- Andrew Bynum hasn’t been a big hit in Philadelphia so far.
His ever-changing hairstyles have been amusing, but the 7-footer has yet to
step onto the court in a game for the team that paid a steep price to acquire
him last summer and when he finally did step onto the practice court, 76ers
coach Doug Collins dryly described his performance as looking like someone who
“hadn’t played basketball in nine months,” which made sense because Bynum and
his multiple knee injuries haven't hooped it up in that long. The rehab process
is ongoing for the supposed franchise center the 76ers acquired in the
four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers, but it has
been put on hold after Bynum suffered another setback late last week. He took
part in just a few minutes of practice last week, a five-on-zero drill that
wasn't even a full scrimmage, then experienced swelling and discomfort in his
right knee after the practice. It was literally the first time he'd been able
to be involved in any practice since the 76ers traded for him and emerging from
that practice session with a throbbing right knee has severely dimmed hope that
he will play at all this season. Ironically, his setback came just 10 days ago
he declared he'd "definitely be back sometime" this season.
"It's getting late. I don't know [about playing this season]," Bynum
said. "I don't want to play in pain. ... I'm 25, it's my life."
That’s the sort of dedication 76ers fans will love hearing from a player upon
their team will have to drop a massive contract if they wish to re-sign him
before he becomes a free agent in July. Then again, with the team mired in a seven-game
losing streak that has left them six games back from the last playoff spot in
the Eastern Conference with just 26 games remaining, there isn’t a tremendous
incentive for Bynum to rush back. He did undergo a procedure in Germany over
the summer aimed at strengthening his knees, but a bone bruise in his right
knee was discovered in September and the news has grown steadily worse since then………
- Finding security flaws and bugs in new technology and
software is something of a competition and show of skill among tech dorks and
gadget lovers. The Samsung Galaxy Note II is one of the more popular phones on the market
at present and that means security experts and hackers are busy trying to find
its flaws. One hacker, self-described mobile enthusiast Terence Eden, was able
to bypass the phone's security, access the "direct call" capability
and view the phone’s home screen without having to unlock the device. Using
that flaw, Note II owners or hackers could theoretically run apps and dial
numbers while the device is locked. Eden discovered the flaw while testing a
Galaxy Note II N7100 running Android 4.1.2, the latest edition of the system in
the United Kingdom. In a video he posted, Eden activated the device's screen,
pressed the "Emergency Call" button and tapped the "ICE"
option in the bottom left. When he did those three things and held down the
physical home key for a few seconds before release, Eden managed to briefly
display the home screen. In that brief span, he tapped the "direct
dial" widget and began a phone call. He expounded on his find in a blog
post, saying the hack works against “Pattern Lock, PIN, Password, and Face
Unlock.” In short, he explained, there is no way to secure your phone against
your home screen being accessed. There isn’t tremendous value in the hack, as
making a call necessitates a user first having the direct dial widget on their
home screen. However, a hacker could get a glimpse of what apps a person has
installed on their home screen or view a person’s calendar or email if they
have a widget that displays them. A similar issue showed up last month on
devices running Apple's iOS 6.1, when a flaw in the updated OS allowed anyone
to bypass the password lock and access the Phone app, view or modify contacts,
check voicemail and browse photos. Look for there to be more hacks and security
flaws in the Android 4.1.2 system moving forward and more hackers following in
Eden’s footsteps on this one………
- Freeeeeeeeeedom! That was the battle cry for a racehorse
in Florence, Ky. on Saturday, but sadly that quest for liberation came up
short. Joseph the Catfish, a
three-year-old racehorse, escaped his life of forced servitude in the form of
being forced to run around in a giant oval against other racehorses and made a
break for it during his first race start at Turfway Park on Saturday evening.
Track officials noted that the horse seemed nervous from the start and after a
shaky start to the race, it stumbled around the first turn, trying to run out
from under its jockey. Jockey Eddie Zuniga refused to allow his mount to throw
him and rode Joseph the Catfish around the second turn. That’s when the horse
made its move, throwing Zuniga off and boldly leaping over the racetrack
barrier. The liberated equine then ran down Houston Road, past a Target store
and a local steakhouse. Track employees gave chase and sadly, they caught up
with Joseph the Catfish near the Turfway Road ramp. They were able to stop the
horse just short of the southbound lane of I-75 and the race starter and a
veterinarian were able to corral Joseph the Catfish just before he reached the
highway. Zuniga was unharmed by his fall and the horse was captured without
injury. Sadly, he’s going to have closer scrutiny from this point forward and
making another escape is going to be difficult. Don’t give up the dream,
Joseph, and some day you just may run free and catch a ride from a kind
stranger heading south on I-75…….
- Aaaaaand cue the corny Biblical jokes about Old Testament
references. Three weeks prior to Passover, the always-fun swarm of locusts has
hit Egypt, just at did when Moses was attempting to convince Pharaoh to let his
people go back in the old days. The 2013 swarm of locusts is believed to number
more than 30 million and these pets have blanketed Egypt's cities and farms as part of their regular
migration pattern. This year’s edition of the invasion is unusually large and
Israeli media outlets have taken to linking it s to the "account related
in the Passover Haggadah," that is, the Old Testament biblical story of
the plague of locusts. Egyptian Agricultural Minister Salah Abad Almoman said the
swarm descended on Giza, near southern Cairo, occupying farms before moving on
to Cairo on Saturday. To fend off the insects, residents burned tires to create
a thick, black fog they hoped would prevent the locusts from settling in the
city. Residents of the Red Sea city of Zafarana, about 124 miles from Cairo,
also reported large swarms and some of the locusts also reached the Upper
Egyptian city of Qena, where they descended on three villages. Agricultural
lands and villages were all targets and farmers in the affected areas feared
that their crops would be destroyed by the insects. They have accused the
government of not taking measures to prevent the swarm or combat it, while
officials have insisted the crops are largely safe and denied reports that the
locusts are devastating farmlands. "The current inspection teams at areas
targeted by locusts did not witness swarms damaging a single inch of crop,” Almoman
added. "Egyptian armed forces and the border guards are attempting to
fight the swarm with the means at their disposal. I ask the families living in
the locust-plagued areas not to burn tires. This does not chase away the
locusts, but only causes damage and could ignite large scale fires that would
cost in lives." Crop-spraying aircraft will be deployed to fight the
insects, according to the government, which hopes to avoid a repeat of the 2004
infestation in which the country suffered a locust infestation considered one
of the worst in recent history and sustained massive crop damage that resulted
in significant financial strain……….
- Give Heidi Klum credit. Many models have little or no clue what to do
with their life or career once their modeling days are over and their natural
beauty begins to fade. Like professional athletes who don’t sufficiently
consider their post-playing plans and wind up stumbling through life after the
NFL, NBA or MLB while trying to subsist off their career earnings and fees for
public appearances and small-time endorsements, ex-models can find life outside
the game harsh and unforgiving. Klum has remained busy with endorsements, TV
appearances and now, she’s going to plumb the depths of reality television as
the fourth judge on the circus sideshow that is “America’s Got Talent.” Klum
will fill the vacant slot alongside the conspicuously available Howie Mandel,
Howard Stern and former Spice Skank Mel B. That seat opened up after Sharon
Osbourne quit as judge at the end of last season and Klum will get to work
quickly with auditions for the new season starting Monday in New Orleans. The
most entertaining weirdos from across the United States will be gathered from
regional auditions and the weirdest of the weird will compete at the show's
studio in New York for the $1 million prize. "Heidi has an amazing career
across multiple media platforms, and has built a brand that is a force in the
entertainment business," said Paul Telegdy, NBC's president of alternative
and late night programming. "She has achieved superstardom while balancing
being a businesswoman and hard-working mom, bringing a huge amount of
experience, discernment and taste to the panel. As we look to develop an act
that will get the world's attention, we and the contestants will benefit from
Heidi's international sensibility and understanding of what works in today's
global entertainment industry.” Yes, because judging people who are a little
too bizarre to be in the three-ring circus under the big top at Barnum &
Bailey’s is a clear indicator of knowing what really works in the entertainment
industry……..
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