As Lord of the Rings fans mounted a protest following word that New Line had dropped Peter Jackson from consideration as director of The Hobbit and another Lord of the Rings prequel, producer Saul Zaentz has given assurances that Jackson will indeed direct the two films. A German website, Elbenwald.de, posted an interview with Zaentz, who acquired the rights to the works of the late Rings writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, in 1976 (the Saul Zaentz Company owns Tolkien Enterprises), in which Zaentz says, “It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson. … Next year The Hobbit rights will fall back to my company. I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the Rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us, in contrast, he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation.”

I just got word that Oviedo councilman Jim Greer — a big-time campaigner and fundraiser for Charlie Crist — may become the new chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

If true, that would mean both the head of the national Republicans (Mel Martinez) and Florida Republicans (Greer) are slated to be Central Floridians.

Nothing is official by any stretch. But several well-placed Republicans have said that Greer appears to be the heir apparent.

Read the rest on Scott Maxwell’s blog

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden received a $537,000 buyout from the 
school’s boosters to resign.

The settlement was revealed Wednesday when the school released a copy of the agreement Bowden’s attorneys reached with the university and its boosters. The resignation takes effect Nov. 26, a day after the season finale against Florida.

Bowden _ youngest son of head coach Bobby Bowden _ retains his present $141,000 salary until his contract expires next August. He then will receive annual payments of $107,500 until August 2012.

The agreement, dated Nov. 14, was signed by Jeff Bowden, whose legal first name is George, and Andy Miller, president of Seminole Boosters Inc.

Jeff Bowden had been under fire for the past several years as Florida State’s offense declined and his dad defended his performance.

But with Bobby Bowden’s contract expiring in January of 2008, it was uncertain how the university was willing to negotiate an extension while Jeff Bowden remained on staff.

“It’s just amazing,” Bobby Bowden said Wednesday. “When things go wrong the first thing they blame is the offensive coordinator. That’s kind of the game we Americans play.”

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See the world as history’s cartographers once saw it. A new batch of Google Earth overlays covers the globe with richly detailed historical maps.

The Rumsey collection includes 16 maps. Among them you’ll find a 1790 world globe, a 1680 map of Tokyo, and an 1814 map spanning the Pacific Ocean to the Mississippi–courtesy of Lewis and Clark.

To view these new old maps, you’ll need the latest version of Google Earth (use the program’s check-for-updates feature if you’re not sure you have it). In the layers section, select All Layers, then look for Featured Content > Rumsey Historical Maps.

Read more on Lifehacker

Google Operating System: Google Desktop 4.5 has Transparent Sidebar

Google Desktop has a new version that includes support for Microsoft Office 2007 formats, Windows Vista and Firefox 2.0.

But the most visible change is the new sidebar, that looks much better. You’ll find transparent areas, new icons, easier to use options. All in all, the sidebar will look closer to the desktop and the gadgets will have a distinct touch.

With the football team in a funk and fighting to be bowl-eligible, Florida State University football offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden, who has been much maligned for several years, has resigned.

His resignation will be effective at the end of this season, athletic director David Hart Jr. said.

Bowden, one of the sons of legendary coach Bobby Bowden, has been offensive coordinator since 2001.

He’s come under fire ever since. No matter whom the quarterback was — Chris Rix, Wyatt Sexton, Drew Weatherford or Xavier Lee — the offense sputtered. But for years, his father said he wouldn’t get rid of his son. But, after the 30-0 drubbing to Wake Forest, the Seminoles had no choice but to get rid of him.

FSU
offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden resigns – Orlando Sentinel : FSU
Seminoles FSU offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden resigns – Orlando
Sentinel : FSU Seminoles

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