| Consumer Electronics No-Shows
Last week, USA Today reported that online sales in November increased 25 percent over those from 2005. If you've shopped for gadgets online this holiday season, you almost certainly found that the camcorder or DVD player you wanted was selling at a wide range of prices. Why is there so much price variation for the same product? And how come some gadgets, like the iPod, cost the same no matter where you shop? For one thing, e-shoppers aren't all alike. Some are obsessed with finding bargains and will fill their shopping carts at whichever online store offers the lowest price. Others care more about brand loyalty, delivery options, or ease of returns—things they'll pay a premium for. E-commerce sites differ, too, with brick-and-mortar chains jacking up prices to cover overhead, and garage operations exploiting low operating costs by diving far below the manufacturers' suggested retail price.
Jeff Thelen's Blog
So, I go to a movie Saturday night. I have some friends in Waupaca and we always meet in Stevens Point, since that's half way between us. We don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, so we do a lot of catching up. We also like to pretend we're the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and make fun of what we see on screen, if it's bad. And we're pop culture geeks so we talk about the actors, directors, special effects, etc. On top of that, my cell phone went off. I told the caller I'd call her back. But all of this happened BEFORE the movie, during the trailers, or previews of the upcoming films. Once the movie started we all hushed up, except for the occasional gasp. (we saw Sweeney Todd, which is really quite gross) Still, a man sitting directly in front of me turned around at the end of the last trailer and said, "OK, let's keep the comments to ourselves now that the movie is starting." I said "Yea, we planned on it once the movie started." After hearing the exchange, the group behind us (all adults) actually made several comments about the movie during the movie.
California flora surpass muster in Fort Bragg
FORT BRAGG, Calif. - By the time you've driven this far north of San Francisco (more than three hours), the ocean's rhythmic thunder against the cliffs lining Highway 1 has hammered your senses into a state of numb awe. Along the way, you perhaps visited the gorgeous, if touristy, seaside village of Mendocino and sated your palate and your shopping habit. Following the highway a little farther north into this more workaday town, it is easy to miss the entrance to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, although it is right beside the highway. But even those who don't know a dahlia from a calla lily will find it worthwhile to seek out this small but extraordinary public garden. Beyond the fence that screens the site from the parking lot, visitors can pay a modest fee for a map, which outlines a looping trail through more than 20 plant collections on a 47-acre tract.
Bill, like Hillary, has his share of fans
CORPUS CHRISTI A woman from Pennsylvania visiting her daughter was the first Saturday to have her photo snapped cheek to cheek with former President Bill Clinton. "I came for a vacation, then found out my favorite person in the world would be here," said Vicki Hartsek, 59, putting her hand over her heart. "I wanted to take him home with me." Hartsek was among a crowd police estimated at more than 1,000 who came to see Clinton's 8 a.m. speech at Lions Park. His engaging reassurance of his wife's experience and commitment drew squealing, applause, laughter and chanting, "Hillary, Hillary, Hillary..." The predominantly older crowd of Hillary Clinton supporters said they didn't want to miss the chance to see the former president. "Whewwwwww!" screamed Mary Lou Cano, 69, shaking her flag purse like an excited schoolgirl.
Director: Eminem Almost Leapt Into 'Jumper' Lead Role
As it turns out, the famed white rapper was lined up to play the lead role in the new action film, "Jumper," director Doug Liman revealed to MTVNews.com. "We did have a meeting. We did have conversations with Eminem," the writer/director said about the rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers. Eminem became a surprise box office star in 2002 in the autobiographical "8 Mile." Apparently, after being bitten by the acting bug, he spent some time looking for his next project when the "Jumper" script reportedly caught his eye in early 2006. At that same time, Liman (who just a few months earlier had been tapped to direct "Jumper") entered talks about bringing Eminem on board to star as the teleporting David Rice. "[The idea to meet with the rapper] was sort of coming from the producer and [Eminem's] manager," Liman told MTVNews.com.
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