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P.B.

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Here's a little demo of the ToonPAINT app for iPhone. It's amazing how it can turn even the worst looking photos - I'm talking quality more than composition - into something artsy. I snapped a bunch of photos on my iPhone 4 yesterday and this is the result of my experimentation. I think I'll be playing with ToonPAINT for a while. It's a lot of fun.

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Some Colorado lawmakers say their state should be the first one where people become organ donors by default, even though other states' efforts have been halted by worries about making such a personal decision automatic.

Colorado's proposal, introduced in the Legislature last week, would change the process for renewing driver's licenses and ID cards so applicants are assumed to be organ and tissue donors unless they initial a statement that says they want to opt out.

The "presumed consent" system is common in Europe and is credited with dramatically raising donation rates.

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This is the opening from Honey West, a 1965 ABC show starring Anne Francis as a sexy female private eye. It was reported today that Anne Francis died on December 2, 2010 from pancreatic cancer. She was 80 years old. 

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From Kiplinger.com

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I'm no fan of New Year's Eve and its festivities. I'll be sleeping through all of it because I have to get up at 3am to go work on The CBS Early Show on Saturday morning.

For those of us old enough to remember, this video from 1976 may bring back fond memories. Younger people will probably scratch their heads and say "WTF?"  Before New Year's Eve in Times Square became an overproduced, commercialized, hyped up MTV rave party, there was Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians. For decades, Guy and his band performed at a ritzy black-tie party, televised from New York's swanky (and now bed bug ridden) Waldolf Astoria Hotel. Forget Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest. Ben Grauer, who recently passed away, was the guy who reported all the action, as a much simpler ball was lowered from atop the Allied Chemical Building, now known as One Times Square. No one plays Auld Land Syne like Guy Lombardo. 

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy 2011. Live for today, forget the past, and plan for tomorrow. 

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Any diabetic knows first hand how difficult and expensive it is to manage this progressive and deadly disease. Imagine what it's like to be a diabetic in a country where poverty abounds and there is little or no medical care. I just learned from tudiabetes.org about a great charitable organization called Insulin for Life USA which accepts donations of insulin and diabetic supplies and distributes them to children and adults in developing countries. Insulin for Life, which is based in Australia and has centers in the USA and around the globe, collects unused insulin, syringes, needles, lancets, testing strips, insulin pumps, and glucose test meters. Please watch the video below which explains the mission of Insulin for Life. 

I was very fortunate that I only had to take insulin for a very short time back in September and I haven't needed it since I brought my BG under control. I have 4 unused Humalog KwikPens, a box of 100 pen needles, and some extra lancets I will be sending to Insulin for Life. If you are a diabetic and have extra supplies you can share with those in need or if you just want to make a donation, please go to the above links for more information. Thank you.

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Sent via iPhone 4

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via neatorama.com

Weird beyond words.

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ismashphone.com
Ultimate Guide to iOS 4.2 Features: What's New?

TiPB.com
iOS 4.2 for iPhone walkthrough

product-reviews.net
iOS 4.2 Airplay / AirPrint: How To Guide

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"Don't touch my junk or I am going to have you arrested” was the outcry of air traveler John Tyner when he was about to be intimately frisked by airport security in San Digeo. Tyner also the called the pat down screening "a sexual assault." Many people feel the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has gone too far with groin groping and scanners that can see your naked body under your clothes. I love the suggestion of Jeffery Goldberg who writes for The Atlantic: 

"Think about it -- if you're a male, and you want to bollix-up the nonsensical airport security-industrial complex, one way to do so would be to wear a kilt. If nothing else, this will cause TSA employees to throw up their hands in disgust. If you want to go the extra extra mile, I suggest commando-style kilt-wearing. While it is probably illegal to fly without pants, I can't imagine that it's illegal to fly without underpants. If you are Scottish, or part Scottish, or know someone who is Scottish, or eat Scottish salmon, or enjoy Scotch, or have a vestigial affection for "Braveheart" despite Mel Gibson, you can plausibly claim some sort of multicultural diversity privilege -- the term "True Scotsman" refers to soldiers who honor their tradition and heritage by wearing kilts without drawers underneath."

Thanks for my buddy Alan for steering me to this story.

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Sarah Palin's 8-week TV series, Sarah Palin's Alaska, premieres tonight at 9 on TLC. Having been to Alaska, I personally can't wait to see it. Considering how many members of the lame-stream media are suffering from "Palin derangement syndrome", I was surprised to see many of the reviews posted online were positive. Of course, some reviewers just can't resist taking a cheap shot at the show and the Palin family.

 Chicago Sun-Times: "It's essentially “John & Kate Plus Eight.” Minus the divorce. Plus cavorting grizzly bears." 

Salt Lake Tribune: "If you haven’t already fallen asleep by the time they go rock climbing at the end of the hour-long episode, that scene itself is a sure cure for insomnia."

NY Times: "the snowcapped mountains, pine forests and shimmering lakes are majestic, the Palin children are adorable and the series looks like a travelogue--wholesome, visually breathtaking and a little dull. In a way it’s like “The Sound of Music” but without the romance, the Nazis or the music."

"Mama Grizzly" is not one to sit back and let critics gnaw on her leg. Sarah quickly fired back on Facebook and Twitter:

"No doubt critics who seem to live to criticize will follow suit with this project. So be it. Todd and I are showing people our home state which we love, and we wanted to create the sort of family-friendly, uplifting, educational television that we like to watch with our kids." 

"My answer to those naysayers is the reminder my daughter Bristol offered when she was blessed with the opportunity to participate on “Dancing with the Stars.” I cautioned Bristol about all the criticism she’d no doubt encounter. Bristol told me, “Mom, they’re going to criticize me no matter what I do, so I might as well dance!” Yes, they’ll criticize us no matter what, so I might as well climb and fly and trek and build and hunt and fish and share with you the awe-inspiring beauty of Alaska...and because I wanted my family along for the ride, I want your family to come along, too. Follow me there!"

Just like her beloved Alaska, Sarah Palin is a force of nature. Just look at the influence she had in the recent election, which knocked President Obama and his ultra-liberal legions for a loop. The elite can snark all they want, but Palin's love of family, nature, freedom, and her dislike of out of control government spending, reflects the values of millions of American voters. Her TV series will help generate loads of tourism dollars for the Alaskan economy and win her many new supporters. Those who underestimate Sarah Palin do so at their own risk.

You can read the full text of Sarah's response HERE.

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As much as I love computer animation, especially the films from Pixar, it's great to see Walt Disney Productions has returned to the art form they helped to perfect. Their new feature length version of Winnie The Pooh was created using traditional hand drawn cell animation. Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, and the rest of the gang from Hundred Acre Wood hit theaters next summer.

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I'm not ashamed to admit that I like The Sound of Music. I can't tell you how many times I've watched the 1965 film on TV, although I'm not sure if I ever saw it in a movie theater. Years ago, I had the pleasure of briefly working with Julie Andrews, shooting something for CBS. We were all crowded into a small, hot, room in an office building on 57th Street, which CBS uses as a makeshift studio for interviews. Although she was very gracious to the crew, I remember she was a bit of a diva. Hey, why not? She's freaking Julie Andrews. I believe this was around the time she was dealing with the loss of her singing voice, so I'm sure it was a difficult period for her. It was a thrill to meet Miss Andrews - that's how everyone cautiously addressed her. I don't recall what lines I prompted for her. It might have been a public service announcement for UNICEF. I do remember the first thing that popped into my head when I saw her in the flesh wasn't "Maria" from The Sound of Music. It was the infamous scene in the movie, S.O.B when she opens up her shirt and shows her boobs. I guess she did it to shake off her wholesome Sound of Music image. Guess it worked. Despite all the build-up and publicity, the film was a big bomb, but there were a lot of jokes about "the hills are alive." 

Now this is pretty cool. To promote the release of The Sound of Music on Blu-ray DVD, Julie Andrews and the actors who played the Von Trapp kids appeared on the Today Show. Even Angela Cartwright (Make Room for Daddy and Lost in Space) was there. If you're a fan of The Sound of Music, you'll love this clip.

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