241st Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade. The parade just started here in NYC, so I have to leave soon to take the subway up to the 60's to catch it midway! There's even going to be a moment of silence at 12:30 in memory of 9/11 victims. Top 'o the morning to you!

Will the US ban ALL cloning? Editorial comment: Cloning votes: "America's passionate public debate over cloning is reaching a climax as the US Senate prepares to vote on whether all human cloning should be banned. Opponents of cloning have hit new heights of hyperbole, fanning fears of a brave new world where body parts are grown and harvested for profit and identical babies are produced to satisfy parents in search of immortality.

Passion has not been lacking, either, on the side that favours cloning: sick children have been paraded before a Senate committee to demonstrate the need for research on cells from cloned embryos to find new cures for diseases from juvenile diabetes to Alzheimer's. Christopher Reeve, the paralysed actor who once played Superman, testified last week that hundreds of thousands would die if the US banned all cloning, including for medical purposes."

Last Call: Episode 31. Actress Milla Jovovich and rapper Mystikal stopped by to see Carson. Milla told Carson about her modeling career as a child. She also said her 13-year-old brother plays violent video games, which bothered her. When he played "Resident Evil," she felt killing zombies was okay because they are already dead. Milla stars in the movie adaption of the game. Carson showed a clip from the movie where Milla jumps into the air and kicks a zombie dog. Milla revealed the dogs were actually security dobermans on the set. Milla explained that she did all her own stunts because she loves to see actors' faces in movie action scenes.

Carson pointed out that he and Mila "have two things in common -- music and guns." He then brought up that MTV USO show from a couple motnhs ago where he got to play soldier, shooting on a military gun range. Milla said she is also a musician. She said she played on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien years ago with her band. After Carson's prompting, she agreed to perform her original song, "There A'int No God for Dogs," which included crazy screaming parts of the song which was supposed to be howling. Creative behind-the-shoulder camera shots were employed and Carson was shown twice cracking up off the set because of Milla's howling. (I found the howling quite unsettling myself.)

Mystikal, aka the "Black Elvis" (according to him), performed "Bump Me Against the Wall" complete with four dancers "shaking." Some really creative camera shots showed the performance from all sides.

Civil Liberties Conference. New York University and the New York Times present: "The State of the Union: Civil Liberties in the United States 2002"

Monday, April 1, 2002
5:30 - 7:30 PM | Reception to follow
The Great Hall of Cooper Union
7 E. 7th Street

"Civil Liberties encapsulates an idea profoundly important to America. The concept is one that embodies and permeates our consciousness and self-understanding as a nation, as a community, and as individuals. Following the aftermath of September 11th, how have our views and perceptions of civil liberties been affected? What are thekey elements and experiences currently shaping the nation's landscape? What will be the impact on the global community?

Join a dialogue featuring journalists from The New York Times and distinguished New York University faculty to discuss these timely and important concerns. To attend, please register."

Last Call: Episode 30. Nelly Furtado stopped by to perform and to chat with Carson. Nelly Furtado began the show with the song "S**t on the Radio (Remember the Days)" [thanks Laura!] She was very energetic and into her performance, which is always a good thing. Carson pointed out that she just won a Grammy, which she said is "a little bit cool." Nelly is from canada, so Carson asked her if a Grammy still meant as much to her as a Canadian. Nelly said that teh Grammys are on more of an international level, as opposed to the Canadian Juno Awards. Carson pointed out that Nelly never stops singing, as she was singing while sitting there. Carson told Nelly he's amazed she's such a "versatile singer with incredibly rich musical roots." She talked about her musical parents from Portugal and that her first connection with hiphop was in the suburbs.

Throughout the show, Nelly laughed infectiously. Carson mentioned Nelly's widespread fan base, which she described as "anybody who has a heart, anybody who smiles." Carson pointed out, semi-self-promotingly that her fan base includes a "TRL-esque crowd." He also pointed out that the clothes she wears are always so colorful. She said her clothing choices are very "Willy Wonky and Rainbow Bright." Carson described them as "very candy."

Carson started ranting about someone talked on and on on the Grammy's and Nelly pointed out to him that, "Now you have your own show so you can rant about it." Carson apprantly agreed, saying, "Damn straight!" Nelly perfomed a very energetic "Get Your Freak On" and closed the show with "Turn off the lights," where she ran into the crowd with the "Last Call" trying fruitlessly to reposition the cameras to continue filming her. Nelly really got the crowd involved... too bad the crew was totally not prepared for her to do so.

St. Partick's Day 2002! As part of my continuing weblog community service, I turn your attention to the following links about the holiday weekend: Saint Patrick's Day in New York City and St. Patrick's Day '02 - NYC. Please go to the parades, have a great time, be Irish, and stay safe. I will be attending this Saturday's NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade -- anyone want to come along? Let me know.

Weblog meme gets noticed by mainstream media! Google hit by link bombers: "Popular search site Google is being exploited by some net users to mount protests and play jokes on their friends.

The users have found a way to "bomb" Google to improve the rankings of particular webpages, and ensure a site is near the top of the results for particular search phrases.

Before now Google's method of ranking webpages was thought to make it largely immune to the tactics that many businesses use to improve their position in web searches."

I think the BBC is right on target by covering this, since it shows that their reporters are following the rapidly evolving Internet scene. I'm still waiting to see the more consequential weblog activity covered by most mainstream media, including the New York Times.

Cell phones with awesome extras! A splash of mobile colour: "Telecoms firms have taken the wraps off mobile phones with colour screens and in-built cameras at the world's biggest technology fair. They are betting that millions of consumers will trade in their old handsets for new ones with snazzier features, and give the industry a desperately needed boost."

Felicity: Last 10 Episodes. Watching the WB tonight, I was reminded by a promo that Felicity will begin its last ten episode run this Wednesday. While I won't go into a retrospective look at the role of the show in my life just yet, let me just say that Felicity has paralleled a number of events in my college career and for that I am thankful. I'd like to see the show go on, but as the cast graduates from college, I suppose this is as good of a time as ever to end the show's run.

Here are some related links: The WB pulls the plug on ''Felicity'' and Felicity Shocker: Who Dies?.

Bishop Egan Decries Contraceptive Insurance. Egan Rips Coverage for Birth Control: "Saying the Catholic Church is "under siege" by pro-choice "extremists," Edward Cardinal Egan called on lawmakers yesterday to exempt religious employers from mandatory health insurance coverage for contraceptives.

"This is humbug," Egan said as he led a brigade of bishops on a Capitol lobbying blitz. "This is legislation that simply makes no sense. We will not be daunted by the abortion and contraceptive extremists whose aggressive agenda includes putting the Catholic Church out of business," Egan said.

After meeting with Egan, Gov. Pataki said he would approve a bill with a clause shielding religious employers from the requirements. But Pataki would not specify which employers would be exempted. Under the proposal, a Catholic hospital caring for primarily non-Catholic patients would be required to offer birth control coverage."

While I have much respect for Bishop Egan, especially for his charitable efforts, I am simply confused by the angry and accusatory stance he is making in this case. While the Church does not recognize contraceptives as a viable effort to protect people, it still should recognize that many people, including many Catholics, do recognize the benefits of contraceptives. The Church should act accordingly, for the benefit of its entire constituency. I'm not so sure "contraceptive extremists," like the Bishop blames, are actually acting on this matter as part of an agenda to put the Catholic Church out of business. It seems to me that this bill is supported by health-conscious people who would liek to prevent the transmission of STD's.

Outrageous INS notification! Bush Orders Probe of INS Letters on Hijacker Visas: "Saying President Bush was "very displeased," the White House on Wednesday launched an investigation into why the Florida flight school where two of the Sept. 11 hijackers trained received notices this week that their student visas had been approved...

...The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service said on Tuesday that Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi were notified last summer of the change in their visa status from visitor to student but the "secondary notification" to the school did not go out until after the paperwork had been done manually."

Dear Abby to the rescue! Be careful who you write to for advice. Dear Abby Calls Police On Milwaukee Man: "Last week, Abigail Van Buren, known to millions as Dear Abby, told the Milwaukee police chief that she had received a letter from a Milwaukee man who was disturbed, he said, by sexual fantasies about children." I think Abby made the right call, especially since the man mentioned his urges towards his girlfriends children.

Last Call: Episode 29. John Edwards from "Crossing Over" stopped by to talk with Carson, who described him as an ordinary guy from Long Island who can communicate with people's dead relatives. Carson seemed proud that this guy from the "Last Call" crew was part of John Edwards communications in the past. Carson played the clip and brought out "Mike the audio guy" who indifferently stood there for a minute and then walked off the set. I'm not sure what Carson thought was going to happen with that.

Carson really tried to figure out if John was the real thing. John said he started out his psychic career by trying to debunk some psychic woman he believed was a fake. Carson asked John what he thought of the "television psychics." John replied, "I can't imagine that all these gifted psychics are waiting at home at 3am for your call." He agreed with Carson that "so basically they're crap." Next, Carson asked what a dead person's communication sounded like. John told him "its not literally a sound but a thought. Its like when you count to yourself." He continued by saying he hears that 'counting-to-yourself voice' and another voice similar to that which is the dead person trying to break through. Carson responded with a logical remark. "You're crazy!" he told John. He also said he must drive his family crazy by talking about his psychic powers.

In the next segment, Carson asked him if he thinks his abilities are based on faith or science. John said he depends on both. The way he put it was "Its an energy portrait framed with my faith."
Carson asked him if he had trouble sleeping with all these voices and John replied that now he sleeps great, despite having terrible night terrors as a child, one where he saw a wolf in his Queens neighborhood. Carson wiitingly responded that "Everybody in Queens has nightmares. Its the neighborhood. Lastly, Carson mentioned that the waiting list for a reading with John is three years long and that the areading doesn't guarantee any results.

The musical act was the X-ecutioners, a turntable trio who "take all the cheap recordings in the bargain rack and make them into music," according to Carson, who noted that they changed the role of deejaying. The group said that seeing a DJ in a rock group is good becuase it "takes it to a whole other level," which includes more exposure for deejays. They got Carson into their act with a demonstration of the "Soul Train," a move that involves all three of them working on a record, backspining it to the same word each time. Although Carson (and half the audience) figured he'd ruin the demo, Carson didn't mess it up and then proceeded to do an awkward celebration dance. The X-ecutioners performed two songs and offered some insight into their roles in the group, which they rotate. One acts as the drummer, another plays the lead bass (the kicks and snares), and the third is the lead vocal (the scratches and kicks).

Subway Photography Laws or Racial Profiling? Photography on the subway was banned until 8 years ago... so why is this man getting a summons for snapping a picture of a MetroCard machine? He Doesn't Get the Picture: '"The whole thing is very fishy to me," said Griffith, who waits for his day in the quasi-court that hears cases of alleged fare-beaters, platform spitters, illegal peddlers and other miscreants of the New York underground. His alleged violation was New York City Transit Regulation 1050.6, Subsection C: "No person shall use media devices such as films, slides or videotapes."

Yesterday, transit spokesman Bob Slovak said the regulation referred to the display of such devices in the subway. "It doesn't refer to the taking of pictures," he said.

Another section of the regulations - 1050.9, Subsection C - states that photography, filming and video recording in the subway is permitted but not the use of ancillary equipment such as lights and tripods. Slovak said photography and filming had been banned in the subways until about eight years ago.'

Sally Jessy Cancelled. 'Sally' Will Stop Talking After 19 Years: "Daytime TV viewers will soon stop seeing red -- "The Sally Jessy Raphael Show" is calling it quits after this season.

The longest-running talker on the air, "Sally" and its host's trademark red eyeglass frames have been a TV staple for 19 years now. But sharp ratings falloffs over the past several seasons ultimately forced its producer, Studios USA Domestic Television, to pull the plug."

Who knew Sally Jessy's show has been on for 19 years? Right -- no one. Maybe show quality had nothing to do with it... "Syndication TV analyst Bill Carroll of Katz TV said that like a lot of talkers these days, "Sally" "simply fell victim to the factionalization of the daytime TV audience," moving away to cable and Internet alternatives."

Ready for some IM spam? Spammers target IM accounts: "Growing incidents of spam attacks on some instant messaging networks are raising vexing questions about the future of one of the fastest-growing applications on the Internet.
Unsolicited commercial appeals on instant messenger are still uncommon, but they are becoming prevalent enough that some IM fans worry their networks are vulnerable to the seemingly unstoppable marketing deluge that has long flooded e-mail in-boxes."

Terror Alert System: Colors make the world go 'round. I feel bad for the poor color-blind people -- how will they know which color it is they're supposed to fear? Ridge Unveils New Terrorism Alert System: "America is on yellow alert, facing a ``significant risk of terrorist attacks,'' homeland security chief Tom Ridge said Tuesday as he announced a color-coded system designed to end confusion over terror warnings.

It will be years before the nation sees green -- the lowest threat level -- because terrorism may be ``a permanent condition'' in America, Ridge said."

Japanese Love Amazon. Amazon's Japanese-Language Site Tops 800,000 Users: 'Amazon.com Inc.'s Japanese- language Web site attracted 800,000 customers in its first 17 months, buoyed by a cash-on-delivery payment system and Web site for mobile-phone users that helped make Japan the company's fastest-growing market outside the U.S. ``The penetration of e-commerce is growing faster in Japan than any other segment,'' Diego Piacentini, senior vice president of worldwide retail and marketing for Amazon, told reporters in Tokyo. ``I see signals of e-commerce in Japan exploding.'''

Movies and music and more! A Music Lesson on Piracy for Hollywood: 'For the last several years, the record business has been embroiled in a nightmarish struggle to protect its music from being illegally downloaded on the Internet. The Recording Industry Assn. of America, or RIAA, estimates that 3.6 billion songs are illegally downloaded every month. Things have gotten so bad that Michael Greene, the head of the industry group that puts on the Grammy Awards, devoted most of his recent Grammy telecast speech to lambasting music fans for "stealing artists' livelihood," calling file sharing "the most insidious virus in our midst."

Now the movie business is feeling the heat. Surveys say an astounding 350,000 films are being downloaded illegally every day, many of them while still playing in theaters. The Motion Picture Assn. of America filed suit March 5 against a number of popular file-sharing services, including Morpheus, Grokster and Kazaa. At a recent entertainment law gathering, MPAA chief Jack Valenti said file-sharing "is file-stealing—it's an outrageous despoilment of precious assets."'

Free MP3 downloading comes at a privacy price. Spyware watches where you surf: "Your computer may be watching you. If you download free software from the Net -- especially the ragingly popular music-sharing programs and Web games -- chances are you've also gotten more than you've bargained for. Freeloading programs can quietly piggyback onto your PC during the download process and then do things surreptitiously once they get there.

The software -- dubbed adware, stealthware and spyware -- can track your surfing habits, use your Net connection to report back to a home base and deliver targeted ads to you. It also can collect your personal information and store it in databases." This is something I always suspected, yet hoped I'd never find out about. Too bad the articles don't explain what computer users can do about such spyware operating on their computers...

Britney Spears denies rumors. Despite previous news reports, Britney did not break up with boyfriend Justin Timberlake. The following two articles say she denied the reports somewhere in Europe. In Italy: Britney Spears Denies Breakup Rumors: "MILAN, Italy - Singer Britney Spears denies rumors that she and long-time boyfriend and 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake are breaking up. "No, that's not true. Me and Justin did not split up," she tells MTV Europe." In Germany: Britney Spears Denies Break-Up Reports: "After a rash of media speculation in recent days that the reigning couple of teen pop had split up, Spears issued a denial on Monday from Germany." The latest rumors are that Britney and Justin are getting engaged. And remember, she's not a girl, not yet a woman.

Letterman Stays with CBS; Koppel Stays Angry. After all the media hype and speculation, late-night talk funny guy David Letterman has decided to stay with CBS. But don't think his decision means he won't continue criticizing CBS executives... Letterman to Stay at CBS, ABC's Koppel Bitter | David Letterman to Stay With CBS "I have decided to stay here at CBS. I know it sounds pretty good to you folks, but there goes the vacation to Disney World." --Late-night television host DAVID LETTERMAN, announcing on his show that he was spurning an offer from the Disney-owned ABC network to remain at CBS.

ABC was quick to release a statement saying they plan to keep "Nightline" in its place, but the last minute gesture didn't cheer up Koppel... "Intentionally or not, collateral damage has been done" --ABC News veteran TED KOPPEL, on the hard feelings created by ABC's bid to woo DAVID LETTERMAN to ABC in a move that would have displaced Koppel's news program, "Nightline." Check out this website that's fighting to keep Koppel's program on the air: SaveNightline.com.

BLOGGERS' REACTIONS, NEWS ARTICLES, AND TRIBUTES

September 11th:
6 Months Later

There are so many things going through my head today. I couldn't sleep last night. Instead, I cried as the events of September 11th played over and over again in my head. I wonder if we really are better off six months later. I know the tragedy brought so many of us together, but I look around at world events and see hundreds of Israelites and Palestinians being slaughtered, American serviceman being killed in the War on Terror, the continued search for Osama bin Laden, questionable air quality in New York City, and people everyday who suffer the same effects they did back in September. I know the terrorist attacks have changed me, but have they changed the world for the better? I will never forget the events of September 11th. I will never forget the innocents lost six months ago today. I hope you won't forget either. Live your life, don't fear tomorrow.

In remembrance of the victims of September 11th, I have dedicated today's posts solely to examining where I and the world stand six months later looking back. This main post for today features links to other bloggers sentiments about this six month anniversary, as well as news articles, online tributes, and related links. Please leave your comments about what today means to you. The other posts remember six months to the minute, the horrible events that unfolded that sunny morning in September that have been forever entrenched in our hearts and minds. If you'd like me to add a link to your website or weblog, please leave a comment.

What Bloggers Are Saying

Jim Roepcke's Blog: "I don't know whether to be happy or sad that my boy was born after September 11, 2001."
Oliver Willis: "Never Forget."
whichwayup.org: "Six Months since that fateful morning."
Kevin Holtsberry: "Life in Columbus, Ohio seems far removed from ground zero and from Afghanistan but I will strive to remember what it is all about - to fight the effects of time and memory somehow."
NJguy.com: "You can reflect with images on my photo page."
Jeff Jarvis: "I believe six months is just long enough to begin to give us perspective on the events of September 11th and on its impact on life. It is time to make decisions."
Jeff Jarvis: "I have many images in my mind from that morning: from the beautiful, pure, clear, sunny sky that started the day to the utter darkness that quickly followed. But of all the images in my mind, the ones that stay with me most are of the faces of the firefighters and rescuers I saw rushing into those buildings. I remember them clearly: etched with fear and determination but without doubt or hesitation."
Jerry Kindall: "Maybe now is the right time to remind ourselves of everything we lost, to reassess whether the ruts we've fallen back into are the right ones for the world we now live in."
Where Were You?

News Articles

Denver Post: Sept. 11: Victory from the ashes By Rudolph W. Giuliani
Washington Post: An Unavoidable Anniversary
Boston Globe: Six months after attacks, survivors and rescuers pause to remember
ABC: A Moment of Silence
CBS: Sorrow And Resolve
Reuters: New York Plans Emotional 6-Month Sept. 11 Memorial
Newsday: Poignant Touches At WTC Tributes
NYT: New York Remembers Sept. 11 With Six-Month Memorials
NYT: Day of Somber Reminders Revolves Around a Sculpture and Lights
NYT: Even 6 Months Later, 'Get Over It' Just Isn't an Option
NY1: Six Months Later, City Reflects On WTC Attack
Daily News: Hectic City Will Pause, Remember
NYT: Timeline Since Sept. 11th
NYT: Hesitantly Watching, Hoping for Answers While Reliving Pain
NYT: Six Months Later, Scarred but Very Alive
CBS: Six Months Later: Where We Are
Cinn. Enquirer: 6 months later: Americans find what's important
Nando Times: White House ceremony to mark 6 months since terrorist attacks
AJC: States, Cities await Promised Guidance, Dollars from Feds
Boston Herald: Anniversary unsettling for families of victims
St. Augustine Record: For many, wounds of Sept. 11 slow to heal
Observer: Out of the ashes
Observer: 795,763 tonnes of building rubble and other facts
Observer: New world, but the same old disorder
Observer: Consequences of the World Trade Centre attack: the facts
Observer: Twin Towers finally give up their grim haul
Observer: New York: Big, bad and back to its ballsy best
Observer: A mass grave or prime real estate?
LA Times: National Memorial Sought for 9/11 Pa. Crash Site
Tallahasse Democrat: Actor compares 2000 election to Sept. 11
YahooNews: Terrorism and 9/11 Attacks Coverage
CSM: A city unchanged, yet changed forever
CSM: In 'Little Apple,' change etches hearts
Newsday: For Firefighters, the Job Never Stops
Chicago Tribune: Changed lives
Baltimore Sun: Future of Ground Zero stirs emotional debate
SPI: After 6 months, U.S. is sorting out impact of attacks
Ananova: New Yorkers wake to reminders of terror attacks six months on
ABC: The End of Closure?
Boston Globe: Mixture of security becomes way of life
Boston Herald: Tears turned to gold: Trade Center sculpture takes on new meaning
CBC: Silence, memorials mark Sept. 11 tragedy
Dallas Morning News: Nation reflects on six month anniversary of the 9-11 attacks
Fox News: WTC Survivors Find Strength in Each Other
Fox News: Six Months Later, U.S. Remembers
Fox News: Bush Leads White House Memorial Ceremony
Fox News: U.S. Embassy in Kabul Remembers Sept. 11
Houston Chronicle: Since 9/11, many have rethought how they work, play, worship
LA Times: U.S. Gets Back to Normal
MSNBC: Bush leads Sept. 11 commemoration
Mercury News: Backlash Anxiety
Seattle Times: Struggling to move on from Sept. 11
Seattle Times: Post 9/11 by the numbers: A concrete look at what's changed
Globe and Mail: New York marks day of horror
Globe and Mail: Church near ground zero survives, but its flock bears scars
Wash. Post: Survivors Healed, but Not Whole
BBC: Bush issues new warning on terror
AP: Americans Abroad Pay 9-11 Tribute
Ted Rall: Nothing Changed After 9-11: Our Smoke and Mirrors War on Terror
Wash. Post: Survivors Healed, but Not Whole
CBS News: 9/11: Remembrance And Resolve (62)

Online Tributes

Yahoo: Online Memorials and Tributes
Newsday: We'll Never Forget (Flash movie)
WhichWayUp: Tribute
Politics & Protest: 9/11 Memorial (Flash Movie)

Related Links

Jeff Jarvis: 9.11 Memorial Blog
CJR.org: "Covering Catastrophe"
Times Union: Timeline

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH: The death toll continued to rise. The fourth hijacked plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field six months ago to the minute. More lives were lost, but because of several brave passengers, many lives were probably saved.

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH: Uncomprehensible. Six months ago to the minute, the North tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, just seconds after I saw it's trademark antenna slant ever so slightly. Again, a cloud of dust was highlighted by shards of glass and concrete, which showered down and reflected the bright sunlight of that September morning. I watched the seond tower collapse and I lost it -- I cried uncontrollably and cursed repeatedly, banging my fist on the window I had been watchign through all morning.

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH: A Surreal Scene. Six months ago to the minute, the South tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, defying all belief. I remember seeing the shards of glass and concrete fly down to the ground like snowflakes among the huge dust storm. My roommates and I wondered if the entire tower had actually fallen or if just the top half fell off. Minutes later, we knew the answer to our question.

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH: The horror continued. Six months ago to the minute, another hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon. I remember wondering what the next target would be.

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH: A second moment of silence. By now I had been awoken by my roommate and I was concerned. I knew something was wrong, but I had no idea what was about to happen in the next two hours. We tried to figure out how a plane could have crashed into the WTC. Just then, the second hijacked plane impacted the World Trade Center before my very eyes with a huge explosion, six months ago to this very minute. Moments later, I heard reporter Janice Huff call into NBC saying she thought she saw a second plane hit the WTC. I remember hoping she was wrong.

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH: A moment of silence. Six months ago to the minute, the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center and lives were changed forever.

Which is weirder? Former rapper and bankruptcy victim MC Hammer as the Fresh Start Network spokesperson, NSYNC's Justin Timberlake as Elton John in Elton's new music video (alongside Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens), or FOX's "Celebrity Boxing": (CARD 1: Danny Bonaduce ("Danny Partridge") versus Barry Williams ("Greg Brady"), CARD 2: Robert Van Winkle (Vanilla Ice) versus Todd Bridges (Willis on "Diff'rent Strokes"), CARD 3: Tonya Harding versus Paula Jones)? You're right -- a difficult decision.

6 Months After the Terror. Poignant Touches At WTC Tributes: "A six-month memorial tribute Monday for the World Trade Center victims will include a poem to be read by the young sons of a man who died in the Sept. 11 attack, officials said Friday. The nationally televised Battery Park tribute also will include moments of silence at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. - the exact times hijacked airliners crashed into the towers, leaving 2,830 people dead or missing.

The ceremony, as described by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will dedicate a temporary memorial formed around "the Sphere," which rested on a granite fountain in the center of the destroyed World Trade Center plaza. Situated on the Eisenhower Mall near Bowling Green, it will be flanked by rows of trees and park benches. Victims of the 1993 Twin Towers bombing also will be honored."

Kicksology: the study of phat kicks. Kicksology.net: "The study of phat kicks for your balling pleasure." Something tells me Nick would enjoy this site.

[via ev]