Amazon.com has announced staggering sales figures from this year’s Cyber Monday event, the Internet’s version of Black Friday discount shopping. The company’s stats reportedly show that November 29 (Cyber Monday) was Amazon’s busiest day of 2010. On that day, worldwide visitors bought an average of 158 items every single second, totaling a “record-breaking” 13.7 million items sold.

“According to comScore, overall online spending in the United States surpassed $1 billion on Cyber Monday in 2010, up 16 percent versus [a] year ago. Clearly, Amazon took a huge piece of that particular pie,” writes TechCrunch Amazon also revealed that the third-generation Kindle e-reader was the most popular holiday item, based on the number of units ordered.

Thanks to the Kindle 3′s strong sales this year, Amazon dubbed the device its worldwide bestselling product of all time. Previously, Amazon’s bestselling item had been “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

“Kindle’s $139 price point is a key factor — it’s low enough that people don’t have to choose,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO in a press release.

Though Amazon did not outline the Kindle’s exact sales figures, Business Insider states that Amazon is probably “on pace to sell 8 million Kindles this year.”

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If you want to get somewhere in the showbiz industry, you might want to start hanging out with Vogue editor Anna Wintour. A new book by University of Southern California professor Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, titled “Starstruck,” claims Wintour is “the ultimate gatekeeper” of celebrity, the New York Daily News reports.
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Facebook and Twitter have received failing grades from Digital Society, a “digital think tank,” that created an “Online Services Security Report Card” ranking “which websites protect your account and which don’t.” Read More

Will Ferrell’s plot to take over the weekend box office has succeeded. Ferrell’s animated super-villain comedy “Megamind” debuted as the No. 1 movie with $47.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Along with the voices of Brad Pitt, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill, the DreamWorks Animation release has Ferrell’s title character hatching a scheme to fill the void in his life after he finally defeats his superhero nemesis. Read More

Oh wow, Ms. Love is once again back on the wagon and crazier than ever. Here is another yet humiliating story about Courtney and her crackhead lifestyle that she just can’t seem to shake. Read More

We tasted dozens of refrigerated cookie dough from the supermarket to find the best. Read More

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is facing fire from Republicans in his home state for making critical comments about the Tea Party movement. If you think that’s big..check this out. Read More

At times both a friend and foe of the United States Olympic team, Stephen Colbert will be traveling to Vancouver as a part of NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. This is excellent news. The LA Times reports that Colbert will serve as ombudsman for the speedskating arena, and the speedskating team has named him their team psychologist. What this means, I don’t know. But it’s sure to be funny. Read More

NEW YORK (AFP) – International scientists nudged back the minute hand of the symbolic Doomsday clock Thursday, Read More

Emma Dausman and Judy Conner are great-grandmothers.

They are state champion bowlers, too.

The Grand Rapids pair recently won the Division 2 doubles title at the United States Bowling Congress’ Women’s Bowling Association state tournament near Bay City.

 
“It was such an accomplishment for someone with my average. All I could say was ‘Wow,’” said Dausman, 86, who has been bowling for 44 years but was in just her 10th state tournament. “It’s still the same 12-pound ball I’ve been using for 44 years. I started with it, and it fits my hand. It does have a few more scratches now, but I am throwing it straighter.”

Added Conner, 69, who has been bowling for 34 years and competed in 33 state tournaments: “We proved that you are not too old to bowl in this tournament and shine.” In a tournament open to any USBC-sanctioned state bowler, the pair won with a total score of 1,607 — 32 pins better than the second-place team. Dausman had games of 192, 189 and 173 for a personal-best 554 series.

And, since she carries a 125 average, Dausman had a 297 handicap. Conner had games of a 178, 203 and 176 for a 557 series. She carries a 161 average and had a 199 handicap.They had their outstanding series on the final day of the tournament last month.

A total of 4,436 doubles team competed in this year’s tournament, which for the first time was broken up into three divisions based on averages.

Michigan USBC Women’s Bowling Association Vice President Sharon Schildroth said the duo’s feat is a rare one.

“Most good scores and winners are by young people,” Schildroth said. “Over the years, women these ages just don’t win it but, in this case, it was just outstanding.”

Conner was ecstatic when she finally learned a week after they bowled that she and Dausman won their first state championships.Dausman gives credit to Conner for helping her.

“That was my best series ever, and I did it because of Judy,” Dausman said. “She is such a good bowler, and she really encouraged me the whole day. If it wasn’t for Judy relaxing me, I don’t think that I would have done so well.”

As for defending their title next year, that will have to wait.

Dausman and Conner are on a team of six who bowl at The Clique, and each year they rotate doubles partners in the state tournament.

The next time the two will bowl together will be in five years, when Dausman is 91, and Conner 74.

“I think when other bowlers reach their 80s, they may say to themselves that ‘If she can do it, I can do it,’” Dausman said.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you enjoy it and relax, you never know how high you can score. And if you can win.”

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