Merry Christmas from Barstool Sports

December 25, 2007

Wake Up with Stocking Stuffers (left over Advent chicks)

by Uncle Buck (ub@barstoolsports.com)

Wired's 2008 start ups worth watching

23andMe
There's a lot you could buy with $1,000, but for that price 23andMe offers something never before sold to the masses: your DNA. Are you predisposed to prostate cancer? Glaucoma? Heart disease? 23andMe, profiled recently in Wired, can tell you. The implications could rock the medical world -- and the ethical one. As the science of genomics continues to improve, 23andMe should be able to provide ever-better information. In 2008, it will also provide social networking between customers who share traits ranging from ethnic origins to disease profiles.
Founders: Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki
Funding: $12 million, from Genentech, Google and New Enterprise Associates
Employees: 30
37Signals
There's a reason nobody ever uses the phrase, "It's as simple as computer programming." But Chicago's 37Signals has made life simpler for programmers and small businesses alike with products such as Basecamp (project management software) and an increasingly popular open source web framework called Ruby on Rails. The company ditches the philosophy of "more features, more better" in favor of simplicity and accessibility: Focus only on the most important features and make things easier to use. The company itself embodies its keep-it-simple philosophy: Fewer than 10 staffers, working from humble offices, create programs quickly and nimbly adapt them based on user feedback. 37Signals released version 2.0 of Ruby on Rails in December, which should give many programmers a happy new year.
Founders: Jason Fried, Ernest Kim, Carlos Segura
Funding: Undisclosed sum from Bezos Expeditions
Employees: 8
AdMob
When AdMob launched in 2005, its prospects did not look bright. As a startup mobile-advertising network, it would have to compete with Google, and how feasible is that? But AdMob has defied the odds. While Google is just four months into testing a mobile version of its advertising network, AdMob has already served 12 billion ad impressions to mobile users. As more consumers buy web-enabled mobile phones, the prospects for mobile advertising can only improve.
Founder: Omar Hamoui
Funding: Undisclosed Series A from Sequoia Capital; $15 million Series B from Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital
Employees: 65
BitTorrent
As a peer-to-peer, or P2P, download protocol, BitTorrent was perfect for illegal file sharing. But in late 2007, the parent company of that protocol -- also called BitTorrent -- unveiled a potentially disruptive new use for its P2P technology: a platform that software providers and media companies can use to help customers download high-resolution files faster (and legally). By reducing distribution hurdles, BitTorrent will make online video and software sales increasingly viable in 2008 and will challenge the notion that the idiot box is the primary way to get your CSI fix.
Founders: Bram Cohen and Ashwin Navin
Funding: $28.75 million from Accel Partners and DCM (formerly Doll Capital Management)
Employees: 60
Dash
Today, GPS is a one-way street, with a satellite beaming instructions to your device. You turn left because a chip inside your GPS device calculated that would the best route. In 2008, Dash will chart a new course with Dash Express, a GPS that learns from its users. If a Dash owner is moving 5 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone, Dash servers will realize he's in traffic and warn other Dash drivers to choose faster routes. Sure beats calling 5-1-1.
Founders: Brian Smartt, Mike Tzamaloukas, Steve Wollenberg
Funding: $45 million from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital, Skymoon Ventures, Crescendo Ventures, ZenShin Capital Partners, Artis Capital, Gold Hill Capital, and several individuals
Employees: 85
Fon
You pay for internet access at home, so why must you pay for it again at the coffee shop, the airport and the hotel? That frustration spawned Spanish Wi-Fi startup Fon. It's a simple idea: Give and you shall receive. "Foneros" first agree to share their home wireless connections with other Fon customers using a special router, which splits the signal into public and private streams. In exchange, they get the privilege of using any of the network's wireless signals anywhere in the world for free. Fon has inked important deals with TimeWarner Cable in the United States, BT in Britain and Neuf in France, and its network has expanded to an impressive 600,000 registered users worldwide. Free global internet for the price you already pay at home? Sign us up!
Founder: Martin Varsavsky
Funding: Approx. $35 million from Skype, Google, Index Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Excite, Digital Garage and BT
Employees: Approximately 90 worldwide
LinkedIn
LinkedIn, a career-oriented social networking site, found 16 million users, yet until recently has been eclipsed by much larger, livelier competitors. Now, a much-needed upgrade has the 4-year-old startup looking pretty good after all. A new developer platform aims to bring LinkedIn networks to the web at large, starting with Business Week's website, which will show your connections to any companies mentioned in news articles you're reading. LinkedIn still emphasizes utility over frivolity, and that's just the way we like it. Instead of virtual hugs and stripper name generators, expect the site to add "modules" that gather news and events from your industry. The dull-but-useful strategy seems to be working: LinkedIn projects revenues of nearly $100 million in 2008 -- not too shabby compared to much larger Facebook's estimated $150 million for 2007.
Founders: Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, Jean-Luc Valliant
Funding: $27.5 million from Sequoia Capital, Greylock, the European Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, and numerous individual angel investors
Employees: 200
Powerset
It's gotten hard to imagine a world where Google doesn't dominate internet search, but some believe that if anyone can dethrone the king, it's Powerset. The San Francisco company is developing an alternative "natural language" search technology, which takes into account the actual meaning and context of words in a sentence. Of course, it's not the first time someone has tried to make computers think more like human beings, and HAL 9000 is still MIA. And despite an impressive demo at the TechCrunch 40 conference in September, Powerset's management has struggled recently, losing one founder (Steve Newcomb) while another (Barney Pell) stepped down from the CEO position. Even if Powerset's search engine doesn't make it to market in 2008, Silicon Valley will be closely watching to company for any signs of progress -- or lack thereof.
Founders: Steve Newcomb, Barney Pell and Lorenzo Thione
Funding: $12.5 million from Foundation Capital, The Founder's Fund and several angel investors
Employees: 60
Slide
In the battle of Facebook vs. the OpenSocial gang, there's one assured winner, and it's not even technically in the fight. Slide, the largest provider of third-party applications (aka "widgets") to websites and social networks, stands to win no matter which network comes out on top. (Slide's chief widget-making rival, RockYou, is also well in the mix.) Slide's success is only pegged to the social networking trend, which shows no signs of flagging in 2008.
Founder: Max Levchin
Funding: Initial funding from Max Levchin; a rumored $20 million from BlueRun Ventures, The Founder's Fund, Khosla Ventures, Mayfield Fund
Employees: 60
Spock
Google can search the web by keyword, but Spock gets more directly at a single question: What does the web know about you? By crawling the web for personal information and combining that with social network data, Spock creates a hub for information about actual people. Enter your name in Spock's pared-down interface and find out what the internet knows about you, or search by a keyword to find, say, ornithologists or sommeliers. Spock generates its profiles automatically, but individuals can "claim" theirs and correct any misinformation. In fact, you might want to check yours right now....
Founders: Jaideep Singh and Jay Bhatti
Funding: $8 million from Clearstone Venture Partners and Opus Capital
Employees: 25

Weapon Of Choice - Fatboy Slim

RIndone, having some fun!!

Guy Gets Boob Implants.... ...for the tattoo of the naked girl on his leg

Guy Gets Boob Implants... ...for the tattoo of the naked girl on his leg. Warning: slightly NSFW.

Guy Gets Boob Implants.... ...for the tattoo of the naked girl on his leg. Warning: slightly

YMCA Dude

Chismillionare to post while on his year end break- book your trip for March

Procigar Festival - March 2008

Santiago de los Caballeros in The Cigar Country, will host the most incredible event for cigars lovers from March 5-7, 2008
Our First Annual Procigar Festival will feature some of your favorite cigars brands while enjoying a life time experience where the senses will awake with the aroma, flavor, and texture of the best cigars of the world.
Come to the Dominican Republic and see the manufacturing of your favorite cigars at their Factories. Our members include: La Aurora, General Cigar, Tabadom Holding., Matasa and Tabacalera de García.

Feel the excitement of looking where your cigars are born, by visiting our fabulous fields. Each night you will be delighted at the sound of drums with spectaculars parties where the merengue, culture and our traditions will harmonize perfectly with the smoke of the premium cigars.

US$595.00 / Includes:
All the Tours to the factories and Tobacco Fields.
Admission to the dinners and Parties.
All the luncheons with the Procigar’s CEO’s.
Informative Seminars, tasting, pairing drinks with cigars.
Festival T-Shirt and Cap.
1st. Procigar Festival special edition cigars box and all the cigars that you will smoke during the event (valued in US$300.00).
…And much more
**Upgrade you trip! Spend the weekend in La Romana and enjoy the exclusive and limited tour To Tabacalera de García and the Procigar Golf Tournament at Casa de Campo.

A varied program of excursions will be available for attendees, with expert tour guides will be able to know the exciting and unforgettable places of our counntry: Historical Center of Santiago, Cultural Center Eduado León Jimenes, Historical Monument to the Heroes of The Restoration, Great Theatre Of The Cibao, Museum in memory of the Mirabal Sisters, El Santo Cerro, Pico Diego de Ocampo, Immaculate Cathedral Concepción de La Vega, Cathedral Santiago Apostle, Ocean World Adventure Park, Museum Jacques and Jean Louis Jorge.


For the most recent Festival Mailing
For the Festival Schedule and Activities
For Festival Registration
For Hotel Registration Information
For Information about other activities
About Dominican Republic

Dubai Metropolis

click for bigger pic

Hey Kids Santa ona SMoke Break, give hime a minute

Happy Holidays: Van Damme Style

Man Turns Dark BLUE !

His name is Paul Karason, and he's blue. It's not makeup or paint.
This is out there for sure.

Yngwie showing what he can do with an acoustic

Simpson's House In Real World

Papelbon says the dog ate it?

The baseball from the final out of the 2007 World Series is at Jonathan Papelbon's home in Hattiesburg, Miss., according to the Hattiesburg American.

Well, part of it is.

The rest? You should ask the Boss.

If he could talk, he might say it was delicious. But the most he'll say is "woof."

"Boss," you see, is Jonathan Papelbon's dog. Boss likes to play with baseballs. And Boss found the baseball that Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek gave the closer after he struck out the Rockies' Seth Smith to clinch Boston's second World Series title in four years, the newspaper reported.

And Papelbon was left with a common excuse for not doing one's homework to explain what happened to a historic baseball artifact.

"My dog ate it," Papelbon told the newspaper. "He plays with baseballs like they are his toys. His name is Boss. He jumped up one day on the counter and snatched it. He likes rawhide. He tore that thing to pieces.

"I'll keep what's left of it," he told the paper.

Chismillionare eager for the Diesel Invasion

At the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, BMW was prominently displaying their diesel engine technology, particularly the latest 3.0L twin turbocharged in-line six cylinder. At the time, BMW spokesman Daniel Kammerer told us that BMW would be introducing that diesel engine to the U.S. market later in 2008. BMW still hasn't said which vehicles would get the diesel although it's expected that that the first installations will be in the X5 SUV and 5 series sedans and possibly the new X6 crossover.

While the diesel engines of twenty years ago were thrifty with fuel, they did earn the reputation which diesels hold among American consumers to this day: slow, noisy and smoky. While that reputation may have been deserved then, nothing could be further from the truth today. The engine in the 535d is a 3.0L in-line six cylinder in the classic BMW configuration. Fuel is delivered directly to the combustion chambers via a Bosch Piezo Common Rail injection system and air is pumped in by a pair of turbochargers. The result of all this high-pressure action is 286 hp and, more importantly, 428 lb-ft of torque at only 1750 rpm. As with all diesels this is not a high revving screamer with the red-line at a relatively modest 5,000 rpm. However the almost flat torque curve combines with a 6 speed automatic transmission to provide fabulous acceleration that never seems to let up. If feels more like an electric motor if you ignore the pleasant exhaust growl. BMW rates the acceleration from 0-62 mph at 6.4 seconds and that was backed up by my informal observations, even on less than dry pavement.

Eyes

Click here for more:

Aussie girls selling themselves for beer: Study

NO CHEER: A study says children as young as 10 were being treated for alcohol abuse.

Melbourne: Alcoholism is so rampant among Australian youngsters that girls as young as 11 get into prostitution just for a couple of cans of beer, a report by Sydney's Odyssey House revealed.

The annual report said children as young as 10 were being admitted to Odyssey's treatment program for alcohol abuse.

According to Sydney youth campaigner and head of Youth Off the Streets, Father Chris Riley, it was not surprising that the report showed that kids as young as 10 were abusing alcohol. Father Riley said that his personal experiences helping troubled kids were echoed in the report.

"In some of the communities we're working in at 9.30 in the morning, 12- (and) 13-year-olds have bottles of Jack Daniels in their hands, and it is just shocking the way these things are available to kids," news.com.au quoted Father Riley, as saying.

He added: "In one of our communities we work in, a group of girls aged between 11 and 16 go down to the bars and clubs at 1am, because that is when they will close, and will prostitute themselves simply for a can or two of beer. This is common throughout the communities we're working in."

"We're opening more and more liquor outlets, more and more access to alcohol... and we just don't get it, we just keep making it more available," said Father Riley.

"These kids can get access to alcohol whenever they want, and that is just not good enough,” he added.

He supported product labelling that warn kids about the dangers of drinking and called for alco-pops to be banned.

"I keep saying: 'Let's put labels on alcohol products saying that alcohol does brain damage to adolescents'," he said.

He added, "Let's take away those alco-pops which are targeting teens. Kids don't like the taste of alcohol, they like the effects that alcohol has on them, but they can get an alcoholic drink that tastes like a soft drink."

The Awesome Alain Robert - aka SpiderMan

Chismillionare's Thursday recipe of the week

Egg Nog

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites*In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

Cook's Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.