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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

NEW LOCATION

Thank you for visiting the site! You can expect more original reporting at a new location: THAT REPORTER

I am still readily available by e-mail at thatreporterliz@gmail.com for inquiries, news tips or networking.

You can also see some of my work at my portfolio website or follow news updates on Twitter (@thatreporter).

Monday, February 28, 2011

Gas prices galore

Unrest in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices to $100 a barrel for the first time since 2008.

If you’ve pumped gas lately, you probably noticed the impact on your wallet.



Gas prices in North Carolina have jumped 20 cents per gallon over the last week.

The average price in the triangle is $3.33, a little higher than the average in Chapel Hill. There are online sites that help track where gas is the cheapest.

A senior petroleum analyst predicts that gas prices could easily rise to $4 a gallon in some areas by summer.

Monday, February 21, 2011

2011 International Students for Liberty Conference



Carolina Week's Liz McLaughlin traveled with a group of students from the University of North Carolina to attend the world's premiere gathering of young people who are passionate about liberty in Washington DC.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Smiley Pool Visits UNC

The PhotoNight speaker series at UNC brings world-renowned photographers to the School of Journalism. Tuesday kicked off the first one of the semester.

Smiley Pool is an award-winning photojournalist with photography just as intriguing as his name.


He has covered tragedies from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina. Here, he captured the a lone house that survived the devastation left by Hurricane Ike. (Sept. 14, 2008/ Gilchrist, Texas.)



Pool has captured seven Olympic games on film.



Pool has traveled across the globe to tell stories through a visual medium. He has also been part of human rights projects, like the Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative, and worked with video as well as photography.


Smiley Pool spoke about his career path and the ups and downs of the world of photography. After the presentation, students could ask questions and get advice about the industry.

PhotoNights are free to attend and usually take place on the last Tuesday of the month.

Monday, December 27, 2010

How fast is Google Chrome?



Programmers for browsers like Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, Firefox and Google Chrome compete with one another in speed, intuition and stability creating what many tech-savvy blogger refer to as the "browser wars."

Slate, Technology Gear, and Infoworld rank Google Chrome on top.

But to spite all of the critical acclaim, Internet Explorer is the most-used browser on the market at 58%, but it's popularity is rapidly declining. Firefox is IE's closest competitor at 22% and Google Chrome is approaching 10% of the market share.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Bizarre gifts of 2010

So, you have that person in your life that is just plain odd. (That's probably why you like them.) Or perhaps your goal when buying gifts is for the recipient to open it and say "WTF?"

Well, here are the strangest gifts I've found on the internet that you can still get shipped in time for Christmas:

For the handlebar hipster: CARSTACHE

Yes, that's right. A mustache for your car,

We might all be guilty of having a little hipster trapped inside of all of us. There are some people who push the boundaries though. You know the type, maxed out their credit card at Urban Outfitters, won't stop playing the new Deerhunter album on vinyl, wears stupid ill-fitting sweaters because they're "vintage"....
The carstache is the perfect subtle clue that they're taking this fad just a little too far. And if they don't get the hint they'll probably enjoy the hell out of it. (They even come in different colors)

For the creepy cook: FETUS COOKIE CUTTER



What's the one thing you want to think about when you're eating? That's right, fetuses. Maybe you have a disturbed cousin that listens to death metal, or an aunt that is an avid pro-life supporter... Either way, this cookie cutter is sure to be a hit. And I bet Santa would still gobble down the cookies no matter what they were shaped like. (He is a fattie after all.)

For the lazy college student: GUN ALARM CLOCK



Brilliant. This hands-on alarm clock won't shut up until you shoot the target in the center. No more excuses for missing that 8 am class, or sleeping all day after an alcohol binge. Even better gift if they're into violence or Sarah Palin. BANG!

For the ex-girlfriend: THE GIFT OF NOTHING



You know that there's no one that gets under your skin more than an ex. Well, 'tis the season my friend. Instead of the passive anger this year be extra spiteful and go out of your way to get that not-so-special person absolutely nothing. Extra point if there's an "I'm Sorry" card attached.

For Grandma: THE KNITTED FROG DISSECTION



Do you have that annoying Grandmother who is always trying to teach you how to knit? Well, give her this lovely craft and she's sure to be off your case for a while. Also an option for a science geek. (And only 8 bucks!)

Some other favorites:
THE SNUGGIE-SUTRA
THE DICK TOWEL (As seen on Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
THE BACON WALLET
THE BREATHALYZER KEYCHAIN

Merry Christmas Weirdo!

Monday, November 29, 2010

How to conquer Cyber Monday

While getting up at absurd hours in the morning and fighting hoards of shoppers on Black Friday may your cup of tea, many prefer to stay in their pajamas and take advantage of deals online.

Today is Cyber Monday, and major retailers are offering killer deals.

Here are a few hot gifts that are on sale today only:



Hoodiebuddie is a brand new product that fuses fashion with function. Built-in headphones are a crucial asset for any iPod owner or workout fiend. What better gift for that young, hip person on your list? If you missed the 50% off Cyber Monday deal, you can still get 10% off by "liking" Hoodiebuddie on Facebook.


This year's hot item, the iPad, is 10% off on eBay today.


Urban Outfitters
has unique gifts like vintage-styled roller skates and Budweiser Christmas sweaters. Many items are marked down today and shipping is free!


Get your designer shoe and clothing fix! Great site-wide Cyber Monday deals:
Piperlime: 20% off with code LUCKY20
New York & Co.: 50% off and free shipping with code 2757
Eddie Bauer: 30% off and free shipping with code CYBERDAY
Reebok: 40% off entire order and free shipping with code CYBER40
Ross-Simons: 30% off + free shipping with code 30FREESHIP through 12/01/2010
Tommy Hilfiger: 40% off and free shipping.
ZAGG: 50% off sitewide
7 For All Mankind: 50% off sweaters & outerwear w/code WS2010


Giving the gift of an experience is a nice alternative to a material gift. You can give a delicious night on the town to anyone on your list with dining certificates from Restaurant.com, 80% off on Cyber Monday with the code DEAL.

Sites like Groupon offer daily, localized deals on experiences (like hot air baloon rides or salsa lessons) at a discounted rate with the option of giving it as a gift or using it for yourself. You usually have about a deal to use the Groupon. Livingsocial is a similar site offering 1-day deals on restaurants, spas and events.