign him up. After all, if the other 2 packages were so good, imagine what this one will be like!
A couple of days later, he receives a knock at his door. He runs to answer it, and there stands a 7-foot bodybuilder, with a hard-on the size of a baseball bat. He's wearing nothing but a pair of running shoes and a sign around his neck.
The sign reads "If I catch you, you're mine..."
A couple of days later, there is a knock at the door. He opens it to be met by a gorgeous, athletic brunette in her early 20s. She is wearing nothing but a pair of running shoes and a sign round her neck with the words "If you catch me, I'm yours." She then runs off, and the man gives chase. It takes him a while but eventually he cathces her, and it's worth all the breathlessness and pulled muscles. This carries on every morning for the whole week, and he is over the moon when he weighs himself and finds he has indeed lost 10lbs!
He calls the company back and orders the next package up, guaranteeing a loss of 20lbs in a week. He receives a knock at the door, and he is met by a tall statuesque blonde. She is wearing nothing but a pair of running shoes and a sign round her neck with the words "If you catch me, I'm yours." She then runs off, and the man gives chase. She is very fast and he runs at full pace all day to catch her, but eventually he does and has the time of his life. His heart is pounding and he can barely breathe, but it's all worth it. This carries on every morning for the whole week, and he can't contain his joy when he weighs himself and finds he has indeed lost 20lbs as promised!
He calls the company again and orders their full-strength package, guaranteeing a loss of 50lbs in a week. The operator says "Are you sure? This is our full-strength package and shouldn't be taken lightly." He insists that she sign him up. After all, if the other 2 packages were so good, imagine what this one will be like!
A couple of days later, he receives a knock at his door. He runs to answer it, and there stands a 7-foot bodybuilder, with a hard-on the size of a baseball bat. He's wearing nothing but a pair of running shoes and a sign around his neck.
The sign reads "If I catch you, you're mine..."
Check out this multimedia player I came across very cool idea
Check out this multimedia player I came across... Really cool idea. Now I can play all of my downloaded videos and music on my TV"
Mvix (MV-5000U) Multimedia Center is the next evolution in portable entertainment. It enables you to enjoy your favorite movies, home videos, music and digital photo files on your TV or home-theater system. It is a highly customizable, scaleable and portable multimedia center with an ability to render dozens of video, audio and digital image (i.e. JPEG) formats over your TV, projector or home-theater system. It uses a 3.5" HDD (not included) and it works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive when you connect it to your PC. The MV-5000U has an internal FM Transmitter module to broadcast audio through FM frequency (four channels). It makes a versatile music player for your car... and a highly portable, on-demand, personal radio station!!
more info can be found by clicking here
Mvix (MV-5000U) Multimedia Center is the next evolution in portable entertainment. It enables you to enjoy your favorite movies, home videos, music and digital photo files on your TV or home-theater system. It is a highly customizable, scaleable and portable multimedia center with an ability to render dozens of video, audio and digital image (i.e. JPEG) formats over your TV, projector or home-theater system. It uses a 3.5" HDD (not included) and it works just like an external USB 2.0 hard drive when you connect it to your PC. The MV-5000U has an internal FM Transmitter module to broadcast audio through FM frequency (four channels). It makes a versatile music player for your car... and a highly portable, on-demand, personal radio station!!
more info can be found by clicking here
COPS KILL MAN ON HIS wedding day because he is black
NEW YORK - Police shot three young men who had just left a bachelor party at a strip club early today, killing one man on the day of his wedding, according to police and witnesses. One of the survivors was in critical condition.
The shooting happened just after 4 a.m. near Club Kalua in Queens, said Officer Kathleen Price. She said there were no reports that any officers were wounded.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the shooting. As many as eight officers may have been involved, said Sgt. Mike Wysokowski, another department spokesman.
"All I know, they was celebrating," said Denise Ford, who said her son was one of the survivors. She said the man who died was the groom. "The guy was getting married today."
Relatives said the dead man was Sean Bell, 23.
Robert Porter, who identified himself as Bell's first cousin, said he was supposed to be a DJ at the wedding.
"I still don't want to believe it, a beautiful day like this, and he was going to have a beautiful wedding, he was going to live forever with his wife and children. And this happened," Porter said.
The Rev. Al Sharpton said family members told him that there were no guns in the young mens' car and "there was no reason for the police to shoot."
"On the face of it, it seems to me to be certainly something that causes extreme alarm and must be thoroughly investigated," said Sharpton, who said he was called by a relative of the man who died.
Abraham Kamara, 38, who lives a few blocks from the scene of the shooting, said he was getting ready for work when he heard gunfire.
"First it was like four shots," he said. "And then it was like pop-pop-pop like 12 times."
Roy Brown, who said he works as a photographer at the club, said sirens sounded not long after the three men left the club.
"They weren't rowdy or nothing like that," said Brown, 57.
A message seeking comment was left at one phone listing for the club; another phone was not answered.
One of the wounded men was in critical condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital and the other was listed as stable.
The three men ranged in age from 23 to 31.
The shooting happened just after 4 a.m. near Club Kalua in Queens, said Officer Kathleen Price. She said there were no reports that any officers were wounded.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the shooting. As many as eight officers may have been involved, said Sgt. Mike Wysokowski, another department spokesman.
"All I know, they was celebrating," said Denise Ford, who said her son was one of the survivors. She said the man who died was the groom. "The guy was getting married today."
Relatives said the dead man was Sean Bell, 23.
Robert Porter, who identified himself as Bell's first cousin, said he was supposed to be a DJ at the wedding.
"I still don't want to believe it, a beautiful day like this, and he was going to have a beautiful wedding, he was going to live forever with his wife and children. And this happened," Porter said.
The Rev. Al Sharpton said family members told him that there were no guns in the young mens' car and "there was no reason for the police to shoot."
"On the face of it, it seems to me to be certainly something that causes extreme alarm and must be thoroughly investigated," said Sharpton, who said he was called by a relative of the man who died.
Abraham Kamara, 38, who lives a few blocks from the scene of the shooting, said he was getting ready for work when he heard gunfire.
"First it was like four shots," he said. "And then it was like pop-pop-pop like 12 times."
Roy Brown, who said he works as a photographer at the club, said sirens sounded not long after the three men left the club.
"They weren't rowdy or nothing like that," said Brown, 57.
A message seeking comment was left at one phone listing for the club; another phone was not answered.
One of the wounded men was in critical condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital and the other was listed as stable.
The three men ranged in age from 23 to 31.
Wild Sex 101 S&M clubs, nude parties, porn, X-rated romps rule at Columbia University
Nov 26 - Wild Sex 101 S&M clubs, nude parties, porn, X-rated romps rule at Columbia University
Famed as a hotbed of debate over academic freedom, New York's most elite school is also a playpen for sexual hijinks, sophomoric antics and the wacky indulgences of the children of the rich.
While their parents shell out $33,246 a year in tuition, Columbia University students doff their clothes at naked parties, flock to sex toys workshops, broadcast porn on campus TV, bake anatomically correct pies for the "Erotic Cake-Baking Contest" and heat up the steps of the Low Library in a mass makeout session called the "Big Kiss."
And of course, there's always the stimulating game, "Guess the Number of Condoms in the Jelly-Bean Jar."
Others volunteer for the bullwhip at Conversio Virium, the university-sanctioned S&M club that means "exchange of power" in Latin. It calls itself a "discussion group" that provides "education and peer support" and promotes "safe, sane and consensual play." But the club doesn't just talk.
Late on the night of Nov. 13, a Daily News reporter sat in room 303 of Hamilton Hall, a venerable classroom building where Columbia students have studied Poe, Plato and Plutarch for nearly 100 years.
As a female student volunteer stood facing the blackboard, and two dozen Columbians watched, a lecturer who identified himself only as Dov flogged her repeatedly with leather whips, rubber hoses - and a cat-o'-nine-tails.
"I'm Dov, and these are my toys," he said, and for the next 14 minutes he demonstrated lashing techniques. The activity was consensual, but the squeals of delight mingled with the occasional yelps of pain.
Columbia would make no specific comment on the club or the flogging incident. Ivy Leaguers were unaware the reporter was in attendance. Dov is not employed by the school, which doesn't police or censor club activities.
Referring only to student organizations generally, spokesman Robert Hornsby said the "university has a limited role in regulating student speech or private conduct."
The result: Columbia Gone Wild.
New York's Smartest still dream of winning a Nobel Prize. And bookworms still pull all-nighters in the Butler Library. But the 2 million-volume monument to the mind, which stays open 24 hours a day, doubles as a temple of earthier desires.
"Having sex in the stacks of Butler Library is one of the ultimate Columbia experiences," said Miriam Datskovsky, the sex columnist for The Spectator, the student newspaper.
"There's very little dating. It's predominately a hookup scene," said the 21-year-old, a senior from an Orthodox Jewish background who writes the "Sexplorations" column.
"Everything is so much easier and so much quicker - you go to dinner and then have sex," she added.
Consider the party scene. But it's no reason to get dressed up. In fact, there's no reason to get dressed at all: The merrymakers of Morningside Heights host naked parties, lingerie-only parties - and the more bourgeois "clothing-optional parties with naked rooms."
And taxpayers indirectly foot a chunk of the tab because bond offerings and loans from the state Dormitory Authority and federal Department of Education partially fund the renovation of dorms where naked frolickers muster.
Columbia wouldn't comment on this use of university space. Lee Bollinger, the school's $779,673-a-year president and a world-class expert on free speech, wasn't available.
The soirees aren't exactly orgies: "It's more like naked students sitting around drinking martinis, defying societal conventions and trying to act nonchalant at the same time," said Birk Oxholm, a religion major who graduated last year.
"They're trying to act like it's not about sex. But they're not really succeeding," he added.
One hostess, who staged a Halloween-themed "Naked Witches & Warlocks Party" last month, called it a "great unshackling from the clothing that so defines and imprisons us." But it was a "sex-neutral event," she said.
The same cannot be said of several X-rated campus happenings:
"Sex Toys 101." The university's Health Services division teamed up with Toys in Babeland, a SoHo sex shop, to host a sex toys workshop in John Jay Hall on Feb. 15.
Though it was part of "Safer Sex Week," the playthings on display on W. 114th St. included bondage and S&M tools like whips, paddles, "floggers" and "slappers."
"Sexhibition." The annual campus sex fair, held in April, featured phallic ring toss games, orgasm-for-beginners workshops and discreet liaisons in the "Tent of Consent."
"Thug Play with Princess Wendy." Another session of the S&M club, taking place Oct. 30 in Hamilton Hall, was advertised as "beating, punching and slamming boys into lockers, and why bullies are so so so much fun!"
The speaker discussed "boot service," the "fine art of humiliation" and how a $5 meat mallet can be used as a toy. But "Princess Wendy" also provided safety tips, counseling students to avoid kicking one another in the kidneys and spine.
"I like to hurt people," she said. "I don't like to send them to the hospital."
She also advised some 30 devotees, "If you're new to kicking and trampling, start out slow."
Conversio Virium's officers declined to address questions. Columbia's student activities coordinator, a university employee who advises the club, didn't respond to an e-mail.
But the Baltimore-based National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, which advocates for S&M groups, contacted The News at the request of the students.
"Educating people about the safest flogging techniques so they don't accidentally strike the kidneys is responsible behavior," said spokeswoman Susan Wright. "Basically, what they're doing is S&M 101."
"Smut TV." CTV, Columbia's in-house, student-run TV station, has a faculty adviser, uses school equipment and space, gets $5,021 a year in student activity fees - and is hungry for new viewers.
So at 10 p.m. on Oct. 17, it entered the hard-core porn business: Broadcasting into scores of dorms and lounges, it aired a five-minute clip, downloaded from the Internet, of a naked couple engaged in sex.
The footage ran during a sex advice show called "Sexiled" - which is student slang for getting kicked out of one's room so a roommate can have sex - and even some jaded Columbians who'd tuned in said they were offended.
CTV, which isn't edited, censored or monitored by the administration, said in a statement that airing porn was a "lapse of judgment." It was "inconsistent with broadcast standards" and won't happen again, said Alisa Gross and Nihar Shah, CTV's student co-presidents.
"The Naked Run." In the chill of November, at the stroke of midnight, a group of exhibitionists, led by the track team, dons running sneakers - and nothing else - for a sprint down College Walk and up Broadway.
So does anything go at Columbia? Actually, no. Flogging and bondage are accepted, but the school apparently draws the line at another form of communication between the sexes: love letters.
They were good enough for Cleopatra, who sent them to Mark Antony, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who exchanged them with his wife, Zelda. But Columbia University Health Services lists love letters as a form of nonphysical sexual harassment, according to its Web site.
"What's next for Columbia? Objecting to a little ankle?" said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a nonpartisan free speech watchdog group that examines academia.
Famed as a hotbed of debate over academic freedom, New York's most elite school is also a playpen for sexual hijinks, sophomoric antics and the wacky indulgences of the children of the rich.
While their parents shell out $33,246 a year in tuition, Columbia University students doff their clothes at naked parties, flock to sex toys workshops, broadcast porn on campus TV, bake anatomically correct pies for the "Erotic Cake-Baking Contest" and heat up the steps of the Low Library in a mass makeout session called the "Big Kiss."
And of course, there's always the stimulating game, "Guess the Number of Condoms in the Jelly-Bean Jar."
Others volunteer for the bullwhip at Conversio Virium, the university-sanctioned S&M club that means "exchange of power" in Latin. It calls itself a "discussion group" that provides "education and peer support" and promotes "safe, sane and consensual play." But the club doesn't just talk.
Late on the night of Nov. 13, a Daily News reporter sat in room 303 of Hamilton Hall, a venerable classroom building where Columbia students have studied Poe, Plato and Plutarch for nearly 100 years.
As a female student volunteer stood facing the blackboard, and two dozen Columbians watched, a lecturer who identified himself only as Dov flogged her repeatedly with leather whips, rubber hoses - and a cat-o'-nine-tails.
"I'm Dov, and these are my toys," he said, and for the next 14 minutes he demonstrated lashing techniques. The activity was consensual, but the squeals of delight mingled with the occasional yelps of pain.
Columbia would make no specific comment on the club or the flogging incident. Ivy Leaguers were unaware the reporter was in attendance. Dov is not employed by the school, which doesn't police or censor club activities.
Referring only to student organizations generally, spokesman Robert Hornsby said the "university has a limited role in regulating student speech or private conduct."
The result: Columbia Gone Wild.
New York's Smartest still dream of winning a Nobel Prize. And bookworms still pull all-nighters in the Butler Library. But the 2 million-volume monument to the mind, which stays open 24 hours a day, doubles as a temple of earthier desires.
"Having sex in the stacks of Butler Library is one of the ultimate Columbia experiences," said Miriam Datskovsky, the sex columnist for The Spectator, the student newspaper.
"There's very little dating. It's predominately a hookup scene," said the 21-year-old, a senior from an Orthodox Jewish background who writes the "Sexplorations" column.
"Everything is so much easier and so much quicker - you go to dinner and then have sex," she added.
Consider the party scene. But it's no reason to get dressed up. In fact, there's no reason to get dressed at all: The merrymakers of Morningside Heights host naked parties, lingerie-only parties - and the more bourgeois "clothing-optional parties with naked rooms."
And taxpayers indirectly foot a chunk of the tab because bond offerings and loans from the state Dormitory Authority and federal Department of Education partially fund the renovation of dorms where naked frolickers muster.
Columbia wouldn't comment on this use of university space. Lee Bollinger, the school's $779,673-a-year president and a world-class expert on free speech, wasn't available.
The soirees aren't exactly orgies: "It's more like naked students sitting around drinking martinis, defying societal conventions and trying to act nonchalant at the same time," said Birk Oxholm, a religion major who graduated last year.
"They're trying to act like it's not about sex. But they're not really succeeding," he added.
One hostess, who staged a Halloween-themed "Naked Witches & Warlocks Party" last month, called it a "great unshackling from the clothing that so defines and imprisons us." But it was a "sex-neutral event," she said.
The same cannot be said of several X-rated campus happenings:
"Sex Toys 101." The university's Health Services division teamed up with Toys in Babeland, a SoHo sex shop, to host a sex toys workshop in John Jay Hall on Feb. 15.
Though it was part of "Safer Sex Week," the playthings on display on W. 114th St. included bondage and S&M tools like whips, paddles, "floggers" and "slappers."
"Sexhibition." The annual campus sex fair, held in April, featured phallic ring toss games, orgasm-for-beginners workshops and discreet liaisons in the "Tent of Consent."
"Thug Play with Princess Wendy." Another session of the S&M club, taking place Oct. 30 in Hamilton Hall, was advertised as "beating, punching and slamming boys into lockers, and why bullies are so so so much fun!"
The speaker discussed "boot service," the "fine art of humiliation" and how a $5 meat mallet can be used as a toy. But "Princess Wendy" also provided safety tips, counseling students to avoid kicking one another in the kidneys and spine.
"I like to hurt people," she said. "I don't like to send them to the hospital."
She also advised some 30 devotees, "If you're new to kicking and trampling, start out slow."
Conversio Virium's officers declined to address questions. Columbia's student activities coordinator, a university employee who advises the club, didn't respond to an e-mail.
But the Baltimore-based National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, which advocates for S&M groups, contacted The News at the request of the students.
"Educating people about the safest flogging techniques so they don't accidentally strike the kidneys is responsible behavior," said spokeswoman Susan Wright. "Basically, what they're doing is S&M 101."
"Smut TV." CTV, Columbia's in-house, student-run TV station, has a faculty adviser, uses school equipment and space, gets $5,021 a year in student activity fees - and is hungry for new viewers.
So at 10 p.m. on Oct. 17, it entered the hard-core porn business: Broadcasting into scores of dorms and lounges, it aired a five-minute clip, downloaded from the Internet, of a naked couple engaged in sex.
The footage ran during a sex advice show called "Sexiled" - which is student slang for getting kicked out of one's room so a roommate can have sex - and even some jaded Columbians who'd tuned in said they were offended.
CTV, which isn't edited, censored or monitored by the administration, said in a statement that airing porn was a "lapse of judgment." It was "inconsistent with broadcast standards" and won't happen again, said Alisa Gross and Nihar Shah, CTV's student co-presidents.
"The Naked Run." In the chill of November, at the stroke of midnight, a group of exhibitionists, led by the track team, dons running sneakers - and nothing else - for a sprint down College Walk and up Broadway.
So does anything go at Columbia? Actually, no. Flogging and bondage are accepted, but the school apparently draws the line at another form of communication between the sexes: love letters.
They were good enough for Cleopatra, who sent them to Mark Antony, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who exchanged them with his wife, Zelda. But Columbia University Health Services lists love letters as a form of nonphysical sexual harassment, according to its Web site.
"What's next for Columbia? Objecting to a little ankle?" said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a nonpartisan free speech watchdog group that examines academia.
A man fatally shot his friend with a high-powered rifle in a dispute over a $20 bet
LEXINGTON, A man fatally shot his friend with a high-powered rifle in a dispute over a $20 bet on the South Carolina-Clemson football game, authorities said Sunday.
James Walter Quick, 42, was charged with murder in the shooting of Richard Allen Johnson, 43. Johnson died from a single shot to the chest, according to a preliminary autopsy Sunday.
The two had bet $20 on the annual game, with Quick taking South Carolina, which won 31-28, and Johnson taking Clemson, Lexington County Sheriff James Metts said. They drank beer all afternoon and watched the game Saturday at Johnson's home, and began arguing about the bet after the game.
Metts said Quick went to his car, got the rifle he normally uses for hunting and fired one shot, hitting Johnson in the chest. Deputies arrested Quick.
Quick was being held Sunday in the Lexington County jail, awaiting a bail hearing. The sheriff's department said he did not yet have a lawyer.
James Walter Quick, 42, was charged with murder in the shooting of Richard Allen Johnson, 43. Johnson died from a single shot to the chest, according to a preliminary autopsy Sunday.
The two had bet $20 on the annual game, with Quick taking South Carolina, which won 31-28, and Johnson taking Clemson, Lexington County Sheriff James Metts said. They drank beer all afternoon and watched the game Saturday at Johnson's home, and began arguing about the bet after the game.
Metts said Quick went to his car, got the rifle he normally uses for hunting and fired one shot, hitting Johnson in the chest. Deputies arrested Quick.
Quick was being held Sunday in the Lexington County jail, awaiting a bail hearing. The sheriff's department said he did not yet have a lawyer.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Top Ten Most Dangerous Cities in the USA
10. Gary, IND
9. Youngstown, OH
8. Oakland, CA
7. Cleveland, OH
6. Birmingham, AL
5. Camden, NJ
4. Compton, CA
3. Flint, MICHIGAN
2. Detroit, MICHIGAN
1. St. Louis, MISSOURI
9. Youngstown, OH
8. Oakland, CA
7. Cleveland, OH
6. Birmingham, AL
5. Camden, NJ
4. Compton, CA
3. Flint, MICHIGAN
2. Detroit, MICHIGAN
1. St. Louis, MISSOURI
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