Mammoth Blog

Six months of scrambling on all fronts-bank bailouts, economic stimulus, climate change-have brought the President lower approval ratings from a public suffering from crisis overload and left him needing a Hail Mary pass to score on his key issue.

"With skepticism about the president's health-care reform effort mounting on Capitol Hill-even within his own party," the Washington Post reports, "the White House has launched a new phase of its strategy designed to dramatically increase public pressure on Congress: all Obama, all the time.

"Senior White House aides promise 'an aggressive public and private schedule' for Obama as he presses his case for reform, including a prime-time news conference on Wednesday, a trip to Cleveland, and heavy use of Internet video to broadcast his message beyond the reach of the traditional media."

This test of presidential clout, coming up on a complex issue against the background of other trillion-dollar commitments that have still to bear fruit, leaves him exposed not only to Republicans with their simple-minded message of tax phobia and deficit fear but increasing anxiety among 2010-vulnerable Democrats who now sense a potential lack of visible progress on all fronts by next fall to keep them in office.

In this kind of ADD political climate, health care legislation lends itself to demagogues' cover on all sides, with providers "promising" non-binding new efforts to cut costs as Republicans line up with Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus to "back" a future public option for health insurance with trigger mechanisms that will never be pulled off. source>>>

The door was open.

The money was there.

Colt McCoy won't reveal exactly how high he was advised he might have gone if he'd entered the NFL draft earlier this year, but the Texas quarterback says he was more than satisfied with what he was told by the committee of general managers and personnel directors he consulted.

McCoy rattles off a series of reasons for nonetheless not making the jump. He loves Texas, his teammates, the Longhorns' coaches. Another year of college seasoning won't hurt. The NFL isn't going anywhere.

And this:
FIND MORE STORIES IN: National Football League | Ben Roethlisberger | Donovan McNabb | Vince Young | Matt Leinart | Ohio State University | Mack Brown | Sam Bradford | Colt McCoy | Graham Harrell | Colt Brennan | Texas Tech University | Jim McMahon

"I came back to win," he says. "I think we have a great chance."

He and the 'Horns won 12 times a year ago, but it turned out to be one too few. A next-to-last-second loss at Texas Tech cost them a berth in the Big 12 Conference championship game and, with that, a shot at the national title game a month later.

The course of the Heisman Trophy race was altered, as well. McCoy had delivered the kind of signature performance against Tech that voters remember when they cast their ballots in December, passing for 216 second-half yards and coolly engineering an 80-yard touchdown drive to give his team a one -- point lead with less than 1½ minutes left. But it was trumped by the Red Raiders' Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, who hooked up for a stunning scoring pass on the game's final play from scrimmage.

McCoy still got a trip to New York out of the season, finishing second in the Heisman balloting to Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford -- matching the finish by the Longhorns' Vince Young three years earlier.

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McCoy now holds 42 school records, and his 70.2% career completion rate is just a hair behind the major-college record of 70.4% set by Hawaii's Colt Brennan from 2005-07. His 32 wins in three years as a Texas starter are two more than the sainted Young totaled.

Young's last team won it all, however. McCoy came close enough last season to want that, too.

"I feel like we have a chance," he says.

Texas will open the '09 season somewhere in the top five in the polls and as no worse than a co-favorite, with Oklahoma, in the Big 12 South in no small part because McCoy chose to play out his senior year. The nation's No. 3-rated passer as a fourth-year junior, he has averaged 3,244 yards and more than 28 TDs passing in each of his three seasons with the Longhorns. And has run for 1,223 yards and 17 TDs, leading the 'Horns in rushing in 2008.

Indeed, there's a lot for the NFL to like. McCoy's 158.0 career efficiency rating is eighth-best in major-college history, putting him just behind Matt Leinart and ahead of Jim McMahon, Donovan McNabb and Ben Roethlisberger, among others in the top 20. Perhaps more impressive are the seven fourth-quarter comebacks he has helped deliver -- an eighth stolen away that night in Lubbock, Texas.

"He's so accurate. .. just unbelievable," Texas coach Mack Brown says. "And he has stayed healthy. He's a great leader. He's everything they want."

Though McCoy was intercepted just eight times last season, "he made a couple of throws he wishes he had back," Brown says. One was picked off and returned for a touchdown early in the second half at Texas Tech. McCoy also coughed up some fumbles, and his coach says ball protection is one area of emphasis they've discussed for the upcoming season.

"He's one you have to be careful with," Brown says, "because if you mention anything he needs to work on, he'll take the bottle. He won't take the (single) aspirin. He'll worry so much about it. He just needs to continue to grow and not get too passionate about 'because we lost one game last year, we've got to win every one of them this year' and put too much pressure on himself."

Good luck with that.

"Somebody asked me what my most memorable moment was last year," McCoy says, "and the only thing I could say was the Texas Tech game. That's the thing that sticks in your mind. Beating OU, the Fiesta Bowl (where McCoy threw for 414 yards and two TDs in a win vs. Ohio State), all those things are great. But when you look back on the season, the first thing that comes to your mind is the loss. As a competitor, that's how you always think. That's how you always are.

"Yeah, there's a little bit of pain involved. That's why you work so hard; you don't want to feel that." source>>>

A Vikings source tells NFL.com the team expects to pay Favre "north of $10 million" in 2009. Not a bad incentive to unretire, Brett.)

Call it Favre Watch, call it Favre-a-pa-looza, call it whatever you want, but according to NFL.com columnist Thomas George, the offseason circus surrounding Brett Favre -- the NFL's (currently retired) all-time leader in passing yards, TD passes, INTs, wins by a starting QB, most consecutive games started by a QB et al. -- will end no later than Friday.

That's when George, citing "those closest to Favre," says the 18-year veteran will officially decide whether or not he'll don the purple and gold of the Minnesota Vikings for the 2009 season.

Whatever will we blog about come Saturday? Tarvaris Jackson, anyone? source>>>

My Big Ten colleague at ESPN.com, Adam Rittenberg, came up with a terrific idea Tuesday in keeping with the spirit of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Of course, all of his ideas are terrific. He's a Northwestern graduate.

What he did was pick his own Big Ten All-Star football team heading into the 2009 season and split it into two teams.

The baseball game's over, and the American League won ... again. But it's not too late to follow suit and pick an SEC All-Star team pitting the Eastern Division against the Western Division.

Just like the real thing, every team in the league has to be represented, and a player must have played in an SEC game to be eligible.

So here goes:

EAST ALL-STARS

Offense
QB: Tim Tebow (Florida)
RB: Montario Hardesty (Tennessee), Chris Rainey (Florida)
WR: A.J. Green (Georgia), Randall Cobb (Kentucky)
ALL-PURPOSE: Jeffery Demps (Florida)
TE: Aaron Hernandez (Florida)
C: Bradley Vierling (Vanderbilt)
OL: Clint Boling (Georgia), Maurkice Pouncey (Florida), Mike Pouncey (Florida), Trinton Sturdivant (Georgia)

Defense
DE: Carlos Dunlap (Florida), Eric Norwood (South Carolina)
DT: Geno Atkins (Georgia), Dan Williams (Tennessee)
LB: Rennie Curran (Georgia), Micah Johnson (Kentucky), Brandon Spikes (Florida)
CB: Joe Haden (Florida), Trevard Lindley (Kentucky)
S: Eric Berry (Tennessee), Ahmad Black (Florida)

Special teams
K: Jonathan Phillips (Florida)
P: Chas Henry (Florida)
KR: Brandon James (Florida)

Coach
Urban Meyer (Florida)

WEST ALL-STARS

Offense
QB: Jevan Snead (Ole Miss)
RB: Charles Scott (LSU), Michael Smith (Arkansas)
WR: Julio Jones (Alabama), Brandon LaFell (LSU)
ALL-PURPOSE: Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss)
TE: D.J. Williams (Arkansas)
C: Daverin Geralds (Ole Miss)
OL: Ciron Black (LSU), John Jerry (Ole Miss), Mike Johnson (Alabama), Lee Ziemba (Auburn)

Defense
DE: Antonio Coleman (Auburn), Greg Hardy (Ole Miss)
DT: Terrence Cody (Alabama), Malcolm Sheppard (Arkansas)
LB: Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State), Rolando McClain (Alabama), Dont'a Hightower (Alabama)
CB: Javier Arenas (Alabama), Patrick Peterson (LSU)
S: Chad Jones (LSU), Kendrick Lewis (Ole Miss)

Special teams
K: Joshua Shene (Ole Miss)
P: Clinton Durst (Auburn)
KR: Javier Arenas (Alabama)

Coach
Nick Saban (Alabama)

My thoughts: Some really intriguing matchups to ponder. Watching Tebow and Snead go at it with their two different styles would be a lot of fun. The East offense is essentially Florida's offense, which tells you a little something about the Gators' talent. But maybe it also says a little something about the rest of the East on that side of the ball. Even with Tebow leading the way for the East, the West is stronger on offense. It has the ability to pound the ball with Scott, a multi-dimensional backfield threat in Smith, the best pass-catching tight end in the country in Williams and three dynamic playmakers on the perimeter in Jones, LaFell and McCluster. It's hard to beat the West's offensive line, too. Defensively, I might give the edge to the East. Its secondary is scary good. I also like the leadership on the East team with the likes of Tebow, Berry and Spikes. The West's Shene is the most clutch kicker in the league, but the East's overall special teams should be better, if for nothing else, because Meyer is running the show. Check out the pass-rushers in this game. Talk about some speed off the edge. Even though Norwood is listed as an outside linebacker in South Carolina's scheme, he's more of a defensive end type.

Prediction: Picking against Tebow is tough. All the guy does is win. But I'm relying on one of the oldest truisms in football to make my decision for me. The team that runs the ball the best and stops the run the best usually wins. That said, I've got the West winning 31-24 on a late reverse for a touchdown by McCluster. source>>>

When four coaches and eight players arrive at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala., on Wednesday, the 2009 college football season officially begins.

The frenzy that is SEC Football Media Days gets under way then and will conclude July 24 with the naming of the All-SEC Preseason Team, as well as the predicted order of finish in the East and West divisions and winner of the SEC Championship Game.

On Wednesday Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Kentucky will be highlighted, with the head coach and two players from each team on hand to field questions.

Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Florida take center stage on Thursday, and the final day will showcase Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU.

Before the teams convene, here's a quick look at all 12 programs -- listed in alphabetical order -- beginning with the SEC East.

Last year's records are in parentheses.

SEC EAST

1. Florida (13-1): The Gators are the defending league and national champions and one would be hard-pressed to find a soothsayer who'd predict anything less in 2009.

Urban Meyer's team is absolutely loaded, with seven starters back on offense and all 11 defensive starters returning to the fold.

Quarterback Tim Tebow will try to become the first player in college football history to win two Heisman trophies over a three-season period, and he has another stellar supporting cast to work with whether he decides to air it out or keep the ball on the ground.

The schedule also works in Florida's favor, with warm-ups to start the season against Charleston Southern and Troy before Tennessee comes to The Swamp for a game that has been talked about since the moment Lane Kiffin was named head coach of the Volunteers.

2. Georgia (10-3): The Bulldogs lost much of their offensive production with the NFL exodus of quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno, but the cupboard is hardly bare in Athens. Seven offensive starters and eight defensive front-liners return in 2009.

Caleb King will be the go-to guy when UGA runs the ball, while head coach Mark Richt hopes new starting QB Joe Cox can help wideout A.J. Green burn opposing defenses through the skies.

Perhaps the biggest factor in 2009 will be on the defensive side of the ball. The maturation of eight starters will be the key to shoring up a unit that allowed more than 40 points in three different games last year.

3. Kentucky (7-6): Coach Rich Brooks has worked wonders in Lexington, guiding the Wildcats to three consecutive winning seasons and three straight bowl games. Things could be a bit tougher in 2009, however, as Whit Hartline is "iffy" at quarterback.

Still, UK has a solid running game and if six new starters on defense can adapt to their roles quickly the Wildcats could make another run at a bowl.

4. South Carolina (7-6): Can Stephen Garcia finally live up to his promise as the next great Gamecocks quarterback? Will Anderson's Moe Brown help make the embattled QB look the part of a star with big catches and big gains? Will Eric Norwood and Nathan Pepper galvanize a defense that allowed a combined 87 points in the final two regular season games of 2008?

USC almost always seems to lead the league in preseason question marks and this summer is no different, with Steve Spurrier bringing back five starters on offense and six on defense in an effort to help his charges finally turn the corner.

Even if the Gamecocks are improved they face one of the nation's toughest schedules, opening at North Carolina State before traveling to Georgia, and also facing Alabama on the road.

Throw in games against Ole Miss, Florida and Clemson and the Gamecocks will have their work cut out for them.

5. Tennessee (5-7): Kiffin has talked the talk, now can he walk the walk?

The new coach was brought in after the Vols suffered through a 5-7 campaign, and almost immediately he alienated other coaches with his brash talk.

UT has a good nucleus of players, and Kiffin is pinning his offensive hopes on senior quarterback Jonathan Crumpton.

Regardless of the final won-loss record, it should be a very interesting season in Knoxville.

6. Vanderbilt (7-6): The Commodores finally broke through with a bowl bid last season, and eight starters on offense and nine more on defense will attempt to continue the positive momentum.

Sophomore quarterback Larry Smith, however, will need to have a breakout season.

SEC WEST

1. Alabama (12-2): Nick Saban has turned the Crimson Tide from also-rans to almost champs in a short time, as Alabama won the West in 2008 and gave Florida all it could handle in the SEC Championship Game.

The Alabama defense should be one of the nation's best this year, but only four starters are back on offense. Greg McElroy will take over QB duties and Job One for the junior will be to find wide receiver Julio Jones as often as possible.

If sophomore Mark Ingram can step up and give UA a solid ground game, another postseason trip to Atlanta could be in the offing.

2. Arkansas (5-7): Bobby Petrino had the Razorbacks playing much better by the end of the 2008 season, capped off by a 31-30 upset of LSU.

Defense should be the strength of Arkansas this fall with 10 starters back, and eight offensive starters are also on board.

Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett is the projected starter at quarterback, and the 6-7 sophomore will be forced to shake off the rust after sitting out a year.

Should Petrino's offense finally click in his second season, the Hogs should go bowling.

3. Auburn (5-7): New coach Gene Chizik proved to be a head-scratching hire after logging a 5-19 career record at Iowa State, and he takes over a team that collapsed during the second half of the 2008 season.

Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle could end up splitting time at quarterback, working with an offense that was anemic in 2008 but brings back seven starters.

Defense is likely the strong suit of the Tigers, who have the misfortune of closing out their SEC slate against Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama.

4. LSU (8-5): A spotty offense proved to be the Tigers' undoing in 2008, as LSU followed up a national championship with a five-loss season.

Les Miles, however, has an abundance of talent and experience this fall, with 14 starters on hand to help the team make another run at SEC West honors.

Quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who was magnificent in a Chick-fil-A rout of Georgia Tech as a freshman, will get the starting job all to himself as a sophomore.

5. Ole Miss (9-4): The Rebels are the sexy pick to dethrone Alabama in the West, and the Rebels have certainly undergone a renaissance under Houston Nutt. Last year's club finished 9-4 and was the only team to top Florida.

Eight offensive starters and eight defensive first-teamers are on the roster, and the Rebs should have plenty of firepower under the direction of quarterback Jevan Snead.

If wideouts Dexter McClure and Shay Hodge live up to expectations, Ole Miss will spend more Saturdays than not outscoring their foes.

6. Mississippi State (4-8): Dan Mullen has a monumental rebuilding job to do in Starkville, and five offensive starters and seven starters on defense are gone.

Since Mullen is instituting a brand new pass-oriented offense, it might be a year or two (at least) before positive results show on the field.
source>>>

For the first time, lower IQ scores in children have been linked to air pollution their mothers inhaled while pregnant.

"It's a profound observation," Patrick Breysse, an environmental health specialist at Johns Hopkins University, told the Associated Press. "This paper is going to open a lot of eyes."

The study, which appears in the August issue of Pediatrics, examined 249 New York children whose mothers lived in mostly low-income areas of the city. The women wore backpack air monitors for 48 hours during the last few months of pregnancy to measure smog, mostly from car, bus and truck exhaust.

Children were given IQ tests at age 5, and those exposed to the most pollution in the womb scored on average four to five points lower than children with less exposure. Here's the news release. source>>>

VICKY and Dewayne McIntyre could be any one of us struggling in a down economy to afford health-care premiums and medicine for an 8-year-old with heart and lung problems and asthma.

Washington state priorities correctly put children first and the Yakima couple's daughter, Sarah, is covered under the State Children's Health Insurance Program or SCHIP.

Credit us for being one of only 13 states swimming against a recessionary economic tide to cover children from families with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or $54,930 for a family of three.

A recent New York Times story chronicled the McIntyres downward spiral in credit-card debt and payday loans as they struggled to pay -- at one point $880 a month -- for medicine for their daughter.

After food, shelter and other essentials, what family has $900 a month available to buy medicine?

Poor children are covered by Medicaid. But tens of thousands of children are left without coverage, including those from middle-class families struggling to get by without employer-sponsored health insurance.

Record job losses in recent months mean a rise in the number of uninsured. Washington's choice is to consign these children to emergency-room care or to provide health care coverage. Lawmakers smartly chose the latter.

Lingering concern that SCHIP may attract families that can afford private insurance will be addressed by annual reports starting in 2010. The reports by the Department of Social and Health Services will measure enrollment and determine if families are moving from private plans. If so, legislative adjustments will be necessary. For now, SCHIP is doing what it was intended to do: provide a safety net for children.
source>>>

A simple surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoid glands may help children with sleep-disordered breathing sleep and even behave better.

A new study shows that children with sleep-disordered breathing who received an adenotonsillectomy slept and behaved better than before they had the procedure for up to two and a half years later.

Although bigger improvement in the children's sleep was seen six months after surgery, researchers say most of the improvements in the children's behavior were maintained over the long term.

Researchers say since their initial six-month study of adenotonsillectomy on children with sleep-disordered breathing, further research has supported their finding that sleep-disordered breathing has a significant impact on children's behavior and cognitive development over the longer term.

For example, other studies have shown that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD), hyperactivity, and behavior improve six to 12 months after adenotonsillectomy.
Sleep Better, Behave Better

In this study, published in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, researchers followed up with 44 of the 71 children with sleep-disordered breathing that participated in the initial six-month study.

The children underwent an adenotonsillectomy and parents completed a questionnaire about their sleep and behavior six months afterward and again at least two years later.

Researcher Julie L. Wei MD, of the University of Kansas School of Medicine and colleagues found most improvements in sleep and behavior were maintained over the long term, although the improvements were six months after the procedure and then declined slightly.

They estimate that if the improvements in behavior and sleep continued to fade by the modest 7% per year shown in the study, it would take nine or 10 years to return to the level the children at were at before the procedure. source>>>

Courtney Holt, president of MySpace Music, kicked off the New Music Seminar Tuesday at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts with a keynote interview conducted by New Music Seminar Founder Tom Silverman. The address focused on the cyclical nature of the music industry, as well as the effects of technological advances on the music industry.

During the address Holt revealed MySpace Music's plan to release data measuring the popularity of music on MySpace, which will be released mid to late August 2009.

Holt, as well as Silverman in his introduction to the keynote address, discussed the increase in popularity of single song downloads since 2004. According to Holt and Silverman, this is an idea that echoes the successful business model of the record industry throughout the 1950s and 1960s. It also remains a business model that both claimed has potential to grow in the coming years as digital music sales increase.

Holt lamented over the problematic nature of commercial radio formats due to their inability to allow new and unique musical artists reach audiences, which he emphasized is a particular area of strength for MySpace Music given its democratic approach to content. "You wouldn't hear Bad Brains and Miles Davis played back to back on radio stations, except maybe college radio, yet this is how people consume music today - very randomly," Holt said.

Holt spoke of the Web's capabilities to serve audiences' alternative listening patterns. Once additional trending and market research is completed, the Web's potential to help musical artists gain popularity and monetary gain will increase, Holt said.

Silverman and Holt, however, also spoke of the negative effects of technology on the music industry. With widespread recording technology making it more cost effective and easier for artists themselves to record and release music, Holt pointed out the overcrowding effect this creates. "The art must rise above the software used to create it," Holt said.

As Silverman pointed out in his introduction, 105,575 albums were released in 2008, with only 110 artists selling more than 250,000 albums the same year. Because of this, the ability to reach audiences in key markets remains more crucial than ever, Holt said. He advised musical artists to think carefully about which Web tools they use to garner attention and, as Silverman phrased it, approach change with a do-it-yourself attitude. source>>>

As investors and analysts await financial figures for eBay's second quarter, sellers are likely to hear news Monday of policy changes that continue to reflect CEO John Donahoe's strategy of streamlining the buyer experience and redefining the auction marketplace as a traditional e-commerce site.

Chief among the expected announcements is a plan to replace eBay's (NASDAQ: EBAY) PowerSelling branding with a "top-rated" icon, though the PowerSeller program would continue for a year or so to be used as the criteria for rewarding sellers with fee discounts and search exposure, according to a source who has been briefed on the changes.

PowerSeller designation has been used at eBay to showcase high-volume sellers. eBay also special privileges to merchants who qualify as PowerSellers, such as listing discounts, increased exposure in search results and other marketing advantages.

It remains to be seen exactly how eBay will classify "top-rated" sellers as a subset of PowerSellers, but seems likely it will be done through a new formula for calculating "Detailed Seller Ratings" (DEFINE: DSR), which rate e-tailers on a scale from 1 to 5 on various criteria involved in the online purchasing experience, such as delivering goods on time.

If reports are true, the new formula for "top-rated" status would be based on meeting a minimum percentage of low DSR ratings a seller has over a certain time period. eBay would then give top-rated sellers a 20-percent discount on final value fees (FVF), compared to a 5-percent cut for traditional PowerSellers.

Top-rated sellers would also receive increased exposure in eBay search results, compared to PowerSellers and casual sellers.

Skip McGrath, veteran eBay PowerSeller and author of several eBay selling guides, said the "top-rated" plan makes sense for the seller community, though it won't benefit everyone.

"The problem with the PowerSeller program is it recognizes volume, but not necessarily quality," McGrath told InternetNews.com. "So yes, some sellers will be unhappy, and there will definitely be some pain points while they get it up and running, but in the long-term, if it brings more people back to the platform, that will be a plus for all sellers."

He adds that the "top-rated" program would benefit most online merchants with high DSRs -- 4.9 to 5 -- but may put those in certain categories at a disadvantage.

"I see this as being a problem for those who sell refurbished merchandise or used items," McGrath said. "No matter how many warnings you provide about the product being refurbished or 'as is,' and how excellent the customer service, they'll still get some negative feedbacks, so that could keep you out of the running for 'top-rated.'"

He also said the new seller category could help boost sales.

"I'm not sure the occasional buyers at eBay know what a PowerSeller is, or what significance that has, so it's probably good for the shoppers," McGrath said. "Lately, my sales have been, more and more, from people new to eBay, so that's good if we're attracting new buyers, and if they have a better experience, then it's good for the platform and good for sellers."

Other announcements expected from eBay next week include prohibiting sellers from making buyers pay for shipping insurance and a tool that will aid sellers in maximizing exposure in eBay's "Best Match" algorithm.

Until recently, eBay's search tool provided results based on when auctions were ending, but as more fixed-price items made their way to listings, eBay instituted "Best Match" as the default, which sorts items based on relevancy. The switch left many sellers at a loss as to how to optimize their listings for the new search format.

eBay did not return requests for comment by press time. source>>>

A 23-year-old man was bilked of $5,603 trying to buy a pick-up truck on eBay.

On July 14, the Madawaska Valley man told Ontario Provincial Police he was to have received the truck after using a MoneyGram to pay a middle man. The MoneyGram was cashed, but no truck arrived.

The "MoneyGram vehicle scam" starts with a "cars and trucks for sale" ad on websites like eBay, Craigslist, Kijiji and Auto Trader, police said. People should be wary of any ad that does not list a phone number and uses a free e-mail address. If an offer looks to good to be true, it probably is.

Police advise the public not to use instant money transfer services for this kind of transaction, particularly on eBay where buyers prefer PayPal. source>>>

This little speck of moon rock (roughly 1/2" x 1/2") is for real, if the documentation included with the auction is to be believed. You see, it's... kinda weird, the story behind this little guy.

Whoever originally owned the rock, s/he sent it off to have it melted into a batch of aluminum. It seems kind of odd to me then that the rock still exists, rather than having been melted down. But it does, and it's up for a Buy It Now offering of $2,000. Would you pay that much for a small chunk of the moon? Do you believe that this even is a chunk of it? source>>>

You can buy and sell just about anything on eBay. Millions of people use it every day. But few of them know all the ins and outs of using the world's biggest and best Internet auction site. The following tools will put you well on your way toward becoming an expert.

Find rare items as soon as they are listed: If you're looking for something specific and your searches come up empty, give eBay's saved searches (in the My Account section) a try. Once you set up a saved search, eBay will e-mail you daily for op to one year when new items that match your search appear.

Automate last-minute bidding: As eBay veterans know, due to the phenomenon known as "sniping," the only bidding that matters in an online auction happens during the final moments. Free application JBidWatcher tracks multiple auctions and submits your maximum-offer, last-minute bids in sequence automatically. You can also arrange for the app to refrain from bidding on any remaining auctions in a series of related auctions the moment you win one.

Track your profits and losses: If selling on eBay is more of a vocation than a hobby for you, head over to ProfBay, a Web site that tracks and graphs your eBay profit margins after subtracting your listing, shipping, and other selling fees from the equation.

eBay Desktop; click for full-size image. Bring eBay to your desktop: eBay may have lived out the first 10+ years of its life in your browser, but nowadays the best eBay experience comes in the form of eBay Desktop, the auction site's free desktop application. Not only is it faster than the eBay you're used to, but it supplies a real-time auction counter (so you don't have to refresh your browser in order to see how much time is left), built-in item reminders, and alerts when you've been outbid. And eBay Desktop updates automatically, so you never have to refresh your browser.

Get a great deal on misspelled items: The most important thing a seller can do is to make sure that potential buyers can find the item being auctioned. But for buyers, a misspelled auction spells G-R-E-A-T D-E-A-L. The Typo Buddy site searches eBay (and Craigslist) for all the possible misspellings of your search term--meaning that if you're lucky, you may find a mislabeled auction that eludes everyone else.

Bing/eBay cash back deal; click for full-size image. Get cash back on Buy It Now purchases: Microsoft's new Bing search engine is doing everything it can to attract new users from Google, even paying people to use it. Right now if you search for an eBay item through Bing, you can get up to $200 cash back on qualifying Buy It Now items. You have to click through to the eBay item from Bing, keeping an eye out for a gold cash-back icon, so it's a little more complicated than just buying straight from eBay, but under the right circumstances the savings may be worth it.
Developer's Choice: Refine Your Searches

"[O]ne of the best tools for refining searches is the 'Refine Search' box on the left-hand side on the first page of search results. This box provides drill-down options for lower-level categories where the item you seek may be located, reducing the need to scroll through long lists of items that may not be related directly to the item for which you search." source>>>

Eliza Jencey, the affiliate marketing manager of Glassesshop.com, an online eyeglasses retailer, recently summarized the results of affiliate marketing in the past year, and found out that the achievement was elegant, especially the performance of 482 affiliate partners of Glassesshop.com on Shareasale.com.

The affiliate marketing began auspiciously with good sales on Shareasale.com, and the foreground will be considerable if we get well-rounded cooperation.
The proportion will be twice in the next half year
The glassesshop.com affiliate program pays 20% commission on all sales referred by Shareasale.com, and also provides banners, text links, data feed, coupon codes, and many incentives for affiliate partners to do publicity, manage sales and eventually earn commission. Shareasale.com on the other hand provides Glassesshop.com with third party tracking technology to make sure that the commissions are paid to affiliate partners by rule and line.

Glassesshop.com has been running its affiliate program on Shareasale.com for nearly a year. The excellent performance contributes to its confidence on affiliate marketing.

"The affiliate marketing began auspiciously with good sales on Shareasale.com, and the foreground will be considerable if we get well-rounded cooperation." The affiliate marketing manager Eliza Jencey now leads her team to strive for more chances of cooperation with other famous affiliate service platforms such as Affiliatefuture.com.

In addition, Glassesshop.com also has many affiliate partners on other affiliate service platforms, all together, the sales from affiliate partners account for 15% of gross sale of Glassesshop.com. "The proportion will be twice in the next half year," Ms. Jencey said confidently and encouraged the whole team to advance.

About Glassesshop.com
Glassesshop.com mainly sells eyeglasses for people who suffer from vision problems. Products offered include reading glasses, prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses with different materials on frames such as metal, plastic, titanium, memory metal and so on.

Glassesshop.com was founded in 2004. For more information about Glassesshop.com, please visit Glassesshop.com. source>>>

ESCORT Inc., maker of the world's best radar and laser detectors, is expanding its online marketing efforts by offering web retailers the opportunity to become affiliate partners using LinkShare's™ online marketing services.

"We know that there are thousands of customers living online who may not visit our site but still have a need for our products. By offering an affiliate program with the right publishers, we'll be able to expand our reach significantly using LinkShare's™ affiliate service," said Rachel Jeske, ESCORT's eCommerce Director. "We want to reach as many drivers as we can to help them to be more aware of their driving environment," continued Jeske.

LinkShare™ operates one of the largest affiliate marketing networks in the industry. ESCORTwill tap into the power of their network and leverage its online marketing expertise to develop and execute high-performing affiliate marketing programs. LinkShare's™ network will enable ESCORT to quickly expand their online presence to include thousands of new sites and retail partners. "It's a win-win for everyone involved. More drivers learn about ESCORT's industry-leading products, the publisher becomes aligned with a premium brand and both parties increase their sales." said John Larson, ESCORT's President and CEO.

ESCORT--Home of the World's First Internet Ready, GPS-based Radar Detectors

Known as the category leader and innovator, ESCORT developed the world's first internet ready, GPS based radar detectors--the PASSPORT 9500ix windshield mount model and the PASSPORT 9500ci custom-installed version. Both the 9500ix and the 9500ci address the single fastest growing threat drivers face today--the increasing numbers of fixed position speed and red light cameras. Both detectors are shipped pre-loaded with ESCORT's proprietary Defender™ database, which includes thousands of speed and red light camera locations, plus the top speed traps throughout the country. The database can be updated directly through ESCORT's website to ensure new locations are covered.

Both models also include ESCORT's patented AutoLearn technology, which automatically analyzes all incoming signals and automatically eliminates false signals by exact location and frequency. "This artificial intelligence makes the PASSPORT 9500 series detectors the most accurate and intelligent detectors on the road. You drive, they learn. --end of story." said Tim Coomer, Vice-president of Product Development. The 9500ix is also compatible with ESCORT's Laser Shifter ZR4, which provides the ultimate laser protection.

The PASSPORT 9500ci is a complete integrated radar and laser defense system. Once installed, it is completely hidden from unwanted attention, yet delivers the ultimate in stealth protection. Incorporated into its design is a new dual antenna, which provides the industry's best long-range warning against all radar guns. Laser protection is accomplished by multiple sensors mounted front and rear of the vehicle. These laser sensors also have "Shifting" capability, which significantly reduces the affect of a targeting laser gun. source>>>