Google Checkout to make debut

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Google Inc. on Thursday will launch a long-awaited service called Google Checkout, which some analysts said could help online merchants boost sales and convince them to commit more advertising money to the Web search leader.

So, today, then. I need to go surfing.
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A salesman tried to fleece a money exchanger in the United Arab Emirates by using an identity card bearing the picture of Hollywood heart-throb Brad Pitt

Um, okay. Because Brad Pitt totally looks Jordanian, really. Man, crooks are stupid…

I truly hate the word “podcast.” Aside from the faulty implication that the iPod is the be-all and end-all of MP3, it calls to mind bad alien invasion movies. Call it a web show, call it a download, or hey, how about “series”? This fascination with giving weird names to things because they’ve been translated to a new medium drives me crazy. I’m thoroughly annoyed by the prevalence of the appended -cast on everything, I hate the Borg-ish “pod,” and I’ve had about enough of preceding everything with “i” just because it’s somehow technological. Really, do we have to let Apple name everything just because they have a good marketing campaign? Is everyone in the Entertainment Industry that intimidated by technology?
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lj user=”willowbrook” asked about my Dad’s reaction to my name change, and once I got started talking, it was hard to stop. As a result, I have more blather on how he and I have wrestled with each other and how that affected what I’ve become. It’s funny, sometimes, to stop and think about the influences that make us what we are, because just like plants that grow in a specific shape due to pruning and trellises, we also grow in different ways depending on how our parents (or guardians) deal with us.Mom has always been understanding about my need for individuality. She’s never had any interest in changing her name, but if it makes me happy, it’s okay with her. It never bothered her that I didn’t want to be just like her in every way, and she’s always encouraged me to do what I feel driven to do.
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