NEW YORK -- An outside bid to buy the National Hockey League would allow team owners the chance to maintain a stake in the league, according to people close to the deal.

The provision is added incentive for team owners mulling a bid by private equity firm Bain Capital and investment firm Game Plan International to buy the 30-team league for $4.3 billion.

A spokesman for the NHL declined to comment on the deal on Wednesday.

Bain and Game Plan's offer seemed far fetched at first, with details scant and many league followers doubting that all 30 owners would agree to sell.

But stalled player contract negotiations, which forced the league to cancel the 2004-2005 season, remain at a standstill, fuelling frustration levels between players and owners.

Woo-hoo! First sports post in awhile!

Seems that "The Company" is reaching into deeper and more diverse pockets. Soon we will all pay tribute (and work as miners in the farthest reaches of space while we're at it).

-janelane

ESPN.com - NHL - Bid for NHL would let owners keep stake in league

LONDON, England -- A British man wanted in the United States for allegedly carrying out "the biggest military computer hack of all time" has been granted bail.

Gary McKinnon, 39, of north London faces extradition over claims he gained illegal access and made alterations to 53 U.S. military and NASA computers over a 12-month period from 2001 to 2002.

Holy shit! This guy looks like Sideshow Bob!

And a little like Satan...

-janelane

CNN.com - 'Superhacker' faces extradition - Jun 8, 2005

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Most American consumers don't realize Internet merchants and even traditional retailers sometimes charge different prices to different customers for the same products, according to a new survey.

The study, "Open to Exploitation," found nearly two-thirds of adult Internet users believed incorrectly it was illegal to charge different people different prices, a practice retailers call "price customization." More than two-thirds of people surveyed also said they believed online travel sites are required by law to offer the lowest airline prices possible.

The study, expected to be released Wednesday by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, is the latest to cast doubt on the notion of sophisticated consumers in the digital age.

Ha! Sophisticated consumers! That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

For you techno-heads out there, the article mentions basically data gathering to determine a shopper's habits. Is this how they use cookies and/or registering? I've always thought so, but I've never investigated it in this context.

-janelane

CNN.com - Shoppers naive about retail prices online - Jun 1, 2005

Friends, let us speak candidly:

Could is possibly be worth $12 and a 45-minute drive to watch Batman Begins on IMAX?

My vote is yes. The series starts over again, they get the killing of Batman's parents correct (insofar as the comics are concerned) and, let's be frank, the previews look kick ass. We've been let down in the past by guns-blazing previews (Blade II, Star Wars Episodes I and II, Transporter,...well, the list goes on and on), but are we so jaded as to allow our entrenched cynicism to preclude us a truly awesome, once-in-a-lifetime experience? Does it matter since I'm only working part time this summer and would have nothing to stop me from trekking up there on Wednesday the 15th?

These are the questions that DEMAND answers.

-janelane, mirthfully

I returned to my co-op job with the federal government for an internship before grad school to discover this little gem in my Inbox:

///

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 3, 2005

National Day of Prayer, 2005
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Since our Nation's earliest days, prayer has given strength and comfort to Americans of all faiths. Our Founding Fathers relied on their faith to guide them as they built our democracy. Today, we continue to be inspired by God's blessings, mercy, and boundless love. As we observe this National Day of Prayer, we humbly acknowledge our reliance on the Almighty, express our gratitude for His blessings, and seek His guidance in our daily lives.

//

My immediate observation was "what the fuck?!" followed by dumbfounded disbelief which was immediately replaced by a flood of anger and an overwhelming sence of injustice. For W., I have just a few questions: What about atheists? What about transcendentalists? What about separation of church and state? What about getting your head out of your self-righteous ass and running the damn country FORWARDS instead of using your religion as a tool for regression?

I may have said this before, but I hate our president.

Oh, and one more observation that comes after watching primetime TV, commercials, and presidential speeches...if I hear the word "family" used again in any context, I think I might snap and climb a tall tower with a high-powered rifle and attempt to take a good number of people to hell with me.

Yay for going back to work. -janelane

From the front page of CNN when this was memed:

] The bill under threat of veto would extend funding to research on
] embryonic stem cell lines that did not exist in 2001, when Bush
] limited funding to lines in existence at the time. Bush said he
] would not allow "taxpayers' money to promote science which
] destroys life in order to save life."

I see absolutely no difference between that line of reasoning and the one purported for the War on Terror. Sacrificing lives to save lives is what being a World Power is all about as Bush reminds us time and time again when he cuts social programs to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It pisses me off when people use their morality to whatever conflicting ends it suits them. Fucking hypocrite.

-janelane

CNN.com - House passes embryonic stem cell bill - May 24, 2005

Eric Mtoko (ericmtoko@yahoo.co.uk) wrote:

Dear Acidus

I saw your de-cmaster card generating info on my research work,i did like you to help me know more on how to get valid credit owners information is this is also part of my research.Possibly,give me list of sites that can feed me with up-to-date info or help me get the cmaster software to get credit card informations,like card owners name,address,issuing bank e.t.c

I sincerely hope to hearing from you soon.

Regards

Dr.Eric Mtoko

Dear Eric,

Here is how I read your email:

Dear Acidus,

I am a thief specializing in stealing people's identities... ... I mean... ... a "doctor" who is doing "research." Please tell me where I can get illegal information and stolen account numbers. Also, please ignore the fact that, while I am a "doctor," my command of the English language is on par with a 11 year old Pakistani orphan.

I sincerely hope to make you an accessory to my multiple felony convictions soon.

Regards,
A flaming piece of shit.

Email of a 2600 Author mark 2

] Spring Commencement Shifts to Georgia Dome
] May 7, 2005 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
] Georgia Dome
]
] The 221st Commencement of the Georgia Institute of
] Technology will take place Saturday, May 7, 2005 at
] 9:00AM. This spring commencement will be held at the
] Georgia Dome in Downtown Atlanta. It will include both
] graduate and undergraduate students.

Woo-hoo! Acidus and I are finally get out of this hellhole! Time to start putting my Mechanical Engineering degree and his in Computer Science to work. Opportunity costs be damned!

Of course, the ceremony is four hours of name calling, however the party that night will more than obliterate them from our memory (and probably a lot of other useless information as well).

-janelane

Georgia Institute of Technology :: Campus Calendar & Events

As per my conversation in the air-dried bachelor pad last weekend....

] Nissan will continue building the Skyline GT-R in the
] 21st Century, providing the ultimate driving pleasure to
] even more people worldwide. In its next generation Nissan
] is looking to introducing the Skyline GT-R in other
] markets worldwide.

The 2002 concept ones look pretty fab, but other than that it looks like just another four-door sedan. Its almost as ugly as a Subaru.

Why not get the sexy Porsche 911 Carrera that will get you to 60 mph 0.4 seconds faster with almost 50 more brake horsepower for $20,000 LESS? I mean, honestly....$90k for a Nissan? There's bound to be hardly any German engineering! :-)

Hell, for that amount of money, you could get a Mercedes SL2005 roadster that would charm the pants right off any female in a 5-mile radius. ;-) Or, you could get a Maserati for $3k less than that or a Jaguar XK for $4k less. Check out
http://www.autobytel.com/content/research/catsearch/index.cfm/action/pricelist/
newused/new/listtype/pricelist/price/85000.0000,90000.0000/category/SPRT
if you don't believe me.

I guess now we know why I'd never heard of a Nissan Skyline...there's a fricking REASON why they aren't bringing them to the states anytime soon. :P

-janelane

Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, Skyline GT-R R35 Concept, Skyline GT-R R34 M-Spec Nur - RSportsCars.com

] While each of the protesting groups has a different gripe
] with Mr. Schwarzenegger, they have united in depicting
] him as an uncaring, partisan Republican doing the bidding
] of big business.

Holy fucking hell! You mean traditional Republicans would sell their soul to Satan for a chance to pander to big business! No WAY!

"I think I'm gonna DIE from NOT surprise."

-janelane

Schwarzenegger's Star Dipping as Californians Feel Its Singe