the smart show

to my friends and family on the gulf coast and specifically in louisianna, as well as the new friends i met while on smart show season 2, we re all on the west coast watching the news and praying the levees hold and the overtopping isn t too severe.  reports of the ninth ward experiencing heavy flooding [...]

By Juliet Lapidos Ruins of an abbey Archaeologists in eastern India believe a recently discovered settlement had approximately 25,000 inhabitants in the fifth century B.C. How do archaeologists estimate ancient populations?   Fieldwork and guesswork. If archaeologists are lucky, they might uncover written documents—on papyrus or stone tablets—that shed light on the makeup of a long-lost civilization. A Babylonian [...]

went to the race down in fontana yesterday and what an amazing experience it was.  i wasn t able to stay for the race (though holiday inn express has said they ll get me into an upcoming race when i m available, THANK YOU HIExpress!!!), but the pre-race festivities and prep were amazing.  but i have to tell [...]

100 must read books -  While this is a list for men, all road-warriors can use a great book or two while traveling. Next time you think about ordering the pay-per-view, reach out for one of these instead. 

love it?  addicted to it?  can t get enough of it???  well, yours truly gets to interview one of the legends of nascar this weekend and i just can t wait!  sadly, my international travel left me with a bit of a cold, but i m eating chicken soup like it s going out of style in order to [...]

It’s official-I’m crazy about those new clover machines. There’s something wonderful about the consistency of the coffee that I appreciate more each time. Smartacus says try it out! It’s not exactly a cheap habit though, so be careful. Next week, we hit Vegas. For now, enjoy some more coffee-related wisdom and enjoy the long weekend! [...]

  By Juliet Lapidos Twister touchdown    In a news item on severe storms in Iowa, a local newspaper noted that trained weather spotters had observed two tornadoes in the area. Later, a newspaper in Buffalo, N.Y., mentioned that a trained spotter recorded 1.75 inches of rainfall during a hailstorm. What s a trained weather spotter?   A diligent amateur who does [...]

Like our host, Smartacus is a big fan of the java. As a teenager, I used to happily sling lattes in a Starbucks. Even in childhood watching Folgers commercials, I’d marvel at the rejuvenating powers of this magical drink (despite the goofy song). That said, it time for some coffee talk. Coffee hackers! Nerds [...]

okay, so i usually use the vitamin packets called emergenc when i fly (or whenever i feel a little sick),  but one of my co-workers on the japan trip brought airborne so we used that on the flight home from japan yesterday.  while the tablets were disolving in our water glasses, the stewardess walked over [...]

hammer don t hurt em.  and jet lag, can t touch this.  i m excited the timing of our sleep episodes coincides with my 10 hour flights to and from japan this week, because as i hit the ground running (don t we ALL have to hit the ground running after a big travel day?  that s business travel, ya ll) [...]

      With the recent launch of the new iPhone, I must admit I’ve been feeling a little envious.  But like the millions of other people who aren’t on the AT T network and have no intention of switching, there wasn’t much I could do about it.  I looked at the Voyager and the Dare and all the [...]

i love to go to the spa, get a massage, have a soak or a sweat in the sauna or steam room.  but i just had the spa experience of a lifetime in hokaido, the island north of the mainland of japan.  we were completely in the middle of nowhere.  no cel phone reception, no [...]

Greetings smarties, Glad to see you re awake this time you must have read my last post. Now, let s share a few more helpful links to make sure you STAY awake. A silent alarm clock? I don’t know about you, but I HATE the sound of any alarm clock; call it conditioning. With this, I would never have to [...]

oh, wow, i love japan.  talk about polar opposites, it couldn t be more different from my last international destination, spain.  i love the order of it all.  the people are so polite and kind and the food is unbelievable.  i m completely spoiled for sushi back home in los angeles after this, i can tell you [...]

  By CNET editor   Normal analog TVs, as opposed to digital TVs, have just a few factors that affect picture quality. When shopping for a TV, look for these features or characteristics and disregard other features that sound good on the surface but in reality are just marketing ploys.   Comb filter. If a television does not have a [...]

okay, so i leave today for a job in japan.  and it s a QUICK one.  fly in to tokyo, next day fly to hokkaido, next day shoot a commercial, one day off, next day fly to tokyo then straight to the US.  and one thing i know for sure is that jet lag IS going [...]

One of the hardest things about life on the road is the…hey…WAKE UP! Jeez, you’re lucky I caught you. Some people aren t so lucky. In honor of this week’s theme, here are some helpful links that will ensure you get the proper amount of rest. In the meantime, do something about the drool on [...]

  By Daniel Engber   How clean is bar soap in a public bathroom? Is it self-cleaning, since it s soap? It seems like a health hazard to me.  It s dirty, but that doesn t make it a health hazard. Soap can indeed become contaminated with microorganisms, whether it s in liquid or bar form. According to a series of tests conducted [...]

thanks for posting those success stories, folks!  if only we could DOW a flight/vacation package to the olympics!  it s all i seem to be able to think about these days.  luckily, as they re ending we have college and pro football as well as nba basketball.  and speaking of college football, keep your eyes peeled for [...]

New 12-episode web series Model.Live, which follows three international models as they strut runways around the world, launches today Vogue.TV and social networking site Bebo. Viewers can leave comments for the models on the Bebo page as well as receive text message updates about their activities throughout the day, making the television experience more interactive. Once [...]

    “Profiling” has largely become a dirty word, but in reality we profile, and get profiled, everyday.  For example, when I walk into a clothing store the clerk decides if I am a man or a woman, what my preferred style might be, and my estimated budget.   Most of the time this works in my favor [...]

Finding a good place to leave the car can be a real headache. Hit the road a little easier next time and let this site take care of the details. About parking is a search engine that sorts lots based on price, user reviews and distance from airport. It also provides ratings, maps and directions. Best [...]

Greetings smarties, It’s Olympic season, and if there’s one thing that the games can teach us, it’s that we can always push ourselves to new heights. That said, let’s take a minute to remember that whatever challenges we face, we can always rise to the occasion and succeed. Top five inspirational videos on youtube Working your way [...]

these games were so fun to play and they really take the stress out of a work day.  my favorite event?  maybe the rubber-band archery.  but mostly because the boss face was used as the target!  do you play any sports in your work place?  ever have a betting pool on a big game or [...]

By Brendan I. Koerner Cleveland s desperation is to thank for Labor Day The nation observes Labor Day every first Monday of September, allowing millions to enjoy the waning days of summer, as well their last chance to wear white pants without earning a tsk tsk from Miss Manners. How did this early September holiday get its start?   Though [...]

i posted yesterday but must have hit the wrong button!  2008 olympics are already amazing.  opening ceremonies (the earthquake survivor who walked with yao ming was heart-breaking).  team USA blowing china out on the b-ball court after a very close first half.  gymnastics girls overcoming adversity in the prelims after a last-second injury for their [...]

    Last Thursday YouNoodle, a social networking site for startups – I think there are about a hundred of these, finally launched their much ballyhooed Startup Predictor.  According to their press release, they’ve figured out how to calculate a kind of FICO score for startups that will determine what a company will be worth in three [...]

  Dan Ackerman, Senior Editor, CNET   The most common question we get around here is simple: What laptop should I buy? Being a generally difficult person by nature, I usually respond with my own series of questions: What size screen do you want? How much do you want to spend? and so on. But sometimes people just [...]

http://friendfeed.com/ Slate has referred to it as The Lazy Man s Guide to Web 2.0; I think that about pins it down. Why go to multiple sites to see pictures from this weekend s bbq when you can have all of your friend s latest updates served up in one page? That, is the point of Friendfeed it does the [...]

At Beet.TV we eat beets whenever we can.  We ve always loved to grill, boil and juice them.  Now, it seems that our little root vegetable is getting some press for their taste and super nutritional value. We were pleased to see that The New York Times providing extensive coverage of our root veggie. Writes Martha Rose [...]