The Essential Michael Jackson and how we'd like to remember him Today, Michael Jackson turns 50... but he doesn't look a day older than 80, does he? Unfortunately, due to Michael's obsession with altering his appearance, he will never look his age -- of course, at this point he also doesn't look human! Remember when the self-proclaimed King of Pop looked normal? Yes, think way back. Ol' "Wacko Jacko" took the title of his biggest selling album a bit too literally and made himself into a thriller. But why, Mike? Why? Between the years 1979 and 2001, Michael Jackson changed his looks -- considerably -- as can easily be seen by his album covers during those years. "Off the Wall" was the last time we'd get to hold "young and innocent Michael" in our hands. Maybe it was the success of that album, or the thought of millions seeing his adult face even more on TV, that persuaded him to start making major changes to his appearance, starting with a new nose to show off on "Thriller." Fine, that was cool -- we could deal with that. In fact, he looked good! But five years later, his "Bad" look was a bit of a surprise. He was... um, a different hue, for one. Long hair -- okay, fine -- and dressed all in black (yes, we get it -- you're Bad!). Ah, but then, with his next album, he seemed to have gotten the message. He was totally hidden on the cover of "Dangerous" -- and considering that title, it makes us wonder why he was hiding. Don't be ashamed, Mike. Just stop going under the knife, man! Alas, he did not learn: On the cover of his latest album, "Invincible," he was paler than ever (and the over-exposed white contrast of the cover didn't help, Michael). That was in 2001: I cringe when I think about what he'll look like on his next album cover. So what, now, MJ? Is there any way you can just age gracefully? Mikey, seriously, at the rate you're going, many of us are just hoping you age at all. Suggested Sites... ABC News: The Changing Face of Michael Jackson - photo slideshow of Jacko's career and the many faces he's worn. YouTube: Morphing Michael Jackson - watch MJ's many faces morph from his adolescent days to recent years. Michael's YouTube Channel - watch classic music videos of Michael when he was totally normal, like "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You." A Photographic History of Michael Jackson's Face - with "blithering, yet witty commentary." Michael Jackson Didn't Have Plastic Surgery On His Heart - one fan's letter to those dissing Michael Jackson's incredibly bizarre face.

Directory categories: Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Celebrity Plastic Surgery

Archived under: Beauty, Entertainment, Health, Michael Jackson, Mug Shots, Musicians, Plastic Surgery

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(Photo by Sascha Pohflepp) Sometimes it's a bright idea to take two things that are good on their own and combine them into something great. Take peanut butter and chocolate, for example, or electric automobiles and gas-powered cars, or even pluots (or is that apriums?). Other times -- pizza and popcorn, Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman -- it's not so smart, after all. Falling into the former category, as far as we're concerned, is Chess Boxing, which combines the mental challenges of chess with the brute force of the "sweet science." The sport probably officially originated in a 1992 graphic novel by French cartoonist Enki Bilal, but versions of it appeared in movies from 1979 and 1991. Regardless, by 2003, the World Chess Boxing Organization had been founded, and official rules and regulations were devised: Six 4-minute rounds of chess are sandwiched around five 3-minute rounds of boxing. A knockout in the ring or a checkmate on the board wins the match. If either competition is a draw, the winner is decided on points. While brawn is necessary in chess boxing, one would hardly compare reigning world champion Nikolai Sazhin to, say, Kimbo Slice. On the other hand, we think Mr. Slice could take out FIDE's current world chess champion Viswanathan Anand pretty handily. Even though it's easy to disparage chess boxing as a stunt, it surely tests both the mind and body at least as much as synchronized swimming or rhythmic gymnastics -- though we'd be plenty surprised if it were to turn up in London in 2012. Of course, if one wants to talk about a sport that really combines multiple skills, then one need look no further that Slamball, which manages to mash up basketball, football, hockey, and trampolining into a spectacle extreme enough to make the X-Games look like tee ball. Suggested Sites... World Chess Boxing Organization - the official sanctioning board, with news, events, and more information than you can jab a rook at. You Though We Were Making It Up? - blow-by-blow report of the 2003 World Championship. Chessboxing.com - news from the world of the "thinking man's contact sport." Time Magazine: Chess-Boxing Hits it Big - see, it's not just us. Time thinks it's pretty cool, too. Brains & Brawn Fight Out Together - includes video of "Iepe the Joker's" 2007 championship bout.

Directory categories: Chess Boxing, Chess, Boxing, Extreme Sports, Olympic Games

Archived under: Athletes, Board Games, Boxing, Chess, Chess Boxing, Extreme Sports, Games, Mashups, Sports, Weird Stuff

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Lost in music (Photo by Gary Simmons) Over the last few years, I've reduced my net weight by a trunkload by moving my CD collection onto my computer. But this creates a new problem: What if I want to bring a CD to a friend's house, or to work? The solution lies in a relatively new Internet business model: the online music storage locker. These browser-based businesses allow music lovers to upload and/or access their entire collections from any Internet access point on Earth. Online music storage lockers come in a few varieties. Some, like Streampad, Simplify Media, and Orb Networks, let you remotely access the music stored on your home computer. These services create a private or sharable network between your home computer, your hand-held device, and/or any other computer with an Internet connection. It's almost like running a tube from your home computer to another computer (hmmm... maybe Senator Ted Stevens was right, after all). Dot.Tunes and nuTSie work in a similar manner, allowing you to access and share your iTunes collection from anywhere. Others within this milieu -- like Anywhere.fm, MP3tunes, and MediaMaster -- allow you to upload all of your MP3s and ripped CDs to their servers (for a reasonable fee) so that you can stream or download your audio files on any Internet-enabled device. MeTracks provides this service for free, but storage space is limited to one gigabyte. And once you have your music uploaded to your favorite storage locker, Mixwit will help you create a web-based mixtape for that extra special someone. If you're ready to give your music collection wings and liberate those audio files from the hard drive prison they've been languishing in, visit our Online Music Storage Lockers category in the Yahoo! Directory. Suggested Sites... Sideload - stream music from online music storage lockers other than your own. Mixx Maker - create online mixtapes with music uploaded by you and your friends. Share and access your mixtape from any Internet connection. Ivoon - upload music and create playlists that can be streamed from anywhere or played on your MySpace, Tagworld, Stickam, Hi5, or Facebook profile. Lala - upload your music, purchase online-only songs, share songs with friends, and discover new music through the Lala community. My Collection of Recorded 78 RPM Records - download free mp3s of this person's vast collection of rare and previously digitally unreleased songs from old 78 rpm records.

Directory categories: Online Music Storage Lockers, Online Mix Tape Makers, Social Music, Music Storage, Personal Information Management

Archived under: Collecting, Computers, File Sharing, Internet, Music, Social Networking, Web 2.0

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Ecstatic graduate with her fancy compact digital camera. (We had to wait days for our "pics" to develop) (Photo by Andy) Each August, Wisconsin's Beloit College releases their Mindset List, a gauge of average freshman experiences for that year. Aside from being interesting culturally, its main purpose seems to be making those of us who have been away from higher education for more than a year or two feel ancient and out of touch. "These kids don't remember who? They never had to deal with what?! Why, back in my day...." This year's list, compiled by Humanities prof Tom McBride and Public Affairs Director Ron Nief, profiles Class of 2012 freshman -- and yes, Grandpa, most of them were born in 1990. They grew up on "Seinfeld," video games, roller blades, and karaoke. The kids these days not only don't remember the Cold War, but they weren't even alive to see it end. Nor would they remember Apartheid, and Nelson Mandela has always been free. They might not even recognize Ross Perot, Rodney King, Anita Hill, or Jeffrey Dahmer. This year's freshman class might not be able to comprehend how horrifying it is that they could have been conceived to Richard Marx, Tone Loc, Roxette, or New Kids on the Block, but on the other hand, the poor dears won't have any recollection of Hammer Pants, Vanilla Ice's shaved eyebrows, or Poison's sparkly pink lipstick. Of course, the lucky young things also aren't likely to get the "Family Ties" theme song stuck in their heads, since it went off the air the year before they were born. These whippersnappers have never known life without the Internet, caller ID, mobile phones, and motorized scooters. When we were freshman, of course, we had to find our own way to class, without GPS, and we walked... uphill (both ways), in the snow. Suggested Sites... Class of 2012 Mindset List - go on -- make yourself feel old if you remember when WWW meant World Wide Wrestling. New Zealand's Mindset List - different cultural references, but the same result, Gramps. Beloit College Mindset List: 1918 - a fanciful look back at the days of hobble skirts and Victrolas, from McSweeney's.

Directory categories: The 1990s, The 1980s, Pop Culture, Higher Education, Student Life

Archived under: 1980s, College and Universities, Education, Kids, School, Society and Culture, Time

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Preparing the basil Today is TV chef Rachael Ray's 40th birthday, and I, for one, hope it's a happy one. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't stop watching her Food Network show, "30 Minute Meals." I know, I know -- she is impossibly perky, her throaty voice gets on my nerves, and I would never use the word "evoo" (Rachael-speak for "extra virgin olive oil") in mixed company. But I just can't resist the opportunity to become a domestic goddess in just half an hour. After all, if she can manage to have a talk show, a magazine, a series of cookbooks, and cook a meal in 30 minutes, then maybe I can, too! To test my theory, I invited a group of Yahoo!'s finest to my house for a meal straight out of one of Ray's episodes. But the night before my dinner, I started to get nervous. Sure, I'd entertained at home many times, but could this meal really be made in 30 minutes? Or would my colleagues starve for hours while I sweated in the kitchen? The next day, three Yahoo! editors sat in my kitchen with cocktails and stopwatches in hand while I busily prepped Ray's Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley Sauce. Fifteen minutes had already passed by the time I set out the crumb toppings for the chicken. When the cutlets reached their requisite golden brown, I didn't have time to garnish them with chopped Roma tomatoes or the basil sauce. I still had the Cheesy Risi e Bisi to cook. I'll save you the suspense: My guests will attest that this 30 Minute Meal took 55 minutes to cook. And I suspect that if I hadn't set out the platter of shrimp cocktail that I made the night before, they might have dialed for pizza instead. My rocky start to Rachael Ray-dom hasn't deterred me, though. Her website now includes a section called "15 Minute Meals," which I think I might be able to make in, say, 30 minutes! Now I just have to convince a few more co-workers to be my guinea pigs. Suggested Sites... Everything Rachael Ray - super fan blog about the Food Network chef. Serious Eats - eaters, unite! Rachael Ray Official Site - recipes, tips, and show information. Boston Globe: Hatred of Rachael Ray Can Be a Powerful Uniting Force - okay, so not everyone loves Rachael ... Slate: In Defense of Rachael Ray - ... but she does have her defenders.

Directory categories: Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals, Dinner Recipes, Recipes

Archived under: Cooking, Food and Drink, Rachael Ray, Recipes, Society and Culture, TV

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