!marty finestone's activitybook

activitybook is taking a break

Marty Finestone — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:45:55 +0000

As much fun as activitybook.org is for me, I need to take a bit of a break until mid-July. Between getting married in a couple of weeks, the nice weather outside and my job, I foresee that it will be tricky to squeeze in blogging time.

See you in a little bit,
Marty

tasmanian devils are endangered

Marty Finestone — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:03:30 +0000

The Tasmanian devil, the real critter and not the cartoon character from the Looney Tunes universe, has been designated an endangered species by the Australian government. The demise of the devils is due (how’s that for alliteration) to a communicable form of cancer that leads to facial tumours that impair the animal’s ability to eat, thus causing starvation. Over 60% of the Tasmianian devil population has been wiped out.

lawsuit expected over refusal to allow women’s ski jumping at the winter olympics

Marty Finestone — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:06:05 +0000

The organizing committee for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver is being taken to court in an effort to have Women’s ski jumping added as an official event at the Games. On the one hand the lawsuit is a bit of an oddity given that the International Olympic Committee (”IOC”) decides what events are to be officially sanctioned and not an individual organizing committee. However, it is sure to bring a good deal of attention and perhaps pressure on the IOC to reconsider its stance. The IOC, thus far, has refused to allow women to compete based on the claim that there are not enough women ski jumpers of a high enough caliber. That seems to be a dubious claim

swimmers mimic sharks and dolphins

Marty Finestone — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:30:57 +0000

In the quest for competitive success, U.S. swim team members have taken to mimicking the swimming techniques of sharks and dolphins.

making money in the music business today

Marty Finestone — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:28:55 +0000

Interested in the dynamics of today’s music industry? Rolling Stone has a solid article for you. While this article is not exactly chock full of new pieces of information, it is thorough.

spiked frozen coffee shots

Marty Finestone — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:13:49 +0000

Here is a perfect example of a “why didn’t I think of that.” Coffee and liqueur ice cubes. Get the recipe here.

the weepies - world spins madly on

Marty Finestone — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:08:27 +0000

What can be better than a beautiful song and claymation? Enjoy the Weepies, who are a husband and wife duo.

inside the new england patriots’ videotape scandal

Marty Finestone — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:04:09 +0000

The New York Times interviews Matt Walsh, who worked for the New England Patriots’ videotape crew, and gets an inside perspective on what went on while the team videotaped their opponents.

yes, canada has awards for hair and sandra oh wins

Marty Finestone — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:06:47 +0000

Evidently the ‘Best Celebrity Hair’ competition has been running in Canada for years. Sandra Oh was the big winner at the 8th annual event.

mattel may strike it rich from the bratz

Marty Finestone — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:46:25 +0000

Mattel Inc. is in the midst of its trial MGA Entertainment Inc. based on ownership of copyright in the girl’s toy franchise ‘Bratz’. The underlying claim is that the designer who conceived of the Bratz developed the toys while an employee of Mattel. If Mattel is successful in its claim, it will reap hundreds of millions in damages and hundreds of millions each year in licensing and other revenues.

hey you guys! the electric company returns

Marty Finestone — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:43:36 +0000

PBS is bringing back the Electric Company, although updating it for today.

cheaper than made in china: production shifts out of china

Marty Finestone — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:29:49 +0000

Bloomberg reports that recent economic changes in China, the rising yuan and increasing labour costs, are leading to textile and other manufacturing jobs moving to cheaper areas like India and Vietnam.

Vietnam’s laborers earn an average of 1.669 million dong ($104) a month, 41 percent less than China’s lowest-paid workers in the central province of Jiangxi, according to World Bank data.

India’s wages are lower than Vietnam’s, averaging 3,843 rupees ($87) a month, according to CEIC. India is copying China’s special economic zones, building more than 400 that will provide low-cost land and rents, five- to 10-year tax breaks and duty-free imports.