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House Democrat wants GOP apology for threats and violence David Morgan (Front Row Washington)

he told ABC’s Good Morning America. ”I think there ought to be some apologies.” Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:53:46 PM First, there was House House Democrat Barney Frank R e p u b l i c a n l e a d e r J o h n says Republican leaders should Boehner’s castigating remark a p o l o g i z e f o r t h r e a t s a n d last week about the “punk vandalism against Democrats staffers” who are working on who’ve had the temerity to back Democratic financial reform President Barack Obama’s legislation. Frank believes that legislative agenda. comment was the starting gun Why? The Massachusetts f o r increasingly Democrat says Republicans a g g r e s s i v e r h e t o r i c have actually been cheering b y R e p u b l i c a n s a n d t h e i r on the bad behavior. And, he s u p p o r t e r s . a d d s , r e c e n t R e p u b l i c a n Then there were the folks in the condemnations have not gone House balcony on Sunday who far enough. disrupted the healthcare “I’m glad that my Republican proceedings with shouts that leadership colleagues now have prompted security officers to decided to denounce it. But act. they’ve been very late to do that. “Republicans were standing on Over the weekend, they were their feet, cheering them on, much more egging on this kind urging them physically to resist of behavior than denouncing it,” t h e o f f i c i a l s , ” F r a n k t o l d

to lawmakers. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin is exhorting anti-Obama activists to “reload” and take aim at House Democrats from congressional districts that she’s marked on a Facebook map with little rifle scope cross hairs. But Frank may not want to hold his breath while waiting for a GOP apology. Republicans also seem unlikely to condemn the ABC. ”To undo that, I think bad behavior without also they should apologize.” seeking to justify their The balcony fracas came a day s u p p o r t e r s ’ a n g e r . a f t e r b l a c k m e m b e r s For example, John McCain, the of Congress say they were former Republican presidential regaled with the N-word and n o m i n e e , s a y s t h e r e ’ s n o flying saliva by anti-healthcare c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n w h a t protesters outside the U.S. Republicans have said and what Capitol. their supporters have done. Now there’s been vandalism “I have seen the rhetoric of a g a i n s t D e m o c r a t i c ‘targeted districts’ as long as c o n g r e s s i o n a l o f f i c e s I’ve been in politics,” McCain and threatening phone calls told NBC’s Today show. “Any

Video: Victim of alleged Catholic church sex abuse speaks out (World news: United States | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:32:43 AM

As the New York Times 6 1 , h e l d a c o n f e r e n c e i n reported that a priest sexually Milwaukee saying he was a abused up to 200 deaf boys in victim Wisconsin, Arthur Budzinski,

ADVERTISEMENT: (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:30:00 AM

threat of violence is terrible. But to say that there’s a targeted district or that we reload or go back into the fight again – please! Those are fine. They’re used all the time. Those words have been used throughout my political career.” “I’ll tell you one thing that has people enraged, and that is the sleazy backroom deals, the sausage-making that is going on … everybody was there (in the healthcare negotiations) but the American people. They don’t feel their voice has been heard,” McCain said. Photo credits: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (Barney Frank); Reuters/Larry Downing (Capitol Hill protesters); Reuters/Omar Sobhani (John McCain) Click here for more political coverage from Reuters

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Obama: no ‘Armageddon’ as healthcare becomes law Alister Bull (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 3/25/2010 1:35:30 PM

President Barack Obama, campaigning in Iowa on Thursday to sell his landmark healthcare overhaul, couldn’t resist mocking Republicans for warning that the reform would provoke “Armageddon” and other tactics he rejects as alarmist scaremongering. “I’m not exaggerating. Leaders of the Republican Party called the passage of this bill Armageddon. Armageddon! End of freedom as we know it,” he told a rally in Iowa City. “So after I signed the bill, I looked around to see if there were any asteroids falling, some cracks opening up in the earth? Turned out it was a nice day. Birds were chirping. Folks were strolling down the Mall,” he said. Opponents of the bill warn it will unleash another federal entitlement program that the American economy cannot

afford that will inevitably lead to higher taxes and bigger deficits. Obama denies this complaint and said that the American people would be able to make their own minds up as they compared their own experience with the claims of his opponents. “From this day forward, all the cynics, all the naysayers, they are going to have to confront the

Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:03:48 PM

Oh, it makes my heart go pitter patter. Over on Daily Fork is a

little diddy on how to make your true love swoon: a bouquet of bacon roses. Read the full story at Daily Fork.

nospam@example.org (Scott Jagow) (Marketplace Scratch Pad)

language just as quickly as it arrived. The idea that greater public borrowing would leverage capital expenditures to Submitted at 3/26/2010 5:52:42 AM Happy Friday. This morning put the U.S. back to full — a report on yesterday’s employment is now replaced by dramatic foreclosure hearing in boasts that Washington has Congress, plus a take on why saved Albany, Springfield and the word “stimulus” isn’t being Sacramento from laying-off used much anymore. government workers. Whatever Foreclosures: Who’s being the value of that gold-plated helped, who’s being left jobs program, it is not out?(PBS NewsHour) “stimulus.” W h y m o r t g a g e p r i n c i p a l China’s pollution just keeps reduction isn’t happening(Felix circling the earth(The Raw Salmon) Story) Bankers are always on the look- Pollution from Asia’s booming out for a good excuse not to e c o n o m i e s r i s e s i n t o t h e engage in principal write- stratosphere during the monsoon downs, and this is another arrow season then circles the world for to add to their quiver of such years, according to a report out reality of what this reform is and excuses: doing so will enrage Thursday. what it isn’t. They will have to and inflame their customer base. GM hopes to win back those finally acknowledge this isn’t a L e h m a n ’ s d e s p e r a t e “Who killed the Electric Car?” government takeover of our h o u s e w i v e s ( V a n i t y F a i r ) people(NPR) healthcare system,” he said. On Wall Street, they pay you so A decade ago, GM angered Photo credit: Reuters/Jason much that they own you. You customers who leased its first Reed (Obama in Iowa), know? So it’s different. They electric car, the EV1, when it Reuters/Jim Young (cherry have your soul. You gave it to canceled the program. Now, blossoms in Washington) them for the money. GM hopes to win those For more Reuters political They’re not calling the stimulus customers back — along with news, click here b i l l a s t i m u l u s b i l l many more. anymore(Real Clear Markets) The term “shovel ready” seems to have disappeared from the

Talk about perfect love: a bouquet of bacon roses (Holy Kaw!)

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Pope accused of sparing priest suspected of sex abuse attacks John Hooper (World news: United States | guardian.co.uk)

lambasted the international media for an "obvious and ignoble attempt to strike, at all costs, Benedict and his closest Submitted at 3/26/2010 3:28:54 AM Vatican denounces claims as collaborators". It said: "The attempt to smear pontiff as prevalent tendency in the media a b u s e s c a n d a l e n g u l f i n g is to gloss over the facts and Catholic church grows force interpretations with the The growing sex abuse storm aim of spreading an image of buffeting the Catholic church the Catholic church almost as if todaymoved closer to the figure it were the only [institution] of the pope himself, after responsible for sexual abuses." allegations emerged that as a Benedict is already on the cardinal he had chosen not to defensive because of his stint as discipline a dying American archbishop of Munich, during priest accused of molesting as which a paedophile priest was many as 200 deaf boys. accepted into his archdiocese In a report that for the first time and assigned to duties that pointed the finger directly at the enabled him to prey on children pope's own conduct, the New again. York Times said that while he Victims' groups have also was cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger a c c u s e d B e n e d i c t o f was twice informed about a encouraging cover-ups by notorious case involving Father reminding bishops in a directive Lawrence Murphy, who ran a he issued before becoming pope school for deaf children in of the need for secrecy in Wisconsin between 1950 and canonical proceedings involved 1974. Though instructions were particularly serious offences. giving for a canonical trial to be The New York Times said that held into Murphy's misdeeds, three successive archbishops of proceedings were dropped after Milwaukee were told Murphy the priest wrote to Ratzinger was sexually abusing children, begging not to be indicted. but never reported him to the The Vatican angrily denounced civil authorities. Instead of the latest accusation in what it being disciplined, he was sees as a campaign to smear the removed from teaching duties pope, and said the church was but transferred to another being unfairly portrayed as the diocese where he continued to only institution with such a work for more than 20 years in sinister history. parishes, schools and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In a statement published on its according to one account â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a front page, the Vatican daily, juvenile detention centre. L ' O s s e r v a t o r e R o m a n o , According to the newspaper, in

1996 the archbishop of Milwaukee, Rembert Weakland, twice wrote about the case to the future pope, then prefect of the powerful congregation for the doctrine of the faith, but got no reply. Benedict's deputy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, nevertheless instructed the bishops in Wisconsin to start a canonical trial that could have led to Murphy being defrocked. But the proceedings were dropped after the priest wrote to Ratzinger begging not to be indicted. The Vatican said "the canonical question presented to the congregation was unrelated to any potential civil or criminal proceedings against Father Murphy". The Vatican statement called the case "tragic" and said it involved "particularly vulnerable victims who suffered terribly from what [Murphy] did". But, it said, the congregation "was not informed of the matter until some 20 years later". It noted that the civil authorities had investigated allegations but had taken no action, though it acknowledged that neither that directive "nor the code of canon law ever prohibited the reporting of child abuse to law enforcement authorities". Since Murphy was "elderly and in very poor health," said the Vatican, "and was living in seclusion and no allegations of

abuse had been reported in over 20 years, the congregation for the doctrine of the faith suggested that the archbishop of Milwaukee give consideration to addressing the situation by, for example, restricting Father Murphy's public ministry and requiring that Father Murphy accept full responsibility for the gravity of his acts". Father Murphy died approximately four months later, without further incident." Weakland, who resigned in 2002 after a scandal involving his relationship with a man and the disclosure that church money had been used to pay him a settlement, said: "The evidence was so complete and so extensive that I thought he should be reduced to the lay state, and also that that would bring a certain amount of peace in the deaf community." After Murphy died, Weakland wrote to Cardinal Bertone, who had since been promoted to Vatican secretary of state, equivalent to prime minister, regretting that Murphy's family had disobeyed his instructions that the funeral be small and private. He added: "In spite of these difficulties, we are still hoping we can avoid undue publicity that would be negative toward the church." School of horror An angel holding up a scroll on a pillar at the drive entrance is the only hint of what once went

on at 3680 South Kinnickinnic Avenue in St Francis, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Until 1983, it was a boarding school for deaf boys. Until nine years before that it was the fiefdom of one of the most rapacious paedophiles ever to wear a cassock. When in 2006 the truth about the late Father Lawrence Murphy eventually began to come out, 62-year-old James Smith, of Orange City, Florida, shook and wept as he recounted his experiences to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter. "I would be playing baseball, and the boys would come and say, 'Father Murphy wants you to come and see him'. I would refuse to go, and pretty soon I was dragged into his office and molested again," said Smith. The Wisconsin scandal brings the Catholic church's paedophilia crisis full circle. The current crisis started in Boston at the turn of the century with the revelations by the Boston Globe of the devastating extent to which the US Catholic hierarchy helped conceal the clerical sexual abuse of minors. More recently, allegations have hit the church in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Ireland. By 2002 about 1,200 Catholic priests in the US faced abuse accusations. The outcry POPE page 8

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Texas Pioneers Energy Storage in Giant Battery (National Geographic News)

crossing and for them to lose computers was not a good option,” said Calvin Crowder, Presidio, Texas, has one link to p r e s i d e n t o f E l e c t r i c U.S. electrical power, stretching Transmission Texas, LLC, a some 60 miles (100 kilometers) j o i n t v e n t u r e b e t w e e n from Marfa in the high desert to s u b s i d i a r i e s o f A m e r i c a n the banks of the Rio Grande. Electric Power and Warren Built in 1948, the transmission Buffett’s electricity company, line was around when Rock B e r k s h i r e H a t h a w a y ’ s Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and M i d A m e r i c a n E n e r g y James Dean walked Marfa’s H o l d i n g s . streets while filming the epic ETT is just completing movie Giant. installation of a system designed E l e c t r i c a l s t o r m s e r u p t to resolve Presidio’s power frequently in the rugged woes. expanse between Marfa, nearly Texas-Size Battery one mile (1,600 meters) above The hoped-for remedy is a sea level, and Presidio, on the battery, a Texas-size battery, Mexico border, “one of the which could eventually end up hottest places in the nation,” in playing an important role in the words of city administrator wider use of green power Brad Newton. “It really creates generation such as solar and a s i t u a t i o n u n i q u e t o o u r wind. The U.S. $25 million geographic area,” he says. system, which is now charging Reliance on a single aging, and is set to be dedicated April transmission line in this hostile 8, will be the largest use of this terrain has made life in Presidio energy storage technology in the different than in most of the United States. United States. The four-megawatt sodiumChronic power outages and sulfur (NaS) battery system electrical fluctuations have been consists of 80 modules, 8,000 the norm. pounds (3,600 kilograms) each, And sweltering in the dark has constructed by the Japanese been only part of the problem. firm NGK-Locke. They were The situation wreaks havoc with s h i p p e d t o L o n g B e a c h , electrical devices, causing California, in December and computer systems to reset transported to Texas aboard 24 frequently—an annoyance in trucks. homes and a constant worry for The cost of the battery system authorities. includes $10 million just to “The area is a significant border construct the building in which Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:57:29 PM

it will be housed and the new substation it requires. Sodium-sulfur batteries are not as well known as the nowubiquitous lithium-ion batteries that power laptops and cell phones, but they are by no means new. Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Donald Sadoway explains that the technology was, in fact, invented in the United States. “It was used by Ford in an electric vehicle in the early 1990s,” he said. “The allelectric Ford Escort was powered by sodium–sulfur batteries made in Heidelberg, Germany. "It worked, but the technology was too expensive. They made maybe a hundred that were not for sale.” (Sadoway, a battery design specialist, actually got a chance to drive the concept vehicle, which he recalls was “a real blast.”) American Electric Power (AEP) first tested the NaS system for stationary power at its Dolan Technology Center near Columbus, Ohio, and deployed it in a demonstration project in Gahanna, Ohio, in 2002. Since then, AEP has installed four NaS battery systems in West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio. NaS looked like a solution that would work for Presidio. Also, it is part of a larger

modernization project that includes plans for a new 60-mile (100-kilometer), 69-kilovolt transmission line from Marfa to Presidio at a cost of $45 million, to be completed by 2012. As such, the cost of the battery system will be shared by all 22 million customers on the Texas electricity grid. Members of the state legislature, Presidio officials, ETT and AEP Texas petitioned the grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, to approve the project, labeling it a certified need. The plan also needed and obtained approval of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Even when the transmission line is modernized, Crowder said the battery system will still be essential for Presidio. Despite the latest in lightning arrestors, controls, and switching, the new line will not be immune to the fierce storms spawned on the plains. Fast Response Time The battery system will have a fast response time to address voltage fluctuations and momentary outages. And it also is designed to supply uninterrupted power for up to eight hours. This is not only crucial in the event of an outage, but it will assure that the lights stay on if Presidio needs to tap power from across the border in Mexico, as the city sometimes does during emergency

situations—a switchover process that can take hours. Crowder predicted that as those who are in the business of generating energy watch what ETT is doing, there will be “more and larger deployments in use of battery storage for wind and solar.” “This type of technology as a utility application is still fairly new in the United States,” Crowder said. “Japan has been at this for a decade or so. As we learn more and as the price becomes less through mass production, there will be opportunities for wind and solar to improve the economics of their power.” MIT's Sadoway, a professor in materials chemistry, said that many of NGK’s systems, indeed, are in use in Japan. But he said batteries as backup for solar is still far too expensive. “I’m excited that people are embracing battery storage at this scale,” Sadoway said. “Once utilities get experience at what a large storage facility can do for them, eventually we will come up with technology that is costeffective and a benefit for all.” Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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Pope accused of mishandling case of German paedophile priest Stephen Bates, John Hooper (World news: United States | guardian.co.uk)

the office of the archbishop. But it is not usual that he takes note of every written piece of paper; every decision of the vicarSubmitted at 3/26/2010 6:32:43 AM Cardinal Ratzinger copied into general." m e m o t r a n s f e r r i n g k n o w n Father Peter Hullerman, who paedophile to German Catholic was known to be a paedophile, parish where abuse continued, was originally moved to Munich claims US paper to allow him to undergo therapy. Fresh revelations have been The future pope attended a made directly implicating Pope meeting in January 1980 at Benedict XVI in mishandling which the transfer was agreed, the case of a paedophile priest in the New York Times reported his former archdiocese of today. The paper said the reason Munich. for the priest's transfer was According to the New York clear, even though not explicitly Times, the then Cardinal Joseph stated. Ratzinger was copied in on a The allegations come a day memo from his deputy in which after the Vatican responded the priest was transferred to angrily to the allegation that as a parish duties in Bavaria that cardinal the pope had ignored an brought him into contact with American diocese's request that children. As a result of that another predatory priest should decision by the then vicar- be defrocked. general, Father Gerhard Gruber, Hullermann had been removed the priest was able to continue from his previous parish in abusing boys, for which he was September 1980 and did not later tried and convicted. deny the allegations made A s p o k e s m a n f o r t h e against him. Correspondence at archdiocese told the Guardian: the end of that year referred to a "The report does not contain formal request that he should be false information, but the transferred for psychiatric interpretation – that Cardinal treatment in Munich. Ratzinger knew – is pure Although sexual abuse of boys speculation." The spokesman was not explicitly mentioned in added: "I do not know if any the letter from Essen, it stated: copy [of the memo] exists. But "Reports from the congregation it is a usual procedure that a in which he was last active decision about priests goes to made us aware that Chaplain

Hullermann presented a danger that caused us to immediately withdraw him from pastoral duties." It warned of possible legal action but suggested that Hullermann could teach religion "at a girls' school". A report, drawn up by one of Ratzinger's closest colleagues before the meeting, stated that a young chaplain needed "medical -psychotherapeutic treatment in Munich" and a place to live with "an understanding colleague". It presented the priest from Essen as a "very talented man, who could be used in a variety of ways". As soon as he arrived, however, Hullermann was placed in a parish where he continued to abuse boys before being convicted six years later. The suggestion that the pope was more closely involved in the case than previously suggested followed allegations that while he was head of the congregation in Rome in the mid-1990s, he acceded to a plea from an American priest, Father Lawrence Murphy, not to be disciplined or defrocked for abusing as many as 200 deaf boys at a school where the chaplain taught between 1950 and 1974. Murphy died a few months later and there have been allegations that earlier bishops in his US diocese had

ignored the complaints against him and that the diocese tried to hush the matter up. The continuing and spreading allegations are devastating for the authority and reputation of the church – the world's largest Christian denomination, with more than 1 billion adherents. Previously the Vatican has denied accusations that it has covered up systemic abuse by priests in many countries for decades in the interests of protecting its reputation. It formerly blamed a handful of perverted priests and even suggested that abuse was a problem of the church in "Anglo -Saxon" countries, including the Irish diaspora. The pope has apologised for the way the church handled allegations without accepting any personal responsibility for his actions in Munich nor during his 24 years as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. But the accusations are getting closer to him all the time. The Vatican's spokesman, attempting to stem the relentless tide of allegations that the church – and now the pope himself – covered up or dismissed complaints against clergy paedophiles in the 1980s and 90s, complained about an

"obvious and ignoble attempt to strike at all costs Benedict and his closest collaborators". A statement published in the official Vatican daily paper, L'Osservatore Romano, said: "The prevalent tendency in the media is to gloss over the facts and force interpretations with the aim of spreading an image of the Catholic church almost as if it were the only [institution] responsible for sexual abuses." Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Cardinal Seán Brady, the head of the Catholic church in Ireland, will shortly offer his resignation following accusations that as a young priest he took part in a cover-up and the silencing of victims of a paedophile priest there. The cardinal has apologised, but has so far resisted calls that he should go. • Pope Benedict XVI • Catholicism • Germany • Religion • United States Stephen Bates John Hooper guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

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New Type of Human Discovered via Single Pinky Finger (National Geographic News) Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:10:51 PM

A new type of prehistoric human has been discovered via DNA from a child's pinky finger found in a central Asian cave, a new study says. "We had no inkling that this thing existed, and suddenly it's there. That in itself is a remarkable discovery," said Terry Brown, a geneticist at the University of Manchester in the U.K. and co-author of a news article released alongside the study Wednesday by the journal Nature. If confirmed by further genetic testing, the discovery—dubbed X-woman—will mark the first time that a new human species has been identified solely on the basis of DNA (quick genetics overview). The 40,000-year-old specimen isn't good for much else—it's far too fragmentary to contain clues to the creature's skeletal structure, musculature, brainpower, or appearance, researchers say. (Related:"Oldest Skeleton of Human Ancestor Found.") New Human Species: Out of Africa, Quietly The new-human discovery implies that there was a wave of human migration out of Africa,

the birthplace of humanity, that was completely unknown to science. "We think Homo erectus"— an upright-walking but smallbrained early human, or hominid—"was the first [hominid] to leave Africa two million years ago," Brown explained. After that the record went blank until about 500,000 years ago, until now. "This hominid seems to have left about a million years ago, so it fills in a bit of a gap," he said. (See"Massive Genetic Study Supports 'Out of Africa' Theory.") Uncanny X-woman The fossilized pinky bone was discovered in a cave called Denisova in the Altay Mountains of southern Siberia, Russia. Though the pinky's owner has been dubbed X-woman, scientists think the pinky belonged to a child between 5 and 7 years old, but experts can't tell if it was a boy or a girl. Analysis of DNA extracted from the fossil reveals it is significantly different from the DNA of Neanderthals or of modern humans. So far only mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, has been extracted. Inherited from the mother, mtDNA contains much

less information than nuclear DNA, which contains most of a body's genetic information. What mtDNA lacks in storage capacity, however, it makes up in volume. There are two copies of nuclear DNA per cell but several thousand copies of mtDNA. For this reason, the mtDNA of the child was much easier to read, or sequence, explained Richard Green, an ancient-DNA expert at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. A study of the child's mtDNA suggests the hominid belonged to a species that last shared a common ancestor with Neanderthals and modern humans about a million years ago. (See a photo of the first model of a Neanderthal based in part on ancient DNA evidence.) "We don't know if the three species lived at the same place at the same time," Manchester's Brown said. "One million years is a long time, and populations of these hominids were not huge, so they could have been in different parts of Europe and Asia." Truly a New Human Species? X-woman appears to be a new type of human, but is it truly a new species?

Among the criteria used to determine whether different animals are distinct species are inability to interbreed, genetic dissimilarity, and anatomical variation. It's impossible to determine whether any of these criteria apply to the Denisova child based solely on mtDNA. For this reason, study coleaders Johannes Krause and Svante Pääbo, also of the Max Planck Institute, are planning to harvest nuclear DNA from the fossil for analysis—a painstaking process. Until then they're refusing to call Xwoman a new species. Green, who did not participate in the research, calls the team's caution "appropriate." Because so little bone was actually discovered, scientists have no idea what the child looked like. (See"Face of Ancient Human Drawn From Hair's DNA.") It may be possible to one day to reconstruct the Denisova child's features from its DNA, but that's a long way in the future, Green said. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

POPE continued from page 5

surrounding the mishandling of abuse claims led to five prelates stepping down in one year alone. The Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law, arguably the most powerful Catholic official at the time, was the most high-profile departure. Somehow, despite bringing shame on the church, John Paul II gave the disgraced cardinal and archbishop a position in Rome – the Archpriest of the Santa Basilica Maria di Maggiore – an act that mystifies and angers victims and support groups to this day. Riazat Butt and John Hooper • Pope Benedict XVI • Catholicism • Religion • United States John Hooper guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

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Asthma treatment in Pakistani salt mine (Latest news, breaking news, current news, UK news, world news, celebrity news, politics news)

clinical studies, salt caves are seen by some as a therapeutic alternative to drugs and there are natural and synthetic salt caves springing up all over the Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:38:47 AM By Khurram Shahzad, in world. Khewra for AFP While other clinics offer Published: 2:38PM GMT 26 treatment for bronchitis, cystic Mar 2010 fibrosis, and even ear Khewra, billed as the world's i n f e c t i o n s , S h a h s a y s t h e second largest salt mine, has for Khewra clinic only treats centuries extracted the crucial patients whose asthma is mineral for export and has triggered by allergies. become a tourist attraction "I have come here all the way complete with a salt mosque and from Canada. I could not an electric train. recover there through Now, the mine is cashing in on medicine, but I am feeling better salt therapy, already a draw in since my arrival here," said the salt mines of eastern Naeem Shamsher, a civil Europe and a synthetic clinic in engineer from Canada. Britain. Shamsher had tried medicine Clinics claim that asthma doled out by doctors back home patients and sufferers of other but felt little relief and respiratory illnesses benefit struggled to walk far without from inhaling antibacterial salt b e c o m i n g b r e a t h l e s s , s o p a r t i c l e s i n a s t e r i l e relatives in Pakistan suggested environment, which helps he visit the Khewra Mines. loosen mucus and clear the lung "Now I can run and even play passages. soccer just after spending three "We don't use any medicine, days in the mine," said because the asthmatic allergy Shamsher, who says he feels 60 patients recover through the p e r c e n t b e t t e r a f t e r t h e air, so we provide them an t r e a t m e n t . environment in which their The mine, located 160 breathing can improve," said kilometres (100 miles) south of Akhlaq Bukhari, head doctor at Pakistan's capital Islamabad, the Khewra clinic. was discovered in 320 BC by Although there have been few Alexander's troops and first

developed by British colonial rulers in 1872, mine officials say. Located deep underground in the mine, the asthma clinic resembles an upmarket guesthouse, with 12 beds covered in white sheets and red blankets in six independent cabins separated with salt bricks and softly lit by lamps. There is a reception area decorated with salt lamps and a lounge complete with a fountain, sofas and a television set. The walls and roof of the clinic are made from pure salt and a fan helps maintain the temperature and humidity, creating the so-called "microclimate" that offers patients relief, Shah says. A 10-day course at the Khewra Mines salt therapy centre costs 5,300 rupees (£42), with 11 hours a day spent in the caves while nights are spent in a nearby hospital. Since opening in 2007, the clinic has treated about 500 patients. Shah claims that 60 per cent have experienced some relief from their symptoms and says patients have come from as far as Britain and Saudi Arabia. But Shahid Abbas, a doctor

Thursday Night Music: Regina Spektor, 'Us' (Little Green Footballs)

Regina Spektor’s video for “Us” from the album Soviet

Kitsch is pretty irresistible.[Video]

who runs the private Allergy and Asthma Centre in Islamabad, said that although an asthma or allergy sufferer may get temporary relief, there is no quick-fix cure. "There is no scientific proof that a person can permanently get rid of asthma by breathing in a salt mine or in a particular environment," he said. Khaled Sajjad Khokhar, managing director of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, a government body which owns the mine, says they will assess the success of the Khewra clinic before approving its expansion to 100 beds. But some patients are returning, happy to get even temporary relief. "This hospital is a blessing, it gave me a second life. I never had problems breathing after spending 10 days over there in 2007," said Adnan Khan, a Pakistani patient, on his second visit to the clinic. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

At least 10 dead in Ky. highway truck -van crash (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:52:29 AM

Sarah buzzed up: McCain, Palin to campaign together in Arizona (AP) 42 seconds ago 2010-0326T08:14:22-07:00 Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Dog that attacked police cars must attend classes (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:27:10 AM

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Comic book artist ends life at suicide clinic after battle with MS (Latest news, breaking news, current news, UK news, world news, celebrity news, politics news)

to get a piece of paper with a pen because it's what I can control. "I haven't got MS when I'm looking at my pictures and I Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:07:47 AM Published: 2:07PM GMT 26 haven't got it when I'm Mar 2010 drawing them either. It gives me John Hicklenton, who lived in an ability to express that fear." Brighton, East Sussex, died at The illness took an increasingly the assisted suicide clinic on tight hold on him, affecting his March 19 aged 42 following a mobility and he decided to end 1 0 - y e a r b a t t l e w i t h t h e his life before he became disease. permanently disabled. He was renowned for his Before he went to Dignitas, he characteristically-grotesque told Pat Mills, the founder of figures in the cult British 2000 AD: "MS, you have a comic 2000 AD, including week to live. You've met i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s o f f a m o u s someone you shouldn't have ---characters Judge Dredd and -- with." Nemesis The Warlock. Friends and family travelled Mr Hicklenton, known as with him to the clinic, his agent Johnny, was also a strident MS Adrian Weston said. c a m p a i g n e r a n d w a s t h e He said today: "He was one of subject of an award-winning the most clear-sighted and television documentary charting visionary people I have ever his fight against the condition. met. In Here's Johnny, which was "Having worked with him was produced by Brighton-based one of the greatest privileges of i n d e p e n d e n t f i l m a n d T V my professional life." company Animal Monday, he Mr Weston added that he had spoke movingly of using art as o n l y r e c e n t l y f i n i s h e d an escape. completing his final book, 100 He said: "Drawing is my Months, before he travelled to walking now, I run with it, I fly Zurich. with it. It's keeping me alive. I Mr Hicklenton finished his last have a thing with it. I can't wait drawing the day before going to

Dignitas. "Johnny said that finishing the book kept him alive for another year," said Mr Weston. Tributes have been paid online to Mr Hicklenton, with one person describing him as "uncompromising, unpretentious and unique". On the Lasting Tribute website, Dennis Moore wrote: "Just as his art will live on to shock and inspire new readers and artists, the memory of a spontaneous, thoughtful and funny guy will live on in the hearts of his friends and family." And on Facebook, Ali Carter said: "Quite the most amazing person I have known for a very long time, breathtaking artwork and inspirational attitude... keep fighting it Johnny." The MS Trust said: "John was best known for his work on comic 2000 AD and for illustrating characters such as Judge Dredd, but he also led a high profile campaign for better rights for people with MS. "In 2008, his documentary on his battle with the disease, Here's Johnny, received Grierson awards for Best

Newcomer and Best Arts Documentary. "The fact that John Hicklenton was prepared to use his fame to raise awareness of a condition so often overlooked by the media, and to wage his personal war on MS so publicly is something that is greatly appreciated by people in the MS community." Assisted suicide remains a criminal offence in England and Wales, punishable by up to 14 years in prison, but individual decisions on prosecution will be made on the circumstances in each case, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said. DPP Keir Starmer QC has indicated that anyone acting with compassion to help end the life of someone who has decided they cannot go on would be unlikely to face criminal charges. More than 100 Britons have now travelled to Dignitas to take their own lives. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Will The Authors Guild Freak Out About Text To Speech On The iPad? Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:08:36 AM

When the second generation Kindle ebook reader launched with a text-to-speech functionality, the Authors Guild freaked out, claiming that this violated a totally made up on the spot aspect of copyright law. Plenty of copyright lawyers dissected this claim in great detail and concluded that the Authors Guild was making up stories about how they wanted copyright law to act, rather than paying attention to what copyright law actually said. There simply is no copyright violation in having a computer read a book aloud to you. However, after the Authors Guild ratcheted up the threats, Amazon finally caved and let authors choose to block the textto-speech functionality. Now, with the iPad coming out, some are noticing that it, too, contains such text-to-speech capabilities, and yet oddly, we haven't heard complaints from the Authors Guild (found via Copycense). Have they come to their senses, or have they just not realized it yet? Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

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Family wins six-figure NHS payout after doctors failed to spot mother's cancer (Latest news, breaking news, current news, UK news, world news, celebrity news, politics news)

Board, part of which will compensate her daughters Shaila, nine, and Chloe, six. Miss Bletchly fell ill in May 2004 a few months after Chloe's Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:21:53 AM By Murray Wardrop birth. Published: 2:21PM GMT 26 Examinations during the next Mar 2010 eight months ruled out Lavinia Bletchly, a 23-year-old gynaecological problems, but mother of two, was sent home she continued to complain of from hospital three times pain in her abdomen and pelvis. while suffering aggressive In February 2005 an ultrasound cancer. revealed a cyst and an operation On one occasion, a senior found fluid above the liver. consultant told her that her Over the next three weeks she illness was “all in her head” was admitted three times to the and that she should make way Princess of Wales Hospital in for urgent cases, relatives said. Bridgend but sent home on each By the time doctors identified occasion. the malignant tumour in her In March 2005 a scan and bowel, it had spread to her f u r t h e r s u r g e r y f o u n d a n stomach and was so extensive extensive malignant tumour that chemotherapy could not had encased her bowel and save her. spread to her stomach. The textile design student, from She died after a ruptured bowel Bridgend, south Wales, died on caused peritonitis, leading to March 24, 2005 f r o m multi-organ failure. peritonitis and malignant non- It is understood the family will Hodgkin lymphoma. receive about £350,000 A High Court judge on Friday c o m p e n s a t i o n . approved an out-of-court Sitting in Cardiff, Judge settlement with Abertawe Bro Anthony Seys Llewellyn QC Morgannwg University Health said he was satisfied the sum

awarded was "appropriate and sensible". "This settlement gives certainty of very substantial damages for the dependants of Lavinia," the judge said. Speaking outside court, Miss Bletchly's father, Arthur, 57, fought back tears as he described how his daughter's cancer went undiagnosed. "She was in that hospital for most of the month but was discharged three times," he said. "At one point one of the senior consultants said to her 'This is all in your head. I need you to get out of this hospital to make way for more urgent cases', which was a terrible thing to say to a young woman with two kids who, four weeks further on, was going to die." He called for the health board to consider taking disciplinary action and said he would refer the case to the General Medical Council. In a statement, the health board said: "ABM University Health Board again offers its sincere condolences to the family of

Lavinia Bletchly, following her sad death in 2005. "Incidents of this kind are taken very seriously and a full inquiry was carried out by the former Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust at the time, which included investigations by several independent clinical experts." It added: "This was a very complex case, involving many different clinical specialities and processes. "We were assured by the reports from the independent clinical experts, which produced no evidence of any 'gross failings' on the part of hospital staff. "We are always anxious to learn lessons from incidents like these to ensure everything can be done to reduce the risk of them reoccurring." It said the claim was settled out of court to avoid prolonged legal proceedings which could result in substantial costs. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Judge looking into leaks in Google-Viacom fight Tom Krazit (Webware.com) Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:00:37 PM

Two CNET stories published in

October have prompted a search into where the information came from. A federal judge is expected to hold a meeting

Friday to discuss the investigation's progress. Originally posted at Relevant Results

Lady Gaga, Meet Chatroulette [VIDEO] Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:33:10 AM

There’s no denying that Chatroulette is currently a huge internet hit, brewing a new meme almost each day. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, recently became the biggest name on YouTube. Now, the inevitable clash of these two phenomena has finally happened, in the form of a Chatroulette version of Lady Gaga’s song “Telephone.” In the video, the Gaga clone dances, scantily dressed in women’s clothing ( mildly NSFW), to the song, while innocent Chatroulette users fall down laughing. The end result, like most Chatroulette videos, is strangely mesmerizing; you don’t really know why, but you cannot stop watching it. The video is embedded below. Tags: chatroulette, Lady Gaga, web video

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Pope Benedict XVI 'knew child abuser allowed back to work'

Dev Clinic: Submitting Apps for iPad Saturday

(Top stories from Times Online)

Erica Sadun (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

Church over decades of abuse. In 1980, the Pope was the Archbishop of Munich Submitted at 3/26/2010 4:28:15 AM overseeing the archdiocese in The Roman Catholic Church’s which Father Hullermann was account of Pope Benedict XVI’s given a few days of treatment handing of a serial paedophile after sexual abuse allegations was called into question today and then told he could return to when new documents emerged work. suggesting that his office was When the scandal broke earlier kept informed of the offender’s this month Monsignor Gerhard rapid return to working with Gruber, who was Vicar General children. of the Archdiocese of Munich Contrary to statements released and Freising at the time and in by the Church in Germany, a effect Cardinal Ratzinger's memorandum uncovered by d e p u t y , t o o k " f u l l The New York Times suggests responsibility" for the decision that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to allow the priest to resume his was told that a priest had gone duties. back to pastoral duties in The Munich Archdiocese also Munich a few days after he officially acknowledged that started psychiatric treatment. “bad mistakes” were made in The priest went on to commit t h e h a n d l i n g o f F a t h e r further offences. Hullermann, but attributed them The latest child abuse scandal to officials subordinate to to hit the Catholic Church Cardinal Ratzinger. involves a German priest, But the memo, the existence of Father Peter Hullermann, who which was confirmed to The was convicted of molesting boys New York Times by two church in 1 9 8 6 . V i c t i m s h a v e officials, shows that the future c o m p l a i n e d t h a t r e p e a t e d pope not only led a meeting on warnings were ignored by the January 15, 1980, approving the

transfer of the priest to his district, but that he was also kept informed about the priest’s subsequent reassignment. It remains unclear whether he played any part in the decisionmaking process or whether he had personally read the memo addressed to him. Over the following years, church officials repeatedly transferred Father Hullermann to new parishes and allowed him to work with children, even after the 1986 conviction for sexually abusing boys. He was suspended only this month as the sex abuse scandals came to light in the Pope's native Germany. The initial statement by the Munich Archdiocese claimed that Father Hullermann had been allowed to return to work because of the “the statements of the treating psychologist”. That was flatly contradicted by the psychiatrist in question. Dr Werner Huth, who treated him from 1980 to 1992, said he had warned church officials not to allow him to work with children

Google ad deja vu with 'remarketing' Tom Krazit (Webware.com) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:45:48 AM

Google advertisers will now be able to target potential

customers even after they leave their sites, by showing ads to those same customers across Google's network of partner sites.

Originally posted at Relevant Results

from the very outset. The latest statement from the Munich Archdiocese raises doubts over whether the future pope would have actually read the memo addressed to him. Father Lorenz Wolf, judicial vicar in the Munich Archdiocese, said it was “unlikely to have landed on the archbishop’s desk", but he could not rule out that Cardinal Ratzinger had read it. Father Wolf said he had also spoken to Monsignor Gruber, who could not remember a detailed conversation with Cardinal Ratzinger about Father Hullermann but could not rule out that the name had come up. Father Hullermann, 61, was suspended this month from his post in the Bavarian spa town of Bad Tolz for violating an undertaking not to have further contact with children and young people. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:25:00 AM

Filed under: iPad iPad Saturday Clinic: Get your app uploaded Working hard to get your apps uploaded to iTunes Connect? Concerned that there may a world-wide (or at least Applewide) conspiracy against you? Come join us for a peer-support but NDA-sensitive discussion about compiling and uploading your application before the Saturday deadline. TUAW Dev Clinic: Submitting Apps for iPad Saturday originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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ITV to axe police drama The Bill after 25 years (Top stories from Times Online) Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:07:23 AM

Farewell Sun Hill nick. The Bill— ITV’s long-running police drama — is to be axed after a quarter of a century. Ratings have slipped after the latest revamp last year failed to win back viewers, but ITV said today that the move was a creative decision which would free up resources for other "high quality drama". The announcement that the show will come to an end later this year comes soon after The Bill was shortlisted for the Best Soap at the Royal Television Society awards, where it was beaten by EastEnders. Peter Fincham, ITV director of television, called the show "one of the great institutions of television drama." He said: " The Bill has been a fixture on our screens for more than 25 years and has been the home of some of the UK’s best serial drama storylines, and a great showcase for terrific scriptwriting and fine acting talent. "But times change, and so do the tastes of our audience. This

is reflected in the mix of what ITV1 will offer as a channel, with an increased focus on new and varied drama commissions for the 9.00pm slot. "Whilst The Bill will come to an end in 2010, we will continue to invest more in drama programming than any other commercial broadcaster in the UK and viewers can look forward to a wide range of highquality drama on ITV1." The Bill began in 1984 with a series of 12 hour long episodes, spun off from a one-hour drama, Woodentop, screened on ITV the year before. The show quickly proved popular with viewers engaged by spiky characters such as PC Jim Carver (Mark Wingett), DI Burnside (Christopher Ellison) and PC June Ackland (Trudie Goodwin) and by 1988 was running in three half-hour shows a week. A decade later the drama was boosted back to 60-minute slots, shown twice a week. Schedulers have recently struggled to make the most of the show, and have experimented with two pacy live -action episodes and the deaths of central characters.

Last year it dropped to just one hour a week. Audiences have been around four million in recent months, down from seven million five years ago. The MP David Davies, who has worked as a Special Constable with the British Transport Police, said today he felt The Bill reflected police work more accurately than other cop shows. "I think it did a better job than some of the programmes that you see at the moment, because they're heavily edited," he said. " Police, Camera, Action! that sort of thing, they send somebody out with a camera and every two minutes something incredibly exciting is happening. "I actually remember thinking the first time I went out in uniform, is it going to be two minutes or ten minutes before the first fight, and fairly often nothing very much happened at all. And I think The Bill got that over slightly better." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Chasing Value: Raytheon's Increased Dividends and Buybacks Equal New High Sheldon Liber (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:50:00 AM

Filed under: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Options, Chasing Value, Stocks to Buy, Raytheon Company (RTN), Stock Picks It's nice to report good news: Defense contractor Raytheon ( RTN) announced Thursday it is increasing its annual dividend by 21% and planning to buy back as much as $2 billion of stock. "The Board's decision to substantially increase our dividend and to authorize additional share repurchases reflects our company's strong financial position, our continued confidence in our future and our ongoing commitment to our shareholders," William H. Swanson, Raytheon's chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

Not surprisingly, RTN reached a new 52-week high of $58.30 Thursday, finishing the day at $57.26. Continue reading Chasing Value: Raytheon's Increased Dividends and Buybacks Equal New High Chasing Value: Raytheon's Increased Dividends and Buybacks Equal New High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Ergonomic Goggles Peer Through Murk With a Revealing Glow Mathew Honan (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:00:00 PM

The ATN Night Cougar binoculars will have you purring

in the dark. They're compact and comfy but also serious about optics, with exceptional brightness and great wide-angle vision.

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Tiny T. Rex Ancestors Achieved World Domination (National Geographic News) Submitted at 3/25/2010 3:38:43 PM

Tiny T. rex relatives once dominated the globe, a new tyrannosaur fossil reveals. The pint-size predator, found in what is now Victoria, Australia, is the first Tyrannosaurus rex ancestor unearthed in the Southern Hemisphere. Nicknamed the Southern Tyrant, the dinosaur lived during the early Cretaceous period, about 110 million years ago. Stretching just ten feet (three meters) and weighing only 175 pounds (80 kilograms), the animal, like T. rex, boasted a large head, short arms, and crushing jaws. (Related:"Tiny'T. Rex' Foundâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;150-Pound Species Came First.") Such mini-tyrannosaurs likely evolved into the meat-eating giants, including T. rex, that became the ultimate predators of the late Cretaceous, ruling the Earth until they vanished some 70 million years ago. Until now, tyrannosaur fossils, big and small, have been found

only in the Northern Hemisphere. (Related:" T. rex' s Oldest Ancestor Discovered in China.") But the discovery of a small early tyrannosaur in a remote southern location suggests T. rex ancestors were more widespread, said study coauthor Roger Benson, a paleontologist at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. That's because Earth's landmasses were in the process of breaking apart from a single supercontinent during the dinosaur era. The Southern Tyrant's lineage "was probably left over from before the breakup, when we can now postulate that the tyrannosaurs were everywhere," Benson said. 'T. Rex' Evolution Faded Down South The Southern Tyrant fossil, found during excavations funded by the National Geographic Society, raises questions about just where T. rex and its colossal cousins later evolved, Benson said. (The National Geographic Society

owns National Geographic News.) It's possible that even after the continental breakup had begun, bigger tyrannosaurs that evolved in the south could have spread out across the rather limited geographic barriers that existed. (Related:"New 'Destroyer' Dinosaur Found, Was T. Rex Relative.") But no matter how early tyrannosaurs traveled, it's a mystery why their one-time global domination appears to have fizzled in the south. "Why is it that tyrannosaurs [eventually] achieved colossal size and became the apex predators in the Northern Hemisphere continents, while in the Southern Hemisphere ... the tyrannosaurs seem to just fade into obscurity?" Benson said. The tiny tyrannosaur fossil is described in this week's issue of the journal Science. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

3-D Tabletop Display Gets Rid of the Glasses Priya Ganapati (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 3/25/2010 3:12:00 PM

A cube-shaped display called pCubee brings the 3-D effect to users without the need for pesky glasses. You can just pick up the

cube and play with it, and see the contents in 3-D.

Simon Cowell to Receive International Emmy for Reshaping TV, Pants Addy Dugdale (Fast Company)

Sciences Bruce Paisner claimed that the talent impressario has "changed the face of television Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:43:49 AM around the world." Although the Simon Cowell, the British lantern-jawed Brit is leaving Simon who isn't this Simon, is American Idol this year, he t o b e r e w a r d e d w i t h a n won't be off screens for long, as International Emmy later this he'll be bringing his X Factor year. The butch record promoter franchise to the U.S. -turned-TV star and exec has, This week it was also revealed a p p a r e n t l y , " r e s h a p e d that Simon Fuller, his on-off television" (not to mention high- partner in crime, has hit the waisted pant styles and on- silver screen. He's been named screen kisses.) as executive producer on Bel Cowell, who owns production Ami, starring Uma Thurman, c o m p a n y S y c o , p r o f e s s e d Robert Pattinson and Christina himself to be "delighted" by the Ricci. How long before Cowell award, which he will pick up in joins him in the top echelons of N e w Y o r k i n N o v e m b e r . Hollywood? President of the International Academy of Television Arts and

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Teenage gang arrested after boy, 15, Interoil's Strange is killed at London Victoria station Comments on Stock Price (Top stories from Times Online)

The youngster, who has not yet been named, was taken to hospital but later died from his Submitted at 3/26/2010 3:38:02 AM injuries, believed to be stab A 15-year-old boy was chased wounds to his chest. Police into one of Britain’s busiest officers were today with his railway stations during rush family. hour before being savagely One Transport for London murdered by a mob of youths. ticket office worker, who Witnesses said that a gang of declined to be named, said: attackers, many wearing school “My colleague was right there uniform, were behind the attack a s i t u n f o l d e d . T h e b o y s at Victoria Underground station attacking him couldn’t have in Central London last night. been any older than him as they The group of 20 youths were were wearing a dark blue being questioned by police school uniform.” today after the boy was stabbed Another member of staff, who to death in front of commuters. also did not want to be named, A gang wearing school uniform said: “I saw too much, I saw cornered the teenager after him on the ground bleeding. chasing him through the ticket “I’ve been working but I think hall of the District and Circle the shock of it has only just Underground lines at 5.20pm, come down on me now." witnesses said. It appears that Sarfraz Ahmed, who manages a the attack may have been a shop in an arcade at the station, continuation of a fight at the said that youngsters had been station the previous evening. causing trouble for a few weeks.

He said: “One day last week a gang chased a boy into a shop and attacked him and trashed the place. They are about 15 or 16 and come here on their bikes.” An argument broke out between schoolboys inside the mainline station at Victoria on Wednesday evening, one commuter said. John Angeli, 47, from Haywards Heath, West Sussex, said that police had struggled to bring the incident under control. “There was a very tense situation just outside WH Smith — there was a big kerfuffle with about ten or 15 kids all screaming. They were all in uniform, aged about 15 or 16,” he said. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Zac Bissonnette (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:10:00 AM

Shia LaBeouf, who is starring as Gordon Gekko's protege in the upcoming Wall Street sequel, recently offered a strange text message to a GQ reporter working on a story on him: "IOC's momentum is major, and it will surprise to the upside." IOC is Interoil ( IOC), an oil and gas exploration company with a $3 billion market cap and no proved reserves. Ex-con turned fraud fighter Barry Minkow has alleged that the company is nothing more than a pump and dump (see his website devoted to the company InterNoOil.com). Equally interesting is that prior to joining InterOil as a PR

person, Andrews was an equity analyst who covered the company. Continue reading Interoil's Strange Comments on Stock Price Interoil's Strange Comments on Stock Price originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

13 words not found in the English language (Holy Kaw!)

not been translated into English, though would be really useful. For example, if you're sitting in Arguably the most difficult a meeting or lecture and there's language to learn, English has one person asking too many commonly adopted words from questions, in Russian he would other languages as its own. be called a pochemuchka. Or, Surprisingly, there are 13 words should your neighbor borrow an until you have nothing the from other languages that have item from you one at a time Polynesians of Rapa Nui would Submitted at 3/26/2010 2:17:36 AM

call him a tingo! In Hawaii, we have a catch all phrase, da kine. It's primarily a noun, but could be used as an adjective as well. Example sentence: The police officer was such a pochemuchka as I filed a complaint against my tingo neighbor after borrowing my

last da kine. Full story at The Urban Recluse. More about Linguistics. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment »

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Lewis Hamilton: Formula 1 driver's Mercedes impounded by police in Melbourne

Best Buy Shows Big Improvement in Q4

(Latest news, breaking news, current news, UK news, world news, celebrity news, politics news)

Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:30:00 AM

I want to apologise for it." He was with an unnamed passenger in the car. Police sources said officers did not realise who they had pulled Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:24:39 AM By Andrew Hough, and Tom over. Cary in Melbourne Local reports said he did “a Published: 2:24PM GMT 26 burnout and a fishtail” in his Mar 2010 latest series silver Mercedes in The former world champion, front of a Victoria Police 25, was pulled over by Victorian divisional van, in the suburb police in Melbourne on Friday of St Kilda, where officers then evening local time after officers pulled him over. witnessed him “deliberately Police said he is now expected losing traction”. to be charged with a court The McLaren driver, who was summons “in relation to fastest in second practice for this i m p r o p e r u s e o f a m o t o r weekend's Australian Grand vehicle”. His vehicle has been Prix, was stopped near the impounded for 48 hours under Albert Park circuit. tough new local driving laws. Hamilton released a statement “A 25 year-old man who resides through McLaren, apologising in Switzerland … was seen for his actions. driving about 9.15pm when He said: "I was driving in an the driver deliberately lost over-exuberant manner and, as a traction of the vehicle,” said result, was stopped by the Constable Wayne Wilson a police. What I did was silly, and Victoria police spokesman.

“The vehicle was intercepted by police. The driver was spoken to by officers and is expected to be charged on summons in relation to the improper use of a vehicle.” It is expected he will appear in court at a later date. After the incident became public, Hamilton was forced to issue a statement through his team apologising for his actions. “This evening, I was driving in an over-exuberant manner and, as a result, was stopped by the police," Hamilton said. "What I did was silly, and I want to apologise for it." A Mclaren team spokesman declined to comment further. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Opera tells Apple, 'bring it' over Opera Mini for iPhone (video) Jessica Dolcourt (Webware.com) Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:42:16 PM

Opera Software submitted its mobile browser to the iPhone App Store this week, and Apple could very well reject it. In the

Steven Mallas (BloggingStocks)

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Wal-Mart (WMT), Target Corp. (TGT), Best Buy (BBY) Best Buy ( BBY), an electronics chain whose competitors include Target ( TGT) and Wal-Mart ( WMT), saw a bid yesterday after it released results for the fiscal fourth quarter. Indeed, the numbers displayed a lot of improvement, making the buying interest, as well as the incredible conviction indicated by the quantity of shares traded, more than understandable. Net sales increased 12%, and earnings per diluted share, on an adjusted basis, rose 13% to $1.82. The estimate at

Earnings.com was for $1.79 per diluted share. Same-store sales jumped 7%; in the comparable year-ago period, they had dropped nearly 5%. Continue reading Best Buy Shows Big Improvement in Q4 Best Buy Shows Big Improvement in Q4 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Knocking Live Video: Broadcast live video between iPhone and Android

Alt Text: How Will Nintendo 3DS Work? 5 Eye-Popping 3-D Theories

Jessica Dolcourt (Webware.com)

Lore Sj&#246;berg (Wired Top Stories)

Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:46:44 PM

Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:00:00 PM

The mobile Webcam app meantime, we give you a taste Knocking Live Video introduces of Opera running on the iPhone. a version for Android that lets Originally posted at CTIA 2010 you share live videos between Android phones and iPhones. Originally posted at CTIA 2010

With Nintendo being less than forthcoming about how its spectacle-free 3-D videogame handheld will work, it's time to go out on a limb. Get ready for some fancy guesswork.

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How to Choose the Right Bank for Your Small Business Christine Lagorio (Inc.com) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:08:00 AM

From the very start, your business should be on the lookout for a supportive and reliable bank. Whether your needs are simple (a separate business checking account) or complex (a line of credit), finding the bank that fits your business's needs is crucial. In making the decision, it is pertinent to consider not only your business's current needs, but its potential future aspirations. That's especially true if you're anticipating being in the market for a loan over the next few years. Because the bulk of small business loans come these days from smaller community banks, it is advisable to establish a good relationship with your bank before your business needs outside capital. But that's just part of the equation. Before you start making any decisions, remember that all banks are different. We've compiled some guidelines to help you find one with the right stuff – from interest rates to investment products – for your business. Dig Deeper: Financing a Small Business Choosing the Right Bank: Knowing Your NeedsBefore you start shopping around for a financial institution, consider why you need one in the first place. Are you looking for specialized

services, such as investment help or a small business loan? You can search online for local banks that specialize in equipment loans or small business working capitalConsider also how much cash flow will be moving in and out of your business account. Is your "business" even a business yet? You will be required to have a business name and usually be registered with the state upon opening up a business banking account. San Franciscobased financial advisor Kathryn Amenta suggests using this rule of thumb: "Once someone is spending 20 hours a week on a project and counting on the revenue to make up as much as 50 percent of their personal income, it's definitely a business for financial and tax purposes," she says.Some banks provide incentives to keep a certain amount deposited – and others offer services to make the most of your profits. If you don't already have a financial advisor who can help with investments and cash flow management, it might be wise to consider a bank that can offer those services. Certain institutions can even help you collect financial information in your industry. Otherwise, you would be wise to enlist an independent financial advisor to pinpoint your needs before choosing a bank. If you're just starting out and think you only need a

checking account to manage incoming payments from your clients and reliably handle outgoing checks, think again. What else might your small business need in the next 10 years? Might you be expanding and need a loan in the future? Finding a bank that could work with you on that is most important to focus on. "Free checking" is no longer an offer to make a decision based on. Dig Deeper: Is Online Banking Right for You? Choosing the Right Bank: Comparing FeaturesOnce you know what you're looking for in a bank, comparing what banks offer in your area and worldwideis relatively simple. Search for banks that specialize in what you need, and call them to request specific information, including additional services, fee structures, and interest rates. Before setting up meetings with bankers, review the information, and create a list of questions. If you fall in the category of just needing simple account services as an entrepreneur, you might take a look at the growing sector of online banks. When Elizabeth Potts Weinstein, an attorney and small business consultant, started her own business six years ago, she realized her priority was to have easy online access to her accounts – and most community banks she checked with didn't offer online banking. She went

with a nationwide bank with an online banking system that fit her needs.On the other hand, if location and face-to-face treatment is important to you, and easy access to deposits and cash is necessary, Potts Weinstein suggests: "Use a local bank with an extensive ATM network. Or, get into an institution that will rebate foreign ATM fees. But be realistic about the requirements for getting this done. Are you really going to provide the bank with ATM receipts?"As you move closer to selecting a bank, pay close attention to the fees. The fee structure for business checking can be significantly different – and much higher – than those assessed by a bank on a personal checking account. Some banks will also charge small businesses for online banking services, even though they do not charge individuals. Remember, as a potential customer, you have the right to ask for exactly what you need. If that's free online banking, make that clear to your community bank manager. Or, if you're willing to pay for certain services, but need a representative to be available on a monthly basis to counsel you, let them know that upfront. Dig Deeper: Scoping Out Start-up Banks Choosing the Right Bank: Size Matters, Especially for Lending At some point in your

entrepreneurial life, chances are you're going to need to borrow money in order to get your business off the ground or keep it going strong. And if that point is now, when so many banks are clamping down on credit, the task may seem near insurmountable. The good news is, while they may be fewer and farther between, there are still banks out there that believe in entrepreneurs like you-and you'll find them here in our rankings of the best small business banks In the post-credit crisis economy, there's a lot of movement toward small banks – especially in the small business world. Research shows that small banks are more likely than large institutions to issue loans to businesses in their community. In fact, though small and midsize banks control only 22 percent of all bank assets, they account for 54 percent of small business lending, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Company data from the third quarter of 2009. (See charts here.)The little local bank down Main Street will also offer you the level of human interaction you won't find elsehwere. Part of a community bank's mission is to help the neighborhood thrive. If you're principally looking for a lender, creating a relationship HOW page 19

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How to Steal Back Your Time Kasey Wehrum (Inc.com) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:24:59 AM

How Steve Jobs does customer service. Personally—and with brevity. The New York Times tracks down some mundane Apple customer service e-mails sent by none other than the famously reclusive founder Steve Jobs. "Apple is a notoriously secretive company," writes Brad Stone. "But Mr. Jobs sometimes takes a more intimate approach to information-sharing — and when his e-mail messages pop up on the computer screens of random fans and critics, they can inspire ecstasy and awe." Jobs’s emails are usually brief, with a tossed-off quality, but even a one word email from the founder—"No," was the entirety of one Jobs response to a question about the forthcoming iPad—is enough to send the lucky customer into a tizzy, and to generate lots positive attention in the blogosphere once the e-mail is inevitably posted there. Valleywag flags the post and suggests a few funny email possibilities. How to wring more time out of your day. One common gripe among business owners is that there never seems to be enough time in the day. With the multiple hats they wear within

the company, who can blame them? WebWorkerDaily has a post that includes some tactics that can be implemented to steal some of that time back. The article lists some common methods like cutting back on phone usage and reserving intervals on a calendar, but also advises readers to review meetings that may have exhausted their purpose, and to consider ending commitments that sap productivity. "Maybe it’s time to step down from a nonprofit board position, or to ditch some bad clients," the post says. Click here for Inc.’s advice on showing difficult customers the door. 8 types of people to unfollow on Twitter or defriend on Facebook. Perhaps taking a cue from Inc.com’s piece on the 8 types of people that belong on Twitter, Gawker compiles a list of the types of people to weed out of your friend list or scrub clean from your Twitter feed. For entrepreneurs that use those social networks as a marketing tool, it might be a good clue into what consumers (or friends) do and don’t want to see online. Google expands behavioral

targeting . Never heard of remarketing or retargeting? You will. A year ago, Google started testing its own brand of "behavioral targeting" (tracking people’s visits across different websites and serving them ads based on where they go). Now, AllThingsD reports, Google is taking its "remarketing" (what other companies refer to as retargeting) out of beta. Google’s description of the service: a basketball team that puts a code on the "buy tickets" page of its website, so that the team can serve basketball ads every time a previous visitor comes to its site or when that visitor browses other sites through Google. AllThingsD thinks it sounds very innocuous. The rub? Google makes it extremely difficult to opt out. Watch for a strategy article on retargeting in our May issue. Entrepreneurship by accident. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it may also serve as the impetus behind a new business. The San Francisco Chronicle has a list of seven businesses started by " unintentional entrepreneurs," regular folks who started

businesses as a way to solve some of life’s everyday problems. For example, during a business trip in Reno, Nevada, Mario Moretti Polegato, punctured holes in his rubbersoled shoes as a way to relieve his sweaty feet. That idea gave birth to Geox shoes, a worldwide company that produces breathable shoes. Among the other companies that were born out of necessity are a sugar-free cookie line, a clothing line designed for nursing mothers, and a macho cupcake company called Mancakes. Go Daddy to stop hosting new Chinese websites. Just a few days after Google closed down its Chinese website, Go Daddy, the Bob Parsons-led giant domain name registrar, announced that it would stop offering hosting services to new Chinese .cn sites. As the San Jose Mercury News reports, Go Daddy told a Congressional panel on Wednesday that it would rather lose new business than continue to have to turn over private information to the Chinese government about those who have created new websites.

"We made the decision we didn’t want to act as an agent for the Chinese government," the company’s general counsel said. Is the electric-car battery industry the next to collapse? A new report by the German consulting firm Roland Berger is forecasting that the electric car battery industry will collapse by 2017 ( GreenBeat via peHUB). They expect that only one in 10 EV lithium ion battery makers will survive the decade. While this isn’t an atypical fail rate for budding businesses, with so many opportunities in the electric car ecosystem you’d think there would be higher demand. The hidden perk of all these expired Energizers: the price of the batteries, which are some of the more expensive parts of an electric vehicle, could come way down. More from Inc. Magazine: Get this delivered to your inbox. Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Tumblr. Friend us on Facebook. Apply now for the 2010 Inc. 500|5000.

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HOW continued from page 17

with a small bank could be mutually beneficial.That said, you should still shop around for loan rates when choosing a bank. Big banks can sometimes offer lower rates. They are more bureaucratic, however, and iif your business is online or might not fit into a classic industry category, getting a great rate from a big bank might be difficult."Some of us have these weird online businesses that don't fit into a slot – we're not a dry cleaner, for instance," Potts Weinstein says. "That's when you need to find someone, a human, who can make exceptions to the rules. A really big bank just won't do that."As her business grew, Potts Weinstein found it time to transition from a large lender to a small one that had the online services she needed, but also could work with her financial needs on a personal basis. "I'm getting to the point where I'm going to plan a large event, so I'm going to need help with cash flow," she said. "I need a bank that's going to be able to work with me on it, and be flexible."There's also increasing political support for small businesses to partner with small banks. In addition to federal Small Business Association loan incentives, some experts think small businesses could have a hand in solving the credit crunch by simply changing their

banking habits – and putting their money in small banks. The Institute for Local SelfReliance's New Rules Project has teamed up with Move Your Money, a new initiative by the Huffington Post and Roosevelt Institute to provide resources to companies in switching their business to community banks. Dig Deeper: Tapping Community Banks Choosing the Right Bank: Remembering to ReevaluateOnce you have a bank that works for your business, don't forget to shop around periodically. It's natural to take time to re-evaluate your business's financial needs every time your bank changes something about its service – whether it is bumping up a loan interest rate or adding on a periodic finance charge. Even if the customers service is satisfactory and consistent, most experts recommend reevaluating your financial needs every few years.Your business's needs will likely change as it grows from infancy into a midsize company, or perhaps morphs from a physical storefront to an online shop (or vice versa.) As an owner you need to both make your bank aware of changing needs and keep your business with a financial institution that will help your business thrive at every step.Alternatively, if you like certain services your bank provides, but need additional

services, you can consider maintaining accounts at different banks. Of course, doing so might require more intense internal accounting systems, so if your business is growing more complex financially, it might be time to consider hiring a CFO, an accounts payable or accounts receivable professional, a bookkeeper, or part-time CFO, which is what Amenta recommends. A part-time CFO can step in quarterly or once a month if your needs are more strategic in nature. "They are people who have reputable business and finance training and now make business their livelihood," Amenta says. "They have a number of clients, and can come in once a month to oversee what's going on financially."Another type of account to consider: Many thriving online companies use separate merchant accounts to manage online business. Merchant accounts tend to come with numerous fees associated with transactions, processing, and monthly usage, so research these carefully before setting up one. Dig Deeper: Accounting for Start-ups Choosing the Right Bank: Final Thoughts A good bank can prove to be an invaluable partner to a small business, not only helping its

owner to borrow capital, but also working with him or her to plan for the future and assure potential customers of the business's stability and credibility. Put as much effort into finding the right bank—and nurturing your relationship with your banker—as you would put into landing a big customer or hiring a new member of your management team. Choosing the Right Bank for Your Small Business: Additional Resources Grow Up! Strategies: The 7 Legal & Financial Strategies You Need to Up-Level Your Small Business, by Elizabeth Potts Weinstein. Love Your Life Publishing, 2008. Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business a Financial Success, by Denise O'Berry. Wiley, 2006. Small Business Financial Management Kit For Dummies, by Tage C. Tracy CPA and John A. Tracy. For Dummies, 2007. Financing Your Small Business: From SBA Loans and Credit Cards to Common Stock and Partnership Interests, by James E. Burk. Sourcebooks, 2006. Read all of Inc.com's articles on small business money and finance here.

Classics Illustrated #26 - Frankenstein (1945) (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:40:24 PM

I bought this rare 1945 edition of Frankenstein (Classics Illustrated #26) at a used bookstore in Hawaii when I was a mere sprout, and it stayed in remarkably good condition considering that nobody took any special efforts to preserve it. The interior pages are also in great shape.

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Health Care Reform Promises More Paperwork Courtney Rubin (Inc.com) Submitted at 3/26/2010 5:40:00 AM

Congress put the finishing touches on healthcare reform yesterday, paving the way for President Barack Obama's signature on the second of the two bills. For small business owners, the legislation promises lower rates down the line. In the short term, however, it will mean extra paperwork and probably a call to your accountant. The so-called Reconciliation Bill approved on Thursdaywas drawn up to coax leery House Democrats to approve the Senate's original version of the health care bill Sunday. The original bill is the one Obama signed into law Tuesday. Here's what the new provisions – which Obama is expected to sign today – mean for you. First, relax (a little): You don't have to scramble to scrap together health insurance for employees this year. Companies with 50 employees or more who don't provide health insurance won't start paying penalties to the Internal Revenue Service

until 2014. If you have fewer than 50 employees, you won't pay penalties at all. What are the penalties? The reconciliation bill raises them to $2,000 per worker (up from the original bill's $750) if anyone in the company relies on government subsidies to buy coverage. A company's first 30 workers are excluded, but two part-time employees count as one full-time one for purposes of penalty calculation. (A fulltime worker is defined as one who works an average of 30 hours or more per week, calculated on a monthly basis.) From 2010 to 2013, very small businesses that offer health insurance can pick up a tax credit to help cover the cost. Companies with as many as 25 full-time employees that pay average annual wages of less than $50,000 will receive a credit valued at up to 35 percent of the average premium for the small group market in their states or of their total contributions to a health care plan bought through a state-run exchange to be set up under the reform. (You'll receive

whichever amount is less.) Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and average annual wages of less than $25,000 will pick up the maximum credit. In 2014, the maximum credit jumps to 50 percent. Worried about switching plans to qualify for the credit? Leave it off this year's to-do list. You can claim the credit through 2012 with your current plan. In 2013, you'll have to buy your insurance through the state-run exchange to claim it. Beginning in 2011, the government will create a simple cafeteria plan designed to help small businesses provide taxfree benefits to employees. This is meant to ease the administrative hassle for small businesses of sponsoring one. One thing you may want to start preparing for this year is extra paperwork. Beginning in 2011, companies will have to start reporting on W-2s the value of the health plans they provide to employees. And as the government ramps up tax collection efforts to pay for healthcare reforms, in 2012 you'll have to report every

single business-to-business payment of $600 or more to the IRS on a 1099. In 2013, you'll pay more to offer prescription drug coverage to retirees – that's when the current tax deduction ends for employers who receive a federal subsidy for offering the coverage. (The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 provided subsidies to companies to keep prescription drug coverage for Medicare-eligible retirees.) Beginning in 2014, only the smallest firms in the construction industry (five employees or fewer) are exempt from fines for not providing health insurance. The law doesn't define "construction firm" – that's up to regulators. Also on tap for 2014: If you've got high turnover of employees, the Reconciliation Act removes the penalties in the original legislation for imposing waiting periods before employees can enroll in coverage. It does set a cap on the waiting period, though: 90 days.

How to Stop iTunes Preview Links from Automatically Opening iTunes [Annoyances] Adam Pash (Lifehacker) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:00:00 AM

Apple's offered browser-based iTunes previews for a couple of months now, so is there any good reason my browser should show the preview and open iTunes every time I click an iTunes link? We think not; here's how to fix that. More »

Playlist: Enigmatic Artiste 9000, Doctor Who, Poisoner's Handbook Wired Magazine (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:00:00 PM

Wired shares its infographic obsession, a favorite Cure album, and a trick to turn fruity beverages into fizzy booze in 48 hours.

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China Demands Press Show Obedience to "Party and State," Hire Google Police Dan Nosowitz (Fast Company) Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:55:04 AM

Sometimes it seemed, throughout the whole Google mess(and, recently, the GoDaddy mess), that China just didn't really care that much. Google isn't as big a force in China as it is in the western world, and maybe the Chinese government acted so stiffly because they're not all that concerned. But today, the Washington Post published a list of directives from the Chinese government to Chinese news sites and organizations--and they are downright scary. This is the country behind the brief blackout of a huge chunk of Internet yesterday. First of all, the instructions make it clear that the Chinese government is indeed taking the Google situation seriously. It begins with "Google has officially announced its withdrawal from the China market. This is a high-impact incident. It has triggered netizens' discussions which are not limited to a commercial level." But the way they instruct Chinese websites to react is very scary, even scarier than the Chinese government's continued

and irritating use of the word "netizens." The first section, on news, requires that the state-run newspapers be the sole source of information for any third-party news sites. Even further, it specifically bans any "discussion," "investigation," or links to "relevant topic pages," says interviews with experts must be approved by the government, and even the title must be simply copied from the state-run newspaper. It's shocking to someone raised with freedom of the press to see such

rampant abuse. The second section, on "blogs, forums, and other interactive media sections": 1. It is not permitted to hold discussions or investigations on the Google topic. 2. Interactive sections do not recommend this topic, do not place this topic and related comments at the top. 3. All websites please clean up text, images, and sound and videos which attack the Party, State, government agencies, Internet policies with the excuse of this event.

4. All websites please clean up text, images and sound and videos which support Google, dedicate flowers to Google, ask Google to stay, cheer for Google and others have a different tune from government policy. 5. On topics related to Google, carefully manage the information in exchanges, comments and other interactive sessions. 6. Chief managers in different regions please assign specific manpower to monitor Googlerelated information; if there is

information about mass incidents, please report it in a timely manner. Apparently, in case the directives aren't followed, a "Monitoring and Control Group" will be called in to remedy the situation. For a country we tend to think of as competition in the coming century, it's hard to wrap our minds around just how different their press is. No wonder American companies are pulling out in droves.

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Daniel Libeskind's New Theater Opens, Offers Hope to CashStrapped Dublin Linda Tischler (Fast Company) Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:06:12 AM

Daniel Libeskind's new theater is a stage within a stage within a stage. With Ireland's economy in tatters, it's a reaffirmation that even when times are tough, the show must go on. The opening this week of Daniel Libeskind's new Grand

Canal Theatre, a razzle dazzle production in its own right, threatened to upstage the gentle ballet on the building's main stage. With its dramatic, four story glass facade, sharply angled roof line, and turbulent diagonal lines, the debut of Libeskind's latest creation was a major cultural happening for Dublin, a city that's been battered by the economy, and

desperately needs something to cheer about.And cheer they did. Ireland's president, Mary McAleese, turned out for the Russian State Ballet's performance of "Swan Lake," along with Irish actor Brendon Gleeson(Hogwart's professor "Mad Eye Moody" in the Harry Potter films) actress Rebecca Miller, and various other luminaries from sports, film,

politics, arts and business. The theatre, which is part of a major rehab of Dublin's docklands, will seat 2100 and be managed by Live Nation Ireland. It overlooks Grand Canal Square, the new urban piazza designed by Martha Schwartz Partners. The architectural concept of the area's redesign is itself based on stages: the stage of the theatre, the stage of the piazza, and the

multiple levels above the theatre lobby overlooking the piazza, which make a fine venue from which to watch the urban drama below. The entrance to the theater was modeled on the concept of a theater curtain, with overlapping folds, enabling visitors to enter as if through a stage curtain. The theater's DANIEL page 23

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DANIEL

The future of med school nospam@example.org (Scott Jagow) (Marketplace Scratch Pad)

Medicine Accelerated Track (FMAT) — the first three-year nationally-accredited medical degree. It’s half the cost of a Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:12:26 AM A major concern with health traditional medical degree. The care reform is that it could mean chairman of the department a flood of newly insured patients Michael Ragain describes it: into doctors’ offices, and “The high cost of medical therefore, a doctor shortage. school and resulting debt are Depending on how you look at major challenges for many it, it might be a good problem to prospective medical students,” have. But it’s still a problem, Ragain said. “Our program and it’ll most likely require addresses debt on two levels, creative solutions. first by shortening the program The bill itself provides some from four to three years, and potential solutions, like s e c o n d , b y p r o v i d i n g i n c r e a s e d f u n d i n g f o r scholarships to all qualifying community clinics and greater students. Training primary care use of nurses and doctor’s physicians is a national issue assistants. that targets both rural and urban But long-term, what’s required areas. With programs such as is extra incentives for people to this, we can double the number become doctors, specifically of primary care physicians primary care physicians. available to care for the U.S. A new program at Texas Tech population.” University could be a sign of The school says the fourth year things to come. Yesterday, the of med school is primarily school announced the Family devoted to specializing in a

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certain area and that the threeyear degree will fully prepare students for being primary care doctors. I remember doing a series many years ago about the shortage of doctors in rural areas, and one thing that stuck with me is that it’s not all about economic incentives. Being a primary care physician is tough, especially in a rural setting. There’s high burnout. It’s also a rewarding job, but the rewards aren’t financial compared to being a specialist. It’ll be interesting to see if cutting a medical degree’s expense in half and shaving off a year of intense studying can actually double the number of primary care physicians. We’ll explore this further on Marketplace tonight, but what do you think of this idea?

auditorium harkens back to the city's shipbuilding past, with suspended 'sails' concealing technological doo-dads such as gantries and other equipment. The 'ribs' on the side of the auditorium evoke the timbers of a ship's hull. Libeskind, whose latest project was the glitzy Crystals, the mall at City Center in Las Vegas, was bubbling with bonhomie at the opening, happy to be part of a good-news story in an era of economic gloom.

"Dublin is a city resurrected over the last 10 years and it's just breathtaking what has happened," he says. "It has been transformed from an ancient city to one that is vibrant, youthful, exciting, dynamic....that's what architecture can do for a city." Photos by Ros Kavanagh.

Woot! Off in Progress; Brush Up on Your Woot! Loot Grabbing Skills [Dealhacker] Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:30:00 AM

Check out our complete guide to scoring Woot! loot and head over to Woot! to check out the

Woot! off in progress. More »

Update: Rep. Cantor's Office Was Not Targeted (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 3/25/2010 1:33:24 PM

And now we learn, from the official police statement, that Republican Rep. Eric Cantor’s claim that his Richmond office was targeted by someone who fired a bullet through the window turns out to be

completely false. Richmond Police Investigate Cantor Building Vandalism March 25, 2010 The Richmond Police Department is investigating an act of vandalism at the Reagan Building, 25 E. Main St., Richmond, Virginia. A first floor window was struck by a

bullet at approximately 1 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23. The building, which has several tenants including an office used by Congressman Eric Cantor, was unoccupied at the time. A Richmond Police detective was assigned to the case. A preliminary investigation shows that a bullet was fired into the

air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window. The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the

congressman. The Richmond Police Department is sharing information about the incident with appropriate law enforcement agencies. At this time there are no suspects.

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Who will make the Final Four? nospam@example.org (Scott Jagow) (Marketplace Scratch Pad) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:17:59 AM

I’m not talking about NCAA basketball tournament. It’s time for the annual Worst Company in America bracket from Consumerist! Will AIG defend its title? Let me tell ya, there are some intriguing first-round matchups. How about B of A vs Citigroup? Toyota vs GM. Ticketmaster vs NBC. Microsoft vs Apple. Oooh — Comcast and Directv. What a tournament! Here’s the bracket: I gotta think Toyota’s will go pretty far, just because of its recent form, but six months ago, GM would probably have trounced Toyota. NBC has its moments, but Ticketmaster is just too good at angering its customer base to not walk through the first round. WalMart will also win easily. And I have Bank of America

moving on, although that should be a nailbiter with Citigroup. AIG vs Cash4Gold is a surprisingly good first round matchup. AIG unloaded some of its problems from last year’s team, so they could be ripe for an upset, but I’ll take AIG in a

squeaker. The airlines are a toss-up, but I see US Airways and Continental advancing. Comcast has a fairly easy road to the Final Four, and so does AIG, although Best Buy or PayPal (Ebay) could pose a challenge this year. That one regional is loaded: Toyota, Ticketmaster, Anthem, Chase. Whew. I see Toyota and Ticketmaster as the finalists. How do you call that one? Ticketmaster in a buzzer beater. So, my final four: Bank of America, Ticketmaster, Comcast and Best Buy (calling the upset). Bank of America beats Comcast in the championship game. The banking conference is just too strong this year. You can vote on some of the matchups here. How do you see it?

Take Better Interior Photos by Kneeling [Photography Tip] Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:00:00 AM

Whether you want to take more interesting interior photos for

the sake of photography or you

want to use those photos to sell your house, these tips can help you improve the quality of your indoor snap shots. More »

Mexican drug gangs 'spread in US' (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

lower heroin prices and more overdose deaths in the US. Network growth Submitted at 3/26/2010 1:38:37 AM The report found that Mexican Mexican drug gangs have heroin was poised to take a expanded their activities in the "more significant share" of the US with heroin production market in US cities where South doubling in 2008, the US justice A m e r i c a n h e r o i n h a s department says in a report. traditionally dominated. Despite US funding for the war For Asian heroin, the US on drugs, trade in marijuana, continued to be a secondary ecstasy and methamphetamine market, it said. also grew, the National Drug The assessment says that Threat Assessment said. Mexican drug suppliers have The report found that Mexican increased their co-operation groups were active in every with American street and prison region of the US. gangs to expand their Gangs were moving an d i s t r i b u t i o n n e t w o r k s . estimated $40bn (£27bn) in cash Speaking in Mexico City earlier back into Mexico across the this week, US Secretary of State border each year, it added. Hillary Clinton called for more Mexico has long been the main efforts to tackle the social issues c o n d u i t f o r i l l i c i t d r u g s such as poverty that fuel the smuggled into the US but this drugs trade. report suggests that the efforts to Mexico, which has some halt the flow on both sides of the 50,000 troops engaged against border have had only a limited the cartels, has suggested that impact, the BBC's Richard American money and equipment Lister reports from Washington. has not arrived quickly enough. In 2007 the US pledged $1.4bn Print Sponsor (£0.9bn) over three years to Five Filters featured article: fight the drugs cartels but the Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: f o l l o w i n g y e a r h e r o i n PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, production in Mexico rose from Term Extraction. 17 to 38 metric tonnes. This, the report says, led to

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Photoshop CS5 Preview: Content-Aware Fill Is Magically Automatic Dan Nosowitz (Fast Company) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:52:35 AM

Bryan O'Neil Hughes, one of the product managers of Adobe's Photoshop, let loose with a video that's tearing up the internet today, making nerds nationwide thrilled about the possibilities of even easier photo editing. [youtube NH0aEp1oDOI] The key item demonstrated here is called "Content-Aware Fill." Essentially, in CS4, the current version of Photoshop, some

image cleanup tasks had a tendency to get tricky. Shadows, lens flares, and miscellaneous detritus often posed a real challenge to image polishing, and though Photoshop is relatively (and I use that word extremely loosely) easy to use, those problems often proved to require an expert touch. Content-Aware Fill looks to change all that. I have no idea how it works, but it seems to analyze photos not just for shades of light and dark but for actual objects. So if you need to remove an object from a photo,

usually--there are programs to stretch them out, or (as is the more common choice) you can just leave it looking kind of weird. But Content-Aware Fill can actually supply appropriate imagery where before there was none, filling the space around the irregular panorama with mountains, clouds, or what have you. It's unbelievable. It's a hell of a preview for it'll understand that there's, say, c o m e s l a t e i n t h e v i d e o . Photoshop CS5, which comes grass behind it, and fill in with Panoramic shots, after being out April 12th. the appropriate shad and texture stitched together, very often take of grass. on odd, semicircular or irregular The absolute craziest example shapes. It's not that big a deal,

US credit card hacker sentenced (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 3/26/2010 3:03:24 AM

Computer expert Albert Gonzalez has been jailed for 20 years in the US for his part in stealing more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers. The judge who sentenced him described the case as "the largest and most costly example of computer hacking in US history". Gonzalez, from Miami, pleaded guilty at his trial in September

2009. He was accused, along with two Russian co-conspirators, of hacking into retailer payment systems. They targeted more than 250 US companies including payment processor Heartland Payment Systems, food and drink store 7-Eleven and American supermarket Hannaford Brothers Co. Gonzalez was found to have used SQL injection attacks to exploit weaknesses in payment software programmes and

access data, stealing millions of customer card details. He blamed "curiosity and addiction" for his crimes. As part of a plea bargain, he had handed over to the court expensive jewellery, watches, his car and home. He also gave $1m in cash that he had buried in his parents' garden. "Hackers continue to put up a persistent and very real threat to enterprise systems," said Amichai Shulman, chief technology officer of cyber

security firm Imperva. "The current data security spend is focused on enterprise networks, yet the Gonzalez attacks took distinct advantage of weaknesses in the database and applications. This is an industry-wide problem." Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Android Phone Samsung Galaxy S Has 3x Faster GPU Than Snapdragon [Android] Kat Hannaford (Gizmodo) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:24:27 AM

AndroidAndMe has rewatched the Samsung Galaxy S keynote from earlier in the week (barrel of laughs 'round their way!) and realized that the 1GHz chip they mentionedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which can "process a staggering 90 million triangles per second" actually works out to three times faster than the Snapdragon processor. More Âť

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US passes health law amendments (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:36:25 PM

A package of amendments to the landmark US healthcare reform law, which extends coverage to 32 million more Americans, has passed its final Congress vote. The US House of Representatives backed amendments by 220 votes to 207. The vote was needed after a number of Republican objections. The Senate earlier voted for the package by 56-43. Two points, which Democrats say are minor, were deleted. President Barack Obama has already signed the main bill into law. He will now be able to apply a final signature, which is expected within days. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Obama thanks Iowa for health reform The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington says that in recent days Democrats have begun to seize back control of the healthcare argument, and opinion polls suggest that more Americans now believe this reform is a good idea. However, he says, Republicans

are threatening to reform or repeal this legislation should they gain control in the midterm elections in November. On Thursday, President Obama responded to that challenge, saying: "I welcome that fight." He was speaking during a visit to Iowa, as he embarked on a campaign to sell the new programme to the American public. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said: "Republicans... will continue to fight until this bill is repealed and replaced with commonsense ideas that solve our problems without

dismantling the healthcare system we have and without burying the American dream under a mountain of debt." 'Serious threats' Mr Obama signed the healthcare bill into law without delay after the previous House vote on Sunday, as he did not need to wait for the Senate and House votes on Thursday. Those votes were on amendments submitted under a process known as budget reconciliation. The amendments have to relate to budgetary rather than policy issues. On Wednesday, Senate

Republicans submitted 30 amendments - which were all rejected by Democrats during a marathon overnight voting session. However, Senate parliamentarian Alan Frumin upheld two Republican challenges on points of order under budget reconciliation rules, Senate Democratic aides said. Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said: "After hours of trying to find a way to block this, they (Republicans) found two relatively minor provisions

that are violations of Senate procedure which means we're going to have to send it back to the House." The House vote brought an end to a process the president had labelled "a year of debate and a century of trying". After Sunday's vote, some supporters of the bill had received threats and abusive messages, prompting them to call police and the FBI. Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said more than 10 Democratic politicians had reported incidents some of which he described as "very serious". Republicans accused Democrats of playing politics with the threats. "By ratcheting up the rhetoric, some will only inflame these situations to dangerous levels. Enough is enough. It has to stop," said House Republican Whip Eric Cantor. Two Republican politicians have said they too were threatened. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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newspaper editorial said there was "no cover-up" over the case, which was reported in Thursday's edition of the New York Times. L'Osservatore Romano labelled the allegations "clearly an ignoble attempt to strike at Pope Benedict and his closest aides at any cost". Meanwhile, one of the Pope's top aides, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, told reporters there was "a conspiracy" against the Church, without specifying who was responsible. The Pope was also supported in the UK by the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, who said the then Cardinal Ratzinger had not been an "idle observer" in the case. Writing in the Times, the Archbishop also said the Pope had introduced changes into Church law to protect children. The BBC's Robert Pigott in Milwaukee says the US case is particularly shocking, not only because the priest abused boys but because he was allowed to go on to another diocese where he had access to children all over again. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to

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play. Our correspondent says that although there is no direct evidence against the then Cardinal Ratzinger, this is an uncomfortable confluence of events for the Vatican. This is a case of concealment, he says, and that is where the Pope will have a case to answer. Ireland letter Fr Murphy - who admitted abusing boys before he died in 1998 - is said to have targeted victims in their dormitory beds, on school trips and even at confession. Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of five men alleging the Archdiocese of Milwaukee did not take sufficient action against the priest. Last week the Pope issued an unprecedented letter to Ireland addressing the 16 years of clerical cover-up scandals. He has yet to comment on his handling of a child sex abuse case involving a German priest, which developed while Benedict was overseeing the Munich archdiocese. Fr Peter Hullermann had been accused of abusing boys when the now Pope approved his 1980 transfer to Munich to receive

psychological treatment for paedophilia. The disgraced priest was convicted in 1986 of abusing a youth, but stayed within the Church for another two decades. Sir Ken Macdonald, former Director of Public Prosecutions in England and Wales, said the Vatican ought to report all abuse cases to the police. "If teachers in a school commit abuse against children, we don't say it's for the school to resolve that issue," Sir Ken told Radio 4's Today programme. Have you been directly affected by the issues in this story? If you'd like to share your experiences, please contact us using the form below. The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

husband and I." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

First screenshots of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 reminds us of our youth Nicholas Deleon (CrunchGear) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:00:49 AM

Oh, look! The first screenshots of Sonic The Hedgehog 4! I do believe Sonic now hold the record for longest wait between the third and fourth game in a series, beating Street Fighter IV. Chill Your Wine my gut feeling, but that Fast with a Wet Dish That’s has proven wildly inaccurate in Towel [Clever Uses] the past. Incidentally, I’m currently en Adam Pash (Lifehacker) route to PAX East, and Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:30:00 AM supposedly Sega will be there. My first order of business will If you've got a bottle of wine be to tell them that Napoleon: that needs chilling and fast, Total War was fantastic. My Lifehacker AU editor Angus second order of business will be Kidman suggests wrapping the to badger them for Sonic The bottle in a wet dish towel and Hedgehog 4 info. popping it in the freezer. More » As you can see, it looks like old school Sonic, none of this Adventure business.

Q&A with Gowalla Co-founder/CEO Josh Williams – Pt 2 Jay Donovan (CrunchGear) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:37:14 AM

Part two of my SXSWi 2010

conversation with Josh Williams, CEO and co-founder of Gowalla. The intent of this second round of questions was

to delve a bit deeper into the

c o m p a n y ’ s m o n e t i z a t i o n location space soon enough. strategy as well as their strategy for competing with Facebook as they will undoubtedly enter the

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In post-Google China, censorship is unfazed (CNET News.com) Submitted at 3/26/2010 4:14:01 AM

Chinese Internet users have one less Web search option this week, but otherwise it's business as usual as the People's Republic of China uses technology and intimidation to keep citizens away from objectionable content. Following several months of strategizing and negotiations, Google finally stopped censoring its search results in China and is redirecting visitors to Google.cn to a server based in Hong Kong. There they see unfiltered results and are able to visit sites about Falun Gong, Tiananman Square, and Tibetan independence. Andrew Lih: 'You would be surprised how little people want to or need to access stuff that is blocked or restricted by the Great Firewall.'(Credit: Andrew Lih) As noble as the move might be on Google's part, it changes very little for the approximately 4 million Internet users in China who have lived with restrictions on their online and offline activities for decades. The departure of Google search from the country is "an obvious reminder of how heavy censorship is in China," Hal Roberts, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, said in an interview this week.

Meanwhile, a mysterious mixup that sent Domain Name Server (DNS) traffic destined for Google's YouTube, Facebook and Twitter among other sites to servers behind the so-called Chinese Firewall of censorship on Wednesday has some speculating it was retaliation against Google. How far will the People's Republic of China go in its geopolitical squabbles over freedom of the Internet? Google's move out of China was a highly public stance against that country's censorship policies and was related to attacks it said originated from within China late last year and which targeted Google and human rights activists who use Gmail. "Google arguably provided a more neutral, more open platform" for about one-third of the Web surfers in China than the local market leader Baidu does, Roberts said on Wednesday before the DNS problems became public. The search is considered higherquality, so "Google certainly has an effect on them." But how much of an effect did Google really have? In an interview with PBS' NewsHour this week, China Internet and media expert Isaac Mao said that 90 percent of the people in China don't care whether Google stays or not. "Most people in China won't

and Taiwan independence, stuff most users won't run into in the course of a normal day," he said. "Probably 98 percent of what they're searching for is not going to be blocked." This is exemplified by the fact that portals, which dominated the U.S. Internet in the 1990s, are still extremely popular in China. Portals Sina.com and Sohu.com serve as the home page for many Chinese Internet users, providing packaged content that is sure to be favorable to the government. Chinese Web surfers "don't have the same use characteristics you have in the really be affected by (Google's) reading political diatribes. "At U.S. where people hop onto decision that much, because the end of the day, the social Google and search willy-nilly," they already live within the uses of the Internet are bigger Lih said. Chinese language infosphere," drivers than political and People in China also aren't as J a m e s F a l l o w s , n a t i o n a l controversial news content," he outraged about government attempts to restrict freedom of c o r r e s p o n d e n t f o r " T h e said. Atlantic" magazine, said in the "You would be surprised how expression as Americans claim PBS interview. "But it's an little people want to or need to to be, experts say. As much as important symbolic moment." access stuff that is blocked or 85 percent of the population Contrary to the perception in r e s t r i c t e d b y t h e G r e a t think the government should the U.S. that Chinese citizens Firewall," the name for the control the Internet, according to are clamoring for subversive network filtering conducted a 2007 survey (PDF) conducted information, Internet users there behind the scenes by the PRC, by the Chinese Academy of tend to be more interested in said Andrew Lih, a visiting Social Sciences that did not g e n e r a l i n f o r m a t i o n a n d professor at the University of specifically address censorship. entertainment - much like Web S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a ' s While the average user in China surfers in the U.S., according to A n n e n b e r g S c h o o l o f may not mind censorship or Roberts. Communication and Journalism have relied on Google search, Citing what he called the "cute and author of " The Wikipedia p r o f e s s i o n a l w o r k e r s , academics, and other c a t t h e o r y , " R o b e r t s s a i d Revolution." Internet users in China are more "It does happen, but it's not like "sophisticated" users in China interested in videos of cats people are there wanting to did, according to Lih. It may not flushing toilets than they are in research human rights violations POST-GOOGLE page 31

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be a huge number of people, but it's an important group, he said. Chinese officials are wise in allowing and promoting alternatives to foreign sites they block, such as YouKu, the Chinese version of YouTube, Roberts said. However, there does not appear to be a true substitute for Twitter, a favorite site for political dissidents in Iran and elsewhere. Unlike other Internet censoring countries like Saudi Arabia and South Korea that display messages about why a site is blocked when citizens try to access them, China's efforts are not transparent by design. By providing no guidelines and keeping citizens guessing about policies and enforcement, the PRC has less to do as citizens and sites heavily self-censor, erring on the safe side. "If you know all the rules you'll put your toe right up against the line," Lih said. "If the rules are fuzzy you are at a disadvantage. You're not sure how far you can go." The Great Firewall of China So, what is the Chinese government doing to censor the Internet? There are a handful of Internet access "choke points" in China, where all the traffic enters and exits to the outside world. "All countries connect virtually all of their IP addresses through at most dozens of ISPs, but China's network is the most centralized

of any large country, with only four ISPs connecting more than 90 percent of its IP addresses to the rest of the Internet," Roberts said. Hal Roberts: 'China's network is the most centralized of any large country, with only four ISPs connecting more than 90 percent of its IP addresses to the rest of the Internet.'(Credit: Kristine Roberts) The Great Firewall is the system of gateways, routers, and servers that China uses to keep objectionable content from reaching users inside the country. Authorities mirror the stream of traffic flowing into the domestic Internet and determine what portions of a Web page the government wants to block, Lih said. If the traffic is blocked at the domain name system level, users may get a "site not found" message; if the IP address is blocked the message may say "site unreachable;" and if the URL is blocked or a page contains sensitive content a "connection reset error" message may be displayed, according to Lih. China's Great Firewall system is so sophisticated and massive, it can tailor blocking for each individual Web surfer because it monitors a person's surfing activity to sites outside of China's domestic Internet, right down to what's contained inside the web page," Lih explains on

his Web site (PDF). "In the case of someone doing a Google search, each search engine results page (SERP) being sent back to a PRC user is being analyzed for sensitive keywords, and the user's Internet traffic to Google can be blocked within seconds. This is happening every day, constantly, regardless of whether the search engine is Google, Bing, or something else," Lih writes. Web surfers in China are accustomed to the variability in performance and may be uncertain why any particular site is not accessible, he said, adding that most users will just give up and move on to another site when they can't easily get through. Meanwhile, Internet content providers like portals need licenses to operate and must hire people to make sure the content does not run afoul of the government's prohibitions. The sites are in charge of censoring themselves, but there are more direct forms of coercion, as well. For instance, authorities will send text messages to administrators within the content provider sites telling them what topics are banned, according to Lih. Chinese officials reportedly were working on new guidelines that would require owners of any Web site to provide identification and a photograph

in an attempt to better keep track of all sites in the country. PRC officials are as subtle in their offline warnings to people who appear to be trying to skirt the rules as they are in their online messages. "You'll rarely get busted outright," Lih said. They'll let you know slowly that they don't approve of your behavior, such as by making it obvious they are following you. They will give you lots of little warnings before they bust down your door." As if monitoring the Internet traffic and restricting what content providers display weren't enough, the Chinese authorities recently attempted to require filtering software on users' computers. However, officials pulled back from the so -called Green Dam software initiative last year following complaints by researchers that it has serious security holes and would put computers at risk of being compromised. "Censorship out in the cloud of the Chinese Internet was one thing, but putting a piece of software on computers that could potentially watch every keystroke...that was huge, even for people who approve of the government censoring and (ostensibly) looking out for the good of society," Lih said. Internet cafes are supposed to require identification and keep track of who accesses the Internet, but most don't do that,

he said. Then there are lots of open Wi-Fi hot spots that offer some degree of anonymity, he added. For those who crave unfettered access to the global Internet, there are ways to get past China's Great Firewall. People can route their Internet traffic through proxy servers that are located outside China, but this slows things down a bit. For example, Gladder is a proxy Firefox add-on. There's also the Tor network of private tunnels that offers total anonymity. Many foreign companies with offices in China use virtual private network (VPN) services that create private, encrypted channels for transmitting the traffic past the Chinese monitoring system to servers outside the country. VPNs are faster but come at a financial cost that might be too steep for many citizens. "Most of the time I lived in Beijing (from 2006 to 2009), I was blocked and had to leap over the firewall with a proxy," Lih said. Moving its search operations out of China is just the latest example of how Google sets itself apart from rivals Yahoo and Microsoft with regard to protecting the privacy rights of users. Google began offering Gmail users the option of encrypting POST-GOOGLE page 37

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4 Tips for Reducing Social Media Stress Soren Gordhamer (Mashable!) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:50:56 AM

Soren Gordhamer is the organizer of the Wisdom 2.0 Conference, April 30th-May 2nd in Silicon Valley, which brings together staff from Google, Facebook, and Twitter, along with Tony Hsieh from Zappos and many others, to explore living wisely in our modern age. Mashable readers can use code Mashable for a discount when registering. We used to only be digitally connected via computer for part of the day, but today’s handheld devices enable a “constantly connected” lifestyle. This presents huge benefits, and its share of challenges. An important question to ask yourself is: Are you going to be constantly overwhelmed by “Stress 2.0,” or can you successfully translate this lifestyle into “Wisdom 2.0?” We are all well aware of the benefits of the social media age, but the challenge is finding a balance, and living a healthy and rich life both online and off. If we are not careful, our increasingly connected life can take a negative toll on our mind and body. Below are four steps to go from a stressful social media life to a wise one, as well as the apps to help you do it. 1. Take Time to Disconnect

I do not know anyone who, after a number of hours looking at a screen, does not experience some level of “brain freeze.” For some it is two hours, for others four, but there comes a time when we just cannot process any more information. The best thing to do is step back from the computer and take a break. Go outside, get something to eat, spend some time with a friend. When you return to your computer you will do so with a much more open and creative mind. App to Live By: If you know how long you can go at the screen before you need a break, you can schedule them from your desktop with a number of apps, including Dejal Time Out. 2. Breathe If there’s one thing that just about every health-conscious person can agree on, it’s that deep, full breaths are a good thing. Think of a time when you were nervous or frustrated — how was your breath? And think of time when you were totally at ease — how was your breathing then? Most likely in the former, it was shallow and tight, and in the latter it was full and expansive. In fact, even as you read these words, you can bring attention to your breath. Notice the breath coming in and out of your body. This attention to your breathing can help lower cortisol levels,

— until you get another hit, and the cycle continues. There is a place for enjoying unhealthy food, but when it becomes a habit, you won’t be able to live and work at your optimum level. Eating healthy food, and taking the time to do so slowly, increases your ability increase oxygen levels, and to fully engage with whatever lower your stress level. you’re doing, be it a phone The challenge, of course, is conversation, a meeting, or remembering to do so. writing a tweet. Apps to Live By: One way to Apps to Live By: We tend to help bring awareness to your eat healthier when we make our breath is to set a bell to ring food instead of getting take out. every so often as a reminder. Whole Foods lists numerous When you hear the bell, pause, healthy recipes. They also have take a few moments to focus on an iPhone app. The next time your breathing, and then return you feel like you could use to work. A few apps that can some nourishment, try making a h e l p w i t h t h i s i n c l u d e healthy meal for yourself ProdMe(Mac), and Mindful instead of ordering that slice of Clock(PC). 3. Eat Food that pizza. 4. Awaken the Body: Adds Energy Move How many times have you If there has been one major scarfed down an unhealthy change in people’s lives in lunch while you stared at your recent years, it may well be this: computer screen, and soon after We are more stationary than any noticed that you not only had a previous generation. Many of us stomach ache, but that your sit at desks for hours and hours energy had been zapped? each day. The New York Times Unhealthy food may bring short references a number of studies -term pleasure, but it generally that revealed that just working decreases your energy level and out once a day is not as helpful ability to focus. There are a s i n t e g r a t i n g m o v e m e n t healthy foods however, that t h r o u g h o u t y o u r d a y . taste good, and at the same time This means that when there is a increases your energy level and chance, get up and move. Work ability to concentrate. Of course, standing up for part of the day, strong caffeine or a good dose walk instead of drive to lunch, of sugar may give you a quick ride a bike to work if possible, hit, but soon your energy drops and walk over and talk to a

colleague instead of shooting off an e-mail to him or her. Apps to Live By: There are a number of yoga and stretching apps you can download. The challenge is to integrate them in your day. Try making a commitment of five minutes in the morning, at lunch, and before going to bed to do some stretching. Yoga Journal has more information in this category, and an iPhone app with stretches. Conclusion: Learn to Surf It is extremely unlikely that the pace of information we consume is going to slow down. In fact, it is likely to increase, as our friends not only post what they are doing, but also where they are at any given time. The challenge is finding a balance within the information stream. There is an old saying: “You cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” We are not likely to stop the waves of information coming at us today (nor would we want to), but we can find a balance; we can live consciously and connected, with an active social media life and a healthy body and mind. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook More social media resources from Mashable: - 4 Steps for Managing Social TIPS page 33

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Chinese Gov't Gives Press Orders On How To Report On Google's China Decision Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:22:00 AM

It's no secret that the Chinese gov't issues "directives" on how the press ought to report on certain stories if they want to stay out of trouble, so it's interesting (found via the NY Times Bits Blog) that the orders that were sent around on how to report on the news of Google leaving China have leaked. The basic order notes that China switched its services to Hong Kong, says that reporters should use text from (state run) Xinhua, and says "don't play it up," in reference to the story. The more complete document is as follows: All chief editors and managers: Google has officially announced its withdrawal from the China market. This is a highimpact incident. It has triggered netizens' discussions which are not limited to a commercial level. Therefore please pay strict attention to the following content requirements during this period: A. News Section 1. Only use Central Government main media (website) content; do not use

content from other sources 2. Reposting must not change title 3. News recommendations should refer to Central government main media websites 4. Do not produce relevant topic pages; do not set discussion sessions; do not conduct related investigative reporting; 5. Online programs with experts and scholars on this matter must apply for permission ahead of time. This type of self-initiated program production is strictly forbidden. 6. Carefully manage the commentary posts under news items. B. Forums, blogs and other interactive media sections: 1. It is not permitted to hold discussions or investigations on the Google topic 2. Interactive sections do not recommend this topic, do not place this topic and related comments at the top 3. All websites please clean up

text, images and sound and videos which attack the Party, State, government agencies, Internet policies with the excuse of this event. 4. All websites please clean up text, images and sound and videos which support Google, dedicate flowers to Google, ask Google to stay, cheer for Google and others have a different tune from government policy 5. On topics related to Google, carefully manage the information in exchanges, comments and other interactive sessions 6. Chief managers in different regions please assign specific manpower to monitor Googlerelated information; if there is information about mass incidents, please report it in a timely manner. We ask the Monitoring and Control Group to immediately follow up monitoring and control actions along the above directions; once any problems are discovered, please communicate with respected

sessions in a timely manner. Addition guidelines: - Do not participate in and r e p o r t G o o g l e â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s information/press releases - Do not report about Google exerting pressure on our country via people or events - Related reports need to put [ o u r story/perspective/information] in the center, do not provide materials for Google to attack relavent policies of our country - Use talking points about Google withdrawing from China published by relevant departments Separately, that site points to an amusing transcript of a reporter calling the Chinese gov't to get official comments on the news of Google leaving China. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

TIPS continued from page 32

Media Attention - 5 Levels of Effective Communication in the Social Media Age - Zen and the Art of Twitter: 4 Tips for Productive Tweeting - The Tao of Tweeting - 5 Tips for Building Lasting Online Friendships - 4 Steps for Effective Online Networking Image courtesy of iStockphoto, jhorrocks Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: apps, fitness, health, iphone apps, List, Lists, social media, stress, twitter

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Symantec finds China top source of malware (CNET News.com)

picture as the sender can use any Web-based e-mail account. By checking the actual sender's IP More malware is now coming address found in the e-mail's out of China than from any h e a d e r , S y m a n t e c f o u n d other country, according to a individuals in China responsible new report from Symantec. for 28.2 percent of malware, The United States still leads the Romania for 21.1 percent, and world in the number of malware the U.S. for 13.8 percent. attacks sent from mail servers. Overall, the analysis discovered Symantec's report(PDF) found that most of the attacks coming U.S. mail servers responsible for from mail services in North distributing 36.6 percent of all American actually stem from global malware in March, other regions, including Asia, followed by China at 17.8 Europe, and Africa. percent and Romania at 16.5 "When considering the true percent. location of the sender rather Symantec captured these results than the location of the email by analyzing the IP addresses of server, fewer attacks are actually sending mail servers. The sent from North America than it company uncovered a large would at first seem," Paul amount of malware from the Wood, a senior analyst at United States in large part S y m a n t e c ' s M e s s a g e L a b s because many Web-based e- Intelligence, said Thursday in a mail services, such as Gmail and statement. "A large proportion Yahoo Mail, are hosted in the of targeted attacks are sent from U.S. legitimate webmail accounts But analyzing the source of which are located in the US and malware based on the mail therefore, the IP address of the servers doesn't tell the full sending mail server is not a Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:16:41 AM

useful indicator of the true origin of the attack." China, of course, has been in the news lately due to its ongoing battles with Google over search and censorship. China has also been tagged as the source of the cyberattacks launched against Google and other companies. In its latest analysis, Symantec also discovered more malware targeted to people with specific job roles. The five leading titles hit by malware now include director, senior official, vice president, manager, and executive director. The people receiving a higher number of attacks are typically in charge of foreign trade and defense policy, especially related to Asian countries, said the report. E-mail file attachments hiding malware continue to be a popular method of attack. The most common types of files found in such e-mails were .xls (Microsoft Excel) and .doc (Microsoft Word) documents.

Along with .zip and .pdf files, these four accounted for 50 percent of the files attached to malicious messages this month. But people should also be wary of receiving encrypted .rar files (a method of compressing files) through e-mail. Though these types of files make up only a small percent of malicious email attachments, Symantec found them to be hosts for malware 96.8 percent of the time. Overall, Symantec found that spam grew by 1.5 percentage points from February to March and now accounts for 90.7 percent of all e-mail. Viruses were discovered in 1 out of every 358 messages in March, a minor decrease from February, while phishing attacks were uncovered in 1 out of every 513 e-mails. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

iConcertCal App Now Available For Gig-Going Android Users [Android Apps] Kat Hannaford (Gizmodo) Submitted at 3/26/2010 11:00:17 AM

Not every Android user will

have a use for iConcertCal (those who insist on carrying an iPod around, for example), but if you store music on your phone

recommendations would prove very handy. More » the personalized concert

This Smooth, Polished Rock Is Actually A Coby MP3 Player [Mp3 Players] Kat Hannaford (Gizmodo) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:42:24 AM

Has Coby dared go down the same route as Apple, by releasing an MP3 player sans controls? It's not clear how the Micro player works, but judging by the lack of buttons it'd appear the controls are in the headphones. More »

Scandal: Some Educated, Highly Skilled Government Employees Earn Decent Living [Class War] Pareene (Gawker) Submitted at 3/26/2010 11:15:00 AM

Politico bombshell: 43 Congressional staffers make $173k year. More »

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ACTA Raising Serious Constitutional Questions Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 3/26/2010 3:57:56 AM

One of the talking points from ACTA supporters was always that it wasn't a "treaty" but an "executive agreement," claiming that this meant something different. However, as we discussed back in February, this is misleading. Executive agreements are generally a way to sneak treaties through without Congressional approval. That post linked to a great legal analysis by Andrew Moshirnia for the Citizen Media Law Project -- but some ACTA supporters in our comments claimed that since Moshirnia was "just a second year law student," his arguments were meaningless (of course, this commenter also ignored all of the legal citations Moshirnia raised (funny, that...)). But it appears that some law professors are also pretty

concerned about trying to sneak ACTA through by calling it an executive agreement. Harvard law professors Jack Goldsmith and Larry Lessig have penned an opinion piece for the Washington Post where they lay out an explanation for why calling ACTA an executive agreement may not be Constitutional: The administration has suggested that a sole executive agreement in this instance would not trample Congress's prerogatives because the pact would not affect U.S. domestic law. Binding the United States to international obligations of this sort without congressional approval would raise serious constitutional questions even if domestic law were not affected. In any event, an anticounterfeiting agreement made on the president's own authority could affect domestic law in at least three ways:

First, the noncriminal portions of this agreement that contemplate judicial enforcement can override inconsistent state law and possibly federal law. Second, the agreement could invalidate state law that conflicts with its general policies under a doctrine known as obstacle preemption, even if the terms are not otherwise judicially enforceable. Third, a judicial canon requires courts to interpret ambiguous federal laws to avoid violations of international obligations. This means courts will construe the many ambiguities in federal laws on intellectual property, telecom policy and related areas to conform to the agreement. If the president proceeds unilaterally here, ACTA will be challenged in court. But the best route to constitutional fidelity is for Congress or the Senate to protect its constitutional prerogatives. When the George

W. Bush administration suggested it might reach a deal with Russia on nuclear arms reduction by sole executive agreement, then-Sen. Joe Biden wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell insisting that the Constitution required Senate consent and implicitly threatening inter-branch retaliation if it was not given. The Bush administration complied. Congress should follow Biden's lead. If the president succeeds in expanding his power of sole executive agreement here, he will have established a precedent to bypass Congress on other international matters related to trade, intellectual property and communications policy. At what point does President Obama begin to regret his blind support of ACTA? Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

Location-Based Social Networking Looks Kind of Like a CDC H1N1 Map [Cellphones] matt buchanan (Gizmodo) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:40:00 AM

It's pretty clear by now that the next big thing is going to be location. Here's a map of what all those checkins looked like in Austin during Geek Spring Break (SXSW), a taste of what's coming. [ YouTube via Scoblizer] More »

More evidence of the HP Envy 14, Envy 17 and dm4 surface Matt Burns (CrunchGear)

on the same sort of support documents that supposedly leaked the notebooks late last HP has a spring refresh coming year. So here we go again, down real soon and we might finally the rabbit hole of rumors. get a look at the Envy 14 and An HP support document Envy 17 that’s been rumored for generated in February 2010 lists so long. The Envy models, both the Envy models. Then along with the dm4 from the t h e r e ’ s a n o t h e r s u p p o r t other day’s rumor, were found document concerning the optical Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:30:46 AM

drive technology Lightscribe with both the Envy 17 and dm4 mentioned, which

collaborates the rumor from the other day that that stated the dm4 is an upcoming ultra-

portable with an optical drive. But as we learned last time these types of documents were found, just because an HP document lists a model, doesn’t mean its release is near no matter how much we want it. [via NotebookReview Forums]

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E-reader News Edition

Confirmed: IP firms owns smartphone patent

I Hear The Weather's Nice In East Texas, Too, But I Doubt That's Why Patent Litigants Move There...

(CNET News.com)

Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:17:12 AM

Submitted at 3/26/2010 12:53:38 AM

motion control patent nearly identical to No. 7,679,604 that was granted in 2004 after a 2001 P a t e n t N o . 7 , 6 7 9 , 6 0 4 - - " Intellectual Ventures. And now application and would seem to Method and apparatus for I n t e l l e c t u a l V e n t u r e s h a s predate many of the motioncontrolling a computer system"- confirmed to me that this is sensing smartphones currently -the broad motion-control patent indeed the case. It operates on the market. I've been writing about this Memscom LLC, which operates What does Intellectual Ventures week, has passed through a Durham Logistics LLC, and intend to do with these patents? number of hands over the years. through them owns patent No. Seek licensing deals for them, of First assigned to ArrayComm in 7,679,604. course. Said an Intellectual According to intellectual Ventures representative: "We 2006, it was subsequently h a n d e d o v e r t o D u r h a m p r o p e r t y c o n s u l t i n g f i r m don't currently have specific Logistics, a limited liability Avancept, Intellectual Ventures plans to announce regarding any c o m p a n y w h i c h i s i t s e l f is linked to some 1,110 shell asset(s) in particular, but we are managed by another obscure c o m p a n i e s a n d a f f i l i a t e d actively talking with customers L a s V e g a s L L C c a l l e d entities. Evidently, Memscom about licensing our invention Memscom. But there's one more and Durham Logistics are two portfolio on fair and reasonable company at the end of that of them. terms." oblique line of ownership: And patent No. 7,679,604 is A search for Durham Logistics I n t e l l e c t u a l V e n t u r e s , a n j u s t o n e o f m a n y t h a t on the USPTO site.(Credit: "invention capital firm" or Intellectual Ventures owns USPTO) patent troll, depending on your through that pair of LLCs. The Story Copyright (c) 2010 v i e w s o n i n n o v a t i o n a n d U.S. Patent and Trademark AllThingsD. All rights reserved. Office lists 29 patents and patent Five Filters featured article: intellectual property. O v e r t h e p a s t f e w d a y s , applications assigned to Durham Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: m u l t i p l e s o u r c e s w i t h Logistics, all of them first PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, knowledge of the patent have developed by ArrayComm. Term Extraction. t o l d m e i t ' s o w n e d b y Among them, No. 6,834,249, a

The Best Byline Ever? [Oops] Ravi Somaiya (Gawker) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:35:50 AM

As Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger points out: the

Times of London sent their name is Roger Boyes. Roger, in B e r l i n c o r r e s p o n d e n t t o England, is a euphemism. For investigate allegations of abuse fuck. More Âť involving the Vienna Boys' Choir. That correspondent's

We're all familiar with the many reasons why patent holders try to file their lawsuits in East Texas-- a notoriously "patent holder friendly" court, such that the it remains (far and away) the most popular court for patent lawsuits. However, in recent years, there has been some effort underway to get cases that obviously don't belong in East Texas to be moved elsewhere, with some success. However, to deal with this, we've seen a variety of tactics from patent holders, including suing lots of companies in a variety of places so that "any place" is better than somewhere else and picking a random tiny local East Texas company to sue along with all the big companies, just so you can claim "hey, the lawsuit belongs in East Texas." Apparently, another tactic is to move your "operation" from wherever it was to East Texas just before filing the lawsuit -so you can claim that you're actually based there. That happened in a recent lawsuit, and the company being sued tried to have the venue moved, claiming that the "move" to East Texas was "a sham" designed

solely to set the venue. However, as Joe Mullin notes, East Texas' most famous judge for patent cases, Judge Ward, is having none of it, suggesting there are plenty of other reasons a company might "move" to East Texas right before suing o v e r p a t e n t infringement:"[Defendant] argues that [plaintiff] moved its location from Ann Arbor to Longview as a sham concocted simply in anticipation of this litigation. . . . [A] business opens its doors in a particular location for a number of considerations, including the cost of rent, market profitability, cost of doing business, and tax benefits. The Court declines to scrutinize litigants' business decisions in order to determine whether opening an office in a particular location has a legitimate business purpose or is merely a 'tactic . . . to manipulate venue.' If you want to make some quick money, now might be a good time to set up a business that helps "small companies" quickly "set up offices in East Texas," because I get the feeling it's about to become a booming business.... for the tax benefits, of course. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

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Air Force tests flight with greener fuel (CNET News.com)

blend.(Credit: Senior Master Sgt. Joy Josephson/U.S. Air Force) The test flight marked one of the key initiatives on the part of Air Force to start to go greener and reduce its reliance on foreign oil. The Air Force uses up 2.4 billion gallons of jet fuel each year, making it the largest

consumer of traditional fuel in the Department of Defense. The new goal is to ensure that all Air Force planes are qualified to use alternative fuels by 2012. "The Air Force is committed to reducing our reliance on foreign oil," Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and

The fuel that powered the Thunderbolt was made from the camelina plant, said the Air Force, a weed that doesn't need much to grow and isn't used as any kind of food source. The fuel's refining process and its emissions are considered cleaner than that of traditional jet fuel. The Air Force said it's eyeing a second demo this summer using an F-15 Eagle, followed by two more tests later this year with a C-17 Globemaster III, which typically consumes a lot of fuel, and an F-22 Raptor test, which logistics, said in a statement. is a more complicated aircraft to "Our goal is to reduce demand, handle. increase supply, and change the Five Filters featured article: culture and mindset of our fuel Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: consumption." PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Though the Air Force still has Term Extraction. to examine the full mission data, the flight was considered "uneventful and predictable" by its pilot.

While Microsoft representatives won't confirm that they keep servers in China, they acknowledge that they do comply with local laws. Yahoo has proven that it does too, to dire consequences. At the PRC's request, Yahoo provided information on several dissident users who were then arrested and sentenced to 10 years in jail. Yahoo settled a lawsuit in 2007 filed by the arrested men's families. That was one week

after former Yahoo Chairman and co-founder Jerry Yang and Yahoo's general counsel were called "moral pygmies" during a congressional hearing on the matter. Since then, Yahoo has been relatively quiet on the Chinese front, letting Alibaba Group, in which it has a 40 percent stake, use the Yahoo brand for a portal site there. For its part, China isn't taking the Google action lying down

and is trying to control how the stories around the event are reported. PRC officials have issued strict guidelines for how media there should cover Google going forward, including banning anything that is supportive of Google, requiring that they get their facts only from PRC sources and using only government approved experts. And the PRC may retaliate by expand its censorship of Google.

Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:48:12 AM

An Air Force Thunderbolt jet took to the skies Thursday powered with help of a synthetic substitute made with animal fats and plant oil. The A-10C Thunderbolt II lifted off for its demo flight from the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida with its tanks filled with a blend of synthetic Hydrotreated Renewable Jet fuel, or HRJ, and JP-8, a traditional jet propellant, according to the Air Force Web site. The flight marked the first demo to determine the feasibility of using synthetic fuel in Air Force jets. An A-10C Thunderbolt II flies along Florida's coast on Thursday during the first test flight of an aircraft powered by a biomass-derived fuel

POST-GOOGLE continued from page 31

the traffic between the browser and Google's servers with "https"--the secure version of Hyper Text Transfer Protocol-in mid-2008 and then turned that on by default for all Gmail users earlier this year. And the company keeps customer data from things like Blogger, Gmail, and other services safe from prying PRC eyes by locating the servers outside China's borders, Lih said.

It's possible that Chinese authorities will block Google.hk completely, Lih said. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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Pogue-praised Line2 is offline for the Cameron: Don’t Watch moment “Avatar” on Your iPhone. Or Laptop. Michael Rose (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:30:00 AM

Filed under: App Store The price of fame: earlier this week, David Pogue lavished Toktumi's VoIP app Line2 with a hearty helping of NYT love, saying that the $1 app (which requires a $15 monthly subscription) "has the potential to shake up an entire industry." We first mentioned the service back in February, and while Steve wasn't quite as enthusiastic as David P., he did acknowledge that it's a great tool for small businesses or heavy phone users. As of last night, however, the Line2 service is temporarily offline and the app has been voluntarily pulled from the App Store; as Technologizer reports, the company's servers are being targeted by a DNS attack, and the service quality was degraded

to the point where Toktumi execs felt that it was better to avoid a bad initial experience for new users while they resolved the problem. Toktumi is updating users via its Twitter feed as to the anticipated

resolution. Seeing an app summarily pulled from the App Store, or rejected on specious grounds, has certainly happened before in the VoIP, audio and telephony space (in fact, just this morning the developers of Snowtape let us know that they're struggling to get their app through approval), so it was understandable that reader Arnoldo was anxious when he sent in an email this morning about the outage. In this case, however, it's not Apple pulling the strings. TUAW Pogue-praised Line2 is offline for the moment originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

How Apple Is Dogfighting To Control Your News [Media Wars] Ryan Tate (Gawker)

that could turn the quietest dogfight in media into the most vicious. More »

Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:30:01 AM

Apple's iPad could make it the king of old media, arbiter of taste and technology alike. So

magazines and newspapers have begun a series of countermoves

Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 3/26/2010 5:11:22 AM

We agree: Avatar is an amazing cinematic experience, best seen in the cinema or a huge TV (preferrably 3D, if you can afford it). Today, however, people are used to consuming multimedia on a variety of screen sizes, and watching a full -length movie on a cell phone, laptop or a tablet isn’t unusual. James Cameron will have none of that. Talking about the upcoming Blu-ray release of Avatar, he said that watching the movie on an iPhone is “dumb.” “I don’t feel that I’m making movies for iPhones. If someone wants to watch it on an iPhone, I’m not going to stop them, especially if they’re paying for it, but I don’t recommend it. I think it’s dumb, when you have characters that are so small in the frame that they’re not visible,” Cameron said. Cameron feels (almost) the same about laptops. “I don’t know. I’ve never watched

Avatar on a laptop. I guess it probably works, but I don’t recommend it,” he said. While we agree that small screens aren’t the best way to enjoy a movie, there are certain situations (on the subway, on a vacation) where it’s perfectly acceptable (and enjoyable) to watch movies on a device like an iPhone, laptop, or (gasp!) an iPad. What do you think? Would you ever watch a movie such as Avatar on a smartphone, tablet or a laptop or will the screen size of these devices ruin the experience so much it’s not worth it at all? Reviews: Blu Tags: avatar, iphone, Mobile 2.0, Movies, video

Tech/ TV/

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Wikipedia’s Redesign Is Coming Soon

Jersey 'Housewives' Are Coming Back May 3

Christina Warren (Mashable!)

Allison Waldman (TV Squad)

Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:24:38 AM

Wikipedia is edging closer to a redesign. Nako Komura, head of the user experience team for the Wikimedia Foundation, detailed some of these changes on the foundation’s blog and in the Wikimedia Technical Blog. The new default design will start to roll out the week of April 5 on the Wikimedia Commons, the media repository used by Wikipedia. The new default theme, known as Vector, is designed to be more usable and to make editing less disarming. Navigation has been streamlined as well. You can check out the images below

to get a sneak peek at what has changed or see it for yourself by visiting the Wikipedia Usability Initiative page. Old Wikipedia Design New Wikipedia Design The new design is the culmination of usability work that started in January of 2009 and is just the first step in what is still a continuing process. Wikimedia says that a second

release will be pushed out later in the year. All Wikipedia languages will get the new look, with other Wikimedia projects to follow. The new interface, while still not exactly modern in terms of design, at least finally looks like it was developed in this century. From a usability standpoint, it’s too soon to really tell the improvements are, as the final tweaks aren’t in place, but it does appear to be a good start. What do you think of the new look for Wikipedia? Let us know! Reviews: Wikipedia Tags: redesign, websites, wikimedia, wikipedia

Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:47:00 AM

In anticipation of the new season of'The Real Housewives of New Jersey,' the restaurateurs in the Franklin Lakes vicinity have decided to anchor all dining tables to the floor like McDonald's and Burger King. That way, Teresa can't be doing any table-flipping unless she's wearing a cape with a giant 'S' in red and has an aversion to Kryptonite. No seriously -- and tableflipping is hardly that -- those Jersey women are coming back. Bravo's 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' returns Monday, May 3 at 10 PM ET. And unlike

some editions of the 'Real Housewives,' all the principals are part of the action. Continue reading Jersey 'Housewives' Are Coming Back May 3 Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, OpEd, Celebrities Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas Sebastian Blanco (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

the standard line-up-three-of-akind video games, and dominoes. The dominoes thing was in the original, but the video Submitted at 3/26/2010 11:00:00 AM Filed under: iPhone, iPod game vibes are all new. touch, App Review We don't Is this a good thing? Well, it mind it when iPhone versions of kind of is. We like the variety board games differ from their that the app brings to basic realspace counterparts, but the Topas, but we don't understand Topas app($2.99) takes the basic w h y i t w a s a p p a r e n t l y ideas behind Reiner Knizia's impossible to carry over original 2009 game Topas and twists gameplay from the physical card them into a mash-up of Tetris, game. Even the game mode that

comes closest to the card game version - weakest link, which is

very similar to the card game's solo play - changes one minor rule. As to why, we have no idea. Still, Topas offers a decent amount of challenge and fun in an attractive package - maybe slightly overpriced in the App Store's admittedly low-cost ecosystem - for people who like their puzzle games to sparkle. Keep reading to find out more about how Topas works and doesn't work as an iPhone game.

Gallery: Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas TUAW Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Tech/ Politics/ Entertainment/

iMovie, other nonApple QuickTime components updated

E-reader News Edition

PJM's Stephen Green: 'Tarring and Feathering Needs to Come Back' (Little Green Footballs)

unconstitutional, usurperous, injurious, unsustainable and ruinous new health care law has Michael Grothaus (The After my last encounter with a mere ten legislatures afraid for Unofficial Apple Weblog Stephen Green, in which he put their safety, then this country (TUAW)) his reputation on the line to might already be too far gone to Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:45:00 AM d e f e n d w h i t e s u p r e m a c i s t save itself.” Filed under: Software Update blogger Robert Stacy McCain, Then, in a comments section Hot on the heals of yesterday's it’s not surprising to see Green exchange with a reader, Green, Aperture 3.0.2 update, Apple being called out by TPM for w h o calls himself has released iMovie 8.0.6. The advocating bringing back tarring “Vodkapundit,” took it further. update improves reliability and feathering. And possibly “ T h i s c o u n t r y h a s a f i n e when working with videos from more. tradition of tarring & feathering, Aperture and requires Mac OS In the post, titled “Put the Fear and one I’ve come to the X 10.5.6 or later and iLife '09. of Something Into Them,” reluctant conclusion needs to The update weighs in at 35.84 QuickTime plugin that allows Pajamas’ Denver Editor Stephen come back,” he wrote in you to play virtually any kind of MB and is available via the Green riffed on the recent response to a reader named media through QuickTime download link above or Player. This update adds Indeo 5 t h r e a t s a n d a t t a c k s o n G e e k e s q u e . “ I f t h e U S Software Update. Democrats and concluded: Government considers that In other movie software update decoding and fixes several bugs. “ I f t h i s a b o m i n a b l e , terrorism, consider the source.” Both Perian and Flip4Mac news, Flip4Mac WMV has require 10.4 or higher. updated its free player to version 2.3.2. Flip4Mac is a QuickTime TUAW iMovie, other nonplugin that lets you watch WMV Apple QuickTime components files in QuickTime Player. The updated originally appeared on new update fixes problems The Unofficial Apple Weblog playing back files and streams (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 (ETonline - Breaking News) co-star Liam Hemsworth right with MP3 content and corrects 09:45:00 EST. Please see our there with her. After living in Submitted at 3/26/2010 4:55:00 AM problems launching QuickTime terms for use of feeds. the public eye for so many years Permalink| Email this| Player under Snow Leopard. The pages spring to life in 'The and the paparazzi chronicling C o m m e n t s Finally, Perian has been Last Song' as the Nicholas her every step, Liam and Miley updated to 1.2.1. Perian is a Sparks novel is adapted into a found it difficult to think of f e a t u r e f i l m . T h e a u t h o r trivial facts that fans have yet to admitted that it was "Miley discover of the young talent. m a n i a " o n t h e r e d c a r p e t Liam said, "She eats a lot of Thursday night in LA. sushi, but I think everyone Miley Cyrus was unabashed to knows that." Miley coyly added, speak to ET with boyfriend and "I'm a shopaholic, but everyone Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:56:34 AM

Asked by another reader how far Green’s “condoning of violence against us ‘Nazi’ liberals” goes, Green responded: “That depends entirely on how much violence is done to our liberties by your idiotic policies. Right now, tar & feathers still seem extreme. Tomorrow? It’s in your hands.” It’s really a shame to see Pajamas Media publishing this kind of extremist nonsense — not to mention the climate change denial, creationism, and every other far right crazy talking point you’ll find at the 2010 version of PJM. It’s become World Net Daily Lite.

'Sparks' Fly Between Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth knows that too." Growing up before our very eyes, her close father commented on witnessing Miley's rise to super stardom: "Watching her grow along that journey, it's been a highlight for me as a dad and as a p r o f e s s i o n a l singer/songwriter/actor myself."

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Oh, the Humanities! Rochelle Gurstein (The New Republic - All Feed) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:00:00 PM

Why draw from the model? A number of years ago, my husband and I and some friends—all, except for me, artists who also teach at art schools here in New York—spent hours discussing this question, though without arriving at anything particularly convincing. A few of them recalled drawing from the model as undergraduates, but none had done so in graduate programs—these were the heady, experimental days of the early '70s, when all the action took place in the seminar room; in my husband's program, studios had been dispensed with altogether. When we turned our attention to the art world today, drawing and models seemed just as antiquated. Instal-lation, photography, and video, more popular than ever, are mechanically derived. And though we could easily think of paintings with figures in them, all of them had been lifted from mass-media images; they had as little relation to drawing from the pose of a living person in the artist's studio as photography. Yet, at art schools today, freshmen are required to draw from the model, sometimes six hours at a stretch, their labors then judged by teachers who have no use for, indeed, who

disdain, the practice in their own work. We spent quite a while trying to account for this odd disjuncture. The best anyone could come up with is that studio drawing focuses the eye and hand; it is an intense discipline in seeing and then translating what one sees into material form. This, it seemed to me, was another way of saying that it was good for its own sake, even if it had no relation to making art these days. The conversation drifted to other subjects, but the next morning what had eluded us the night before now appeared so ridiculously obvious that I could not believe we had missed it: The reason the Academy required students to master the painstaking practice of drawing from the model was because, until very recently, the action of figures—gods, heroes, and mere mortals—was the prime subject, the central drama, the moving force, of all the greatest paintings. As a historian, I have often felt caught up short by my ignorance of the past, but this lapse felt especially disgraceful. How was it, I asked my husband, that even people who live and breathe art are now so distant, so alienated, from its history that they no longer know what had once been the commonest knowledge of all artists and art lovers? This conversation came back to me the other day as I

was reading Anthony Grafton's review of Louis Menand's The Marketplace of Ideas in TNR. Alarming reports about the condition of the humanities reached epic proportions during the so-called Culture Wars, and now after a relatively quiet few years, it appears that a new wave is upon us. And with good cause: Today, Grafton informs us, only one-third of all undergraduates major in the arts and sciences, and less than onethird of them in the humanities. Menand apparently lays the blame on the institutional history of the university. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, scholars in the liberal arts began devising undergraduate and graduate programs aimed at pursuing the general good rather than personal advancement in society. Over time, professors, ever jealous of their specializations and professional standing, raised academic standards and requirements, with the result that it now typically takes close to a decade to complete a doctorate degree in the humanities. Grafton praises the book as a structural account of how the university works, but he objects to Menand's prescription for the ills of the system: easing the requirements for earning a Ph.D. This is precisely what we must not do, insists Grafton, before moving into a passionate

defense of the rigors of graduate study as a kind of necessary-long and arduous--ordeal to test the mettle of the aspiring scholar. Given that so few demanding practices have survived into our time, I took pleasure in reading Grafton's almost operatic encomium to the "Faustian magic of high scholarship," "a calling" which requires "sweat," "dust," "romance," and "struggle." A fine riposte, I thought, to our culture's enthusiasm for all things quick and facile. But I was puzzled that, unlike earlier defenders of liberal-arts education, Grafton did not offer any justification of what such an education is good for, except producing future professors. Thus I found myself posing the philistine question, what are the humanities good for, which I used to answer without hesitation: They are good for the cultivation of the intellect for its own sake. It was at this point that the conversation about drawing from the model returned to me. Just as my artist friends could not think of any reason to draw from the model except for technical discipline, Grafton's rousing defense of the strenuousness of graduate education began sounding to me like a defense of strenuousness for its own sake. Which gave me pause. Over the past few years, I have come to suspect that when any practice is praised for its

own sake, the speaker is unwittingly confessing to his or her unfamiliarity with its previous uses, thereby making a virtue of his or her literal remoteness, distance, alienation, from it--not that Grafton, an eminent Renais-sance historian and one of our few remaining humanists, is remote from or ignorant of his subject. Still, that his eye was fixed on exposing the wrong-headedness of Menand's proposed reform rather than offering a rationale for a life devoted to the arts and letters is telling, for if they do not have a practical purpose, they are likely to be relegated to the confines of the Academy, which leaves them susceptible to all the intellectual deformations that used to be called "dry-as-dust pedantry" and today go under the name "academic." And so ideas, poems, plays, paintings, and sculptures from the distant past still linger on in class-rooms and libraries and museums, but, as anyone who spends time in those institutions knows, the vast majority of them exist more as ghostly traces than as vital, living presences. This was not always the case. I remember first recognizing this when I happened upon a quotation from Montaigne in a book that I had discovered by chance but OH, page 44

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Regulators, Mount Up Noam Scheiber (The New Republic - All Feed)

Republicans had withdrawn hundreds of proposed amendments and allowed Dodd Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:00:00 PM to move the bill on an antiGoing into this week, the climactic, party-line vote. “The Obama Treasury department had whole team was at the bar by an extensively choreographed 6:30,” says one administration plan for closing the deal on official. financial reform. On Monday, Geithner and his troops were Secretary Tim Geithner would hardly the only ones pleasantly deliver a sharply-worded speech surprised at the way the ground at the American Enterprise had shifted. Pretty much no one Institute, making the case for who follows the regulatory w h y c o n s e r v a t i v e s s h o u l d reform issue can quite believe support real reform. (Geithner the sudden change. In the span had been itching to give the of a few days, reform has speech for weeks but had been evolved from one of those waiting for an opening.) The debates newspaper editorialists same day, Treasury would have among themselves to dispatch a team of financial W a s h i n g t o n ’ s N E X T B I G wonks to help Chris Dodd PUSH. Clearly much of this shepherd a bill through his d e r i v e s f r o m t h e p a r t i e s ’ Senate Banking Committee. changing fortunes, as Democrats Then, on Wednesday, Deputy bask in the glory of their health Secretary Neal Wolin would care victory and Republicans deliver another fiery speech, this suddenly lack self-esteem. one at the U.S. Chamber of Indeed, try to recall the last time Commerce. On and on it would a GOP senator lacerated his go, Treasury reckoned, until this party for blowing a chance at painstaking mix of inside game bipartisanship, as Tennessee and outside pressure gradually Senator Bob Corker did on reg nudged the bill over the finish reform this week, and you begin line. to understand how far we’ve That was the plan, in any case. come. But on the way back from The key shift is arguably the G e i t h n e r ’ s A E I s p e e c h , a one that’s taken place at the member of the secretary’s White House. Prior to late last entourage got an email from week, it wasn’t entirely clear Treasury’s Hill contingent. “It’s whether the White House done,” the email said. “They just actually wanted a bill this year, voted on it. We’re going to the or whether it simply wanted to W for drinks.” To the shock of bloody Republicans over their e v e r y o n e i n t h e c a r , t h e opposition to reform. But, as

health care began to look like a fait accompli, the White House seemed to subtly change its posture. One administration official says it wasn’t so much that the White House was ambivalent, as that it was massively preoccupied with health care--and that it wasn’t sure until recently that a solid bill was achievable. “We didn’t want to do the thing … where you cut a deal here and there with every special interest available,” says the official. Whatever the case, the shift was as palpable as it was significant: Another official was impressed that the president delivered a radio address about reforming Wall Street last Saturday, the day before the most historic health care vote in 45 years. The Dodd bill would, among other things, set up a process for dismantling failed megabanks so they don’t end up on the government dole; give the Fed new powers to regulate institutions that could bring down the entire financial system; set up a new consumer financial protection agency within the Fed; make the trading of derivatives (the financial instrument that blew up AIG) safer and more transparent; and change the way the New York Fed president, the system’s chief Wall Street overseer, is appointed. (The bank’s board, which features several Wall Street executives, currently

enjoys the power to hire and fire its president; Dodd wants the New York Fed president to be a White House appointee.) The bill differs in certain respects from the version the House passed in December—one difference is the New York Fed provision, which the House bill lacks. But, on Wednesday, Obama told Dodd and his House counterpart, Barney Frank, that he could more or less live with either version, according to an official knowledgeable about the meeting. (Though he stressed that he’d like to combine the toughest elements of both, as with an exemption from derivatives regulation for nonfinancial companies, which is stricter in Dodd’s bill.) Mostly, he just encouraged them to press ahead, emphasizing the win-win dynamic at work. If Republicans dig in, the president argued, that’s a fight he’d welcome. (Administration officials have seen polling suggesting the public will assume Republicans are carrying Wall Street’s water, regardless of their arguments.) And if Republicans want to join in the effort to rein in Wall Street—well, no one at the White House would turn down a big, bipartisan victory. On Wednesday afternoon, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler appeared at the Chamber of Commerce

conference not long after Wolin. Gensler has made a name for himself this last year as one of the most aggressive advocates of regulation in Washington. He delivered a typically forceful speech on derivatives, calling on the Chamber to fight for the interests of all 3 million of its members, not just the big financial institutions that seem to dominate the organization at times. On his way out, Gensler ran into the Chamber’s alwaysdapper president, Tom Donohue, and couldn’t resist c r a c k i n g a joke—complimenting him for scheduling the conference for the week health care reform passed. Donohue just smiled dyspeptically. Of all the groups who’ve been caught off guard by the latest twist in the reg-reform saga, none has been more so than the banks and their Washington representatives. The big banks have been resigned to some sort of comprehensive reform for months now, but planned to make a stand on particular issues, like the consumer protection agency (which JP Morgan Chase has led the charge against), and the socalled Volcker Rule restricting government-backed banks from making speculative bets. (Goldman has taken the lead on this front. The smaller banks REGULATORS, page 47

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Why Not Hamas? Efraim Halevy (The New Republic - All Feed) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:00:00 PM

The current crisis in the Obama -Netanyahu relationship should propel both leaders to reassess their basic policies toward Palestine. They must redefine their targets, to think realistically but also creatively. Ending the conflict between Israel and Palestine is not an attainable goal. What is attainable is a clear and dramatic decrease in tension in the conflict—a goal that would, indeed, serve the necessities of American foreign policy on Iran, Afghanistan, and Yemen. Now is the moment to go back to the drawing board and to examine every option in search of a practical policy. For all their recent disagreements, Israel and the United States share a common view of the Palestinians. They have jointly affirmed their resolve to coax the Fatahcontrolled Palestinian Authority (PA) to the negotiating table, while ignoring Hamas. This is a policy that has now lasted close to four years—with, by and large, the support of the international community. Hamas, it is commonly agreed, will only make an acceptable partner for negotiation if it undergoes an ideological transformation, a transformation that is very unlikely to ever

occur. But now might be the right time to reconsider this policy, especially in light of the recent behavior of the PA. To take one recent example: When the Israeli cabinet recently designated two sites in Hebron and Bethlehem to be preserved as national heritage landmarks, the PA joined Hamas in issuing inflammatory statements exhorting the populace to demonstrate against the Jewish appropriation of Muslim holy sites. Stone throwing and violence quickly ensued. Abu Mazen, the self-styled moderate president of the PA, provocatively warned of an impending religious war. Only a stern warning sent by Israeli security authorities brought the “moderate” Palestinian leadership to its senses. And even then, it was only the Israelis who were capable of becalming Jerusalem and the West Bank, with sustained and daily operations in Palestiniancontrolled areas. In a time of crisis, the shortcomings of the ruling Palestinians were exposed. It can be difficult these days to distinguish the PA from its Hamas rivals in the West Bank. The festive inauguration of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City brought nearly identical statements from the two groups. Just like the Hamas leader

Khaled Meshal, key members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and aides to Abu Mazen argued that the reconstruction of this synagogue posed a serious threat to the Al Aqsa mosque. It all raises the question: If the Palestinians in the West Bank won’t make for good partners, then what? Gaza hardly seems a more promising place to answer this question, at least at first blush. Every time a rocket is launched from the Strip, Israel holds Hamas responsible for the acts and justifiably retaliates. But Israel has also imposed an ironclad siege on Gaza—and, in so doing, it fails to acknowledge that Hamas also has a legal responsibility for the well-being of the ever-increasing population there. What can change this state of affairs? The rump Palestinian Authority in Ramallah will never be able to restore its authority there. There’s no sign that the population of Gaza intends to rebel against the Hamas regime. And nobody on the outside—not Israel, not the international community—has a coherent policy that will redress this situation. Thus, the people of Gaza are condemned to endure the present state of affairs indefinitely. Under the current circumstances—with the destructive gamesmanship of the Palestinian Authority and the

stagnation in Gaza—the time has surely come to explore a new relationship with Hamas. Attempts to penalize the group with exclusion have failed; perhaps, the time has come for a strategy that co-opts Hamas. For starters, let’s consider the prospect of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that excludes Hamas. This would be a fool’s errand. Hamas has a proven ability to play the role of spoiler, to exploit such a situation for its own political ends at the expense of peace. But we don’t even need to progress that far in our thought experiment. Right now, the decaying Palestinian administration in Ramallah doesn’t have the credibility to survive the rigors of negotiations, let alone the implementation of an agreement. Abu Mazen can only speak in the name of the West Bank, and recent events have shown that his mandate there is (at best) fragile. Israel’s current Palestinian strategy is not a winning one. That’s because it has confined itself to playing a game with rules that place it at an inherent disadvantage. It must scramble these rules to have a chance. Bringing Hamas to the table would do just that. Hamas has demonstrated a will and a capacity to think and act pragmatically when it believes it

useful or necessary. There’s no better example of this than its governance of Gaza. Yes, it continues to play the role of peace-process spoiler when that role suits its interests. But Hamas has also demonstrated a serious capacity to exercise responsibility and restraint when that role suits its purposes. It has demonstrated its ability to control Gaza effectively, to both enforce a long-term cessation of hostilities and to withstand the combined efforts of the United States, Israel, and Egypt to bring it to its knees. Before President Obama and Premier Netanyahu proceed to negotiate with their dispirited Palestinian interlocutors, why not reconsider the options? Bringing Hamas to the table could relieve pressure on the Palestinians—who would no longer need to worry about the Islamists attacking their credibility. It might create space for a less ideological approach to peacemaking, and it might allow for the negotiation of a more achievable agreement with Israel. Why not hammer out a temporary arrangement between the three sides that would, say, extend for 25 years with a clause for renewal? Such an agreement would make for a practical second-best outcome-a durable interim understanding. Current policy, after all, sends WHY page 48

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OH, continued from page 41

changed my intellectual life, Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture, 15001900, by Francis Haskell and Nicholas Penny. This is what I read: I was familiar with the affairs of Rome long before I was with those of my own house. I knew the Capitol and its position before I knew the Louvre, and the Tiber before the Seine. I have meditated more on the conditions and fortunes of Lucullus, Metellus, and Scipio than I have about many of our own men. After reading this book and others to which it led, a lost world opened up to me. All those classical sculptures in museums and gardens and country houses that I had previously walked right by, all those Greek and Latin allusions in poetry that my eyes used to skip over, they now came alive and fell into a new place in my imagination. What surprised me most was how cultivated people from the Renaissance through the end of the eighteenth century regarded the ancient Romans and Greeks as their contemporaries. No modern sense of the gaping, unbridgeable divide between past and present for them. Rather, they thought of the ancients as exemplars of the highest excellence to be imitated in particular practices and as guides to proper conduct in life, whether it be artists drawing

from plaster casts of ancient sculptures, actors imitating the gestures and attitudes of those same ancient sculptures, poets emulating the odes of Horace or Juvenal, historians mod-eling their work on Herodotus or Livy, or "men of affairs" following the historical examples of statesmen provided by Plutarch. I was very interested to learn that as late as the close of the nineteenth century, Leslie Stephen could still write with sympathy that Edward Gibbon studied the ancients not only "to appreciate the style, but for the 'admirable lessons' of conduct 'applicable to almost every situation of public and private life.'" (Another sign of the destructive force of present preoccupations over the past: Before I became aware of this history, I knew Leslie Stephen as the father of Virginia Woolf and not as one of the towering Victorian men of letters.) When I read Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, its admirable lessons of conduct no longer spoke to me, but I found that I could still appreciate his perfectly balanced, stately sentences, his staggering erudition, and his gift for grand story-telling. Yet, I could not figure out where this 2,500-page monument to hu-manism, once a favorite of the educated public at large, could be taught in universities today, ex-cept

perhaps in a highly specialized graduate seminar in eighteenthcentury British intellectual history. Which again raises the question of why anyone would study the humanities today. Then it occurred to me that this was not quite the right question, that we need to move away from asking ing how to make the humanities "relevant" to the inhumane world we find ourselves inhabiting, and instead try to imagine what kind of world, outside the Academy, would be hospitable to peo-ple who wish to make reflective inquiry a vital part of their lives. For some reason, Seamus Heaney's eulogy to his friend Czeslaw Milosz entered my thoughts, which I chanced upon the other day when I was organizing some files containing articles that had touched me in one way or another. ( This one, which I had saved from TNR in 2004, touched and continues to touch me as deeply as anything I've ever read.) Heaney wrote admiringly of the great poet's im -mense learning—"schoolboy Latin, Thomist theology, Russian philosophy, world poetry, twentieth-century history, the dramatis personae of the age (many of whom were his close compan-ions)"--and "how present all this was to him, and how inadequate the old cliche 'a well-stocked mind' turns out to be in his case."

Heaney also spoke admiringly of Milosz's "fierce conviction about the holy force of his art, how poetry was called upon to combat death and nothingness." So it is as touching as it is fitting that when the news of Milosz's long-expected death finally came, Heaney, a poet with a mind and spirit as well-stocked and voluminous as Milosz's, felt "an expanding of grief into the everlasting reach of poetry." He then tells of how "the poet in his hillside garden above the San Francisco Bay merged with the figure of Oedipus toiling up the wooded slope at Colonus, only to disappear in the blink of an eye." The rest of his exalted vision I can only quote at length: When I looked he was here in all his human bulk and devotion, when I looked again he was not to be seen—and yet he was not entirely absent. There and then I could have repeated the words of Sophocles's Messenger as he reports the incident which for all its mysteriousness has the ring of a common truth. At which point Heaney recites his own adaptation of Oedipus at Colonus: He was gone from sight: That much I could see ... No god had galloped His thunder chariot, no hurricane Had swept the hill. Call me mad, if you like, Or gullible, but that man surely

went In step with a guide he trusted down to where Light has gone out but the door stands open. In Heaney's evocation of the death of Oedipus as the death of Milosz, we are made to feel at once the unbearable loss of the man Heaney admired and the saving grace of poetry to "combat death and nothingness" and to feel this as if it were our own personal loss and redemption. In the sublime magnitude and existential depth of Heaney's poetic conjurings—here, I thought with gratitude, was an answer to the question, what are the humanities good for. This is not to say that they are only good for poets and for the readers with whom their wondrous words resonate, as this puts them in the company and safekeeping of very few people. But, until we live in a different world—one quite difficult to imagine at the present time—this seems all we can hold onto. Rochelle Gurstein, a monthly columnist for The New Republic, is the author of The Repeal of Reticence: America's Cultural and Legal Struggles over Free Speech, Obscenity, Sexual Liberation, and Modern Art. She is currently writing a book on the history of aesthetic OH, page 45

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Pope, Repent! E.J. Dionne Jr. (The New Republic - All Feed)

repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church." Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:00:00 PM In Germany, the pope's home WASHINGTON -- How in the country, more than 300 victims name of God can the Roman have come forward in recent C a t h o l i c C h u r c h p u t t h e weeks, and Chancellor Angela pedophilia scandal behind it? M e r k e l , w h o s e p a r t y h a s I do not invoke God's name Catholic roots, called the lightly. The church's problem is, scandal "a major challenge for above all, theological and our society." In the case of religious. Its core difficulty is the Rev. Lawrence Murphy, the that rather than drawing on its Wisconsin priest who molested Christian resources, the church deaf boys, the Vatican did what has acted almost entirely on the every institution does in a basis of this world's imperatives scandal: It issued a statement and standards. putting the best face on its It has worried about lawsuits. It decisions. has worried about its image. It "In light of the facts that Father has worried about itself as an Murphy was elderly and in very institution and about protecting poor health, and that he was its leaders from public scandal. living in seclusion and no In so doing, it has made millions allegations of abuse had been of Catholics righteously furious reported in over 20 years," the and aggravated every one of its Rev. Federico Lombardi, the problems. Vatican spokesman, said, "the So instead of going away, the Congregation for the Doctrine scandal keeps coming back, of the Faith suggested that the lately in a form that seems to Archbishop of Milwaukee give challenge Pope Benedict XVI consideration to addressing the himself. It was sickening to read situation by, for example, Thursday's New York Times restricting Father Murphy's story reporting that Vatican public ministry and requiring officials "did not defrock a that Father Murphy accept full priest who molested as many as responsibility for the gravity of 200 deaf boys, even though his acts." Murphy, he noted, several American bishops "died approximately four

months later without further incident." The statement is representative of what's wrong with the church's response. It is bureaucratic and selfexculpatory, even asking us to feel for this priest because he was "elderly" and "in very poor health." The spokesman called the case "tragic," but tragic does not do justice to the outrage here. Yes, the statement included an acknowledgement of the "particularly vulnerable victims who suffered terribly from what (Murphy) did," and that he had violated his "sacred trust." Is this the best Father Lombardi could do? During his visit to the United States in 2008, Pope Benedict started moving toward a better approach. He seemed genuinely pained and angered by the scandal. He repeatedly apologized and said he was "deeply ashamed" of the abusive priests who had "betrayed" their ministry. But while this was a step in the right direction, apologizing for the misbehavior of individual priests will never be enough. The church has been reluctant to speak plainly about the heart of

OH, continued from page 44

experience tentatively entitled Of Time and Beauty. For more TNR, become a fan

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its problem: in handling these cases, it put institutional selfprotection first. The church needs to show it understands the flaws of its own internal culture by examining its own conscience, its own practices, its own reflexives when faced with challenge. As the church rightly teaches, acknowledging the true nature of our sin is the one and only path to redemption and forgiveness. Of course this will not be easy. Enemies of the church will use this scandal to discredit the institution no matter what the Vatican does. Many in the hierarchy thought they were doing the right thing, however wrong their decisions were. And the church is not alone in facing problems of this sort. But defensiveness and institutional self-protection are not Gospel values. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." The church needs to cast aside the lawyers, the PR specialists and its own worst instincts, which are human instincts. Benedict could go down as one of the greatest popes in history if he were willing to risk all in

the name of institutional selfexamination, painful but liberating public honesty, and true contrition. And then comes something even harder: Especially during Lent, the church teaches that forgiveness requires us to have "a firm purpose of amendment." The church will have to show not only that it has learned from this scandal, but also that it's truly willing to transform itself. E.J. Dionne's e-mail address is ejdionne(at)washpost.com. E.J. Dionne, Jr. is the author of the recently published Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right. He is a Washington Post columnist, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a professor at Georgetown University. (c) 2009, Washington Post Writers Group For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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N.J.'s Gov. Christie Targets Spending 'Addiction' (Newsmax - Politics) Submitted at 3/26/2010 1:13:01 AM

TRENTON, N.J. - There's not a lot that's small about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The Republican is a big man with a big personality and a big problem - namely, closing a nearly $11 billion deficit in a state whose residents labor under the biggest property-tax burden in the country. The former U.S. attorney got elected in November on a promise to make government smaller. And the straightforward - some would say in-your-face way he is going about it is getting noticed. Dubbed "Gov. Wrecking Ball" by one columnist, Mr. Christie has wasted no time trying to break lawmakers' "addiction to spending" and tearing down the political establishment that has pushed New Jersey's property taxes to an average of $7,300 per household. Some say he has governed by fiat; he has signed 20 executive orders since taking office in January - eight on his first day alone. Among other things, the orders freeze regulations and subject unions to the same

campaign restrictions as corporations. He has vetoed spending by various boards and barred state agencies from hiring lobbyists to influence state lawmakers. He has also taken on the widespread abuses that have contributed to soaring pension costs. On Monday, he signed his first bills into law, making major pension changes that result in less generous benefits for all government workers. Most contentious have been his attacks on teachers and publicsector unions, which are getting a 7 percent pay raise over two years but contribute little or nothing toward health care at a time when one in 10 New Jerseyans are out of work. This week, the governor called on all public school employees to agree to salary freezes for the coming year and to contribute to their health insurance. Mr. Christie's budget proposal calls for laying off 1,300 public employees and looks to save $50 million by privatizing some state services. "The leaders of the union who represent these teachers have used their political muscle to set up two classes of citizens in

New Jersey: those who enjoy rich public benefits and those who pay for them," he said in his budget address last week. This take-no-prisoners approach is getting national attention at a time when the Republican Party faces questions about its future. "Is it wrong to love another man? Because I love Chris Christie," conservative talkshow host Rush Limbaugh said. Jeff Henig, a professor of political science at Columbia University, suggested Mr. Christie may be taking advantage of the hard economic times to do what he wanted to do anyway -- reduce the size of government. "All governors have to make cuts these days. Some portray this as a painful necessity, and others seem to do it with a certain element of enthusiasm, pleased to use the economic crunch as an opportunity to take steps they wanted to do all along," Mr. Henig said. Mr. Christie makes no apologies for his straight-ahead approach. "Here's the thing: People voted me to come here to act and to be decisive and to move this state

in a different direction, and I'm doing it," he said. So far, Mr. Christie has a good approval rating at 52 percent, but there have been snags and missed targets. Two of his executive orders including the campaign restrictions on unions - have been challenged. He might be back in court over the $1.3 billion in school funding that he is proposing to cut this year and next. He could not fulfill a campaign promise to restore property tax rebates that were suspended. He vowed to lay off 20,000 public employees immediately, but so far that number is just 1,300. He said he didn't need legislative approval to make $2.2 billion in cuts to the current budget, then soon realized he did need lawmakers' endorsement. The approachable Mr. Christie is as friendly as he is forceful, and has something his predecessor, Democrat Jon Corzine, a staggeringly rich man who made his fortune on Wall Street, never had: regular-guy appeal. Unlike Mr. Corzine, who was stiff and awkward and seen as an outsider, Mr. Christie is all

Jersey - born and raised. He struggles with his weight, he is a die-hard Mets fan, and he loves Bruce Springsteen. He tries to make it back home for dinner most nights. Democratic state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, who ran for lieutenant governor on Mr. Corzine's unsuccessful ticket, called Mr. Christie's criticism of public workers immature. "To set up this 'we-and-they' is like a playground fight," she said. But Bob Balerna of Willingboro, who owns a car dealership and some rental housing, said small-business owners are getting crushed by the economy, and Mr. Christie is doing something about it. "Someone has to take a stand, and I'm behind him 100 percent," Mr. Balerna said. "Greatest thing I've ever done is to vote for him." ÂŠ Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Minutemen Cancel Hunting Party [Wars] Pareene (Gawker) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:42:57 AM

We were excited for the return of the Minutemen, the vigilantes who sat on lawn chairs and

watch the border. But something seems to have gone wrong: The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps

disbanded, right after they got everyone riled up. More Âť

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Senate Republican Holds up Jobless Benefits (Newsmax - Politics)

Democrats repeatedly sought speedy Senate approval of a House-passed measure that As Congress raced to leave would extend jobless benefits Washington for its Easter recess, through May 5, but Coburn a Republican senator blocked a objected. Republicans said stopgap bill to extend jobless Senate negotiations produced a benefits, saying its $9 billion compromise that didn't pass cost should not be added to the muster in the House. national debt. Jim Manley, a spokesman for As a result, some people who Majority Leader Harry Reid, Dhave been out of work for more Nev., said the Senate would than six months will at least attempt to retroactively bestow temporarily lose benefits. Newly the jobless benefits when it jobless people won't be eligible returns from its spring recess to sign up for generous health April 12. insurance subsidies. The practical effect of the lapse At the center of the battle is in benefits would be limited if Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., they are awarded retroactively. who's insisting that the measure But labor advocates say it be "paid for" so as not to add to produces bureacratic nightmares the nation's $12.7 trillion debt. for state labor departments and "What we are doing is stealing that trying to restore the lapsed future opportunity from our benefits is easier said than done. c h i l d r e n , " C o b u r n s a i d Reid had the option of keeping Thursday. the Senate in session to force a Republicans offered legislation vote to try to break through the to finance the monthlong GOP blocking tactics but extension of jobless benefits by instead will revisit the issue in 2 rescinding unspent money from 1/2 weeks. last year's economic stimulus The clash comes less than a bill. The effort was killed on a m o n t h a f t e r R e p u b l i c a n s party-line vote. abandoned a similar battle that Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:59:26 PM

led to an interruption in unemployment benefits eligibility for some people and a two-day furlough for about 2,000 Transportation Department employees. A stopgap law enacted early this month extends though April 5 unemployment insurance for people who have been out of a job for more than six months, provides health insurance subsidies for the jobless and protects doctors from a sharp cut in Medicare payments. But another short-term extension of the jobless benefits is needed while House and Senate Democrats work through negotiations on a long-term measure that would provide them through the end of the year. Those talks have slowed, prompting Democrats to move to extend benefits for an additional month. Last month, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., blocked a similar extension of jobless benefits, but Republicans ended up on the losing end of a public relations battle and Bunning backed away.

Subtle Subtitles: 'The Amazing Race' Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:00:00 AM

If you haven't seen our game before, we give you a picture from a recent episode of a TV

series and you provide the caption! Last week's winner is Marco Polo with this:"I find dentistry from this side of the head more challenging."

This week's picture is from 'The

The House passed the stopgap bill last week by a voice vote. Democratic leaders say that jobless benefits are an emergency and don't need to conform to the new pay-as-yougo budget law, which requires new benefit programs to be offset with spending cuts or tax increases so they don't increase the deficit. "We really believe that the unemployment situation is an emergency economic situation. Republicans do not accept that," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the majority whip. "They want to cut off unemployment benefits or pay for it with stimulus funds that are creating jobs." © Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Erin Andrews & Evan Lysacek Talk 'Dancing with the Stars' (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 3/26/2010 5:30:00 AM

"Dancing with the Stars" returns for the second night of competition on Monday -- and both Erin Andrews and Evan Lysacek tell ET they are enjoying every minute of it. "I am actually okay right now. The only thing that hurts on me is my feet. My toes are kind of swollen. I am kind of a klutz, so I end up scraping my toes with my heels. There is blood on the dance floor. But that is kind of hot. I like to be all scarred up like a hockey player," Erin jokes. Of course, Evan came to the competition almost directly from the Olympics, so physically he is in great shape.

REGULATORS, continued from page 42

were up in arms about the possibility of a string of new regulatory mandates. And all were operating under the assumption that they had a lot more time to make their case. One administration official who’s seen internal emails from a leading Wall Street lobbying group told me flatly, “They’re Amazing Race.' Filed under: Subtle Subtitles, not ready for this to be now.” Before health care reform Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | passed, according to this official’s reading of the emails, Comments REGULATORS, page 48

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the banks had assumed they could rally a group of Democrats to block any measure they deemed excessive—the kind of thing that used to pass for bipartisanship in Washington. Since health care, says the official, “Democrats are seeing the value in holding together,” and so the banks are scrambling to produce a farinferior plan B: holding the line with all 41 Senate Republicans. The problem, of course, is that a reform counteroffensive composed entirely of Republicans looks suspiciously like the party is doing Wall Street’s bidding—precisely what the banks and the GOP want to avoid. The fundamentals look pretty good for the reformers, in other words. Still, Democratic officials are guarding against overconfidence. If nothing else,

continued from page 43

there’s a concern that the banks could make inroads on some of the bill’s more arcane provisions—the details unlikely to gin up public outrage but which are fundamental to reforming the financial system. “The consumer agency, the Volcker rule, too big to fail, to some extent the Fed stuff—they’re the meat of it. Derivatives--there’s not going to be a lot of showy big floor fights on that,” says one anxious Senate staffer. And so the administration is keeping the pressure on. Wolin’s speech at the Chamber w a s p o s i t i v e l y blistering—accusing the organization of launching “a lavish, aggressive and misleading campaign to defeat the proposed [consumer] agency.” And Obama, perhaps having learned the lesson of

health care reform, has urged Dodd and Frank not to dither. “With a two week recess coming--notwithstanding the acknowledgment that something’s going to happen here by Republicans on the committee--we want to continue to build momentum,” says one official. It looks like this bill is headed across the finish line with more than just a nudge. Noam Scheiber is a senior editor of The New Republic. For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Hamas the signal that it is doomed to exclusion come what may and forever. But the more that Hamas is permitted inside the tent, the better the prospects of a modest (yet historic) success. Of course, there will be those who say this is impossible. They will say Hamas is inhuman, and why would the Iranians ever allow this? The answer is that Fatah hardly behaves much better than Hamas. Besides, Fatah has limited ability to deliver any sort of peace without the consent of Hamas. As far as the Iranians go, once you start talking with Hamas, you soon discover how much they hate the guts of those renegade Shiites in Tehran. I could be wrong about all of this. But given the unworkable alternatives, surely this is worth putting to the test.

Efraim Halevy is head of the Center for Strategic and Policy Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He served as head of the Mossad from 1998 to 2002, and he was national security adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2002-2003. He is the author of Man in the Shadows: Inside the Middle East Crisis with a Man who Led the Mossad. For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Pentax Optio I-10 reviewed: 'perfectly average compact camera' in a decidedly stylish case Tim Stevens (Engadget) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:27:00 AM

We had high hopes for the Pentax Optio I-10, a little compact camera that breaks out of the brushed metal box and delivers a style reminiscent of a '70s SLR. Unfortunately, initial hands-on reports weren't encouraging and, now that

we've had a chance to read a full review, it seems this one lacks the performance to back-up its looks. Neutralday.com put this 12.1 megapixel, 5x zoom model through its paces and found that it delivers thoroughly average images in most situations, with highlights being its compact size and fast startup, but low-points including inaccurate auto-focus

in low light and poor ISO performance. Ultimately it's not

a bad camera and we're certainly not opposed to paying a little extra for a gadget that makes you feel warm inside, but if you're strictly looking for the best performance you can save money by choosing a model without faux leatherette styling. Pentax Optio I-10 reviewed: 'perfectly average compact camera' in a decidedly stylish

case originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Neutralday.com| Email this| Comments

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Are You Ready for the New, Easier Wikipedia? Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:16:22 AM

Wikipedia, the online usercreated encyclopedia and the number six website on the Internet today, is about to get a makeover. And it's a big one. According to a blog post from the Wikimedia Foundation User Experience team detailing the changes, the upcoming Wikipedia redesign, due to launch April 5th, aims to make the site easier to navigate, easier to search and, perhaps most importantly, easier to edit. Sponsor Easier is Better The upcoming design, codenamed "Vector," has been in use over the past six months by a group of 500,000 beta testers. Included in the update are changes like simplified navigation, a relocated search box, clutter reduction and even an updated Wikipedia logo. Also, all English Wikipedia users will soon be able to create PDFs and printed books from Wikipedia articles, a service previously available only to logged-in users. However, the most interesting change is how Wikipedia is making the page edit functions easier. A new toolbar will be provided which lets editors

more easily insert links and tables and an included cheatsheet will help users access the most commonly used functions. These editing changes launching next month are only the beginning, notes Naoko Komura on the Wikimedia blog. Later this year, the site will see even more radical revamps to the editing process. This includes the following: â&#x20AC;˘ Reducing the amount of wiki code users see in the edit system and making it possible to change data in tables and information boxes through simple forms. â&#x20AC;˘ Cleaning up the edit page itself, to use more understandable language and get rid of confusing clutter. â&#x20AC;˘ Providing a new outline tool to navigate a long article while you're editing it. Wikipedia Needs More Editors

Now the question is whether or not these changes will encourage more people to actually edit the online encyclopedia because, surprisingly, few users actually do. Wikipedia is often heralded as a shining example of how there's power in the "wisdom of the crowds," a phrase which implies how a diverse collection of individuals can be more accurate than individuals or even experts. However, the dirty little secret about the supposedly "crowd-edited" online encyclopedia is that, even though anyone and everyone can edit it, few do so. In fact, only 1% of Wikipedia users are responsible for half of the site's edits. Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, has even been quoted as saying that the site is really written by a community, "a dedicated group of a few

hundred volunteers." Given these statistics, it's no surprise that Wikipedia wants to make some changes. Recent reports point to slowed growth, a downward trend that may be partly to blame on the increasingly complex editing process, according to some experts. Dr. Ed H Chi, a scientist at the Palo Alto Research Center in California, told the Telegraph that the site had become a "more exclusive place", where only a handful of the most experienced editors were responsible for editing and maintaining the site. In other words, Wikipedia became a site that wasn't representing the "wisdom of the crowds" anymore, but "wisdom of an elite group." That in, turn, may have caused the slowdown. Over the past several years, the number of new articles per day has dropped from 2200 in July

of 2007 to 1300 today. Is It Too Late? Or Just in Time? By simplifying the editing process, Wikipedia could potentially reverse this trend at least, that's likely what they're hoping will occur. According to the Q&A on the changes, the organization is aware of these very issues: When knowledgeable people cannot participate in editing Wikipedia because they find it too confusing or difficult to edit articles, it is a serious problem that undermines the potential quality, breadth and depth of the content that we can offer to you... When it was first developed, the software running Wikipedia was considered reasonably user-friendly. By today's standards, it is not as streamlined nor user-friendly as other software. But has the organization waited too long? Have mainstream Internet users already given up on being a part of the editing process and are now happy just to read? We'll know soon enough. Rollouts begin in April, starting first with media repository Wikimedia Commons and then followed by Wikipedia itself later that month. Discuss

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What Social Needs Does Chatroulette Fill? Guest Author (ReadWriteWeb)

Taly's academic work contributes to the field of Behavioral Economics. Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:00:00 PM TrendsSpotting offers I believe you have already customized and syndicated heard of Chatroulette, the new research reports, published at video chat platform that has top market research databases. attracted the attention of She can be contacted at millions. In February there were talyweiss@trendsspotting.com. 30 million unique visitors to the What a powerful (yet site. That's 1 million new users dangerous) tool that can be for each day. The site made quite a people who seek to experience buzz on the news media, blogs, the control they lack in their and Twitter. Comscore reports 1 personal life. The Next Effect is million U.S. visitors in February well embedded in the whole with a predominance of 18- to C h a t r o u l e t t e r a n d o m 24-year-old males. experiment. What social needs The platform looks premature does such a platform serves? (it might be part of its charm) as Psychologically speaking, these it comes with one feature only: random experiences can teach the next button. (By clicking it us on few important needs about you are skipping from one user social interactions. to another.) The next feature is • the crave for peeking vital as it gives the user a sense • (online) face to face o f c o n t r o l . I w o u l d e v e n • control(and at the same time consider naming the hype lack of control) around its users the "Next" • The no commitment effect. Generation. Sponsor Combine the four together and Guest author Dr. Taly Weiss is you understand the power and a marketing trends researcher the addiction potential of w i t h a P h D i n S o c i a l Chatroulette. Psychology, a digital research We are all well familiar with expert, and the founder of the above needs: TrendsSpotting trends agency. • Peeking into strangers' lives is Her digital trends insights are what brought popularity to the presented at The TrendsSpotting reality TV shows. We humans Blog and she follows consumer receive instant gratification from trends at TrendOriginal.com. the arousing feeling that comes

identity. Finally, there is something new in these sets of random acquaintances that leaves you unprepared. This surprise element can never be achieved offline. While Twitter and Facebook let you follow strangers you choose to, Chatroulette adds more when we are allowed inside dimensions to these interactions. private personal places. It is no longer about your • Face to face interactions are friend's whereabouts or images, certainly not new experiences nor about reporting what's going on the Web. But they are getting on now. It's live and you get a to an extreme when you chance to play with an personally encounter strangers imaginary sense of control. in their natural surroundings. While in real life you hardly talk • As to control, Chatroulette to strangers, here you get it as a can well imitate an act of social norm. meeting strangers on the street. The future of random You can choose between two i n t e r a c t i o n s : acts: you can play active or I can think of several ways of passive. They are both highly making these interactions more addictive. You can actively intriguing - mobile interactions approach, and they might not on the move (following people get interested in you. You keep w h e r e v e r t h e y g o ) w o u l d on trying. At the same time, you definitely be hot, as well as the can choose to be the one who option to filter the people you turns down interactions. That meet by their location, age or can be satisfying don't you gender. think? But forget that for now. If • The no commitment part is Chatroulette were to succeeded achieved by users' anonymity. in controlling immoral and Chatroulette doesn't require any pornographic activity, what a i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o r u s e r great human experiment it subscription. You don't have to would open! Discuss work hard and fake your

Miley Cyrus Talks First Kiss with Her New Boyfriend (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 3/26/2010 5:59:00 AM

Does Miley Cyrus kiss-andtell? Yes! The tween sensation revealed the intimate details of her first kiss with new boyfriend Liam Hemsworth to Jay Leno. "It was on the first day of filming in the movie," Miley says. "We had this scene where we frolic in the water," she adds, putting air-quotes around the world frolic -- a term she and Jay both comically illustrate by flailing their arms and giggling. "So I frolic very well apparently and after that I got to keep him," she says.

Wall, Kentucky turn away Cornell from Dance Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:25:13 PM

Top Performers Cornell: L. Dale 17 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl Kentucky: J. Wall 8 Pts, 7 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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Gravity: New Form of Fun for Groups or a Dinosaur at Launch? Audrey Watters (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:38:15 PM

High-profile startup Gravity launched its group conversation website to the public tonight. Founded by three former MySpace executives - Amit Kapur, Steve Pearman, and Jim Benedetto - and backed by Redpoint Ventures and August Capital, Gravity "connects people with shared interests and helps them engage in meaningful and fun conversations." Unlike other social networks that rely on previous relationships, Gravity connects users with others "you should know and should be talking to because they share your passions." Rather than rely on existing social connections, Gravity encourages users to make new ones. Sponsor Using metaphors from astrophysics Gravity allows

users to create "Worlds" (topics) that they can "orbit" (follow). This metaphor does not extend to "Amir, the friendly neighborhood dinosaur" that serves as the guide. There are real-time notifications to conversations that one "orbits," and the company indicates there will be an API that allows widgets to be

embedded elsewhere. Although Gravity seeks to do something new, the dinosaur might be an apt mascot, for the site seems to be in most respects a combination of forums and groups - two of the Internet's earliest forms of social networking. The threads are organized chronologically, with embedded comments and the

ever-popular "like" feature. Liz Gannes wrote tonight on GigaOm that "the back end is a dynamic 'interest graph' with deep analytics about people's participation." She notes though that Om Malik "thinks the company is just hoping to latch onto general tech industry excitement about big data." TechCrunch had in-depth

coverage of the companies plans for its data in December. The service has been in private beta since December, and those who are active on Gravity already seem to be pleased with the service and with its look-and -feel. I did get quick and friendly responses to the conversations I started there, although admittedly the topics seemed, well, conversational. Contrast this with an informational site like Quora, a site founded by former Facebook CTO Adam D'Angelo, where users participate less in conversation than in Q&A. SnapGroups, a site started by Yahoo Groups inventor Mark Fletcher earlier this month, is similar as well. Some say there are two types of people in social networking: those who like Facebook and those who prefer MySpace. The difference between Quora and Gravity might just echo this. Discuss

Is there Romance Brewing Between 'Dancing With The Stars'' Maksim and Erin Andrews? (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:01:00 AM

ET has the latest...

"Dancing With The Stars" is Hollywood.tv chatted it up with heating up on the dance floor, p r o d a n c e r M a k s i m but are there also sparks behind Chmerkovskiy in Los Angeles the scenes? Thursday night where they

asked him if he and his partner, hear his answer! ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, are an item. Check out the new video to

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Need Directions? A Job At Sears? Train Info? Twitter Blog Highlights Novel Uses Mike Melanson (ReadWriteWeb)

immediately in popularity, pointing to how many followers both@twitterapi and@twitter Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:41:34 AM h a v e , b u t s o It seems almost daily that we far@cleveraccounts, the account run across yet another friend associated with the blog, hasn't who asks "So wait, what exactly given us all that much to chew is Twitter? What does it do? on quite yet. Why do I care?" Every time we So, while getting a nod on the get these questions, we have to "Clever Twitter Accounts" blog pause, take a deep breath, and isn't likely to tip your follower figure out why it is, exactly that scales the way the nowthis particular person would associate at Twitter. They have deceased Suggested User List been posting different uses of would have, we'll be keeping an care. It looks like Twitter itself has Twitter since the beginning of eye on it to see if any new twists started to tackle this issue too, the month, pretty much culling on Twitter use pop up. with its Clever Twitter Accounts v a r i o u s m e d i a a c r o s s t h e Maybe, the thing is, we already Internet looking for Twitter "get it". If you have a friend blog on Posterous. mentions, from the looks of it. who doesn't appear to get it yet, Sponsor Louis Gray first noticed the The blog starts out with how though, send 'em on over. site, which he writes is "full of people used Twitter in Chile to Maybe they'll be convinced by 'Clever' examples aimed to find missing persons and moves knowing they can follow the make you say, 'Now I get it!'". on to a San Francisco specific Japanese prime minister or The site is put together by Sean T w i t t e r a c c o u n t m e a n t t o navigate New York's busy Garrett, Twitter's head of r e c e i v e 3 1 1 c o m p l a i n t s . streets- all with the help of communications, and Jenna Gray notes how most things Twitter. Discuss Sampson, a communications T w i t t e r d o e s e x p l o d e

Power Rankings: Stability at the Top Bruce Ciskie (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 3/26/2010 3:00:00 AM

Filed under: NHL Fans, NHL Power Rankings Share Not only was there not much movement among our top 10 teams, but

there was little reason to move anyone. The top five looked especially solid this week -outside of Vancouver's inexplicable loss to Edmonton, but these guys are human, after all. The bottom rung is a well-

established group, and the most movement happened in the middle of the league, as teams continue to jockey for playoff position.

Pioneer's new CD deck and mixer feature MIDI integration, USB for external storage Joseph L. Flatley (Engadget)

one needed were two turntables and a crossfader to rock the party -- but that was a long time If you're looking for a product ago, kids. The CDJ-350 and designed to "transform novices" DJM-350 will be available in (that is, you) into "the next June 2010 for $850 and $750, generation DJ" (that is, Sven r e s p e c t i v e l y . W e ' v e o n l y Vath) you're in luck: Pioneer scratched the surface here, has just announced a CD deck / however -- peep the PR below mixer combo that includes the for all the vital details. usual compliment of features Continue reading Pioneer's new (looping capabilities, a visual CD deck and mixer feature beat display, BPM lock, so on, MIDI integration, USB for and so forth) as well as some external storage computer-friendly touches, Pioneer's new CD deck and including MIDI integration -- mixer feature MIDI integration, allowing you to use either as a U S B f o r e x t e r n a l s t o r a g e control surface for your fave DJ originally appeared on Engadget software. The CDJ will also on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:13:00 play music off your thumb EST. Please see our terms for drive, and the mixer itself use of feeds. Permalink| | accepts external USB storage Email this| Comments device for saving your mixes as WAV files. Sure, in our day all Submitted at 3/26/2010 11:13:00 AM

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iPad games we’d love to see John Biggs (CrunchGear) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:09:19 AM

After news of the HD and XL iPad versions of some of our favorite games are on their way – Flight Control being one of my personal obsessions – we thought it would be fun to ponder what other boardgames would make for a fun iPad experience. Here’s our list. What would you guys like to see? Carcassonne– If you’ve never split a few bottles of wine (or tequila) and played Carcassonne, you haven’t lived. To be able to play this with a few people on the iPad would be amazing and you wouldn’t have to carry all those cards around. The game is pretty simple – you put down random cards to build cities, roads, and farms. You place a knight on a card to claim it and get the knight back when you’ve completed a feature.

However, it’s amazingly addictive and an iPad version would be great. Sim City– This game is already out on the iPhone but a version on a larger, more readable screen would be great. Civilization V– While I could spend most of my life playing Civ Rev on the iPhone, why not go nuts and rebuild Civ V for

the iPad? I would totally pay a few dozen dollars for this. Burnout iPad Edition– My son and I have been playing Burnout Paradise like fiends lately and a big-screen, motion aware version of Burnout would make us both happy. Monopoly– This next set of games are boardgame classics. First up – Monopoly. It’s a no

brainer. Connect 4– There are only knock off versions of Connect 4 on the App Store right now, but a big screen version would be great. Battleship– The current version if iPhone Battleship looks great but why not buy two iPads so you can recreate Battleship in all it’s “You sunk my…” glory?

Then again, maybe not. Air Hockey– This is totes magotes one of my favorites. The iPhone version is great for two players and an iPad version would be even better. Incredible Machine– Remember this insanity? The Incredible Machine was a 1990s Rube Goldberg video game dedicated to teaching kids how to make things work together. I haven’t played it in years but a 3D, Enigmo-esque version would be great. Planetfall– One of the original Infocom classics. Listen: the iPad has a usable keyboard and can support external keyboards. Why not slap together an Infocom pack for $2 and sell some imagination to these whippersnappers. Who’s with me?

New Skin: TheAppleBlog Redesigns Josh Pigford (TheAppleBlog)

TheAppleBlog joined GigaOM back in September 2008 but for the past 18 months we kept our It’s been many months in the pre-GigaOm design. This was making, but this evening we the last step in fully integrating launched an entire overhaul of TheAppleBlog as part of the TheAppleBlog’s design. This GigaOM family. redesign is part of an overhaul The new design helps us do a of the entire GigaOM network better job of featuring new that started back in November. content as well as letting you Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:32:28 PM

explore popular topics a lot more easily. In addition, we’ll

be able to feature relevant content from around our network more easily. At the end of the day, this redesign is about surfacing content for you and helping you interact with our little community more. There are a lot of intricacies and small features spread out around the

site, so be sure to dig around. It’s definitely a dynamic new site with lots of extras that aren’t necessarily immediately obvious. So have a look around and let us know what you think!

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Miyamoto says that Wii is 'honored' CBS Video Content to be in such great company as Move Coming to the iPad Via and Natal HTML5? Joseph L. Flatley (Engadget)

Chris Brandrick (TheAppleBlog)

Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:50:00 AM

Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:25:49 PM

While Sony might be doing its best to heat things up with its Wii-baiting "realistic movements" ad campaign, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto is taking the high road. Elaborating on recent comments that he made about the threat posed by rival motion controllers (or lack thereof), the elder statesman, whose career stretches back to the beginnings of the video game industry and includes everything from Donkey Kong to The Legend of Zelda and beyond (don't forget Nintendogs), said that "[c]ompeting with other companies" in a specific product category was "never our top priority." Rather, the company will continue to do what it does best: creating "unique and unprecedented entertainment." So how does he feel about PS

Apple’s iPad is now only a matter of days away and in preparation for the device’s arrival, major U.S. television network CBS is preparing its website to cater for the tablet’s needs. Keen eyed Apple bloggers spotted the change on the CBS website earlier this week, noting a number of “iPad test” links on various video content including M o v e , t h e n ? " T h e u s e r 'honored' to be in such great the likes of CSI and The Young experience we have created is company as Move and Natal & Reckless. When clicked in a going to be intensified by the originally appeared on Engadget browser, these links navigate to advent of new machines from on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:50:00 just the normal flash version of other companies. It's a new EST. Please see our terms for the selected video. However, if experience that we originated. u s e o f f e e d s . P e r m a l i n k the website is visited via an So we really see it as a great SlashGear| CVG| Email this| iPad, or an SDK iPad Simulator, the viewer is presented with an honor." Class act, that guy. Comments HTML5 version of the video We'll see how he feels when we page. beat him to market with our More on iPad Engadget Vitality Sensor. • Apple Dominates Mobile Miyamoto says that Wii is Internet Devices: Report Mac Love Butler: G. Hayward 17 Pts, 5 Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: • Wall Street Journal to Charge Reb, 2 Stl PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, $ 1 7 . 9 9 a M o n t h f o r i P a d Subscriptions Mac Love Syracuse: W. Johnson 17 Pts, 9 Term Extraction. • Instapaper Coming to the iPad Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk Mac Love Five Filters featured article: • iPhone Gains Gaming Market Revenue Share Mac Love

Butler eliminates Syracuse in shocking upset Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 3/26/2010 12:07:48 AM

Top Performers

CBS’ experimental HTML5 pages do not currently have functional video, but the pages’ source code details several other HTML5 elements, including a full-screen mode. Despite the experimentally nature of CBS’ efforts the move hints that more mainstream content providers are beginning to adapt their content to work on as many devices as possible, including Apple’s iPad which controversially does not support Adobe’s Flash. The use of HTML5 comes after Steve Jobs personally spoke out against Flash, and following the positive estimates as to how the iPad will sell it’s no surprise that major content providers are starting to make moves to accommodate Apple’s upcoming tablet. Just how long it takes for all the major networks to play catch up and arrive on the iPad is unknown, but the sooner the better.

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Ghost Recon live-action trailer has cloaking devices, explosions Richard Mitchell (Joystiq) Submitted at 3/26/2010 11:30:00 AM

Ubisoft is kind of knocking it out of the park with live-action short films based on its games. First it brought us Assassin's Creed: Lineage, now we have a live-action trailer for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. The trailer, directed by Ben Mor, pretty much has anything you could want. Rather than spoil the action, we'll just give a brief rundown of some of the things included: • Minigun-packing robot drones • Personal cloaking devices • Explosions • Shoulder mounted anti-tank missiles

Vertu reminds us it's still alive with million-Yen phones, still tasteless as ever Vladislav Savov (Engadget)

Signature collection, composed of four models -- one for each Submitted at 3/26/2010 9:59:00 AM season. There's a load of talk What's a distinguished person about delicate hand-crafting and of taste and refinement to do latest technology with these, but when smartphones nowadays the truth of the matter is that are all so bulky and, well, you'll be buying one solely for ubiquitous? He or she should go the purpose of puling it out of take a look at Vertu's store, of y o u r c a r e f u l l y p r e s s e d , course, which has today been kerchiefed Armani suit in the populated for the first time with hope of impressing any and all a new, even more exclusive nearby members of the opposite

sex. What this phone will then say, nay, scream, about you is that you have the money to buy things that are neither functional nor physically appealing -- the surest way to signal wealth and prestige. How much money? Try a million Yen for each handset, which roughly translates to $10,830. Gallery: Vertu Daigo, Nishiki Akira, Kikusui, and Southern

handsets Vertu reminds us it's still alive with million-Yen phones, still tasteless as ever originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Watch Impress| Email this| Comments

Yeah, you should probably watch it right now. And don't forget a full short film is still slated to be released later this year. Ghost Recon live-action trailer has cloaking devices, explosions originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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iBookstore Pricing Leaked: Cheaper Than Expected Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:39:37 AM

According to at least one source, pricing of e-books sold through Apple’s iBookstore will not be as expensive we were initially led to believe. Many sources put the original price of bestsellers between $12 and $14, as compared to the $9.99 sweet spot offered by Amazon, which was then jeopardized as publishers rushed to work out new arrangements following the iPad announcement. A new report by AppAdvice.com’s Alexander Vaughn suggests that reports of higher pricing may have been greatly exaggerated. Vaughn was lucky enough to be privy to a “not-so-NDA-complying preview” of the iBookstore in action, and he notes that a significant portion of the New York Times’ bestseller list are actually offered at $9.99. The pricing is actually in keeping with comments made by Steve Jobs at the iPad’s unveiling, despite all the subsequent reports that pricing would likely favor the Amazon platform, at least until publishers raised prices there,

too. Jobs said iPad e-books would be similarly priced to ones available on Amazon’s Kindle platform, in an interview with Walt Mossberg that was caught on camera by All Things D’s Kara Swisher. Vaughn’s information seems reliable, especially since he includes a photo seemingly taken with his iPhone’s camera of the iBookstore running on pre -release iPad hardware. The screen shot clearly shows a number of titles with $9.99 price tags attached. Vaughn states further that of the 32 books in the New York Times’ bestseller

There’s always the chance that this could just be Apple using dummy prices in an early iBookstore mock-up, and that real pricing will be more in line with what we’ve been hearing, but if so, it seems odd that it would even bother peppering in some more expensive books. I’d say it’s more likely that these are the types of prices we’ll see on launch day, which is very bad news indeed for Amazon, but great news for the e-book buying public. It could be good news for Amazon, too, though, depending on how iBooks sell. If list, 27 are priced at $9.99, publishers who refuse to go including the top 10. A few down to the $9.99 price point books on the list did appear to are spurned by customers, be selling at the higher $12.99 they’ll probably eventually be forced to step in line with the price point. others in order to compete. More on iPad • CBS Video Content Coming Lower prices across the board to the iPad Via HTML5? Mac are a good thing for Amazon, because it makes their position Love • Apple Dominates Mobile stronger in negotiating with Internet Devices: Report Mac publishers. On the other hand, if the iPad becomes Love • Wall Street Journal to Charge o v e r w h e l m i n g l y p o p u l a r , $17.99 a Month for iPad Amazon runs the risk of becoming completely irrelevant Subscriptions Mac Love • Instapaper Coming to the iPad in the e-book market it helped to pioneer. Mac Love

User-generated Indie MMO 'Love' available today Griffin McElroy (Joystiq) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:30:00 AM

If you've found every little piece of news about Eskil Steenberg's weird, pretty, procedural MMO Love completely scintillating, you'll be pleased to know the game is now available. The game client is free to download, but players have to pay for a 10-Euro voucher which allows them to access the game for 30 days. Much like in real life, Love doesn't come cheap. Potential players can download the client (as well as a system spec test) from the game's official site -- but if you're hoping to actually know what you're doing once you fall into Love, you might want to check out some supplemental materials. User-generated Indie MMO 'Love' available today originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Apple Dominates Mobile Internet Devices: Report Charles Jade (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 3/25/2010 3:00:00 PM

The latest report ( PDF) from mobile advertising network AdMob has good news for the company’s parent firm, Google, but greats news for Google’s mobile rival Apple. For February, smartphone traffic share increased an astonishing 193 percent over the same period last year with a corresponding drop in feature phones. Half of that traffic belonged to Apple. However, it should be noted those numbers aren’t market share, or web share, but ad share as measured by AdMob from data “pulled across ads served on more than 15,000 sites and applications,” half of which are from devices in North America. Having disclosed all that, Apple is set to rule the mobile web. Just look at the graph and follow the thin blue line.

According to AdMob, the Mobile Internet Device (MID) represented 17 percent of traffic in February of 2010, up 403 percent year over year. Mobile Internet Devices include handheld gaming consoles from Nintendo and Sony and general purpose handhelds like the Zune HD. Apple’s iPod touch,

according to AdMob, currently accounts for 93 percent of that traffic. That’s not a typo, and while some might suggest that dominating percentage is hopelessly prejudiced by the data source, there is corroboration of a sort from Net Applications, which does track

market share. Leaving Java Mobile Edition out of the mobile OS pie because it fits better with feature phones, the remaining operating systems again demonstrate Apple’s dominance. The iPhone OS accounts for 60 percent of the market, while the iPod touch competing against smartphones

'The Office' - 'Happy Hour' Recap Joel Keller (TV Squad) Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:14:00 AM

(S06E20) If you took this episode and dropped it in the middle of season two or three, it probably would have fit in nicely. Well, except for the fact that you might be asking why Pam was on maternity leave (and why Jim is the dad), why

Andy is working in Scranton, and just who the hell Erin is. But you know what I'm getting at. The tone, pacing, and comedy of this episode continues the recent trend of'The Office' getting back to what made people love it to begin with. And, yes, part of that least the season six version of means that Michael is going to Michael somehow gets a little make an ass of himself. But at bit of hope mixed in with his

desperation stew. Continue reading'The Office' 'Happy Hour' Recap Filed under: The Office, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

is bested only by Symbian. Nintendo and Sony don’t even show up. The downside is that not too long ago the wedge for Android didn’t exist, and more threateningly for Apple, Android share tripled from last month. AdMob backs up those gains, with Android now accounting for 25 percent of smartphone operating systems, up from just two percent last year, but that’s okay. The hottest potential market isn’t smartphones, but Mobile Internet Devices. Apple effectively controls the market for handheld MIDs with the iPod touch, and 10 days from now that could happen all over again with tablets and the iPad. When Steve declared Apple a “mobility” company, it wasn’t the usual Jobsian hyperbole, but a declaration of the company’s business model going forward. The future begins April 3.

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TV 101: Canaries In The Mineshaft (Pt. 1) - When Characters Become Caricatures

nyblogs.org is up! (Scripting News) Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:34:56 AM

I was at breakfast earlier this week with Jeremy Zilar of the NY Times. Not sure exactly what Jeremy does there, but he's basically the only person (I know) who speaks the same language I do at the Times. Maybe Martin Nisenholtz does too, but he's so far up the ladder, the only projects I get to do with him are really big ones, and the Times isn't doing those these days (though of course they should, now more than ever). Anyway -- Jeremy and I are members of the same tribe. And our breakfasts are full of ideas. This week one of the things we talked about were NY blogs. I've been trying to get a sense of what's going on in the "New York Blogging Community," imagining that there is such a thing. I don't know why there should be, any more than there's a "San Francisco Blogging Community" or even a "Berkeley Blogging Community." But since I'm new to NY, my naivete and fresh eyes are good for something, and envisioning a community of

Jay Black (TV Squad) Submitted at 3/26/2010 11:21:00 AM

One of my least favorite internet memes is the race bloggers who go out to eat at convention for linking an among people who frequent TV great restaurants in each of the HTML page to its feed. Most of blogs to be the first one to boroughs is something that the blogs in the Times list obey comment that a show has appeals to me. Probably because this convention, so I was able to "jumped the shark." I'll take a my life here isn't yet cluttered write a script that, in fifteen busload of LOLCATS and Epic with many other things on my minutes or so, while I killed Beard Men if it means that I plate. some time playing, got me most won't have to see "JTS!" four When Jeremy got back to work, of the feed URLs. minutes into a show's pilot he dug in. Turns out the Times Then I had to do a teeny bit of episode. has a list of NY blogs. One of River2 programming to get it to That said, the fact that JTS has the things the TImes is very subscribe to the feeds on the been defanged by ubiquity good at is making lists. They server that's doing the East doesn't take away from its have four editors for every Village aggregator, and voila.. ability to be a useful tool for reporter, I hear, and one of the http://nyblogs.org/ analyzing pop-culture. Shows things those editors do is make I still have to tweak up the tend to weaken over time and lists. OPML that's linked into the the JTS moment is a fun way to Their list of blogs was done in page -- it's the OPML for the decide where, exactly, the WordPress, and it turns out you East Village blogs plus the NY wheels came off. can get OPML from a blogroll blogs -- or maybe not, after all In thinking about JTS, it in WordPress. Someone was the East Village is part of NYC, occurred to me that there are a thinking! But the OPML doesn't no? have RSS feeds, which makes See why I like Jeremy? We had sense, since the person entering b r e a k f a s t o n T u e s d a y , o n the URLs didn't care so much Thursday the aggregator is up. aobut the feeds as they did about Update: How to get on the City the web pages. Not a problem. Room blogroll. Back in the early days of RSS someone came up with a

Greece deal lifts euro off 10-month lows (Financial Times - US homepage)

By Jamie Chisholm, Global Markets Commentator Published: March 26 2010

08:33 | Last updated: March 26 Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: 2010 14:58 PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Five Filters featured article: Term Extraction.

few warning signs that a show is about to jump. Today I'll be looking at the first in a series of canaries in the mineshaft: when characters become caricatures. Continue reading TV 101: Canaries In The Mineshaft (Pt. 1) - When Characters Become Caricatures Filed under: OpEd, House, The Simpsons, The Office, TV 101, Reality-Free, Modern Family Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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NCAA Tournament Diary: Day Five (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:39:07 PM

Lexington HeraldLeader/ZUMApress.com Kentucky’s Eric Bledsoe drives the lane under Cornell’s Mark Coury for two of his 12 points. Journal staffers Darren Everson and Adam Thompson anchor coverage of the NCAA tournament’s fifth day. Get all the latest NCAA news and scores here. Follow the Twitter feeds of coaches, players and observers of NCAA tournament teams before, during and after the games. 6:30 pm | by Darren Everson Now that our brackets are all toast, let us focus on the NCAA tournament games themselves. The first weekend of the tournament was full of surprises. Will the Sweet 16, which begins tonight, be so unpredictable? Upsets appear most unlikely in two of the games: East Region 12 seed Cornell against topseeded Kentucky and West No. 6 seed Xavier against secondseeded Kansas State. Cornell lost by double-digits this season to Seton Hall and Syracuse -two athletic teams that prefer a fast pace, like Kentucky -- and Kansas State beat Xavier handily earlier this season. But the other two games -- East Region 11 seed Washington against No. 2 West Virginia and Butler, the West's No. 5, against top seed Syracuse -- are golden

opportunities for the underdogs, thanks to injuries. The Orange will be without big man Arinze Onuaku for a third straight game, and the Mountaineers are missing starting point guard Darryl Bryant -- horrible timing, given the round and Washington's ability to force

turnovers. 7:01 pm | by Adam Thompson Greetings from the Carrier Dome, where Syracuse isn't playing. But their game with Butler certainly is on every available television here while we wait for West Virginia and Washington to get it on.

7:09 pm | Butler 0, Syracuse 0 | by Adam Thompson And weâre off in SLC! 7:10 pm | 0-0 | by Adam Thompson Big question early â how does Butler react to the famous Syracuse zone? Early verdict -â poorly â- Mack tosses up an air

ball on the Bulldogsâ first trip. 7:14 pm | Butler 3-0; 17:42 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Mack hits a three for the first points of a molasses-like game. 7:15 pm | BU 3-0 | by Adam Thompson NCAA page 60

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Boeheim is already giving it to Joseph â very easy to read his lips: âWhatta you doinâ?â after a turnover. 7:17 pm | BU 5-0; 15:25 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Bulldogs look just fine into the first break, up 5-0. Meanwhile, interesting potential fan dynamics in the Carrier Dome tonight. There's a smattering of orange in the stands here, but this die-hard fan base is more worried about what's happening in Salt Lake City, where their boys are playing. You'd think Cornell would own an advantage because it's less than an hour's drive from here, but the school is on spring break, and doesn't have a fan base like Kentucky's that travels en masse. There's plenty of Kentucky blue here already, even though West Virginia and Washington play first. Plenty of that bright Mountaineer yellow, but hardly any U-Dub purple. 7:20 pm | BU 10-1, 13:53 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Syracuse -â four turnovers already, 2-for-8 from the field. As Darren can tell you, turnovers are the stat that best predicts NCAA upsets. 7:26 pm | BU 12-3, 12:58 left, 1st Half | by Dan Bollerman Rick Jackson's finger-roll is Syracuse's first basket and breaks a 7-0 Butler run. 7:33 pm | BU 13-8; 10 minutes left, 1st Half | by Darren

Everson Yes indeed -- turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Then again, as bad as Syracuse has looked at the start, it's only a five-point game. Deep breath, Syracuse fans. 7:33 pm | WVU 0, UW 0, 19:10 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson And we're under way at the non -Syracuse Syracuse game! 7:39 pm | WVU 2, UW 2; 16:33 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson And in a surprise, Mazzulla isnât starting. Instead Huggins is going with Casey Mitchell. But after an early turnover, Mitchell goes out, Casey Pepper in. 7:39 pm | Butler 17, Syracuse 12; 8 minutes left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson The thing is, though, Syracuse is a relatively high-turnover team. It's how the Orange play, a byproduct of all of the highrisk, high-reward passes they try in the half-court. Syracuse doesn't need to win the turnover battle to win. Eight in 12 minutes is a bit much, though. 7:41 pm 7:42 pm | UW 4, WVU 2; 15:57 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson More scouting: West Virginia's definitely deeper up front, even before Bryant's injury. And they love to crash the boards -â each of their starters averages at least 4 per

game, with Devin Ebanks leading them with 8.3. Jerry West did say he thought Ebanks has had a disappointing sophomore year, and should resist the urge to jump to the NBA. 7:43 pm | UW 6, WVU 4; 13:50 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Justin Holliday has a quick pull -up to double his teamâs early lead, before Butler pulls WVU back within two. Hollidayâs one of two players UW coach Lorenzo Romar singled out as the reason for the Huskiesâ late surge. They were 3-5 in the Pac10 before getting hot. Now theyâve won nine in a row and 10 of 11. 7:44 pm | UW 6, WVU 6; 12:48 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Bob Huggins isnât going to let the pomp and circumstance of the Sweet 16 keep him from wearing his favorite black track suit tonight. Mountaineers tie on a Mazzulla steal to Ebanks. 7:45 pm | Butler 24, Syracuse 17; 5:40 left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson May I just say what a joy it is to hear Gus Johnson on the play-by -play call. Yes, he's cheesy. Of course he's silly. But he gets into it. 7:46 pm | by Adam Thompson I talked to Jerry West, WVU's most distinguished hoops alum, yesterday to size up the game. Figured between his school ties

and his ability to watch the Pac10 from his home in the L.A. area, he'd have a good feel for this game. Plus, his son Jonnie is a Mountaineers reserve. He's a big fan of UW coach Lorenzo Romar and their two stars, Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas. They run a much faster system than West Virginia, especially noteworthy since the Mountaineers are without injured point guard Truck Bryant. West said Bryant's replacement, Joe Mazzulla, is a good enough defender to handle Thomas, and said he was encouraged by WVU's ability to hang with a running style in their second-round win over Missouri last week. 7:51 pm | Butler 31, Syracuse 19; 4:08 left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Oh boy. About that comment that at least Syracuse wasn't down much ... The Cuse looks really rattled. Syracuse's offense is normally a blur of slick passes, easy lay-ins and made jumpers, but the Orange aren't getting any of the easy stuff, and they're starting to panic. Scoop Jardine just threw up a horribly ill-advised threepoint attempt that missed everything. But off of a timeout, Andy Rautins hits Kris Joseph inside for a dunk. That's more like the Orange. 31-21. 7:52 pm | UW 10, WVU 6; 9:35 left, 1st Half | by Adam

Thompson Huggins is known as a screamer. (His exchanges in practice with Nick Van Exel at Cincinnati back in the day are the stuff of legend.) Still, Jerry West counts himself a Huggins fan. "He's got some talented players, but he gets the most out of talented players. THE most. â¦ He can be a little rambunctious at times, but the players love him." The Mountaineers coach is making his 18 th tourney appearance, fifth among active coaches. 7:52 pm | Butler 31, Syracuse 23; 3 minutes left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Hey, Adam: What's the crowd like there in Syracuse? On TV, it looks like there were quite a few empty seats in the lower rows. Are people staying home to watch the hometown Orange? 7:56 pm | UW 12, WVU 10; 7:51 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Funny you should ask, Darren. Thre are a fair number of empty seats here around the periphery. The âCuse game plus horrible weather did the scalpers no favors. Could fill in later, of course. 7:58 pm | UW 13, WVU 12; 7:30 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson God bless Isaiah Thomas. Not only was he given his famous name because his father lost a NCAA page 61

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bet in 1989, heâs also rocking a flat-top that would fit right in from that era. He leads scorers early with 5. Pondexter has done little yet, and still the Huskies lead. 8:03 pm | Butler 35, Syracuse 25; Halftime | by Darren Everson Jim Boeheim's expression at the buzzer said it all. It wasn't one of anger, or frustration, or outrage. He just had this weak, what-can-you-do smirk on his face. What can they do indeed? This isn't about the Onuaku injury. Nor is it about Butler being hot (halftime shooting: 40.0%) or Syracuse being especially cold (38.1%). Butler is just stopping their stuff. Syracuse is not able to get its easy inside shots -which ordinarily, in turn, open up outside shots -- and the Orange are getting murdered because of it. 8:06 pm | UW 24, WVU 23; 3:20 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Pondexter sits with his third foul, and sure enough, the Mountaineers are asserting themselves inside and almost back from a six-point hole. 8:10 pm | UW 24, WVU 23; 2:46 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Don't know why the Mountaineers are forcing the three like they are. Not their strength. They're 1-for-7 so far. 8:12 pm | Butler 35, Syracuse

25; Halftime | by Darren Everson Can we start with the doomsday talk about the Big East? Yes, West Virginia is still right there with Washington -- and Syracuse still has 20 minutes -but, goodness, what a disaster it would be if both went down. All eight Big East teams would be gone by the end of the third round. I wonder if such a complete flameout would have repercussions in future years. Sure, each season is different, and past tournament performance doesn't play into the selection committee's thinking. Or it's not supposed to, anyway. But a showing like this could cause commentators and reporters to be a little more critical of the conference, which could influence popular opinion. 8:20 pm | UW 29, WVU 27; 24.2 seconds left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Huskies lead a sloppy one. Mountaineers have gotten a spark off the bench from Deniz Kilicli, whoâs wildly elbowed his way to two buckets. 8:20 pm | Butler 35, Syracuse 28; 18 minutes left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson On the bright side for the Orange, they're doing fine on the boards. Butler isn't getting many second opportunities. 8:21 pm | UW 29, WVU 27; Halftime | by Adam Thompson Darren, even if the

Mountaineers pull this one out, not exactly an impressive showing, swimming upstream against an 11 seed. I still think they can pull it out with Pondexter shelved, but goodness. 8:26 pm | Butler 39, Syracuse 32; 15:32 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Boeheim getting animated now, upset over Butler's players reaching and grabbing as they try to keep up with Rautins and Co. running around screens. 8:31 pm | UW 29, WVU 27; Halftime | by Adam Thompson Strange dynamics continue in the Carrier Dome. Large groups of people huddled around TVs here. You've got a large chunk of fans and staffers who care less about what's happening in the building than 2,000 miles away in Utah. 8:34 pm | Syracuse 40, Butler 39; 13:27 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Well. That didn't take long. Wes Johnson -- who looks like a pro right now -- just put on a show displaying his diverse talents. On an inbound pass from under Syracuse's basket, he two-hands a slam. Then, from NBA three-point range from straight-away, he hits a three. We all know who the top two players in college basketball supposedly are, but five years from now, I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson is a better

pro than either John Wall or Evan Turner. 8:36 pm | Butler 43, Syracuse 40; 11:46 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Give the Bulldogs credit, though. No sense of panic as they respond to the Syracuse run with a couple of scores inside. 8:38 pm | UW 29, WVU 29; 19:45 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompsson And the second half is underway. Good sign for WVU that theyâve shot only 42.9% and allowed the Huskies to shoot 48.1% yet they only trail by a bucket. I think theyâre going to keep pushing inside and take control of this game. And Butler ties it up with a jumper. He hasnât really put his imprint on this game yet either. 8:40 pm | WVU 34, UW 31; 18:29 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Mazzulla played 10 of the last 16 minutes of the first half and he's back at the point to start the second. And Butler cans a three; suddenly he has 9. 8:41 pm | Butler 48, Syracuse 46; 9 minutes left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Gordon Hayward, the best player people may not know about, hits a three to push the lead back to five, but Jardine -right on cue -- answers with a three. 8:46 pm | WVU 36, UW 33; 16:40 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thoimpson

Mountaineers totally in control so far this half. Good thing Nate Robinsonâs sitting in the front row here. Much easier to spot him. Spencer Hawes, his fellow ex-Husky, is a little easier to find. Thereâs a Lopez near them, but, of course, canât tell if itâs Brook or Robin. Anyone know if the Suns are on the east coast right now? If not, the man in the pink polo shirt is probably Brook. 8:47 pm | Butler 50, Syracuse 48; 7:39 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Speaking of Syracuse fans ignoring the Carrier Dome regional to watch the hometown Orange: Remember the days when teams were allowed to play at home in the NCAA tournament? 8:50 pm | UW 37, WVU 36; 15:29 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Butler commits an obvious foul away on the offensive rebound. As an amateur lip-synching expert, I caught Huggins giving the refs a death glare and say four times: âNo, he didnât.â Yes, Bob, he did. Whatever Romar told his boys in that last timeout worked for at least a minute. 8:51 pm | Butler 50, Syracuse 49; 7 minutes left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Butler coach Brad Stevens is 33 years old. Got the job at 31. NCAA page 62

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Think about that for a second. What were you doing at 31? 8:53 pm | UW 37, WVU 36; 14:30 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Our crack editor has deducted that the Mystery Lopez is Brook â- Suns are back west and Nets are home for Detroit tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Huskies just missed SIX chances in the paint in a row and came away with de -squat. Iâm having flashbacks to Charles Smith against the Bulls. 8:54 pm | Syracuse 54, Butler 50; 5:19 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Timeout, Butler. Momentum, Syracuse. 8:55 pm | WVU 41, UW 38; 13:40 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson There are probably more people here than Lopez sees at an entire Nets homestand. Gotta feel for the guy. 8:58 pm | WVU 45, UW 38; 12:45 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Wellington Smith just swatted Pondexterâs shot like he was making an overhead serve. Ebanks makes 2 of 2 to give the Mountaineers their biggest lead. 9:00 pm | Butler 55, Syracuse 54; 2:33 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Goodness, things have changed in a hurry. Big three by Ronald Nored to pull Butler within one, and then another Syracuse turnover. A score inside on its

next trip, and Butler has the lead. Timeout for the suddenly reeling Orange. 9:01 pm | WVU 47, UW 38; 11:58 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Danger, Lorenzo Romar. Wellington Smith gets another lay-up, Mountaineers are starting to pull away. Too much beef down low. 9:02 pm | Butler 58, Syracuse 54; 1:30 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson The tournament can be so cruel. Willie Veasley of Butler takes a corner three that rims out, hits the glass, then falls in. 9:03 pm | by Adam Thompson Now Andy Katz of ESPN has elbowed in to a crowd of other reporters to take a look at the Syracuse game instead of our own. Who can blame them? Needs to be seen to be believed. 9:03 pm | WVU 47, UW 41; 11:16 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Back on Planet Earth, some 245 pounds of that WVU beef, Wellington Smith, has picked up his fourth foul. 9:04 pm | Butler 60, Syracuse 54; 37.1 seconds left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson So little poise by Syracuse! Rautins forces and misses a three; Butler scores on a putback on its next possession; then Jardine forces and misses yet another three. 9:06 pm | Butler 63, Syracuse 56; 30.4 seconds left, 2nd Half |

by Darren Everson Rautins -- a senior -- fouls out, as Syracuse is forced to foul. Hayward converts both shots. 9:07 pm | WVU 52, UW 43; 9:02 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson How funny are these conference rankings? Big East is down to one, yet for at least the next few hours the deservedly maligned Big Ten will have three teams alive, and has a great chance of advancing at least two. 9:08 pm | WVU 52, UW 43; 9:02 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Oooh! Butler just took a hard fall on his side going for a defensive rebound. He looks shaken but heâs still in the game. 9:09 pm | Butler 63, Syracuse 59; 9.9 seconds left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson A glimmer of hope for Syracuse slips away, as Jackson -- after Johnson makes one of two free throws -- has the rebound in his hands but can't hang on. 9:10 pm | WVU 52, UW 43; 8:31 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson On an Overton foul, WVU is now in the bonus. But Mazzulla misses the front end of the oneand-one. 9:12 pm | WVU 56, UW 43; 8:11 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Romar just jumped out of his

coat on a call on Holliday that looked an awful lot like a charge. He gets a T for the effort. Ebanks just hit the techs, and Butler sinks the next two. Could that be the game? 9:13 pm | Butler 63, Syracuse 59; Final | by Darren Everson The Big East is down to one indeed. How did this happen? Sure, the Orange were down big early, but they recovered. And yes, that Veasley three that bounded in was lucky, but Syracuse was still only down four with 1:50 left. Ultimately, the Orange's hairtrigger style did them in. When they desperately needed a good look and a score in the final two minutes, they just kept taking rushed threes. The shots didn't fall, and now the top-seeded Orange have. 9:14 pm | WVU 56, UW 43; 7:40 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Huskies have shot a bootylicious 4-for-20 this half. 9:16 pm | by Adam Thompson Darren, how much of a difference do you think Onuaku wouldâve made tonight? 9:21 pm | by Darren Everson Not a ton. Wouldn't have hurt to have had him, of course, especially since Jackson was a turnover machine inside. But the problem tonight was that Syracuse just couldn't feed the post properly. Onuaku wouldn't have helped that.

9:22 pm | WVU 56, UW 50; 5:26 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Pondexter just scored his sixth and seventh points of the night. He averages 19.7. Tough way to go out for Washingtonâs only senior. 9:28 pm | WVU 61, UW 50; 3:39 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Now Thomas has picked up his fourth foul. Tick, tock, Clarice. West Virginiaâs doing its best imitation of a boa constrictor right now. Very interested to see how Thomas builds on this with his young team next year. Heâs just a sophomore, and heâs 5foot-8, so itâs hard to see him leaving early. Should make for another fun couple of springs around Puget Sound. 9:29 pm | WVU 62, UW 50; 3:30 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Itâs long overdue that I mention the work of WVU Kevin Jones tonight: 6-for-11, 15 points, 8 boards to lead his team in both categories. 9:31 pm | WVU 64, UW 52; 2:41 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Thomas just fouled out. This oneâs over. More evidence of too much West Virginia beef: Rebounds â Mountaineers 46, Huskies 28 2 nd-Chance Points â Mountaineers 15, Huskies 0 NCAA page 63

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9:35 pm | WVU 67, UW 52; 1:23 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Iâm not quaking in my boots if Iâm Kentucky right now. This WVU team is good, but very accident-prone. Mazzulla vs. Wall looks like a TOTAL mismatch. There is the small matter of beating the Americaâs sweethearts first tonight. 9:36 pm | WVU 69, UW 56; 20 seconds left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson A request to Nike: please, please, please stop trying to reinvent the wheel with the unis for the schools in your backyard. 9:37 pm | WVU 69, UW 56; Final | by Adam Thompson Well, that went about as we expected. The Big East lives, the Pac-10 goes out, but with a little dignity. 9:38 pm | by Darren Everson Indeed. The Pac-10 actually redeemed itself a little bit in this tournament. (A little.) 9:41 pm | by Adam Thompson And IMMEDIATELY the crowd starts booing loudly as Kentucky takes the floor. Loudest cheers of the night as Cornell runs in. You know theyâve got friends in the West Virginians, at least for the night. Wow. This is looking like more of an advantage for the Big Red than I wouldâve guessed. Tip-off is at 10:06. 9:41 pm | by Darren Everson And how about Butler? A few

weeks back, we wrote about Purdue's opportunity to play a home-state Final Four. The Boilermakers are still alive, of course, but perhaps we wrote about the wrong Hoosier State team. 9:47 pm | Xavier 0, Kansas State 0; 19 minutes left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Underway in Salt Lake City. 9:50 pm | Kansas St. 8, Xavier 4; 16 minutes left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Just like in the first meeting between these two, it's rough out there. And again, the question is: Can Xavier take it? 9:55 pm | Kansas St. 17, Xavier 4; 12:39 left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Uh, Xavier? You there? While K-State (as usual) has shown up for a fight, the Musketeers look out of sorts. Every time they venture inside, they end up floored or rejected. Or both. 9:59 pm | by Adam Thompson I just caught up with Rex Chapman, the Kentucky great whoâs now VP of the Denver Nuggets. I told him I was surprised by the amount of red in the crowd, and he replied, âThis is the first Kentucky game Iâve ever atteneded on a neutral site where the Cats were outnumbered. And now theyâve got West Virginiaâs crowd, too.â 9:59 pm | Kansas St. 17, Xavier 4; 12:43 left, 1st Half | by

Darren Everson This has to be terribly disappointing to Xavier fans. Sure, the Musketeers have played to beyond their seed (they're a No. 6) by reaching the Sweet 16. But folks in Cincinnati have been wondering for a little while when this program is going to take the next step. 10:02 pm | by Darren Everson Yeah, you had to figure Cornell would have a big edge. Kentucky only got 1,250 tickets, it's a long way away, and the early-game fans always go for the underdog. 10:05 pm | by Adam Thompson Chapmanâs take on the game: If Kentucky can speed the game up, they should roll. The difference between the Wildcatsâ big men and those of Temple and Wisconsin is, uh, significant. That means the Big Red probably canât get their inside-outside thing going with 7-footer Jeff Foote nearly so easily. Still, Chapmanâs hardly viewing this game as a lock. He doesnât like the way his boys defend the three, and Cornell happened to lead the nation in 3 -point shooting this year. He doesnât like the idea of the young Wildcats playing from behind, either. His last word on Cornell: âIâm not going to discount a bunch of kids with nothing to lose and on an unbelieveable run.â 10:05 pm | Kansas St. 19,

Xavier 7; 10:22 left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Seriously. You enter the lane against K-State, you don't exit on two feet. 10:08 pm | 0-0; 19:45 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson And the main course of the first night of the Sweet 16 is served. Here we go. Letâs see how ticked off the Wildcats react to the 50,000 stories this week that implied that Cornellâs players are all smart and theyâre all dumb. Donât discount that fueling them early. 10:09 pm | Kansas St. 24, Xavier 15; 8:15 left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Jordan Crawford with a sick scoop shot for Xavier! But KState still with a comfortable working lead. 10:11 pm | 0-0, 18:43 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Bledsoe coughs it up on the first Kentucky possession. Wittman canât finish on a backdoor cut. Another UK turnover -â Jon Jacques draws a charge. 10:12 pm | Cornell 2, UK 2; 17:32 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson First bucket to Cornell, on a hook by Foote. Cousins bulls back down low to tie it. In the spirit of full disclosure: I am a completely impartial member of the Cornell Class of 1997. 10:13 pm | Cornell 7, UK 2; 15:44 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson

Wittman nails a pull-up three, Dale hits a wing basket, and this crowd loves it. 10:15 pm | Cornell 10, UK 4; 15:00 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Dale for three. Shocking to say, but this game is starting a lot like Cornellâs last two. 10:16 pm | by Darren Everson Great start by Cornell. One last point about the Carrier Dome crowd, though: With all due respect to the Big Red, which of these two teams would you rather face Saturday, if you're a Mountaineer? 10:18 pm | Cornell 10, UK 6; 13:26 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Darren, the answer is: 1) Cornell 2) Cornell 3) Cornell 10:19 pm | Cornell 10, UK 6; 13:26 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson When I talked to Jerry West yesterday, he wouldnât rule out an upset, either. Of course, he did mention that he thought Kentucky has five first-round draft picks on its roster. Thatâs not nothing. 10:21 pm | Kansas St. 28, Xavier 26; 3:23 left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Things are tightening up! Crawford is on my alltournament team. Minnesota, round one: 11 of 21, 28 points. Pittsburgh, round two: 9 of 15, 27 points. Now he has eight NCAA page 64

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already against K-State, and as usual, the scores are entertaining. Just had another disgusting open-court score through traffic. 10:21 pm | UK 10, CU 10; 12:29 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Odd choice by Cornell coach Steve Donahue to take Foote and Dale out so fast. On a stoppage during a three-point play by DeAndre Liggins, Donahue reverses field and sends his seniors back in. 10:24 pm | UK 14, CU 10; 11:08 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson To their credit, these young Wildcats have stayed totally calm after the initial Big Red burst. Ashley Judd greets the 3 by Patrick Patterson with enthusiasm. 10:26 pm | UK 14, CU 12; 10:56 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Dunk by Foote out of the timeout ends a 12-0 Wildcat run. 10:27 pm | by Darren Everson Cornell reeling. (Before that inbound dunk, anyway.) You're closer to it than I am, Adam, but this looks like a classic case of a team getting sped up. Everything Kentucky doesÂ -from guarding on the perimeter to challenging post players inside -- just looks like it's faster than what Cornell is used to. 10:29 pm | UK 14, CU 12; 9:48 left, 1st Half | by Adam

Thompson Agree, Darren. For all Chapmanâs concerns about perimeter defense, from where Iâm sitting the Cats have looked pretty good there so far. Wittmanâs been a non-factor so far. 10:31 pm | UK 16, CU 12; 8:25 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Not that we didnât know this, but Ashley Juddâs fandom is NOT an act. I think I just saw her veins popping out of her neck from across the court. 10:32 pm | Xavier 32, Kansas St. 31; 48 seconds left, 1st Half | by Darren Everson Looks like I owe someone an apology. Xavier has really tightened it up on defense -- aided in part by KState's Jacob Pullen being on the bench with two fouls. Terrell Holloway has also come up with a couple of threes for the Musketeers, who've recovered nicely. 10:34 pm | Xavier 32, Kansas St. 31; Halftime | by Darren Everson Of course, we'll be seeing a whole lot more of Mr. Pullen in the second half. We'll see if KState can regain the initiative or if Xavier is really on to something here. 10:34 pm | UK 16, CU 12; 7:52 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Wallâs also off to a quiet, scoreless start. Heâs been out of

the game for over a minute and Cornell has done nothing to take advantage. 10:39 pm | UK 18, CU 14; 6:55 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Adam Foote gets an easy lay-up from the in-bound. Then DeMarcus Cousins puts the ball through the hoop on the other end in a way no Cornellian can. Still, Footeâs quick six points are keeping them in this. 10:41 pm | UK 20, CU 14; 5:10 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Everyone knew CU was going to keep firing away at close to 60 percent, but 6-for-15 does not equal miracle. 10:42 pm | by Darren Everson Looks like Cousins's back was bothering him a little on the bench. 10:46 pm | UK 21, CU 14; 4:22 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson And worse for Cousins, Calipari appears to be doing his best to add a headache to his list of maladies on the bench. 10:47 pm | UK 25, CU 16; 2:54 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Even before Wall has finished elevating for a transition dunk, Donahue signals for a TO. Cornell already has nine turnovers. Cousins leads all scorers with 8, secure in the knowledge that, indeed, the flailing guys in the red jersies do not get a chance to catch up

with a spelling bee. 10:52 pm | UK 30, CU 16; 1:32 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson OK, this is getting ugly. Cornellâs in the unusual position of having to come back against a much more athletic team. When they nearly upset Kansas, it was off an early lead, remember. 10:54 pm | UK 30, CU 16; 1:04 left, 1st Half | by Adam Thompson Famed basketball gadfly/fixer Worldwide Wes is here cheering on Kentucky. Whoâs the Cornell equivalent? Tompkins County Tony? 10:57 pm | UK 32, CU 16, Halftime | by Adam Thompson Yowza. And remember, Cornell came out and took a 10-2 lead. Using the math skills I developed there, the Wilcats outscored them 30-6 the rest of the way. Excuse me while I go cry in the bathroom. 10:58 pm | Xavier 32, Kansas St. 31; Start of 2nd half | by Darren Everson CBS just showed Kansas State coach Frank Martin's locker room speech at halftime. All I can say is I'm scared. "That is SELFISH!" the former bouncer boomed. "SELFISH and SILLY!" 11:00 pm | Kansas St. 37, Xavier 34; 17:11 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Not much of a free-throw-

shooting team, these Wildcats. Athletically, they can compete with any team left in the tournament -- you too, Kentucky -- but that 67% free-throw rate could come back to haunt them. 11:04 pm | Kansas St. 40, Xavier 36; 16 minutes left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson So it appears the Wildcats heard their coach at halftime. Of course, how could they not? A Pullen three-pointer has KState back up slightly, but only slightly. After a shaky start, Xavier is playing too tough inside for K-State to stretch out this lead again. 11:07 pm | by Darren Everson So far, this is looking like a rough night for CBS. The Butler -Syracuse game was close and had a decent finish, but now the network has been deprived of a marquee team. WashingtonWest Virginia was a dud and Cornell-Kentucky (sorry, Adam) is looking that way too. 11:09 pm | UK 32, CU 16; Halftime | by Adam Thompson No need to apologize, Darren, Iâm a pro. Just went in the back, did a little meditating, a few shots of bourbon, and Iâm good as new. 11:10 pm | Kansas St. 44, Xavier 43; 13:41 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson But we do have a battle here. Guard Dante Jackson, left all alone in the left corner, hits a NCAA page 65

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three to pull Xavier within one. 11:11 pm | UK 32, CU 16; Halftime | by Adam Thompson Leave it to the Yale reader to point out my subtraction error. So what if I didnât get in there? Iâm not bitter! I AM NOT BITTER!!! 11:17 pm | UK 32, CU 16; 19:50 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson As the second half starts, Cornell simply has to start bombing like it hasnât bombed before. There doesnât seem to be any slow, steady climb back against this team. Calipariâs got a million and one detractors, but the man has prepared his squad beautifully so far. 11:18 pm | Kansas St. 46, Xavier 43; 11:59 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Perfect example of what Crawford brings: With the shot clock running down and Xavier's offense bogged down, the 6-4 slasher drives from the right wing -- with two Wildcats draped on him -- and draws a foul on his way to the hoop. 11:20 pm | Kansas St. 52, Xavier 47; 10:56 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Did I mention I'm a fan of Gus Johnson? Love his go-to call on big three-pointers. "It's pure!" 11:21 pm | Kansas St. 52, Xavier 49; 10 minutes left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Foul problems escalating for KState. Dominique Sutton has four; three each for Pullen, Luis

Colon, Jamar Samuels and Wally Judge. Xavier in better shape, although Jackson and Jamel McLean have three. 11:22 pm | by Darren Everson Sorry, but have to ask it, Adam: Does Cornell crack 40 tonight? 11:23 pm | UK 34, CU 20; 15:41 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Seeing Wall for the first time in person, you definitely get a sense of how great he could be. More intriguing on the Wildcats is Cousins. It takes about 1.5 seconds to figure out heâs got an NBA game. But will he work to make himself great or will he be another big man to coast on his talent? Are we looking at a future Marcus Camby or Jerome James? 11:23 pm | UK 34, CU 20; 15:41 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson 40 what? Points? In basketball? 11:25 pm | Kansas St. 56, Xavier 49; 8:47 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Timeout Xavier. K-State forcing some turnovers and making a move. 11:26 pm | by Darren Everson Yes. Basketball. No one cares about your quiz bowl team. (World-class though it may be.) 11:28 pm | UK 36, CU 21; 13:20 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson OK, OK. Letâs nip this in the bud. Youâve got your quiz bowl joke. Can we get an Andy Bernard joke too?

11:29 pm | UK 36, CU 21; 13:20 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson And when do we get to start talking Michigan hoops? 11:30 pm | UK 38, CU 24; 11:45 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson With Wittmanâs latest miss, the countryâs best group of 3-point bombers is 2-for-13 from beyond the arc. OK, so Wroblewski just hit one. 3-for14. 11:31 pm | by Darren Everson The ultimate insult: CBS has switched the New York City audience to the Kansas State game. Kansas is nowhere near New York. Then again, Cornell is nowhere near Kentucky either. 11:34 pm | Kansas St. 58, Xavier 57; 5:31 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Back comes Crawford, and back comes K-State. 11:35 pm | UK 38, CU 24; 10:25 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Is anyone? So far the Cats have won their tournament games by 29 and 30 points. Theyâre probably winning this one by double digits, too. Good thing I have them winning it all in my bracket. And if K-State can just hang on, I may yet redeem that wretched thing and have threefourths of the Final Four correct. 11:38 pm | Xavier 61, Kansas St. 60; 4:30 left, 2nd Half | by

Darren Everson X-men to the lead! 11:38 pm | UK 38, CU 26; 10:13 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Liggins just picked up a foul, a quick seventh for Kentucky. A millimeter-wide ray of hope for the Big Red? 11:39 pm | UK 38, CU 28; 9:46 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Wall and Cousins get an express ticket back into the game. Not enough to stop a Wroblewski jumper from cutting the lead to 10. 11:40 pm | Kansas St. 64, Xavier 61; 3:52 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Three-fourths of the Final Four would indeed be mighty impressive this year. 11:41 pm | UK 38, CU 30; 8:24 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Foote just got his first personal hitting Cousins. This is probably a case where heâs got too FEW fouls. He needs to hit somebody. But Cousins misses both, Errick Peck hits a jumper and suddenly the game is to 8. 11:42 pm | by Darren Everson CBS seems to agree! Back they take us to Syracuse. 11:43 pm | UK 40, CU 30; 7:37 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson The Big Red has a pulse. And still Wittman remains in the witness relocation program somewhere on the east side of

the Carrier Dome. If he got goingâ¦ 11:44 pm | Kansas St. 64, Xavier 64; 3 minutes left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Curtis Kelly misses a pair of free throws for K-State. Remember those. And Dante Jackson follows with a three to tie it for Xavier. 11:45 pm | UK 40, CU 30; 7:37 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson We know, Cornellâs been unusually lousy from 3-point range, but Kentuckyâs been awful too -â just 2-for-15. Iâm looking at you, Darius Miller. 11:45 pm | Xavier 67, Kansas St. 66; 1:57 left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson We have a duel! Kelly answers with a jumper to put K-State back ahead, but Crawford comes back with a three for Xavier. 11:46 pm | Xavier 67, Kansas St. 67; 1 minute left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Kelly splits a pair of foul shots for K-State. Another missed free throw, another missed opportunity. 11:47 pm | UK 40, CU 30; 6:28 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Hereâs an even uglier stat for the Cats â 2-for-10 from the line?!? This is how rallies happen. 11:48 pm | Xavier 67, Kansas St. 67; 46.5 seconds left, 2nd NCAA page 66

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Half | by Darren Everson K-State ball. The Wildcats call timeout. "Coming up--the stretch!" Johnson says. 11:50 pm | UK 40, CU 31; 6:23 left; 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Meanwhile, Cornellâs only gotten to the line eight times and hit just four. Inexcuseable. I canât hear what Enberg and Bilas are saying, but I have the best look in the house at the backs of their heads. 11:52 pm | UK 40, CU 34; 5:15 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Wide-open Dale 3, six-point game. Ashley Judd has her hand over her heart. If this were another era, this is where she would say, âI declare!â 11:53 pm | Kansas St. 70, Xavier 69; 9.7 seconds left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson No choking here! Pullen runs the shot clock down, then swishes a three to put K-State up three. Xavier follows with a quick score on a put-back. KState ball; two foul shots coming up for Pullen. 11:53 pm | Kansas St. 72, Xavier 69; 9.7 seconds left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Swishes them both. 11:54 pm | UK 44, CU 34; 4:32 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Patterson hits both ends of a surprisingly important one-andone. Not a moment too soon. 11:55 pm | Kansas St. 72,

Xavier 69; 9.7 seconds left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson Timeout Xavier. It'll almost certainly be Holloway, Jackson or Crawford shooting this three. 11:56 pm | Kansas St. 72, Xavier 71; 5 seconds left, 2nd Half | by Darren Everson This is why you don't foul on purpose to prevent the three. K-State -- trying to do just that -- fouls Holloway *in the act of shooting a three.* Three free throws. Hits the first, the second ... and K-State calls timeout. 11:57 pm | UK 46, CU 34; 3:53 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson On a goaltended putback, Cousins is now 7-for-8 from the floor. Nothing Cornell can do to stop him. Be interesting to see if West Virginiaâs big boys can handle him. I tend to doubt it. 11:57 pm | by Darren Everson In K-State's defense, the Wildcats tried to foul Holloway well before he pulled up to shoot, but the referees didn't call it. 11:58 pm | by Xavier 72, Kansas St. 72; End of Regulation And he hits the third. Tie game. Pullen misses a three at the buzzer. Overtime! 11:59 pm | UK 47, CU 37; 3:01 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Finally a Wittman sighting. Probably a bit too late. And now Foote bear-hugs Cousins. I know I just said he needed to be

more physical, but thereâs an art to these things, Big Fella! (I feel funny calling Foote âBig Fellaâ when I see him standing next to Cousins.) Calipari looks like he just ate some bad shrimp on the news that the refs arenât calling it intentional. 12:02 am | Kansas St. 76, Xavier 74; 3:16 left, overtime | by Darren Everson A couple of quick scores to start overtime, then K-State takes the lead at the foul line. Of course, we might not even be in overtime if K-State hit its free throws more often. 12:03 am | UK 49, CU 39; 2:14 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson The skeptic in me sees this as the last two minutes and 14 seconds before Cornell fades back to obscurity. Almost all the best players are seniors. I canât see how some richer school doesnât quintuple Donahueâs salary at least. But how can you be mad? What a ride. Besides, the hockey teamâs playing in the NCAAs in Albany tomorrow, and guess whose inlaws live a 10-minute walk from the arena there? 12:05 am | Kansas St. 78, Xavier 74; 2:46 left, overtime | by Darren Everson The Wildcats are hitting their free throws now, though. Samuels makes two to stretch the lead to four. 12:06 am | Kansas St. 80, Xavier 79; 1:44 left, overtime |

by Darren Everson Never mind Crawford: Holloway hits a deep three to pull Xavier within one, then (after a K-State score) a layup to bring the deficit back to one. 12:07 am | UK 51, CU 41; 1:56 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson I was talking to an NBA exec earlier in the week (nobody mentioned here already tonight). When the topic came to Donahue, he could not pile the praise high enough. Cornell has to be one of the toughest jobs in Division I basketball. Horrible winter weather. No athletic scholarships. Tough to get everyone you want into school. And no history. At least before now. If he stays, great. If not, weâll say we knew him when. 12:08 am | Kansas St. 82, Xavier 81; 1:18 left, overtime | by Darren Everson Sutton fouls out for K-State, joining Judge in purgatory. Crawford hits the resulting free throws. Xavier just won't go away. 12:09 am | UK 52, CU 43; 1:28 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson The exec also made clear that there isnât close to an NBA player on the Cornell roster. Which makes the run Foote, Dale, Wittman and Jon Jacques have made all the more astounding. Thereâs not a Matt Maloney among them. 12:11 am | Kansas St. 86,

Xavier 84; 18.1 seconds left, overtime | by Darren Everson Yet ANOTHER huge shot by Holloway, whose straight-away three ties it at 84. But it goes to his head. After Pullen scores to put K-State back ahead, Holloway jacks a quick three that's way short. 12:12 am | UK 54, CU 44; 1:11 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson OK, gushing over. On Kentucky -â their path to the Final Four looks pretty clear. And Iâve got to think theyâve got an edge on anyone left in the South whom theyâd face in the semis. 12:13 am | UK 56, CU 45; :59.9 left, 2nd Half | by Adam Thompson Dale just fouled out. Even a decent portion of the Kentucky crowd applauds. Meanwhile, how about that last Xavier trey?! Weâve come full circle, sitting in the Carrier Dome watching the game in Utah. 12:14 am | Xavier 87, Kansas St. 87; end of overtime | by Darren Everson We officially have a classic on our hands. After Chris Merriewether splits a pair of three throws -- free throws, free throws! -- Crawford hits a game-tying three from beyond NBA range. Well beyond. NCAA page 69

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Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas to face sentencing on Friday Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:45:45 AM

WASHINGTON -- When Gilbert Arenas appeared at a charity event a few weeks ago, no amount of smiles and hugs could hide the underlying tension surrounding the next big date on his calendar. "So that's what everybody's waiting for," Arenas said. "March 26, huh?" The fateful date has arrived. The Washington Wizards threetime All-Star point guard will be sentenced Friday in D.C. Superior Court on one felony count of violating the District of Columbia's strict gun laws. Judge Robert E. Morin will decide whether Arenas does jail time or gets probation. The prosecution and defense teams stated their cases earlier this week in voluminous filings. It's all far beyond anything Arenas imagined on that December morning when he says he brought four guns to the locker room to play a prank on a teammate. Prosecutors want Arenas to go to jail for at least three months. They point out that he lied repeatedly about why the guns were in the locker room, that he tried to cover up what happened, that he displayed a cavalier

attitude about the whole affair, that he knew bringing guns into D.C. was illegal, and that he has a prior gun conviction. Statements "If any other individual -without the fame, power, and the wealth of this defendant -brought four firearms into Washington, D.C., for the purpose of a similar confrontation, fabricated a story to conceal that confrontation, provided convenient explanations in an attempt to mitigate his conduct that were proved false, joked about the incident to large groups, and stated that he did nothing wrong and felt no remorse, the government would seek their incarceration, and the Court would almost certainly give it." -- Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh "The whole world has watched as a man who brought four unloaded guns into the District of Columbia was required to accept a felony plea, suffer great personal and professional collateral consequences, register as a 'gun offender,' submit to court supervision, and face public scorn. This sad saga has sent a strong message to any and all who might consider bringing guns into the District." -- Statement by Gilbert Arenas' Lawyers

"Guns are not something to be played around with. I think a message needs to be sent that Arenas violated the law, it's the second time he's violated a gun law, and while our laws are weak in this country, everyone says let's make sure we enforce the laws that are on the books. He violated those laws, and I think he needs to pay the penalty." -- President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Paul Helmke "If any other individual -without the fame, power, and the wealth of this defendant -brought four firearms into Washington, D.C., for the purpose of a similar confrontation, fabricated a story to conceal that confrontation, provided convenient explanations in an attempt to mitigate his conduct that were proved false, joked about the incident to large groups, and stated that he did nothing wrong and felt no remorse, the government would seek their incarceration, and the Court would almost certainly give it," wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh. Arenas' lawyers are asking for probation and community service, arguing that he was playing a misguided joke with no intention to harm anybody.

They point out that the guns were unloaded, that Arenas' lighthearted comments about the incident were misinterpreted, and that he's a good role model who goes beyond the call of duty when it comes to community service. They add that he was confused about D.C.'s gun laws, and that he's already been severely punished through humiliation and the loss of tens of millions of dollars from canceled endorsements and his suspension without pay for the rest of the NBA season. "The whole world has watched as a man who brought four unloaded guns into the District of Columbia was required to accept a felony plea, suffer great personal and professional collateral consequences, register as a 'gun offender,' submit to court supervision, and face public scorn," the lawyers wrote. "This sad saga has sent a strong message to any and all who might consider bringing guns into the District." The maximum term for Arenas' crime is five years. The sentencing guidelines for someone with his record call for 6-24 months, although those guidelines also allow for probation. A general survey of similar cases over the last two years in the city indicate that about half

of the defendants convicted of Arenas' crime receive some jail time, but the mitigating circumstances vary widely. Arenas' prior conviction -- a no contest plea to carrying a concealed weapon in California in 2003 -- was already a major strike against him, and the evidence revealed this week that he appeared to instigate a coverup -- as shown in a text message produced by prosecutors -- has further damaged his case. There's now little dispute about the basic facts of the case. Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton got into an argument over a card game and exchanged threats while the team was flying home from a road game on Dec. 19. Two days later, Arenas brought his guns to the locker room and put them in a chair by Crittenton's locker with a sign saying, "Pick 1." Crittenton then retrieved his own gun and showed it to Arenas. Crittenton pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor gun charge and received a year of unsupervised probation. Arenas entered his guilty plea on Jan. 15. Arenas' sentence could determine whether the Wizards will attempt to void the WASHINGTON page 68

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The Count: Duke Is Best Final Four Bet (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

neutral court. The only team in the nation with a greater than Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:30:32 PM 40% chance against Duke in Duke is, by one notable ranking such a game, Kansas, won’t get system, the best team remaining that chance after losing in the in the NCAA field — and the second round of the tournament only Sweet 16 team that’s more to Northern Iowa. The three top likely than not to qualify for the remaining teams, by Pomeroy Final Four. Getty Images Mason ratings, are Kentucky, Syracuse Plumlee and the Duke Blue and Ohio State, and all have D e v i l s a r e t h e b e s t t e a m about a one-third chance against r e m a i n i n g i n t h e N C A A Duke in a single game. tournament, by one notable For those hypothetical measure. matchups to happen, those The ranking system is Ken teams would have to reach the Pomeroy’s, and it rates teams by Final Four. I used Pomeroy margin of victory and strength r a t i n g s t o c a l c u l a t e t h e of schedule — while removing probability of that happening. pace from the stats. Pomeroy First I used the rating for each quantifies teams’ outscoring of Sweet 16 team and its next opponents per 100 possessions. opponent to calculate the Because Duke ranks in the 64th probability of reaching the Elite percentile in Div. I for tempo, Eight. Then I applied that same its already healthy scoring technique for each possible Elite margins — the Blue Devils won Eight opponent, and weighted most of their games this season those probabilities by the chance by double-digit margins — that each possible opponent in mask even more thorough the next round makes it that far. dominance. By that technique, Duke has a Overall, Duke’s Pythagorean 61.3% chance of reaching the rating if 0.9824, the highest in Final Four. Its actual probability the nation. That means an may be a bit higher, because its average team, one with a rating next opponent, Purdue, isn’t of 0.5, would have less than a penalized in the ratings for 2% chance of beating Duke on a playing without the injured

chance of reaching the Final Four, in turn, falls to 51%. The same effect, though, hurts the chances of the next best bet, Kentucky. Without accounting for home court, the Wildcats have an 80.2% chance of beating Cornell on Thursday Robbie Hummel, by far the night. But the game will be in team’s most efficient scorer. Syracuse. Accounting for home Even without accounting for court boosts Cornell’s chance to that absence, Duke has a 78.7% win the game to 31.7% — c h a n c e o f b e a t i n g t h e which lowers Kentucky’s Final Boilermakers and a nearly Four probability to 42.2%. identical chance of winning its Boisterous fan support in next game — 77.9% — which Syracuse would also boost would be against Baylor or St. Cornell’s chance at a stunning Mary’s. Final Four to 15.7% — higher While the Purdue injury may than that of five other teams. m e a n D u k e ’ s c h a n c e s a r e Among other favorites, Ohio understated, the games’ location State has a 48.7% chance of in Houston could work against reaching the Final Four, 10 the Blue Devils’ chances if percentage points higher than Baylor, as is likely, advances to S y r a c u s e — b e c a u s e t h e the Elite Eight. All of the above Orange’s region has four of the calculations count each venue as top 10 teams remaining, while neutral. But Baylor is likely to the Buckeyes share a quarter of have a lot of support in its home the bracket with three of the five state. Assigning Baylor home- weakest remaining teams. No. 2 court advantage in regional seeds Kansas State and West g a m e s i n c r e a s e s B a y l o r ’ s Virginia each have about a onechance of advancing to the Elite in-three chance of reaching the Eight to 80% from 68%, and of Final Four. beating Duke, should they meet there, to 40% from 26%. Duke’s

Street Chic: New York ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 3/26/2010 4:00:00 AM

A bright bag adds a burst of

citrus to classic blues and grays. Photo: Anne Ziegler Think you are Street Chic? Email us your photo and you

Street Chic Daily. Follow ELLE on Twitter. Become our Facebook fan! could appear in ELLE.com's

WASHINGTON continued from page 67

remainder of his six-year, $111 million contract, although the players' union has vowed to fight such a move. Regardless, Arenas' misdeed has helped contribute to the precipitous decline of a franchise that is headed for its second consecutive last-place finish after several years as playoff regular. Gun control advocates will be monitoring Friday's developments closely. Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said he thinks jail time is appropriate in Arenas' case. "Guns are not something to be played around with," Helmke said. "I think a message needs to be sent that Arenas violated the law, it's the second time he's violated a gun law, and while our laws are weak in this country, everyone says let's make sure we enforce the laws that are on the books. He violated those laws, and I think he needs to pay the penalty." Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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Relief in Athens as default threat recedes

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Clemente misses a would-be winner at the buzzer. On we go. 12:17 am | Kansas St. 91, Xavier 89; 3:25 left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson You knew this had to happen eventually. Crawford, trying to do too much, misses a three on one possession and turns it over on another. K-State moves to the lead. 12:18 am | Kansas St. 91, Xavier 91; 2:41 left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson But he keeps coming back. Instead of settling for the jumper, Crawford attacks the basket this time and ties it on a runner. 12:20 am | Xavier 91, Kansas St. 91; 2:20 left: 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson Timeout Xavier. K-State's Kelly got banged up a moment ago but looks like he'll be reentering. 12:20 am | UK 62, CU 45, Final | by Adam Thompson Well, Cornell cleared 40 anyway. And lost by 13 points

fewer than Wake Forest lost to this young juggernaut. Kentucky faces West Virginia Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Should be a gritty one. I think itâs time for a beer. Darren, everyone, itâs been a pleasure. 12:23 am | Kansas St. 94, Xavier 93; 1:05 left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson Xavier makes a lightning quick out-of-bounds play for Crawford, who hits a quick jumper to put the Musketeers up two. But Pullen responds immediately with a three. 12:24 am | Kansas St. 94, Xavier 93; 55 seconds left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson By the way: Crawford has 32, Holloway 24, Pullen 23. 12:25 am | Xavier 94, Kansas St. 94; 50.8 seconds left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson After a Crawford missed three, Jason Love grabs an offensive rebound for Xavier and gets fouled on the put-back attempt. Makes one of the two free

throws. Tied again. 12:27 am | Kansas St. 97, Xavier 96; 25.1 seconds left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson When these guys take a big shot, you just assume it's going in now. Pullen hits a three from straight away to put K-State up three. Holloway, fouled on the ensuing possession, hits both free throws. K-State ball. Timeout. 12:29 am | Kansas St. 97, Xavier 96; 24.3 seconds left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson Pullen at the line. Two shots for K-State. 12:32 am | Kansas St. 100, Xavier 96; 12 seconds left, 2nd overtime | by Darren Everson At last: It appears we have a verdict. Pullen makes both free throws. Holloway, unable to shake loose for a three, passes to Jackson, who has an open look but misses. Rebound K-State.

Clemente hits a free throw before a timeout to push the lead to a likely impregnable four. 12:36 am | Kansas St. 101, Xavier 96, Final (2 OT) | by Darren Everson Xavier's last gasps miss, and KState -- at last -- moves on. First Elite Eight since 1988, and a shot at the school's first Final Four since 1964. As for Xavier, there's certainly nothing to be ashamed of in this loss. But the glass ceiling remains. 12:37 am | by Darren Everson So not a bad night of basketball after all. Of all the dramatic games that have been played so far in this tournament, Kansas State-Xavier ranks with any of them. Four more tomorrow. We'll see if they can measure up.

(Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:04:55 AM

Greek debt managers, bankers and economists voiced relief on Friday at moves by European Union leaders and the European Central Bank to rescue the country from the threat of a sovereign default. The EU decision on a “last resort” financial package including assistance from the International Monetary Fund would help reduce Greece’s high borrowing costs – provided its fiscal consolidation effort stayed on track, they said. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Johnson Says He's Leaning Toward Staying at Syracuse Chris Tomasson (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:59:00 PM

Filed under: Syracuse, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - West Region SALT LAKE CITY -- When it finally was over, all Wes Johnson could do was pull his

jersey up and hold it with his teeth. Later, he would retreat to a corridor, standing by himself and trying to hold back tears after he had taken his uniform off following Syracuse's surprising 63-59 loss to Butler in Thursday night's NCAA West Regional semifinal at

EnergySolutions Arena. The question now is: Will

Johnson ever again don his Orange jersey? Johnson is a top NBA prospect. NBADraft.net rates him No. 3 in its 2010 mock draft and draftexpress.com has him No. 8. With those kind of projections, you'd think the 6-foot-7 junior small forward would be a lock to come out. After all, he has

been in college for four years anyway, playing two years at Iowa State and sitting out last season as a transfer before being the Big East Player of the Year in his one season with the Orange.

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Report: Philadelphia Eagles want draft pick among top 42 in deal with quarterback Donovan McNabb ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:32:34 AM

PHILADELPHIA -- Teams interested in acquiring Donovan McNabb will have to part with a high draft pick to get him. A person familiar with trade discussions involving McNabb told The Associated Press the Philadelphia Eagles will only consider a deal for the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback if it includes a pick among the top 42 in next month's NFL draft. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team doesn't comment on potential trades. After months of saying McNabb would return for another year, Eagles coach Andy Reid acknowledged Wednesday he was listening to offers for McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. McNabb, who doesn't retain a no-trade clause but does hold the power to decline contract offers, would prefer the

Minnesota Vikings if he were traded, according to a report in The Philadelphia Inquirer, which cited sources close to the situation. But the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams are considered to be most interested in McNabb. Each team has two picks in the top 42. NFC East blog ESPN.com's Matt Mosley writes about all things NFC East in his division blog. â&#x20AC;˘ Blog network: NFL Nation It's unlikely any of those teams would give up a first-round pick for McNabb. The Rams have the first overall selection, the Raiders pick eighth and the Bills are ninth. In the second round, however, the Rams have the 33rd pick, Raiders are 39th and Bills are 41st. The Vikings are awaiting Brett Favre's decision on a return, a commitment that could come as late as midsummer, which would likely be too long to wait for the Eagles. The Raiders are considered the

front-runner for McNabb if a deal is made. It's still possible the Eagles would accept a pick outside the top 42 if a team sweetened the offer with other picks and/or players. McNabb is expendable because he's entering the final season of his contract and Kolb is considered the quarterback of the future. The 33-year-old McNabb has led Philadelphia to five NFC Championship Games in 11 seasons, winning one NFC title. McNabb had an outstanding season last year until the final two games -- consecutive losses at Dallas. The first loss to the Cowboys cost the Eagles the NFC East title and a first-round bye in the playoffs. The next one came in the wild-card playoff. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Kansas State Knocks Out Xavier in Double Overtime Chris Tomasson (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:32:00 PM

Filed under: Kansas State, Xavier, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - West Region SALT LAKE CITY -- Xavier coach Chris Mack might have gotten his fights wrong. But you got the point. "It was like tonight was eerily similar to Ali-Foreman, and they landed the last punch, unfortunately,'' Mack said. Mack might have meant

Muhammad Ali against Joe Frazier in the epic 1975 "Thrilla in Manila,'' which Ali won in a grueling 14 rounds, rather than the 1974 Ali-George Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle,'' which Ali ended in eight rounds. Nevertheless, this was some bout. Second-seeded Kansas State defeated No. 6 Xavier 101-96 in double overtime Thursday night in an NCAA West Regional semifinal at EnergySolutions Arena. By the end, Kansas State definitely looked more Ali-like.

Focus on Education May Reduce Underemployment (All Gallup Headlines) Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:00:00 PM

[ fivefilters.org: unable to retrieve full-text content] Americans without a high

school diploma are 50% more and three times more likely than as likely as college graduates to l i k e l y t h a n h i g h s c h o o l those with a college degree. be underemployed. graduates to be underemployed, High school graduates are twice

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The Count: Finding Matt Wieters in a Haystack (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

conclusion, using the measure of wins above replacement, seems to contradict SI’s. This may “The Orioles are sitting on the reflect his narrower time period, most sought-after commodity in and that it encompasses the the game,” Sports Illustrated’s whole first round. So I asked Tom Verducci wrote in a recent him to isolate his study to Top profile of Matt Wieters. 10 picks. And what he found Verducci was referring to the Post’s Thomas Boswell noted, there squares with SI’s finding. young Orioles player’s status as before his hometown Nationals Top 10 picks who weren’t a catcher who can both hit and d r a f t e d p i t c h e r S t e p h e n pitchers averaged 1.3 wins play defense. Getty Images How Strasburg at No. 1 overall last above replacement during their hard is it to find a catching year, that since the MLB draft first six seasons — before began in 1965, no pitcher becoming eligible for free talent like Matt Wieters? An accompanying chart with chosen in the Top 10 has come a g e n c y . T o p 1 0 c a t c h e r s the article expanded on the idea close to assembling a Hall of averaged just 0.4 win. This that top catchers are so hard to Fame-worthy résumé. Overall, finding excludes 2001 pick Joe find, by breaking down the in a review of the 10 drafts in Mauer, an All-Star, and the most careers of catchers drafted t h e 1 9 9 0 s a t B e y o n d t h e valuable first-round catchers of among the first 10 picks in the Boxscore, Erik Manning found the 1990s — Jason Kendall, drafts between 1965 and 2005. that just 7% of players selected Charles Johnson and Jason Ten of them became All-Stars, in the first round became above- Varitek — who were all picked and 10 never reached the major average regulars. after the first round. So valuable Manning also found that, for catchers may be the hardest leagues. This seems persuasive, but it’s that decade, catchers picked in commodity to find early in the worth remembering that Top 10 the first round produced slightly draft, but pitchers aren’t far picks can be hit-or-miss at lots more value than outfielders, and behind them. of positions. The Washington a lot more than pitchers. This Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:32:56 AM

Submitted at 3/26/2010 2:00:46 AM

Rupert Murdoch’s closely watched experiment in charging for online news will begin in June, when The Times and the

Richard Mitchell (Joystiq)

idea to keep your eyes on Capcom-Unity. Finally, fans will definitely Capcom has announced that a want to snag the demo, as it will multiplayer demo for Lost unlock the Machine Gun SP -Planet 2 will arrive on Xbox which fires three shot bursts -Live and PlayStation Network in the full version. Speaking of on April 21 and 22, respectively. the retail release, Capcom has The demo will feature the also announced that Lost Planet Turbulent Jungle map and allow 2 will now launch on May 11, a up to 16 players to duke it out week earlier than originally online and track their stats. If planned. The PC version will you'd rather not wait until late release this fall. A p r i l , C a p c o m h a s a l s o Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo S u n d a y T i m e s e r e c t t h e i r www.thesundaytimes.co.uk. announced it will be giving the in April, retail release now May paywalls. Five Filters featured article: demo away to its "most avid 11 originally appeared on Readers will be charged £1 for Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: fans" starting next Wednesday, Joystiq on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 a day’s access – the same price PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, March 31. The press release 10:00:00 EST. Please see our as the weekday newspaper – or Term Extraction. doesn't say how or when the terms for use of feeds. £2 for a week’s subscription to company will hand out the Permalink| Email this| t w o n e w s i t e s , "community-distributed voucher C o m m e n t s www.thetimes.co.uk and codes" for the demo, though we'd say it's probably a good

Murdoch to launch UK web paywall in June (Financial Times - US homepage)

Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo in April, retail release now May 11 Submitted at 3/26/2010 10:00:00 AM

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Cornell Hits Wall, Cousins and Kentucky Lisa Olson (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:15:00 PM

Filed under: March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - East Region SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- No Division I college wanted Louis Dale enough to offer him a basketball scholarship. So videotapes were made of his high school highlights, and copies went into the mail, along with a folder Dale himself prepared out of construction paper and sticky tape, his name written atop it as if it were a grade school project. Soon Steve Donahue, the coach from Cornell, was calling, saying he couldn't offer an athletic scholarship -- just one of those Ivy League quirks -- but he sure was impressed with Dale's oldschool determination and his academic brilliance as well as his physical skills, and maybe Dale and the Big Red would be a fine fit. The Cornell roster is thick with stories like Dale's, stories of

US economy grows 5.6% in fourth quarter (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:55:32 AM

kids with sizzling SAT scores who can nail a turn-around jumper in six different languages. They have brains and brawn, goes the prevailing narrative, and for five is-thisreally-happening minutes Thursday night, it appeared this simplistic theme might be the most appealing of all in a NCAA tournament bursting with thrills. Dale, the lightly-recruited senior guard out of Birmingham,

Ala., came out like a whirling dervish in the Carrier Dome, Cornell's adopted home court. Kentucky's No. 1 fan Ashley Judd hadn't even settled into her seat and Dale already had a pair of rebounds and five points. He was curling around screens, controlling the floor, and when Cornell took an early 10-2 lead off Dale's 3-pointer, the partisan crowd roared with delight. But Kentucky knew. The Wildcats knew they were prone

to sluggish starts, but more than that they knew they had the key to stopping Cornell's storybook run. High hands, they kept telling each other, and it was this brilliantly efficient strategy that propelled Kentucky to a 6245 win over Cornell, everyone's sentimental darling.

The US economy grew at a slower rate than previously thought in the fourth quarter of last year on weaker consumer spending and commercial property investment, signalling a longer path to recovery. Meanwhile, separate figures on Friday showed consumer sentiment muted and unemployment remaining stubbornly high across US states. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Greece is finally given their safety blanket Peter Boockvar (The Big Picture) Submitted at 3/26/2010 5:17:19 AM

As has been hinted at for the past few days, Germany and France have agreed to involve the IMF in a joint backstop that will be there for Greece ONLY

if they run into a funding crisis. Greece needs to raise about 20b euro’s by the end of May to meet upcoming maturities. ECB Pres Trichet who said he wanted to avoid using the IMF yesterday, said he was “extraordinarily happy that the government of the euro area

found out a workable solution.” Greek debt is rallying, stocks are up 3% and the euro is higher. Greece issues notwithstanding, the stock market the past two days has been stopped in its tracks because of the sharp rise in US interest rates which are falling a

touch today. Bankrate.com said Five Filters featured article: the average 30 yr mortgage rate Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: rose to 5.11%, up 11 bps in 2 PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, days and to a one month high. Term Extraction. Helped out by the weaker yen, the Nikkei rose to the highest since Oct ‘08 and the rest of Asia rallied as they will be more immune to a global rise in rates.

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My Top 5 SXSW 2010 Moments ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)

donning her beauty pageant sash a la Miss World, she wore a police-tape sash that read No. 5: The ultimate tables-have “Beware,” and the stocking on -turned experience: By some her right leg had one long clean miraculous equation involving tear the full way down. The alcohol consumption and male comeback starts now. vs. female attendance at SXSW No. 1: Dancing on stage with this year, I experienced The Very Best: One of the acts I something I never have before: was most looking forward to The lines for the Porta-Potties seeing, The Very Best, were SHORTER for the women performed at the Pitchfork than the men. closing party at Scoot Inn. The No. 4: Bill Murray and Wuband has two halves: Esau Tang Walk Into a Bar... I Mwamwaya, a singer originally spotted Bill Murray at the from Malawi, and a pair of Eastbound & Found showcase longer. This was the first time I D J s / p r o d u c e r s k n o w n a s Thursday evening taking in the caught them live, and their 3- Radioclit. The Very Best borrow amazing GZA (of Wu-Tang p a r t h a r m o n i e s a n d f o o t - samples from artists including Clan) show. Later that night he stomping beats made me fall for M.I.A, Vampire Weekend, and was seen hanging with GZA at them even harder. Think Fleet The XX, then layer in African the Shangri-La, where he Foxes, with bite. beats and lyrics sung in apparently got behind the bar No. 2: Seeing Courtney Love Chichewa, the national language and started serving drinks. I perform “Miss World" live for of Malawi. The result is wonder what you tip Bill the first time in over a decade: impossible not to dance to. The Courtney Love’s performance Murray? band did a lot of stage-diving at the Spin Magazine party No. 3: Local Natives throughout the show, then performance at Emo’s: The Friday afternoon -- her first U.S. invited the audience to join them Local Natives are an indie-rock performance in over 10 years -- on stage for the last song—and band from Los Angeles. Their lived up to every one of my who am I to turn down such an debut album was officially inner-teen dreams. She walked offer? released in the US last month, out on stage looking like a punk —Jill Serra but they've been on my iPod -rock Ophelia. Instead of Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:32:52 PM

Xbox 360-branded 16GB drives from SanDisk coming in May Ben Gilbert (Joystiq)

device once more. He assured us, however, that, "If you've got a 16GB and you only want to This morning at the PAX East use 8, you can use the UI and Microsoft breakfast, Larry throttle it back." Further, he "Major Nelson" Hryb revealed reiterated to Joystiq that while the 16GB Xbox 360-branded this branded device is certainly Flash drive from SanDisk. one option, other Flash drives Available in May, the not-yet- (including those larger than p r i c e d d e v i c e c o m e s p r e - 16GB) will work in the same installed with the April 6 capacity. Dashboard update for those who Xbox 360-branded 16GB drives shun the connectivity of Xbox from SanDisk coming in May Live. originally appeared on Joystiq In a conversation with Joystiq, on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:00:00 Hryb informed us that all data EST. Please see our terms for will be transferable to the USB use of feeds. device, except for installed Permalink| Email this| games -- users will need to re- C o m m e n t s install those directly to the USB Submitted at 3/26/2010 11:00:00 AM

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Sebastian Stan on Hot Tub Time Machine ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)

The fact that it was a comedy. I had a lot of fun with a friend making a tape for the audition. In Hot Tub Time Machine, I hiked up to his apartment and starring John Cusack and Craig said, "Let's just have some fun Robinson, four jaded friends with this," and the tape is what inadvertently travel back to led me to the job. We got really 1986 and get to re-live the days physical with it, dressed up in of their prime, perhaps for a funny costumes. Steve Pink more fulfilling future. The really responded to it and comedy, directed by Steve Pink actually used some of our stuff (co-producer and co-writer for in the movie. Entourage and High Fidelity), is Tell me about your role in the a break from actor Sebastian movie. Stan's dramatic characters on I play Blaine, he's a ski Gossip Girl and NBC's Kings as patrolman and considers himself well as upcoming leads in a patriot. He's obsessed with thrillers alongside Natalie movies like Red Dawn and Portman, Mila Kunis, and Rambo and secretly sees himself Ashley Greene. In honor of the as the Savior of America. He movie's opening in theaters lives in his own world and tomorrow, I chatted with Stan becomes suspicious when these about his role as an eccentric four characters come on the ski patrolman in the new flick scene. and how much Carter Baizen You were three years old in influences his personal style. 1986. —Krista Soriano I was four. You tend to gravitate towards Oh. Well what was it like t h e d r a m a g e n r e . W h a t playing a character who was a interested you about Hot Tub teen in the '80s? Time Machine? I'm a big fan of '80s movies, Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:20:06 PM

back in time on a horse, but then I was like, why would I ride a horse? You were recently in the running for Captain America. Congrats to Chris Evans! I was very excited to be part of the group that was selected for Captain America. Think you would take on a superhero role in the future? Definitely. But it's about the material and the people you work with more than anything. Do you take any fashion cues from Carter Baizen or is your and this role gave me a chance personal style completely to have some fun. I got to be a different? little bigger with the acting, It's very different, absolutely! I and some of it was very definitely like wearing suits and physical. I'm happy I had the so on, but at the same time, opportunity. Carter's wardrobe is really spic If you could travel back in -and-span. I like to throw in time, what would be your something dirty every now and vehicle and time period of then. And probably same with choice? Carter; he does that too since his I'd probably go back to character likes to think he has anywhere in the 1920s, the money, but he doesn't. Golden Era. And I'd probably go Photo: Retna back in a car, like in Back to the Future. I almost said I'd go

Stella McCartney’s Latest Styles for GapKids: Not Just for Kids ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 3/25/2010 1:42:00 PM

Last year, France’s First Lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy wore a Stella McCartney for GapKids military jacket and set off a bit of a fashion frenzy. Petite women everywhere realized they too could squeeze themselves into wildly chic kids’ clothes which are not only wearable but affordable. McCartney’s second collection for GapKids, available in New York stores now and nationwide and online March 30, is just as STELLA page 75

March Madness: The Worst Companies In America Barry Ritholtz (The Big Picture) Submitted at 3/26/2010 6:44:34 AM

I love this bit of bracketology from The Consumerist: > click for bigger graphic

Hat tip Mike Panzner Term Extraction. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,

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Around the Net In Media: Fox Mobile Offers TV Smartphone Service

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covetable as the first. My S t e l l a M c C a r t n e y ' s l a t e s t favorites, which I’ll be ordering c o l l e c t i o n f o r G a p K i d s in the largest size available, are Follow ELLE on Twitter. the eyelet dresses, crochet Become our Facebook fan! jumpsuits, and breezy cotton blouses in soft makeup colors. —Violet Moon Gayn or Dresses and a jumpsuit from

(MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:15:38 PM

Was Bear Stearns’ Collapse Only 2 Years Ago? Barry Ritholtz (The Big Picture) Submitted at 3/26/2010 4:14:44 AM

Here is something odd — it feels to me like the collapse of Bear was a decade ago. It doesn’t seem possible, but this month is only the 2 year anniversary of the 2008 implosion at Bear. A bizarre Wall Street time compression seems to be taking place — it makes it seem like it was so much longer ago. I experienced

a similar chronological dilation the first year after 9/11. Time flowed like molasses. Its fascinating to look back at what was being written and said

then — I dug up a few posts from March 2008 — they are pretty wild stuff: • Who is to Blame for Bear Stearn’s Demise?

• WTF Headline of the Day: S&P Cuts Bear Stearns’ Rating • Two Dollars/share, or an “Orderly Liquidation” ? And of course, the infamous photo from the Bear HQ. > Did anyone ever find out who posted that ingenious bit of street theater? I’d love to shake his hand . . . Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai event venues announced! Heather Champ (Flickr Blog) Submitted at 3/25/2010 1:36:36 PM

We’ve just updated the Upcoming listings for our events in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai next month. We hope you’ll join us in Delhi at the India Habitat Center(4/16), or

Bangalore at the Lalit Ashok(4/21), or Mumbai at Olives Bar & Restaurant(4/23). The above are a selection of photos from the Hello, India! group pool. If you haven’t contributed a photo, it’s not too late to have your photo featured attend in person. There’s more at the events, even if you can’t information in the Hello, India!

Group. A selection of photos from Deepa, bradford daly, and IndiPix Gallery. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Fox Mobile is hoping it can convince consumers to watch TV on their smartphones. The News Corp. subsidiary has unveiled Bitbop, a subscription service for smartphone owners that will deliver both streaming and downloadable movies and TV programs to smartphone users. The app will be free to download when it launches on an unspecified date in the next several weeks, but the app itself will only offer sneak previews -full content will cost $10 monthly over 3G and Wi-Fi connections. Bitbop will work on devices such as the iPhone, Droid and several BlackBerry models at launch, with more handsets on the way. Fox, NBC Universal and Discovery will provide content, along with other yet-to-be-announced partners, and some movies will incur a yet-to-be-determined charge beyond the monthly subscription fee. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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This week's top stories [26 March 2010] (The Economist: News analysis)

the long day, Joe Barton, a House Republican from Texas, even declared that he had never Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:03:21 AM seen “so many members of the America's health reform Barack House and Senate behave so Obama’s bipartisan summit on well for so long before so many health policy accomplishes more television cameras.” than meets the eye From the Republican point of Feb 26th 2010 | NEW YORK | view, the event accomplished From The Economist online two important things. First, Mr IT IS tempting to dismiss the Obama was unable to outwit and bipartisan health-reform summit outcharm them on camera, as he convened by Barack Obama on had done brilliantly during a Thursday February 25th as a televised exchange with House colossal waste of time. After all, Republicans in late January. the gabfest involving senior Mitch McConnell and John Congressional leaders from both B o e h n e r , t h e i r s t r i d e n t l y parties lasted well over six partisan leaders in the Senate hours, with no tangible results. and the House, wisely allowed Neither side moved one jot on other Republicans —more any issue of substance and not charismatic and competent, it one vote is likely to have must be noted—to do most of changed on either side as a the talking. That allowed them result of the summit. to say no to Mr Obama’s plans And yet, the televised gathering without appearing, as is often was not pointless. For one thing, t h e a c c u s a t i o n w i t h the sight of America’s leading Republicans, merely the “Party politicians sitting together of No”. Mr McConnell even amiably for an entire day to admitted afterwards that “I d i s c u s s a m a t t e r a s would not call it a waste of inflammatory as health reform time.” (think “death panels”) was itself The event went less well for Mr heartening. Surprisingly, given O b a m a . A f t e r a y e a r o f the bitter partisan wrangling of dithering, he unveiled his own late, they did so in a manner that grand plan for reforming health w a s m o s t l y c i v i l a n d care on the eve of the summit. substantive. Towards the end of This scheme closely resembles a

health-reform bill passed by the Senate just before Christmas (the House passed a substantially different version earlier, and the two bills now need to be reconciled into a final health law). The big question before the summit was whether Mr Obama would really be open to modifying his plan to embrace Republican ideas, or whether the event was merely a sham. In the event, Mr Obama appeared to make some progress on bipartisanship. He listened intently to Republican ideas—except the oft-repeated one to scrap Democratic efforts and just “start over”—and was often seen scribbling notes. At the end of the summit, he reviewed a number of areas where he believed the two parties had similar goals, and he asked the Republicans to think of ways to bridge the divide on them. Among those ripe for cooperation, he declared, were tort reform, inter-state competition in health insurance, the creation of insurance exchanges and tackling fraud in Medicare (a government health scheme for the elderly). This is not likely to herald the start of a new, incremental and

heart-warmingly bipartisan approach to health reform, however. For one thing, Republicans made it clear that they are not willing to do anything to help Mr Obama pass health reform quickly. Mr Obama, for his part, made plain that he was willing to entertain Republican notions only as addons to his existing bill, not as an entirely new approach. Rumours swirled during the summit that if Mr Obama’s big plan (which aims to extend health insurance to some 30m uninsured punters) fails to pass, he may then put forward a less ambitious scheme covering only half that number. But Kathleen Sebelius, the administration’s health secretary, denied this after the summit. Mr Obama himself rejected the incremental approach. He insisted, with some justification, that “baby steps” will not work because the pieces of the health-reform puzzle are tightly interlinked. If so, that leaves Mr Obama with only one course of action: to push through some version of his health plan without Republican votes. It will be very difficult with only Democratic votes, given that moderates and progressives in his own caucus

have misgivings. Ramming a sweeping health law through Congress on a highly partisan basis using procedural wheezes, Republicans repeatedly warned, will prove unpopular. Despite those obstacles, though, Mr Obama now seems ready for battle. That points to the biggest reason to think the summit was not a waste of time: it made clear that Mr Obama, after months of sitting on the sidelines, now has steel in his spine. If Republicans do not come up with a reasonable set of compromise measures over the next few weeks to add to his plan, he says that he intends to forge ahead anyway. The final verdict, he insisted, will come from the voters: “We’ve got to go ahead and make some decisions, and then that’s what elections are for.” Readers' comments Readers have commented on this article (the window for new comments is now closed). Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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US stock market returns – what is in store? Prieur du Plessis (The Big Picture) Submitted at 3/26/2010 8:02:38 AM

US stock market returns – what is in store? Surging stock markets since the lows of March 2009 have caught most investors by surprise, especially as new pieces of the economics puzzle are not always rosy and do not quite seem to support an overly bullish case. In short, investors are increasingly struggling to make sense of the most likely direction of stock prices. Are we perhaps nearing the end of a cyclical bull phase in a structural bull market? Or will strong earnings growth ensure the longevity of the bull? Or is a “muddle-through” trading range in store? It seems to be a case of so many pundits, so many views. It is one thing to trade the market’s rallies and corrections, but this is easier said than done, with not many people actually getting it right with any degree of consistency. Others are of the opinion that the recipe for creating wealth is simply to follow the patient approach, saying that “it’s time in the market, not timing the market” that counts. But “buy-and-hold” investors in the S&P 500 Index are still 25.5% down from the levels of 10 years ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Index a similar 23.5% lower and the Nasdaq

Composite Index a massive 52.5% under water. This gives rise to the allimportant question: does one’s entry level into the market, i.e. the valuation of the market at the time of investing, make a significant difference to subsequent investment returns? In an attempt to cast light on this issue, my colleagues at Plexus Asset Management have updated a previous multi-year comparison of the priceearnings (PE) ratios of the S&P 500 Index (as a measure of stock valuations) and the forward real returns (considering total returns, i.e. capital movements plus dividends). The study covered

the period from 1871 to March 2010 and used the S&P 500 (and its predecessors prior to 1957). In essence, PEs based on rolling average ten-year earnings were calculated and used together with ten-year forward real returns. In the first analysis the PEs and the corresponding ten-year forward real returns were grouped in five quintiles (i.e. 20% intervals) (Diagram A.1). The cheapest quintile had an average PE of 7.7 with an average ten-year forward real return of 11.4% per annum, whereas the most expensive quintile had an average PE of 23.4 with an average ten-year forward real return of only 3.8%

per annum. This analysis clearly shows the strong long-term relationship between real returns and the level of valuation at which the investment was made. The study was then repeated with the PEs divided into smaller groups, i.e. deciles or 10% intervals (see Diagrams A.2 and A.3). This analysis strongly confirms the downward trend of the average ten-year forward real returns from the cheapest grouping (PEs of less than six) to the most expensive grouping (PEs of more than 21). The second study also shows that any investment at PEs of less than 12 always had positive ten-

year real returns, while investments at PE ratios of 12 and higher experienced negative real returns at some stage. A third observation from this analysis is that the ten-year forward real returns of investments made at PEs between 12 and 17 had the biggest spread between minimum and maximum returns and were therefore more volatile and less predictable. As a further refinement, holding periods of one, three, five and 20 years were also analyzed. The research results (not reported in this article) for the one-year period showed a poor relationship with expected returns, but the findings for all the other periods were consistent with the findings for the ten-year periods. Although the above analysis represents an update to and extension of an earlier study by Jeremy Grantham’s GMO, it was also considered appropriate to replicate the study using dividend yields rather than PEs as valuation yardstick. The results are reported in Diagrams B.1, B.2 and B.3 and, as can be expected, are very similar to those based on PEs. Based on the above research findings, with the S&P 500 Index’s current ten-year normalized PE of 20.3 and tenyear normalized dividend yield STOCK page 78

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of 2.1%, investors should be aware of the fact that the market is by historical standards expensive. As far as the market in general is concerned, this argues for unexciting long-term returns, possibly a â&#x20AC;&#x153;muddlethroughâ&#x20AC;? trading range for quite a number of years to come. Although the research results offer no guidance as to calling market tops and bottoms, they do indicate that it would not be consistent with the findings to bank on above-average returns based on the current ten-year normalized valuation levels. As

a matter of fact, there is a distinct possibility of some negative returns off current price levels. Did you enjoy this post? If so, click here to subscribe to updates to Investment Postcards from Cape Town by e-mail. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Around the Net In Media: HBO Looking For 'TV Everywhere' Deals (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:15:46 PM

Pleased with early "TV Everywhere" returns from its relationships with Verizon FiOS and Comcast, HBO is moving toward deals with other distributors. Eric Kessler, copresident of HBO, says the premium programmer is engaged in conversations with a number of different distributors about the platform that enables authenticated subscribers to access content from multiple touch points. TV Everywhere and HBO Go are the latest examples of the programmer being at the forefront of technology as a

Around the Net In Media: HuffPo Goes After Auto Ads (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:16:04 PM

A new partnership between The Huffington Post and a Detroitbased ad rep firm could help automakers gain more social media traction. The news and opinion site has teamed with Focus Media and Marketing, to gain ad dollars from automakers Ford, Chrysler and GM. HuffPo

chief revenue officer Greg Coleman says the site's readership, with its has average household income of $100K, appeals to auto advertisers, which can spread news of new vehicles in a more "viral manner." "We're allowing live Twitter feeds to run through a sponsored ad unit," said Coleman. "There are plenty of events that the

automotive world sponsors on TV and online that they should be the sponsor of in social media. ... They're classic candidates especially if they really believe they have a breakthrough car launch." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

mechanism to fortify and increase its subscription base. Currently, HBO Go is available to Verizon FiOS TV and Internet customers who subscribe to HBO, as they can access more than 600 hours of content, for no additional charge, by logging in at either the premium network's HBOGo.com site or via a Verizon site. Comcast offers the same 600-plus hours of HBO content through its Fancast Xfinity TV online service. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Around the Net In Media: Verizon Challenges Broadband Rule (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:15:55 PM

There is a growing push within the agency to reclassify broadband as a common carrier service, meaning Internet service providers would be regulated like telephone companies. But that notion is not sitting well with One of the nation's biggest telecommunications providers, which are pushing the FCC not to assert its authority over Internet services, but to leave it to Congress. Verizon Communications said that the FCC's power over highspeed Internet services is "at best murky" and offered recommendations to Congress that could take away much of the agency's power. Tom Tauke, Verizon's top lobbyist, arguing that the FCC should shift to more of an enforcement role -like that of the Federal Trade Commission -- from its current status as a rule-making body. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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HP Demos Rollup Flexible Displays (w/ Video) (PhysOrg) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:52:52 AM

HP Demos Rollup Flexible Displays (w/ Video) March 25, 2010 by John Messina Enlarge Current flexible displays use a batch cookie cutter process for manufacturing. A new production method called SelfAligned Imprint Lithography (SAIL) will streamline production and reduce cost. (PhysOrg.com) -- The Flexible Display Center, at Arizona State University, hopes to have flexible displays ready for test trials in approximately three years. The possibilities of using flexible displays are endless and one day will be used in many portable devices such as ereaders, cell phones, and tablets. The people at hardware.info recently saw one of HP’s flexible screens rolled up and placed into a poster tube. HP’s CTO, Phil McKinney states that the flexible display is not designed to be rolled up. The display would only survive being rolled up about six times before it would start to malfunction. The screens are printed on flexible plastic sheets

of Mylar material and could be easily rolled during the manufacturing process. You need Flash installed to watch this ideo First demo of HP's new flexible display technology demo by Phil McKinney (HP’s CTO) The displays can be mass produced by using a production method called Self-Aligned Imprint Lithography(SAIL). By manufacturing the displays in the form of rolls instead of sheets makes the production method more cost effective. Enlarge The flexible display is not intended to be a roll up screen but a lighter and more compact display. HP’s manufacturing process, for the prototype, allows for the fabrication of thin film transistor arrays on a flexible plastic material. The displays would then be created using a roll-to-roll manufacturing process in a similar way like a newspaper is printed in the press. This compares to the current method used today as a batch process where displays are cookie cut. Carl Taussig director of Information Surfaces at HP Labs stated, “In addition to providing a lower-cost process,

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• DaffyDuck- 22 hours ago • Rank: not rated yet • • • • • SAIL technology represents a • more sustainable, • environmentally sensitive • approach to producing electronic displays. We want to lower the costs of traditional flat • panel displays and increase their • functionality.” Enlarge • Here the fabrication of thin film • transistor arrays can be seen on • a flexible plastic material. HP is • hoping to use this technology to • offer lighter and more compact • devices such as e-readers and • tablets. The head of HP • technology is expecting, in about two years, to have the first products on the market and in • about three years to have mass • production. More information: • http://flexdisplay.asu.edu/ • via HardwareInfo • © 2010 PhysOrg.com • Move the slider to adjust rank • threshold, so that you can hide •

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New Smart Pushbutton 'On/Off' Controller Chips from STMicroelectronics Protect and Improve Performance of Battery ... (redOrbit) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers)

on/off controller chips offer protection for battery-operated devices in many ways. These Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:24:17 AM include minimizing the risk of Posted on: Thursday, 25 March powering up without sufficient 2010, 09:17 CDT battery energy to complete the G E N E V A , M a r c h 2 5 sequence, which can damage the /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- system. To prevent this, the chip STMicroelectronics (NYSE: blocks power-up if the battery is STM), a leader in chips for excessively discharged. It can m o b i l e m a r k e t s , t o d a y also prevent 'power-up' if it i n t r o d u c e d n e w s m a r t detects a fault in the power pushbutton 'on/off' controller supply. The IC connects directly ICs that will improve the user to the power button and another experience for virtually any Smart Reset(TM) input can be b a t t e r y - p o w e r e d p o r t a b l e connect to any other pushbutton device, including e-readers, in the system, and contains t a b l e t s , m e d i a p l a y e r s , circuitry to prevent external s m a r t p h o n e s a n d d i g i t a l interference such as electrostatic cameras. These new chips will discharges (ESD) from causing enable next-generation mobile unwanted 'power-up' or 'systemproducts to offer easy-to-use reset'. 'power-up', 'power-down' and As the latest members of ST's 'unfreeze/reset' functions that f a m i l y o f p o w e r - p a t h will prevent damage to the end- m a n a g e m e n t c h i p s , t h e user product. In addition, these STM660x ICs also implement single-chip turn-key solutions Smart-Reset capabilities to help significantly ease the design users recover products that have task for leading mobile and crashed or frozen during normal portable c o n s u m e r operation. Smart Reset requires manufacturers, enabling the both pushbuttons to be held replacement of 'tens' of discrete down for a minimum period, electronic components in controlled by an external product designs. capacitor, before a reset occurs. T h e n e w S T M 6 6 0 0 a n d This two-action reset eliminates STM6601 smart pushbutton the need to hide the reset button

behind a hole in the outer casing to prevent accidental use, thereby lowering engineering costs and allowing the casing to be sealed if required. The protection features integrated in the STM660x devices replaces as many as 30 or 40 discrete components or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device) with a separate voltage regulator, clock and a voltage detector to determine the battery condition. Alternatively a microcontroller with dedicated housekeeping features could be used, but this, too, requires an external crystal, a voltage detector and must also be programmed. The STM660x's 2x3mm footprint occupies less than half the pc-board space of any alternative approach, which unlocks valuable space savings for mobile products. Also important to portable product designers is the device's low active power consumption of 6 microA and a zero-power shutdown mode consuming less than 1 microA. The STM6600 and STM6601 are in volume production now. Several configurations are available, allowing designers to

optimize protection for their designs, priced from $0.65 in quantities of 10,000. Further information is available at www.st.com/powerpath About STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics is a global leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications with innovative semiconductor solutions. ST aims to be the undisputed leader in multimedia convergence and power applications leveraging its vast array of technologies, design expertise and combination of intellectual property portfolio, strategic partnerships and manufacturing strength. In 2009, the Company's net revenues were $8.51 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com. Smart Reset is a trademark of STMicroelectronics. SOURCE STMicroelectronics Source: PR Newswire More News in this Category Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

“Text 2.0 Eye-Tracking Reading Companion: Crazy Or Crazy Awesome? (TechCrunch) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:47:45 PM

It’s an interesting time to be in the e-book business. E-readers in their many varieties are sussing out the perfect user experience, and the race to the bottom might end up with students packing a Kobo into their bag instead of 20 pounds of expensive textbooks. When it comes down to it, though, you’re selling a mostly static experience — as indeed books have been for a long time. Interaction in books is the realm of children: pop-ups and coloring books. But the move to new and interesting devices has some people excited about the future of text— and this Text 2.0 idea may just change how you think about interacting with books. The idea is that it tracks where you’re looking, and based on a number of factors, triggers one “TEXT page 81

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of several context-sensitive actions. An eye-tracking interface is an entirely new beastie, however, and somehow I’m not convinced that real life usage will be quite as easy to collate and react to as this video seems to suggest. Read the rest of this entry »

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Video: Computer-Controlled Bacteria Build a Miniature Pyramid Stuart Fox (Popular Science New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)

through the blood stream of a rat, like in Innerspace. In the future, the researchers want to use the bacteria as a Submitted at 3/25/2010 1:31:08 PM While so many scientists spend propulsion system for larger their time trying to create nanorobots that could deliver nanobots the size of bacteria, drugs, repair an organ, or researcher at the NanoRobotics assemble larger and more Laboratory of the École complex nanostructures. Polytechnique de Montréal, But, as I mention with every Canada, decided to simply take video, don't take my word for it direct control of live bacteria. when you can check it out for By using a computer-controlled magnetotactic bacteria. These bacteria into forming a giant, yourself! In the video below, magnetic field, the researchers critters have little internal computer-controlled swarm. In you can actually watch the turned the bacteria into fully- compasses, and will follow the one experiment, the researchers bacterial swarm assemble a tiny c o m p l i a n t b i o l o g i c a l pull of a magnetic field. By h a d t h e b a c t e r i a l s w a r m pyramid: nanorobots. manipulating a magnetic field, assemble a small pyramid. In [ IEEE Spectrum] The trick was using a type of the researchers tricked the another, they directed bacteria microbe known as

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Which Currently Available 3DTV Is Best? Gizmodo/Richard Baguley (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:55:48 AM

There are just two 3DTVs on the market right now-a plasma from Panasonic and an LCD from Samsung. Luckily, that means it's really easy to spot which is the best. The Method We tested two HDTVs that use the new Full HD 3D standard: the $2900 Samsung UN55C7000 (a 55-inch LCD, on the left in the photo) and the $2500 Panasonic TC-P50VT20, a 50-inch plasma on the right. We tested them with the requisite 3D glasses and a Panasonic BD-C6900 3D Bluray player playing both a 3D movie (Monsters Vs Aliens) and a disc of sample footage that came with the Blu-ray player. The Glasses Both displays require you to look like a dork by wearing a pair of 3D glasses. That's what produces the 3D effect: the glasses contain LCD shutters that turn on and off to show each eye a separate image 60 times a second. Without the glasses, you see a confusing mess of two images slightly offset. With them, you see the 3D effect, but this means that you need a pair for every person

watching, and they cost $150 each. The Panasonic 3D glasses (left) are arguably less dorky looking, although they aren't going to win any design prizes. The Samsung 3D glasses (on the right) are larger, heavier and somewhat more nose-acheinducing; the weight sits right on the bridge of the nose and feels like you have a slight head cold. The Panasonic glasses are also more adjustable, coming with 3 different nose bridges and a neck strap. You can't adjust Samsung's glasses at all. The 3D In use, we found that both HDTVs produced a decent 3D effect, with a good sense of depth to the images. This experience was far from perfect, though; the 3D effect often broke down when the camera panned around or moved quickly. That's because the 3D effect relies on the brain detecting the differences between the two images, and that doesn't work when it can't figure out the difference between one blurry mess and another. The Samsung displayed an annoying issue with a ghost image that showed up around the edges of objects, caused by some of the left frame getting

into the right eye and vice versa (the technical term is crosstalk). Indeed, the Panasonic actually had the same issue, but to a much lesser degree. It isn't yet clear if this phenomenon is caused by a slight mismatch between the timing of the frames on the screen and the shutters on the glasses, or by a lag in the response time of the LCD screen that the Samsung uses. Plasma displays like the Panasonic TC-P50VT20 can react much faster than an LCD, so the screen can show the two images with much less interference between the two. Whatever the cause, it is very irritating and distracting. Watching a movie, we found that the Panasonic was better for extended viewing; although the glasses are heavier, the 3D effect felt more comfortable over time, and the crosstalk between the frames was less annoying. But while the Panasonic HDTV produced the more pleasing 3D effect overall, neither 3D TV was as convincing as seeing the movie on the big screen: the image didn't pop out of the screen on either TV in the way that the adverts imply, even when the

filmmakers used tricks like objects flying into the screen. Those didn't really work in the 1950s, and they don't work now. Size has a lot to do with this. Even at 55 inches, the physics of 3D are against home theater enthusiasts. So you'll still want to glue your face to the screen to maximize the 3D effect. The Other Caveats Then there's the issue of price... As well as the cost of the TV itself, don't forget to include the cost of the glasses ($150 a pop: you get one set with the Panasonic and none with the Samsung) and $400 for the 3D Blu ray player, because your existing one won't play 3D Blu ray discs (though the PS3 will receive an update this summer). Total that all up for a family of 4 and you are laying out a hefty $3700 for the Samsung or about $3350 for the Panasonic. And don't forget that you'll need to find something to watch -the only option right now is the execrable animated movie Monsters vs. Aliens, which gets old pretty quickly. At the moment, that's the only 3D Bluray available, so you'd be better off getting your 3D kicks from going to see Avatar again and saving your cash until the price of the glasses for these 3D HDTVs falls.

But if you are dead set on being the first one on the block to have a 3D HDTV, the Panasonic TCP50VT20 is the better pick right now. The Panasonic produces the stronger and more convincing 3D feel, and comes with one pair of glasses. The Samsung is a bigger, brighter and perhaps better overall HDTV, but the 3D is still a little glitchy and you don't get any glasses with it. Basically, you may one day choose to watch 3D on the Panasonic. But the Samsung teeters on "just because you can doesn't mean you should" territory. For more information, read these full reviews of the Samsung UN55C7000 and the Panasonic TC-P50VT20.. Richard Baguley writes for Televisioninfo, who produce indepth, unbiased scientific reviews of televisions. He is currently working on expanding their scientific testing into the 3D realm. Gizmodo is the world's most fun technology website, focused on gadgets and how they make our lives better, worse, and more absurd.

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How It Works: The Next-Gen Wind Turbine Rena Marie Pacella (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 3/26/2010 7:44:19 AM

To take advantage of the strong winds that blow over the ocean, this gearless turbine uses a giant ring of magnets and 176-foot blades There's enough wind energy along our coastlines to power the country four times over, and the race is on to build the best offshore turbines to capture it. Manufacturers worldwide are experimenting with two techniques: ever-longer blades to harness more gusts, and simplified drivetrains (including new generators) that slash the need for costly repairs at sea. GE's upcoming machine, slated to go online in 2012, will combine both into one package. A Twist on Blades: The longer a turbine's blades, the more wind it captures and the more electricity it creates. "If we could, we would just build infinitely longer blades," Mercer says. "The problem is, blades get heavy and flexible." That flexibility, coupled with the force from very high winds, can bend blades so much that they burden the machine or even smack the tower. So GE designed a blade that twists as it bends. It's curved backward about eight feet, instead of

extending straight out. When a gust pushes the tip up, the blade twists slightly around its curveinstantly angling itself so that it bears less of the gust's brunt yet still captures a large part of its energy. Nick Kaloterakis GE created lightweight 176-foot blades-about 40 percent longer than the average-with a more aerodynamic shape. The blades will attach to a drivetrain that does away with many of the moving parts, including the gearbox, that are prone to breakage and energy loss. A direct-drive mechanism replaces gears, and permanent magnets replace the electromagnets that require starter brushes, coils and power from the grid every time they fire up. The blades are now being tested in the Netherlands, and the drivetrain in Norway. Combining the two should result in a turbine that captures 25 percent more wind power than conventional models, so it can operate more often at its full four-megawatt potential-enough to power 1,000 homes. Design Highlights on the Windmill Generator: The 90-ton generator consists of a nearly 20 -foot ring of magnets that spins to produce current. Its large diameter lets it create a lot of power when turning slowly, at the same 8 to 20 rpm as the blades, so it doesn't need a gearbox to speed it up to the

degrees per second. It can also turn the blades away from dangerously high winds to avoid power overloads or hardware damage. Blades: Light, stiff carbon fiber replaces fiberglass at critical points in the blades, so they lose pounds and gain strength. A flat (rather than tapered) edge gives them a shape that increases lift. How to Spin Power 1. Position the Blades Based on data from winddirection sensors, a yaw-drive motor turns the nacelle to face the wind. A pitch controller rotates each blade around a bearing, setting it to the best angle for the wind speed. 2. Capture the Wind The three-bladed rotor spins in winds from 7 to 70 mph, thousands of rpm most megawatt generators require. sweeping twice the area of a "Get rid of the gearbox, and football field. A 23-foot-long now you don't have to change steel rotor shaft and two roller the oil," says GE engineer Gary bearings transfer the mechanical energy to the generator. Mercer. Electrical Circuitry: Converters 3. Turn it into Electricity stabilize the current's varying The shaft spins the generator's frequencies. Transformers boost neodymium magnets inside voltage from 690 volts to more stationary copper coils, inducing than 22,000, so current travels current in the coils. Circuitry efficiently over long-distance adjusts the frequencies and voltage of the current and sends lines. Pitch Controller: To maximize it off to the grid. Click here for lift as the wind speed changes, a more How It Works controller can automatically rotate each blade anywhere from a fraction of a degree to multiple

Video: The Drunk History of Nikola Tesla, Father of Western Technology Paul Adams (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:44:28 PM

Nikola Tesla, pioneering inventor, died penniless and unrecognized. We have previously mentioned his hipster cred, but it has taken until 2010, almost 70 years after his death, for the man and his achievements to be apotheosized in the medium of Drunk History. Drunk History, of course, is the very latest highly educational genre, in which amateur historians consume alcohol in excess and then recount, to the best of their impaired ability, the events of the past. Meanwhile, the narration is acted out as faithfully as possible -- in this case, by John C. Reilly as Tesla and Crispin Glover as Thomas Edison. Tesla can take credit for the world's system of AC current; the induction motor; contributions to wireless communication and radio; the VIDEO: page 84

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electronic logic gate -- so much, --Ed you'd best just watch the video. Not while you're eating. Update: The video has been pulled due to a copyright issue of some kind. Sad! Good thing I watched it four times yesterday.

Inverter News: Advanced Energy Buys PV Powered info@greentechmedia.com (Greentech Media: Headlines)

Powered, a privately-held Bend, Oregon-based inverter company will soon be a wholly owned Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:22:46 PM subsidiary of Advanced Energy. The global solar inverter market While SMA is a leader in is roughly $2 billion and E u r o p e a n r e s i d e n t i a l growing healthily along with the applications, companies like P V m a r k e t . B u t m a r k e t Advanced Energy, PV Powered, dynamics in the inverter field Xantrex, Satcon, Solectria are are very different than in the dominant in the U.S. market. solar module field. While the PV Powered is profitable, biggest PV module vendors, according to the firm, and has First Solar or SunTech have shipped over 16,000 units since market shares in the 15 percent 2003. range -- the PV inverter market I spoke with Gregg Patterson, is dominated by a five hundred CEO and Erick Petersen, the pound gorilla -- SMA with a Vice President of Sales and market share greater than 38 Marketing at PV Powered. The percent. The other hundred acquisiiton is not just about inverter companies have to market share to them. For PV c o n t e n t t h e m s e l v e s w i t h Powered, Advanced Energy dividing up the remaining 60 (AE) gives them international percent of the market although r e a c h a n d t h e p r o j e c t there are certainly different "bankability" that is necessary inverter sectors -- residential, in the maturing solar industry. commercial and utility. AE had full year 2009 sales of An obvious strategy to gain $186.4 million, 43.3% below m a r k e t s h a r e q u i c k l y i s sales of $328.9 million in 2008 acquisition and that's just what which reflects a drop in their Advanced E n e r g y semiconductor business. Industries(Nasdaq:AEIS) has PV Powered boasts a 97 d o n e i n a n n o u n c i n g t h e percent CEC efficiency for their acquisition of PV Powered. PV inverter products. In Patterson's

view -- PV Powered and AE are the innovation leaders in this market and the leading U.S. inverter suppliers. AE's 97.5 percent efficient bipolar, transformerless design makes them leaders in utility-scale applications. PV Powered transformer-based products focus on residential and commercial applications although their 260 kilowatt unit is used as a building block in 2or 3-megawatt projects. AE's high-voltage DC and transformerless solution allows direct connection to medium voltage for utility-scale usage. PV Poweredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial inverters offer the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first comprehensive 20 year extended warranty. When queried about microinverters and DC-to-DC boost products, the PV Powered CEO had a clear leaning towards the DC-to-DC boost products which work in tandem with a centralized inverter. Patterson said that microinverters are more a niche product and that the DC-to-DC products address a far different

problem. He feels that the DCDC solution is a technically more comprehensive approach to a bigger set of challenges than microinverters are addressing and the microinverter's role in the market is in residential applications. Enphase might differ with that view. Patterson said, "We don't see microinverters being competitive on cost in the longterm with centralized inverters." PV powered has a collaborative effort with DCboost firms eIQ Energy, Tigo Energy, Phobos Energy and others to evaluate and advance DC-to-DC technology to see "if the promise delivers in the real world" and to "demonstrate the reality under sun." The CEO says that he's heard from customers and they say that there are two inverter companies doing things differently on efficiency and reliability: PV Powered and Advanced Energy. Hugh Kuhn, the COO and SVP of Solar Power Partners, positoning himself for price

negotiations, had this to say: "Solar Power Partners was thrilled to hear the news of the acquisition of PV Powered by AE, for we are customers of both companies and understand the great synergies that the combination will bring to the market. We expect to see considerable change in the power conditioning end of the business in the next few years, and PV Powered and AE are emerging as new leaders in terms of innovation, quality, reliability, functionality and price. The combined firm should be a highly competitive force in the industry." Advanced Energy, PV Powered, SMA, SatCon, GE, Enphase, and other inverter firms will be presenting at the Greentech Media Solar Summit next week in Phoenix. UL auditor at PV Powered Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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Is Bureaucracy Killing Solar? info@greentechmedia.com (Greentech Media: Headlines)

solar. Although Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the Department of Energy have Submitted at 3/26/2010 4:45:46 AM promised to streamline federal The most attractive word in land use policies, environmental solar right now just might be regulations and bureaucratic "Foreclosed." inertia tip the balance in favor of Mojave Sun Power is in the going after private land and midst of preparing a utility-scale c i r c u m v e n t i n g t h e f e d s solar thermal plant that will w h e n e v e r p o s s i b l e . T h e cover 6,000 acres in Arizona. regulatory tangle in some states, The project, however, won't sit p e r h a p s m o s t n o t a b l y i n on Bureau of Land Management California, is also hampering the property. Instead, the land industry. (Texas, though, has its mostly comes from a residential issues too, because the structure property development that never of the incentives can make it got off the ground. more difficult to obtain large "We want to avoid BLM," said offload contracts.) Rob Morse, the finance director "Permitting has become one of for Mojave. our top priorities here. It is one Morse further added that much of the biggest barriers in the of the power produced by the solar market right now," said plant won't stay in Arizona. It Hannah Muller with the DOE will go to California or Nevada. Solar America Cities Initiative, Arizona has streamlined its which puts together programs approval process, which became for municipalities to promote another factor in locating the solar. "PV modules are dropping project there. in price quickly but the soft An added bonus: the residential costs aren't dropping as fast." property development came Citing a Lawrence Berkeley with water rights that will likely Laboratory study, Muller said exceed the needs of the solar that soft costs like paperwork thermal plant. Oh, and the consume 30 percent of the transmission capacity was budget for commercial projects earlier upgraded. and 40 percent of residential M o j a v e ' s s t o r y i s a n projects. One problem is that increasingly common one in local governments haven't

evolved as fast as the solar industry. The Solar America initiative will hold a symposium to discuss progress in a number of pilots for streamlining financing and paperwork next month. Morse and others will discuss the topic at Greentech Media's 2010 Solar Summit next week. Exhibit A for how regulatory headaches can emerge is BrightSource Energy's Ivanpah project. The solar thermal company has had to scale the California plant down to 392 megawatts from 440 megawatts because of wildlife concerns. A proposal from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein to protect one million acres of the Mojave Desert last year caused wind and solar developers to roll up plans to build in the region. Solar thermal developer Tessera Solar North America has already contracted to build plants in California but will likely shift to building future power plants for California in Arizona because of the time and expense involved in building in the Golden State. In other words, California will get green power but not as many green jobs as it might otherwise. "Permitting, transmission and

mitigation" are the three big issues facing developers, says Felicia Bellows, vice president of development at Tessera. Mitigation costs, i.e., payments to replace land consumed by the plant, are particularly high in California because of fish and game regulations and other setasides. Tessera is building on BLM land, but seeks out privately owned land because it can be cheaper after all factors are considered. Property owners, naturally, like this trend. Last year, Vermaland, an Arizona developer, auctioned off 400 acres for $2.6 million to solar developers. Photovoltaic developers face similar issues. "More than half of the money in personnel costs are for paperwork," says Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Akeena Solar. The introduction of PACE programs to pay for energy retrofits has even made the waters more murky because of the nebulous status of solar in some of these programs. It should be an interesting discussion. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

LS9: Genetically Modified E. Coli that Secrete Drop-in Diesel info@greentechmedia.com (Greentech Media: Headlines) Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:00:25 AM

Just came back from a trip to LS9's pilot facility in south San Francisco. Fascinating company. If all goes according to plan, within a few years the company will turn E. coli into a "drop-in" renewable diesel fuel. The company already produces a diesel that meets the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for road use in the U.S. The technology is pretty straightforward. LS9 uses any sugar source (though initially it will use sugar cane due to the favorable economics and logistics of sugarcane compared to cellulosic sugars) and feeds genetically modified E. coli bacteria (the same kind found in our guts that helps digest sugars into energy) a combination of sugar, nutrients, methanol, and enzymes in a low-heat environment. Voila! In a one-step conversion process, the bug secretes the oil. Since the oil is lighter than water, it rises to the surface where it can easily be skimmed. The total lifecycle from when the microbes are first fed sugar to the secretion of the fuel is LS9: page 86

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three days. A variation on the process that involves a centrifuge is also being tested. At commercial scale, LS9 anticipates breaking even with $50/bbl crude oil. Skeptical? Considering the plethora of companies that have come out of stealth mode over the years that over-promised and underdelivered, I don't blame you (see GreenFuel Technology Closing Down). But LS9 has some interesting dynamics working in its favor. In 2010, it closed a $25M Series C equity round that was led by Chevron Technology Ventures' venture capital arm, CTTV Investments, a development that we announced in September 2009 (see Chevron Invests in LS9). Chevron happens to know a thing or two about the logistics of petroleum infrastructure engineering -- a skill set that many advanced biofuel startups lack. Additionally, LS9 has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Proctor and Gamble to produce "green" surfactants -- chemicals that are

used in detergents. In early February 2010, LS9 disclosed that it had purchased an eight-acre demonstrationscale facility in Okeechobee, Florida that will be capable of producing 50,000-100,000 gallons of diesel and biodiesel fuel. This facility was being sold in a bankruptcy fire sale for less than $2M -- even though it has a book value of $80M. LS9 is currently exploring whether the facility could be significantly retrofitted for commercialization. As it stands now, the demonstration facility will be up and running by mid2010 and by the beginning of 2011, the company intends to determine whether the plant is commercially scalable. Add one more factor in LS9's favor: one of its founders is Chris Somerville, the director of the Energy Biosciences Institute at UC Berkeley and one of the major scientific figures in biofuel. He's also close to Energy Secretary Steve Chu and Steve Koonin, the head scientist at the DOE. The three were behind BP's $500 million donation to Berkeley and the

University of Illinois to study biofuels. If the company's technology and facilities prove to be commercially scalable and the financing is in place -- both big ifs -- LS9 could be producing 10-12 million gallons of renewable diesel fuel by 2012. While 10 or so million gallons is a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of billions of gallons of petroleum diesel that the U.S. consumes (see EPA Issues Renewable Fuels Standards), the recent developments by LS9 and others (see Solar + Water + C02 = Diesel?) illustrate that thirdgeneration biofuels that contain the same chemical characteristics as petroleum hydrocarbons are moving from the realm of science fiction fantasy to impending reality. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Prepping Your Home for a Sale (Kiplinger Personal Finance)

Buyers are on a blind date with your home, and they want love at first sight. So make it pretty. Steve Vieux got rid of heaps of stuff -- including things belonging to his brother, who had once been a roommate -and spent $2,500 to have his house cleaned, the interior repainted, the exterior powerwashed, and his tiny yard spruced up. If time and money allow, replace lighting and plumbing fixtures, cabinetry hardware, and maybe those harvest-gold appliances. The new stuff needn't be top-of-the-line, just clean and current. Agent Janis Morgan advises her clients in San Antonio to add granite countertops to make their kitchens "pop". Agent Bob Bower of California's Silicon Valley urges sellers to pay for home and termite inspections (about $650 to $750 for both) and fix as much of the little stuff as they can before putting a house on the market. Then he presents the reports and a "work completed" worksheet to buyers, a strategy that he says inspires higher offers. With the basics taken care of, it's time for staging -- window dressing your home to increase

its appeal. Staged homes sell more quickly and at the top of their price range compared with similar homes that aren't staged. Stagers declutter if you haven't, rearrange furniture to improve traffic flow and create a sense of spaciousness, and make your decor less reflective of your personal tastes. If your home is vacant, they bring in furniture so buyers can imagine themselves living there. Home sellers spend an average of $1,800 to stage a home, but the cost can be $5,000 or more. Agents may provide staging as part of their fee. (For more information on home staging, read 6 Ways to Stage Your Home for Less Than $1,000 One bit of good news for sellers: Agents say contractors, including stagers, are anxious for the work. Bower suggests asking for two or three bids and playing them one against the other. When you're ready to show, "pretend you're giving a party," says Morgan. Hide the cat box, don't leave the bed unmade or laundry on the floor, and open the curtains and leave all the lights on. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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Silicon Solar Modules for $1.11? info@greentechmedia.com (Greentech Media: Headlines) Submitted at 3/25/2010 11:24:34 AM

It's finally happened. You can buy a solar module for less than the price of a king-sized Twix bar. A company recently offered to sell polycrystalline silicon solar panels for a utility scale solar project for $1.11 a watt, said David Miles, Consulting Vice President, Project & Business Development for the Americas division of SunCarrier, a project developer. Miles will speak next week at Greentech Media's 2010 Solar Summit, taking place in Arizona. "And that's poly," he emphasized. The module comes from a company that's "un-financible," he added. In other words, it comes from a company that isn't BP Solar, Suntech Power Holdings, First Solar or one of the limited number of established brands. Banks generally only consider giving

loans to projects with namebrand panels; thus, project developers may not be snapping up those bargain panels. (Projects with BP panels can get loans for around six percent, while Suntech projects get around 7 to 7.5 percent, he added.) But still, it was a polysilicon module for a little over $1. It's the industrial equivalent of the Taco Bell value meal. "That's ridiculously low," said Shyam Mehta, senior analyst at Greentech Media. Right now, the lowest-of-the-low modules hover at around $1.60 a watt, Mehta said. Miles said he has heard rumors -- rumors, mind you -- that an engineering and procurement company says it can deliver turnkey solar systems for $3.14 a watt. The usual bargainbasement price hovers around $5. What's going on here? Although the solar industry has recovered from the doldrums of 2009, panel supplies remain

healthy and therefore continue to decline. To top it off, banks remain incredibly reluctant to finance utility projects at the moment. As a result, independent power providers are signing contracts with utilities but often can't move forward because of bureaucratic inertia, a lack of money and other issues. "The bulldozers aren't moving," Miles said. In this environment, desperation creeps in. In contrast, some residential solar specialists like Sungevity say business has been accelerating. What will break the logjam in utility-scale projects? It's hard to say, but one large module maker from China is contemplating setting up a group to finance developers that choose the company's panels. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Battle Royal: Credit vs. Debit (Kiplinger Personal Finance)

In this era of tighter credit, many Americans have adopted a new frugality -- and the debate over credit versus debit cards is getting louder. When Kiplinger's published an article last November pointing out that debit cards come with fewer protections against fraud than credit cards, we were inundated with comments from readers. Most took exception to our "poor advice" and "scare tactics." Some readers advocated cutting out plastic altogether and learning to pay with cash again. Tom Petro, chief executive of Fox Chase Bank, a community bank outside Philadelphia, tends to sympathize with the cash crowd, but he also sees reason to use both credit and debit cards. He calls the poor plastic habits of many Americans "death by a thousand swipes." The trouble is, says Petro, when you use a card, you don't feel as though you're spending real money. "Families get themselves into trouble one latte at a time," he says. "Then, when people feel bad, they go out and spend more." Petro speaks from firsthand experience. He and his wife, Kris Messner, a business consultant, climbed out of debt

in the late 1980s with a series of small savings, such as brewing their own coffee instead of buying it in the morning and making do with one car. As a result of his experience, Petro thinks both credit and debit cards belong in your wallet -but each has its place. Debit cards, he believes, should be reserved for groceries, gas and other daily essentials. But he doesn't disdain credit-card use -as long as you can pay the balance in full each month. Of course, the approach you take depends on your spending habits and personality. Do you spend and spend and then hope for the best when you open your monthly statement? You may be a good candidate for a debit card, which limits you to money you have in the bank. Out-ofcontrol credit users tend to carry a balance and are more vulnerable to late fees -- often at $39 a pop. The average household with at least one credit card has nearly $10,000 in debt, according to the Nilson Report, an industry newsletter. On the other hand, "if you are a person who doesn't overspend, or you have so much money coming in that it doesn't matter, then the credit card's the winner," says Karen Lee, a BATTLE page 88

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financial planner in Atlanta. Plus, a credit card offers more protections against fraud and problems with merchants, so it's a good way to pay for big expenditures and online purchases. Proponents on both sides are passionate about their positions, with good reasons for embracing one method and rejecting the other (for two differing views from Kiplinger's staffers, see Credit vs Debit). But it's fair to say that the best strategy is probably a smart combination of both. When credit cards win One of the biggest benefits of using a credit card is the grace period. If you pay your bill in full every month, you can purchase now and pay later with no interest charge. That lets your money sit in your bank account and earn interest (as measly as rates are these days) and gives you more flexibility with your cash flow. You can goose the earnings on your cash by putting it into a high-yielding checking account at an online bank, community bank or credit union, where you're likely to earn a higher interest rate than you would at a large, brick-and-mortar-based institution (see How to Earn More on Your Savings). Then there are the rewards programs. Debit-card issuers are starting to offer their own perks, but creditcard companies generally have

the best deals. For savvy card users, the benefits can really add up. Frank Remund, a fee-only financial planner in Beaverton, Ore., recently used his Visa Signature card to buy a Samsung high-efficiency frontload washer. After calculating what he'd earned in cash-back rewards -- not to mention what he saved using a Lowe's discount coupon and a state tax credit -- Remund says he paid a total of $380 for the washer, which retails for nearly $800. Plus, by using his Visa card, he doubled the warranty period. Which rewards card suits you best depends on your spending priorities. To find the most appropriate card for your situation, go to a credit-card comparison site, such as LowCards.com or Credit.com, which just introduced "expert picks" that highlight the most consumer-friendly cards. BillShrink.com has a quiz that will help you customize your search based on the way you use credit, your redemption preference and the category in which you spend the most. Scott Bilker, founder of DebtSmart.com, uses his rewards credit card from Wawa, the convenience-store chain, when he shops. That earns him gift cards to buy gas at Wawa. Bilker also puts his business expenses on the card to maximize his rewards. He prefers credit to debit because of

the purchase protections in the case of a dispute. But he warns that users who depend on credit cards should track their spending so they don't overswipe and rack up more debt than they can handle. "Discipline is part of any plan," he says. Secure your swipes Another big advantage of using a credit card is security. If someone steals your credit card and goes on a spending spree, your liability is capped at $50 (Visa and MasterCard assume all liability for unauthorized purchases). With debit-card theft, the automatic legal protection isn't there. If your debit card is stolen, you have to report it within two days to get the same $50 limited liability. Report it after that but within 60 days and your liability goes up to $500. Beyond that period, you face unlimited liability. That said, if you've been a good customer, most banks will credit your account after a couple of days. But to be safe, sign for purchases rather than using your PIN. When you do so using a Visa or MasterCard debit card, the transaction goes through their networks (signing produces more revenue for the banks than using a PIN), and you have zero liability in case of fraud. Likewise, if you have a dispute with a merchant -- for example, you're not satisfied with the quality of an item you've purchased or there's a billing

error -- you may have an easier time working out a solution if you paid with a credit card. Say you bought a laptop that was damaged in shipping. Call your credit-card company to complain (if you can't solve the problem over the phone, you may have to resort to filing a formal dispute with your card issuer, in writing, within 60 days). You won't owe anything while the issuer resolves the complaint. If, however, you used your debit card to pay for the laptop and you want to return it, the law doesn't protect you -- although some banks may go to bat for you to help you get your account reimbursed. The upside of debit If you prefer to pay as you go, or if you're trying to get out of debt and control your spending, a debit card is the way to go. You don't have to worry about overspending because the money gets sucked out of your account right away. But that can be a pitfall if you are in an overdraft-protection plan. Then the bank covers your debit but slaps you with a hefty fee. The largest banks impose a $35 charge, on average, each time you overdraw. (New federal regulations that take effect July 1 for new accounts will require banks to get your permission before enrolling you in an overdraft-protection plan.) For added discipline, use a debit card for small items. Stay

on top of your spending by keeping a written tally of your purchases -- just as you would with an old-fashioned check register -- or by signing up with your bank to get notices of your account balance. Big banks, such as JPMorgan Chase, will send you free notices via e-mail or text message, and online banks usually offer the same service. If someone steals your card and starts spending your money, such alerts will serve as a red flag. And tracking your account balance will also help you with budgeting. Give yourself credit Above all, you need to be practical, particularly when it comes to managing your credit score. Credit-card payments are reported to the credit bureaus, but debit-card use is not. Your payment history makes up a full 35% of your FICO score (the most widely used credit score), and that number determines the interest rate you will be offered when you apply for a mortgage, an auto loan and other credit, such as a small-business loan. Think strategically before you close an account. A chunk of your score depends on how much of your available credit you have actually used -- known as your credit-utilization ratio. So shutting down credit lines could hurt your score by raising the percentage of remaining BATTLE page 90

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Make the Most of Health Care Reform (Kiplinger Personal Finance)

the policy. If they’re healthy, they may get a better deal on Who will benefit from the new their own. In most states, people health-care-reform law over the in their early twenties can buy next few months, and how can health insurance for $150 per those people make the most of month. It will be easy to shop it? for a policy starting in 2014, Two key groups will benefit w h e n t h e l a w e s t a b l i s h e s from the new law within the insurance exchanges to help next six months. Here’s what people buy coverage. But until they need to know. then, a good place to shop is at Recent grads and young adults. eHealthInsurance.com, or find a The law requires insurers to let local agent at www.nahu.org. dependent children stay on their And even after the law starts parents’ policies until age 26, requiring insurers to cover w h i c h w i l l h e l p c o l l e g e dependents until age 26, it may graduates who don’t have a job n o t h e l p e v e r y o n e . “ T h e with benefits. However, the new legislation did not specify rule won’t take effect until exactly who will be eligible for September 23. coverage through the extension About half the states currently through age 26,” says Tanya have laws permitting grown kids Schwartz, policy analyst at the to stay on their parents’ policies Kaiser Family Foundation. Most until at least age 25 or 26 (see states that let grown kids stay on the National Conference of State parents’ policies do not require Legislatures table for a list of the kids to be claimed as each state’s rules). But new dependents on their parents’ tax grads in other states may still returns. But the new law could need to find coverage for a few impose that requirement. The months before the law kicks in. Secretary of Health and Human Until then, they could remain Services will be creating the on their parents’ policies under regulations over the next few COBRA, but the price can be months to spell out those details. steep -- often $200 to $300 per Some states may continue to month or more, depending on offer more-generous rules.

It will also be important to see how the extended coverage will be priced. Under many state laws now, you do not have to pay extra to keep an adult child on your policy if you would have kept a family policy to insure younger siblings. But if the insurer bases premiums on the number of children, or if you’re insuring only one child and could otherwise switch from family coverage to coverage for a single person or couple, compare that extra cost with the price of buying an individual policy for your young adult. Use the same strategy to determine whether it's a better deal to keep your kids on your policy under the new law or to have them get their own policy. If your child does buy his or her own coverage, a great way to lower the cost is to raise the deductible -- especially if he or she rarely visits the doctor and needs insurance primarily for catastrophic coverage. If the deductible is at least $1,200 for self-only coverage, the child can qualify for a health savings account and make taxdeductible contributions that can be used tax-free for medical

expenses in any year. People with self-only coverage can contribute up to $3,050 to an HSA in 2010. HSAs still exist under the new law but with a higher penalty (rising from a 10% tax to 20%) on any amount withdrawn for nonmedical expenses before age 65. People with health issues. The new law appropriates $5 billion to establish a temporary highrisk pool to provide coverage for people with health issues, starting 90 days after the law was signed (June 23) and remaining in effect until 2014, when insurers will be prohibited from rejecting anyone because of preexisting conditions. The new national high-risk pool will be particularly helpful for people who have trouble finding coverage in states that don’t have open high-risk pools now, including Arizona, Florida and Nevada. But there is a big catch: You need to be uninsured for at least six months to qualify for the new national high-risk pool. Many state high-risk pools, on the other hand, currently let you in if you’ve been rejected by an

insurer and don’t require you to be uninsured. It’s dangerous to be uninsured, especially if you have medical issues, so exploring your options now is a good idea. See the National Association of State Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans for a list of states with high-risk pools and contact information to see whether you can qualify for coverage as soon as possible. Some of the states with highrisk pools that work well may be able to continue running their own pools, but new plans (or one national plan) will still need to be set up to cover the states that don't have a working highrisk plan now. The new plans must follow the provisions of the law, which includes consumer protections such as limiting the maximum out-ofpocket spending to $5,950 for individual coverage or $11,900 for families. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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Why the Health Care Bill May Eventually Curb Medical Costs (Kiplinger Personal Finance)

private plans but not eliminate it. Private payers currently pay Make no mistake: The health higher costs because hospitals care bill’s biggest change will and doctors charge them more to be to extend care to about 32 compensate for care that is million Americans who have no provided to those without insurance now. It will also stop insurance as well as those in insurers from canceling Medicare and Medicaid. coverage for many people who F a m i l i e s U S A r e c e n t l y get sick or who have exceeded estimated that families pay coverage caps. But on the long about $1,000 more on average road to winning passage, the each year because of this cost original goal -- slowing the shifting. g r o w t h o f m e d i c a l c o s t s Obviously, with more of the (bending the cost curve, in uninsured covered, this cost Washington parlance) was shifting should be affected, but moved to the backseat. given the fact that half of the Still, there are many provisions newly covered will be in in the bill that can save in the Medicaid, cost shifting will still long term. Most are pilot g o o n , s i n c e M e d i c a i d programs that need to be tested reimbursements are below to see if they work -- a process market. A 2008 actuarial study that will take about five years. by Milliman, a consulting and O t h e r c o s t c u t t i n g m o v e s actuarial firm, found that depend on details that regulators Medicaid reimburses hospitals will have to fill in. And some at an average of 67% of private big ones depend on Congress plan rates and pays doctors at an having the political will to average of 53%. follow through. “Most of the Several Medicare pilot projects steps represent a down payment could bring systemwide reforms on delivery system reform. to the health care delivery More will need to be done,” system and yield significant cost says Ken Sperling with Hewitt savings. The law orders pilot Associates, a benefits consulting p r o g r a m s i n v a l u e b a s e d firm. hospital purchasing, payment Covering most of the uninsured bundling, preventable hospital should reduce cost shifting to readmissions and accountable

care organizations. If successful, these changes would be expanded to the entire Medicare program and would become mainstream as private payers followed suit. “Medicare is a great laboratory for delivery system innovation,” says Sperling. The hospital value-based purchasing pilot will launch in fiscal year 2013 and will base Medicare payments to hospitals on quality and outcomes. accountable care organizations focuses on coordinating the overall care delivered to Medicare patients. (Hewitt estimates that these organizations can be 10% to 15% more efficient and deliver better quality.) "Payment bundling" involves paying for services based on an episode of care rather than on fee-forservice. Bundled payments could create more incentives for efficient treatments and could be adjusted based on outcomes, say health care policy experts. "Preventable readmissions" would penalize hospitals if a patient comes back when that could have been avoided. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects this to save about $2.1 billion over 10 years.

An independent commission with the job of reining in Medicare cost increases also has promise. The 15-member Independent Medicare Payment Advisory Board will be created in 2014 and will make recommendations to Congress to reduce costs and improve quality for Medicare beneficiaries. When the program’s cost projections exceed certain targets, the board’s proposals will take effect unless Congress passes an alternative that would achieve the same savings. The CBO estimates that this could yield substantial savings of $22 billion over 10 years and $7 billion a year beginning in 2019. But if history is any guide, getting the board’s recommendations passed could be a tough sell. Earlier efforts by Congress to rein in Medicare reimbursements to physicians, for example, have been deferred year after year. “Politics often trumps policy,” says Sperling. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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credit that's in use (see Ask Kim). If you feel the need to cancel some cards to take control of your finances, don't do it just before you apply for a major loan. And keep your oldest card open because another part of your credit score is determined by how long you've had your accounts. Now that the new credit-card rules have taken effect, it's more important than ever to read the fine print of your credit-card agreement. Issuers say the rules could cost them billions of dollars, so they're looking for new ways to raise revenues, and most have revised their terms over the past few months. As you look over your revamped agreements, keep an eye out for notices of new annual fees and higher late fees. Citibank just added a $60 annual fee to many accounts, which will be credited back to the account if cardholders charge $2,400 during the year. The same goes if you're considering signing up for a new card. In the fourth quarter of last year, the volume of offers sent out by credit-card companies via direct mail jumped 47% from the previous quarter, reports Mintel Comperemedia, a research firm. That marked the first increase in three years, but the offers included more annual BATTLE page 91

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fees and higher rates. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.