Netflix $1 million prize might be won soon

Pretty cool, from Mashable:

If you haven’t been following closely, you’re probably wondering what this $1 million contest is all about. On October 2, 2006 Netflix announced the Netflix Prize, a contest designed to draw aggressive competition for improving upon their already widely recognized movie recommendation engine. Simply put, they would award the $1 million prize to the first person to improve accuracy of movie recommendations by at least 10 percent (see full rules for more details).

A team that includes AT&T engineers might be the ones to win that prize.

The bible of baseball cards

Via, again, NewMexiKen.

The LA Times has a story about The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book" today.

Long ago, when children were allowed to wander from their parents' side for more than 15 minutes, I spent much of my free time accumulating baseball cards.

After school, my buddy Adam Rogers and I would stroll to the candy store and buy multiple packs. We'd sit on a stoop near his apartment, tear open the wrappers, and debate the merits of each player until it grew dark.

I used to collect baseball cards but, for whatever reason, basketball cards were what my brother and I collected the most.

We did care about how much cards cost, hoping that we would get that magical card that was worth $100 or even $1,000. We never did. We would buy Beckett magazines to see how much our cards were worth. Our best card was a card worth $17 -- a "Super Soph" Vin Baker card.

Yeah, that Vin Baker career didn't work out so much.

Filipino prisoners who did "Thriller" dance to do tribute to Michael Jackson

I think I can safely say that if you are reading this, you have seen the video of Filipino prisoners doing the Thriller music video:



Well, they will do the dance again to honor Michael Jackson after he died Thursday of cardiac arrest.

101 things all sports fans must experience before they die

Via NewMexiKen, a story from ESPN Page 2's Jim Caple from two years ago about 101 things every sports gan must do before they die.

I have seen exactly one: A Harlem Globetrotters game.

@TheOnion remembers Michael Jackson

The Onion has a section on all things the King of Pop.

My favorite?

This story: "New Rap Song Samples 'Billie Jean' In Its Entirety, Adds Nothing.

I'm actually surprised that The Onion didn't write more about the King of Pop.

MMA fighter masterminded a $92 million bank heist

Wow.

In February 2006, robbers posing as cops abducted the manager of a high-security bank warehouse in Tonbridge, Wales, and forced their way inside the building while his wife and son were held at gunpoint. As employees were bound and gagged, seven masked men loaded three waiting trucks with 53 million British pounds in cash (about $92 million.)

Police say about $57 million of the haul is still missing.

Five of the assailants were captured and convicted at trial in London last year. Another alleged accomplice, Paul "The Enforcer" Allen, is currently in custody awaiting trial. But British prosecutors say Murray, a former UFC star, was "at the heart" of the plot and claim to have a cell phone recording that shows him planning the heist.

Didn't exactly work out like Ocean's 11 for Lee Murray who is now spending his time in Morrocan jail.