Jerry Welch

From the page: "Home Sweet (Gingerbread) Home By Michelle Heimburger Tue, December 2, 2008, 12:57 am PST So there I was at this holiday party, trying to make polite conversation with my co-workers and acquaintances, but I couldn't keep my eyes off the gingerbread house centerpiece. I nibbled some crudit's and noshed on some sugar cookies, trying to distract myself, but that sugary sculpture still beckoned. From its spicy, frosted gables to its gumdrop landscaping, that constructed confection just begged to be devoured. I knew it was probably supposed to be merely decorative, but the more I stared -- and the more eggnog I drank -- the sillier that idea seemed. After all, what kind of witch would build such a tempting structure out of cookies and candy and frosting and not expect people to eat it? I surreptitiously edged closer to the table, feigning interest in a mini-quiche, and suddenly made my move, snapping off a delicious turret. Just as I took a surprisingly crunchy bite, my... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "This Week in the Directory By Dave Sikula Tue, November 25, 2008, 12:01 am PST Now that the holidays are upon us, we thought that, rather than looking at the immediate past of sites and categories added to the Yahoo! Directory, we should take a look at the bigger picture; that is, the stuff youâ€ve looked for in years past, and which weâ€re pretty sure youâ€ll be looking for again this week. After all, this is the season for giving, and what better gift can we give you than the information you so desperately crave? Letâ€s start with the most obvious search: Thanksgiving. People will be hustling and bustling around the country to be with loved ones, so youâ€ll want to know whether your guests will arrive (or if youâ€re the traveler, how long itâ€ll take). Why not start in the Travel category, where you'll find information about ticketing, tracking flights, and airport advisories? If you're not flying, how about information about trains, automobiles -- or... - Jerry Welch

40th anniversary of The Beatles's White Album NFL Power Rankings released new music: The Killers, David Byrne & Brian Eno, The Fireman (w/ Paul McCartney) new music: Kanye West, Tom Jones, Scott Weiland, Trace Adkins TV: Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion special TV: Dancing with the Stars season finale (Miley Cyrus performs) former NBA player Kevin Johnson swearing-in gala for Sac mayor + - Jerry Welch

From the page: "Darwin Loves Lucy By Amy Holzer Mon, November 24, 2008, 12:01 am PST If history does indeed repeat itself, then today we should be on the lookout for groundbreaking news in the study of evolution. Why? Well, it was on this day in 1859 that Charles Darwin published the revolutionary "On the Origin of Species," and 115 years later, Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discovered the Lucy skeleton at Hadar, Ethiopia. "On the Origin of Species" detailed the processes of natural selection and adaptive radiation. Though the work never explicitly claimed we were descended from apes, Darwin was nonetheless attacked for that proposition. Even today, he's still a polarizing figure, as creationists try to refute what biologists and the scientific community defend -- that man evolved over time from ancient hominid ancestors. The debate continues with no likely end in sight. So did Lucy's discovery lend a hand to Darwin and his proponents? Most certainly. The discovery of this 40%-complete... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "Taking a Gander at the Goose By Liz Gill Fri, November 21, 2008, 12:01 am PST Giant turkey float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 2006 (Photo by Ellie) Next Thursday, millions of televisions will be tuned to the 82nd annual Macyâ€s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Between helpings of yams and stuffing, folks will glance up to see an unnaturally large frog or other frightening figure float across their screens. As much as I enjoy the homely traditions of the holiday season, I must say that this whole phenomenon of watching a parade on television, rather than in person, is a supreme copout. A parade isn't meant to be viewed on a screen, but experienced! The parade attendee is a hearty breed, braving the blistering sun of summer or the punishing cold of winter with a smile on her face or a march in his heart. Some of paradedom's most enthusiastic fans are those who attend the annual Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon, California, which will... - Jerry Welch

NOTABLE EVENTS, Thursday, November 20Great American SmokeoutAnniversary of start of Mexican Revolution (1910)annual release of Beaujolais NouveauPeople's Sexiest Man Alive issue released school: SAT scores available football: NFL: Week 12 -- Bengals at SteelersTV: October/November sweeps period (Oct 30 - Nov 26)TV: 30 Rock (Steve Martin guests)TV: Oprah - beauty secrets from around the world - Jerry Welch

Today’s top searches from GoogleTrends:PoliticsPenny Pritzker - Obama's Commerce chief?Janet Napolitano - Obama's director of Homeland Security?Georgia senators - recount inquiries?Mario Cuomo, Chris Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo - after Andrew as NY's AG looks into AIG exec spending, and possible replacement for Clinton's senator job; Chris on GMA with Bill AyersJohn Dingell - defeats Henry Waxman in race for Energy Committee chairZogby poll (on) Obama voters - found that most voters knew very little about himBush bullyJim Mattox - former Texas AG dies in his sleepFinancialRon Gettelfinger - UAW presidentUAWGM stockCitigroup stockAuto bailoutunemployment extension - will Bush extend?HolidaysGreat American Smoke Out 2008Plasticland - online holiday retail storeSportsJulie Donaldson - Boston sports reporter involved in sex tape and battery trial of her ex-boyfriendDonald Driver - family alleges Houston police beat NFL-player's fatherJ.P. Hayes - disqualifies himself on PGA tour for unapproved... - Jerry Welch

tons of links to videos, so click through to maximize your pleasure. From the page: " Thank You For Being a Friend / TV Theme Songs Are Back Again By Mike McKiernan Thu, November 20, 2008, 12:01 am PST Deadwood opening credits title card "Deadwood" opening credits Earlier this year, we looked back at some of the best theme songs from our favorite TV shows of the '70s and '80s. Well, there's a lot more story to tell, so it's time to take another trip down memory lane, starting with the '80s: Those cheerful Bosom Buddies rarely had the blues on Hill Street, since P.I.s Magnum, Remington Steel, Simon & Simon, and Mr. and Mrs. Hart were all Moonlighting to keep the streets safe. And as long as he had a stick of bubble gum and some dental floss, MacGyver could bail us out of any trouble. The Golden Girls in their Dynasty estate might have gotten rough with each other, but that Cosby family celebrated their Wonder Years by dancing every season. In the '90s, The Simpsons lived far away from... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "The Spark Learn about stuff you never knew you wanted to know about in The Spark. Yahoo!'s Search Editors dig through the Web and blog about its hidden gems, celebrity birthdays, and bizzare and little-known holidays. Come on in and see what sparks your interest." - Jerry Welch

From the page: ""The Most Dangerous Woman in America" By Dave Sikula Tue, November 11, 2008, 12:01 am PST She was like a science-fiction story come to life. A woman who carried a highly infectious disease but who was herself immune (and who denied that she carried the disease at all). But the story of Mary Mallon, aka "Typhoid Mary," was far from fictitious, and ended with her death 70 years ago today. Other than her ability to make people violently ill, Mallon's story was nondescript. She emigrated from Ireland to the United States at the age of 15 in 1884, finding work as a cook in New York. Her unintentional notoriety began when a family she was working for in Mamaroneck came down with typhoid. All of the members recovered (except for a laundress, who died), but no connection was made to Mary, who moved on to other jobs. But in 1901, another family she worked for was struck, and then another in 1906, and then three more. The authorities suspected Mary, but imagine how you'd feel if... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "The Biggest Game Show Question of Them All By Dave Sikula Fri, November 7, 2008 Television in the 1950s was different from today. There were four networks and not much else, programs were broadcast live, and quiz shows ruled the airwaves. The longest-running of all such shows was "What's My Line?," which ran Sunday nights at the ungodly hour of 10:30. Being a simple game (celebrities guessed what people did for a living), it was untouched by the quiz-show scandals of the late 50s. One of "What's My Line?'s" most popular panelists was Dorothy Kilgallen. Kilgallen was primarily a gossip columnist for the New York Journal-American, and she sparked bitter feuds with stars such as Frank Sinatra. But Kilgallen had ambitions beyond mere gossip; her reporting on the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and her investigation of the Sam Sheppard murder trial was crucial in freeing Sheppard from prison. What she hoped would be her biggest scoop,... - Jerry Welch

Sums. It. Up. - Jerry Welch

From the page: "A Ticket We'd Vote For In a Heartbeat By Dave Sikula Tue, November 4, 2008 Today is Election Day (as you just might have heard somewhere). While the snarky thing might be to write about election screw-ups of the past, we couldn't help but notice that it's also the birthday of two of the most influential voices of the 20th century on American politics: Will Rogers and Walter Cronkite. From our 21st century vantage point, it may be hard to remember just how important these men were in their heydays. Rogers was born in 1879, and by 1902 had begun a show business career, which took him from rodeos to vaudeville to starring in the Ziegfeld Follies, From there, he branched into Hollywood (becoming the country's number-one box office draw), the most popular newspaper column in America, and radio, where his weekly show was the nation's top-rated program. Rogers's act consisted mostly of ad-libbed comments about the day's political events, and led to his 1928 mock campaign for... - Jerry Welch

Computer in a can - Jerry Welch

From the page: "Blood! Blood! Buckets of Blood! By Robert Hubbard Wed, October 29, 2008 As Halloween approaches like some Lovecraftian horror, lurking within the ken of our puny consciousnesses, vomit-inducing amounts of blood engorge our television screens, costume shops, and even the corpse that's suddenly appeared on our neighbor's front porch. It's all fake, of course -- or so we hope. You can buy fake blood at your local Halloween shop, or you can be adventurous and make your own out of simple household items like water, milk, chocolate, food coloring, corn starch, paint, laundry detergent, or syrup. There's a full spectrum of blood recipes out there, and each one produces a slightly different end-product. For instance, adding syrup will make your blood stickier (and is great for getting it to cling to your victims); chocolate will give it a good congealed-blood effect when it sets; and water will make your blood runny, which is great if you want it to be of the gruesome,... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "Maternity Costumes That Go "Bump" in the Night By Michelle Heimburger Mon, October 27, 2008 Ever since I outgrew little-kid Halloween costumes 20-something years ago, I've gotten plenty of disapproving comments about my enthusiasm for the holiday -- like, "Halloween is supposed to be for kids." Ironically, this year I'm looking for a kiddie costume for the first time and finding it strangely difficult -- simply because my kid isn't due until a couple days after Halloween. Adorable baby costumes and clever ideas for already-born offspring abound, but the options for moms-to-be just aren't inspiring. Online costumers' maternity offerings are feeble at best: some tired puns (a bun? in the oven? hilarious!), the inevitable pregnant nun (gosh, will that ever stop being funny?), larger versions of store-bought standards (ooh, a pregnant slutty devil!), and sack-shaped, androgynous lumps (and what pregnant woman doesn't love being compared to a sumo wrestler?). The standard... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "Dude, I Rock!!! By Mike McKiernan Fri, October 24, 2008 According to Guitar Hero, I rock! And that's just the ego boost I need to continue rockin' my list of bitchin' tunes and shreddin' on my plastic guitar with the brightly-colored buttons. It may sound silly, but these rhythm games are a huge phenomenon. Guitar Hero and Rock Band have sold more than 30 million units combined, with over one billion dollars in revenue. That's a lot of wannabe rockers! Among the pro rockers, though, there are mixed feelings about these games. Some rock legends -- Slash, Ozzy Osbourne, and Ted Nugent -- have embraced them and been featured, and superbands Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Metallica will all soon have titles dedicated to their music. Other musicians, however, have put this new phenomenon down, saying it's a waste of kids' time, and will only give them skills that lead nowhere. Nick Wheeler of the All American Rejects told Entertainment Weekly, "It's kind of a shame. When I was... - Jerry Welch

NOTABLE EVENTS, Friday, October 24United Nations DayWorld Origami Dayelections: last day for voter registration in Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska13 years in detention for Aung San Suu KyiSudoku National Championship (Oct 24-25)Key West Fantasy Fest (Oct 16-26)movie: High School Musical 3movie: Pride and Glory (action/thriller; Edward Norton, Colin Farrell)movie: Saw Vmovie: Changeling (ltd; dir: Eastwood; Angelina Jolie)movie: I've Loved You So Long (ltd; drama; Kristin Scott Thomas)movie: Passengers (ltd; thriller; Anne Hathaway)movie: Synecdoche, New York (dir: Charlie Kaufman; Philip Seymour Hoffman) - Jerry Welch

From the page: "Happy Birthday, Earth! By Dave Sikula Thu, October 23, 2008 Today is the 6012th birthday of our home planet. The old girl looks pretty good, doesn't she? What's that? You thought the Earth was, like, a million times older? Well, it's obvious you haven't studied the work of Bishop James Ussher. Ussher was an English archbishop who joined in the 17th-century scholarly mania of trying to figure out just how old the Earth was. Science not being then what it is today, resources were limited, so Ussher (along with such worthies as astronomer Johannes Kepler and physicist Isaac Newton) relied on the chronologies contained in the Bible. After years of comparing sources and resolving inconsistencies, Ussher announced that the world had been created on October 23, 4004 BCE -- though he didn't go as far as his contemporary James Lightfoot, who fixed the exact time at 9:00 am. (As lawyer Henry Drummond asked in "Inherit the Wind:""Was that Eastern Standard Time?") Ussher's... - Jerry Welch

Election spikes today on Yahoo! web search: ·        Palin kids travel(also Alaska funded palin kids travel, palin travel, palin motorcade, palin children travel, palin expenses, palin charged state, palin kids, Alaska funded palin kids, palin travel expenses, palin family travel, AP investigation Alaska funded palin kids travel)·        Sarah palin Halloween costume(also Palin mask)·        Obama palin dancing·        Obama grandmother, Obama’s mother, Barack Obama’s grandmother - story of Obama’s grandmother being ill ·        Obama in Miami·        Palin Alaska Independence Party·        mccain Bensalem, Bensalem–McCain speaks in  Bensalem, Penn., today (spiking in news search)·        mccain vitaly churkin–McCain solicits Russian UN ambassador - Jerry Welch

Election spikes today on Google Trends:· Palin clothes, Palin wardrobe (also palin clothing, palin clothing allowance, palin wardrobe, sarah palin clothes, palin fashion, palin shopping spree) · The next right (also patterico, battleground poll, cougfan, battleground polls, townhall.com columnists) · Obama leesburg (also obama ida lee, obama richmond, obama rally leesburg, obama leesburg va, obama rally leesburg va)- Obama campaigns in Lees burg, Va. · Karl rove – Code Pink activist attempts to arrest him in SF · republican rep. michele Bachmann– questioned Obama’s patriotism and recommended media to investigate other members of Congress on whether they are “anti-America”· bill o’reilly on the view· battleground poll (also battleground polls, battleground, zogby, state polls, cougfan) – GW/Battleground poll reports that the race tightens · mccain pnac– reports about McCain’s ties to Project for a New American Century · al qaeda mccain (also al qaeda endorses mccain, al qaeda supports... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "Keeping It Simple, Escoffier Style By Eugenia Chien Wed, October 22, 2008 If you've been keeping up with the Spark, you'll know that I've had Food Network chefs on my mind. But their loud and brash styles have left me yearning for something more austere; something somber, something like...the French king of chefs, Auguste Escoffier. The snowy-mustachioed Escoffier modernized and popularized French cooking. Through his books, he simplified the ornate style of haute cuisine and set up a code of conduct for professional kitchens (though it might have a little less shelf life than his cooking style -- just ask the meth-laden, testosterone-driven chefs in Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.) Thinking of Escoffier and foraging the measly contents of my fridge, I decided to make the béchamel sauce from one of his most revered books, The Art of Modern Cookery. The béchamel is the base of many other classic French sauces -- and a mainstay of lasagnes and moussaka. But... - Jerry Welch

From the page: "A Room With a "Boo!" By Dave Sikula Tue, October 21, 2008 When Halloween rolls around, our fancy lightly turns to thoughts of murder, mayhem, and haunted houses. One of the fun things about this season is distinguishing between the "real" haunted locations, and the "fake" ones. The fake ones are actually easier to spot; they're the ones with a lot of noise, monsters, and ghosts trying to scare the bejeezus out of you (or into you, in some cases). They're found all over the country and are generally more playful than scary -- after all, there are only so many variations on fake blood, plastic fangs and eyeballs, or ways for someone to jump out at you and yell "Boo!" (It makes us wonder why, given people's fears, we don't see more clowns in these places...) The real haunted locations are much more sedate and quiet than their not-so-evil twins. When "ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night" make themselves known, they don't announce themselves; they're... - Jerry Welch

"While it's not the first metal foam, it does look like it is the most highly advanced and the most applicable to daily life. It is five times stronger and can absorb about seven times more impact than existing foams. " - Jerry Welch

Indulge your inner DJ. - Jerry Welch

Follow the tweets of the Yahoo! SearchMonkey team - Jerry Welch

Yet another chance to find out just how un-green you really are. - Jerry Welch

From the page: "The Recording Studio in Your Laptop By Chris Lindsey Mon, October 20, 2008 In the beginning, recording studios were overwhelmingly complex institutions; multiple rooms of instruments, wires, tapes, mixers, and knobs. Only a few years ago, it was exciting to imagine producing entire albums on a personal computer. But now, even though the PC is still at the center of modern techno-life, it's beginning to seem a little washed-up. What's next, then? As with music sharing, storage, and promotion, the answer is putting the whole thing online. When I discovered that I could use sites like Jumpcut and Zoho to create, edit, save, and store documents, spreadsheets, and videos entirely within my favorite browser, I had a vision of a braver, newer world in which I wasn't weighted down by my dusty, clunky, and always-obsolete laptop -- all my applications and files would be stored remotely; accessible via a simple web portal. In my vision, I saw myself talking to a monitor on the... - Jerry Welch

He Believed a Man Could Fly By Dave Sikula Fri, October 17, 2008 You'd think a guy who created one of the world's most famous fictional characters would spend the rest of his life on Easy Street. In most cases, you'd be right. But in the case of Jerry Siegel, you'd be wrong. Siegel was born on October 17, 1914, and grew up loving comic strips and science fiction. His world was shattered, though, when his father died of a heart attack brought on by the armed robbery of his haberdashery. Perhaps inspired by the crime, Siegel created a bulletproof Man of Tomorrow -- a "Superman," to borrow Nietzsche's term -- who would help the powerless. Siegel's final version of Superman was created with artist Joe Shuster, although recent research has shown that he first approached other artists, but this earlier vision of the superhero differed from the one we've come to know over the ensuing 70 years. Siegel and Shuster tried to sell Superman to comic strip syndicates, but no one was interested... - Jerry Welch

Would be too funny if it weren't probably true. - Jerry Welch