Endeavors

The departure of the space shuttle Endeavour has been postponed again because of bad flying conditions. It is now scheduled to leave Tuesday morning, NASA said. The shuttle will be mounted atop a modified Boeing 747 jetliner for a piggyback ride home to Cape Canaveral, Fla. Technicians first encountered delays because three of eight custom-made pins used to bolt an aerodynamic cone to the shuttle's tail were too large. Machinists were able to reduce the pins to the correct size and engineers reviewed the work to make sure they would withstand the stress of a cross-country flight.

Tadpole Technology PLC, a maker of mobile computing devices and software, said it has acquired Endeavors Technology Inc., an Irvine developer of software that connects computers and mobile devices in Internet work groups, for $3.3 million. Endeavors evolved out of government funded research at UC Irvine in 1998. Its e-process software lets group members see who's connected to the group and who's seen a particular message or file at any time.

David Greenblatt, a film and TV literary agent and founding partner at Endeavor Agency, is leaving the Beverly Hills-based talent firm next month to join Key Creatives, a management and production company formed this year. Some of Greenblatt's clients, including "Lethal Weapon" screenwriter Shane Black, will now be represented by both Endeavor and Key Creatives.

Even before the talent agencies William Morris and Endeavor formally approved a merger Monday afternoon, several of the agents of those firms were already involved in high-stakes negotiations -- to get out. Tom Strickler, one of Endeavor's four founders, sent out an e-mail at 6 a.m. announcing that he had submitted his resignation. Two top William Morris agents who previously worked at Endeavor are working on an exit strategy, other agency executives say.

Water gardening is easy and fun. Usually when you mention water gardening, a mental picture comes to mind of a tropical oasis with a cascading waterfall surrounded by ferns and filled with the beauty of water lilies. Or you might imagine a serene Japanese garden setting highlighted by bamboo, stones, a small statue and schools of bright koi. In reality though, anyone can have a water garden. Miniature tub gardens are the answer for those who want to enhance a balcony or patio.

It's supposed to happen, when all compelling Super Bowl moments happen, in the fourth quarter. It's supposed to be, like all memorable Super Bowl moments, dripping with drama. It could end up as one of the highlights of the greatest football game in America, but there's one difference. It won't be about football. It will be about America. And, depending on your perspective, it will represent either a dawn's early light or a twilight's last gleaming. It's a marriage proposal. A $2.

"Batman" may have grossed $142 million as of last week, but the movie is making a few enemies too. Some are indignant over a scene in which actor Jack Nicholson as the Joker maniacally defaces master works of Western civilization. Courting actress Kim Basinger who plays Batman's love interest, Nicholson wreaks havoc in Gotham City's Flugelheim Museum, laughing wickedly beneath his silk beret all the while. Smash! Nicholson tips over a sculpted Degas dancer with the tap of a walking stick. Splat!

If they weren't who they are I'd doubt they could do it, and I'd roll my eyes when I heard quotes such as, "It's going to change what people strive for when they become pro athletes. It'll change how people think about pro athletes." At first, Athletes for Hope seemed to be another one of those concepts that sounded nice but probably wouldn't succeed.

Beginnings are always exciting. New ventures on the social scene include First Cut, a support group for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra that is headed by Lynn Brengel and Robin Maloof. Twenty-seven women from the Los Angeles area make up the group, and goals will be twofold: to raise funds for an annual recording by the orchestra and promote its presence by enlarging its circle of friends. The group had its first "noteworthy" meeting in October at the California Club.

Is there a secret menu at McDonald's? What kind of high jinks happen in the drive-thru? How often are the restaurants cleaned? A Reddit user identifying himself as an 18-year-old employee at a golden arches in Columbus, Ohio - one of the top 500 outlets in the company, no less - has the answers. On an “Ask Me Anything” thread on the social site, GameMisconduct63 says he's “seen the worst of the worst customer incidents, altercations, and the overall rudeness of human beings” working at the chain.