http://www.dixero.com Dixero Lifestyle Channel no http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28526953/ The green thumbs who keep lawns lush and flora flourishing in Los Angeles have found a new foe among the aphids, white flies and other yard pests — the water police. News Tue, 6 Jan 2009 22:47:50 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28526953/ 2009-01-06T22:47:50Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28512579/ The parents who failed to report their 11-year-old adopted son missing nearly a decade ago are "people of interest" as authorities search for him nationwide, a sheriff said Monday. News Tue, 6 Jan 2009 14:19:10 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28512579/ 2009-01-06T14:19:10Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28520155/ Happy new year — in reverse! The massive Waterford Crystal ball that descended in Times Square to ring in 2009 is being lit again and sent back up a 141-foot flagpole, where it will remain year-round. News Tue, 6 Jan 2009 14:01:14 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28520155/ 2009-01-06T14:01:14Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28515928/ Malia and Sasha Obama begin classes at Sidwell Friends under watchful eyes of, well, everyone. News Tue, 6 Jan 2009 12:19:26 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28515928/ 2009-01-06T12:19:26Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/agxhFKU2ZAQ/chi-obama-art-0106jan06,0,6686043.story (and just about everything else) . An Ohio man drew a portrait on an Etch A Sketch. An Iowa woman carved a bust out of chilled butter. Others fashioned figures from aluminum foil or carved likenesses from driftwood. One Seattle artist produced a picture made entirely from Marshmallow Peeps. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/agxhFKU2ZAQ/chi-obama-art-0106jan06,0,6686043.story 2009-01-06T06:00:00Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376058?source=rss TaRosa Jacobs is Thriftonista: a young mother with an eye for style and a disciplined wallet, a combination well-suited for secondhand-store shopping. /Style Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:39:54 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376058 cmartin@denverpost.com (<B>By Claire Martin </B> / <I>The Denver Post</I>) 2009-01-06T03:39:54Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376056?source=rss It's been said of life that since we're just passing through, we should make the most of it. So it's especially peculiar that everyday health-care professionals don't embrace this little ditty with a stranglehold. /Style Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:26:39 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376056 editor@denverpost.com (Gerry Barber) 2009-01-06T03:26:39Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376060?source=rss History, naturally, will remember 2008 as a year that was filled with events of epic scope. But those of us who survived 2008 will remember it for something much more troubling: bad man hair. /Style Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:22:43 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376060 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Christopher Muther</B> / <I>The Boston Globe </I>) 2009-01-06T03:22:43Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376521?source=rss Start the year with a clean slate &mdash; or at least a clean closet. /Style Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:48:39 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376521 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Samantha Critchell</B> / <I>The Associated Press</I>) 2009-01-06T02:48:39Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376522?source=rss Getting organized for the new year is a cliched resolution that so many of us abandon by mid-January. It's tough to tackle (much less successfully emerge from) a heaping mess with vigor. /Style Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:44:54 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376522 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Kathleen Hom </B> / <I>The Washington Post</I>) 2009-01-06T02:44:54Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376046?source=rss I could hear my mailman struggling to get a certain envelope through my mail slot recently. It was the credit card bill, and I knew it was bad when it finally landed like a brick on the floor. /Style Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:40:43 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376046 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Tania Anderson</B> / <I> Washingtonpost.com</I>) 2009-01-06T02:40:43Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376057?source=rss When we asked entrants to the Denver Post $25 Haiku Contest to contemplate the notion of "paradise," we quickly learned that happiness is where you find it. /Style Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:38:33 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11376057 editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) 2009-01-06T02:38:33Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28505195/ Storms swirled over the Northwest early Monday, dumping snow from Washington state to Northern California. News Mon, 5 Jan 2009 15:46:48 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28505195/ 2009-01-05T15:46:48Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/4I7cvKbyJYM/chi-box-office-0105jan05,0,4653300.story The family tale "Marley & Me," starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson as owners of an adorably mischievous pooch, took in $24. 1 million to finish as the No. 1 movie for a second straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Mon, 5 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/4I7cvKbyJYM/chi-box-office-0105jan05,0,4653300.story 2009-01-05T06:00:00Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28497843/ Eight people are dead and a ninth injured aboard a helicopter that went down in coastal Louisiana. News Mon, 5 Jan 2009 03:57:41 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28497843/ 2009-01-05T03:57:41Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11368190?source=rss The newest weight-loss coach is a mouse-click away, with scores of websites and online newsgroups offering guidance and support to dieters and exercisers. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:14:03 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11368190 cmartin@denverpost.com (<B>By Claire Martin </B> / <I> The Denver Post</I>) 2009-01-05T01:14:03Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11368189?source=rss Joseph Pilates could never have dreamed that the body-strengthening system he developed in Germany in the early 1900s would become one of the hottest fitness trends in America almost a century later. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:14:02 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11368189 sbrown@denverpost.com (<B>By Suzanne S. Brown </B> / <I>The Denver Post</I>) 2009-01-05T01:14:02Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28494771/ Burial plot brokers are reporting an uptick in the business of reselling grave sites, as money troubles prompt a growing number of people to put their burial plots up for sale, often at a loss. News Sun, 4 Jan 2009 23:16:50 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28494771/ 2009-01-04T23:16:50Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363100?source=rss Be alert when you click: Look for specific, concrete help. To be useful, a site should require information about your height, weight, age and activity level to tailor an accurate activity log and daily calorie requirements. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:13:25 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363100 editor@denverpost.com () 2009-01-04T17:13:25Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363114?source=rss Let's make a list of the important things you need before walking out the door: Wallet: Check. Cellphone: Check. Keys: Check. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:10:23 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363114 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Julia Feldmeier</B> / <I>Special to The Washington Post</I>) 2009-01-04T17:10:23Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363091?source=rss January is for fitness centers what December is for retailers: a bad month makes for a bad year. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:09:24 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363091 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Megan K. Scott</B> / <I>The Associated Press</I>) 2009-01-04T17:09:24Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363090?source=rss Preparation time is 35 minutes, start to finish. Makes 12 muffins. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:08:39 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363090 editor@denverpost.com (<p>) 2009-01-04T17:08:39Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363088?source=rss If you have holiday leftovers, you've got some tasty meals ahead. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:08:21 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363088 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Jim Romanoff</B> / <I>The Associated Press </I>) 2009-01-04T17:08:21Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363087?source=rss Bio-diesel fueled "Baby," a eco-education classroom on wheels, rolls into Colorado next week. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:07:20 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363087 editor@denverpost.com () 2009-01-04T17:07:20Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363089?source=rss Q: I remember we used to get vaccines and other shots using an air gun, and lots of people could get shots quickly. I haven't seen this done for a long time. Why? /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:02:05 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363089 editor@denverpost.com (<b>Mayo Clinic </b>) 2009-01-04T17:02:05Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363083?source=rss Joseph Pilates could never have dreamed that the body-strengthening system he developed in Germany in the early 1900s would become one of the hottest fitness trends in America almost a century later. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:01:00 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363083 sbrown@denverpost.com (<B>By Suzanne S. Brown </B> / <I>The Denver Post</I>) 2009-01-04T17:01:00Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363082?source=rss It's freezing outside, but it isn't too early to start thinking about summer camps. /Style Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:59:40 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11363082 editor@denverpost.com (<p>) 2009-01-04T16:59:40Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/koy5e1D0sCk/la-ca-sandor-marai4-2009jan04,0,6074320.story Publication of another novel in English gives readers a new chance to become acquainted with an overlooked European master. Esther's Inheritance Sun, 4 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/koy5e1D0sCk/la-ca-sandor-marai4-2009jan04,0,6074320.story 2009-01-04T08:00:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/2c27WT7LoaI/chi-obamawood2-cover-0104jan04,0,4187628.story What impact will the new president have on entertainment? . BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. —Hollywood has long maintained a mutual love affair with the presidency. John F. Kennedy was famously friendly with Marilyn Monroe, who serenaded him with "Happy birthday, Mr. President," and his father, Joseph, financed movie studios and dallied with Gloria Swanson. Sun, 4 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/2c27WT7LoaI/chi-obamawood2-cover-0104jan04,0,4187628.story 2009-01-04T06:00:00Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359896?source=rss Colorado sculptor Lawrence Argent's latest project is far more ephemeral than "I See What You Mean," his installation of the big blue bear peering into the Denver Convention Center. /Style Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:52:37 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359896 cmartin@denverpost.com (Claire Martin / The Denver Post) 2009-01-04T03:52:37Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359831?source=rss Janice Easterling chose sewing over doing jail time on Feb. 11, 2008, a date she cites from memory. Easterling began sewing as a child in Illinois. /Style Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:43:07 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359831 editor@denverpost.com (Claire Martin / The Denver Post) 2009-01-04T03:43:07Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359895?source=rss TODAY /Style Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:24:56 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359895 editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) 2009-01-04T03:24:56Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359830?source=rss No winner this week. The place: Alamosa's Southern Peaks Library. /Style Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:57:35 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359830 editor@denverpost.com () 2009-01-04T02:57:35Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359828?source=rss Commemorating the governor whose compassion cost his political career is this recently named stretch of highway photographed by Denver Newspaper Agency state circulation manager Rick Charbonneau. /Style Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:55:41 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359828 editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) 2009-01-04T02:55:41Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359832?source=rss "When Hope Won: The Road to the White House," opening Saturday at the Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library, 2401 Welton St. ; 720-865-2401, aarldenverlibrary. org. /Style Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:53:20 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359832 editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) 2009-01-04T02:53:20Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359826?source=rss Take a closer look at those red-white-and-blue bags at the Colorado Historical Society's gift shops at its Denver headquarters and at the Byers-Evans House. /Style Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:50:16 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11359826 cmartin@denverpost.com (Claire Martin / The Denver Post) 2009-01-04T02:50:16Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28485679/ On the day that Donald Peters died, he unknowingly provided financial security for his wife of 59 years and their family. News Sun, 4 Jan 2009 02:13:25 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28485679/ 2009-01-04T02:13:25Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28477649/ A college student dressed in a vintage German military uniform who was fatally shot by police on New Year's Day was a harmless, eccentric history buff, his family and friends said Friday. News Sat, 3 Jan 2009 09:54:52 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28477649/ 2009-01-03T09:54:52Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/ryAUgTuZ9DQ/chi-fiennes-reader-0103jan03,0,861388.story Ralph Fiennes began the year as the terrifying mob boss Harry in the acclaimed Martin McDonagh tragi-comic thriller "In Bruges , " delivering a performance of "stony malignance," enthused Tae Mawson of the BBC. Sat, 3 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/ryAUgTuZ9DQ/chi-fiennes-reader-0103jan03,0,861388.story 2009-01-03T06:00:00Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28474929/ Thwarted by President Bush in their efforts to expand federal spending on embryonic stem cell research, Democrats are debating whether to overturn restrictions through executive order or by legislation. News Sat, 3 Jan 2009 02:01:48 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28474929/ 2009-01-03T02:01:48Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/ChT7FTO0jz0/la-et-westlake3-2009jan03,0,6300786.story Saying goodbye to the prolific crime writer. Donald E. Westlake is dead. This simple sentence can't even begin to encapsulate the enormity of this event. Because it also means Richard Stark has passed on too, as has Tucker Coe and Samuel Holt, Timothy J. Culver and J. Morgan Cunningham and a slew of other pen names best left to gather dust. The sum of these pseudonymous parts is a writing career well over 100 novels strong, running the gamut from overt comedy to biting satire, subtle existentialism to social commentary, and downright impossible to emulate in today's publishing climate. Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:55:40 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/ChT7FTO0jz0/la-et-westlake3-2009jan03,0,6300786.story 2009-01-03T01:55:40Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11351326?source=rss Geoff Nicholson began taking walks around Los Angeles to treat a bout of depression a few years ago. /Style Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:40:33 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11351326 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Jeffrey Burke</B> / <I>Bloomberg News</I>) 2009-01-03T01:40:33Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28471558/ China's worst product-safety scandal in years has hit home for thousands of U. S. adoptive parents who are seeking answers about potential effects of melamine in tainted formula. News Fri, 2 Jan 2009 21:01:27 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28471558/ 2009-01-02T21:01:27Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28467755/ Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren't raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs. News Fri, 2 Jan 2009 18:26:16 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28467755/ 2009-01-02T18:26:16Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28469682/ Falling snow and a high threat of avalanches prompted officials to close two key mountain passes in Washington state. News Fri, 2 Jan 2009 15:47:59 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28469682/ 2009-01-02T15:47:59Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/kQJAsrSm5no/la-me-westlake2-2009jan02,0,4404834.story Donald E. Westlake, a prolific mystery writer who won three Edgar Awards and an Academy Award nomination for screenplay adaptation in a career spanning five decades, has died. He was 75. Fri, 2 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/kQJAsrSm5no/la-me-westlake2-2009jan02,0,4404834.story 2009-01-02T08:00:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/l64B7iM2fxU/chi-ft-gina-glocksen-02jan02,0,1980163.story Most Naperville brides like to take advantage of that city's scenic Riverwalk for their post-wedding photos. Fri, 2 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/l64B7iM2fxU/chi-ft-gina-glocksen-02jan02,0,1980163.story 2009-01-02T06:00:00Z http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/fashion/01change.html?partner=rss&emc=rss It's easy to make a resolution, but harder to keep it. Experience says so. Slogans and Mottoes New Year Winfrey, Oprah Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:10:16 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/fashion/01change.html 2009-01-02T00:10:16Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28463489/ A fire broke out at a Washington home Thursday morning, killing a 5-year-old girl, her parents and two others, fire officials said. News Thu, 1 Jan 2009 22:59:22 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28463489/ 2009-01-01T22:59:22Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28461587/ Flooding used to be a problem every five or 10 years for the tiny Hoh Indian Reservation. These days it's an annual event. News Thu, 1 Jan 2009 17:32:14 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28461587/ 2009-01-01T17:32:14Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/9QRUZ9-PaaI/chi-scrubs-tv-0101jan01,0,5801911.story "Scrubs," the surrealist hospital sitcom that spent seven seasons as a stepchild of NBC's schedule, has come close to cancellation more times than its creator, Bill Lawrence, cares to remember. So it's a surprise, even for Lawrence, that the show is getting to write its own ending. Thu, 1 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/9QRUZ9-PaaI/chi-scrubs-tv-0101jan01,0,5801911.story 2009-01-01T06:00:00Z http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/fashion/01CRITIC.html?partner=rss&emc=rss MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing) in San Francisco has a vision for local artists as well as fashion. Retail Stores and Trade San Francisco (Calif) Art Apparel Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:48:46 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/fashion/01CRITIC.html 2008-12-31T18:48:46Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28434906/ A Minnesota snowplow operator who drove a $200,000 loader into a frozen river has been fired. News Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:52:51 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28434906/ 2008-12-31T15:52:51Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/-youQW5Ec8o/chi-meet-your-maker-1231dec31,0,921171.story Egg McMuffins, the Slinky, the Pringles can—all ubiquitous items in our everyday lives, all invented by people who died in 2008. We salute these heroes one last time. Betty James , 90. Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/-youQW5Ec8o/chi-meet-your-maker-1231dec31,0,921171.story 2008-12-31T06:00:00Z http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/culture/lifestyle/~3/499180622/gallery_timessquare : Photo: Jesse Quinn. New York City is hard at work getting ready for the countdown to 2009. About 1. 6 million people shuffle in and out of Times Square every day, but on Wednesday night, they'll all be there at the same time, along with Ryan Seacrest and over a ton of confetti. Wired. com took a behind-the-scenes tour of the preparations. Left: Close-up of Billy Elliot sign above Times Square. Manhattan's Theater District came to be known as "The Great White Way" because of all of bright lights on the area's theater marquees. Today, most signs are powered by LED lights, which are both brighter and more energy-efficient. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. A video feed of the night's events, sponsored by Countdown Entertainment, will be beamed onto the many screens in the square. Each sign will display different advertising spots during commercial breaks. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. Controls for the Spectravision sign sit atop the ninth floor of the W hotel on 47th Street. Clear Channel owns the rights to the space above the building, which explains why the structure is accessible only by a series of ladders and sits on concrete blocks to avoid directly touching the W property. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. Together with former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Disney Corporation helped turn Times Square from a rather shady part of town into a major tourist hub. New buildings facing the square are now required by law to boast illuminated signage, and the density of neon in the area rivals the Las Vegas Strip. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. Spectravision has been experimenting with interactive games, live feeds and Bluetooth all year. The company also coordinated a live broadcast of CNN's election-night coverage into the square, which ran into trouble when President-elect Barack Obama's acceptance speech ran past midnight. "We lost the feed for three minutes," says Dale Langdon, systems engineer at D3 LED. "When we got it back up, I could hear the cheers from the street up in the control booth with the door closed. ". : Photo: Jesse Quinn. The first LED billboard was installed in Times Square in 1999. It was composed of mostly red and green lights, because blue bulbs were then prohibitively expensive. As the price of LED lights has gone down, their efficiency and resolution have increased exponentially. Today's signs have 25 times the resolution of that first billboard. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. Every day, the Spectravision HD sign on 47th Street displays a live video feed of the opening and closing bells at the New York Stock Exchange. That video feed is monitored on this 3-by-5-inch screen in the control room. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. This year, Mars Snackfood is promoting its 3 Musketeers Mint brand by collecting "wishes" that will be written on pieces of confetti and showered down on Times Square at midnight. Individuals can submit wishes in person at the Times Square Information Center or online . : Photo: Jesse Quinn. "No advertiser in Times Square wants to be an also-ran," says Meric Adriansen, managing partner of systems and engineering at D3 LED. Each new sign in the square has some form of bragging rights, he says. The Walgreens signage, completed in November, is the largest outdoor-advertising space in the world. The sign wraps three sides of the building where the ball drops every year, featuring a 17-story continuous display of video and animation produced by 12 million LEDs and numerous giant plasma video screens. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. A 30-second animation takes about 150 gigabytes of bandwidth to deploy on the signs outside. "That's like emptying out five iPods every 30 seconds," says Jason Barak, managing partner of sales and marketing at D3 LED. : Photo: Jesse Quinn. The 2009 ball is double the size of last year's, weighing in at 11,875 pounds. It is covered in 2,668 Waterford crystals and powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs. For those worried about the energy efficiency of an illuminated, 12-foot geodesic sphere, this year's ball uses more than three times the number of LEDs of the 2008 ball, but will be 10-to-20 percent more energy efficient. Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/multimedia/2008/12/gallery_timessquare Meghan Keane 2008-12-31T05:00:00Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28437716/ As more and more black renters began moving into mostly white Antioch, Calif. , a few years ago, neighbors started complaining about loud parties, mean pit bulls, blaring car radios, prostitution, drug dealing and muggings of schoolchildren. News Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:50:56 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28437716/ 2008-12-30T22:50:56Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28436243/ A new NASA report says that the seat restraints, suits and helmets of the doomed crew of the space shuttle Columbia were not designed to cope with the catastrophe, leading to "lethal trauma. ". News Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:12:41 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28436243/ 2008-12-30T22:12:41Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28433596/ Residents of Spokane, Wash. , were trying to dig out Tuesday after a record-breaking month of snow collapsed roofs and clogged streets. Bismarck, N. D. , also set a snowfall record. News Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:41:14 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28433596/ 2008-12-30T19:41:14Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28430287/ Army Sgt. Stephanie Greer was serving in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, when she learned of a most unexpected battle: Her estranged husband was going to fight her for custody of their daughter. News Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:40:38 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28430287/ 2008-12-30T12:40:38Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331692?source=rss Aspen loves fur, so the annual parade of Dennis Basso pelts is something of a holiday ritual for fashion lovers and philanthropists spending late December in Glamour Gulch. /Style Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:11:50 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331692 sbrown@denverpost.com (<B>By Suzanne S. Brown </B> / <I>The Denver Post</I>) 2008-12-30T08:11:50Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/yya2Tcag77o/chi-caroline-kennedy-ft-1230dec30,0,5608732.story We were left scratching our heads after the New York Times released a transcript of its recent interview with the would-be New York senator, complete with her snooty swipe at her interrogators—"Have you guys ever thought about writing for, like, a women's magazine or something?"—and her surprisingly graceful recovery. Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/yya2Tcag77o/chi-caroline-kennedy-ft-1230dec30,0,5608732.story 2008-12-30T06:00:00Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331696?source=rss We're happy about the potential that lies ahead in the new year. We wondered how others felt and so asked entrants to the Denver Post $25 Haiku Contest to contemplate "new. " /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:53:31 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331696 editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) 2008-12-30T05:53:31Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331692?source=rss Aspen loves fur, so the annual parade of Dennis Basso pelts is something of a holiday ritual for fashion lovers and philanthropists spending late December in Glamour Gulch. /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:23:14 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331692 sbrown@denverpost.com (<B>By Suzanne S. Brown </B> / <I>The Denver Post</I>) 2008-12-30T04:23:14Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331693?source=rss This haute hamlet is brimming with its usual influx of stylish holiday visitors: women swaddled in fur coats, designer sunglasses, logo bags and fuzzy boots. /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:21:34 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331693 sbrown@denverpost.com (<B>By Suzanne S. Brown </B> / <I>The Denver Post</I>) 2008-12-30T04:21:34Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331694?source=rss John Bicht is to espresso what a master sommelier is to wine. /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:47:39 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331694 cmartin@denverpost.com (<B>By Claire Martin </B> / <I>The Denver Post</I>) 2008-12-30T03:47:39Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331702?source=rss 6 p. m. : Nothing. I perch, straight-backed with unease, in my wooden chair at my wooden table at an art show in a hotel, and I have sold no tickets. /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:41:07 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331702 editor@denverpost.com (<B>Alison Osius</B> / <I>Special to The Denver Post</I>) 2008-12-30T03:41:07Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331703?source=rss It's almost New Year's Eve, a time for plunging into boisterous crowds bathed in loud music. /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:40:13 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11331703 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Malcolm Ritter</B> / <I>The Associated Press</I>) 2008-12-30T03:40:13Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28425990/ Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's teenage daughter Bristol has given birth to a son, People magazine reported Monday. News Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:13:23 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28425990/ 2008-12-30T00:13:23Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28423935/ A  judge has refused to certify a class action on behalf of  Gulf Coast hurricane victims who claim they were exposed to  formaldehyde fumes while living in government-issued trailers. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:47:41 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28423935/ 2008-12-29T21:47:41Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11320914?source=rss Some rinks are open year round, others are open only during the frigid winter season. For more information visit rinktime. com. * indicates winter-only outdoor rinks /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:38:16 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11320914 editor@denverpost.com (<p>) 2008-12-29T21:38:16Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28419077/ On Christmas night, a surveillance camera on a Caribbean cruise ship recorded a woman in a bathrobe falling over the railing. Two days later, her husband told a fellow passenger he was heading to the ship's casino "to see if he could change his luck. ". News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:17:12 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28419077/ 2008-12-29T21:17:12Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28422775/ The spill of more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge from a power plant in East Tennessee may change the way the nation's largest government-owned utility stores coal waste. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:12:54 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28422775/ 2008-12-29T20:12:54Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11320901?source=rss Images of well-bundled partners gliding together across a frozen pond may evoke nostalgic feelings about ice skating, but in an age when people associate "fitness" with the treadmill, the sport also allows a little fun to filter into a workout. /Style Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:26:36 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11320901 editor@denverpost.com (<B>By Linda J. Buch </B> / <I>Special to The Denver Post</I>) 2008-12-29T19:26:36Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28419662/ Federal investigators are looking into an accident involving a small plane at an eastern Texas airfield that injured a 6-year-old girl. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:44:58 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28419662/ 2008-12-29T13:44:58Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415602/ Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence, according to a study released today. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:20:36 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415602/ 2008-12-29T13:20:36Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415693/ The trafficking of children for domestic labor in the U. S. is an extension of an illegal practice in Africa. Families send their daughters to work for money and the opportunity to escape a dead-end life. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:11:37 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415693/ 2008-12-29T10:11:37Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415602/ Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence, according to a study released today. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:30:30 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415602/ 2008-12-29T08:30:30Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415661/ George Francis, the nation's oldest man, who lived through both world wars, man's first walk on the moon and the election of the first black president, has died. He was 112. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:04:47 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28415661/ 2008-12-29T08:04:47Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/sSyfQpRyQgs/la-et-gaiman29-2008dec29,0,229985.story A comic-book series' spectral character has helped define a writer who brought new ambition to a pop medium. Even in casual conversation, British author Neil Gaiman sometimes sounds as if he's narrating some dark fairy tale -- his sentences slither across old stone floors or flit on gossamer wings. He also happens to live in a rambling Minnesota manse that looks, Gaiman says, as if it were "drawn by Charles Addams on a day he was feeling particularly morbid. " Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/sSyfQpRyQgs/la-et-gaiman29-2008dec29,0,229985.story 2008-12-29T08:00:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/J7fmLMxsrw0/chi-lil-wayne-ovn-1229dec29,0,99083.story Spectacle was the name of the game during the Lil Wayne/T-Pain show at the United Center on Saturday. They have ruled the Billboard charts with their respective songs and as guests on others, as well as collaborating together. A full house was treated to an arena-worthy backdrop (which helped distract from the not-always-arena-worthy performances) complete with pyrotechnics, large screens, dancers, caged band members and a mini-circus. Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/J7fmLMxsrw0/chi-lil-wayne-ovn-1229dec29,0,99083.story 2008-12-29T06:00:00Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400093/ Wind gusting more than 60 mph knocked out power to about 413,000 Michigan homes and businesses on Sunday as temperatures dipped back into the 20s and 30s. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:42:24 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400093/ 2008-12-29T03:42:24Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28412203/ The CEO and president of the nation's largest public utility made a promise to address the health and safety concerns of a community near a major coal ash spill in eastern Tennessee. News Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:32:57 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28412203/ 2008-12-29T00:32:57Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28404403/ Dozens of Liberian immigrants mourned Saturday at a house where seven members of their community died in a fire that a survivor said started when a kerosene heater spilled fuel and exploded. News Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:52:03 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28404403/ 2008-12-28T17:52:03Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400093/ Residents of the U. S. Midwest got ready for the possibility of flooding Sunday as runoff from heavy rain and melting snowbanks bloated streams, and some were cleaning up damage from summerlike storms that even included funnel clouds. News Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:49:51 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400093/ 2008-12-28T16:49:51Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/AlQB4cWe4j4/la-ca-michael-alan-nelson28-2008dec28,0,5324625.story It's Lovecraft's world, comic book makers just revel in it. Fall of Cthulhu: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/AlQB4cWe4j4/la-ca-michael-alan-nelson28-2008dec28,0,5324625.story 2008-12-28T08:00:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/fashion/~3/ip8601Ygl44/chi-epsom-salt-1228dec28,0,2498650.story Epsom salt might strike you as more of a Lucille Ball remedy than a Heidi Klum indulgence, but its spokesman—yes, Epsom salt has a spokesman—contends that Klum is a habitual user. Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/fashion/~3/ip8601Ygl44/chi-epsom-salt-1228dec28,0,2498650.story 2008-12-28T06:00:00Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317788?source=rss Raise a glass to Moneygall, hometown of Barack Obama's granddaddy's daddy, reminisce about Sweet Molly Malone, or ponder the mysteries posed in "Seven Drunken Nights" and other pub songs. /Style Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:01:03 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317788 editor@denverpost.com (The Denve Post) 2008-12-28T03:01:03Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317789?source=rss Bill Goldsworthy, who runs Telluride's wastewater-management facility, never has to look at the crowded streets or ski slopes to know when the town is flush with visitors. In his purview, it begins to look a lot like Christmas when there's a huge spike in the amount of sewage arriving to be processed. /Style Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:44:11 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317789 cmartin@denverpost.com (Claire Martin / The Denver Post) 2008-12-28T02:44:11Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317827?source=rss What are these two craning to see? Tell us where Denver Newspaper Agency state circulation manager Rick Charbonneau photographed the artful duo and what you know about the sculpture. /Style Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:40:14 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317827 editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) 2008-12-28T02:40:14Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317829?source=rss The winner: Paul Ruttum, Denver: Baxter (his dog) and I walk by this fence at East 10th Avenue and Milwaukee Street in Denver almost every day. /Style Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:38:52 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317829 editor@denverpost.com () 2008-12-28T02:38:52Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317831?source=rss Paging mountaineers wondering how to spend that Christmas money or Hanukkah gelt. Colorado-based Chessler Books is offering ice axes, hammers and pitons signed by Sir Edmund Hillary. /Style Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:31:49 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317831 editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) 2008-12-28T02:31:49Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317830?source=rss For the past 35 years, Colorado artist Gary Michael has painted an annual self-portrait, documenting his evolving self. In addition to a sizable portfolio that ranges from landscapes to images of celebrated artists and writers. /Style Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:24:07 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11317830 editor@denverpost.com (Claire Martin / The Denver Post) 2008-12-28T02:24:07Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28401074/ Thousands of people packed into train cars Saturday as this car-crazy city launched its new light rail system amid criticism that ridership would be limited by urban sprawl. News Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:07:19 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28401074/ 2008-12-28T00:07:19Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28399839/ Minnesota is deep in the hole financially, but the state still owns a premier golf resort, a big airport and a major zoo. Valuables like these are in for a closer look as 44 states cope with deficits. News Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:17:04 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28399839/ 2008-12-27T22:17:04Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400102/ The box of crackers Debra Rogoff bought from the grocery store had some crackerjack in it — an envelope stuffed with $10,000. News Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:28:34 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400102/ 2008-12-27T21:28:34Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400169/ A same-sex couple in California has won a federal court ruling that their adopted son's Louisiana birth certificate must bear the names of both adoptive fathers. News Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:24:54 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400169/ 2008-12-27T20:24:54Z http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400093/ Rain and rapidly rising temperatures accompanied by thick fog threatened to cause flooding Saturday in the U. S. Midwest after days of Arctic cold, heavy snow and ice. News Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:03:41 GMT http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28400093/ 2008-12-27T20:03:41Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/5dwRnoycTF4/la-et-book27-2008dec27,0,2793884.story Man and dog learn life's lessons together, hand in paw. Merrill Markoe's work keeps going to the dogs. Literally. As in her previous novel, "Walking in Circles Before Lying Down," this one features dogs who talk to humans, providing most of the best lines in the work. Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/features/books/~3/5dwRnoycTF4/la-et-book27-2008dec27,0,2793884.story 2008-12-27T08:00:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/n83We1DuEHo/chi-t-pain-1227dec27,0,3436771.story When Kanye West wanted to learn how to use Auto-Tune he didn't turn to Antares Audio Technologies—the company responsible for creating the pitch-correction program. Instead he turned to a 23-year-old, top-hat-wearing R&B newcomer. Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/chicagotribune/lifestyle/~3/n83We1DuEHo/chi-t-pain-1227dec27,0,3436771.story 2008-12-27T06:00:00Z http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11310068?source=rss I'm sitting in a rocking chair &mdash; the kind that thumps the floor, hollow and heavy, if I tilt too far forward or too far back. I can't quite find the balance spot. /Style Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:17:47 -0700 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11310068 editor@denverpost.com (Natalie Costanza-Chavez / Special to The Denver Post) 2008-12-27T05:17:47Z