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24/01/10 - 25/01/10
Is Obama a party animal? U.S. political trends make it so By David Morgan (Front Row Washington)
for Democrat Lyndon Johnson to a high of 34 percent for Republican Richard Nixon. Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:26:30 AM “Obama — like his immediate The folks at Gallup say Barack predecessor Bush — sought to Obama is easily the most bring Americans together after ‘polarized’ first-year president of periods of heightened political the postwar era — and they’re polarization in the United States. not talking about pre-digital But despite their best intentions camera snapshots. and efforts, both men’s approval They mean that Obama, like his ratings have been characterized immediate predecessors, is the by extreme partisanship,” Gallup object of growing partisanship Republican George W. Bush as said. within American public opinion. the most polarized of post-World “The way Americans view Obama finished his first year in War II presidents. (Over the presidents has clearly changed in office on Jan. 19 with an 88 course of Bush’s presidency, recent decades, perhaps owing to percent job approval rating Republicans and Democrats were the growth in variety, sources among Democrats but only 23 61 points apart on average.) and even politicization of news p e r c e n t a p p r o v a l a m o n g But there’s something more on cable television and the Republicans. afoot than the individual horse Internet, and the continuing That leaves a 65-percentage- races. popularity of politically oriented point gap between the two Gallup says its findings illustrate talk radio.” partisan lines, eclipsing the an upswing in voter partisanship Click here for more political previous first-year polarization since the time of Republican coverage from Reuters record of 52 points, held by Ronald Reagan. Before the Photo Credit: Reuters/Kevin Democrat Bill Clinton. 1980s, partisan approval gaps Lamarque (Obama) If Obama’s numbers don’t ranged from a low of 19 percent change, he will exceed
http://www.LibertyNewsprint.com
Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: GD, ICE, IGT, SAP, STI, TMH, TSS ... By Eric Buscemi (BloggingStocks)
The firm raised its price target on shares to $28 from $22. • SAP AG ( SAP) was upgraded Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:30:00 AM to buy from neutral at Filed under: Analyst reports, B o f A / M e r r i l l . A n a l y s t u p g r a d e s a n d • Thomson Reuters ( TRI) was downgrades, Analyst initiations raised to buy from hold at Analyst Upgrades Citigroup. • Deutsche Bank upgraded • Rosetta Resources ( ROSE) Intercontinental Exchange ( ICE) was upgraded at Wells Fargo to to buy from hold on valuation o u t p e r f o r m f r o m m a r k e t following the recent pullback in p e r f o r m . shares. The firm raised its target price on shares to $113 from Continue reading Analyst $108. Upgrades, Downgrades and • U B S u p g r a d e d G e n e r a l Initiations: GD, ICE, IGT, SAP, Dynamics ( GD) to buy from STI, TMH, TSS ... neutral based on improved Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades d e f e n s e r i s k p r o f i l e a n d and Initiations: GD, ICE, IGT, stabilization in the business jet S A P , S T I , T M H , T S S . . . market. The firm raised its target o r i g i n a l l y a p p e a r e d o n to $80 from $70. BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Jan • F B R C a p i t a l u p g r a d e d 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see SunTrust ( STI) to outperform our terms for use of feeds. from market perform on P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | expectations that regional banks C o m m e n t s will outperform the large money center banks in this environment.
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Another House Democrat not A Rather Litigious running for re-election in November Monday Morning for Motorola By Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row Washington)
By Mark Fightmaster (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 1/24/2010 8:13:27 PM
One more Democrat retiring who won’t run for re-election in November. (It would be tempting to say they’re dropping like flies, but then the Democrats would point out that some Republicans also won’t seeking re-election). Arkansas Congressman Marion Berry (no, sounds like, but definitely not the former D.C. mayor) was expected to announce his retirement on Monday, The Washington Post’s blogger Chris Cillizza reports. He would be the second congressman from Arkansas not to seek re-election, with Democrat Vic Snyder also retiring. Berry, 67, comes from a Republican-friendly district that voted 59 percent for Republican John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Of course the timing of Berry’s expected announcement is going to make people wonder. Did it have anything to do with the
Submitted at 1/25/2010 10:40:00 AM
Massachusetts Massacre, as Frank Rich called it, last Tuesday when the Republican won the long-held Democratic Senate seat of the late Edward Kennedy? Politico says Berry would be the 12th House Democrat to retire this year. Arkansas is shaping up as a state that Republicans are likely to target in this year’s election. The Hill reported last Thursday that Berry didn’t sound wedded to running for re-election and that speaking on a local radio show, the congressman said:
Advertisement: (Inc.com)
Filed under: Law, Motorola (MOT), Research in Motion (RIMM) Monday morning, mobile phone firm Motorola ( MOT) found itself on the lips of lawyers and judges. The first reason is that a lawsuit commenced in the U.S. District Court for the Northern “Nothing is certain in this world District of Illinois on behalf of except death, and I hope don’t MOT stock purchasers who have to face that anytime soon.” m a d e t h e i r p u r c h a s e f r o m He added: “But beyond that, I’m December 6, 2007 through not going to make an absolute January 22, 2008. The lawsuit alleges that (commitment). I’m 67 years old; w h o k n o w s w h a t I ’ v e g o t Motorola and "certain of its coming to me before the sun officers and directors" violated federal securities laws by goes down?” For more Reuters political news, "intentionally and knowingly misstating the 2007 fourth click here Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Young quarter earnings projections and ( d o m e o f t h e C a p i t o l i n sales demands for the RAZR2 December), Reuters/Enrique de d u r i n g t h e 2 0 0 7 h o l i d a y la Osa (Berry in middle during shopping season." The suit states congressional trip to Cuba in that Motorola's RAZR2 did not attract buyers thanks to its $299 2007) price tag and the fact that it had
not improved enough from the RAZR. Nevertheless, Motorola made positive statements all while losing "significant market share" to its competition. The defendants claim that Motorola senior execs knew that Motorola was not on track to hit their profit forecast of 12 cents to 14 cents per share, and would like a bit of compensation. Continue reading A Rather Litigious Monday Morning for Motorola A Rather Litigious Monday Morning for Motorola originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments
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45 Americans claim asylum in Britain By Helen Pidd (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:28:30 AM
Home Office statistics reveal dozens of applications by people claiming persecution in the US They hail from the land of the free, the home of the brave, a place where it is said anyone can prosper regardless of colour, creed or religion. But dozens of Americans have tried in recent years to gain asylum in the UK by claiming they were persecuted in their homeland, according to figures released to the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act. Home Office statistics show that between 2004 and 2008, 45 Americans submitted asylum applications to the UK Border Agency claiming they had fled the US and were unable to go back because they had a wellfounded fear of persecution. Fifteen Canadians also applied. All 60 were turned down. A US government source said the American applications were most likely submitted by selfdeclared "political refugees" claiming they faced discrimination under the last
administration. The applications from the US peaked in 2008, the final year of George Bush's presidency, when 15 Americans submitted asylum claims. Between 2004 and 2008 there were 132,640 asylum claims made in the UK, according to government statistics. The Home Office refused to reveal the rationale behind the claims or why they were refused, saying a manual search of the records would be required, exceeding the time limit for Freedom of Information requests. But on various online forums, people claiming to be American refugees have outlined their cases. One Texan hoping to be allowed sanctuary in Scotland claimed he had been "persecuted as a political dissident against US government war-mongering". Liza Schuster, an asylum expert from the department of sociology at City University, said: "I don't know the details of those cases, but assume the US citizens are deserting before being sent to somewhere like Afghanistan. With the Canadians I'm really not sure. It is, as is clear from the numbers, pretty unusual – if only because it is relatively easy for
those people to leave their countries and settle elsewhere. Why not just apply for a work visa and renew and then apply for leave to remain? "As someone who would not find admission to European countries too difficult, it would only make sense to claim asylum if you feared extradition back to Canada or the US, or if there was some reason you might be refused entry. It is interesting – I'd be curious to know more – not least because in spite of what the law books say, granting asylum is a criticism of the originating state." According to the Home Office figures, most of the US and Canadian applicants were aged between 18 and 59, though a small number of American asylum seekers were over 60. The Refugee Council, the largest organisation in the UK working with asylum seekers and refugees, said it had helped 18 American and two Canadian asylum seekers between 2004 and 2008. The adults ranged in age from 29 to 59 with a mean age of 44. The Americans had nine dependent children aged under 16. "In this time this group of clients
attended 40 advice sessions and mainly came to see us regarding their entitlement to UKBA asylum support, and issues associated with destitution," said a spokeswoman. Donna Covey, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: "No country is safe for every person all of the time. Those with a genuine need for protection, whatever country they are from, should have the right to claim asylum in a place of safety." A small number of Americans have successfully claimed asylum abroad over the past few decades. In 1997 the Netherlands granted asylum to Holly Ann Collins, together with her three children, when they claimed to be fleeing domestic abuse. The family had spent three years living in four different Dutch refugee camps before their application was approved. In June 2008 Texan mother Chere Tomayko and her two daughters were granted asylum in Costa Rica, also on the grounds of abuse. After America went to war in Iraq in 2003 a number of US soldiers deserted and crossed the border to Canada, where they
Sorry, Facebook friends: Our brains can't keep up By Don Reisinger (Webware.com)
A concept called Dunbar's Number contends that people can only manage relationships with
150 friends at a time. But does that also apply to social networks?
Originally posted at The Digital Home
tried to claim asylum. For a number of years Private Bethany Smith has been fighting to stay in Canada, claiming she was persecuted in the army because she is a lesbian. Smith, who now goes by the name Skylar James, told Canadian authorities she was repeatedly harassed and threatened with death, then denied an honourable discharge because her superiors wanted to send her to Afghanistan. In November a senior judge ordered Canada's immigration and refugee board to look again at her case. If you are one of the Americans or Canadians who sought asylum in the UK or you know someone who is, please contact helen.pidd@guardian.co.uk • Immigration and asylum • Freedom of information • United States • Canada • Refugees Helen Pidd guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds
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Police arrest 11 at Climate Camp opencast mine protest By Severin Carrell (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
police, bailiffs and, in Scotland, sheriff's officers, to combat environmental protests. Campers at Mainshill claimed Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:06:27 AM heavy vehicles were used to Police have begun an operation p a r t l y d e m o l i s h a l a r g e to end a six-month occupation of temporary building at the site a n o p e n c a s t m i n e s i t e i n being occupied by protesters and Mainshill, Scotland the eviction team pulled down Police and a specialist evictions "tripods" using tree trunks with t e a m h a v e b e g u n a m a j o r protesters still chained to them. operation to end a six-month There have been no reported occupation of an opencast mine injuries. site in Scotland, arresting more At least 15 activists are believed than 10 protesters chained to tree to be in tree houses, and an houses and make-shift forts. unspecified number in tunnels, The police, supported by the clustered around three locations national evictions team, raided in the surrounding forest, where the Mainshill protest camp near the temperature is still close to Douglas in Lanarkshire at freezing. 8.30am this morning, to start Many are understood to have c l e a r i n g a b o u t 4 0 c l i m a t e slept in these tree houses during campaigners now occupying the recent snow and intense cold, t u n n e l s , t r e e h o u s e s , a n d where the temperature locally homemade, barricaded huts. dropped to –20C, leading to fears By 3pm today 11 protesters had for the health of campaigners. been removed, and were charged The site of a proposed 1.7m w i t h o f f e n c e s i n c l u d i n g tonne opencast mine owned by aggravated trespass and breach the Earl of Home, Mainshill, has of the peace. been the focus of a sporadic Some were forcibly taken down series of protests across central from platforms erected roughly S c o t l a n d a g a i n s t o p e n c a s t 100ft high in nearby trees by a mining. There are four other specialist civilian eviction opencast mines in the immediate company from Wales now area around Mainshill. routinely used across the UK by Three Mainshill campaigners
were charged with breach of the peace last year after confronting a local councillor closely linked to the developer, Scottish Coal, but charges were later dropped. Protesters also cut through a crucial conveyor belt at a neighbouring opencast site, delaying coal transport to a nearby railhead. The eviction was authorised by the courts on 29 June 2009 after the protesters first occupied the site, supported by many local residents and members of Douglas community council, many of whom believe the opencast sites are causing serious ill health in the area. In a statement released as the eviction started, Doug Well, a protester now locked to a fortified tunnel, said: "If this mine goes ahead it really will be a tragedy for the local people and for the climate. I'm going to do everything I can to make it as hard as possible for them to remove me." The national eviction team operation, said to involve 30 specialist climbers, is being funded by Home, the 15th earl, chairman of Coutts bank and son of the Tory prime minister Alex Douglas Home.
Activists arrested today were surprised at the speed with which the first phase of the eviction took place. The police and eviction company have been planning the operation since July, using aerial photographs, site visits and surveillance to build up an accurate map of the site and the tree houses. Richard, a spokesman for the campaigners, said: "We had a tip -off last week that the eviction was going to happen, so we had a big gathering over the weekend when 60 people came up and stayed. We're occupying the woods and we're going to stay here." Fears of a major confrontation similar to clashes involving English forces were played down. Chief inspector Colin Murphy, of Strathclyde police, said they expected to complete the eviction peacefully and using minimum force. The protesters were "part of our community as well," he said. "We treat this as a community policing operation, with my local officers and myself coming in daily to talk with these people, to find out what they're intentions are. This is a very straightforward environmental
Factery Labs launches a Web start page for facts By Josh Lowensohn (Webware.com)
Factery Labs has a new tool that helps users keep an eye on trending news topics throughout
the day. Originally posted at Web Crawler
protest: they're protesting about the use of fossil fuel. They've been, from day one, co-operative with us to a certain extent." Because of the recent extreme weather, each protester was being medically examined, he said, to ensure they were fit enough to be taken into police custody. So far, all were declared well. "They were staying here in conditions which were harsh, to say the least, so one of the precautions is to make sure that they were well enough to be arrested," he said. • Climate Camp • Activism • Mining • Coal • Protest • Police • Scotland Severin Carrell guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds
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Dalai Lama's envoys rejoin Tibet talks in Beijing By Tania Branigan (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
questions to the united front work department, which was not available for comment. The religious affairs bureau was also Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:00:27 AM unavailable. Tibetan government-in-exile "Beijing has opened a new, 10sends five officials to China for year policy phase for Tibet, so it ninth round of negotiations probably wants to suggest it is The Dalai Lama's envoys will moving forward and is going to arrive in Beijing tomorrow for solve problems," said Professor their first discussions with the Robert Barnett, an expert on C h i n e s e a u t h o r i t i e s i n 1 5 Tibet at Columbia University in m o n t h s , h i s o f f i c e h a s New York. announced. But he added: "Sitting down and The meetings will be the ninth talking with someone is not a round of the on-off talks, which solution; it's just a beginning. have yielded little result since "The new statements have said they began in 2002. Shortly after Tibet is a critical and major the last meeting, a Chinese strategic issue for China … It official leading the talks said isn't at all peripheral, as the west Beijing would never accept the o f t e n t h i n k s ; i t i s h u g e l y spiritual leader's calls for Tibetan strategic: the area where three " h i g h - l e v e l a u t o n o m y " , nuclear powers of Asia face each describing the existing system of other, and the area that has given rule as perfect and in need of no China huge difficulties in the last revision. 50 years." A statement issued by the Last week, state media reported Tibetan government-in-exile in that China planned "leapfrog" India said Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari development of the impoverished and Kelsang Gyaltsen would be region and of Tibetan areas in accompanied by three other neighbouring provinces. officials. The state news agency, Xinhua, China's foreign ministry referred said China had invested 310bn
yuan (£28bn) in Tibet since 2001 and the economy was expected to reach 43.7bn yuan in 2009, representing an annual growth of 12.3% over the past nine years. The plan aims to raise the annual incomes of farmers and herders, who make up four-fifths of the population, to the national average of 8,582 yuan by 2020. At present, they earn just 3,410 yuan. But Tibetan exiles complain that rapid development, Han migration and cultural and religious restrictions are eroding the way of life. The Chinese president, Hu Jintao, called Tibet's accelerated development "vital to ethnic unity, social stability and national security", Xinhua said. He said residents' awareness of being part of China should be continually enhanced, and warned of "a 'special contradiction' between people of all ethnic groups and the separatist forces led by the Dalai clique". The Dalai Lama denies seeking independence for Tibet, saying he merely wants meaningful
autonomy. Beijing blamed the "Dalai clique" for the anti-Han Chinese riots that broke out in Lhasa in March 2008, apparently following the suppression of peaceful protests. The government says 22 people, mostly Han Chinese, were killed. Tibetan rights groups allege scores died in a crackdown as unrest spread across Tibetan areas outside the autonomous region. Stephanie Bridgden, of the Free Tibet campaign, said: "Hu Jintao's recent hardline rhetoric, and the recent significant hardening of Tibet policy, questions the sincerity of China's commitment to renewed talks." • Tibet • Dalai Lama • China Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds
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Gigantic Game of Guess Who Played On 40 Nokia Booklet 3Gs [Nokia] By Kat Hannaford (Gizmodo) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:40:10 PM
When Mark reviewed the Nokia Booklet 3G last November, he unfortunately didn't have 40 of them so couldn't play a giant game of Guess Who by himself. But the guys at WOMWorld/Nokia did, making a hilarious video in the process. Are you the blue website with the red hat and an eyeglass? [ Recombu]
Paging James Cameron: Pentagon Wants 3-D Surveillance By Katie Drummond (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:30:00 AM
Pentagon far-out research arm Darpa wants to turn surveillance into a 3D experience for troops. Think Avatar, for military spies.
The LG Serie 1 Retro Classic TV is the definition of retrosexy By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:30:27 AM
Who cares if this LG TV is just a 4:3, 14-inch CRT. I still want one. Look at it and tell me that there isn’t a spot in your home
for the little guy. The chrome legs, soft styling, rabbit ears. There’s even a little switch that changes the picture to black and white or sepia. It’s all good. Too bad that it’s stuck in Korea and not available here in the States.
If you happen to have a Korean
hook-up, you could snag the LG Serie 1 Retro Classic TV in either orange or brown for 249,000 KRW ($216). But don’t expect the rabbit ears and digital tuner to work here the U.S. of A. where we use the ATSC
broadcast standard instead of South Korea’s DMB method. You could always hook up a cable box, game system or Betamax player. [ LG via technabob]
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World's glaciers continue to melt at historic rates By Juliette Jowit (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:27:35 AM
Latest figures show the world's glaciers are continuing to melt so fast that many will disappear by the middle of this century Glaciers across the globe are continuing to melt so fast that many will disappear by the middle of this century, the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) said today. The announcement of the latest annual results from monitoring in nine mountain ranges on four continents comes as doubts have been cast on how much climate scientists have exaggerated the problem of glacier melt, which is seen as a leading indicator of how much the planet is heating up. Last week the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) apologised for "a paragraph" in its four-volume 2007 report which warned there was a "very high" risk that the Himalayan
glaciers, on which at least half a billion of the world's poorest people depend for water, would disappear by 2035. However the director of the WGMS, Professor Wilfried Haeberli, said the latest global results indicated most glaciers were continuing to melt at historically high rates. "The melting goes on," said Haeberli. "It's less extreme than in years [immediately before] but what's really important is the trend of 10 years or so, and that shows an unbroken acceleration in melting." Haeberli also repeated his warning that many glaciers are set to disappear in the next few decades, due to an expected continuation in the rise of global average temperatures. The most vulnerable glaciers were those in lower mountain ranges like the Alps and the Pyrenees in Europe, in Africa, parts of the Andes in South and Central America, and the Rockies in North America, said Haeberli. "We are on the path of the highest scenario [of global
warming] in reality, but if you take a medium scenario in the Alps about 70% will be gone by the middle of the century, and mountain ranges like the Pyrenees may be completely icefree." Glaciers at much higher altitudes - particularly in the Himalayas and Alaska, where it was colder and global warming could increase snowfall - could grow in the short term and were likely to last "centuries", said Haeberli. "But even for the large glaciers, for a realistic [midrange warming] scenario, it's centuries, not millennia, and not many centuries," he added. The WGMS records data for nearly 100 of the world's approximately 160,000 glaciers, including 30 "reference" glaciers, with data going back to at least 1980. Scientists also use methods from geology to photos and travel journals and other data to estimate glacier sizes further back in history. The latest preliminary figures for 2007-08 show the average reduction in thickness across all
the 96 glaciers was nearly half a metre, and since 1980 they have collectively lost an average of 13m thickness. During that year 30 of the 96 glaciers gained in mass. Two years ago the WGMS preliminary figures revealed the biggest melt-rate in one year on record. The figure was later revised so it was slightly less "catastrophic" than the other extreme year in 2002-03, said Haeberli. The IPCC uses WGMS data throughout its report, but the offending statement regarding 2035 was blamed on a quote from a scientist given to a journalist, and never presented in a peer-reviewed journal. • Glaciers • Climate change • Climate change Juliette Jowit guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds
Mozilla takes on YouTube video choice By Stephen Shankland (Webware.com) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:50:23 AM
Google offers one Web-based video encoding technology, but Mozilla strongly prefers another. Could a third way cut the Gordian knot? Originally posted at Deep Tech
Get Paid What You're Worth By How-To Wiki (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:40:00 AM
Before you take your next job offer, figure out how to get paid what you're really worth.
Medtronic Acquires Invatec By Mark Fightmaster (BloggingStocks)
agreed to acquire Invatec and Medtronic will acquire Fogazzi two of its affiliated companies. (which provides polymer Medtronic will issue an initial technology to Invatec) and Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:00:00 PM payment of roughly $350 Krauth Cardiovascular (which F i l e d u n d e r : I n d u s t r y , million. Invatec develops distributes Invatec's products in Competitive strategy medical technologies that are Germany) Medtronic ( MDT) announced used for the "interventional disease. In addition to Invatec, Continue reading Medtronic Monday morning that it has treatment" of cardiovascular Acquires Invatec
Medtronic Acquires Invatec originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments
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Tories' EU deal overruled by party bosses By Allegra Stratton (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:05:30 AM
Conservative councillors forced out of European parliament's main centre-right grouping The Tories' European arrangements appear to have hit a new snag after the party's high command overruled a deal by Conservative local councillors to remain in the EU parliament's main centre-right grouping. Conservative leader David Cameron withdrew all Tory MEPs from the European People's party (EPP) in June and expended much political capital in forging a new grouping, called the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), in which they sat alongside MEPs from former communist-bloc nations who were accused of having antisemitic pasts. Tory councillors have spent six
months negotiating a unique relationship to be able to remain in the EPP, but the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) reported today that the party's high command is this week overruling their deal. The British delegation at the EU's committee of the regions (CoR) – the European body in charge of regional policy – is headed by a Conservative, Gordon Keymer. But the order from Tory high command has led some observers to call for an election to find a replacement who was still a member of one of the CoR's four main groups. The Tory councillors had struck a deal to remain with the EPP group, but the LGC reported that Keymer will soon begin talks on forming a CoR branch of the new ECR group. Keymer, the leader of Tandridge district council in Surrey, had previously said it was impractical to leave the EPP,
saying: "If a member does not belong to a political group it is much more difficult to work effectively." But today he confirmed to the LGC that the situation had changed: "We've reviewed the situation and decided not to carry on with the EPP." Conservative Sir Simon Day, a Devon councillor and member of the British CoR delegation, told the LGC: "Of course, I would prefer to remain in the EPP but we have to accept that we do as we are told by the leadership." The LGC reported that councillors from other parties will raise the issue at the next meeting of the committee in February. Liberal Democrat Richard Kemp said: "My view is that if there was a substantial call in the CoR delegation to rerun in light of the changed circumstances, we'd have to call another election. Over the weekend I've
heard councillors from the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups and a Conservative committee member raising concern." Labour committee member Dave Wilcox said: "If you are going to be effective on the committee of the regions, you have to be part of a substantial group that gives you access to the positions of influence. "The local government Conservatives tried to stay within that broad church of reasonable rightwing politicians within Europe." • Conservatives • European Union • David Cameron Allegra Stratton guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds
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Sunday Night Music: Tommy Emmanuel (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 1/24/2010 5:55:05 PM
This stunning video shows why Tommy Emmanuel is considered one of the best acoustic guitar finger-pickers in the world. You’ll probably recognize the tune, but you’ve never heard it played like this.[Video] Here’s a little Amazon widget guy that lets you listen to samples of the other tunes on this fine record. If you click through and buy it, which I recommend highly, LGF gets a small percentage of the price from Mr. Bezos.[Video]
Geithner Is 'On the Outs' with Obama, Photo Says? By Zac Bissonnette (BloggingStocks)
Secretary Tim Geithner's position (third to the left of Obama), he looks to be on the Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:30:00 PM outs after reportedly bumping Filed under: Politics The New heads with the president over his York Post reports that Geithner plan to fix Wall Street." is "on the outs" with Obama. An indication of just how After examining a recently taken rampant the speculation about AP photograph, the paper noted: Tim Geithner's fate as Treasury " J u d g i n g f r o m T r e a s u r e Secretary has gotten, his standing
to the left of Paul Volcker and Barney Frank during a press
conference is now cause for concern about his fate. The Post helpfully notes that "Customarily, Geithner has been at Obama's side whenever the president discussed topics related to Wall Street." Continue reading Geithner Is 'On the Outs' with Obama, Photo Says?
Geithner Is 'On the Outs' with Obama, Photo Says? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
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How to Use Social Networking Sites to Drive Business By J.J. McCorvey (Inc.com) Submitted at 1/25/2010 2:36:00 AM
Consider this: It wasn’t until 1997 that the Internet reached 50 million users in the United States. Facebook gained over 100 million users in the U.S. from January 2009 to January 2010, marking a 145 percent growth rate within one year, according to research by digital marketing agency iStrategy Labs. If you’re a business owner that hasn’t embraced social media networking as a major component of your success strategy, it’s due time to hop onboard. “When you’ve got 300 million people on Facebook, that’s a huge business watering hole,” says Lon Safko, social media expert and co-author of The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success, of the site’s global reach. “The profile is like an index to your company.” While Facebook has become the most popular social media site, there are plenty of others for your company to explore. LinkedIn, for example, houses 55 million professionals seeking jobs, employees, or basic business or networking opportunities. MySpace, which allows users to tinker with music, themes, and HTML code, is targeted toward youth and teens. All of these sites have one primary thing in common: the profile. The user profile is generally what distinguishes
social networking sites from other social media platforms. It helps set the stage for building relationships with people who share the same interests, activities, or personal contacts, as opposed to primarily disseminating or digesting information feeds. This also means social networks enable companies to invite audiences to get to know its brand in a way that traditional forms of marketing or advertising can’t. But what, exactly, are the methods that businesses should use to effectively leverage the burgeoning userbase of these sites as a tool to grow their companies? The following pages will detail what to do – and what not to do – in order to maintain a viable presence in the realm of social networking. Developing a Social Networking StrategyBefore opening an account and becoming active, it’s important to consider what each site offers and how you can benefit from their resources. “Take some time and really analyze what your existing social media strategy is,” says Safko. “Figure out which tools are best for your demographic.” Without a fully developed plan for your social networking activity, you could end up meandering throughout the sites and wasting a lot of time. Here are a few basic questions to ask yourself when forming your social networking strategy:1. What are the needs of my business?
Hopefully, you’re not putting your company name on a social networking account just to send messages back and forth to former high school classmates, so there has to be an impetus. Figure out what your needs are. Are you short-staffed? Is your advertising budget running thin? 2. What am I using the site for? After you’ve established your needs, consider the primary goal of your social networking strategy. Do you want to recruit employees for a certain department? Do you want to market a new line of products? Do you want to connect to more
people in your industry? 3. Whose attention am I trying to get? Okay, so you want to market that new line of products, for example. You still need to know your target audience for that product, and with more than 300 million users on Facebook, you'll need to narrow your focus. Got those answered? Good. Now, consider these questions:1. Which sites do I want to take on? If you have enough staffing power to handle multiple social networking sites, that’s great. If not, it’s important to focus on one or two, or you could spread yourself too thin and fall victim
to the “gaping void” perception, where you end up going days without activity. Your followers will notice. 2. Who’s going to manage my page? Would your social networking activity fall under a current employee’s responsibilities, or do you need to bring on new talent? If you ever find yourself without the staffing resources to manage your page, don’t stick your head in the sand, says Safko. “Find some interns,” he advises. “In most cases, they’ll do it for free.” 3. Who has access to my page? What type of trust level do you have established at your company? Will all of your employees have access to the social network account, or a select few? Take the time to assess the skills and character of those who can log into your page, or you may run into unsavory situations down the road – especially when dealing with former workers. 4. Who’s going to be the personality of my page? Does your company already have a public representative that usually handles speeches, press, etc.? It may be beneficial to rein in that person as the voice of your social networking site. “People buy from other people, not from other companies,” says Safko. “In order to solidify trust, pick someone to represent your brand.” Choosing Your Social HOW page 9
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Networking Site After you’ve answered those questions, you can choose which social networking site, or sites, would best fulfill the requirements of your strategy. Though many of the sites are similar in nature, they can all be categorized by the different purposes they serve. These are the basic types of social networking sites: 1. “Free for all” social sites: Some sites that fall under this category are Facebook, MySpace, Ning, and Friendster. Each of these sites primarily serve as a nexus of friends and associates who want to socialize. Ning, for example, has become popular for connecting classmates and helping to set up reunions. The profiles are usually personable, inviting, and can be customized with add-ons and apps. 2. Professional sites: Examples of these include LinkedIn, FastPitch, and Plaxo. The professional site can be utilized as an online professional contact database, or “rolodex,” but it’s also where people go to update employment information about themselves. 3. Industryspecific sites: These sites allow you to connect to people who are in your industry. I-Meet, for example, is specifically geared toward event planners, while ResearchGATE is a community for researchers in the science or technology field. Industry sites help you to narrow your search when looking for services, or people with skills in certain
fields. You may even want a particular department of your company, such as IT or advertising, to open an account on one of these sites.Setting Up Your ProfileYour profile is the online representation of your brand and company, so it’s important to know what to add and what to avoid. Here are a few tips to be mindful of as you create your profile:1. Don’t be afraid to get a little personal. Facebook profiles, for example, allow you to include things like hobbies, favorite music, etc. Including tidbits like these can make your page warmer and more personable. “Some personal information is valuable, because it may create a bond with a customer,” says Safko. 2. But not too personal. Don't be the “TMI” poster boy or girl, (i.e. “The wife and I are on our way to have dinner – kids are with the grandparents”). Create another page that's just yours, sans company activity.3. Share photos and videos. Adding multimedia to your page gives flair, and offers customers an exclusive look inside your company. LinkedIn even has an add-on that allows you to post presentations and slideshows.4. But no office party snapshots. Though the atmosphere of Facebook is still relatively laid back, you want to maintain the perception that you’re serious about your product and customers. Pictures involving Santa hats and alcohol probably
shouldn’t be in your albums. 5. Set privacy settings. On most of these sites, you can control what people see on your profile, such as pictures and blog posts, and you can even limit what other people post. Depending on the nature of your company, you should consider these restrictions. Are there any embarrassing pictures of you floating around that you might not want linked to your page? 6. But don’t be a blank slate. Imagine coming across the profile of one your favorite brands, and all that’s there is a picture and headquarters location. A little disheartening, right? If and when you do enact some privacy settings, try to keep the page lively. Leveraging Your Social Network ConnectionsSocial Network Marketing Marketing through social networks isn’t as much about selling your product, as it is about engaging your followers. “A lot of people have started Facebook fan pages with no clue to how it can benefit them,” says Jim Tobin, president of Ignite Social Media, a social media marketing agency based in Cary, North Carolina. “You have to think above your product.” The goal of the community-based environment of social networking sites is to provide a platform for an open, honest conversation.The companies that are most successful at converting followers into dollars are those
who interact most with the users and frequently post content related to their brand. Facebook’s Fan Page is probably the best example of how you should be marketing you company through social networking sites. The page acts as an upgraded user profile for brands, companies, and organizations to be as involved as the users, and has plenty of tools to help you do so. As users become “fans” of your page, all of your activity appears in their News Feed each time they log on. There’s also a useful feature called the Insights tool, which allows you to analyze page views, the demographics of your fans, and the number of people who view (or stop viewing) your News Feed posts. Outdoor Technology, a Los Angelesbased manufacturer of clothing and gear for skiers and snowboarders, initially sold merchandise directly to retailers. But after the company began actively using their Fan Page last September, revenue from ecommerce went from zero to $25,000 in three months, says CEO Caro Krissman. The page has now amassed over 11,000 fans. “We saw Facebook as sort of a sweet spot for where our target market is,” says Krissman. “With the ability to target users in such a focused way, we felt like there really wasn’t a better forum to go about [marketing online].” 'Fan' features your company should be using: 1.
Comment on other users' content or profile posts. By responding to what your followers post to your profile, you show them that you appreciate their interaction. If they know they have your attention, they’ll keep coming back.2. Ask questions on your wall. Facebook users love to be heard. It can be surprising how many responses one question can elicit. “It starts to snowball,” says Safko. “What you’ll find is that the conversation will branch off and start another one.” 3. Posting links or threads. “One thing fan pages lets you do that Web pages don’t is encourage viral spread,” says Tobin. If you have any content that you want to circulate quickly, the fan page is the perfect tool. 4. Posting relevant events. By posting upcoming events your company may be part of or hosting, you can help drive more attendees to the function. And for those who can’t come, they get a glimpse at how active your business is within the community or industry. Social Network PromotionsRemember, it’s called a social network, not a “business network.” Coming off as a pushy or shrewd salesperson peddling a product could scare away your Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections. Remember to be genuine and personal. Here are the things you should do when promoting your company or product through social HOW page 12
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30 Tips for Using Social Media in Your Business By April Joyner (Inc.com)
content to work. Want to draw more traffic to your website? Help spread the word by 1. Offer a peek behind the encouraging visitors to share scenes. Offering a sneak preview content they enjoy. GotCast, a of new products, services, or website that connects television features online can help build casting directors with aspiring demand and provide critical actors, draws new visitors by feedback to help smooth the posting audition videos on Digg launch. For instance, John and allowing others to share Doyle, founder of chocolate video links on the site. One way company John and Kira's in to promote the sharing of your Philadelphia, posts photos of site's content is to install a new products on Flickr and widget, such as AddThis, that i n v i t e s c o m m e n t s f r o m automates linking to popular customers.2. Harness your sites.5. Be candid. In unsure expertise. Chances are your economic times, transparency company's white paper won't go goes a long way toward retaining viral. But sharing knowledge and attracting customers. Giving you've gathered through your readers the scoop on your trade can go a long way toward company blog is an easy way to boosting your brand. Ford keep the lines of communication Models, for instance, became a open. Giacomo Guilizzoni, the YouTube sensation through a f o u n d e r o f S a n F r a n c i s c o series of videos that featured its software company Balsamiq, m o d e l s g i v i n g b e a u t y a n d even posts sales and profit fashion tips.3. Demonstrate what figures to show that his company your company does. Because is on solid financial footing.6. multimedia is so integral to But be careful what you say social media, getting connected about others. When Leslie allows you to express your Richard, owner of a North company's value proposition Carolina clothing company, beyond words. To show just how d e s c r i b e d V i s i o n M e d i a powerful his company's blenders Television as a "scam," she was w e r e , B l e n d t e c ' s h e a d o f slapped with a $20 million marketing, George Wright, l a w s u i t . W h i l e r e c o u n t i n g created a series of videos negative experiences with others showing the appliances churning won't necessarily lead to a court up such diverse items as a battle, it's best to steer clear of rotisserie chicken, a Rubik's name-calling.7. Interact with Cube, and an iPhone. The series' visitors—really. Just putting up a 100 million combined views blog or a Facebook fan page helped boost Blendtec's sales by won't do much good if visitors 700 percent.4. Put your website's sense the flow of conversation Submitted at 1/25/2010 1:09:00 AM
only goes one way. In fact, Matt Mullenweg, founder of blogging platform Wordpress, lists not participating in comments as a surefire way to kill a community. Mullenweg and his team field the many suggestions users have for Wordpress through his blog.8. Don't try to create a stand-in for yourself. With all the other tasks required within your company, it's tempting to outsource managing your social media or even to try automating the process. That can easily backfire, as Joe Pulizzi, founder of Cleveland marketing firm Junta42, learned when he tried sending automated welcome messages to new followers on Twitter. His online contacts quickly called him out for sending out what they perceived
businesses can take advantage of readily available tools to facilitate collaboration. The Hoffman Agency, a public relations firm, uses Ning, which enables users to build custom social networks, to connect its U.S. staff with employees in Europe and Asia.11. Reward customer loyalty. Through social media, companies can not only run promotions more frequently than coupons in the mail will permit but also devise more whimsical and engaging campaigns. Sprinkles Cupcakes, a bakery chain based in Beverly Hills, California, uses Twitter to send out daily promotional offers. The tweets, which ask customers to whisper a to be spam.9. Don't pretend to be "password" to receive a free someone else. Thanks to IP treat, have helped the company address tracking, observers can d r a w m o r e t h a n 1 7 , 0 0 0 also quickly tell when company followers.12. See what people figureheads adopt fake identities are saying about you. A quick for the sake of fluffing up their search for mentions of your reputation. Not only can the company on Facebook, Twitter, practice hurt your company's and Yelp can yield a goldmine of reputation, it could also land you information concerning your in legal trouble. The plastic reputation. Several users on surgery Lifestyle Lift had to pay Yelp, for instance, suggested that $300,000 in settlement costs to e m p l o y e e s a t Q u i m b y ' s the state of New York for having Bookstore in Chicago were less its employees post flattering than welcoming. After reading reviews of the company without the comments, owner Eric disclosing their affiliation.10. K i r s a m m e r f o c u s e d o n H e l p e m p l o y e e s b o n d . improving customer service. Corporations such as IBM have Applications such as monitter built in-house networks—even and Trackur can help you keep virtual worlds reminiscent of track of the conversation across Second Life—to link employees working in different locations. TIPS page 13 Small and medium-sized
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How to Improve Your Site's Search Ranking By Minda Zetlin (Inc.com)
text) is what propelled Google from a late entrant to the search field to its current position as T r y i n g t o i m p r o v e y o u r undisputed leader. Google website's search engine ranking currently has more than 65 can seem a bit like the quest for percent of searches, and shows romance. Like people looking for little sign of relinquishing this love, websites looking for a high dominance, despite Microsoft search ranking can find it many and Yahoo's combined effort to different ways and with varying u n s e a t i t . T h i s l i n k - b a s e d degrees of success. As with approach (called "link analysis") romance, you don't need to spend proved so effective that other a lot of money; your intrinsic major search engines followed appeal matters more than the size G o o g l e ' s e x a m p l e . " L i n k of your investment. And, as with analysis is at the core of almost love, you can't achieve a high all major search engines," says search engine ranking once and Aaron Wall, author of SEO then never worry about it again. Book.com, a search engine Search engine optimization optimization education service (SEO) is an ongoing effort, and that, incidentally, is the first the more you work at it, the website result in a Google search better it will be.There are many of "SEO." Five Ways to Get t h i n g s t h a t a n y s m a l l Linked 1. Give stuff away. Does business—even one with no your company offer free samples budget for SEO—can do to of its product? Do you have any improve its search rankings. handy applications or an ebook Here's a look at some of the most y o u c a n l e t s i t e v i s i t o r s effective ways to raise your download for free? There are few profile in search.Finding "Link more effective ways to get Love"The most effective and people to link to your site than to long-lasting way to improve your offer something for nothing.2. ranking in a search engine is to Share useful information. Links i n c r e a s e t h e n u m b e r o f are commonly used to share "inbound" links to your site from information, so putting useful other websites. Inbound links information on your site, such as represent an endorsement of your articles or how-to guides will site. If these other site owners help draw links.3. Connect with find your site useful, the logic your community. This can be goes, then Internet searchers are e i t h e r y o u r g e o g r a p h i c likely to find your site useful community or a community too.Building a search engine b a s e d o n y o u r i n d u s t r y . based on inbound links (instead Sponsoring an event at a local of simply reviewing keywords in charity, interviewing an industry hidden "meta tags" or website expert and posting the interview Submitted at 1/25/2010 2:22:00 AM
on your site or writing articles and blog entries for others to post can all bring inbound links. 4. Reach out to the blogosphere. Bloggers are always looking for new ideas, new websites to link to, and new products to write about, and they can be a great source of link love. 5. Use good old-fashioned PR. Getting mentioned in the press is good for your company in many different ways, and one of them is that online publications may include links to your site or your information if your company is mentioned in an article.WARNING: Whatever you do, don't join a "link farm"—a website consisting only of links whose only goal is to raise rankings. Search companies are liable to punish sites listed in link farms by lowering their rankings instead. Words That Sell: Finding Search TermsWords are the cornerstone of an effective SEO strategy, so one of your first tasks is to determine exactly what word or phrase searches bring customers to your site. If your business sells umbrellas and galoshes, do you get the most benefit from searches of "umbrella" or "rain gear?" 1. Think phrase, not word. Search "batik shower curtains" in Google (at press time) and the top result is the site for Saffron Marigold, an online retailer of fair trade, hand-printed linens from India. Searches on various products account for some 60 percent of the company's
business, according to Sandip Sarwate, co-founder. "It would be extremely difficult for us to rank with the search terms 'shower curtains,'" he says. "The key instead is to have 'long tail' terms that are very specific to you."2. Think buyers, not just browsers. "You should focus on conversions, not just traffic to the site," Sarwate says. He uses Google Analytics reports to break down keywords and phrases by revenue, so he can concentrate on optimizing for words that lead directly to revenues. 3. Look for suggestions. Several online tools, such as the Google Keyword Tool, can help you come up with terms your customers are searching that you may not have thought of. Starting from "rain gear," the tool comes up with hundreds of suggestions, including "nylon rain gear," "golf rain gear," and "breathable rain gear." A quick way to get just a few ideas is to start filling in a search text box and see what your search engine suggests. Typing "rain" into Google elicited the suggestion "rain boots," for instance.3. Don't forget to ask. Asking customers how they found you and what made them choose you over your competitors should give you come clues to what your most effective search terms will be.WARNING: Don't get so obsessed with keywords that your page becomes a mass of search terms with just a few
other words stringing them together. Your main objective is to appeal to human visitors, so you should limit yourself to a few very effective keywords per page. Remember that each page has a different focus, and each should be optimized accordingly: Optimize for "raincoat" on the raincoats page, "rain boots and galoshes" on the footwear page, etc. Needless to say, trickery such as white-on-white text to fool search engines is a bad idea. It will only serve to get your page downgraded.Using Search TermsOnce you've done your research, you should wind up with a manageable number of search terms that dependably generate revenue. Use these terms in the titles and headings of your pages. (Titles show up on browser tabs, but don't appear on the page itself, as headings do.) You may be able to gain benefit by varying them. For instance, in our rainwear example above, the title of the page could be "Rain gear and waterproof apparel," while the heading on the page itself might read "Umbrellas, galoshes, rain coats and wet weather clothing." You may have heard a lot about meta tags and search engines. Meta tags are invisible text incorporated into web pages to describe what the page contains and list relevant keywords. Meta tags are read by "spiders," HOW page 15
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networking sites:1. Make it benefit-based. Make the customer feel that they need to participate in the promotion. Is the product or feature available for a limited time? Are you offering exclusively to your followers on a particular network? 2. Talk about new or uncommon features. Even if you have a relatively popular product, there may be some things consumers don’t know about it. What are some new or different ways it can be used? 3. Include some discounts and savings. Offering discounts on products is usually a shoe-in to grab customers’ attention. Krissman, of Outdoor Technology, says he posts promotional codes that users can fill out on the company’s website and get up to 30 percent off a product. Not only does it drive more buyers to your product, but it also brings more followers to your page. Here are the things you shouldn’t do when promoting your company or product through social networking sites:1. Don’t continually have sales-related messages. There are other ways to promote besides selling your product. Comment or ask questions about news or topics in your industry. “They will easily ignore you or unsubscribe you if you continue to push a sale,” says Tobin. 2. Don’t set up an expectation, then cheat on it. If you announce to your followers that your purpose is to give
advice, don’t turn around and start selling. “If you violate that expectation, people are going to get upset and they’re going to leave,” says Tobin. Again, make the sale subtle – how can your product help them achieve the advice you’re giving? Social Network RecruitingSocial recruiting is an effective way to utilize social networks to find the best candidate for any open positions at your company. While the past few years saw the rise of job boards like Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com, the growing prominence of social networks have transformed the way businesses build their best team. Instead of relying on the “come one, come all” approach, the detailed personal information contained in profiles, such as interests and job history, allows businesses to employ social networking sites to target the specific audience or skill set they want to pull from. According to an annual social recruitment survey published by Jobvite, an online service that helps businesses consolidate the resources of social media sites, 80 percent of companies used or planned to use social networking to find and attract candidates in 2009, with LinkedIn being used by 95 percent of the respondents and Facebook usage growing from 36 percent in 2008 to 59 percent in 2009. “It’s like what’s happened to the ad industry,” says Dan Finnigan, CEO of
Jobvite and former general manager of Yahoo! HotJobs. “It used to be that you would buy a big ad to get the consumer’s attention, but more and more companies are relying on online advertising software that puts that ad right in front of them based on data, like the other ads they click on. Social recruiting is analogous to that.” The Benefits of Social Network RecruitingHere are some of the primary advantages that social recruiting affords small businesses:1. Empowers your employees to distribute job information. These days, most, if not all of your employees probably have a profile on a social networking site. By enabling them to post information about open positions, you multiply your searching reach by the thousands.2. Helps you put the passive job candidate in your crosshairs. Job boards are mostly used by people who are proactively looking for positions. But what about the perfect potential employee who may not be scouring Careerbuilder.com every day? 3. A low-cost method of finding high-quality candidates. When looking for job candidates, it takes time to sift through resumes of unqualified applicants, and many job boards charge fees to post openings. Social recruiting helps you zone in on the best candidates, for free. Tools to Help You Socially Recruit 1. Custom searches.
Searching only by name and location doesn’t cut it when looking for the perfect employee. LinkedIn has one of the most thorough searches of all the sites, allowing you to sift through profiles by company, industry, college, and even how many “degrees” you are from the person. 3. Updating your status message. When you or your employees update your statuses, it pops up on your friends’ home page, and sits atop the profile until it’s changed. “My company is looking for … ,” is sure to snag replies. 4. Linking to stories and external content. Both Facebook and LinkedIn enable users to post external content to their profiles. By linking to articles and blogs that contain positive news about your business, you show potential candidates that it’s not just your social network connections that adore your company. Privacy and Legal Issues Though social networking can certainly be a fun way to help you expand your company, there are plenty of issues surrounding privacy and legalities that you should always be aware of when searching for employees, and even after you’ve hired them. “The laws [regarding online privacy and or hiring online] generally apply the same [as existing state laws],” says Megan Erickson, an associate at Des Moines, Iowabased Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagan law firm and
author of Erickson’s Blog on Social Networking and the Law. “But now that there are all these different kinds of social media, they combine to make it a very unique environment.” Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind to help you steer clear of legal trouble when dealing with potential or current employees and social networking sites:1. Don’t use fake profiles. Using a fake profile when adding employees to monitor their activity can constitute as an invasion of privacy, Erickson says. “That’s just asking for lots of trouble,” she says. 2. Add a social media section to your handbook. Including language about social media in your personnel policy is paramount, especially if you plan on integrating it heavily in your company’s operations. 3. Beware of existing federal and state laws. It may help to prep yourself on the many federal and state laws regarding antidiscrimination and privacy, Erickson says, so that if you do come across an employee’s wayward photo or disparaging status message, you'll be knowlegeable about how to proceed with disciplinary action. Resources To learn more about using social networking sites:• The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success, by Lon Safko and David Brake, is a great guide HOW page 17
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the Web.13. Make amends with dissatisfied customers, quickly. Andy Carlson, owner of an Ace Hardware store in Denver, once came across an angry Twitter update from a customer who had bought a tool that broke after one use. He resolved the issue in a matter of minutes by referring the customer to an area store and notified him of Ace's lifetime guarantee. Best of all, he was able to catch the complaint after store hours—and prevent negative word of mouth.14. Don't go on the defensive. A harsh rebuke of your business on sites like Yelp can not only bruise your ego but also hurt your livelihood. But resist the temptation to lash out in public. Sarah Dunbar, owner of Oakland vintage boutique Pretty Penny, privately responds to less-thanflattering reviewers and encourages them to visit her in person. And keep in mind that you can't please everyone. After Dunbar wrote to one dissatisfied customer, the reviewer accused her of conducting "shady business" by trying to sway opinions.15. Keep customers in the loop. Frequently on the go? Twitter can help your customers keep track of your latest destination. Kogi Korean BBQ, which operates a food cart in Los Angeles, keeps its Twitter followers constantly informed of its location on the street. The real -time updates help Kogi keep up demand, as customers line up in advance at the broadcasted
locations.16. Find potential customers. A quick keyword search can help you find prospective customers who may not be aware of your company but could nonetheless benefit from your product or service. Bob Scaglion, a senior managing director at New York real-estate management company Rose Associates, generates 100 leads per month on Twitter for his company simply by replying to users whose tweets include phrases such as "moving to New York City" and "no-fee rentals."17. Reach more markets. Social media can help your company reach multiple markets at a time. Restaurant chain Boloco focuses most of its advertising on Boston, which houses 13 out of its 16 locations. But as an experiment, CEO John Pepper decided to post a copy of a coupon from a local newspaper on Twitter in order to reach customers in Vermont and New Hampshire. Coupon redemptions increased by more than 150 percent as a result.18. Target your online advertising. Both Facebook and MySpace allow businesses to run ads that attract specific groups of users based on what information they include in their profiles. By running Facebook ads targeted at students at specific colleges, StorQuest Self Storage, which has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Hawaii, increased its number of rentals by more than half.19. See
where your customers are. A growing number of social networks are designed specifically for users on the go, and some, such as the mobile application Foursquare, offer tools specifically for businesses. Frozen dessert chain Tasti DLite, for instance, uses Foursquare to gather data on how many people visit its locations and send promotional offers to frequent customers.20. Let customers help each other out. Including a customer forum on your website or social network profile can help enhance your customer service while building a sense of community. At Poolcenter.com, a swimming pool equipment retailer based in Arlington, Virginia, customers often field each other's inquiries on swimming pool equipment before they reach customer service reps. Get Satisfaction and Fixya are two sites that offer dedicated spaces for customer service forums.21. Build a community beyond your business. Photo hosting site SmugMug has established itself as a resource for skilled photographers in part by operating a forum, Digital Grin, where members trade advice on topics such as the best techniques for taking photos at night and capturing wedding scenes. With the exception of a support section at the very bottom, the forum is devoted to photography at large, rather than the company's own services.22. Let
customers contribute. FrontPoint Security, a home security provider in McLean, Virginia, began collecting video testimonials from its customers, who filmed themselves with Flip cameras. The videos are posted on FrontPoint's site and on YouTube, and even some customers' personal blogs. FrontPoint's video efforts have helped the company more than triple its sales leads.23. Help others promote you. Social media can help you find passionate customers who are more than willing to spread the word about your company. Crafts supplies manufacturer Fiskars reached out to scrapbookers by inviting four avid users to blog. Its crafts community, called Fiskateers, has since attracted 5,000 users who serve as brand evangelists.24. Cultivate relationships that lead to sales. Soon after he joined Twitter, J.R. Cohen, manager of The Coffee Groundz, a Houston coffee shop, began encouraging his followers to visit him in his shop. He began getting to know customers so well that they not only initiated conversations with him through Twitter—they began tweeting orders through the site as well. Now Cohen periodically fields menu requests through Twitter, though he doesn't use the page primarily for that purpose.25. But don't promote too aggressively. While social network users have proven to be
open to marketing—especially if it involves a discount—they're not flocking to Facebook or MySpace to hear sales pitches. If your profile or blog reads like an ad, it will turn visitors away. Kent Lewis, founder of Portland online marketing firm Anvil Media, encourages Twitter users, for instance, to pass along industry news and retweet interesting items from others along with their own promotions.26. Find ways to engage visitors offline. In March, Cinda Baxter, a retail consultant in Minneapolis, ended a blog post on local business with one simple idea: choose three businesses to support, and spend a combined amount of $50 per month. The post spurred hundreds of inquiries—enough for Baxter to build a standalone website, which has since attracted the support of more than 12,000 businesses. Baxter has used the publicity to bolster her consulting business: she now travels nationwide to advise retailers on building support within their communities.27. Find influential people in your industry. In addition to maintaining your blog, make sure to keep your eyes open to what others in the industry are buzzing about online. Reading independent blogs and joining industry groups on Facebook and LinkedIn is a good way to join the larger conversation. TIPS page 15
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Top 10 Awkward Social Media Moments By Nitasha Tiku (Inc.com)
he said, "I did every horrible thing in the book just to get revenues." TechCrunch cut the No. 1 Cutting-edge advertising 30-minute speech down to the firm Agency.com fancied itself part where Pincus admitted that forward-thinking for its plan to scamming was an early part of crowd-source content for the Zynga's business model and Skittles homepage, including a posted it online. Still, more than feed from its Facebook fan page 1,100 Facebook shares, 500 and a live stream of tweets tweets, and 255 comments on the related to the candy. Pranksters video didn't stop Pincus from had other ideas when they started nabbing CEO of the year at the flooding the homepage with Crunchies this January.No. 4We obscene tweets with the hashtag called Brazen Careerist founder skittles. Even the more G-rated Penelope Trunk " the voice of tweets, such as "#skittles got the new guard." But her tell-all stuck in my mouth while I was approach to social media rubbed driving, forced me to slam into some readers the wrong way orphanage, killing hundreds. I'll when she tweeted about having a n e v e r e a t t h e m a g a i n " o r miscarriage in a board meeting. "Skittles are poisoning the Trunk's website was deluged sheepish brains of the social with complaints and she quickly media echo chamber," were lost 70 followers on Twitter. equally unwelcome. Trunk, who fired back that most No. 2Twitter was overrun with miscarriages happen at work, the topic#amazonfail when users defended the tweet on her blog: thought the e-commerce site "We are not used to talking about changed its policies to get the female experience, and lesbian, gay, and transgender especially not in the context of books ranked lower on the site. work. But so what? We can start Amazon later explained that it now."No. 5There's nothing was a glitch and rectified the necessarily untoward about mistake, but not soon enough to rewarding people who comment dissipate suspicions among positively on your company. But consumers who liked the feeling Royal Caribbean's social media of flexing their collective voice attempt backfired when it failed on Twitter.No.3Mark Pincus, to disclose that it had solicited CEO of Zynga, the company the names of consumers who behind popular Facebook games posted flattering feedback about like FarmVille and Mafia Wars, its cruises on user-generated thought he was in the company message boards like Cruise of like-minded entrepreneurs at a Critic and Trip Advisor—and start-up mixer in Berkeley when then paid them in perks to Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:53:00 AM
continue to post favorable reviews. Even Arthur Frommer, the granddaddy of travel writing, weighed in on the scandal. In the end, the lack of transparency sullied Royal Caribbean's brand, as well as consumers' faith in the objectivity of the travel sites. No. 6It would have cost United Airlines $3,500 to replace Dave Carroll's Taylor guitar, which was damaged by baggage handlers when he and his band Sons of Maxwell checked into a flight at O'Hare. Instead, the airline gave Carroll the runaround. The band promptly released a video for the Sons of Maxwell song "United Breaks Guitars," inspired by Carroll's experience, which was viewed more than 7.2 million times on
YouTube. No. 7What's the fastest way to lose a job offer? Tweet about how much you're gonna hate the job. In response to an offer from Cisco, recent Berkeley grad Connor Riley tweeted: "Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work." A Cisco employee quickly tweeted back, "Who is the hiring manager. I'm sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web." Riley was dubbed " the Cisco Fatty" and ridiculed for bungling a prime opportunity in the midst of a recession.No. 8Self-professed social media expert and former Ketchum exec James Andrews
tweets under the handle " keyinfluencer." Which might be why his tweet about Memphis being "one of those towns where I scratch my head and say, 'I would die if I had to live here," got picked up elsewhere on the blogosphere. Unfortunately for Andrew, FedEx, a valued Ketchum client that invited him to its Memphis headquarters to talk about digital media, saw it too. No. 9Facebook didn't seem to learn much from the dust-up with users over changing its terms of service last February. But the internet learned a lot about founder Mark Zuckerberg when the site changed its default privacy settings last month. Valleywag, a tech gossip blog, wasted no time in combing through the 290 odd pictures of Zuckerberg suddenly available to the public, including ones of the young CEO staring dreamily into his girlfriend's eyes, wearing pajamas and hugging a teddy bear, and seemingly inebriated in Lake Tahoe. No. 10Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is best known for his net worth and his big mouth. Both took a hit when he lambasted a referee on Twitter for a missed call during a game. The NBA slapped Cuban with a $25,000 fine. "Can't say no one makes money from Twitter now. The NBA does," he quipped.
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HOW continued from page 11
software applications that search the Web and rank pages for search. Before Google and link analysis, meta tags were an important SEO tool, and unfortunately one that was subject to manipulation. Today, meta tags have lost their luster. You should still use them, but don't expect them to help your search ranking. Making the Most of Search TechnologyWith a good keyword and link strategy in place, you can use some features of search engine technology to help your search rankings. 1. Refresh content often. Search engine spiders return most often to websites that are most frequently updated. This is one reason blogging is a popular activity among small business sites. "Creating a blog is the one thing that definitely changed our search engine presence," says David Lewis, president of OperationsInc, a human resources outsourcing company. The OperationsInc
blog is updated daily Monday through Friday, he says, and contains information from a newsletter the company also sends to about 1,500 subscribers. 2. Consider a content management system. Created to support blogging, content management systems are versatile website platforms that can allow you and your staff to add content to your site easily, encouraging the frequent updates that can boost rankings. OperationsInc's website is currently being transferred into Drupal, an open-source content management system. "Drupal and WordPress are the two most popular content management systems, with Drupal having both a steeper learning curve and more features," Wall says. Either way, he adds, content management systems make it easy to post material and easy for users to comment on posts, all of which can be good for search ranking.3. Eliminate underused
pages. If pages on your site are out of date or generating little interest, remove them, Wall advises. This will help your search ranking, since the number of links or "link equity" you have can be diluted by a large number of pages. "If a page isn't generating any real traffic and no one is linking to it, the content probably isn't useful and you should get rid of it," he says. Not only will this help your ranking, it will also help keep your site relevant and fresh.ResourcesTo learn more about SEO:• Aaron Wall's site SEO Book.com(seobook.com) offers a vast array of articles, tutorials, and tools such as a free tool to determine your site's search engine ranks. • Google's Webmaster Central S E O , p a r t o f (google.com/support/webmasters ) offers a lot of information from Google on how to improve search ranking, including a video tutorial, PDF starter guide and
discussion forums. Keep in mind, though, that no search company will share too many secrets about how to manipulate its rankings.For finding your best k e y w o r d s : • Wordtracker(wordtracker.com) is a very popular keyword finding tool that costs $59 per month but comes with a free trial.• A free alternative is K e y w o r d Tracker(digitalpoint.com/tools/k eywords) • And Google also offers its own ( google.com/sktool)• Google provides the Google Keyword Tool to suggest search w o r d s (adwords.google.com/select/Key wordToolExternal)Popular content management systems:• WordPress(wordpress.org)• Drupal(drupal.org)• Joomla(joomla.org)
How Free Software Pioneer Richard Stallman Avoids Internet Distractions [Quotables]
to do just that. Heidi Cool, a Web design consultant in Cleveland, browses LinkedIn Answers for inquiries related to her industry and spends one to two hours per week answering them. In one month, she generated 29 leads for her services directly from her responses.29. Look for talent off the beaten path. While LinkedIn is specifically geared toward
professional use, some companies have found other social networks to be effective recruiting tools as well. Jason Averbrook, CEO of the management-consulting firm Knowledge Infusion, found 19 candidates in two days for an open position simply by writing about his search in status updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Plaxo, which aggregates contact
information from social networks.30. Connect with potential partners. Because LinkedIn is designed specifically for professional networking, businesses can find a host of valuable contacts there. Josh Steinitz, CEO of NileGuide, a trip planning website based in San Francisco, used LinkedIn to find business partners by identifying companies of interest
and then asking his existing contacts to provide introductions. A third of the company's inquiries resulted in eventual partnerships.
By Gina Trapani (Lifehacker) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:30:00 PM
"Most of the time I do not have an Internet connection. Once or twice or maybe three times a day I connect and transfer mail in and out. Before sending mail, I always review and revise the outgoing messages. That gives me a chance to catch mistakes and faux pas." [ Richard Stallman uses this via Smarterware]
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Spoonflower, a fabric design site based in Mebane, North Carolina, has built its community of more than 40,000 users primarily through word of mouth on crafts blogs.28. Boost your credibility by helping others. For service providers, establishing yourself as an expert in the field can bring in a steady stream of business. LinkedIn's Answers feature enables business owners
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Google vs. China Round 3: Chinese Human Rights Web Sites Under Cyberattack By Kit Eaton (Fast Company) Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:40:52 AM
The continuing Google versus Chinese censorship and cyberattack affair has just taken a bizarre twist: Five Chinese human rights activists Web sites were the subject of DDoS attacks over the weekend, and they are blaming the Chinese government. Google alleges that China-based hack attacks to its secret code and numerous Gmail accounts are behind its moves to uncensor its Google.cn service, though in truth the reasons are much more complex and somewhat financially motivated. The attacks were apparently much more widespread, however, and many other bodies in the U.S. were also targeted--an event which has escalated the affair up to government level. Meanwhile Chinese sites are making claims that they too are the subject of cyber attacks, in an attempt to politically spin the news. But the latest news is
Chinese paper has even gone one step further, and accused the U.S. government of leveraging Net technology to play a role in the unrest in Iran. Though this is but a war of words, the two governments are in such head-tohead opposition, and have a reputation for stubbornness that hints the affair will not be resolved swiftly. Google, in the mean time, is still operating in China and it's not known how its role will play out-if it does lift its censorship (as Eric Shmidt has promised will happen soon) it seems increasingly likely that the authorities will force it to shut down its search system. Google particularly controversial. Web addresses at Texas-based hosting should relax its censorship, has stated it wishes to maintain a sites belonging to the Chinese provider The Planet. President Obama is known to be business presence in China Human Rights Defenders, Civil The CHRD group noted that the "troubled" by the matter, and the should this happen, but it's not Rights and Livelihood Watch, source of the attacks hadn't yet China's officials have responded known what form this will take. Canyu and New Century News b e e n d e t e r m i n e d , b u t i t with harsh words of their own: All that is clear is that a suite of sites, and the Independent unashamedly pointed the finger T o d a y g o v e r n m e n t cyberattacks seem to be Chinese Pen Center (which hosts d i r e c t l y a t t h e C h i n e s e spokespersons have denied any responsible, for the first time, for essays from dissident writers) government. This news will most involvement in the cyberattacks stirring up a geo-political were subject to distributed denial definitely heighten tensions against U.S. interests. They also conflict on a truly international of service attacks over the between the U.S. and China. noted that the U.S. accusations level. weekend. The attacks lasted Hilary Clinton has already are "groundless" and actually [Via PCWorld, Reuters] many hours, and targeted IP controversially stated that China aim "to denigrate China." And a
50 Apple Tablets Already Online, Apps Downloaded: Analytics Firm Flurry By Charlie Sorrel (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:54:00 AM
Flurry, an internet analytics company which tracks mobile applications, has tracked down 50 devices it says are almost
certain to be Apple’s expected tablet. It says these machine have downloaded some 200 different apps, and Flurry places them
inside Apple’s Cupertino campus.
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for business owners and executives who want to use the power of social media to grow their companies. Visit the w e b s i t e , TheSocialMediaBible.com, to connect with other professionals looking to do the same. • Megan Erickson’s blog, Erickson’s Blog on Social Networking and the Law, posts up-to-date news on legal issues surrounding social media sites. • Mashable is a great resource for news, advice, and jobs concerning all things social media. • John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing – The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide, also runs a marketing blog for small businesses called Duct Tape Marketing. Check out what he says about the 7 Truths of Social
Media Marketing. Some sites to consider joining for social networking: • Facebook: The most popular social networking site, it allows you keep up with friends, colleagues, and classmates and features a stream-lined, easy-touse interface. • MySpace: Geared toward the younger crowd, this interactive site lets you connect with friends and tweak your profile with extras like themes and music playlists. • LinkedIn: This site is strictly professional, and for good reason. You can keep up with colleagues, find employees, and network with others in your field. • Bebo: Another primarily social site for friends that allows users to express themselves through
media and interactive environments. • FastPitch: This professional site serves as a great platform for growing companies to market themselves, allowing you to post events, press, and submit keywords to increase your profile's SEO strength. • Friendster: A social networking site for friends that promotes connections between international users and also boasts "Fan Profiles" similar to Facebook's. • I-Meet: A professional site where you can establish valuable contacts and potentially save money on event planning.
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Ben Stiller, Conan Find Scum Under NBC's Green Wash on "Tonight Show" Farewell By Ariel Schwartz (Fast Company) Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:36:48 AM
We've covered NBC's attempts to brand itself as the "green" network before. It's hard to say if the network's "Green is Universal" campaign has been successful in any respect, but Ben Stiller made a good point about it that you may have missed among all of the shenanigans in Conan O'Brien's NBC-bashing farewell from The Tonight Show last week: The whole thing is hypocritical, especially when the network
builds, say, a $50 million studio for Conan that gets used for a grand total of 7 months. Check out Stiller's right-on parody of "Green is Universal" below. [Via Treehugger; Image via: NewsBusters]
Poetic Perspective on the Apple Tablet By William Bostwick (Fast Company)
posts and blog comments, and maybe even some blog posts. But poetry about blog posts? Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:35:25 AM On the eve of Apple's big reveal, Beat poet Gary Snyder's ode to old-school beat poet Gary his MacBook. Snyder fired off this gem from It doesn't take a linguist to know his electricity-free cabin in the texts and tweets are changing the Sierras. Presumably he uses his way we write. A 12-year-old's Mac in an Internet cafe or grasped that concept. (The New something. Though I can't say York Times, meanwhile, is just I've ever thought of my dinged- scraps. catching on.) There's a certain up Macbook as a "perched Just a little perspective as we all poetry--usually unintentional, falcon," there sure are days when brace ourselves for when Apple though who knows?--to Twitter I feel like all I do is toss it changes the world of words
again. An excerpt: Why I Take Good Care of My Macintosh
"Because it leaps forward and backward, is an endless sniffer and searcher, Because its keys click like hail on a boulder, And it winks when it goes out, And puts word-heaps in hoards for me, dozens of pockets of gold under boulders in streambeds, identical seedpods strong on a vine, or it stores bins of bolts; And I lose them and find them,"
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Infographic of the Day: Nicholas Felton's 2009 Annual Report By Cliff Kuang (Fast Company)
Good news: Felton has just released his 2009 report. This time, he took a slightly different Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:43:52 AM tack: Each day in 2009, I asked A graphic designer documents a every person with whom I had a year of his life in infographics. meaningful encounter to submit If you love infographics, you a record of this meeting through probably have Nicholas Felton to an online survey. These reports thank, at least a little bit. Six form the heart of the 2009 years ago, he started compiling Annual Report. From parents to an "Annual Report" of his life, old friends, to people I met for compiling all of the little day-to- the first time, to my dentist ... day details of an entire year into any time I felt that someone had a volume of infographics. That d i s c e r n e d e n o u g h o f m y little project has caught on, personality and activities, they inspiring graphic designs to were given a card with a URL create countless similar projects, and unique number to record and helping touch off the current their experience. I kept track rage for infographics. only of who I gave survey
invitations to, the number of the card and where it was given. The surveys answers were submitted via text forms, allowing the respondee to write whatever they desired, and leaving the task of
making comparisons between the data up to me. I have used only this information to create the report, however accurate it may be. I have strived to sort and collate the data in a clinical and
MercuryHouseOne: The Solar-Powered Pod Lounge of the Future By Ariel Schwartz (Fast Company) Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:36:12 AM
Why relax in the living room when you could be in a personal solar-powered pod? The MercuryHouseOne, designed by Architecture and Vision for the Venice Biennale, is the latest example of the mobile pod.
The space-age, prefab pod is outfitted with solar panels that keep it completely off-grid. It's fashioned out of Carrera Italian marble, and comes with the latest in lighting, sound, and video technology for the ultimate lazy lounging experience. And the pod is portable enough that it could be transported by truck or helicopter to any remote--or not
How to Get Paid What You're Worth By How-To Wiki (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 1/24/2010 9:00:00 PM
Before accepting your next job offer, learn what constitutes a fair, competitive salary.
MercuryHouseOne, but we imagine that it could be a hit at music festivals, where ecoconscious revelers would clamor for the opportunity to relax in a pimped-out lounge. [Via Inhabitat]
repeatable manner that could be reproduced by someone looking for the same stories I have selected. You can see the whole thing online, but here's a taste: The moods particular caught my eye--the data really did reveal evidence of the winter doldrums, while happiness peaked during the lazy days of August: You can pre-order the entire annual report, which costs $20. For more Infographics of the Day, click here.
Decode Exhibition Points Way to Data -Driven Art By Hugh Hart (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:13:00 AM
so remote--location. Architecture and Vision hasn't announced plans to sell the
The NHL Column: Trouble for Torts, Norris Noms, Who Doesn't Like Gretzky? By Christopher Botta (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 1/25/2010 4:00:00 AM
Every Monday, Christopher
Botta shares his notes, observations and opinions. We call it The NHL Column.
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Cosan (CZZ): 'Sweet' Trade on Sugar, Ethanol and Brazil
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New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the fastest single-console game to reach 10 million sold By Nicholas Deleon (CrunchGear)
on a single console to reach 10 million units sold worldwide. The previous record holder was Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:30:00 AM Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Can we agree that Modern The key to all this is the single By Steven Halpern crops are threatened or supply is Warfare 2 was an average console caveat. The game, as its (BloggingStocks) tight, sugar futures rise. That's shooter, just one that happened name implies, was only available what is happening now. Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:00:00 AM to be backed by a gigantic on the Nintendo Wii, while Continue reading Cosan (CZZ): marketing budget? It wasn’t bad, Modern Warfare 2 was available "With sugar prices rising, our 'Sweet' Trade on Sugar, Ethanol certainly, but the story was batfor multiple consoles, and latest stock pick is the Brazilian and Brazil shit crazy— Red Dawn was technically available for the PC, ethanol and sugar producer Cosan (CZZ): 'Sweet' Trade on more plausible—and No Russian the lack of dedicated servers Cosan Limited ( CZZ)," says Sugar, Ethanol and Brazil was so clearly developed to notwithstanding. Brandon Clay. Here's the latest o r i g i n a l l y a p p e a r e d o n spark controversy. This is why It took Mario only seven weeks update from Invest with an Edge. BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Jan this Mario story warms my heart to reach the 10 million mark. "Like all commodities, sugar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see so. New Super Mario Bros. Wii That breaks down to 4.5 million prices are affected by the our terms for use of feeds. is now the fastest-selling game sold in North America, 2.9 worldwide supply and demand of P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | sugar. When there's a glut of C o m m e n t s sugar, prices fall. When sugar
million in Japan, and 2.9 million everywhere else. It just goes to show you: Nintendo could release a new Mario game every few years and be guaranteed a hit. Mario is untouchable. Meanwhile, in just a few years I’m sure we’ll be looking at Modern Warfare 18 and Modern Warfare-branded kids vitamins. Who knows, maybe Activision will actually become a defense contractor in order to better milk the license for money?
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Wii Classic Controller Pro Finally Hitting US This Spring [Wii] By Brian Barrett (Gizmodo)
at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also be available without a controller at a The Classic Controller Pro for suggested retail price of $49.99. Wii has been available in Japan Making its North American for some time already, but it's debut on Wii this spring, making its way to these here Monster Hunter Tri is one of the parts this April. most strikingly beautiful titles The controller looks like it came developed for Nintendo's Wii from the PS2 factory, and it system. Pushing the hardware to won't plug directly directly into the limit, Monster Hunter Tri your Wii. Instead, you have to depicts a living, breathing plug it into your Wii Remote, ecosystem where humans cowhich isn't that much of a hassle. exist with majestic monsters that It'll ship with Monster Hunter roam both dry land and brand Tri, but will also be sold new sub-aqua environments – a separately for $20. first for the series. Offering the The Classic Controller Pro will player varied control come in black or white, and be configurations to suit their style compatible more than 450 Wii, of play, players can choose WiiWare, and Virtual Console between the Classic Controller games. The design includes a Pro, Wii Remote™ and second row of shoulder buttons, Nunchuck™, or Classic and an "ergonomic" grip, which Controller™ to slay the monsters sounds like marketing pablum to publisher of video games, and huge splash in the Japanese i n c l u d e s a s e c o n d r o w o f that inhabit the world. me. Still, though, looks neat! Nintendo of America today market, and we're confident the s h o u l d e r b u t t o n s a n d The Monster Hunter series has The Perfect Bundle for Hunting announced an exciting new b u n d l e w i t h t h e C l a s s i c ergonomically friendly grips. sold over 11 million units Season: Monster Hunter® Tri bundle featuring one of the most Controller Pro will give fans in The Classic Controller Pro plugs worldwide and has become a and Wii Classic Controller Pro highly anticipated titles for 2010, North America plenty to get directly into the Wii Remote™ social phenomenon in Japan Come Together for the First Monster Hunter® Tri, and excited about," said Steve controller, and until now, has giving rise to training camps, Time in North America combining it with the new Singer, Nintendo of America's been available only in the dedicated festivals and numerous Bundle Will Bring the Highly- Classic Controller Pro™ for the vice president of Licensing. Japanese market. licensed products. According to Anticipated New Controller and Wii™ system. The Classic "Gamers of all kinds enjoy The Classic Controller Pro will Media Create, Monster Hunter Popular Franchise Together for Controller Pro's more traditional playing games on Wii. Monster be compatible with more than Tri sold 520,000 units in its first the Ultimate Monster Hunting control configuration will give Hunter Tri delivers an incredible 450 Wii, WiiWare™ and Virtual week of release in Japan and Experience on the Wii System gamers the ultimate Monster new experience on Wii, while Console™ games. The Classic became the leading title sold S A N M A T E O , C a l i f . & Hunting experience when the the Classic Controller Pro gives Controller Pro bundled with across all platforms for the week R E D M O N D , bundle becomes available in players even more control Monster Hunter Tri will be of its release. Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)— North America this April at a options for their favorite Wii black, while both black and Capcom® Entertainment, a suggested retail price of $59.99. games." white versions of the controller WII page 21 leading worldwide developer and "Monster Hunter Tri has made a The new Classic Controller Pro will also be available separately Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:08:16 PM
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NYT, Condé Nast Working on "Large-Screen" iPhone Apps For the Tablet [Rumor]
WII
By John Herrman (Gizmodo)
Advertising Reporter Is Not a Closer [Journalismism]
Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:23:27 PM
According to the Times(the LA one), the Times(the NY one) has been working on a tablet app in recent weeks. Also: Condé Nast basically admitted to the same in a press release. Familiar? Sure. But intriguing! In September, we reported through two sources at the paper that the NYT had been approached by Apple to develop content of some sort for the tablet. As the paper of record, they're the obvious choice for an inaugural app demo—remember the the wave of iPhone commercials, where the floating hands navigate to the NYT homepage?—and they already have tablet-appropriate software available for download. In that sense, the LAT report is just more corroboration; of the NYT's involvement with Apple; of the tablet's penchant for the written word; and obviously, of the tablet's mere existence. More interesting, though, is a
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By Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:50:15 PM
Today in our occasional series of Reporters Gamely Trying to Do Other Things and Failing Miserably, For Journalism: Ad Age's Larry Dobrow tried out for a TV pitchman job. Good enthusiasm! Just makes you miss Billy Mays that much more. quote highlighted in the report from a Conde Nast press release last week, which was supposed to tout the (moderate) success of the GQ iPhone app, but which may have also revealed it to be a not-so-subtle prelude to a tablet app. Quoted directly: In addition to developing more content for the iPhone and the anticipated tablet from Apple, Conde Nast has formed a strategic partnership with Adobe
to collaborate on creating technologies that will allow the company to design and produce a new generation of digital magazines. Normally it'd be prudent to just ignore this kind of thing, since the Apple Tablet, even as a rumor, has ingratiated itself so far into the media's consciousness that print ombudsman and PR people can't seem to squeeze out a public
statement or press release without mentioning it, but at this late stage in the game, and from the company most likely in the world to be involved with such a venture if it does exist, these words are worth hanging on. On another note, I tend to think people are overstating the role that print media text content will play in this device, and vice versa! Discuss. [ LAT]
Pentax Optio I-10, H90, and E-90 leak out in full By Nilay Patel (Engadget)
out in full. We still don't kow a ton about them, but the higherSubmitted at 1/25/2010 11:33:00 AM res images mean we know some We caught a glimpse of some basic specs: the I-10 cops an oldnew Pentax cams yesterday, and school vibe and features a 5x now the new Optio I-10, E-10, zoom on top of a 12.1 megapixel and two-tone H90 have leaked sensor, the H90 also has a 5x
zoom, and the E90 looks to be a
little more basic with a 3x zoom and a 10.1 megapixel sensor. So... let's get official with these soon, okay? Pentax Optio I-10, H90, and E90 leak out in full originally appeared on Engadget on Mon,
25 Jan 2010 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Photorumors| Email this| Comments
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Oppo's Sub-$300 BDP80 Blu-ray Player Plays Whatever You Throw At It [BluRay]
AMD launches new Phenom II and Athlon II CPUs right onto the test bench Audio Technica AT-
By Kyle VanHemert (Gizmodo) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:20:00 PM
We've long been fans of Oppo, makers of high-quality, universal Blu-ray players, but that quality By Darren Murph (Engadget) was downright beautiful. We'll always came at a price. Their spare you the nitty-gritty details new BDP-80, announced today, Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:54:00 AM (all the bar charts you can handle plays Blu-ray discs, DVDs, Hot on the heels of its first are just below), but suffice it to SACDs, MKVs, MP3s, and more quarterly profit in three years ( say, these two are certainly for only $289. t h a n k s t o I n t e l , s t r a n g e l y worth a look if you're fixing to By Donald Melanson however, this one also packs a The last we heard from Oppo, enough), AMD is launching a build a low-end, low-cost tower (Engadget) built-in iPod dock, plus some their BDP-83 was getting nearnew pair of desktop processors for... um, your mother. Yeah, RCA, S-Video, and digital audio p e r f e c t r e v i e w s . T h e o n l y Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:36:00 PM today that hit for under a buck her. outputs 'round back to connect it problem was the price: $500. twenty (amongst a few others). Read- Hot Hardware Headphone amps may not be a to your other audio / video gear. Now, you can bring a high The $99 Phenom II X2 555 Read- AnandTech necessity for the average user Of course, Audio Technica performance Oppo player to your Black Edition is the company's Read- Computer Shopper with a pair of off-the-shelf headphone amps tend not to home theater for under $300. quickest dual-core desktop CPU Read- Tom's Hardware 'phones or iPod buds, but they're come cheap, and this is no The BDP-80 shaves off some of to date at 3.2GHz, while the Read- Overclocker's Club definitely a must-have for a exception -- look for it to set you i t s m o r e e x p e n s i v e o l d e r Athlon II X4 635 is expected to Read- ExtremeTech particular subset of users, and back 짜50,400 (or about $560) brother's higher end features, like be one of the least expensive AMD launches new Phenom II Audio Technica is looking to when it rolls out in Japan next 24p DVD conversion and in/out quad-core chips around. Both and Athlon II CPUs right onto make their lives a bit easier with month. IR ports, but it still looks like it's slabs of silicon hit the test bench t h e t e s t b e n c h o r i g i n a l l y its new AT-HA35i amp. From Audio Technica AT-HA35i a great option if you're looking over the weekend, and as you appeared on Engadget on Mon, the looks of it, it this one doesn't melds headphone amp and iPod for a high-quality, versatile BRD m a y e x p e c t , n o o n e w a s 25 Jan 2010 11:54:00 EST. skimp too much where it counts, dock originally appeared on player. To check out a full particularly blown away. Of Please see our terms for use of and includes a D/A converter Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 comparison chart or place your course, AMD never set out to feeds. Permalink| AMD| Email that supports 192 kHz/24bit 12:36:00 EST. Please see our order head to Oppo's site. [ Oppo shock and awe with this duo, but this| Comments audio, along with a max output terms for use of feeds. Permalink via Engadget] the performance-per-dollar ratio of 440mWx2, 20-20kHz iTech News Net| Audio frequency response and support Technica| Email this| Comments for 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz sampling. Unlike other amps,
HA35i melds headphone amp and iPod dock
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Remember Pee-Wee’s Playhouse? Remember Clocky? Get Clocky on eBay By Doug Aamoth (CrunchGear) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:00:00 AM
Our live coverage of the Apple 'latest creation' event starts Wednesday, January 27th By Joshua Topolsky (Engadget) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:15:00 PM
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Apple is supposedly set to introduce a tablet device (AKA the Apple Tablet, iSlate, etc.) at its latest event that will change the lives of every man, woman, and child on the planet. Sure, it could just
be a fresh version of iLife and an Here's the URL where you 8GB iPhone 3GS, but we kinda should park your browser, and doubt that. If you know what's below are starting times around best for you, you'll tune in for the globe: our minute-by-minute, live 08:00AM- Hawaii coverage of the event. There 10: 00AM- Pacific won't be a better seat in the 11:00AM- Mountain h o u s e . . . w e l l , e x c e p t f o r 12:00PM- Central wherever Steve Jobs is sitting. 01:00PM- Eastern T h e s h o w g e t s g o i n g o n 06:00PM- London Wednesday, January 27th at 07:00PM- Paris 10AM PT. 09:00PM- Moscow
03:00AM- Tokyo (January 28th) Our live coverage of the Apple 'latest creation' event starts Wednesday, January 27th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Comments
Ah, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, my favorite TV show when I was a kid. If you find yourself searching for some kitsch to deck out your own playhouse, perhaps this replica Clocky will do the trick. It’s a real, working clock, too. Available on eBay with a Buy-It -Now price of $150… …It’s a one-of-a-kind, handmade paper-maché replica of Clocky from Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and it is a working clock. Made to hang on a wall. It is lightweight but sturdy, it measures just under 30x20 at its widest points. The Clocky pictured is not the exact one that the winner will receive, but it is basically the same in every way. Clocky Pee wee’s Playhouse Herman prop – WORKING CLOCK[eBay via Geekologie]
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PS3 at HKG? ORLY? ZOMG! [PS3] By Brian Barrett (Gizmodo) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:00:00 PM
Japan prepares new DIY remote car starter uses electric car for launch in pre-paid phone, less than 2013 $75 worth of materials By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:41:04 AM
Tokyo-based Keio University(which happens to be my alma mater) is ready to take Sim-Drive, its eco-friendly vehicle technology, to another level. The university announced over the weekend that it will collaborate with a total of 34 Japanese companies and municipalities, including powerhouses such as Mitsubishi Motors or Isuzu, to release a new electric car. The aim of the consortium is to develop and mass-produce an electric car prototype that’s based on the Sim-Drive technology. Each participating
company and institution is financing the project with $220,000. If things go as planned, the futuristic, fourmotor (one for the end of each axle) car will be able to drive 300km on a single charge. This driving range is about twice that of electric cars that are available currently. The consortium expects a first prototype to be ready this summer. Mass-production (meaning around 100,000 vehicles) is scheduled to begin in 2013. Price-wise, the final version is expected to be on the same level as gasoline-powered cars (excluding batteries). Via Keio SFC Clip[JP]
By Doug Aamoth (CrunchGear) Submitted at 1/25/2010 10:00:00 AM
A man named Dave has cobbled together a remote car starter that uses a pre-paid phone to start the car’s engine. The launch sequence is initiated when the phone gets a call or when a particular event in the phone’s calendar comes up (he uses the calendar to start the car at specific times in the morning and at the end of the day so as not to waste minutes. Dave, I like the cut of your jib. Dave works at an airport and his
Well, this is a nice thing that Sony and Hong Kong International Airport have done: there are now 14 PS3 " Game Poles" (read: kiosks) distributed throughout the airport for travelers who've exhausted the entertainment potential of the car is miles and miles away from Duty Free shop. his office. He’d seen the Viper Curiously, the games that iPhone remote starter but, they've chosen to provide—like perhaps like many of us, balked Final Fantasy XIII, Avatar, and at the $500 price tag. Using a Uncharted 2—have the kind of little over $70 worth of parts long story arcs that don't exactly (including the phone and $20 lend themselves to a two-hour worth of air time), he managed to delay. But hey, that's probably cobble together his own version the point! The first hit's free, etc. of a phone-based remote starter. It's a great thought, but if the You can read the entire three- lines are anything like those at part project here, but don’t try the sports bars at JFK during a this at home unless you know snowstorm, I'm not sure the riots what you’re doing. will be entirely worth it. [ The R e m o t e S t a r t u s i n g C e l l Moodie Report via Kotaku] Phone[Dave Hacks via Slashdot]
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Home security on your iPhone By Lauren Hirsch (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))
went through a brief affair with Vonage until Verizon FiOS Triple Play pulled me back in, I had to keep a limited line Submitted at 1/24/2010 4:30:00 PM connected to the house for our Filed under: Software, Cool security system. tools, Internet Tools, iPhone We I tried to get rid of it. Oh, how I all know how the iPhone can tried. But until recently, secure itself, but you can get it to retrofitting the system to go secure your entire house as well. cellular, or swap it out with a A while back, I briefly toyed more modern system using (for with the idea of going without a example) a secure cellular landline. It's an alluring prospect, connection, always cost more and strikes me as satisfyingly than it was worth. Then our post-modern. But one thing held home security monitoring me back: my home security contract price went way up and system, which relied on a all of a sudden, the price landline to connect it to central difference between retrofitting monitoring. So even though I security system that would give and acquiring a new system went went through a brief affair with me the flexibility I needed, as down. That made getting the new Vonage until Verizon FiOS well as the knowledge that I system worthwhile. Triple Play pulled me back in, I wasn't compromising home I went about trying to find a had to keep a limited line security. I already ran a small security system that would give connected to the house for our security program in the house to me the flexibility I needed, as security system. run a video baby monitor, but for well as the knowledge that I I tried to get rid of it. Oh, how I the whole house, I needed some wasn't compromising home t r i e d . B u t u n t i l r e c e n t l y , kind of central monitoring. Enter security. I already ran a small retrofitting the system to go Alarm.com. We all know how security program in the house to cellular, or swap it out with a the iPhone can secure itself, but run a video baby monitor, but for more modern system using (for you can get it to secure your the whole house, I needed some example) a secure cellular entire house as well. kind of central monitoring. Enter will be $90 when they launch in connection, always cost more A while back, I briefly toyed Alarm.com. April. See, its not all tablet news than it was worth. Then our with the idea of going without a TUAW Home security on your around here -- we bring you h o m e s e c u r i t y m o n i t o r i n g landline. It's an alluring prospect, iPhone originally appeared on scoops. contract price went way up and and strikes me as satisfyingly The Unofficial Apple Weblog Landline breakthrough: VTech all of a sudden, the price post-modern. But one thing held (TUAW) on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 announces a DECT 6.0 walkie- difference between retrofitting me back: my home security 16:30:00 EST. Please see our talkie originally appeared on and acquiring a new system went system, which relied on a terms for use of feeds. Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 down. That made getting the new landline to connect it to central Read| Permalink| Email this| 12:59:00 EST. Please see our system worthwhile. monitoring. So even though I Comments t e r m s f o r u s e o f f e e d s . I went about trying to find a Permalink| PRNewswire| Email this| Comments
Landline breakthrough: VTech announces a DECT 6.0 walkie-talkie By Nilay Patel (Engadget) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:59:00 PM
Landline phones might be for squares and cops, but VTech hasn't give up trying to make 'em interesting: its new LS6325 set is the first DECT 6.0 push-to-talk cordless on the market. That means you can get your walkietalkie on at up to 1,500 feet -not bad. The three-handset pack will be $80 and the four-pack
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Finding The Long Tail In Music By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
guy seated next to me about my post not realizing who I was (small freaking world). We had In the past we've had an ongoing a brief, but quite enjoyable discussion with some folks on conversation, and while I see his this site concerning whether or point, I'm still not convinced his not it's now a better time to be a conclusion is correct on the issue musician than before the internet of breaking artists (his view of became central to everything business models, however, music-related. We've argued seems right on). Meanwhile, in that today there are more options the comments to our post, Peter and more opportunities for bands Wells from TuneCore disputed than ever, and that's only a good Tom's numbers. Since then, both thing. It doesn't mean that every have expanded on the discussion. band will be a success or can Tom provided more details on make a living. That's never t h e n u m b e r o f t o t a l l y going to be true (and has never i n d e p e n d e n t s u c c e s s been true, either). Many will stories(decreasing the sum from still fail, but there are more tools 14 to 12 due to the fact that they and opportunities that if you had mischategorized 2 of the learn to embrace them, you can b a n d s ) o v e r a t t h e absolutely do much better than MusicianCoaching.com site. He you ever could under the old then went on to claim that the s y s t e m - - w h i c h r e q u i r e d long tail doesn't seem to be massive backing to become working for the music business: successful. It was the golden Clearly the ease of making and lottery ticket story of musical distributing music does not stardom. benefit "breaking" music. Last week, we wrote a post Breaking music requires mass about an interview with Tommy exposure which requires luck or Boy Entertainment boss, Tom money or both. I can say with Silverman, claiming that just 14 great authority that less new unsigned artists"broke the music is breaking now in obscurity line," -- which was America than any other time in defined as sales of 10,000 history. Technology has not albums. Amusingly, three days helped more great music rise to after this post, I met Silverman the top, it has inhibited it. I know on an airplane over the Atlantic... this is a bold statement but it is and only realized it was him true. Certainly bold words, when he started talking to the though they did not address my Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:01:00 AM
original criticism with the point - which is that number of albums sold is a poor measure of "obscurity" (or non-obscurity, as the case may be). As I said then: "You don't have to sell albums to become well known, and just because you're well known, it doesn't mean you sell albums. It's not the best proxy for figuring this stuff out." This week, at Midem, musician Hal Ritson of The Young Punx put it much more succinctly: "Sales are not how you measure success any more. You figure out how to get as many people as possible to hear your music, and then you figure out if you're profitable." Also, I still think it's wrong to only count totally independent artists in this list, because many artists signed to labels (both indie and majors) may use new technology to help breakout (with or without massive support from their labels). Either way, even beyond that, it looks like Silverman's numbers may be suspect. Peter Wells followed up the comment on our site with a super detailed post about the problems with Silverman's numbers -- which rely on Nielsen SoundScan data, which Wells notes is massively incomplete. He quickly names multiple artists who sold hundreds of thousands of tracks, which aren't measured by
SoundScan, and suggests the real issue isn't that new artists can't break, but that the measuring system doesn't take into account how they break these days. I have to say that Wells' post is quite convincing. It's incredibly well-detailed and provides multiple examples of clearly successful (and hardly obscure) artists that aren't counted by Silverman's method. I still think that the points raised by Silverman about new business models in his original interview were dead on(and even he made the point that sometimes it made sense to release albums totally for free and use other ways of getting money -- which under his own definition would have made them impossible to "break out."). But it seems like there's an awful lot of evidence that our original assertion is still true: there are plenty of artists that are, in fact, breaking out thanks to new technologies -- and many are able to do so without a label. Whether or not it's "harder" to break out today due to increased competition may be another issue, but I'm not yet convinced this is a real problem. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story
So Is Verizon Cutting Users Off Or Not? By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 1/25/2010 3:50:47 AM
Well, well, well. A few days ago, News.com had a story that got a lot of attention saying that Verizon was kicking users off of its service after it had received accusations of file sharing. At the time, we wondered if this was a misstatement by a Verizon spokesperson, and in an update, Verizon insisted that News.com had misquoted its spokesperson, and it had not kicked anyone off. And yet, lots of folks are still reporting that Verizon is kicking users off for file sharing. And, now, News.com has come back and stands by its original story. Reading through the details, what it appears to have happened was that a Verizon person misspoke, and News.com accurately reported the misstatement (suggesting that users had been kicked off). Verizon is still claiming it "reserves the right" to kick users off, but has not actually done so. Hopefully it realizes that doing so based solely on accusation is a huge mistake and one over which it would almost certainly face serious backlash. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story
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Is Jobs looking to overhaul education with the tablet?
Summit Entertainment Shuts Down Twilight Fanzine For Infringement
By Michael Grothaus (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))
By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
schools in the future replacing textbooks with a free, online information source that is constantly updated by experts. Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:30:00 AM "I think we'd have far more Filed under: Education, Steve current material available to our Jobs TechCrunch is reporting students and we'd be freeing up a that Steve Jobs has been heard tremendous amount of funds that saying that the Apple tablet will we could buy delivery vehicles "be the most important thing I've with -- computers, faster ever done." We haven't heard Internet, things like that," he this first hand, but we've heard it said. "And I also think we'd get multiple times second and third some of the best minds in the hand from completely country contributing." Maybe independent sources. Senior Steve sees the tablet as a Apple execs and friends of Jobs dynamic textbook that will allow are telling people that he's about schools to free up those funds? as excited about the upcoming Or, at least these textbook Apple Tablet as he's ever been. publishers hope so. Who knows, Coming from the man who has function of the tablet? Does Jobs are side effects, like pushing out maybe iTunes U was just the created so much, that's saying sees a tablet in the hands of a lot of 46-year-old teachers who start? something. This got me thinking. every school child in America? lost their spirit fifteen years ago This is, of course, nothing more More "important" than the In 1995, giving a speech to the a n d s h o u l d n ' t b e t e a c h i n g than conjecture - an educated anymore. I feel very strongly guess, if you'll pardon the iPhone? Why "most important" Smithsonian, Jobs said: and not "most innovative"? I think the school situation has a about this. I wish it was as expression. Maybe Steve wants to do more parallel here when it comes to simple as giving it over to the TUAW Is Jobs looking to than reinvigorate the publishing technology. It is so much more computer. Twelve years later, overhaul education with the industry? I dug back through hopeful to think that technology Steve Jobs gave a speech at an tablet? originally appeared on some stories where I could can solve the problems that are education reform conference in The Unofficial Apple Weblog surmise what Steve Jobs viewed m o r e h u m a n a n d m o r e Austin, Texas. At the conference, (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 as "important" - and for a guy organizational and more political Jobs reiterated that no amount of 08:30:00 EST. Please see our with such strong feelings about in nature, and it ain't so. We need technology in the classroom terms for use of feeds. so much, one thing stuck out: his to attack these things at the root, would improve public schools Read| Permalink| Email this| passion about the importance of which is people and how much until principals could fire bad Comments education reform. Could it be freedom we give people, the teachers. However, at the same p o s s i b l e t h a t S t e v e s e e s competition that will attract the conference he reportedly told the e d u c a t i o n a s t h e p r i m a r y best people. Unfortunately, there audience that he envisioned
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Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:51:29 AM
Rose M. Welch points us to the news that Summit Entertainment has won an injunction against the makers of a Twilight fanzine, claiming that the zine was not for journalistic purposes. A journalist would have a strong free speech claim on the right to make use of these photos (which were found on the "press" page for the movie itself), but Summit claims that the zine is not journalism, but a business. To be fair, it is true that the creators of the zine is a company that sells trading cards, but does that mean that a fanzine is suddenly no longer protected by the First Amendment? In an age when who is and who is not a journalist has become a lot more complicated, it seems like a pretty questionable decision to put an injunction on a publisher just because they have a good business model. Separately, it's worth pointing out that Summit is being pretty ridiculous here in shutting down a zine for fans. Stop trying to punish fans and focus on giving them what they want. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story
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Flurry sees fifty devices that look like tablets By Dave Caolo (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))
delaying the next iPhone OS upgrade -- or they could be test unit iPhones running an unreleased version of the OS. Either way, two things are certain: • There's cool stuff inside 1 Infinite Loop • All of this conjecture will end on Wednesday
Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:30:00 PM
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Hardware, Rumors, iPhone Mobile analytics firm Flurry tracks usage of mobile apps and lo and behold, look at what popped up this week. There are 50 devices running iPhone OS 3.2 within the Apple Campus. Flurry also reports that they've been tracking 200 apps across 50 devices since October of last year, and that usage has really ramped up in the last few weeks. Internal testing typically increases sharply just prior to a release. Flurry's report doesn't give a lot of concrete evidence that these devices are tablets, but they do note that "...we have a fair level of confidence that we are observing a group of prerelease tablets in testing." If
only they had shared what raised their "level of confidence." As you can see from the chart above, the majority of these devices are running games, with the entertainment and news & books categories tied for 2nd place. Apps in the lifestyle category come in third. Flurry also reports that they've been
OK, so number 2 is a "probably." [Via Engadget] TUAW Flurry sees fifty devices that look like tablets originally tracking activity on these 50 on how they will scale or the appeared on The Unofficial devices since October of last final resolution for the device). Apple Weblog (TUAW) on year, and that usage has really At the end of the day, we have Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. ramped up in the last few weeks. data collected by Flurry from Please see our terms for use of It's interesting for developers to apps installed on 50 or so feeds. note that the devices seem to be devices placed inside Apple via Read| Permalink| Email this| running iPhone apps. If they are geolocation that are running on Comments tablets, that means it'll be easy to iPhone OS 3.2. They could be move applications over (though tablets -- rumors have suggested we don't have any information that the tablet's release is
Chip equipment market set to rebound (CNET News.com)
upturn could be good news for the tech industry. Makers of chip manufacturing equipment are Chip manufacturing equipment often considered the proverbial is yet another tech sector eyeing canary in the coal mine for the a recovery this year, according to rest of tech, because new orders projections from market often indicate a growing researcher iSuppli. confidence in consumer or G l o b a l s p e n d i n g o n c h i p business spending. manufacturing gear will grow by The chip industry was hit by a 4 6 . 8 p e r c e n t o v e r 2 0 0 9 , particularly severe downturn in according to the report released sales starting in the fourth Friday. The growth will follow quarter of 2008. That led to an nearly three down years. This 18 percent decline in the use of Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:48:00 AM
existing manufacturing equipment in the final quarter, iSuppli noted, followed by a more dramatic decline of 45 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Chipmakers were forced to cut capacity, which then boosted use of existing equipment by 45 percent in the second quarter and another 16 percent in the third quarter. "As a result of conservative management of capacity, most companies ended 2009 with
manufacturing levels approaching those of the predownturn levels of the third quarter of 2008," Len Jelinek, iSuppli's chief analyst for semiconductor manufacturing, said in a statement. "Because of the rise in utilization and signs of market recovery, semiconductor manufacturers late in the fourth quarter finally became willing to make decisions that would result in expanding their capacity. These decisions will require new
equipment purchases, spurring rising sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment." The largest boost in spending will be in memory chip manufacturing equipment, which iSuppli expects will jump by 65 percent this year. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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StopBadware goes nonprofit with funding from Google, others (CNET News.com) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:00:00 AM
StopBadware, the anti-malware effort run out of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, is spinning off to become a separate nonprofit with funding from Google, PayPal, and Mozilla, the organization was set to announce on Monday. StopBadware was launched four years ago to help companies keep spyware, viruses, adware, and other malware off their sites. The project collects and analyzes data from Web sites and advocates for safer practices. The group's "badware alerts," expose applications that violate its badware guidelines and have AOL, Real Networks, Sears, and others to change their practices
regarding customer choice. StopBadware also collaborates with Google in warning users about Web sites that can install malware on visitors' computers. "StopBadware has grown in just a few years from the seed of an idea into an internationally recognized force in the fight against harmful software," Urs Gasser, executive director of the Berkman Center, said in a statement. "We are proud that, by developing a unique mission and becoming independent, StopBadware now follows in the footsteps of previous ventures like Creative Commons and Global Voices that have their roots here at the Berkman Center." Serving on the board of directors of StopBadware will be
Harvard Law professor John Palfrey; PayPal Chief Information Security Officer Michael Barrett; Vint Cerf, Google Chief Internet Evangelist; Esther Dyson, an angel investor for startups; Mozilla Chief Evangelist Mike Shaver; Ari Schwartz, chief operating officer at the Center for Democracy & Technology; and StopBadware Executive Eirector Maxim Weinstein. StopBadware did not disclose how much funding it was receiving from the investors. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
All Hail to Producers at PGAs (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 3:13:00 AM
The movie and television stars stepped aside on Sunday night and allowed the spotlight to shine on the producers at the Producers Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles. Ron Howard admitted "it's always kind of a mystery what producers do," so he took the opportunity to explain their integral contributions to these works of art.
His friend Brian Grazer said, "If you can create the idea, part of the creation of it, that's a virtue, but mostly it's about being creatively and fiscally responsible and being able to sustain that interest until the very end." Ron jokingly added, "It's also being the boss; the one guy who can fire the director." Although 'Avatar' fell short of taking home the PGA for Producer of the Year in Theatrical Motion Pictures, James Cameron was still
enthusiastic about his film's box office success. He said, "It's so amazing because we expected the film to be commercial, but not anything like this. There was so much sort of negative buzz before the movie about blue characters and Smurfs and all that stuff, that after a while you start to take it to heart, so this is all a big pleasant surprise." The award instead went to 'Hurt Locker.'
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Google Chrome 4.0 For Windows Adds Extensions and Bookmark Sync By Samuel Axon (Mashable!) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:39:27 AM
Google Chrome 4.0 is here for Windows users, and it adds two of the most sought-after features: extensions and bookmark syncing. Google boasts that these are only two of 1,500 new features, and that Chrome 4 runs 40% faster than Chrome 3. Extensions have been available in the beta release for about a month now, but now you can get them in the stable version. There are now more than 1,500 extensions in the gallery; there were only 300 when the beta hit the streets. That’s a far cry from the selection available for Mozilla’s Firefox browser, but it’s progress. And don’t forget that with Chrome, you don’t have to restart the browser to install an extension. A Google Voice extension — which Google announced this weekend — is now available. It adds a button in your toolbar that lets you know how many new messages you have. You can access messages and transcripts and make calls or send text messages from within Chrome. It also makes phone numbers on web pages callable with one
click, kind of like the Skype extension for Firefox. You won’t get a bookmark sync function in Firefox without installing an extension like Xmarks, which is where Chrome has the browser beat. Google’s bookmark sync function will keep your bookmarks straight across all your installations of Chrome on all your Windows computers. When it’s enabled, adding a bookmark on one computer adds it on the others, too. Extensions are now available in the beta release of Chrome for Linux, but Mac users will still have to either do without or give the developer version a spin. We’ve embedded Google’s video about extensions for Windows below. Tags: extensions, Google, google chrome, microsoft windows, software, web browser
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Harvest Power lands cash for compost, biogas (CNET News.com)
technology to produce biogas from those same wastes. The biogas can be burned in turbines T r a s h h a u l e r W a s t e to make electricity or heat. It can Management said on Monday it a l s o b e c o n v e r t e d i n t o has invested an undisclosed sum compressed or liquefied natural in Harvest Power, a Boston-area g a s , a c c o r d i n g t o W a s t e company developing techniques M a n a g e m e n t . for turning organic waste into The investment from Waste energy or fertilizer. Management will help Harvest Existing investors Kleiner, Power build more municipal Perkins, Caufield & Byers and facilities, company CEO Paul Munich Venture Partners also Sellew said in a statement. The increased their investment in the city of San Jose, Calif., last year company. contracted with Harvest Power Harvest Power already operates as part of a renewable-energy a facility in British Columbia program ( click for PDF) with a that turns food and yard waste goal of collecting 150,000 tons i n t o c o m p o s t . I t a l s o i s of household organic waste to developing anaerobic digester produce 900,000 gallons of Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:11:00 AM
biogas. It would be the first organic waste-to-biogas facility in the U.S., following a number in Europe. Waste Management said it invested in the company to reach its corporate sustainability goals of increasing renewable-energy production, boosting recycling, and investing in waste management technologies. Waste Management has also invested in solar trash can maker Big Belly Solar and waste gasification company S4 Energy Solutions. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
'The Bachelor''s Jake Pavelka's Surprising Rose Ceremony Twist (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 4:20:00 AM
It's road-trip time on tonight's episode of "The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love," when the nine remaining ladies pile into two RVs and head up the California coast. Destination: a rendezvous with Jake Pavelka. First stop is a vineyard in Santa Ynez where Gia gets the opportunity to prove to Jake that a girl from the Big Apple and a boy from Denton, TX can have chemistry. Gia is nervous because if Jake doesn't give her a
rose at the end of their date, she automatically goes home. No rose ceremony for her. The next morning, "The Bachelor" caravan heads to Pismo Beach, where they set up camp on the beach. Six of the remaining nine women join Jake for a day of dune buggying and sand surfing. Jake comes to the rescue when Vienna and Jessie get their buggy trapped in the sand. Then Corrie surprises everyone when she tackles Jake to grab some extra time with "The Bachelor."
Ericsson to trim 1,500 jobs (CNET News.com)
compared with the year-ago quarter. Sales dropped 13 percent to 58.3 billion kronor from the Ericsson it is cutting 1,500 jobs year-ago quarter. from among its 80,000 global For all of 2009, Ericsson's e m p l o y e e s , t h e w i r e l e s s earnings were down 67 percent equipment maker said Monday. to 3.7 billion kronor ($512 The company reported on million). Annual sales survived, Friday a huge downturn in fourth though, falling only 1 percent to quarter and full-year 2009 206.5 billion kronor over the earnings. For the quarter ended previous year. December, Ericsson saw its net The 1,500 job cuts are in earnings plummet 92 percent to a d d i t i o n t o 5 , 0 0 0 l a y o f f s 314 million million kronor Ericsson announced about a year ( $ 4 3 . 4 m i l l i o n d o l l a r s ) , ago after a 31 percent drop in Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:32:57 AM
2008 fourth-quarter earnings, bringing the total to 6,500. After layoffs and budget cuts are completed around the second quarter of this year, the company is looking to save around 15 billion to 16 billion kronor ($2.1 billion to $2.2 billion) annually. Ericsson is also hoping that new Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg can help steer the company to a recovery. Vestberg, who was chief financial officer, replaced former CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg on
January 1. The company has been buffeted by a number of factors, including a decline in spending on wireless equipment, tighter competition, and poor results from its Sony Ericsson joint venture. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, By Gabriel Snyder (Gawker) Term Extraction. Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:39:20 PM
"Rush Limbaugh" — [Pullquote] contemplating his life in a brutal and speculative internal monologue, by The Onion. Again: The Onion's not real.
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Mac OS X 10.6.3 out to devs By Steven Sande (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))
should arrive for the rest of us within the next six weeks. Although past performance is not necessarily an indicator of Submitted at 1/25/2010 10:30:00 AM future releases, both 10.4.3 and Filed under: OS, Software 10.5.3 were released about 110 Update, Developer The third days after the earlier versions. major update to Mac OS X 10.6 That would put the release of Snow Leopard is getting closer 10.6.3 near the end of February, to appearing in Software Update. 2010. A new beta of Mac OS X 10.6.3 [via AppleInsider] (build 10D538) was released to a printers, and applications that use TUAW Mac OS X 10.6.3 out to l i m i t e d n u m b e r o f A p p l e OpenGL. devs originally appeared on The Apple is asking developers to U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g developers last Friday. The Friday beta includes an evaluate other core system (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 update to QuickTime X that components in their testing, 10:30:00 EST. Please see our enhances reliability, security, and including VoiceOver, AirPort, terms for use of feeds. compatibility. The release also and graphics drivers. There's a Read| Permalink| Email this| provides performance-enhancing known issue with the beta when Comments tweaks for Apple's 64-bit Logic viewing photo albums using Pro audio suite, better F r o n t R o w , b u t t h e compatibility with a host of approximately 670 MB release
Flurry of Excitement at Sundance Film Festival (ETonline - Breaking News)
about the festival and the film. Attending the annual event since 1996 when he was supporting Snowcapped mountains and a 'Chasing Amy,' the veteran winter frost set the stage for the Sundancer said, "I've been lucky 2010 Sundance Film Festival. to be able to be a part of this The stars bundled up to promote festival as it's grown." the latest projects they have His snow angel Jennifer Garner tucked up the sleeves of their and little snow bunnies, Violet winter coats. and Seraphina, stayed at home in The snow delayed the arrival of the warmer Los Angeles weather Ben Affleck for the premiere of where the white stuff can only 'The Company Men.' But, ET been seen in the far distance. waited around to talk to him Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:04:00 AM
Palm Pre and Pixi Plus Come to Verizon By Christina Warren (Mashable!) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:57:12 AM
Way back in October, Verizon confirmed that it would be carrying the Palm Pre early this year. Then, last month we found out the Palm Pixi would also be headed to the big V. Today, it’s official, Verizon customers can now buy the Palm Pre Plus or the Palm Pixi Plus. So what makes the Plus “plus”? Well, the Pre now features double the storage space (16
GB), double the RAM and a slightly refined design, including a touchstone-compatible back panel as a standard feature. The Palm Pixi Plus features Wi-Fi (the original didn’t have this) and a touchstone cable back panel. Perhaps the biggest selling feature for the Pre Plus is that users who opt to pay an additional $40 a month to Verizon can use their phones as instant 3G Wi-Fi hotspots, enabling them to log onto the web on laptops and other Wi-Fi devices.
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devices to its smartphone stable, rumors are also swirling that Wednesday’s Apple announcement might include an end to AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity, paving the way for a Verizon iPhone. Looks like Verizon customers looking to update will have a bevy of The Palm Pre Plus is $149.99 if options by month’s end. you sign a two-year contract, and Tags: palm, Palm Pre, palm pre the Palm Pixi Plus is $99.99. plus, verizon You can get a Palm Pixi Plus for free with the purchase of either the Pixi Plus or Pre Plus. In addition to adding Palm
GM confirms Whitacre as chief executive (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:53:32 AM
General Motors ended a wideranging search for a new chief executive on Monday by giving the job to Ed Whitacre, the carmaker’s chairman and interim CEO. Mr Whitacre is due to hold a press conference in Detroit at 11.30 am for what the company described as a “business update”. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Sorry, Facebook friends: Our brains can't keep up (CNET News.com)
Dunbar has now decided to shift focus to see whether Facebook has changed the number. Robin Dunbar, a professor of It hasn't. evolutionary anthropology at "The interesting thing is that you Oxford University, developed a can have 1,500 friends, but when theory in the 1990s dubbed you actually look at traffic on Dunbar's Number. The theory sites, you see people maintain contends that the human brain is the same inner circle of around o n l y c a p a b l e o f m a n a g i n g 150 people that we observe in relationships--staying in contact the real world," Dunbar told the at least once per year and London-based Sunday Times. knowing how friends relate to "People obviously like the kudos others--with about 150 people. of having hundreds of friends but Until recently, it was believed the reality is that they're unlikely that that only pertained to to be bigger than anyone else's." "offline" relationships. For now, Dunbar's study is in its Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:04:07 AM
preliminary stages, meaning more testing needs to be done. Regardless, Dunbar doesn't believe that anything will change: no matter how many thousands of friends we might have on Facebook, we can't manage relationships with more than 150 of them. Dunbar's study will be released later this year. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
McChrystal sees Taliban role (Financial Times - US homepage)
PayPal Suspends WikiLeaks Account Yet Again; Freezes Assets
Submitted at 1/24/2010 2:05:04 PM
By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
General Stanley McChrystal, the Nato commander in Afghanistan, has raised the prospect that his troop surge will lead to a negotiated peace with the Taliban. Gen McChrystal will urge his allies to renew their commitment to his strategy at a conference in London this week. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Submitted at 1/25/2010 1:38:33 AM
Wikileaks is an incredibly useful and important site, but there are many (mainly in the government) who would prefer it go away. It's somewhat upsetting to find out that PayPal has (for the second time) frozen all of WikiLeaks' assets. Apparently, the last time this happened it took nearly six months to resolve. That seems problematic: Paypal has as of 23rd of January 2010 frozen WikiLeaks assets. This is the second time that this happens. The last time we struggled for more than half a year to resolve this issue. By working with the respected and recognized By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) German foundation Wau Holland Stiftung we tried to Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:14:00 AM avoid this from happening again A fascinating article points out -- apparently without avail. that the government could make have done this have had great a "conflict of interest for blank piece of paper, requiring Update: Wikileaks has now the process of filing your tax success with it. But it's not government to be both tax that they assemble their receipts, removed this message from its returns significantly easier by happening in the US in large part collector and tax preparer." list their purchases -- and pay a website, so it appears that things simply sending you pre-filled out due to heavy lobbying from However, that is also inaccurate. fine if they forget one." So, have been resolved. I'm a bit f o r m s o f w h a t t h e y k n o w Intuit, who fears (perhaps No one is asking the government everyone, thank Intuit for confused, however, as to why (basically what's been sent in correctly) that this would put a to be the tax preparer, but just to making tax season that much Wikileaks continues to use from your employer(s)) so that big dent into its tax preparation share the information it already more frustrating. PayPal given this issue. you could just take the pre-filled software business. Of course, has so that individuals aren't Permalink| Comments| Email Permalink| Comments| Email form, check it over, make any that's not how Intuit puts it. The forced to rebuild the info This Story This Story a d d i t i o n s o r c h a n g e s a s company first claims that this themselves. As one person n e c e s s a r y a n d s u b m i t i t . f u n c t i o n a l i t y i s " a l r e a d y quoted in the article notes, it's Apparently, many places that available" (it's not) and that it is "as if Visa sent customers a
Intuit Lobbying The Government To Make It More Difficult To File Your Tax Returns
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Woman Uses iPhone App to Get Pregnant By Brenna Ehrlich (Mashable!)
Bill Gates Explains Why He Joined Twitter, Publishes Annual Letter
Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:37:56 AM
By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)
After four years of infertility, all it took was a simple download for 30-year-old Lena Bryce to get pregnant, making her the proud mother of Britain’s very first “iPhone baby.” Last week we learned that your iPhone can save your life, this week, it turns out that it can create life as well. Bryce, who desperately wanted a child, told The Sun: “It began to weigh heavily on us. We were considering IVF and adoption when [my husband] Dudley gave me the iPhone for my 30th. I typed in ‘get pregnant’ and downloaded five apps.” The young wife chose The Free Menstrual Calendar [ iTunes Link], which highlighted in bright pink her most fertile day. She got pregnant two months after downloading the app, and gave birth on the exact day that it
Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:16:28 AM
It’s been less than a week since Bill Gates joined Twitter, but the Microsoft founder has already accumulated more than 300,000 predicted. While congrats are in order for followers and used the platform the Bryce family, the whole deal to launch a new site– Gates is kind of a head-scratcher. Was Notes. it really necessary to download Today, Gates is using his new an app in order to conceive? One outlet to promote his second would think that a trip to the annual letter, which discusses the doctor would yield the same many philanthropic issues that results. Regardless, the free app he’s involved in through the was certainly cheaper than a Gates Foundation. This chart consult with a fertility doctor, provides an overview: and most likely cut down on time He also talked about Twitter and spent in the waiting room, a range of other technology and reading outdated copies of world issues on Good Morning Highlights. So I guess there’s America. Asked why he joined the microblogging service, Gates that. Tags: iphone, iphone apps, said that he likes to get feedback on how his foundation — which Mobile 2.0, trending includes much of his personal fortune plus that of Warren Buffett — is using its resources. In other words, he’s tracking
your replies. Gates also weighed in on the current situation in China, where Google is threatening to pull out of the country if they do not relax their censorship requirements. The world’s richest man seems to side with Microsoft’s current CEO, Steve Ballmer, who called Google’s decision “irrational.” Gates’s position is that if a company wants to do business in a certain country, it needs to consider and obey that country’s laws. Tags: bill gates, gates foundation, twitter
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Rosie O'Donnell Talks Breakup, New Girlfriend & Leaving 'The View' (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:17:00 AM
Rosie O'Donnell tells Oprah Winfrey about her tenure at "The View," and that she and her ex remain "co-parents" to their children. Of her famous on-air spat with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Rosie says she was angered because her cohost acted "different on TV than in the dressing room." Their face -off hurt her feelings, because she says, "It was a betrayal of my friendship." While she stands by her decision to leave the show, she says she regrets what happened backstage with Barbara Walters during a heated exchange afterward. Rosie regrets the backstage blowup. "I think I scared her," Rosie says. "I'm 200 pounds, when I stand up and say 'do you not have a human heart?' it's crazy."
Playoffs of the 2000s: Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee By R.J. White (FanHouse Main)
examining the decade-long NFL results, listing each team's winloss records in an accessible Submitted at 1/25/2010 4:00:00 AM standings format. In this series, Filed under: Steelers, Titans, we're going to take those results NFL Playoffs A few weeks ago, one step further, pitting those JJ Cooper did an excellent job of franchises against one another in our Playoffs of the 2000s.
Over the next 11 days, we'll analyze each team's playoff performance from the 2000-2009 seasons, meaning this year's playoffs are included in the discussion. We'll have these teams battle for the title, though
unless you've been hiding under a rock during the last 10 years, you probably know who will come out on top. As is so often the case though, the journey is more important than the end.
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Apple FY10 First Quarter results conference call liveblog By Steven Sande (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))
FarmVille Parody Guy Takes on Mafia Wars [VIDEO] By Samuel Axon (Mashable!)
Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:30:00 AM Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:29:38 AM
Filed under: Apple Financial, Liveblog Apple announces its fiscal year 2010 first quarter results today at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT, and TUAW will be liveblogging the event. Apple's first quarter was the quarter ending December 31, 2009, including the alwaysimportant holiday buying season. You can join in on the call several ways. First, you can listen in on the streaming audio from the event by opening www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/e arningsq110/ in your favorite browser at the appointed time. Second, come back to TUAW at about 4:50 PM ET / 1:50 PM PT and sign into our liveblog tool
CoverItLive to add your questions or comments. If you can't make it to the liveblog, the entire transcript will be available for your reading pleasure after the event. A recording of the conference call will be available at the Apple URL listed in the previous paragraph.
TUAW Apple FY10 First Quarter results conference call liveblog originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
Are you still “tired of games that are fun?” YouTube video director Tobuscus is, too; that’s why he’s followed up his crazypopular FarmVille ad parody with a video that skewers that other spammy but addictive Facebook game: Mafia Wars. Mafia Wars is made by Zynga, the same company that’s responsible for FarmVille. Like FarmVille, it has simple but fun gameplay mechanics. The problem is that it advertises itself by sending updates about your in -game activities to your Facebook news feed for all your friends to see. As such, it’s attracted a lot of ire from folks who don’t play it. “ FarmVille’s great,” the video’s
narrator says, “But what are you supposed to do while your crops are growing? Go outside? No! Play Mafia Wars! If you thought FarmVille was exciting, get ready for a ride into the carpal tunnel.” Watch the fake Mafia Wars ad below and let us know if you think it’s as funny as the FarmVille video. [via All Facebook] Tags: facebook, farmville, Mafia Wars, video, youtube, Zynga
A Dead Man's Tape (Little Green Footballs)
(CNN) — A new audio tape allegedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden claims Only audio tapes for a long, responsibility for an attempt to long time now. Why does Al blow up a plane en route to Qaeda think it’s safe for Ayman Michigan on Christmas Day and al-Zawahri to appear on video warns the United States of more but not the kingpin himself? attacks. Report: New bin Laden tape The tape, which aired on the emerges. Arabic-language news Web site Submitted at 1/24/2010 5:35:59 PM
Al-Jazeera on Sunday, says “the United States will not dream of enjoying safety until we live it in reality in Palestine.” The tape continues: “It is not fair to enjoy that kind of life while our brothers in Gaza live in the worst of miseries.” … In another section of the audio tape that Al-Jazeera broadcast,
the voice says: “God willing our attacks will continue as long as you support the Israelis and may peace be on those who follow guidance.” Bin Laden also claims responsibility for the foiled attack on Delta flight 253 in December. “The message intended to be sent
to you was through the hero fighter Omar Farouq, may God release him, confirming an earlier message that the [September] 11th heroes delivered to you and it was repeated before and after [that event],” he says.
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Mission to Haiti (AEI.Org: Articles)
Properly defining the Haiti mission and its goals is the most pressing issue. The humanitarian As the search-for-survivors response has been remarkable phase of Haiti relief operations and generous, but so far it is also comes to a close, it is chaotic and disorganized. increasingly apparent that the Transforming the outpouring of scope of the disaster demands a emotion into a durable mission large and long response. The will require a very exacting but U.S. military effort alone will powerful form of leadership--one soon have 33,000 troops ashore only the United States can or in direct support of the relief provide--that focuses on the true operations. Private donations and interests of the Haitian people. international pledges of aid are in President Obama must account the billions. The question now is for the sensitivities of many not about the level of effort, but actors and forge a common--but how it can be organized and not lowest common denominator sustained. --purpose. He is an ideal figure There is a risk of overlearning for the task, but he's got a lot of the Iraq and Afghanistan lessons, cats to herd. but it ought to be apparent that Obama must establish a set of significant stabilization and long-term goals that can provide reconstruction efforts in weak or for political stabilization and collapsed states have four economic development. His essentials: American leadership January 15 article in Newsweek, in properly defining the mission "Why Haiti Matters," was a good and its goals; a clear-eyed start. The president began by assessment of the situation that eloquently expressing American begins with the facts on the sentiments and commitment, and ground but includes a grasp of r e t u r n e d t o t h e t h e m e o f the interests of outside parties; a American exceptionalism he coherent strategy that sets once scorned but has lately priorities through a workable embraced. "America's leadership c o m m a n d s t r u c t u r e ; a n d has been founded . . . on the fact adequate resources to execute that we do not use our power to that strategy. While sound subjugate others, we use it to lift methodology is no guarantee of them up." But, beyond vowing to good result; poor methodology work with others, he did not ensures failure. And given Haiti's define what "lifting up" Haiti history, there is a strong moral means. The Haiti mission needs and strategic imperative--not just purpose before it can move on to for the United States, but for all process. countries--to help get it right this Obviously the most immediate time. purpose is to relieve suffering, Submitted at 1/24/2010 3:00:00 PM
but if there is to be an American engagement beyond that--as there should be--giving Haitians an opportunity to decently govern themselves must be the goal. Whether in the form of outside oppression or exploitation by their own elites, Haitians have ever had too little security, political freedom, and opportunity for economic development--the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is not a utopian goal. One of the great cruelties of this earthquake is that, in the last several years, Haitians had reasons for hope. The U.N. force in Haiti, known by its French acronym MINUSTAH, had slowly begun to transform the Haitian police--the armed forces still exist constitutionally but were demobilized in the aftermath of the 1994 coup--into an effective and professional force. Domestic security was further boosted by the counterinsurgency-like campaign waged by MINUSTAH to suppress the gangs--which are not only criminal but political organizations in Haiti--that too often rule the country's streets and rural villages. Haitian president René Préval may not be the most charismatic or able politician, but the very qualities he's now being criticized for--the Washington Post wrote that his "aversion to the public stage has left millions of Haitians wondering whether
there is a government at all"-have been those that had begun to normalize Haitian politics. The Post's complaint, echoed across the American media, betrays a deep myopia. The capacity of the Haitian government was limited even before the earthquake, and Haitians are weary of egomaniacal leaders, having seen their share in Aristide and the Duvaliers. A "technocrat largely free of sharp ideologies"--as the Post described Préval--is a step forward in Port-au-Prince. Economic development is possible, but only if Haiti does not become yet another battleground between international aid professionals and those who argue--rightly-that capitalism is the road to prosperity. The aid groups are already deeply entrenched in Haiti, and they are critical to the immediate relief effort. But longer term, there are alternatives to consider. Elliott Abrams, for instance, outlined an innovative "development through the diaspora" proposal in a January 22 Washington Post oped. Achieving longer-term goals in Haiti will only be possible on the basis of a realistic assessment of the current situation. To begin with, there's a long way to go to provide the most basic food, water, sanitation, and health care needs of millions of people. It's not just those formally hurt or homeless, but the larger populace
affected by the collapse of the Haitian economy. Not even the U.S. military has been able to get to many parts of the country thus far. There's also been significant internal migration from Port-auPrince to the countryside, but its effects aren't yet clear. The security situation in Haiti remains tenuous, but has been calmer than many anticipated in the immediate wake of the disaster. Violence and looting in the week following the earthquake were by most accounts sporadic, though aid distribution centers, according to U.S. soldiers, have been continuously on the verge of chaos. Some of Port-au-Prince's notorious gang leaders have reportedly already renewed their turf wars. Many of those who had been taken off the streets by the MINUSTAH operations of recent years escaped when the city's jail was devastated in the earthquake. The gangs aren't likely to take on U.S. or U.N. forces, but they may think they can wait out the foreigners and prepare for a fight with the Haitian police. The recent loss of much of the leadership and infrastructure of the U.N. mission in the country make this an even greater likelihood. The political situation in Haiti is also surprisingly calm, despite the whining about Préval. The most immediate problem is JeanMISSION page 37
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Fight on Right Enlivens Utah Senate Race (Newsmax - Politics) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:56:52 AM
On the list of endangered congressional incumbents this year, Sen. Robert F. Bennett is one of the last names you'd expect to see. A three-term Republican from conservative Utah, he's never been linked to any kind of scandal and won his last race with 69 percent of the vote. Yet Mr. Bennett is in trouble, according to both the polls and the prevailing political winds, which are blowing from the right. One bad sign: He's already drawn four challengers in the Republican primary. Another damning indicator is that only 27 percent of Utahans surveyed favor his re-election, while 58 percent want someone new, according to a poll released in December by Dan Jones & Associates in Salt Lake City. "That's the lowest number I've seen in a while," said Mr. Jones, who did the poll for the Deseret News and KSL-TV. "He should be doing better among Republicans than he's doing." Analysts chalk up the antiBennett feeling to several factors. He's accused of being too moderate for Utah. He introduced his own health care reform bill, the Healthy Americans Act, that is viewed by some on the right as "Obamacare Lite." He voted to authorize the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Wall
Street bailout fund in 2008, although he has since led an effort to shut the bailout fund down. He broke his term-limits pledge in 2004 when he ran for and won a third term. The senator is also the victim of bad timing. The prevailing antiWashington mood among voters appears directed mainly at Democrats, as evidenced by last week's stunning upset by Republican Scott Brown in the Senate race in Massachusetts, but nobody would be surprised if it came back to bite some entrenched Republican incumbents as well in November. Mr. Bennett doesn't disagree. "There is a broad sense in the land that, 'Gee, we hate Washington,' and since Utah is one of our reddest states, they can't get mad at Democrats, so they get mad at incumbents," said Mr. Bennett in an interview with The Washington Times. "And I'm the incumbent who's up for re-election this year." His most vocal opponent to date may be the Club for Growth, which took the unusual step on Jan. 8 of issuing an "antiendorsement" against his candidacy. The influential Washington-based free-market group, which has run ads attacking his health care bill, is still considering which of his primary rivals to endorse, said spokesman Mike Connolly. "There's a real disconnect between pro-economic growth Utah voters and their junior
senator," said Mr. Connolly. "It's highly likely that Utah is going to elect a Republican, and we believe Utahans want a Republican other than Bob Bennett." The Club for Growth has a record of boosting conservative challengers who can make life miserable for "establishment" Republican candidates. In Florida, for example, the group's favored candidate, former Republican state House Speaker Marco Rubio, has been gaining steadily on the more moderate Republican Gov. Charlie Crist in polls ahead of the party's Senate primary there. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP's campaign arm, is sticking by its own, saying this month it strongly backs Mr. Bennett's run for a fourth term. Targeting an incumbent Republican senator may seem reckless at a time when the party has just won the 41st seat needed to sustain filibusters of President Obama's major agenda priorities. In Utah, however, where a GOP victory in November is all but assured, Mr. Bennett's foes say conservatives can afford to be picky about their Republicans. Frank Moss, the last Democrat to hold a Utah Senate seat, lost his re-election bid in 1976 to Mr. Bennett's Senate colleague, Orrin G. Hatch. Mr. Bennett's primary challengers are millionaire entrepreneur Tim Bridgewater;
Internet real estate marketer and conservative activist Cherilyn Eagar; businessman James Russell Williams III; and Mike Lee, a former assistant U.S. attorney and counsel to ex-Gov. Jon Huntsman. The lone Democratic candidate is businessman Sam Granato. The themes emerging among Mr. Bennett's rivals mirror many of those made popular by the surging "tea party" movement, including limited government, fiscal discipline and tax reform. Like the tea party activists, Mr. Bennett's challengers say they are less concerned with party affiliation than with principles. "Let's face it. It's not just the Democrats who've caused the problems most Americans are upset about right now," said Mr. Lee. "Republicans certainly played a role in this, by which I mean the mission-creep that we're seeing with the sprawling federal government." Mr. Bennett has a lifetime 83.6 percent rating from the American Conservative Union, but his critics say he's still too moderate for Utah. The bailout vote still rankles; he's shown flexibility on immigration reform; and he's been known to work at times with Democrats when it comes to legislation. His co-sponsor on the Healthy Americans Act is liberal Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat. The bill, which would establish universal health coverage through private medical accounts
run by the states, is likely to emerge as a major campaign issue, even though it remains stuck in committee. "If you look at the spectrum of conservative senators, he's not in the top 10, he's not in the top 20, and some would say he's not in the top 30. And yet Utah is one of the one or two most conservative states," said Mr. Bridgewater. Republican senators like Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Jon Kyl of Arizona, he said, "are leading the charge for conservative principles, not Robert Bennett." Mr. Bennett chuckles when informed that he may be a closet moderate. "My colleagues here in the Senate are stupefied over this. They're telling me, 'Gee, you're not conservative enough?'" Working in Mr. Bennett's favor is his near-universal name recognition in Utah and the low profile of all of his challengers. When the Jones poll asked voters which candidate they would support if the election were held today, 31 percent said Mr. Bennett and 35 percent were undecided. His rivals were all stuck in single digits. The Republican newcomers are "very bright, very enthusiastic. They're just not that well known," said Mr. Jones. "At the end of the day, Bennett should still win, although not by the FIGHT page 47
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Bertrand Aristide's desire to return to Haiti, which he announced from his home-inexile, South Africa. Préval doesn't want his former patron back, and neither do Haiti's Caribbean neighbors, which helped engineer the arrangement with South Africa. Sharon Hudson-Dean, spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, delicately made the same point: "We believe that the former president Aristide can contribute a great deal to encourage the international efforts for stability and reconstruction from South Africa." Not from Haiti. On the other hand, Aristide is wearing out his welcome with the South Africans. Former president Thabo Mbeki felt strongly about Haiti as an outpost of African culture and liked to celebrate Toussaint L'Ouverture's revolution and the defeat of Napoleon's attempt to reclaim the colony. The current president, Jacob Zuma, is said to be less enthusiastic. The South Africans say they'd be pleased to send Aristide back to Haiti if he "would be happy with a job in academia." The rest of the world has stifled its anti-American reflexes for the most part. Complaints about the United States have come mostly from outside kibitzers. Venezuela's Hugo Chávez has hardly bothered. French "cooperation minister" Alain Joyadet, piqued that French aid flights had to wait to get into the
Port-au-Prince airport, sniffed that "This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti," but was promptly and publicly smacked down by President Nicolas Sarkozy effusing about America's "essential role." The Haitians themselves have been almost unanimous: "We're all scared. We need the United Nations and we need the United States Marines," one told the Washington Post. A typical sign in front of a crushed office building read: "Welcome the U.S. Marine. We need some help. Dead bodies inside." The U.N. is also trying to help out. Following a trip to Haiti last week, Secretary General Ban KiMoon called for the deployment of an additional 3,500 police and peacekeeping forces to the country. Brazil said it would provide 800 of these. Canada has also acted to send troops. The Canadians, with whom we have worked very closely in Afghanistan, have much previous experience in Haiti, and the Brazilian government energetically embraced MINUSTAH as an expression of Brazil's growing wealth and power. In sum, the winds are favorable if the United States can chart a course. But achieving anything like unity of effort--let alone unity of command--won't be easy. The relevant "coalition of the willing"--the United States, France, Canada, Brazil, the Caribbean states, and the U.N.
collectively will prove hard to manage. And President Obama cannot easily indulge in a months -long assessment à la Afghanistan. The immediacy of the need and the difficulties of the international politics are too pressing. Obama will, moreover, need to rally American domestic support. The first priority is to keep the security situation under control. U.S. forces are working with the Préval government and trying to be respectful of Haitian sovereignty. But the danger is in doing too little rather than too much. Unrestrained looting in the aftermath of the defeat of Saddam Hussein was a first step on the road to insurrection and the undermining of the "liberation narrative." For people in dire need, security comes first. It is a good sign that the Marines and the 82nd Airborne are conducting patrols in Haitian streets and villages at night; a little presence goes a long way, particularly in joint patrols with Haitian police. The rebuilding of Haiti's security forces had barely begun when the earthquake struck. U.S. efforts to build police capabilities in Iraq and Afghanistan have often made a bad situation worse; our experience in Afghanistan strongly suggests that our allies also promise more than they can deliver. As MINUSTAH is rebuilt, the Haitian security forces should be its focus, one
that the United States will support. The best sign of a reborn Haiti will be a government able to secure its own people. It will also be a first step toward true political stability and justice. It would also be good if longterm development plans began with a consideration of security-it's what Haitians say they most want. This is not to diminish the need to relieve the humanitarian crisis or to build a better Haitian infrastructure, or to shortchange the need for economic growth. But, as the last week has made obvious, relief agencies and NGOs are in fact consumers of security before they are producers of it--they need protection to do their work, and desperate people will fight one another for the goods that they have to deliver. This was true in Haiti before the earthquake. Conversely, if security becomes self-sustaining, relief and development efforts will accelerate. The security priority should be evident when it comes to resource questions. Once again, the U.S. military has distinguished itself by its rapid and large-scale reaction. Once again, the question is whether our current forces can sustain this level of effort and who will take their place when they leave. At 33,000 troops, the current U.S. operation in Haiti is "surgesized." It now includes three land -force brigades; a full-size Navy
aircraft carrier and two Marine carriers, plus a host of support ships; and a significant airlift operation (almost 500 sorties thus far) involving C-130s and C -17 transports--a plane with global range but short-field landing ability. Navy and Marine helicopters are working equally hard. The staff--under the command of a three-star general-required to make such an operation work is large. Even if this force proves sufficient, sustaining operations will be tough. Pentagon officials insisted this week that Haiti "has not right now delayed anything going to [Afghanistan], but it clearly puts a strain there." Simultaneously, the administration announced the deployment of the second Marine Expeditionary Unit and its associated ships, which were headed for the eastern Mediterranean to be ready in case of a crisis in the Central Command area--a fairly frequent source of "overseas contingency operations" these days. The White House also issued an executive order authorizing the activation of medical teams from the Naval Reserve and up to 900 Coast Guard reservists; 100 newly activated Coast Guard personnel were dispatched to Port-au-Prince harbor shortly thereafter. As the Haiti operation goes on--the Marines have 30 days' supply on their ships, no MISSION page 48
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For the Love of Culture By Lawrence Lessig (The New Republic - All Feed) Submitted at 1/24/2010 9:00:00 PM
In early 2002, the filmmaker Grace Guggenheim--the daughter of the late Charles Guggenheim, one of America’s greatest documentarians, and the sister of the filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, who made An Inconvenient Truth-decided to do something that might strike most of us as common sense. Her father had directed or produced more than a hundred documentaries. Some of these were quite famous ( Nine from Little Rock). Some were wellknown even if not known to be by him ( Monument to a Dream, the film that plays at the St. Louis arch). Some were forgotten but incredibly important for understanding American history in the twentieth century ( A Time for Justice). And some were just remarkably beautiful ( D-Day Remembered). So, as curator of his work, Grace Guggenheim decided to remaster the collection and make it all available on DVD, which was then the emerging platform for film. Her project faced two challenges, one obvious, one not. The obvious challenge was technical: gathering fifty years of film and restoring it digitally. The non-obvious challenge was legal: clearing the rights to move this creative work onto this new
platform for distribution. Most people might be puzzled about just why there would be any legal issue with a child restoring her father’s life’s work. After all, when we decide to repaint our grandfather’s old desk, or sell it to a neighbor, or use it as a workbench or a kitchen table, no one thinks to call a lawyer first. But the property that Grace Guggenheim curates is of a special kind. It is protected by copyright law. Documentaries in particular are property of a special kind. The copyright and contract claims that burden these compilations of creativity are impossibly complex. The reason is not hard to see. A part of it is the ordinary complexity of copyright in any film. A film is made up of many different creative elements-music, plot, characters, images, and so on. Once the film is made, any effort at remaking it-moving it to DVD, for example-could require clearing permissions for each of these original elements. But documentaries add another layer of complexity to this already healthy thicket, as they typically also include quotations, in the sense of film clips. So just as a book about Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Jonathan Alter might have quotes from famous people talking about its subject, a film about civil rights produced the 1960s would include quotations--clips from news stations--from famous people of
the time talking about the issue of the day. Unlike a book, however, these quotations are in film--typically, news footage from CBS or NBC. Whenever a documentarian wanted to include these clips in his film, he would ask CBS or NBC for permission. Most of the time, at least for a healthy fee, CBS and NBC and everyone else was happy to give permission so as to be included. Sometimes they wanted to see first just how the clip would be used. Sometimes they would veto a particular use in a particular context. But in the main there was a healthy market for securing permission to quote. The lawyers flocked to this market for permission. (That’s their nature.) They drafted agreements to define the rights that the quoter would get. I suspect that most filmmakers never thought for a second about how odd this “permission to quote” was. After all, does an author need to get permission from The New York Times when she quotes an article in a book about the Depression? Indeed, does anyone need permission from anyone when quoting public statements, at least in a work talking about those statements? Ordinarily, one would think that this sort of “use” is “fair,” under the rules of copyright at least. But most documentarians--indeed, most filmmakers--did not care to work through the complexity and the
uncertainty of a doctrine such as “fair use.” Instead they agreed to licenses that govern--exclusively, as they typically asserted--the rights to use the quotes that were in the film. So, for example, the license would insist that the only right to use the film came from the license itself (not fair use). And it would then specify the scope and term of the right--five years, North American distribution, for educational use. What that agreement means is that if the filmmaker wanted to continue to distribute the film after five years, he would have to go back to the original rights holder and ask for permission again. That task may not sound so difficult if you think about one clip in one documentary. But what about twenty, thirty, or more? And even assuming that you can find the original holders of the rights, they now have you over a barrel--as the owners of the famous series Eyes on the Prize discovered. Jon Else, the producer and cinematographer for the series, described the problem in 2004 (extraordinary efforts have now resolved it): [The series] is no longer available for purchase. It is virtually the only audiovisual purveyor of the history of the civil rights movement in America. What happened was the series was done cheaply and had a terrible fundraising problem. There was barely enough to purchase a minimum five-year rights on the archive-
heavy footage. Each episode in the series is fifty percent archival. And most of the archive shots are derived from commercial sources. The fiveyear licenses expired and the company that made the film also expired. And now we have a situation where we have this series for which there are no rights licenses. Eyes on the Prize cannot be broadcast on any TV venue anywhere, nor can it be sold. Whatever threadbare copies are available in universities around the country are the only ones that will ever exist. It will cost five hundred thousand dollars to re-up all the rights for this film. As American University’s Center for Social Media concluded, “rights clearance costs are high, and have escalated dramatically in the last two decades,” and “limit the public’s access” to documentary film. The consequence of this ecology of creativity is that the vast majority of documentaries from the twentieth century cannot legally be restored or redistributed. They sit on film library shelves, many of them dissolving, since they were produced on nitrate-based film, and most of them forgotten, since no content company or anyone else can do anything with them. In this sense, most of these works have been made orphans FOR page 43
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N.C. Democrats Must Again Overcome Corruption Rap (Newsmax - Politics)
deep recession that caused Democratic lawmakers to approve higher taxes. Their For the past decade, North campaign fundraising advantage Carolina Democrats in charge of is threatened by departures and state government have been retirements of prolific state successful persuading the public Senate fundraisers. they're unlike fellow party Add last week's GOP victory in colleagues who've ended up the U.S. Senate race in liberal behind bars. Massachusetts and angst over the Democrats have remained in h e a l t h c a r e o v e r h a u l i n power in the Legislature and at Washington and it may prove the Executive Mansion despite more difficult for Democrats the news of illegal activities that leading into the 2010 elections to sent then-House Speaker Jim counter any perceptions that Black, A g r i c u l t u r e they're associated with another Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps federal investigation that could and Rep. Thomas Wright to unearth more indictments. prison. "This could be a scenario where They've done so while passing you have the megastorm, where tougher ethics and campaign you have just a terrible economy, finance laws, and even expelling you have unrest and anger with Wright from the Legislature. At the electorate and then you have the same time, they've had (corruption) on top of it," said political advantages to get their B r a d C r o n e , a l o n g t i m e message out, such as outraising D e m o c r a t i c c o n s u l t a n t i n R e p u b l i c a n s o n c a m p a i g n Raleigh. "It's been a constant dollars, pushing education drumbeat ... there will be a price initiatives and presiding during a to pay for it." span largely marked by growth Poole is accused of 51 counts, and prosperity in the state. including bribery, racketeering, Last week's indictment of money laundering and extortion corruption charges against Ruffin during his years as Easley's Poole, a close aide to former personal assistant and special Gov. Mike Easley, however, counsel. comes when Democrats lack the The indictment describes Poole, advantages of recent years. 37, as the "go-to guy" to get The state is struggling with 11 things done in Easley's office, percent unemployment during a with people calling him "the Submitted at 1/25/2010 1:42:00 AM
little governor" because of Easley's reliance on him to assist political supporters. Poole took trips on the checkbook of a Wilmington investor and Easley political supporter while helping expedite projects in which the financier and others had invested, according to the indictment. He also made returns of at least 25 percent by investing his money in some of those same coastal developments, prosecutors allege. "Never before have you seen an allegation of corruption going that close to the governor's office in modern history," Crone said. Republicans jumped on the charges, with state GOP chairman Tom Fetzer calling it part of the "culture of corruption that has risen out of a century of one-party dominance in state government." Democrats have sat in the Executive Mansion since 1993 and held almost continuously the power in the Legislature since the late 1890s. Party leaders say they're disgusted by the charges, if true, but argue they've been leading on ethics issues for years. "We have changed the culture in the Legislature," said House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange, adding they'll consider other
restrictions when lawmakers reconvene in May, if necessary. "I'm a citizen of North Carolina. I want it to be cleaned up." The Legislature passed sweeping new rules essentially banning gifts to lawmakers and top executive branch leaders in 2006 and expelled Wright for unethical behavior. Gov. Beverly Perdue also has demanded tougher gift bans in the wake of investigations of free meals from vendors to some state employees and local ABC boards. Perdue feels the indictment "is a sorry distraction for the people of North Carolina, and we are all tired of it," said Chrissy Pearson, her spokeswoman. Some Republicans have gotten in trouble with the law, too, although the largest headlines have been left for the Democrats because of their majority status in government. In previous election years, the corruption associated with Black and Wright didn't bleed over into other legislative districts by hurting the prospects of other Democratic incumbents just by association. It shouldn't happen this year, either, Hackney said. "I don't see how Ruffin Poole's indictment affects somebody running for a House seat in eastern North Carolina if there's
no direct connection," said Gary Pearce, a Democratic strategists who used to work with former four-term Gov. Jim Hunt. Hackney and other Democrats are hopeful the economy will turn around by the November elections so they'll have some more positive things to talk about with voters. Easley wasn't accused of wrongdoing in the indictment and his attorney said he wasn't aware of Poole's alleged conduct. Activities surrounding Easley while he was governor have been the subject of federal and state investigations in the year since he left office in January 2009. Neither probe is complete. A lot will depend on whether Easley is charged with crimes. Democratic legislative candidates statewide would have to respond against more than just the "little governor," but the public face of the state party for eight years. Š 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.
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Beau Biden Won't Seek Father's Senate Seat (Newsmax - Politics) Submitted at 1/25/2010 3:35:48 AM
DOVER, Del. – Beau Biden announced Monday that he will not seek election to the U.S. Senate seat long held by his father, Vice President Joe Biden, putting another Democratic-held Senate seat in jeopardy and dealing another blow to President Barack Obama's flailing party. The Delaware attorney general told supporters in an e-mail that he will run for re-election to his state post instead of running against GOP Rep. Mike Castle for the seat the elder Biden held for 36 years. He cited a need to focus on prosecution of highprofile child molestation case. "I have a duty to fulfill as attorney general, and the immediate need to focus on a case of great consequence. And that is what I must do," Biden, 40, wrote. "Therefore I cannot and will not run for the United States Senate in 2010." He left open the door of a candidacy in future years. Biden's decision makes the Democratic-held seat vulnerable as the Democratic Party and its leader, Obama, are licking their wounds following Republican Scott Brown's victory last week for the Senate seat in
Massachusetts once held by Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy; the GOP upset ended the Democrats' filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Two weeks before that, Sen. Byron Dorgan chose to retire in North Dakota rather than face reelection, putting a once-safe Democratic seat in serious trouble. No less than three Democratic senators were already vulnerable, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Michael Bennet of Colorado. The GOP also is making a play for the Illinois seat once held by Obama; Sen. Roland Burris, who was appointed to the seat, is not running. And Republicans are planning to fight for the Senate seat held by the retiring Christopher Dodd in Connecticut. Given a political environment tipping their way, the GOP also is keeping an eye on Sens Barbara Boxer in California, Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and Kirsten Gillbrand in New York. Biden's decision was a surprise, given that his father's confidant and former Senate chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, was appointed to the seat by Delaware's governor essentially to keep it warm for the son until he was able to run.
But then Castle, a former twoterm governor and one of the most successful politicians in Delaware history, entered the race, dramatically increasing the likelihood of a competitive race. With Biden declining a run, Democrats in Washington said they were turning to New Castle County Chief Executive Chris Coons in hopes he would run. Coons was noncommittal last week when asked whether he would seek the nomination if Biden bows out, saying only that he looked forward to supporting Biden. While Obama didn't call the younger Biden, White House officials said the president and vice president discussed the race regularly, as recently as Friday. Obama had asked his No. 2 to tell Biden the president's belief that he would win if he ran. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations. Since returning home in September after a yearlong deployment to Iraq with his National Guard unit, Beau Biden had been focused on his family and his job as attorney general. In recent weeks, his agency has been enmeshed in the case of a Delaware pediatrician charged with sexually assaulting several of his patients. Prosecutors
believe Dr. Earl Bradley of Lewes, who was arrested in December, may have molested more than 100 children over the past decade. "The reality is, it became increasingly clear over the last several weeks that it was impossible to mount a Senate campaign in the face of dealing with both the prosecution in Lewes as well as the things I need to do, our office needs to do, for victims," Biden told The Associated Press. Biden vowed while campaigning for attorney general in 2006 that he would crack down on child predators, and he made the creation of a separate child predator unit within the state Justice Department his top priority after winning office. Had he turned his attention from the Bradley prosecution to running for Senate, he likely would have faced criticism from some voters, but Biden told the AP he was not thinking in such terms. "I knew I had to be entirely focused on this case and the victims in it," he said. "I sought this office and ran for this office to create a child predator unit. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to be attorney general." Biden said he and his wife, Hallie, made the decision before informing family members, who
he said were supportive of their decision. Castle, 70, announced in October that he would not seek a 10th term in the House but would run for this fall's special election to fill the remaining four years of the Senate term Joe Biden won in 2008. Castle, a leader of GOP centrists who has demonstrated crossover appeal among Democrats as well as unaffiliated voters in Delaware, has a significant head start over the Democrats in fundraising. He has taken in more than $1 million since announcing his Senate bid in October, ending 2009 with about $1.7 million in his campaign chest. Biden ended 2009 with slightly less than $100,000 in his attorney general campaign fund, having raised only about $6,500 in cash contributions during the year. Š 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.
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Turf Warrior By James Kirchick (The New Republic - All Feed)
over the CIA, which seemed bound to create the very squabbling that the reforms were Submitted at 1/24/2010 9:00:00 PM intended to stifle. Blair has In the shadow of the intelligence compounded this problem with failure that culminated with his knack for stirring intramural Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab controversy. He seems to relish lighting an explosive aboard a the occasions when he can snatch Detroit-bound flight, the titular power from Panetta. Over the head of the U.S. intelligence course of the past year, he has community was busy fighting demanded the right to appoint another war. For months, in fact, the top American spy stationed Admiral Dennis C. Blair, the in each foreign country, a power director of national intelligence traditionally reserved for the CIA (DNI), had been waging an epic director. He has hammered the bureaucratic offensive. His job a g e n c y f o r b o t c h i n g t h e had been created in the wake of Afghanistan war and attempted S e p t e m b e r 1 1 t o f o s t e r to assert more control over cooperation and accountability c o v e r t o p e r a t i o n s , f r o m among the 16 agencies sifting paramilitary units to drone through the mounds of inbound strikes in Pakistan. (Blair data about threats to U.S. d e c l i n e d r e q u e s t s f o r a n interests. Turf wars, the job’s i n t e r v i e w . ) congressional creators theorized, All in all, relations between the had prevented spooks from the DNI and CIA have never been sort of sharing that would piece worse. Last summer, a source together plots. So a strong leader close to Blair fumed about was needed to heal these rifts in Panetta’s “insubordination” to the government. The Washington Post’s David Under Blair, however, these rifts Ignatius. The White House have grown worse. His sworn eventually dispatched National bureaucratic foe is CIA chief Security Advisor Jim Jones as a Leon Panetta, who, at least on special envoy to negotiate a truce paper, reports to him. But, when between the men. When Jones Congress sculpted Blair’s job, it failed to make peace, Vice left plenty of ambiguity about the President Joe Biden took a turn extent of the DNI’s authority a t b r o k e r i n g a c e a s e - f i r e .
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jones ultimately crafted a formal agreement that clarified the relationship. Among other things, it preserved the CIA’s direct line of communication to the White House and the privileged role of CIA station chiefs. Even though Panetta signed the document, Blair refused to give his consent. His huffing finally forced Jones to unilaterally issue a memo last month imposing a clearer division of labor. Blair’s obstreperousness doesn’t shock those who have worked with him in the past. As one former Pentagon official told me, he “doesn’t suffer fools gladly and his definition of fools is fairly expansive. Sometimes that can [mean everyone] up to and including the secretary of defense and even presidents.” The fact that relations between the most powerful members of the intelligence community are fraught is not a comforting thought at the present moment. Following the foiled Christmas plot, President Obama has waxed outraged over the bureaucracy’s failure to “connect the dots.” Blair’s job description has always made him responsible for ensuring the efficacy of a system
that flows intelligence to appropriate analysts with a minimum of bureaucratic friction. With so much so obviously broken in this system, the question is, does he have the temperament and organizational chops to get the job done? That Dennis Blair would ascend to the highest ranks of government surprises almost no one who encountered him on his rise there. Even those who don’t like Blair concede his smarts-and those who admire him tend to gush. Richard Danzig, who served as secretary of the Navy in the Clinton administration, told me that Blair exudes “seasoned maturity” and “obvious kinds of stature.” He’s the “smartest-in-the-class–type person,” says Hudson Institute defense analyst Richard Weitz. Hailing from New England Yankee stock and Naval aristocracy, Blair is the sixth generation of his family to serve as an officer. After graduating second in his class from Annapolis in 1968--a year that also included the notorious Oliver North, Senator Jim Webb, and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen--Blair scored a Rhodes Scholarship. Next came a White
House fellowship, followed by a string of top intelligence jobs, including a stint on the National Security Council (NSC) staff in the Reagan administration. “He went everywhere with a pad, constantly writing notes,” says one former NSC staffer who served with Blair. “I thought to myself, ‘This guy’s writing a book.’” While he obviously impressed his superiors, Blair’s headstrong tendencies could also make him a nuisance. In 1999, he assumed control over the United States Pacific Command ( PACOM), which controls all U.S. military operations in the Pacific theater. Forty-three countries were under his purview, along with 300,000 military personnel. It was a vast assignment that placed him in proximity to many impending crises. The first of these to strike on his watch came in Indonesia, where government-backed militias waged a violent campaign against an independence movement on the island of East Timor. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Patrice Cormier Justly Suspended for the Rest of Season By Christopher Botta (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 1/25/2010 3:14:00 AM
Filed under: Team Canada, Minor League Hockey, Junior Hockey, NHL Discipline Patrice Cormier has been suspended for the rest of the regular season and
the playoffs by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for a flagrant elbow check he delievered to the head of an
opponent in a game on Jan. 17.
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Centerfold Senator Is Stud on Economics as Well (AEI.Org: Articles)
revival relies on the power of free enterprise. He told the Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan: Before and since Scott Brown "What made America great? Free locked up his Senate victory in m a r k e t s , f r e e e n t e r p r i s e , Massachusetts, Democrats have manufacturing, job creation. tried to portray him as an That's how we're gonna do it, not economically illiterate radical. by enlarging government." Senator Charles Schumer of This quote contains two N e w Y o r k d i s t r i b u t e d a powerful assertions: that free fundraising appeal that called enterprise made this nation great Brown a "far-right tea bagger," a n d t h a t e n l a r g i n g o u r an accusation that rose to a government will undermine our chorus after his election. Among growth. A third key element of serious followers of policy, it Brown's political rhetoric has didn't help Brown that he once been to attack the ever-rising posed nude for Cosmopolitan government debt as a threat to magazine. our economic future. The special election in The economic literature M a s s a c h u s e t t s s p r u n g o n overwhelmingly supports these e v e r y o n e s o q u i c k l y t h a t points. somebody crazy certainly could Hungry Government have slipped through the cracks. Numerous studies have A look at Brown's platform and d o c u m e n t e d t h a t l a r g e r economic statements suggests government relative to gross exactly the opposite. domestic product leads to If a nonpartisan, above-reproach significantly reduced economic economist were assigned to growth. One study by Harvard review the academic literature University economist Robert and design thoughtful and Barro concluded that "growth is prudent economic policies inversely related to the share of c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e m o s t government consumption in persuasive findings available, he GDP." w o u l d p r o d u c e B r o w n ' s More recent literature has found platform. that this holds true even for U.S. Brown's recipe for economic states. It is now widely accepted Submitted at 1/24/2010 3:00:00 PM
as an economic reality--which makes it all the more puzzling that Obama and his economic team would push for a larger government when the economy is already weak. As for the power of free enterprise, the Fraser Institute's annual Economic Freedom of the World report regularly documents that competition and entrepreneurship are key drivers of economic growth. Fine, you might say, but reducing debt in the beginning of a wobbly recovery would be imprudent. This view assumes that the reduction would be designed poorly, front-loading the cut in government spending. Take Your Time It is easy to craft policies that reduce spending gradually over many years, restoring the budget to something fiscally sustainable without creating a near-term crater. Economists Francesco Giavazzi of Bocconi University in Milan and Marco Pagano of the University of Naples Federico II studied the impact of such policies in Denmark and Ireland and found that fiscal consolidations lead to near-term dramatic improvements in economic growth. Other studies
have confirmed this result in a range of countries. Brown also argues, citing John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, that "by cutting taxes we stimulate economic growth and encourage businesses to add jobs." He has advocated extending all of George W. Bush's tax cuts from 2001 and 2003 that are set to expire this year. He has also said that he supports a 15 percent "across-the -board tax cut," including corporate and payroll taxes. Bush's Targets Here the evidence is mixed. It is impossible to read the corporate tax literature and not come away with the impression that a reduction would be quite favorable economically. But the evidence that the Bush tax cuts were a positive influence is weak, in part because Bush squandered revenue on economically questionable targets, such as eliminating the so-called marriage penalty, rather than on lowering marginal rates. Still, Brown's focus on rates suggests that he understands this. There is also a tension between the desire to reduce taxes and the desire to reduce the deficit.
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Street Chic: New York By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 1/25/2010 4:00:00 AM
A luxe fur coat puts a glamorous spin on thigh-highs and a mini. Photo: Anne Ziegler Think you are Street Chic? E-
Brown has called mounting government deficits "immoral," which means that cutting them will likely be a high priority for him and that he is unlikely to compromise on the debt in order to lower taxes. His call for strict spending limits also suggests debt is his priority--and also is in accord with the prevailing literature. A 2008 European Commission staff review of successful fiscal consolidations found that those that relied on spending cuts worked, while those that relied on tax increases did not. It's safe to say that higher marginal tax rates quashed growth. All of this makes a great deal of common sense, appealing even to voters in the bluest of blue states. That is why Brown won. It is also why the anti-freemarket, economically illiterate economists and pundits attacking Brown are beside themselves. Kevin A. Hassett is a senior fellow and the director of economic policy studies at AEI. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Old Senator, New Tricks By Jesse Zwick (The New Republic - All Feed)
chalked the whole thing up to a "misunderstanding." The local Chamber of Commerce president Submitted at 1/24/2010 9:00:00 PM generously offered to "forgive" As a rule, politicians in West Byrd if he'd walk back his V i r g i n i a d o n ' t c a r e f o r comments. environmentalists. This is, after But it wasn't a all, a state that supplies 50 misunderstanding, and Byrd isn't percent of U.S. coal exports, a walking anything back. After 50 state where the mining industry years in the Senate, the 92-yearis responsible for roughly 30,000 old statesman seems to be jobs—a state that essentially revising his views on both coal depends on pollution for its and global warming. And not survival. And West Virginia's b e c a u s e h e ' s s u d d e n l y most prominent coal champion channeling his inner tree-hugger. has long been Robert Byrd, who Rather, Byrd is finding it once slammed green critics of increasingly difficult to argue mining as "head-in-the-cloud t h a t t h e i n t e r e s t s o f c o a l individuals" out to destroy jobs companies and the interests of and impoverish the region. In his state are one and the same. 2008, Byrd was the lone Senate Last May, a series of floods Democrat to vote against even ripped through the southern starting debate on a bill to curb coalfield counties of West carbon-dioxide emissions. Virginia, damaging some 3,000 So just about everyone was buildings and requiring more shocked when, last month, Byrd than $60 million in government did an about-face and wrote an assistance. Politicians and op-ed that criticized modern-day industry reps were quick to call mining practices and accused the the disaster an act of God, but coal industry of "having its head Byrd wasn’t convinced. For the in the sand" on climate change. past few years, environmental Local pols were sure there must groups had been quietly lobbying have been some mistake. The the senator's office about the state's governor, Joe Manchin, d e s t r u c t i v e e f f e c t s o f
Angelina Jolie's Rep Debunks Rumors of a Split From Brad Pitt
mountaintop-removal mining—a widespread process across Appalachia, in which miners use explosives to rip off the tops of hills and mountains in order to get at the coal seams underneath. Not only does this form of mining destroy streams and pollute drinking water in the surrounding areas, but a host of studies have pointed out that the resulting degradation of forests and topsoil has left the region more vulnerable to severe flooding. When local citizens pled their case that month, Byrd surprised many by agreeing to take a look. Although Byrd himself was still recovering from a staph infection that kept him in the hospital, he sent several members of his staff to visit the affected areas. They toured the countryside, where locals pointed out roads that had been washed out and homes literally swept away. "The vast amount of damage is not something you can see from a TV camera," observed Howard Barnham, a resident of Mingo County who volunteered as a tour guide for Byrd's staff. "I think what they saw was the true
extent of the damage." By the fall of 2009, the prospect of greater federal oversight over mountaintop mining made it likely that the industry would have to start at least mitigating the damage from mountaintop mining. But when the EPA announced that it would delay 79 mining permits in the region for further inspection, coal companies decided instead to go on the attack. Don Blankenship, the CEO of the state's biggest coal producer, Massey Energy, teamed up with the state Chamber of Commerce and other trade groups to hold a Labor Day rally. The theme? How "environmental extremists and corporate America are both trying to destroy your jobs." Blankenship spent more than $1 million on the event, which took place on a flattened mountain and featured conservatives like Sean Hannity and Ted Nugent. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
ten major works remain. Just last year, her father’s most famous documentary-- Robert Kennedy Remembered, made in 1968 in the two months between Kennedy’s assassination and the Democratic National
Convention, and broadcast only Term Extraction. once--was cleared for DVD release through the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
(ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 6:36:00 AM
Angelina Jolie's rep tells ET there's no truth to the Internet rumors of a pending break up between the actress and Brad Pitt. Jolie and Pitt got together after co-starring in the 2005 film 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'. The couple have six children together and reside in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jolie and Pitt have not been seen on the red carpet this award season, noticeably absent from the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards. Pitt was present at the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon on Friday night, co-organized by his friend George Clooney. The couple also donated $1 million to the emergency first responders D o c t o r s W i t h o u t Borders/Médecins Sans Frontiéres.
FOR continued from page 38
by a set of agreements concluded at their birth, which--like lead in gasoline--were introduced without any public recognition of their inevitable toxicity. Except of course for those with a devoted heir, such as Grace
Guggenheim. She was not willing to accept defeat. Instead she set herself the extraordinary task of clearing all of the rights necessary to permit her father’s films to be shown. Eight years later, she is largely done. About
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Re: That Himalayan Glacier Prediction Error (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 1/24/2010 11:30:05 AM
While traveling I received several emails about the latest cause celebre of climate change “skeptics,” a badly sourced prediction that Himalayan glaciers could disappear by the year 2035, attributed to the World Wildlife Fund in an IPCC report. The London TimesOnline story about this was headlined, “ World misled over Himalayan glacier meltdown,” which sounds pretty bad. Those evil scientismists, up to their tricksy ways again. RealClimate has a good post on the issue, acknowledging the need to correct the error and work harder to ensure that poorly sourced claims aren’t included in IPCC documents — but also making the much larger point that although the 2035 prediction may not have been sourced properly, the glaciers of the Himalayas are still receding rapidly: RealClimate: The IPCC is not infallible (shock!). Like all human endeavours, the IPCC is not perfect. Despite the enormous efforts devoted to producing its reports with the multiple levels of peer review, some errors will sneak through. Most of these will be minor and inconsequential, but sometimes they might be more substantive.
As many people are aware (and as John Nieslen-Gammon outlined in a post last month and Rick Piltz goes over today), there is a statement in the second volume of the IPCC (WG2), concerning the rate at which Himalayan glaciers are receding that is not correct and not properly referenced. The statement, in a chapter on climate impacts in Asia, was that the likelihood of the Himalayan glaciers “disappearing by the year 2035 was “very high” if the Earth keeps warming at the current rate (WG 2, Ch. 10, p493), and was referenced to a World Wildlife Fund 2005 report. Examining the drafts and comments ( available here), indicates that the statement was barely commented in the reviews, and that the WWF (2005) reference seems to have been a last minute addition (it does not appear in the First- or Second- Order Drafts). This claim did not make it into the
summary for policy makers, nor the overall synthesis report, and so cannot be described as a ‘central claim’ of the IPCC. However, the statement has had some press attention since the report particularly in the Indian press, at least according to Google News, even though it was not familiar to us before last month. It is therefore obvious that this error should be corrected (via some kind of corrigendum to the WG2 report perhaps), but it is important to realise that this doesn’t mean that Himalayan glaciers are doing just fine. They aren’t, and there may be serious consequences for water resources as the retreat continues. See also this review paper ( Ren et al, 2006) on a subset of these glaciers. Here’s a little more perspective on this flawed prediction: it’s quoted only in one paragraph in the second volume of the IPCC’s fourth Assessment Report — and
not in any of the technical summaries, which are more widely read, but only on page 493 of Chapter 10 of this very lengthy document on the impacts of climate change(PDF). So yes, it’s a breakdown in the scientific vetting process for these kinds of claims, but on the other hand it’s been vastly exaggerated and blown up into a huge issue, far beyond what is warranted. If you’re really interested in the subject, I recommend at least glancing through the other 3000 pages of the AR4 documents to see how much information and research is not in question. For some graphic evidence of the effects of global warming in the Himalayas, RealClimate posted this photo showing a then -now image of the East Rongbuk glacier: East Rongbuk glacier just below Mt. Everest has lost 300-400 ft of ice in this area since 1921.
Old writers (over 40) settle age discrimination suit against networks, talent agencies By Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:30:00 PM
To be honest, I never thought this lawsuit would get anywhere when I first heard about it several years ago. Writers of a certain age suing TV networks, production companies, and talent agencies? Yeah, good luck with that. But it turns out I was wrong. The various companies have settled an age discrimination suit brought by 165 veteran writers(yes, over 40!) of some of your favorite TV shows, including M*A*S*H, Maude, Knot's Landing, All in the Family, Kojak, Falcon Crest, and many others. The plaintiffs get $70M. Continue reading Old writers (over 40) settle age discrimination suit against networks, talent agencies Filed under: Industry, Celebrities, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments
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Dear DAD (AEI.Org: Articles)
sweeping up the good with the bad. This article discusses the trade-offs surrounding tax Introduction efficiency and economic There is an aggressive effort uncertainty through a case study underfoot in Washington to catch discussion of Southgate Master purported tax cheats. President Fund v. United States, [2] a case Obama's fiscal 2010 budget involving the tax treatment of a proposes to double the IRS distressed asset debt (DAD) enforcement budget for the transaction in 2002, and a current year and quadruple it by l e g i s l a t i v e c h a n g e t o t h a t 2 0 1 5 . [ 1 ] S e n a t e F i n a n c e treatment enacted prospectively Committee Chair Max Baucus, D in the American Jobs Creation -Mont., has undertaken a widely Act of 2004 (Jobs Act). publicized campaign to solve the Former IRS Chief Counsel t a x g a p - - w h i c h h a s b e e n Donald Korb remarked in a 2005 estimated by the IRS to have speech, "One of the most serious e x c e e d e d $ 3 4 5 b i l l i o n i n problems that the IRS has had to 2001—in part by pursuing face over the last 10 years is the policies to identify and stop proliferation of abusive tax abusive tax shelters. Meanwhile, shelters." [3] Nearly four years the IRS is fully engaged in later, he commented, "I believe pursing an aggressive audit that someday we will look back strategy with the resources it on the past 48 months as a rather already has. While no one likes a historic period where many cheat, properly distinguishing courts overwhelmingly sustained one from the simply business- the Service's use of the various smart or lucky is a difficult task judicial doctrines (substance over a n d c a n i n v o l v e t h e I R S form and economic substance) in Submitted at 1/24/2010 3:00:00 PM
a number of tax shelter cases."[4] Striking the appropriate balance between legislative action and IRS enforcement, however, presents a challenge for policymakers. Giving broad discretion to the IRS to challenge suspected tax evaders is one way to address the tax gap, but to do so substantially amplifies the economic frictions involved with doing business because the compliance costs and risks for taxpayers engaged in legal, business-motivated transactions will increase. This case study illustrates the issues and challenges involved in balancing the competing forces between tax collection and economic efficiency. First, Southgate offers evidence that advocating a broad judicial interpretation of the economic substance doctrine--a sniff test for tax shelters whereby tax benefits are disallowed simply because they do not look or feel right or fair--is unnecessary and
in fact undesirable. Second, waiting to enact the statutory change disallowing loss partnership transfers and enacting the change prospectively did not impede the government's ability to pursue suspected tax evaders. Rather, a careful, precise, fact-based approach that judiciously employs common-law doctrine should be sufficient to achieve proper tax enforcement without creating undue uncertainty for all other taxpayers. Click here to read the full text as an Adobe Acrobat PDF. Alex Brill is a research fellow at AEI. P h o t o c r e d i t : iStockphoto/Brandon Rose Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
readable, and much more interesting than most of the web’s all-too-predictable presences. His split with the most poisonous denizens of the right is profiled in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. Johnson fact-checks his profile in true LGF form. A recent LA Times piece
examined the Johnson’s evolution as a blogger and the reactions it engendered, with Johnson remarking, “The kinds of hate mail and the kinds of attacks I am getting from the right wing are way beyond anything I got when I was criticizing the left or even radical Islam.” (Click here for just one
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Record December drop for US home resales (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:48:51 AM
Home resales in the US dropped in December at the fastest rate on record, after buyers rushed to purchase homes the previous month on expectations government support was going to be withdrawn. Existing home sales plunged by 16.7 per cent from November to December to an adjusted annual rate of 5.45m, the National Association of Realtors said, a far bigger drop than economists were predicting. Sales had climbed steadily since August as the popular first-time homebuyer tax credit boosted the market. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Nice Words from Colmes (Little Green Footballs)
Charles Johnson And The RightWing Flame War. Charles Johnson is a true After the New York Times original, his knowledge of code Magazine article a lot of wingnut enabling him to be one of the blogs are coming up with first in the blogosphere, and his imaginative new smears tonight, fierce independence angering but I’m grateful for the positive those who initially embraced words from Alan Colmes: Little him. It’s this same independence Green Footballs&##x2019;s t h a t m a k e s h i m e m i n e n t l y Submitted at 1/24/2010 7:37:26 PM
example.) A recent Vanity Fair article explains more, including how Johnson is likely to stay at the forefront of the blogosphere.
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Poll: Voter Anger Fueled Brown Victory in Mass. (Newsmax - Politics)
agenda in Washington, including the healthcare overhaul. Still, rather than just blocking Voter discontent with the proposals, three-quarters said direction of the government, they wanted to see Brown work economy and the health care with Democrats to get GOP overhaul helped send Republican proposals into legislation in Scott Brown to his Senate general; nearly half said that victory in Massachusetts, a poll specifically about the healthcare says. legislation. About 63 percent of The findings cover voter M a s s a c h u s e t t s v o t e r s i n sentiment in Massachusetts but Tuesday's election said the offer a hint of broader political country is seriously off track, shifts nationwide that have put and Brown won two-thirds of Democrats on the defensive. those voters, according to the Brown's victory in the race to poll by The Washington Post, the succeed the late Sen. Edward M. H e n r y J . K a i s e r F a m i l y Kennedy cost Democrats their F o u n d a t i o n a n d H a r v a r d filibuster-proof total of 60 votes. University's School of Public That means Republicans will be Health. able to stop or seriously slow In contrast, Barack Obama had down legislation at will. The solid support from the more than GOP victory was also a poor 80 percent of Massachusetts omen for November's elections. voters in the presidential election Among other poll findings: who viewed the country as off- • Half of Massachusetts voters course in November 2008. believe government should do Nearly two-thirds of those who more to solve problems; that's supported Brown over Democrat down from 63 percent when Martha Coakley said their vote Obama was elected. The large was intended partly to show p o o l o f v o t e r s w h o s a w opposition to the Democratic government as overreaching Submitted at 1/24/2010 10:21:57 AM
Hoist Your Pitchforks! By E.J. Dionne Jr. (The New Republic - All Feed)
of really vicious ads against you." The same exchange might take place on tax breaks, Submitted at 1/24/2010 9:00:00 PM helped Brown claim victory. consumer protections, • Healthcare and the economy WASHINGTON--"Populism" is environmental rules and worker were cited as the most important the most overused and misused safeguards. issues. Among voters for Brown, w o r d i n t h e l e x i c o n o f Defenders of this vast expansion t h o s e i s s u e s w e r e c l o s e l y commentary. But thanks to a of corporate influence piously followed by the economy, jobs reckless decision by Chief claim it's about "free speech." and "the way Washington is Justice John Roberts' Supreme But since when is a corporation, working." Court and also the greed of the a creation of laws passed by • A b o u t 4 3 p e r c e n t o f nation's financial barons, we governments, entitled to the Massachusetts voters back the have reached a true populist same rights as an individual health care proposals supported moment in American politics. citizen? This ruling will give by Obama and congressional The Supreme Court's 5-4 large business entities far more Democrats, while 48 percent d e c i s i o n l a s t w e e k g i v i n g power than any individual, oppose them. The majority of American corporations the right unless you happen to be Michael those who opposed the measures to unlimited political spending Bloomberg or Bill Gates. backed Brown, saying the was an astonishing display of The only proper response to this Democrats' plan would make judicial arrogance, overreach and distortion of our political system things worse for their families, unjustified activism. by ideologically driven justices the country and Massachusetts. Turning its back on a century of is a popular revolt. It would be a p r a c t i c e a n d d e c a d e s o f revolt of a sort deeply rooted in © C o p y r i g h t 2 0 1 0 T h e precedent, a narrow right-wing the American political tradition. Associated Press. All rights majority on the court decided to T h e m o s t v i b r a n t r e f o r m reserved. This material may not change the American political alliances in our history have b e p u b l i s h e d , b r o a d c a s t , system by tilting it decisively in involved coalitions between r e w r i t t e n o r r e d i s t r i b u t e d . favor of corporate interests. populists (who stand up for the Five Filters featured article: An unusually blunt headline in interests and values of average Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Friday's print edition of The New citizens) and progressives (who PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, York Times told the story fight against corruption in Term Extraction. succinctly: "Lobbies' New government and for institutional Power: Cross Us, and Our Cash changes to improve the workings Will Bury You." of our democracy). It's time for a Think of this rather persuasive n e w p o p u l i s t - p r o g r e s s i v e moment in a chat between a a l l i a n c e . corporate lobbyist and a senator: Five Filters featured article: "Are you going to block that Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: taxpayer bailout we want? Well, PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, I'm really sorry, but we're going Term Extraction. to have to run $2 million worth
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Sources: Rep. Berry Plans to Announce Retirement (Newsmax - Politics)
agricultural trade and food assistance. In 2008, he was re-elected Arkansas Democratic Rep. without opposition. This year, he Marion Berry plans to announce f a c e d o p p o s i t i o n f r o m Monday that he won't seek re- Republican Rick Crawford, who election this fall, three people owns a regional agricultural have told The Associated Press. radio network. Three people who had spoken Berry had repeatedly said he had with Berry on Sunday said the no plans to retire, but he fueled c o n g r e s s m a n p l a n n e d t o speculation last week when he announce his decision Monday. told a radio interviewer asking The people requested anonymity about his re-election plans that because they were not authorized "nothing is certain in this world to speak on Berry's behalf. but death." Berry has represented the 1st "There has not been this much District in eastern Arkansas since turmoil in Arkansas politics in a 1997. long time," Berry told Little A spokeswoman for Berry did Rock radio station KUAR. "I not immediately return a call would be afraid to predict Sunday night. anything. I think in the next Berry, 67, was first elected to couple months you could see all his congressional seat after kinds of stuff coming down the s e r v i n g i n t h e C l i n t o n pike." administration as a special Berry is the second Arkansas assistant to the president for congressman to announce he was Submitted at 1/24/2010 1:53:33 PM
retiring. Earlier this month, Democratic Rep. Vic Snyder announced he would not seek an eighth term representing the 2nd District in central Arkansas. Rep. John Boozman, a Republican representing northwest Arkansas, has said he's thinking about running for the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln. (This version CORRECTS the number of sources) © 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.
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FIGHT continued from page 36
margins he's had in the past." Look for Mr. Bennett's age to become a factor. He turns 77 in September — Mr. Bridgewater refers to him as "almost 80" — while his rivals are each at least a quarter-century younger. With age comes experience, however, and Mr. Bennett is an old pro when it comes to Utah's primary system. A candidate must win 60 percent of the delegate vote at the state Republican convention May 8 to secure the party's nomination. If no candidate hits 60 percent, the top two finishers face each other in a primary election. Mr. Bennett has already spent more than $500,000 reaching out to potential delegates, who will be chosen at caucus meetings in March. He's got a potential ace in the hole in the form of Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate, a fellow Mormon and one of Utah's most influential political figures. The Bennett campaign plans to unleash ads emphasizing Mr. Romney's endorsement. Mr. Bennett coasted to victory
in 2004 — he didn't even run any television spots — but he said he knows this year will be different. "I recognize the anti-incumbent feeling is there, and I can't rest on my laurels," said Mr. Bennett. At the same time, he said, his foes can't assume that antiWashington sentiment will be enough to sweep them into office. "As I watch this unfold, my opponents are in this echo chamber, and all they hear is voices saying, 'We hate Washington; we hate Bob Bennett.' But outside the echo chamber, there are a lot of people saying, 'We really like Bob Bennett,'" he said. "The challenge is not to succumb to my own echo chamber." © Copyright 2010 The Washington Times, LLC Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Now Playing: January 25-31, 2010 By James Ransom-Wiley (Joystiq) Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:20:00 AM
MASSive Double Feature
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list: Last updated: Monday, 12:10 PM Continue reading Now Playing: January 25-31, 2010
Now Playing: January 25-31, Permalink| Email this| 2010 originally appeared on C o m m e n t s Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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MISSION continued from page 37
more--and the need for engineering equipment to remove wreckage and restore public utilities increases, Army reservists and National Guardsmen are likely to have to take up the job. With Haiti added to Iraq and Afghanistan, the distinction between active and reserve forces continues to disappear. The cost of these efforts will be high, in the billions. Congress was already going to have to consider a higher-than-expected supplemental appropriations bill reflecting the Afghanistan surge and the administration's previous obfuscation about war costs. In the current economic and political climate, this is hardly politically expedient, but it is essential.
The U.S. military has learned at great cost about this type of mission in recent years. And there is a coalition willing and eager for American leadership. The sixteen nations who now count themselves "Friends of Haiti" will meet this week in Montreal. It will be an opportune moment for President Obama to sketch out a plan of campaign Thomas Donnelly is a resident fellow at AEI. Photo credit: courtesy of U.S. Army/Spc. Sean Kimmons Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Access Mature Hulu Content on Boxee [Boxee] By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)
Boxee cookie directory. You'll be replacing your old Boxee cookies.sqlite. Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:00:00 PM • OSX: ~/Library/Application If your excitement about being Support/BOXEE/UserData/Profil able to watch Hulu on Boxee es/[username]/browser/cookies.s was dampened by your inability qlite to access mature content, this • L i n u x : simple hack will let you watch ~/.boxee/Userdata/profiles/[usern movies and television shows ame]/browser/cookies.sqlite with a mature rating. • XP: C:\Documents and The issues arises from the way Settings\[username]\Application Hulu manages mature content. L o c a t e y o u r F i r e f o x Data\Boxee\userdata\Profiles\[us When you visit Hulu and attempt c o o k i e s . s q l i t e f i l e ername]\browser\cookies.sqlite to watch a movie or television • OSX: ~/Library/Application • Vista/Windows 7: show that has been flagged as Support/Firefox/Profiles/[userna C:\Users\[username]\appdata\Ro mature you're required to login me]/cookies.sqlite aming\BOXEE\userdata\profiles\ to view it. When you visit Hulu • L i n u x : [username]\browser\cookies.sqlit through Boxee however you're ~/.mozilla/firefox/[username].def e unable to login so the content is ault/cookies.sqlite inaccessible. • X P : C : \ D o c u m e n t s a n d For more information about the Clever users over at the Boxee Settings\[username]\Application hack and to read the discussion forums have figured out a Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[us surrounding it, visit the Boxee workaround. You'll need to steal ername]\cookies.sqlite forum at the link below. If you the cookies database from • V i s t a / W i n d o w s 7 : have your own clever Boxee Firefox and swap it out with the C:\Users\[username]\appdata\Ro hack, let's hear about it in the cookies file in Hulu which will aming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\c comments. HOW TO: Access pull your Hulu login right along ookies. sqlite mature Hulu content on Boxee with it. Here are the directories Beta[via Mashable] you'll need to copy from and Copy this file and paste your paste to: Firefox cookies.sqlite into your
Assistant on Trial for Murder of Real Estate Powerhouse (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 1/25/2010 6:33:22 AM
NEW YORK A personal assistant is going on trial in the bloody killing of her boss, a New York real estate powerhouse
with punk-rock roots. Opening arguments are expected Monday in the Manhattan murder case against Natavia Lowery. Prosecutors say she stole more than $30,000 from Linda Stein and then clubbed her
to death with a piece of exercise equipment to silence her. Lowery denies the charges. Her lawyers say police browbeat her into confessing to the October 2007 killing by questioning her for hours.
The 28-year-old Lowery faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted. Stein co-managed influential punk rockers the Ramones before turning to real estate. Her clients included Madonna, Sting
and other entertainers. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Chrome's New Stable Release Brings Extensions, Bookmark Sync to the Masses [Downloads] By Adam Pash (Lifehacker) Windows: Google just pushed an update to the stable channel of Chrome on Windows, bringing support for extensions and bookmark syncing to everyone who isn't living on the bleeding edge of Chrome. The major features in this release (officially labeled 4.0.249.78—uh, we'll just call it 4.0):
• v8 performance improvements • Skia performance improvements • Full ACID3 pass, due to reenabled remote font support (with added defense against bugs in operating system font libraries) • HTTP byte range support • New security feature: "Strict Transport Security" support • Experimental new antireflected-XSS feature called "XSS Auditor"
• Extensions • Bookmark sync • Enhanced developer tools • HTML5: Notifications, Web Database, Local Storage, WebSockets, Ruby support
They've also pushed out a handful of security fixes, listed on the Chrome Releases blog post. Google's spinning this release as adding "over 1,500 new features" to Chrome by
Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:30:00 AM
Nifty knitting tattoos (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:55:00 AM
Knitting isn’t generally considered alternative or edgy, but that doesn’t stop these nifty knitters from expressing their love of stiching in tattoo form.
A cozy, textured knitted heart. True dedication to craft.
virtue of the number of extensions already available to the Chrome community. This update isn't the final blow to Firefox or anything along those lines, but we can't help but think the folks at Mozilla would be a little worried. Extensions are a large part of what's set Firefox apart from Chrome, while Chrome has often out-paced Firefox in arenas like performance. As Chrome extensions hit the mainstream stable release, we could see a lot By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) of people considering the switch. Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:00:00 AM Chrome 4.0.etc. is a free, stable release for Windows only. The official Firefox 3.6 release Google Chrome[via Google changed where new tabs open from clicked links—to the right Chrome Blog] of the tab they launched from. Liked it better the old way? Here's the quick fix. The Mozilla Links blog points out a few about:config tweaks This yarn-lover even got a six that Firefox 3.6 users might be inch marker tattoo, which likely intrigued in, especially if the new comes in handy when knitting on version handles things a bit the subway. differently than you're used to, Lots more on needlecraft. and you don't want to spend time Permalink| Leave a comment » getting used to the new scheme.
Make New Tabs Open at Far Right in Firefox 3.6 [Firefox 3.6] To set new tab behavior back to its old ways—opening in the right-most slot—enter about:config into your address bar, click that you'll be careful, t h e n e n t e r browser.tabs.insertRelatedAfterC urrent into the search bar. Set that value to "False," and your new tabs will open where they used to. For more Firefox 3.6 tweaks, visit Mozilla Links' post, which details tab preview behaviors in detail. Firefox 3.6 tips and tweak[Mozilla Links]
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DIY Mac-Shelf Stashes Peripherals Behind Your Monitor [DIY] By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)
Will Idealism be Firefox's Downfall?
Submitted at 1/25/2010 1:00:00 PM
If you're focused on getting everything on your work surface tucked out of sight and extra tidy, this DIY shelf can help you stash small peripherals behind your monitor. Dylan Hanback wanted to put the empty space behind his monitor to good use and the sturdy metal stand of his Mac was the perfect place to mount a small shelf for peripherals and cable management. His description of the process:
If bending steel rods and doing your own tapping is a bit outside the scope of your DIY comfort zone you could always pick up a BackPack—a $30 commercial version of the peripheral-shelf concept sans the cable management loom underneath. Have a clever hack of your own By Sarah Perez to share? Let's hear about it in (ReadWriteWeb) the comments. iMac Shelf[via Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:26:59 AM to provide grip and protection. Make] Tapped the ends at 1/4 x 20 fit Last week, YouTube announced with wing nuts for easy they will begin supporting the adjustment, can be adjusted to fit upcoming web standard HTML5 at any point on stand. Added a drawer pull as a cable spool to WILL page 51 the bottom.
5" x 8" x 1/2" oak cut at an angle to match the slant of the iMac stand. Drilled all the way through 1" from edges at 1/4" diameter. 17" x 1/4" steel rod bent into "U" shape with brake line (rubber hose) fit on flat edge
Visualize Dissent: Turkish Users Protest Censorship Using Google Maps By Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb)
like their Chinese counterparts. Prominent websites are banned in Turkey, such as youtube, Submitted at 1/24/2010 10:05:26 PM lasf.fm and google pages mostly Internet users in Turkey have because of political reasons." In found an interesting visualization protest, many of them are to highlight their numbers, virtually lining the streets using a connect with one another, air shared interface, creating what is their grievances and hopefully becoming a fascinating, nonreach their goals using Google violent and hopefully effective Maps and shared documents. visualization. A reader wrote to us tonight Sponsor saying that his fellow citizens The "virtual protest walk," our "Thousands of Turkish users have been "struggling with source said, is being staged to gathered on virtual Taksim cencorship for several years just p r o t e s t w e b c e n s o r s h i p .
Square of Istanbul to protest censorship. When prostestors achieve the target number, they will walk to Ankara, pixel by pixel, to the parliament house." The virtual protest uses Google Docs' "anyone can edit" function. Each protestor is able to edit the document and put her- or himself on the map. Our source tells us that since the map can be edited by anyone, "it also becomes a social game, with people moving and editing others' position." See the protest in action here.
Users around the world are invited to join in and express their support for Turkish web users and their disapproval of Internet censorship. The goal for the number of protesters is apparently 1 billion; we certainly hope that this goal can be reached and that - more importantly - this seemingly simple stunt will send a strong message to governments that restrict their citizens' web access. Discuss
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which allows videos to be viewed without an Adobe Flash plugin. Those who wanted to play around with the new HTML5-enabled website were directed to a separate experimental site called TestTube. However, noted the YouTube blog post, only Chrome, Safari, and IE users could give the new site a try. Firefox was notably absent from the list. Sponsor Firefox's development is directed by the Mozilla Foundation, an organization whose belief in open standards guides their choices about what formats they'll support on the web. The problem with the new YouTube site is that it uses a video format called H.264, a patented codec that's not royaltyfree. To support a fee-based software like this goes against Mozilla's core beliefs. But if they choose not to support it, then further down the road, they may soon find themselves losing market share to those that do. Pay to Play: H.264 and its $5 Million per Year Fee According to Mozilla's vice
president of engineering, Mike Shaver, this issue is more than a simple choice about picking the right technology for the job. It's about principles. Supporting the H.264 video codec means paying licensing fees to an organization called MPEG-LA, a group that charges $5,000,000 annually for the codec's use. But it's not the cost to their organization that Mozilla is worried about - it's the cost to the developers, distributors, and anyone who wants to create video content on the web. "If H.264 becomes an accepted part of the standardized web, those fees are a barrier to entry for developers of new browsers," Shaver writes on his blog. "I want to make sure that there are no toll-booth barriers to entry for someone building a whole new browser, or bringing a browser to a whole new device or OS, or making and using tools for creating standard web content." In other words, the decision to support or not support the codec isn't just about technology, it's about where the web is going and what it should be. And in Mozilla's eyes, that means free,
open, and available to anyone. But Will End Users Care? Unfortunately, Mozilla's idealism won't mean much to the end user who may soon discover that YouTube videos don't work in their preferred browser. And once they learn that switching browsers solves the problem, the years they spent loyal to Firefox will be forgotten in the need to have functional video. Interestingly enough, one of the browsers where the H.264 encoded videos will work is Google Chrome, the up-andcoming browser that's also the basis for Google's new webbased operating system, Google Chrome OS, due out later this year. The new browser is already nearing a 5% market share as of December (according to Net Applications) - a notable chunk given Chrome's lack of support for Mac and Linux-based machines until only last month. Ironically, it's Google, typically fellow supporters of an open web, that is pushing the H.264 format's adoption. Their choice to move forward with this codec on YouTube, a Google-owned property, has a major impact on
the web as a whole. There's Still Hope But even though it looks as if Google's choice is pushing the web towards this pricey format, Christopher Blizzard, Mozilla's Open Source Evangelist, reveals there's still hope. According to an article in The Guardian, Blizzard says that there's a chance that H.264 will not be Google's final choice in the matter. There's good reason to believe that Google is purchasing On2, a technology whose capabilities exceed that of H.264, he says. If that occurs, Google will likely license it royalty-free. Whether or not Google does so remains to be seen, of course, but we hope that Google will remember their motto, "don't be evil" when the time comes. Until then, Mozilla stands alone at a crossroads, sticking by their principles, supporting the open web...even if that choice one day leads to their downfall. Discuss
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Amber Alert Issued for Girl Whose Mother Was Found Dead (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 1/25/2010 4:41:13 AM
GERONIMO, Okla. An Amber alert has been issued for a missing 8-year-old girl whose mother was found dead inside an Oklahoma home. The Comanche County Sheriff's Office is searching for 8-year-old Aja Jotson. She is believed to be with a man wanted for questioning in her mother's death. Authorities say 47-year-old Lester Hobbs is driving a 1992 Toyota Paseo with Oklahoma license plates. Hobbs is not the girl's father. The body of Aja's mother was found by deputies about 9 p.m. last night. Her name and cause of death weren't immediately released. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Paraguay's Cabanas shot in head (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:45:17 AM
Paraguayan international footballer Salvador Cabanas has been shot in the head in a bar in
Mexico City. Cabanas, 29, who plays for the Mexican club America, is said to be in a critical condition in a local hospital. Mexican officials said two suspects had been arrested but
the motive for the attack was unclear. Cabanas was expected to play for Paraguay at this year's World Cup in South Africa. He was also linked to English Premier League side Sunderland.
His international team-mate PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Paulo da Silva already plays for Term Extraction. Sunderland, who are managed by Steve Bruce. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
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Security Flaw found in Twitter's Flash Widget By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:31:32 AM
A recently discovered security flaw in Twitter's Flash-based website widget may have allowed attackers access to the login credentials of any Twitter user. According to Mike Bailey, an analyst at Foreground Security, the problem involves a known vulnerability in Adobe's Flash programming language, the language used to code the Twitter widget. In response, Twitter has disabled the widget in question while they research the issue further. Sponsor Oddly enough, the vulnerability in question was initially discovered back in 2006, but many website operators have yet to address it says Bailey, according to a Reuters UK news story about the potential Twitter security hole. After analyzing Twitter's website, Bailey says the site may have been open to attack from hackers attempting to exploit this particular security hole for over a year. But the researcher doesn't blame Adobe for the issue - the company informed programmers
aren't stored," he said. This is by no means the first security issue for the microblogging startup. The company has seen everything from DNS hijacking to the theft of corporate documents and even fell victim to a distributed denialof-service attack which affected other social media properties on the web including LiveJournal and Facebook. Twitter users how to address the vulnerability have also had their accounts years ago. Instead, this problem hacked and have had to deal with has to do with the "how the the constant threat of internet d e v e l o p e r s a t T w i t t e r , o r malware posted to the site via whoever did this, built the Flash shortened links. If anything, a applications," Bailey told a news story about yet another reporter at InternetNews.com. Twitter security threat almost According to a post on the seems like a non-event these Twitter Status blog, the company days, given how many issues the has exercised "an abundance of company has faced over the few caution" in disabling access to short years they've been in the widget as they have not yet operation. But considering heard about any accounts being current Twitter's status as a piece affected by the reported o f o u r m o d e r n - d a y ' s vulnerability. However, says communication infrastructure, Bailey, there's no way of know if it's unnerving to hear about any users were ever impacted by issues such as these...especially the issue and, if so, how many. considering how this one in "That is one of the big scary particular should have been things; if they are being attacked, addressed from the get-go. there is almost no way to find Discuss out short of a very close examination of the server logs or client logs, which generally
Where Do We Find the Time? Social Networking Use Up 82% By Mike Melanson (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:35:00 AM
Whether we're tweeting the minutiae of our daily lives from our cell phones, checking out the latest band pages on Myspace, chatting with friends on Facebook, looking up old high school buddies on Classmates or networking with colleagues on LinkedIn, we're spending more and more time on social networking sites than ever before. Leading the pack, of course, are the usual suspects Facebook and Twitter. As a matter of fact, according to Nielsen, we're spending 82% more time on social networking sites than we did just a year earlier. Sponsor Up from just over three hours a day in 2008, we now spend, on average, about five and a half hours a month on social networking sites, with Facebook taking the lead by far in this category. The numbers include statistics from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Brazil, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain and
Italy, and show the United States to be well in the lead, with over 140 million unique visitors in December 2009. If the numbers are right and each unique visitor is really a different person, than nearly half of the U.S. population visited a social networking site last month. Australia, on the other hand, leads the pack, with its users staying on social networking sites for just under seven hours. One fact remains the same, as we've seen in study after study Facebook is the clear leader in the social networking arena. While, despite other numbers showing Twitter's overall slowdown in traffic, it remains the fastest growing site in terms of unique visitors, according to Nielsen. Discuss
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Stable Version of Chrome Gets Extensions and Bookmark Sync By Frederic Lardinois (ReadWriteWeb)
use extensions on the Mac, you will have to switch to the developer preview channel. For Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:35:10 AM Linux users, extensions are Google just released a new already enabled in the beta stable version of Chrome for channel. Windows PCs that includes two Bookmark Sync of the most frequently requested Starting today, the stable version features: extensions and of Chrome will also feature bookmark sync. This change Google's bookmark sync. We won't affect those users who are reported that Google was already using these features planning this feature last August t h r o u g h C h r o m e ' s b e t a o r include an extension that checks and the first version to support developer preview channel. your GMail for new messages, bookmark syncing was released Windows users who are using an extension that allows users to in early November. Right now, the stable version of Chrome, open certain sites in an Internet this feature only supports the however, will finally be able to Explorer window inside Chrome, syncing of bookmarks, but as our u s e e x t e n s i o n s a n d s y n c as well as various ad blockers. own Sarah Perez pointed out last bookmarks between multiple Google also just updated its own year, the infrastructure is flexible Google Voice extension for enough to also allow Google to machines. Chrome. Sponsor sync other data (passwords, E x t e n s i o n s f o r ( A l m o s t ) Here at ReadWriteWeb, some of favorite sites on the New Tab our personal favorites include page or your browser history) in Everybody Google first made extensions for Type-ahead find and the Google real time. Chrome available in a developer Similar Pages extension. With Weave, Mozilla is working release in December. Since then, For now, the only stable version on a similar project. For the time developers have created over o f C h r o m e t h a t s u p p o r t s being, however, this is just an 1,500 extensions for Chrome. bookmarks and extensions is the extension and not a core feature Some of the most popular Windows version. If you want to of Firefox. Discuss
(Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:36:53 AM
16:35 GMT. A calmer mood prevailed in markets on Monday as the slew of concerns that precipitated Wall Street’s threeday 5 per cent stumble appeared
What's On Tonight: Heroes, Good Eats, Castle, Damages, Tracey Ullman By Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:07:00 PM
• At 8, ABC has a new, twohour episode of The Bachelor, followed by a new Castle. • NBC has a new Chuck at 8, then new episodes of Heroes and The Jay Leno Show. • FOX has new episodes of House and 24. • The CW has a new One Tree Hill at 8, followed by a new Life Unexpected. • PBS has a new Antiques Roadshow at 8, then a new American Experience. • ABC Family has a new Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8, followed by a new Make It or Break It and the premiere of Greek. • Nickelodeon has a new Glenn Martin, DDS at 8. • There's a new Good Eats on Food Network at 9. • Also at 9: ESPN2 has more coverage of The Australian Open. t o d i s s i p a t e , p r o m p t i n g a s e n i o r m a r k e t a n a l y s t a t • At 9, USA has a new Monday tentative return to riskier assets. I n t e r a c t i v e B r o k e r s . Night RAW. “A fresh look at the world of Five Filters featured article: • TLC has a new Cake Boss at 9. finance after a weekend of Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: • At 10, FX has the season reflection has apparently inspired PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, premiere of Damages. investors to cast off much of the Term Extraction. • Showtime has the season bearishness that left Wall Street in tatters at the close of last week,” said Andrew Wilkinson,
Calm returns to markets after US sell-off
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premiere of Secret Diary of a Call Girl at 10, then the season premiere of Tracey Ullman's State of the Union. • TNT has a new Men of a Certain Age at 10. • Food Network has a new Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives at 10. • Travel Channel has a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10. Check your local TV listings for more. After the jump, the late night talk shows. Continue reading What's On Tonight: Heroes, Good Eats, Castle, Damages, Tracey Ullman Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments
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7 for 7: A Front-Mounted Web Cam By Patrick Hunt (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 1/24/2010 7:35:31 PM
This is the fifth in a series of 7 posts in the 7 days prior to Apple’s January 27 media event in which I explore various possibilities for an Apple Tablet and other potential announcements. Three years ago, my wife and I bought an iMac for her parents. They live over 10 hours away by car, and we wanted them to see more of our daughter as she grew up than they could in person. The iMac proved to be the perfect solution, with its built-in webcam and the included easy-to -use iChat software for video conferencing. Weekly “I chats” with Lolo and Lola (her grandparents are Filipino) have become the norm in our household. Of course, built-in webcams have been features on iMacs and Mac laptops for several years now and have likely been among several key reasons that Mac marketshare has risen steadily over the same period. As speculation about the second -generation iPhone reached a fever pitch, many hoped or predicted that it would include a front-facing camera in addition to the one on the back, allowing video conferencing from a mobile device. Not only did the iPhone 3G not have such a feature, neither did its successor, the iPhone 3GS. It did, however,
feature a video camera. With iPhone apps from Ustream and Qik, its now possible to stream live video from your iPhone to the web. But because the camera is on the back, you have to turn the phone around to shoot video of yourself. Getting yourself in frame would be a challenge, and the apps don’t allow two-way video anyway. If Apple sticks to its short history for iPhone introductions, we’ll welcome the newest in June or July of this year. Many people will likely once again hope for or predict a front-facing camera and mobile videoconferencing. But the Apple event on the 27th and the tablet everyone is expecting is in my mind a better opportunity and more likely scenario for Apple to reinvent video chatting via a touch-based, portable device. iChat on the iSlate? There are several factors that influence decisions over which features make it into shipping products. Cost, of course, can be a major determinant, but so are impact on sales, the tradeoffs of including it, and the relative value of the feature for its users, among others. A rear-facing camera is a rather obvious but essential feature of the iPhone. Phones have been able to take pictures and videos for years; without a camera, the iPhone wouldn’t be nearly as useful or successful. The iPhone is already an expensive device, and adding a second, front-facing camera
may add too much cost. A second camera might also mean undesirable tradeoffs: if you position it near the earpiece, what happens to the proximity sensor, and can you fit it in the existing form factor anyway? A dual-lens camera that faces both directions may fit, but would likely increase cost and might decrease reliability. But a frontfacing camera has several things going for it, including creating differentiation in the marketplace and enabling a really cool feature likely to stimulate sales. The iSlate, iPad, Canvas, or whatever the Apple tablet is to be called, may have answers for all of the issues that likely prevent a front-facing camera in the iPhone. The device will almost certainly cost more than the iPhone to produce, driven
primarily by a larger screen and form factor. Higher costs could provide ample margin even when including a second camera. There probably won’t be an earpiece, which also eliminates the need for a proximity sensor, at least in this location, so there is room for the front-facing camera even if the tablet is essentially a large iPhone in terms of hardware design. Imagine simply replacing the earpiece with the camera and mics atop a MacBook display, and voi la, instant video conferencing. It’s quite possible, however, that a front-facing camera on a tablet computer from Apple won’t actually add to its cost. If you really think about it, the rearfacing camera may not even be necessary. How easy would it be
to hold what is expected to be a roughly 10 widescreen iPhone and still touch the display or home button to snap a photo? Could you hold it steady? Because if not, all your pictures will be blurry. Plus, if the primary purpose of the tablet’s design is as a digital media device for the home, your likely to have your iPhones or digital cameras handy for taking pictures. A single camera above the display doesn’t add cost or design complexity if the rearfacing camera is eliminated. A touch-based iChat experience has tremendous potential value. In our household, video conferencing via our MacBooks is far from an ideal experience. We don’t have dedicated office space and have struggled to find a good location in our house. Our 3-year old has a tendency to play with the keyboard and trackpad. And on occasion, we have carried the laptop around the house to show off new artwork or furniture, or to follow our daughter while she gives her grandparents a tour of the house. Intuitively, all of these issues might be addressed by a tablet with iChat. We could more comfortably be anywhere in the house while chatting, there wouldn’t be any keys to entice young fingers in a full-screen chat, and it might be easier to become a roving reporter with a FOR page 58
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Apple to Time Capsule Customers: All Your Files Are Belong to Us By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)
phone asked me for the TC’s serial number. A moment later he confirmed Apple was aware Submitted at 1/25/2010 6:58:26 AM of “a fault” with that model and Back In October ‘09 I wrote an offered to replace it for free. So article about a disturbing failure- far so good. rate in Apple’s Time Capsules The process was explained to that was starting to gain some m e ; I w o u l d r e c e i v e t h e attention in the press. An replacement TC in a few days, apparent design flaw in the whereupon I had to return the device was causing some units to dead TC to Apple. Immediately die after about 12-18 months in alarm bells rang in my brain. operation. Reports on the Apple “But what about my stuff?” I discussion forum at that time asked. There was a year’s worth suggested the same flaw also of data stuck on that thing. a f f e c t e d A p p l e ’ s A i r p o r t Finances, contacts, personal and Extreme, a device that shares an shared calendars, photographs, almost identical form factor. email… I didn’t relish the I n w h a t w o u l d p r o v e thought of sending all of that disastrously precognitive, I data to someone I didn’t know. wrote: Not even if it was an Apple Imagine, then, the pain when a technician. well-used Time Capsule croaks, “Don’t worry, we will wipe the taking up to 18 months’ worth of drive thoroughly for you,” incremental backups with it. I offered the support guy, “It’s don’t mind admitting that the safe with us.” thought of it strikes fear into my No it isn’t, I worried. “Can’t I heart. I use two Time Capsules just remove the drive and wipe every hour of every day. the data? I’ll put it back if I can’t help thinking that I don’t necessary, only, I’m concerned own two Time Capsules; I own about–” two ticking Time bombs. “No. You must not open the unit. Fast forward to early last week If you do, you will void the when my Mac Pro’s 1TB Time warranty.” Capsule breathed its last and died “It’s already out of warranty,” I a sudden — if not entirely replied as politely as possible, unexpected — death. not wanting to sound like a jerk. I called Apple Support and the “You’re replacing it because of a guy on the other end of the design flaw, right?”
affected units, even if they’re out of warranty and not covered by AppleCare. Yet I can’t help feel that there’s more they could have done; starting with permitting me to take responsibility for my own data, rather than threatening me with a hefty charge to my credit card if I did so. Apple normally pays close The Apple Support guy S o , e i t h e r w a y , I g e t a attention to the little details other wouldn’t budge. “If you open the replacement Time Capsule… but companies miss, but here it feels case we will charge you the full I have to surrender my personal like they failed to appreciate the price of a new Time Capsule.” data to Apple. Trust single biggest issue – the proper The bottom line; Apple forbade Apple sells a Time Capsule as handling of customer’s valuable me from retrieving my data from part of a complete backup personal data. If they had paid their Time Capsule. Doing so solution. Time Machine + Time closer, more careful attention to w o u l d s o m e h o w m a k e m e Capsule = Backup. Right? The that detail, I might not feel so responsible for its death, even Time Capsule website even indignant today… and I might though they admitted the product proclaims, “…you never have to still be recommending the Time was already faulty. w o r r y a b o u t l o s i n g y o u r Capsule to my friends. As it Now, I understand Apple important files.” I guess the stands, the Time Machine + wanting to retrieve faulty gear s m a l l p r i n t n e e d s t o a d d Time Capsule solution is great for study. Doing so helps them “…except when you’re handing when it works. But if it breaks, improve their products. But this all your data to us.” customers may have to face zero i s n ’ t a b r o k e n m o u s e o r Apple's bold promise on their backup functionality and a keyboard. This is a device that Time Capsule website worrying lack of perspective stores a lot of valuable personal What’s more, in the days it took from Apple when it comes to information. In this instance, for the replacement to arrive, I allowing them to take steps to shouldn’t Apple exercise a had no satisfactory backup secure their personal data. higher degree of flexibility and solution. Of course, it’s not Am I overreacting? Should I sensitivity to customers? Apple’s responsibility to ensure I simply trust Apple with all my I know what you’re thinking; always have a complete and personal files, no questions maybe they’d wipe it right before reliable backup strategy in place, asked? Leave a comment below my eyes at the Apple Store? So I but it sure felt like Apple had let to tell me I’m a shameless drama asked. He replied, “No. They’ll me down. (Yes, now I’m just queen and how, like you, I give you a replacement but they ranting.) should be using an offsite RAID will send the faulty device back Thankfully, Apple is doing the array if I’m serious about to us for wiping.” right thing by replacing (most) backup.
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Rumor Has It: AT&T Losing iPhone Exclusivity this Wednesday By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)
mobile operator striving to remain relevant in a crowded and hugely competitive market. Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:10:31 AM While Apple may be looking According to a report over the forward to ending the exclusivity weekend on HotHardware.com, deal, I don’t think the same is A p p l e m a y h a v e m o r e t o true of AT&T. They have announce at its special event this attracted and retained millions of Wednesday than its mythical new subscribers with the iPhone tablet. since its launch in 2007. The We have been led to believe by press hasn’t been kind to it, and an inside source that AT&T will even its own CEO has criticized lose their iPhone exclusivity on i t s b a n d w i d t h - c h o m p i n g the same day, though it’s not yet customers, but I’m sure AT&T clear what other carrier (or d o e s n ’ t r e g r e t o n e s i n g l e carriers) will be stepping in to lucrative day of that almost-three also carry the phone. -year partnership. Brand Loyalty It doesn’t come as any great Incidentally, this is pretty much surprise to hear about the end of win-win for Apple, who — I am AT&T’s exclusive partnership sure — will see tremendous sales with Apple, but I will be on other networks despite the surprised if El Jobso deliberately relative age of the iPhone. For announces it during his keynote. instance, here in the UK, O2 After all, if he did announce it, at enjoyed high iPhone sales what may become the most- t h r o u g h o u t i t s e x c l u s i v e watched-and-reported-on partnership period. keynote in Apple’s history, the But as soon as O2’s exclusive predictable whoops of delight partnership with Apple ended, from the attendees will be hugely Orange reported record-breaking embarrassing for AT&T. Will opening day iPhone sales. And Jobs be so insensitive? more recently, a third major AppleInsider says AT&T’s carrier, Vodafone, also started contract with Apple expires in selling the iPhone and reported June this year. Certainly, AT&T even higher opening day sales. has recently been shoring-up its If this demonstrates anything, it offering of smartphones to is that significant numbers of include Android-based handsets, customers remain loyal to their but that’s hardly unusual for a cellular networks, choosing to
are not so ready to switch. Apparently brand loyalty extends to products and services beyond Apple. Who’d have thunk it? A Harsh Light AppleInsider suggests this brand loyalty probably had something to do with the relative sales success of iPhone alternatives such as Motorola’s Droid, which served as a “second best” choice for carrier-loyal customers who wanted an iPhone but weren’t prepared to leave their existing network operator. …an announcement this week “ m a k e d o ” w i t h w h a t e v e r might effectively preclude a handsets are available to them, large group of consumers from all the while quietly coveting the upgrading to phones they might wares of competing operators. otherwise be interested in Personally, I have no such because they know the iPhone loyalty. Most of the operators will be hitting the relatively here in the UK offer pretty much stable Verizon network in just a the same awful services at pretty few months. much the same inflated prices, Verizon’s network may be with only minor differences in “relatively stable” right now, but tariffs. The biggest differences wasn’t AT&T’s considered lie, as always, in the range of stable before the arrival of the iPhone in 2007? I don’t know, of handsets they have to offer. When I bought my iPhone back course, but — wasn’t AT&T in 2007 I just happened to always a bit rubbish? Didn’t it already be an O2 customer, but I take the arrival of the iPhone to readily admit, had I been with shine a harsh light on its patchy another carrier, I would have service? m a d e t h e m o v e w i t h o u t Or was it the arrival of the hesitation. I’m surprised, then, to i P h o n e t h a t c a u s e d t h e learn that an awful lot of people d e g r a d a t i o n i n s e r v i c e ? HotHardware’s Shawn Oliver
thinks it was the latter. The iPhone itself doesn’t really handle the switch from 3G to EDGE very well, so calls that are in-progress tend to fail… It seems that AT&T is tired of taking the heat for this, and at this point, they may be smart to just let another carrier take some of those customers who are most inclined to complain. Did he just imply iPhone customers are a bunch of moaning minnies? So who’s right? Will the inevitable opening-up of the iPhone to other carriers in the U.S. destroy Android sales? Will Americans enjoy the iPhone price wars that (sadly) never happened over here? Or will everyone be too busy cooing over the Tablet to even care? Or — worse — what’s the chance that Apple will have an AT&T-related announcement this Wednesday, but rather than confirming the end of the exclusivity deal, could Jobs announce a new, extended exclusivity partnership that includes the iPhone and the Tablet? What fresh horrors could such a partnership bring? Related GigaOM Pro Research: Why Apple Should Choose Sprint Before Verizon Wireless
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Decline of the Desktop Mac By Charles Jade (TheAppleBlog)
Apple event imminent. The invitations were privately sent out from far above the local Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:00:15 AM Apple Store, and thus could not Strolling the mall with my wife, even be officially acknowledged I was looking for an excuse to below. That might explain from visit the Apple Store, but instead whence the store layout came. I found a reason: the Luckily, Apple must still disappearing desktop. divulge at least some information “Where have all the desktops to the public, like Macs sold. gone?” I asked her pointedly. Over the last decade laptop sales She looked inside the glass front have been waxing, desktops not and pointed. “They’re right quite waning. While it is true there.” desktop sales have seen some “Well, yeah, but why are there so growth since the nadir in 2004, few? I need to investigate.” desktops have yet to match the S h e s i g h e d . “ D o n ’ t b u y sales record set in 2000. While anything.” that’s not exactly the end of the “Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied. world, looking at models in “This is work. Anyway, no one percentage terms of Macs sold in the know buys anything right d o e s s e e m a l i t t l e m o r e before an Apple event.” apocalypsish. Well, not usually. Those trend lines are no friend Inside, a quick count of Macs of the Mac desktop. For 2009, tallied just thirteen desktops, ten seven out of ten Macs sold were iMacs, two Mac minis, and a laptops, and in 2010 that ratio single Mac Pro. That contrasted will likely rise to three out of with 36 Mac laptops. four. While this may explain the If that disparity surprises, it single table of iMacs in the back shouldn’t. A look at a few other of my local Apple Store, the numbers tells the tale of the question now becomes: is the respective rise and fall of Mac Mac desktop doomed? laptops and desktops, and maybe Steve Jobs once described what it means to you. Apple’s business model as an I asked a nice person in a uncomfortable piece of furniture, brightly-colored shirt about the a three-legged stool. What he dearth of desktops, but he didn’t was getting at is where the know anything, not even that money comes from: Macs, iPods there was a brightly-colored and the iTunes Store, and the
compares favorably with laptops at $9.47 billion in sales on 7.2 million units, around $1315 per laptop. There is no chance Apple is going to take that kind of money off the desktop anytime soon, but an increasingly portable world will continue to have consequences for desktop users. I was there at Macworld Expo 2005 when the Mac mini was introduced, and five years later it looks pretty much the same, even the new server model sans optical drive. From the outside, the Mac Pro of 2010 looks a lot iPhone. like the PowerMac G5 of 2003, This is Apple’s business model even though one could arguably without the awkward furniture create a lighter, more portable metaphor. Looking forward into mid-tower case with Intel inside. 2010, the iPhone is surging, Not going to happen. pulling along the iTunes Store, While internal changes are the iPod flattening out, and Macs required, external redesign of are holding their own, or rather Apple’s desktops would require laptops are. In 2010, the desktop R&D better spent on, say, a Mac will likely account for just a tablet. To that end, only Apple’s tenth of Apple’s net sales. flagship desktop, the iMac, has However, it’s important to seen, and will likely see, further remember Apple is a company refinement. From polycarbonate that makes things, four major to aluminum and glass, to maybe hardware product types, maybe a dock/slot for a tablet, the iMac five soon, but four now. has effectively become the In 2009, desktop Macs, which desktop Mac. include the Xserve, Mac Pro, If you are the Panera Bread iMac, and Mac mini had net iMac Man, you probably won’t sales of $4.3 billion on 3.18 notice, but for the rest of us million units. That works out to desktop Mac users the future will about $1,350 per desktop, and pretty much look like the past.
The Apple Tablet Restructures the New York Times [Internal Memos] By Ryan Tate (Gawker) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:38:59 PM
The New York Times Company is launching new "Reader Applications" division, according to an internal memo. This is probably the first corporate re-organization motivated by an external product that doesn't officially exist. The new business-side group will oversee products for non-Apple devices like the Kindle, Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble Nook. In fact, the word "Apple" appears nowhere in today's memo from Times Company president Scott Heekin-Canedy. But the timing of the announcement just days before Apple is expected to unveil its own tablet device is not lost on company insiders. We're guessing newsroom staff will be watching Apple's tablet event as obsessively as any Apple fanboys later this week, if only to get details on the "continued growth in this new and important segment of" Times business.
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Saving Your Life: There’s an App for That
FOR continued from page 54
slate-style form factor as opposed to the clamshell design of laptops. By Darrell Etherington off the wound with his belt to Still, a host of issues arise, so (TheAppleBlog) slow the bleeding. For his head iChat on the iSlate is not a slam injury, the app told him not to dunk. For example, one would Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:00:12 AM fall asleep in case of concussion, naturally expect the tablet to Let’s face it, most iPhone apps so he set his iPhone’s alarm to display apps and content in both probably won’t even get used go off every 20 minutes. Of landscape and portrait mode. more than once or twice, and course, the iPhone’s battery Where do you put the camera so even then, you won’t be using wasn’t up to the challenge of that if you rotate the tablet, your them for anything particularly being almost perpetually in use hand doesn’t cover it up? If you important. But one app came in for 60 hours, but Woolley says put it top center of the long edge very handy for one very lucky then when he did have to turn it and choose to use it in portrait iPhone owner. The phone and off to conserve what little battery mode, you can only hold it on the app belonged to an aid t e c h n i q u e s a n d p r a c t i c e s , remained, his body was used to one side. In this case, will it worker trapped after the tragic provides emergency numbers, the cycle and wouldn’t drift off support both left and rightJanuary 12 earthquake in Haiti. stores medical info such as blood to sleep for longer than a few handed users, allowing the short edge to be both up or down? The Max Woolley, a father working type, insurance providers and minutes at a time. in the area with a humanitarian e m e r g e n c y c o n t a c t s , a n d The app is a $3.99 purchase, but content on the iPhone display aid group prior to the disaster, instructs users on what to do in Woolley clearly thinks the doesn’t currently rotate 360 was buried under rubble for various emergency situations. money was well spent. There are degrees; the contents rotate for a b o u t 6 0 h o u r s a f t e r t h e Techniques are demonstrated other, free first aid applications the top and both sides, but not earthquake struck. During the using a combination of text a v a i l a b l e , b u t i t w a s t h e the bottom. Additionally, would quake, Woolley received fairly instructions and videos of the American Heart Association Apple open the feature’s APIs to serious injuries to both his head procedures being done correctly. connection that gave Woolley third-party developers so that and his leg. Luckily, he also had Probably a better bet than the confidence to follow the services like Skype can also an app that dealt specifically depending on that vaguely- advice contained within to the work on the device, or will they with how to treat and respond to remembered first aid course you letter. According to CNN, he pull a “Google Voice” and such injuries. said his phone “was like a high- disallow these programs? What took five months ago. The app was Pocket First Aid & Woolley used the app to look up tech version of a Swiss Army We’ll Actually See CPR, created by the American the correct method of treating his knife that enabled me to treat my I do think the Apple tablet will Heart Association in tandem wounds. He learned to bandage own injuries, track time, stay include a front-facing webcam with Jive Media. It allows users his leg with his shirt and then tie- awake and stay alive.” to browse a variety of first aid
and touch-based iChat software for a variety of reasons. I think that while Apple will primarily position the tablet as a digital media device, it will also position it as a new home appliance. iChat will fit perfectly in this paradigm. I think it has a certain wow factor that is well within Apple’s grasp; they’ve already implemented the solution in myriad devices, but it will seem like a brand new experience on the tablet with a new touch interface. The camera will indeed be top center when it is held in landscape mode, just imagine a MacBook Air with the display ripped off. The software will still not rotate 360 degrees, because despite a minimalist hardware design, the iPhone and soon-to-be-announced tablet benefit from having a top and a bottom. It will be possible to easily hold and balance the tablet with one hand just below and on the same side as the camera, when necessary.
15 reasons a business' security gets compromised (Holy Kaw!)
easy to prevent it. Here are the fifteen major reasons a businesses’ security gets put in Today, a company’s security jeopardy. can easily be compromised. But, • Out of date software (and the good news is that it’s equally refusal to upgrade to newer Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:14:57 AM
software)
• Poor to non-existent spam filtering • Users opening unsafe email attachments • Employees taking company data home
(Via ITSecurity.com) More on network security. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment »
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David Tennant is not on NBC By Brad Trechak (TV Squad) Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:31:00 AM
It is with a heavy heart that I must report that NBC has passed on the pilot Rex Is Not Your Lawyer starring David Tennant. Technically they haven't cancelled. The show has simply been put "on hold". Doctor Who was once put on hiatus too and that lasted 16 or so years (except for some charity specials and a television movie), so Rex is in good company. Rex was originally going to fill one of the 10 P.M. slots vacated by Jay Leno. It had a strong supporting cast with Jerry O'Connell, Jane Curtin and Jeffrey Tambor. It sounded like a winner, so naturally NBC didn't want it. Still, this isn't the only bad decision NBC has made recently and it probably won't be the last. This is especially heartbreaking news as people (like myself) will not have the opportunity to
introduce David Tennant to their friends that aren't Doctor Who fans. The show might be picked up for the fall, so don't give up hope yet. Feel free to post vitriolic tirades against NBC in the comments. Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Celebrities, Cancellations, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments
Review: Big Love Strange Bedfellows By Danny Gallagher (TV Squad)
and the directions that it points him in, but also in his undying devotion to his family, the Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:01:00 AM influences of his business and (S04E03)"Dear Heavenly Father, even his politics. I tested your calling and now But to be honest, dumb isn't far you're testing me, but if this is off. In fact, it doesn't go far what your plan is for me, you've enough. The whole Henrickson got to help me out." - Bill clan is dumber than a pile of Last week, The Onion's AV unpolished doorknobs in a sack Club did a supportive review of marked "hammers." the episode but a scathing review Continue reading Review: Big of the characters. In fact, the Love - Strange Bedfellows reviewer flat out called Bill Filed under: Other Drama Henrickson "dumb." Shows, Episode Reviews, It sounds like a gross Reality-Free simplification of a very complex Permalink| Email this| | man. After all, here's a guy who C o m m e n t s is not only guided by his faith
Random yumminess: Lady Gaga cookies (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:47:00 AM
C-c-c-cookie face, c-c-c-cookie face. Lady Gaga’s infectious tunes are totally addictive as is the latest sugar-laden Gagarelated creation. No, nope an Laffy Taffy version of Gaga’s infamous Kermit coat. A "Poker Face" fan with a whole lot of icing and time created Lady Gaga cookies modeled after the eccentric singer’s most famous get-ups. Bizarrely delicious! Practice your baking skills. Permalink| Leave a comment »
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TCU, Boise State drive non-BCS record cash haul of $24 million By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)
Five keys to saving Better Off Ted By Allison Waldman (TV Squad) Submitted at 1/25/2010 1:03:00 PM
A couple of weeks ago, Kona wrote about the campaign to convince ABC to save Better Off Ted. Despite these grassroots efforts, the rating for Ted continue to be dismal and ABC probably has "cancel Better Off Ted" on the corporate to-do list. That's a shame, because the more I watch of Better Off Ted, the better I think it is. Smart, funny, observant and surreal, Ted is an office comedy that makes deserves to survive. If
more people gave it a shot, I think it would be a success. Maybe not a monster hit, but there aren't many of those in the sitcom field right now. Emmy winner 30 Rock is anything but a ratings hit. Continue reading Five keys to saving Better Off Ted Filed under: Programming, OpEd, The Office, Celebrities, Pickups and Renewals, 30 Rock, Ratings, Judges, TV Squad Lists, Emmys, Reality-Free, Modern Family Permalink| Email this| | Comments
BCS executive director Bill Hancock told the AP the new numbers show the distribution is Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:40:02 AM "fair and appropriate." WASHINGTON -- The five Boise State finished 2009 with a non-Bowl Championship Series 14-0 record after toppling TCU conferences will receive a record in the Fiesta Bowl. $24 million from this year's BCS Boise State, ranked sixth in the bowl games, augmented by the BCS standings to finish the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl matchup of season, beat No. 4 TCU 17-10 TCU and Boise State. after the Horned Frogs had BCS figures obtained by The dispatched the Broncos last Associated Press on Monday season in the San Diego County show the bulk of that money will Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. go to TCU's Mountain West TCU, then ranked 11th in the Conference, $9.8 million, and BCS, prevailed 17-16 in the Boise State's Western Athletic 2008 Poinsettia to edge the thenConference, $7.8 million, as non No. 9 Broncos. -BCS leagues sent two teams Under the BCS system, the six into the premier bowls for the BCS conferences get automatic first time. bids to participate in top-tier The other three non-BCS bowl games while the other five conferences will divide the don't. remainder. BCS executive director Bill “ Hancock told the AP the new It's an opportunity for us to numbers show the distribution is r e m i n d p e o p l e t h a t e v e r y "fair and appropriate." conference had a chance to earn "It's an opportunity for us to automatic qualification.�-- BCS r e m i n d p e o p l e t h a t e v e r y executive director Bill Hancock conference had a chance to earn The figures still lag behind the automatic qualification, and will six BCS conferences. The Big again, based on the current T e n a n d S o u t h e a s t e r n evaluation," he said. Hancock conferences received $22.2 said that the BCS has helped all million each, with $17.7 million 11 conferences get more access, going to each of the other four revenue and opportunity to play BCS conferences. in the postseason. The previous Critics in Congress who have record for non-BCS conferences taken aim at the BCS have cited was $19.3 million, set last year, what they consider an unfair he said. distribution of BCS revenue. Still, the figures aren't likely to
win over critics in Congress. Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, has cited the revenue discrepancy as a reason for his legislation that would ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it results from a playoff. The bill passed a subcommittee last month but faces an uphill battle in Congress. In the Senate, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch has called on President Barack Obama to ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the BCS violated antitrust laws, arguing that the millions of dollars at stake justify oversight by the federal government. Craig Thompson, commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, last year called the money distribution system "grossly inequitable." Neither Barton, Hatch nor Thompson immediately returned messages from the AP seeking comment on the BCS numbers. 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.
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Ryan Reynolds Is Buried Alive and Natalie Portman Dates a Little Kid: News from Sundance [Roundup] By Richard Lawson (Gawker) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:29:21 PM
There's this little indie film festival going on out West right now called Sundancer...? Is it Sundancer? Well, whatever it is, they're showing a lot of movies and thus there's lots of movie news. So let's do a roundup! The biggest movie to screen so far is John Wells' The Company Men, a Boston-set drama (with comedy!) about rich business guys like Ben Affleck and Chris Cooper who suddenly find themselves out of a job. Yes it's a recessiony dramedy in the vein of Up in the Air, but those who've seen it so far seem to think it's a superior film. Owen Gleiberman writes in a rave review for Entertainment Weekly: The Company Men does have its soft, homiletic side. Bobby, with the mortgage payment due, goes to work as a carpenter for his honest-prole brother-in-law, played by Kevin Costner with gruff, gone-to-seed nobility. We're a little too aware that Bobby is opening his eyes to What Really Matters In Life. Yet for most of this superbly observed movie, Wells isn't just crafting glorifed TV-episode lessons. He's a real storyteller, and The Company Men, I have no trouble saying after just two days at Sundance, is destined to
be one of the talked-about highlights of the festival. S.T. Van Airsdale, former Defamer and current Movieliner, says: Thematics aside, The Company Men rolls on the strength of Wells getting out of the way of good actors doing good-toexcellent work with a solid script. It frays at the end with that rush of catharsis and selfimportance, but if anything, credit Wells with the optimism that too many filmmakers - hell, too many Americans - overlook in our nation's unfolding economic drama. If work must be life, then better that we should accept our duty to take charge of it as opposed to quivering below our desks or recoiling from the families who make most of who
we are in the first place. The Company Men makes no excuses, and neither, it says, should we. Heed its warning. So, yes! We will see that when it comes out. But what of The Runaways, that glumly-cast (Kristen "Bella" Stewart, Dakota "Elle" Fanning) biopic about the Ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb and the LA punk scene? Well, the trades haven't reviewed it (yet?), but we can consult Gleiberman again who, while praising Kristen Stewart's moody performance (ugh), doesn't think the film is anything to write home about (unless it's your job, and it is his): ...The Runaways is just a watchable, rather so-so rock biopic, with the thinly imagined characters and desultory, one-
audacious feminine sexual power? OK! Sounds like a renter (if that) to us. We generally find biopics (especially ones about music) supremely boring, but at least the other ones don't have the Stewart/Fanning one-two punch of affected Serious Girl acting. We're curious about Michael Shannon as their crazed band manager, though. Two big sales so far have been Buried and Machete, picked up by Lionsgate and Fox respectively. Buried is about Ryan Reynolds being, uh, buried in a coffin in Iraq by ransomthing-after-another episodic seeking terrorists. He's equipped slackness of a TV movie. ... The with a lighter and a cellphone to Runaways were really just little try and bargain his way out. girls who fed themselves into a S o u n d s c l a u s t r o p h o b i c ! giant, buzz-saw machine of A p p a r e n t l y a b i g s n a k e image and marketing, all ruled sometimes comes into the coffin, over, of course, by Fowley, the which is creepy. Lionsgate gonzo manager-producer from bought the film for"slightly less hell. So they're really passive than $4 million", hoping it will vessels in their own story. But become the next Paranormal The Runaways turns them Activity— intense, gimmicky, passive in a different way: easily profitable. They're made so likable and Machete is, of course, based on innocent and quaintly brash that a fake trailer directed by Robert they don't fully have egos, erotic Rodriguez that played in the or otherwise. Stewart, in black m i d d l e o f t h e G r i n d h o u s e eyeliner, nails Jett's sinewy movies. It stars Rodriguez attitude, but Joan's sexual regular Danny Trejo as a bigproclivities are treated in a fucking-knife-toting Mexican out teasing, music-video way. I for vengeance against a crooked mean, why be so coy in a movie p o l i t i c i a n . H o p e f u l l y f o r that's supposed to be a rowdy RYAN page 62 celebration of a new kind of
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Oprah Guru Breaks His Silence about Sweat Lodge Death in the Worst Way Possible [Defenses] By Brian Moylan (Gawker) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:20:06 PM
Oprah-approved self-help guru James Arthur Ray granted the first interview since three people died in October in his sweat lodge of horrors. If he wants people to think he's innocent, this is exactly the kind of interview he didn't want. Ray talks to New York magazine's Michael Joseph Gross about the claims that he was negligent when three people died and a dozen fell ill following an intense sweat lodge ritual in Sedona, Arizona, that was supposed to turn them into "spiritual warriors" but instead turned them into a bunch of nasty, vomiting messes. He sticks very closely to his script, avoids giving substantive answers, repeatedly refers to some shady sounding " White Paper," and is told several times by his lawyer not to answer certain questions. This isn't what you hear from an innocent man who is trying to appear contrite, this is a Q&A from someone who is desperately trying to avoid prosecution. So, what was the line that his defense and PR team dreamed up to try to make him look like a
nice, sweet innocent spiritual guide instead of the Dreaded Suana Killer? "The important issue for me is to find the answers to why it occurred and to really bring some closure to this terrible accident," he says and repeats in several different iterations throughout the interview. As to allegations that he said it was a " good day to die," he says
that the death was figurative, and not literal, which means that his statement is the textbook definition of irony. Alanis Morisette take note. What about all that vomit, vomit everywhere? Here is his response when asked if he told participants that puking was good for them: I may have mentioned that I had been told by many shamans that
the body purges and there's only certain ways that it can purge. Obviously, you know the bodily functions, so there's only certain ways that things exit the body. That sounds like he told them that vomiting was totally alright. Granted the only thing I know about Vision Quests is that Madonna appeared in the movie in the '80s, but a collective cookie toss during this ritual might be a clue that something was amiss. The freakiest thing about the whole interview though is Ray's so-called " White Paper," the document he and his legal team dreamed up in case he is charged with negligent homicide or any other charges related to the death. First of all the name is creepily transparent (White=innocent, Paper=official) and it says it seeks to "set the record straight" about what happened, but with all it's talk of "samurai games" and "warriors," it makes the whole thing sound like Dianetics on a peyote trip. If this is what Ray's defense is going to look like in court, he better pray to hell he's not charged or the next sweating he's going to be doing is as a butch dude named Curley's cell mate.
US eyes bond issues to offload bank assets (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 1/24/2010 3:15:19 PM
The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is working on plans to package billions of dollars of assets from failed banks into securities, a move that will help restart the still dysfunctional markets for mortgage-backed bonds. If the FDIC goes through with the bond issues it would mark a milestone in government efforts to rid the banking system of troubled assets. The FDIC has more than $36bn in assets on its books from failed institutions seized during the financial crisis. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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everyone's sake it will be less of a disappointment than Grindhouse. There's no figure out on what Fox paid for it, but there was something of a bidding war (Paramount and Lionsgate were also interested), so it's probably not a tiny amount. What else! Movieline loved a "nuanced, nasty little Australian crime import" called Animal Kingdom. RYAN page 63
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RYAN continued from page 62
Phillip Seymour Hoffman's movie directing debut, Jack Goes Boating, sounds like an interesting little tale. Small and intimate, and with a great cast — theater stalwarts John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimiiiiii!) reprise the roles they originated in JGB off-Broadway (with Hoffman, at his theater company, LAByrinth). Plus, Amy Ryan! The Joseph Gordon-Levitt/ Natalie Portman/Rainn Wilson/Piper Laurie weirdo drama Hesher sounds like it contains yet another overlymeasured performance from Levitt, who we still think is very talented (and as cute as a peach cobble), but is beginning to grate on our nerves a bit for some reason. There's just too much... idiosyncrasy or something. (That
jittery, too-eager-actorboy stint on SNL did not help matters.) Finally, Josh Radnor, the spectacularly annoying star of the spectacularly annoying How I Met Your Mother, has written and directed an indie feature that sounds like it should have come out in 1998 called happythankyoumoreplease(all one lowercase word!). Variety succinctly trashes: Like a sitcom, but without the burning narrative urgency, "Happythankyoumoreplease" is the epitome of "indie," and not in a good way. A multi-character dramedy about delicate, gifted young urbanites, capable of sparkling repartee but unable to go on a date without assuming a figurative fetal position, the pic gives new meaning to self-
indulgence and self-infatuation, all to the lonesome-train-whistleevoking songs of a sensitive but never less-than-ironic alternative singer-songwriter. Oohhh we can just picture it! Though it was apparently wellreceived by the theater audience, we are preemptively irritated. So that's what's big news right now. We'll check back in a couple days to see what's changed, what's been bought, and what's going to be the next Little Miss Sunshine. (Hint: Nothing will be the next Little Miss Sunshine, ever again.)
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MediaDailyNews: MediaCom To Carry Wedding Central Net (MediaPost | Media News)
Wedding Central is also currently available on Cablevision's iO digital tier. The Wedding Central, a TV wedding network's current programming n e t w o r k , h a s r e a c h e d a line-up features series such as distribution deal with Mediacom "Rich Bride, Poor Bride," Communications to join the "Single in the City," and the hit M S O ' s c h a n n e l l i n e - u p series "Bridezillas." b e g i n n i n g n e x t m o n t h . Five Filters featured article: Mediacom services more than Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: 1.3 million subscribers in 22 PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, states throughout the U.S. Term Extraction. Wedding Central will be offered on the MSO's digital basic tier. Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:09:50 AM
Saints' Inspiring Turnaround Built From Ground Up By Thomas George (FanHouse Main)
the smallest men on the field. It required New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to keep Submitted at 1/24/2010 6:30:00 PM his eyes open, his heart hopeful, Filed under: Saints, Vikings, his trust true. NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl, NFL See, Porter, a second-year Analysis NEW ORLEANS -- player, missed four games this Here is the 4-1-1 on the Saints season due to a knee injury. reaching the 305 (the way NFL Sometimes when you get back, players describe this year's Super you are never all the way back. Bowl city, Miami, by its area But Porter epitomizes the Saints' code): it took a 9-1-1 cardiac- "Who Dat" mentality. He is his ball skills, quickness, calm in inducing interception by one of respected by his teammates for tense situations and playmaking
artistry. The Saints never needed him or those traits more than Sunday night. The game was tied 28-28 and the Vikings were driving for a game-winning field goal. There were 19 seconds left when Porter crept in front of receiver Sidney Rice, picked off a Brett Favre pass and returned it 26 yards. The play began on the New Orleans 38. The Vikings were certain they were inching closer
toward a game-winning field goal. Porter's pick pushed the game into overtime where the Saints would win it with a field goal of their own, a 31-28 victory in the NFC championship game before the most fans (71,276) to ever watch a Saints game in the Superdome. A victory that pushes the Saints into Super Bowl XLIV.
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NFC Championship Diary: Saints 31, Vikings 28, OT (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 1/24/2010 3:04:00 PM
Getty Images Jabari Greer and Scott Fujita of the New Orleans Saints scramble for a loose ball against Minnesota quarterback Brett Farve during the Saints’ NFC Championship victory. The Journal provides minute-byminute analysis of todays NFC Championship Game as the New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome. Guest blogger Steve Kornacki offers commentary on the game and the Fox telecast. 6:05 pm | Pregame | by Steve Kornacki Between them, the Saints and Vikings went a combined 1-5 in the final three weeks of the regular season, the kind of sluggish finishes that are supposed to portend early playoff flameouts. Instead, they both turned in dominating performances in last weekendâs divisional round. After tonight, one of them will be heading to the Super Bowl. Go figure. Mainly because theyâll enjoy the home-dome advantage, New Orleans is favored by 3 ½ points. But a deafening home crowd can only insulate you so much, something Minnesota fans know all about: 11 years ago, nearly to the day, their 15-1 Vikings suffered a shocking NFC title game loss in the Metrodome to the Atlanta Falcons. Of course, the Vikingsâ upset
hopes rest heavily on Brett Favre, who hasnât played in a Super Bowl since 1998 (when Drew Brees was a freshman at Purdue). Almost no one thought No. 4 would put up the stats he has this year (33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions), but the divisive and self-destructive Favre who ruined the Jets 2008 season seemed to return in the final weeks of the regular season. To the surprise of many, he returned to midseason form against the Cowboys last week, but Viking fans are surely apprehensive: Which Favre will show up tonight? Brees, meanwhile, is getting his second crack at an NFC title. Three years ago, he led the upstart Saints into Soldier Field, where they were dismantled, 39-
14. Brees actually wasnât bad in the game (27-for-49 for 354 yards and two touchdowns), but he did get off to a sluggish start and threw one costly pick. If nothing else, he should find the atmosphere tonight just a little more friendly. 6:45 pm | Pregame | by Steve Kornacki Instead of tuning in at 6:40 to find a football game, I am greeted by the sight and sounds of Kris Allen. And once again, I am reminded that published kickoff times are not meant to be read literally. 6:47 pm | Pregame | by Steve Kornacki Instead of tuning in at 6:40 to find a football game, I am greeted by the sight and sounds of Kris Allen. And
once again, I am reminded that published kickoff times are not meant to be read literally. 6:47 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Steve Kornacki And we're off. The Vikings will start from their own 20 after a touchback on the opening kickoff. Here comes Brett... 6:48 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Steve Kornacki With an 11-yard hook-up with Jimmy Kleinsasser on second down, Favre quiets the Superdome crowd -- for about four seconds. 6:50 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Steve Kornacki Surprisingly, the Vikings are coming out firing. Five plays so far, and five passes -- four of them completions. All short plays. Saints now facing 2nd and
1 just across midfield. 6:53 pm | First quarter, 7-0 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Touchdown! After taking it just inside the 20 on his first carry of the day, Adrian Peterson gets the ball again and takes it to the end zone for a 19-yard score. XP is good. What a quick and efficient drive! 7-0 Vikings with 9:35 left in the quarter. 6:54 pm | 1st quarter, 7-0 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Before you get too excited, Viking fans (and bettors), just remember: Arizona was looking pretty good too after its first possession last week. 7:01 pm | First quarter, 7-0 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Drew Brees and the Saints come NFC page 65
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out throwing at their own 24. Four plays and four passes. After missing Marques Colston near midfield on his second pass, Brees finds him a few plays later. The Vikings are known for their pass rush, but so far they're not getting to Brees. 7:04 pm | First quarter, 7-7 | by Steve Kornacki Touchdown Saints! Brees to Pierre Thomas on a short screen pass, but the speedy back -aided by a missed tackle by Benny Sapp -- sprints all the way to the end zone. XP is good and it's 7-7. Already. Is it too early to call this a shootout? 7:07 pm | First quarter, 7-7 | by Steve Kornacki Percy Harvin takes it out to the 27 on the kick return for the Vikings. Here comes the NFL's most irritating innovation: the post-kickoff commercial break. 7:10 pm | First quarter, 7-7 | by Steve Kornacki Joe Buck notes that Favre is 171 in his last 18 games in domes. That's impressive, sure. But how many of those 18 were at Ford Field? 7:13 pm | First quarter, 7-7 | by Steve Kornacki Favre's 3rd and 5 pass sails incomplete, but a holding call gives the Saints a first down anyway, out near their own 37. Then Bernard Berrian -who caught the decisive touchdown for the Bears when they beat the Saints in the 2007 NFC title game -- takes a short pass and dances his way across
midfield. 7:16 pm | First quarter, 7-7 | by Steve Kornacki Major theme so far: Brett Favre is taking a beating. On 3rd and 7 he finds Percy Harvin near the Saints 10 for a first down, but he gets drilled for the fifth time today. 7:16 pm | First quarter, 7-7 | by Steve Kornacki Combined age of the last two quarterbacks the Saints have faced: 78. 7:18 pm | First quarter, 14-7 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Touchdown! Again! Favre to Sidney Rice from 5 yards out. XP is good. 14-7 Vikings with 2:11 left in the quarter. 7:24 pm | First quarter, 14-7 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Saints get it at their own 27, lose a yard on first down, then gain zero on a ridiculous reverse. Brees comes up just short on 3rd and 11. Looks like we'll actually have a punt. (I wonder if there was a proposition bet in Vegas about there not being any punts in this game.) Thomas Morstead boots it down to the Viking 15. 7:25 pm | Second quarter, 14-7 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Since that last Minnesota touchdown, the crowd has seemed very subdued. This game really couldn't have started better for Minnesota. But let's see if Favre's body crumbles apart. 7:27 pm | Second quarter, 14-7 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Also, that was the end of the
first quarter. Vikings are going into the wind now. 7:29 pm | Second quarter, 14-7 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki A more conservative approach by Minnesota this time around. Two handoffs net only a few yards and Favre, under pressure, has to throw it away on third down. A three-and-out. Brees gets it back at his owns 35 with 13:21 to go in the half. 7:33 pm | Second quarter, 14-7 Vikings | by Steve Kornacki Big 3rd and 10 completion for Brees, who hits Reggie Bush underneath for 28 yards. Saints now at the Viking 36. 7:37 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki New Orleans is really finding a rhythm here, mixing passes and runs nicely. A Pierre Thomas run makes it first and goal, and on the next play Brees hits Devery Henderson in the corner of the endzone. Touchdown! XP is -- as is the case 99 percent of the time -- good. 14-14 now, with 10:30 left in the half. After two punts, the shootout is back on. 7:38 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki On their first two possessions, the Vikings leaned heavily on Favre, but they went to their running game on their last possession -- and got nothing for it. Let's see if No. 4 starts running around again when they get the ball back. 7:41 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki
Minnesota starts at its own 20. Crowd gets excited. Favre calls timeout. Crowd quiets down. More commercials! 7:44 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki That's more like it, Minnesota. Three plays, three passes. Three completions. Vikings now across their own 40. 7:48 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki Big 3rd and 4 near midfield for the Vikings. Favre misses Berrian. New Orleans will get it at its own 18 off the punt, just over six minutes left in the half. Opportunity here for the Saints to use up most of the clock and put a long scoring drive together -- then get the ball first to start the second half. 7:54 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki So much for that. Even with a helpful penalty against the Vikings, Lynell Hamilton can't get a yard on 3rd and 1. A threeand-out for the Saints. Now Minnesota has a chance to grab the lead before halftime. They get it at their own 25. 7:56 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki We seem to be entering the "defensive struggle" phase of this game. For the third straight possession, we have a punt. Bet Chris Kluwe didn't think he'd be getting this many opportunities today. 3:42 to go in the half. Saints are at their own 33. 8:00 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki
Another three-and-out! On third and short, Brees pitches it to Bush, but he's stopped short. But wait ... it's not a three-and-out. They're going for it on fourth and 1! But wait ... they're just trying to draw the Vikings off. Of course. Why would you possibly risk giving up that kind of field position this early in the game? Here comes the punt ... unless it's a fake! 8:02 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki Didn't take long to get those Colts AFC championship merchandise ads on the air. Where will all of the pre-printed Jets championship gear go? 8:05 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki Jonathan Casillas is flagged for a late hit on the punt. Saints don't like it, but it's the right call. Still, Minnesota is doing nothing on offense. Two plays for one yard bring up a 3rd and 9. The story of the second quarter has been defense. 8:06 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki ...Well, until now. Favre hits Berrian at the Viking 46 on third down. Move the chains. 1:40 to go. 8:10 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki Favre has Berrian on third and 9 but throws too high. Kluwe's kick ... uh oh!! Bush muffs the kick. It's loose. Minnesota has it! First and goal for the Vikings at NFC page 68
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AFC Championship Diary: Colts 30, Jets 17 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 1/24/2010 11:00:27 AM
Getty Images The Colts’ Pierre Garcon catches a third-quarter touchdown pass. The Journal provides minute-byminute analysis of the Indianapolis Colts’ 30-17 victory over the New York Jets in today’s AFC Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Journal staffer Peter Sanders offers commentary on the Colts’ win that gets them their first Super Bowl berth since 2007 and the CBS telecast. 2:08 pm | Pregame | by Peter Sanders So here we are. The New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts facing off for the right to play in Miami on Feb. 7. The Colts arrived at the AFC championship game on the back of the methodically predictable -- and NFL MVP -- quarterback Peyton Manning, the face and the arm of a franchise that went 14-2 during the regular season. The Jets arrived on the ferocious wind that is the hyperbole of rookie head coach Rex Ryan and the solid latter-season performance of rookie QB Mark Sanchez. Ryan has been hyping the Jets all year and Sanchez seems to have finally bought into it; he wore a black âWonderboyâ T-shirt on Friday - in reference to the novel-turned -movie âThe Natural.â Conventional wisdom says that the Jets will have to shut down
Manning on the pass. Theyâve got the NFLâs best cornerback in Darrelle Revis, who will likely be tasked with covering Colts receiver Reggie Wayne like super glue. On offense, the Jets will look to rookie back Shonn Greene to deliver another nasty performance on the ground. And they need to hope that Sanchez doesnât wilt under the pressure and start throwing picks and pouts. For the Colts, itâs all about Peyton. As for the weather, theyâre calling for a chance of rain and thunderstorms with a temperature of 47 degrees. Random fact: Â The rules say that the Colts decide 90 minutes before kickoff whether or not the retractable roof at Lucas Oil
Stadium will be open for the start of the game. If they decide to close it, rules say it canât be opened again. Letâs get down to business: Can Peyton deliver Indy another Super Bowl berth or will Sanchez and all 350 pounds of Rex Ryan squeak by to earn their stripes and a ticket to South Florida? 3:00 pm | Pregame | by Peter Sanders They released a seemingly trained bald eagle inside Lucas Oil Stadium during the national anthem. If nothing else, I'd like a trained bald eagle, please. 3:07 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Colts find a "little seam" on the kickoff return and Peyton starts it off at his own 30-yard line.
First play is a pass and Reggie Wayne catches it for a quick first down on a gain of 13. 3:10 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Uh-oh....the Jets defense that is the best in the NFL wakes up and blitzes the daylights out of Manning. Dropping him hard on third down. And the Jets get the ball after a fair catch on the punt by Jerricho Cotchery. 3:13 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Now we see what Sanchez can do in the Jets' first series...first rookie trying to get his team to the Super Bowl. Thomas Jones gets three yards on the first carry. And the Colts decided to keep the roof closed on the stadium, so weather won't be a factor.
3:15 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders And Sanchez almost just had the same fate as Manning...he almost got stripped but lofted a sweet pass to Cotchery, who brought it down just inbounds. After the first down, Shonn Greene got his first carry and almost got a first down out of the gate. 3:18 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Quick shot from Sanchez to veteran Braylon Edwards, who zipped to a first down and almost had a clear route to the end zone. Jets are, so far, firing on all cylinders. 3:19 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders To stop the Jets, the Colts are AFC page 67
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gonna have to keep this kind of pressure on behind the line of scrimmage. First they stopped Greene and then they swarmed Sanchez and the receivers on two quick-screen downs. Jay Feely comes in and hooks a 44-yard field goal attempt with less than seven minutes left in the quarter. 3:24 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders So the Colts take over at their own 34. And Manning is sacked for the second time in a row. David Harris almost got a hand on Manning before he dove for the ground. A loss of seven. Joseph Addai gets a little room and with about five minutes to play in the first quarter, Manning's going to try to get something going. 3:25 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Four and out for the Colts and Cotchery takes it from the 12 to the 25. Sanchez takes over and it's shaping up to be battle of the bearded QB versus the cleanshaven. Oh, and the defense seems to matter, too. 3:26 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Commercials: First one I laughed at was the trailer for the Bruce Willis/Tracy Morgan buddy cop movie "Cop Out." In related news, the Grammys apparently still happen every year. And they're apparently televised. 3:29 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders The Colts stop Thomas Jones on
the ground and it'll be three and out for the Jets. Nice punt and the Jets touch the ball at the 11yard line...3:30 left in the quarter. 3:34 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Donald Brown gets a good carry straight up the middle and he's brought down near the Colts' 30. Joseph Addai is apparently being taken to the Colts' locker room for some sort of examination. Now Pierre Garcon gets 27 yards on a reception and bull-in-thechina-shop run afterwards. Colts finally get into Jets' territory as CBS goes to commercial while Jets cornerback Donald Strickland is attended to by trainers on the field. 3:36 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Pierre Garcon, in the news for the past week or so because of his ties to Haiti, pulls in a sweet over-the-shoulder catch at the 10 -yard line. Manning goes to work on first and goal with a minute left in the first quarter. Timeout called by the Jets as they try to stop the Colts from getting the first score. 3:38 pm | First quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders Super Bowl organizers must be running out of old LP's in their offices. The Who are playing the halftime show. The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Sex Pistols are otherwise engaged on Feb. 7. 3:41 pm | End of first quarter, 00 | by Peter Sanders
Third and goal for the Colts as Peyton overthrows Reggie Wayne, who was being stalked by Revis. False-start on the Colts as they back them up five yards. Garcon can't get anything going and there's a flag on third down. Field-goal unit comes alive but the Colts can't get the kick off before time expires in the first quarter. 3:44 pm | Second quarter, 0-0 | by Peter Sanders I'm not really a Pepsi fan. Even if it's "made with real sugar" and is in the retro-cans. But I do dig those throwback commercials and the jingle. The monster.com ad would be better if the little gnomes didn't creep me out so bad with their dental hygiene. 3:45 pm | Second quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Peter Sanders Stover's 25-yard field-goal try is good to start the second quarter and this game is booooooring. But I'll stick it out. 3-0 Colts four seconds into the second quarter. 3:47 pm | Second quarter, 7-3 Jets | by Peter Sanders Jets take the touchback and will start at their own 20 yard line. See? I say I'm bored and Sanchez delivers. Fakes the handoff to Greene and Sanchez lands one in Braylon Edwards' hands and then he torches the Colts' secondary for an 80-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. 7-3 Jets with 14:45 to go in the first half. 3:51 pm | Second quarter, 7-3 Jets | by Peter Sanders Donald Simpson doesn't have
any juice to get past the 20 or so on the kickoff return. Manning's back in to see if he can match Sanchez's aerial attack in the last drive. Sanchez's pump-fake is being analyzed by the broadcast team. Also, Pete Carroll and his new staff in Seattle are looking in their cellphones for Sanchez's number. "Hey Mark, Uncle Pete here. Remember me from USC? When I told you what a fool you were for leaving the Trojans early? Yeah, I don't remember that either. Ever heard of a Seattle Seahawk?" 3:54 pm | Second quarter, 7-3 Jets | by Peter Sanders Sounds like Addai's shoulder injury won't keep him out of the game. Rookie Austin Collie drops the first-down pass. On third-and-five, Donald Brown doesn't get the distance. But the Jets counted wrong and put 12 guys on the field...Remember, boys, the 12th man is the "fans." Peyton gets a gimme first down. 3:55 pm | Second quarter, 7-3 Jets | by Peter Sanders Reggie Wayne gets away from Revis and gets some extra yardage after the reception. 25yard gain with 12:55 left in the half. Addai is back in and gets a nine-yard gain. 3:57 pm | Second quarter, 7-3 Jets | by Peter Sanders Addai is a horse. Three plays and three runs with a sore shoulder. We'll probably find out after the game that his shoulder fell out of his socket or
something. But he soldiers on. On second and two, Manning can't connect with Wayne. There's no flag, despite Wayne's pleas. 3:59 pm | Second quarter, 7-3 Jets | by Peter Sanders Austin Collie catches one and almost gets to the big blue end zone. First and goal from the five. 10 minutes left in the half. 4:02 pm | Second quarter, 7-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Garcon can't hold on to the bullet from Peyton. Dwight Lowery was also riding his back, which made things tough. Next play, Collie catches the ball and does the NFL stretch trying to cross the plane of the goal line. No dice. Manning can't pull off the QB sneak. Quick shot of Rex Ryan on the sideline. Don't think he hit the salad bar at the hotel pregame. Another FG effort -- this time from 19 yards by Stover -- is good and the Colts trail the Jets 7 -6 with 8:44 left in the half. 4:03 pm | Second quarter, 7-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Someone over at Nabisco spent a lot of $$$ on the Manning brothers and The Donald for that Oreo commercial. They're still delicious and unhealthy. You don't need The Donald and the Mannings to tell me that. 4:05 pm | Second quarter, 7-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Shonn Greene takes the first carry and puts his helmet down. AFC page 69
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the 10. Plenty of time. 8:10 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki I wondered where the preprinted Jets AFC championship merchandise would go, and a reader replies that it's going to Haiti. Good decision. 8:12 pm | Second quarter, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki The Saints giveth, and the Saints taketh away. On 2nd and goal, Peterson botches the handoff from Favre, the ball comes loose, and the Saints come away with it. Bullet dodged. 44 seconds left in the half and the clock is ticking. Saints seem content to take the tie -- and the ball coming out. 8:16 pm | Halftime, 14-14 | by Steve Kornacki And that's it for the half. A 1414 tie. All things considered, the Vikings should be pleased. They've held Brees in check and, at least for the first part of the half, moved the ball efficiently. And their defense tightened in the second quarter. A tie game in this atmosphere is nothing to sniff at it. But ... it could have been so much better for Minnesota. They had a first and goal at the Saints 10 with more than a minute left in the half. But they came away with nothing. And now they have to kick off to start the second half. In other words,Ă‚ the Saints are probably in a very good mood right now -- even though it was a frustrating half for them. 8:29 pm | Third quarter, 14-14 |
by Steve Kornacki And we're back. And what a start for the Saints! Courtney Roby takes the kickoff from near the goal-line all the way to the Vikings 37. Then Brees hits David "Not the Wendy's Guy" Thomas near the 20 on first down. 8:32 pm | Third quarter, 21-14 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Touchdown! Pierre Thomas takes it in from the 10, stretching out near the goal-line and nudging the nose of the ball into the end zone. Saints have their first lead of the game, 21-14, with 12:56 left in the third. 8:32 pm | Third quarter, 21-14 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Fumbling it away on 2nd and goal near the end of the first half may haunt Minnesota... 8:34 pm | Third quarter, 21-14 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Apparently the Thomas run should not have been a touchdown. Fox's replay shows the ball is short of the plane when his knee hit the ground. 8:35 pm | Third quarter, 21-14 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Vikings start at the 20. Favre hits Rice for 13 yards and a first down. 8:38 pm | Third quarter, 21-14 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Big completion to Visanthe Shiancoe gives the Vikings a first down at the Saints 40. And then...FUMBLE! Peterson coughs it up again. There's a scramble. Vikings somehow come up with it after the Saints'
Scott Shanle almost grabbed it. That could have been devastating. As it is, it's now 2nd and 20. 8:39 pm | Third quarter, 21-14 Saints | by Steve Kornacki ....which means nothing to a man like Favre, who hits Shiancoe for 21 yards on the very next play. Vikings now at the 30. 8:42 pm | Third quarter, 21-14 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Welcome to the Visanthe Shiancoe show. There's his third 20+ yard catch of the drive, this one on 3rd and 1. It sets the Vikings up at the 2. You know where the ball is going on the next play. Can he hold on to it? 8:42 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki He can and he does. Touchdown for Peterson. XP is good. 21-21 with 7:35 left in the quarter. Minnesota gets the answer it badly needed. 8:46 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Fox shows George H.W. Bush in Tom Benson's box. Two weeks ago, George W. Bush was in Jerry Jones' suite for the Cowboys win over the Eagles. Will the luck of the Bushes endure? 8:48 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Some stats from my editor Adam help put Peterson's two fumbles today (one lost, one recovered) in perspective: In the regular season, he had seven fumbles (six lost), and in 2008, he had nine for the year (and
four lost). 8:49 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki The Saint stampede at the start of the quarter has dissipated. A three-and-out here will give the ball back to the Vikings, who take over at their own 10off the punt. Long field. But a chance to re-take the lead. 8:54 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Are you serious?! Peterson loses it AGAIN! But the Vikings come up with again. Peterson recovers his own fumble. 8:56 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Favre comes under pressure and throws incomplete on 3rd and 5, but he's saved when Anthony Hargrove is flagged for a late hit. Buck and Troy Aikman disagree about whether the call was legit. Either way, a huge break for the Vikings, who are now near midfield. 8:57 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki As Aikman noted ahead of time, Steve Hutchinson was on the sidelines when Hargrove was flagged. 8:59 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki And there it is: the costly Favre interception. You can't blame him entirely. This time Jonathan Vilma is the lucky recipient. You can't entirely blame No. 4. He's been under intense pressure all day, especially on that play. (He had to be helped off the field after.) But the Saints have it
now. Let's see how badly Favre is shaken up. 9:01 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Favre's lower left leg is being looked at on the sidelines. Are we going to see Tarvaris Jackson? 9:03 pm | Third quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Favre's left ankle was taped up. On Fox, Chris Myers says Favre told the coaches he's going back in. And he's about to get a chance to do just that, after a three-and-out for New Orleans at the end of the third quarter. 9:04 pm | Fourth quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki The hobbled Favre (probably) will come out to start the fourth quarter in a tie game. Not a bad way to wrap up the weekend... 9:07 pm | Fourth quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Favre is back. He doesn't look like he'll be moving around much. Hand-off to Harvin on first down. He almost coughs it up at the end. 9:08 pm | Fourth quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Yikes! Harvin gets it on second down too -- and he's stripped. The ball bounces all the way inside the Viking 10, recovered by the very large Remi Ayodele. Saints come up with it. First down. Five fumbles so far for the Vikings. Why can't they hold the ball?! 9:09 pm | Fourth quarter, 21-21 | NFC page 70
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Which cause the laws of physics to step in and stop him in his tracks. Tony Dungy up in the luxury box. Looks like he's the actual coach here. Conspiracy? Greene on the move again. First down at the Colts' 40. 4:08 pm | Second quarter, 7-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders I think they call that the Wildcat or something. I call that nasty. Brad Smith steps in for Sanchez. Fakes a whole bunch of things and then Brad Smith sends a long bomb to Cotchery for a 45yard gain to the Colts' 12. Doesn't get the touchdown but sets the Jets up nicely for another score. Peyton on the sideline grumbling and mumbling. 4:10 pm | Second quarter, 7-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Sanchez gets chased back to nearly the 30 and gets one off before he gets tackled. Threw it out of bounds but still took a nasty lickin' from linebacker Philip Wheeler. Timeout Jets. 4:16 pm | Second quarter, 14-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders CBS guys just said that Ryan looked like he was going to "seize up" when he ran down the sidelines to call that timeout and the other said he "just set a personal best in the 40." Sanchez connects with Dustin Keller and then gets hammered again. Good throw. Solid catch -a 9-yard touchdown. Extra point is good and it's 14-6 Jets with just under five minutes to go in the half.
4:17 pm | Second quarter, 14-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Addai picks up nearly 10 yards on Colts' first series since the touchdown. Manning wants to get something going before the end of the half. They pick up the first down by inches. 4:18 pm | Second quarter, 14-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders This might just turn into a rout. Addai gets plowed by Calvin Pace and the Jets recover the fumble. Late flag thrown after the Jets' first down. Fake flag thrown. No foul. Sanchez will try to get more points on the board before the half. 3:24 left. 4:22 pm | Second quarter, 14-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Trying to get closer to that big, bright yellow U. Feely is going try a 40-plus yard field goal. 4:24 pm | Second quarter, 17-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Feely breaks the Kaeding curse. Hits it through the uprights from 48 yards out. Jets are up 17-6 with 2:16 left in the half. Just noticed Rex Ryan is wearing a sweater vest. Colts need a pep talk in the locker room. Maybe they can show a loop of all the commercials starring Peyton. 4:25 pm | Second quarter, 17-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders Two-minute warning and Collie picks up a nice first down as Peyton tries to get on the board one more time before the half. Even under the helmet, he looks grumpy. 4:27 pm | Second quarter, 17-6 Jets | by Peter Sanders
Can't figure out exactly why, but the Michael Phelps Subway ads really bug me. Maybe it's because if you're swimming through all that asphalt and concrete your bare skin would be totally thrashed. His looks fine. 4:32 pm | Second quarter, 17-13 Jets | by Peter Sanders Austin Collie wears my favorite number and he caught a big-time 46-yard catch from Manning to get to the Jets' 16, two plays after the Colts started over at the Jets 20. On the next play, Collie comes up big one more time. Touchdown Colts as Manning sends a high shot to Collie in the back of the end zone. 17-13 Jets with 1:12 left in the half. Sanchez will get another shot before the break. 4:33 pm | Second quarter, 17-13 Jets | by Peter Sanders Colts did 80 yards in 58 seconds. About a yard and a half a second. Give or take. Austin Collie is a rookie, but he's 25. Came out of BYU and did a Mormon church mission. He also hit the gym a few times. Dude's big. 4:34 pm | Halftime, 17-13 Jets | by Peter Sanders Jets can't get anything going on their final series in the first half. Now it's up to Peyton to lead his team back and up to Sanchez not to fold in the second half. Jets lead 17-13 at halftime. 4:50 pm | Third quarter, 17-13 Jets | by Peter Sanders
Second half starts with a 31yard runback by the Jets. Phil Simms and Jim Nantz look pale. Sanchez is one half away from the first Super Bowl appearance by a rookie QB. Peyton Manning is one half away from doing what everyone expects him to do. Steve Tasker doesn't look as pale. Evidence of spray tan or winter in Florida. 4:55 pm | Third quarter, 17-13 Jets | by Peter Sanders Sanchez is moving the ball down the field. Cotchery makes another solid inbounds catch and moves the Jets to the Colts' 37-yard line. He's got time on another play-action but couldn't find anyone open. Third and seven for the Jets on their first drive of the second half. Sanchez throws it away. And Feely comes in for his longest try of the day, a 52-yarder... 4:55 pm | Third quarter, 17-13 Jets | by Peter Sanders He again hooks it wiiiiiiiiiiiide right. Colts get the ball back at their own 42 yard line with a little more than 12 minutes left in the third quarter. 4:59 pm | Third quarter, 17-13 Jets | by Peter Sanders Now Shonn Greene is headed for the locker room, limping slightly. Potentially bad news for the Jets. Replays of Greene's first two plays show some arm or rib injury. Typically, that doesn't cause a limp. But if you can't breathe because your ribs hurt, that could do it. On third and three, Peyton
connects again with Austin Collie and gets another Colts first down. 10:25 left in the quarter. 5:04 pm | Third quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Garcon is back in the mix. Manning threads a bullet to Pierre even with Calvin Pace on top of things. First down at the Jets 28 for the Colts. Overthrows Collie on the next play. Those commercials during halftime must have done the trick inside the Colts' locker room. And here comes vintage Manning. Garcon catches an 11yard toss for first and goal. And to wrap things up Garcon grabs one in the corner of the end zone for a 4-yard score.....the XP makes it 20-17 Colts with eight minutes left in the third quarter. 5:05 pm | Third quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders NOW, things are getting interesting. Rex Ryan just looked like he's got a bit of acid reflux going on and Peyton is dialed in. MVP stuff. Also, on the Southwest Airlines baggage commercial. I would gladly pay $25 per bag if that would get them to stop airing the painful "luggage rap" on national television. 5:11 pm | Third quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Shonn Greene getting X-rays but Steve Tasker gives us no useful information about any injury. Thomas Jones stepping in AFC page 72
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by Steve Kornacki Nice tackle by Tyrell Johnson forces a 3rd and goal from the 5. Holding New Orleans to three here would be big. 9:11 pm | Fourth quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki Brees hits Bush on third down and he's ruled just short, setting up fourth and goal inches from the goal-line. It would be a tough call for Sean Payton....if the replay didn't clearly show that Bush broke the plane with the ball. Payton is challenging it. Should be six for the Saints with 12:39 left. 9:11 pm | Fourth quarter, 21-21 | by Steve Kornacki It looks like the Vikings will now be playing from behind with a quarterback who can't really move -- and in one of the most hostile atmospheres in sports. 9:13 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki It's official: Touchdown! XP is good. 28-21, Saints. 12:39 left. Can Brett lead the Vikings back with a bad ankle? 9:16 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki What's the over/under on the number of plays until another Viking coughs one up? 9:18 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki I guess this is why you keep giving it to Peterson, even after all of his flubs today: On 2nd and 7, he breaks a tackle and carries for 27 yards. First down Minnesota at midfield. 9:19 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21
Saints | by Steve Kornacki Should have been Costly Favre Interception No. 2 on first down. Vikings gets very lucky. 9:20 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki "Drunk Cajun" writes in to tell us that he's at the game and that's it's too loud to hear anything. Although it did seem to quiet down for a moment after that last play -- a 30-yard pass to Berrian that set the Vikings up at the Saint 20. 9:23 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki And there it is. The next Viking fumble: This time it's Berrian, after a catch that would have meant a first down at the 10. But the ball pops loose and Vilma comes away with it. Unbelievable. Six fumbles today for Minnesota -- by three different players. 9:24 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Now it's Brees's turn to fumble. He mishandles the snap on 3rd and 2, picks the ball up, but is stopped just short. Maybe. Payton is challenging the spot. Looks like this will be a waste. Maybe Payton just wants to get some rest for his players. 9:27 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki The calls stands. 8:10 left. Saints will punt. Let's start taking bets now: Who fumbles next for Minnesota, and when? 9:30 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Good field position for the
Vikings -- their own 43. Peterson runs for four yards on first down. No fumble! 9:32 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Favre finds Shiancoe on 3rd and 6. Nice grab, no fumble. First down at the Saints 38. The Vikings haven't had much trouble moving the ball today. But they keep shooting themselves in the foot. 9:33 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Has a team ever fumbled six times and still won a conference championship game? 9:34 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-21 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Wow. Pass interference called on Tracy Porter, who's defending Berrian in the end zone. Vikings get it at the one. 9:35 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Peterson is in! Touchdown! Amazing. For all their selfinflicted wounds, the Vikings now have a chance to tie with the XP. Which is good. So it's 28-28 with 4:58 to play. 9:37 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Let's see if the Saints stick with their usual quick-strike offense here, or if they try to nurse the clock in an effort to put the goahead points on the board with little or no time left. 9:40 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Holy cow. Brees is the one having trouble with the ball suddenly. On first down, he
backs up and drops it just as he's about to get sacked. Lineman Jahri Evans pounces on it, but now they're facing long yardage on second down. 9:41 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Brees to Henderson on 3rd and 18 is good for 16 yards. Clock is ticking. Under three minutes. Vikings will get it at their own 22 off the punt. Now 2:37 on the clock. 9:43 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Buck is setting the stage on TV. The storyline is obvious. Who would have believed back in August that Brett Favre would be getting the ball with 2:37 left in a tie game in the NFC title game? But here he is. Vikings need about 45 yards for a shot at the field goal. 9:43 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki A handoff to Peterson goes nowhere on first down. Takes us to the two-minute warning. What a game. 9:45 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Total yardage today: 429 to 235 for Minnesota. It shows how good a job Minnesota's defense as done. But the fact that it's a tie game also shows you what four turnovers will do to a team. 9:46 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki It's going to be 3rd and long. Peterson gets only two on second down. Saints should have decent field position if they can stop
Minnesota here. 9:48 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Move the chains! Favre finds Berrian. He's short at first, but he breaks Porter's tackle and picks up some critical yardage. Vikings out at their own 33 now. 1:39 on the clock. 9:49 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Uh-oh. Favre to Rice for 19 yards. Vikings across midfield. Then Taylor takes it to the 35 on a handoff. 1:06 to go. It's a 52yard kick from here. 9:50 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki They're actually at the 33. So it's about a 50-yarder from here. 45 second to go now. And ticking. 9:51 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki 19 seconds left. Vikings have run twice from the 33 and gone nowhere. They have one timeout left. Doubt they'll try anything crazy here. 9:52 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Penalty flag! Too many men in the huddle for Minnesota. Now it's a 55-yard kick. What an awful time for that penalty. Buck is right. They really do have to throw here. It's in Favre's hands now. 9:55 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki He does throw. And it's an interception! How fitting! Favre threw across his body to the NFC page 73
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The Saints and the Colts, Dat’s Who (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)
Tuesday.” Associated Press Pierre Thomas of New Orleans scores while demonstrating to The text message arrived from a the Vikings how to carry the ball New Orleans-born friend of your without fumbling. Fixer’s Sunday night, shortly The victory was a long time after Saints kicker Garrett coming for New Orleans, which Hartley’s 40-yard field goal split has a uniquely passionate and the uprights to give New Orleans symbiotic relationship with its a 31-28 overtime win over the Saints. In the New Orleans Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Times-Picayune, Peter Finney Championship. “We are so, so exults in the team’s long-awaited drunk,” the message read. It is triumph. the sort of text message that is “These Saints have one more probably beamed out of New goal, and that will be to beat the Orleans fairly often, but an Abita Colts in Miami on Feb. 7,” Don or four was pretty clearly B a n k s w r i t e s i n S p o r t s justified in this case. In contrast Illustrated. “But maybe nothing t o t h e I n d i a n a p o l i s C o l t s ’ will ever be quite as sweet as this typically metronomic comeback win, which came via so much win over the New York Jets in hard work, resiliency and even a the AFC Championship, the back bit of good fortune. This was -and-forth slugfest between New New Orleans’ moment. And Orleans and Minnesota was an maybe only the people who have exciting, exhausting and finally made it through these past fourexhilarating for a franchise and a plus years of recovery can city that have seen more bad appreciate the view from this news than good lately. particular mountaintop.” In other words, the game was About that Feb. 7 match-up, totally great, and gave New though — it won’t be easy. The Orleans — which never needs Saints will face an Indianapolis much of an excuse for this sort Colts team that, after going down of thing — the right to celebrate 17-6 against the Jets, spent the as long and as wildly as it wants. s e c o n d h a l f o f t h e g a m e “[The Superdome had] never throttling the Jets’ offense and seen anything like what it picking apart their top-ranked witnessed Sunday night in the defense en route to a 30-17 win. NFC Championship Game,” the There are more exciting teams in Journal’s Jason Gay writes. the NFL than the Colts, but Indy “[This] overtime thriller will continues to make its case as a continue to be celebrated on burgeoning pigskin dynasty. In Bourbon Street as the rest of the Indianapolis Star-Tribune, America heads to lunch on Bob Kravitz is awed by the Monday. And perhaps lunch on Colts’ methodical excellence. Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:36:41 AM
In the Palm Beach Post, Hal Habib writes that HaitianAmerican Colts receiver Pierre Garcon — who set an AFC Championship record with 11 receptions Sunday — is playing with bigger things on his mind. Peyton Manning on the AFC Championship game As fans will no doubt be reminded often over the next two weeks, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning grew up in New Orleans and his father Archie was a great player on some very un-great Saints teams. In the Indianapolis Star, Mike Chappell reports that there’s no conflict of interest on Archie’s part: He’s pulling for his son, not his former employer. Which means that Archie will be cheering on a Colts team that looks like a strong Super Bowl favorite. In the San Jose Mercury News, Tim Kawakami encourages Saints fans to live it up while they can. In the Tampa Tribune, Joe Henderson concurs. “They actually have to play the game,” Henderson writes. “And ain’t no way the Aints beat Indianapolis.” As for the teams already down in the dumps? In the
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Judd Zulgad surveys the wreckage of another painful loss from inside the shell-shocked Vikings locker room. The AFC Championship loss was a comedown for Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, who had been living a charmed life in the playoffs. In the New York Times, Ben Shpigel writes that Sanchez’s playoff adventure has him anxious to return to the postseason.* * * The Texas Longhorns arrived in Storrs, Conn., Saturday hoping to extend their run as the topranked team in the nation by another week and knowing that, after losing to Kansas State last Sunday, they would need a win over the 21st-ranked Huskies to do so. With the Huskies playing inconsistent basketball — and with head coach Jim Calhoun not on UConn’s sidelines during a medical sabbatical — it didn’t seem like too tall an order. But the home team’s second half offensive blitz sent Texas home with an 88-74 loss. For acting head coach George Blaney and an emotional Connecticut crowd, it was one of the biggest and most enjoyable victories in recent memory. “The fun returned to UConn basketball Saturday,” the Hartford Courant’s Jeff Jacobs writes. “And it returned with the kind of ear-splitting, second-half, national television rush that made everyone — everyone — remember why our state had
made such an emotional investment in the first place. Have there been bigger wins? When you have two national titles, three Final Fours and a slew of Big East titles notched on your belt, of course there have. But never has there been a louder, more exuberant one.” At Fox Sports, Jeff Goodman applauds the Huskies’ first signature win. At ESPN, Andy Katz writes that the super-talented Longhorns are still struggling with focus.* * * Time zones: can’t live with them, can’t live without them. The fact that the Australian Open is taking place on the other side of the world — and thus, for a blogger in New York, in the future — means that it’s simultaneously too easy and too hard to keep up with what’s going on in what’s shaping up as a very interesting tournament. The round of 16 saw several excellent matches, but the result of the most exciting match — a wild, emotional five-set thriller in which Andy Roddick defeated Chilean Fernando Gonzalez — was spoiled for your Fixer by a Sunday morning Google alert. While knowing the outcome did take some of the fun out of settling in to watch the tapedelayed match over breakfast, it didn’t diminish Roddick’s achievement in battling back against the locked-in Gonzalez. SAINTS page 76
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for Greene as he gains on two nice runs. But the Jets get flagged for holding and Rex Ryan rips off the hat and the headset. Sanchez got plastered well after the handoff and there's no flag on that. Rex might actually stroke out. On second and 17, Sanchez finds Dustin Keller for the first down at the Colts 46 with 5:31 left in the quarter. 5:14 pm | Third quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Sanchez under pressure and can't connect with Edwards. Barely avoids getting the pick on the tip by Edwards. On third and long, nothing doing. Jets will punt it away from the 40-yard line. Colts get the ball at their own 16 and let's see if Robot Manning is still fully charged. 5:15 pm | Third quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders WalMart clown commercial is the winner so far. Clowns and unicorns and puncture wounds are always funny. The antidote to that funny commercial is the very next ad featuring bloated Luke Wilson shilling for AT&T. Even sadder than an injured clown. 5:19 pm | Third quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Joseph Addai starts it off with a 17-yard streak. His shoulder must be feeling better. Third and seven and Peyton overthrows it as the Jets send in an unblocked blitz. Colts punt it away after a low snap. Booming 52-yard
punt and Cotchery calls for a fair catch. Jets take over on their own 10 with two minutes left in the quarter. 5:25 pm | End of third quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Shonn Greene is back in pads on the Jets sideline, and CBS says he's wearing extra pads on his left flank to protect his ribs. Colts are stuffing the Jets on the ground, with New York backed up near its own end zone. Sanchez passes himself out of a jam. Cotchery grabs it for a first down at the Jets 23. End of the third quarter and the Colts are up 20-17. 5:29 pm | Fourth quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Jerricho Cotchery makes a solid catch to start the fourth quarter and Sanchez almost gets sacked before getting the ball off at the last second. Third and eight and Sanchez overthrows Edwards deep. The Jets will punt. 5:32 pm | Fourth quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Starting from their 20, the Colts will try to expand their threepoint lead. Reggie Wayne with a reception, and then a fumble, but he recovers. 5:36 pm | Fourth quarter, 20-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Peyton exceeds 300 yards in passing, setting another NFL playoff record. Quick shot to Dallas Clark and the Colts get another first down. That facemask call against the Jets isn't helping their cause on this
series. Sanchez is starting to look a bit pensive on the sidelines. 5:38 pm | Fourth quarter, 27-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Eli Manning just breathed a big sigh of relief from a luxury suite. Of course, he's probably wishing Peyton was watching him and not the other way around. Peyton connects with Dallas Clark for a 15-yard touchdown. XP is good and the Colts start pulling away. 27-17 Colts with 8:27 left in the fourth. 5:39 pm | Fourth quarter, 27-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Mel Gibson has had a lot to atone for in the past few years. Add a horrendous Boston accent to the list. 5:43 pm | Fourth quarter, 27-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Last I checked, the Colts were favored by 9 1/2 this morning, so they've covered the spread. Now Sanchez and Rex are going to try to ruin the day of everyone in Las Vegas who took the safe bet. Sanchez goes to work from his own 20 and nearly gets picked off on a quick fire to Brad Smith. And again, a Sanchez pass to Cotchery gets tipped and the Colts defense is sticky right now. Jets are forced to punt and and the ball goes out of bounds deep in Colts territory. Manning comes back with eight minutes left. 5:49 pm | Fourth quarter, 27-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Colts get an illegal-contact call in their favor. Gives them a first
down. Peyton calls an audible. His pass to Dallas Clark is tipped and drops incomplete. Instead of keeping it on the ground, they're letting Peyton air it out a bit and Garcon catches one just short of the first-down marker. Third and three with seven minutes left in the quarter. Garcon, which means "boy" in French (hat tip to "Pulp Fiction"), picks up another first down and then Joseph Addai runs for another one to the Jets' 37-yard line. AND he stays in bounds. Time is running out for the boys in green. 5:52 pm | Fourth quarter, 27-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Pierre Garcon is certainly a hero of the game. Makes another tough catch with coverage in trail. First and 10 at the Jets 11yard line. Jets take a timeout with 3:23 left. Sanchez might get one more crack at it, even if the Colts get three or seven points. 5:58 pm | Fourth quarter, 30-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Colts take a timeout at fourth and one. The Jets could get the ball back at their own 1 and have about two minutes to pick up 10 points. They change tacks and bring Matt Stover out for a 21-yard FG attempt. Kick is good from the 41-year-old and he puts the Colts up 30-17 with 2:29 left. He'll be the oldest kicker to play in a Super Bowl. 6:02 pm | Fourth quarter, 30-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Sanchez starts at his own 20.
Thomas Jones dropped the short pass, but Sanchez connects for a first down on the next. And that, folks, is likely the game. Sanchez gets picked off for the first time today and Kelvin Hayden holds on to the ball. Peyton takes over at the Colts' 48 yard line at the two-minute warning. 6:04 pm | Fourth quarter, 30-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders The Colts are Miami-bound again as Manning will run out the clock on the ground. On the upside, the Jets players selected for the Pro Bowl will be able to play! 6:07 pm | Fourth quarter, 30-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders The NFL has already stamped two versions of the Super Bowl football. Let's hope the guy in charge of the ball picks the right one to ship down to Miami. Colts punt it away and the Jets will start at their own 11 for their final series of the game. 6:09 pm | Fourth quarter, 30-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders #rexryanstomach is a  hashtag topic on Twitter right now. Talk about vox populi! 6:12 pm | Final, 30-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders Final play of the game...Sanchez completes a little pass and the confetti comes down in Indy. While everyone was paying attention to "rookie" Rex Ryan, it is "rookie" Jim Caldwell who is taking his team to the Super AFC page 74
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middle of the field. Aikman notes that he had room to run for 10 yards or more. That's five turnovers today for Minnesota. 9:55 pm | Fourth quarter, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Looks like we are heading to overtime. One second on the clock. Saints are at their own 40. This will be one big coin toss. 9:56 pm | End of regulation, 2828 | by Steve Kornacki Brees is pressured and throws it away. Clock expires. We've got OT. I can't get over how fitting it is that Favre threw a pick on a play that could have set his team up for a Super Bowl trip. 9:56 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Vikings call heads. It's tails. Saints ball. 9:59 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you want to win the toss: Pierre Thomas takes the kick all the way out to the Saints 40. Brees doesn't need all that many yards to put his team in fieldgoal range. 10:02 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Buck notes that the Saints had only 77 yards in the second half. Maybe field-goal range will be tougher to achieve than I thought. It's third and long now after two handoffs. 10:03 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Back to passing now. Colston drops what would be a first down, but Asher Allen is
flagged for holding. First down Saints on the penalty. 10:04 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki On 2nd and 10 from the Saint 47, Colston can't hang on to a pass at the Viking 30. Also could have been a pick. 10:05 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Brees hits Henderson of 3rd and 10. Here's near the marker. They'll measure. Do they go for it if they're inches short? 10:06 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki They are short. About a halfyard. Looks like they're going for it. 10:07 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Now the booth is reviewing the spot. Doesn't look like the spot will be moved much as a result, but we'll see. 10:08 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki The spot stands. It's 4th and inches. 10:08 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Saints are going for it. 10:09 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Handoff to Thomas. He leaps and seems to get it. It's a good spot for the Saints. First down. 10:11 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Hang on. We have another booth review. It looks like Thomas might have been bobbling the ball in midair -- and that he only secured possession
after he was knocked back behind the first down marker. It kind of, sort of looks that way. But I don't know if it's conclusive enough to overturn the call -- especially in a situation like this. 10:12 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Call stands. Thomas held on even though Chad Greenway went helmet first into his jaw, then momentarily knocked the ball loose. First down. Saints are at the Minnesota 41. 10:13 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki HUGE penalty. Brees comes under intense pressure and unloads it. But Ben Leber is flagged for pass interference. The ball didn't seem to be catchable. Saints are at the 29. 10:13 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Leber makes amends and hits Bush for a four-yard loss. Still, about a 50-yard kick from here for the Saints. 10:14 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Now they're at the 21. Brees to Robert Meachem. A 38-yard kick from here. 10:15 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Make that the 22 yard-line. But there might be a review here. The ball might looks like it hit the ground on Meachem's catch. Minnesota calls timeout. The difference between upholding and overturning this call is massive.
10:17 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki They uphold it. It'll be 3rd and 3 from the 22.Ă‚ A 39-yard kick from here. (Buck says 40, but I've always added 17.) 10:19 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki Brees's pass is incomplete. Here comes Garrett Hartley to try to send the Saints to their first Super Bowl with a field goal. But first: the obligatory Viking timeout. 10:19 pm | Overtime, 28-28 | by Steve Kornacki For what it's worth, there's 10:19 on the clock. Saint bettors must be going insane. The line was 3 1/2 this morning. 10:20 pm | Final, 31-28 Saints | by Steve Kornacki Perfect kick! Saints win! They are going to the Super Bowl! 3128 is your final. 10:32 pm | Postgame | by Steve Kornacki If this were fantasy football, the Vikings would be playing in the Super Bowl. In just about every statistical category, they didn't just out-perform the Saints tonight -- they dominated them. 31 first downs to 15. 475 total yards to 257. 56 fewer penalty yards. Nearly 10 minutes more of possession time. And they held Drew Brees to under 200 yards passing. All of this, and they lost the game -- 31-28 in overtime.Ă‚ The difference was obvious: five Vikings turnovers. Adrian Peterson coughed it up inside the
10 late in the first half, when the Vikings could have gone ahead 21-14. Bernard Berrian lost it at virtually the same spot in the fourth quarter, when the Vikings were trailing by seven. But the iconic Viking turnover -- the one that we'll all remember years from now -- came in the last seconds of regulation. With the game tied and his team just a few yards from field-goal range, old Brett Favre, he of the career interception record, rolled to his right and ignored the 10 (at least) yards of open space in front of him, choosing instead to throw across his body and to the middle of the field. You know the rest. The Vikings never got the ball again. And so it will be be a New Orleans-Indianapolis Super Bowl. The two best teams in the league, and probably the game that most people wanted to see anyway. Both showed their weaknesses today -- the Colts in falling 11 points behind the Jets late in the second quarter and the Saints in giving up so many yards. But they both made plays when they needed to, just like champions are supposed to. It won't be hard to hype this Super Bowl. The over/under might be the highest ever.
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NFL Pro Bowl: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb leads slew of replacements By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:41:35 AM
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has earned his sixth trip to the Pro Bowl and was among at least six replacements selected for players competing in the Super Bowl after the Colts and Saints clinched the AFC and NFC titles Sunday. McNabb replaces Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Nine Eagles players are slated to play in this year's game, including safety Quintin Mikell, who was also added Monday. This year's Pro Bowl is being held Sunday, a week before the Super Bowl, rather than after the end of the season as in years past. Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, Steelers tight end Heath Miller, Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and Redskins linebacker London Fletcher were also named as additions.
Mikell, who joined the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State, replaces the Saints' Darren Sharper. It is Mikell's first Pro Bowl nod. Garrard, who passed for 3,597 yards, with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 60.9 completion percentage in 2009, will replace Peyton Manning as a backup, The Florida TimesUnion reported. Garrard joins Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew on the AFC's roster. Vanden Bosch, who had three sacks and 44 tackles this season, was named to his third Pro Bowl, according to The Tennessean of Nashville, as Colts defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis won't be available. Titans running back Chris Johnson, quarterback Vince Young and center Kevin Mawae have also been selected. "It surprised me and it surprised a lot of people," Vanden Bosch said, according to the newspaper. "But it shows a lot of people -offense and defense -- still
respect the way I play and the way I bring it. The coaches and players got me in with their votes, so that is a great sign of respect." Miller will replace Colts tight end Dallas Clark, and Fletcher will be added in place of Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Miller and Fletcher will be making their first Pro Bowl appearances. Miller set career highs with 76 receptions and 789 yards for Pittsburgh this season. Fletcher had 95 tackles and two sacks. Miller joins defensive tackle Casey Hampton and linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley as the four Steelers to make the Pro Bowl. Last week Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger also was selected as an alternate to replace the injured Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. But Roethlisberger turned down the invite after team doctors recommended he rest a shoulder injury that was suffered in
Pittsburgh's regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins. Fletcher joins Redskins rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo. Fletcher said he "did a little sprinting around the house" when the Saints kicked an overtime field goal Sunday to beat Minnesota. Fletcher is the league's most prolific tackler over the past decade and has never missed a game in his 12-year career. He was upset when he wasn't selected last season, calling himself "the Susan Lucci of the NFL," a reference to the soap opera star who was nominated 18 times for an Emmy before finally winning. Information from The Associated Press and ESPN.com's James Walker was used in this report. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
largely neutralized by Darrelle Revis, the rest of the Indy receiving corps -- Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie -stepped up. And Peyton Manning delivered. The Jets defense looked formidable in the first half, but Manning clicked in
after the half and brought the Colts back to victory. The Jets will likely roar back next year, as long as Sanchez doesn't have a surfing accident in the offseason and Rex Ryan keeps his blood pressure in check. Now, it's off to the
Superdome where I can unabashedly root for Dem Saints!!!! Thanks for your eyeballs and your comments on this Sunday afternoon. 6:46 pm | First Quarter, 0-0 | by Steve Kornacki
Address to a Haggis By Fiona Miller (Flickr Blog) Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:26:13 AM
Tonight is Burns Night, a celebration of the life and poetry of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Haggis, tatties and neeps anyone? Photos from Nine Live Photography, Cap’n Hef, CasaDeQueso, suza_phone, werewegian and The Library of Congress. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Bowl. Final score 30-17. 6:24 pm | Postgame, 30-17 Colts | by Peter Sanders The kid who would be Super Bowl King will have to wait another year, as the NFL MVP came through as expected. Even though Reggie Wayne was
And we're off. The Vikings will start from their own 20 after a touchback on the opening kickoff. Here comes Brett...
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Australian Open: Roger Federer cruises past Lleyton Hewitt into quarters
MediaDailyNews: Andy Griffith Museum Opens
By Associated Press (ESPN.com)
(MediaPost | Media News)
The Swiss star has reached the semifinals or better here every year since winning the 2004 title, Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:26:10 AM his first of three in Australia. He Federer Cruises In Straight Sets improved to 17-8 against Hewitt, Federer Cruises In Straight Sets a n d t h e i r 2 5 h e a d - t o - h e a d VIDEO PLAYLIST matches is the most among • Federer Cruises In Straight active players. Sets Federer Cruises In Straight Federer broke Hewitt's serve in Sets the ninth game of the third set • Davydenko, Tsonga, Djokovic with a stinging cross-court in Quarters Davydenko, Tsonga, f o r e h a n d t h a t l e f t H e w i t t Djokovic in Quarters standing in the middle of the court. Federer held service in his MELBOURNE, Australia -- next game, setting up match Roger Federer improved his six- point with an ace and clinching it year winning streak to 15 with a service winner. matches against Lleyton Hewitt Complete results with an overpowering 6-2, 6-3, 6 Need the scores from any match -4 victory in the fourth round at played in today's Australian the Australian Open on Monday. Open? Results The top-ranked Federer, beaten "When I saw the draw and saw in last year's final at Melbourne Lleyton floating around, it's not Park by Rafael Nadal, hasn't lost something I like to see," Federer to Hewitt since the Australian said. beat him in a Davis Cup match in As usual, Federer rose to the the same Rod Laver Arena in occasion. late 2003. "Hardly made any unforced
errors," Federer said. For the record, he made 30 to go with his 49 winners. "If there were some, they were at moments I can live with," he said. "I was really able to press on the offensive, serve well when I had to, and I moved well as well. Overall I'm extremely happy." Hewitt agreed that Federer played "special" tennis. "He hit the ball extremely clean, and I just couldn't get into his service games, which made it tough," Hewitt said. The win advanced Federer to a quarterfinal against Nikolay Davydenko, who beat 2009 semifinalist Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3 earlier Monday to extend his winning streak to 13. In other matches, 2008 champion Novak Djokovic beat Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, who lost to Djokovic in
the 2008 final, beat Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (6), 9-7. Djokovic, who will play Tsonga in the quarterfinals, said he's playing well despite having a dry run at Grand Slam tournaments since his Melbourne Park victory. "They are two different persons, physically I'm much stronger and able to get through the tough matches," the Serbian player said. "The 2008 Australian Open is by far the best tournament I ever played ... I believe I can play the same this year." Nadal takes on Andy Murray and Andy Roddick plays Marin Cilic in quarterfinals Tuesday. Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:14:50 AM
Memorabilia relating to Andy Griffith and his role in the fictitious Mayberry, based on Mount Airy, N.C., the small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains where the actor was born 83 years ago, now has a permanent home, reports The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 2,500-square-foot museum expects to welcome crowds this year as the town celebrates the 50th anniversary of the debut of "The Andy Griffith Show." The sitcom ran for eight seasons and inspired a second show, "Mayberry RFD." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Manning rallies Colts past Jets into Super Bowl By Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 1/24/2010 8:04:01 PM
Fast Facts • Peyton Manning broke the NFL postseason record with his seventh game with more than 300 passing yards. He also threw
for three TDs. • The 80-yard TD pass from Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards was the longest offensive score in Jets' playoff history and the longest score the Colts have allowed in their postseason history. • Pierre Garcon's 151 receiving
yards were the third most in Colts' postseason history and his 11 receptions were an AFC title game record. • The Colts beat the Jets in the postseason for first time as the Jets fell to 1-3 in AFL/AFC Championship Games. • This was the second time the
C o l t s w o n a n A F C Five Filters featured article: Championship Game in which Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: they trailed at halftime. PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, • Dustin Keller scored his third Term Extraction. touchdown of the postseason, tying the Jets' record for most touchdowns in a postseason. • Rapid Reaction -- ESPN Stats & Information
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While the match was marred somewhat by some questionable officiating in the fourth set, the win looked a lot like a milestone for the maturing Roddick. “[Roddick] has always been a fighter, but in the first version of his career, this was exactly type of match he would have lost,” FanHouse’s Greg Couch writes. “The draw is lining up perfectly for him. He is in contention at a major. And then he disappoints. It’s a pattern. In the new version, where he has added strategy and speed, he won.”* * * The stylistic focus remains centered on glitter and grandiosity, but there is a revolution happening in figure skating. Subjective aesthetics have taken a back seat to technical proficiency in the sport’s scoring metrics, and that change was evident at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where Rachel Flatt beat out Mirai Nagasu for the gold. Nagasu’s long program elicited a rousing ovation from the crowd, but Flatt scored better with the
judges once her jumps were graded via the sport’s instantreplay system. Both Flatt and Nagasu are expected to contend for medals in the Vancouver Olympics. “In Flatt, skating’s controversial scoring system has its perfect competitor, one who is mathematically astute in piling up points,” Jere Longman writes in the New York Times. “Yet she also leaves an audience wanting much more in terms of rousing performance.” At ESPN, Bonnie D. Ford writes that Flatt’s methodical perfectionism reflects the influence of Flatt’s new mentor, 1976 gold medalist Dorothy Hamill.* * * There may not be a lessdesirable time slot on television than the one with which the Professional Bowling Association is saddled. Broadcast on ESPN on Sunday afternoons during football season, the PBA season unfolds in poignant, polyester anonymity. Given Sunday’s
more-anticipated sports programming, it’s likely even the most ardent watch-anything sports fans missed history being made, when Kelly Kulick became the first woman ever to win a PBA Tour event. She cruised to an easy victory over 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes in the PBA Tournament of Champions. In the Madison Capital Times, former PBA bowler Jeff Richgels puts Kulick’s historic win in perspective. At The Sporting News, Andy Hutchins wonders how much of an impact Kulick’s historic feat will make, given the PBA’s surpassingly low profile. Found a good column from the world of sports? Don’t keep it to yourself — write to us at dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email David at droth11@gmail.com.
Saints and Their City Finally Get a Break By Jay Mariotti (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 1/24/2010 6:25:00 PM
Filed under: NFL, Super Bowl NEW ORLEANS -- I saw men and women laughing through their tears Sunday night, staring at a confetti blizzard on a field where so many games have been blown and, in life's biggest picture, so many lives were lost. It wasn't long ago when the Superdome was darkly symbolic of Hurricane Katrina and its horrors, a home for thousands seeking a shelter of last resort inside a building that reeked of stench and barely had a roof. But now, finally, the massive mushroom on Poydras Street is the joyful, triumphant shrine of a championship football team. Now, it's where strangers were making out in the aisles Sunday night and where fans refused to leave the Dome until they were kicked out. Once, the New Orleans Saints were so pathetic that the locals called them the "Aints'' and wore paper bags
MediaDailyNews: 'Glee' Soundtracks Certified Gold (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:20:07 AM
Fox's new comedy "Glee," which just won the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best TV Series
- Comedy or Musical," has done equally well on the soundtrack front. Both "Glee: The Music, Volume 1" and "Glee: The Music, Volume 2" have been certified Gold by the RIAA for
sales in excess of 500,000 units. Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Plus, more than 4 million songs PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, f r o m t h e s h o w h a v e b e e n Term Extraction. downloaded online since last May. Five Filters featured article:
over their heads. Today, for the first time, they are headed to the Super Bowl, persevering in the NFC title game just as their city has tortuously tried to survive for 4 1/2 hellish years. At last, the people of the Bayou received an inspirational gift that can be vital to self-esteem and the ongoing recovery mission, surviving the will of a battered Brett Favre to reach overtime and then steal a 31-28 win over the Minnesota Vikings on a 40-yard field goal by a kicker who had a premonition the night before. What else would you expect in the land of voodoo and beads but a foretelling?
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Saints pick off Vikings with 40-yard FG in OT
View a photo that Bob Howarth (Poynter Institute)
By Associated Press (ESPN.com)
(Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers)
Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:58:01 AM
Fast Facts • The Saints advanced to their first Super Bowl and became the first home team to win a conference championship game in overtime. • This is the first time since 1993 that the two No. 1 seeds will face off in the Super Bowl. • Brett Favre threw two interceptions to take over the record for the most INTs by a QB in postseason history with 30. He also set the record for career postseason passing yards and career postseason pass completions.
• Garrett Hartley won the game with a 40-yard field goal, joining Rich Karlis, Morten Andersen and Lawrence Tynes as the only kickers to win a conference title game with an OT field goal. • The Vikings had six fumbles, two shy of the single-game postseason record. • Adrian Peterson tied a conference championship record and set a Vikings postseason record with three rushing TDs. • Rapid Reaction -- ESPN Stats & Information Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Review: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
company is taking a pretty big REVIEW: page 77 risk -- but fighting game fans get
By Nelson (Joystiq) vs. InRandy bringing Tatsunoko Capcom to the US, the latter
Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:05:55 AM
Report: Rising Star regains rights to Marvelous games after stock sale By JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
reacquired the publishing rights in Europe. "I am delighted to have secured further additional E v e n t h o u g h M a r v e l o u s backing from an important Entertainment just sold off its J a p a n e s e c o m p a n y , w h i l s t controlling stake in European c o n t i n u i n g o u r c o n t e n t publisher Rising Star Games, relationship with Marvelous Rising Star will continue to bring Entertainment," Defries said. Europeans Harvest Moon, No Sales would suggest that an M o r e H e r o e s a n d o t h e r unfortunately small number of Marvelous games. people are affected either way, Due to low sales in the West, but it should be comforting to Marvelous sold its stake in some of you to have a reliable Rising Star to Japanese publisher pipeline for Marvelous products. Intergrow. When this deal was Report: Rising Star regains announced late last week, it led rights to Marvelous games after to speculation that Rising Star stock sale originally appeared on and other publishers would then Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 have to license Marvelous games 11:30:00 EST. Please see our on a case-by-case basis to terms for use of feeds. p u b l i s h t h e m i n E u r o p e . Read| Permalink| Email this| However, Rising Star managing Comments director Martin Defries told MCV that Rising Star has Submitted at 1/25/2010 11:30:00 AM
Updated at 11:42 a.m. How Obama's N&R letter came about Editor explains. (News & Record) LEFT RAIL ARCHIVE ABOUT ROMENESKO SUBSCRIBE TO ROMENESKO ON KINDLE Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
REVIEW: continued from page 77
an even bigger reward. Even if you've never heard of half of the characters in it, or don't really care about the amount of resources put into releasing it stateside -- complete with new characters, modes and online play -- you can't help but appreciate this oddball fighter because it's just so damn good. Looking at its roster and the fact that it's on the Wii, it would be easy to dismiss Tatsunoko vs. Capcom as a gimmicky fighting game, but it's an honest-togoodness hardcore entry that is among the very best Capcom has made in recent years. It's easy to REVIEW: page 78
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Interplay's 'Fallout Report: 'Nintendo, Mario in the world 1000 MMO' beta to begin million for the new Wii' shortly before world ends By David Hinkle (Joystiq)
sharing is the number of relationships that New Super Submitted at 1/25/2010 1:00:00 PM Mario Bros. Wii has destroyed. Today's most confusing headline Three and counting for me -is brought to you by the Google making it at least 30 million translation of a Nikkei Net report worldwide! Let's just say, Mom that New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Dad and a certain someone has topped ten million ( not one- who is dead to me aren't allowed thousand million) units sold to visit again until they learn worldwide since its release in proper Propeller Suit etiquette. m i d - N o v e m b e r ( a n d e a r l y Report: 'Nintendo, Mario in the December in Japan). Frankly, world 1000 million for the new we're downright shocked that Wii' originally appeared on this kind of game -- with such a Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 unsavory cast of characters -- 13:00:00 EST. Please see our could sell like gangbusters. terms for use of feeds. C'mon, all they ever do is kill Read| Permalink| Email this| each other! Comments The figure Nintendo is not
get into, yet surprisingly deep and steeped in fan service. It's also one of the nicest looking games (so far) on Nintendo's console. Gallery: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (1/7/10) Continue reading Review: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Review: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments
By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq)
in the game's future release, it went ahead and announced a tentative date for the game's beta It seems all the legal rigmarole testing phase: 2012. Perfect! between Interplay and Bethesda That should leave a few months isn't slowing down the former's for them to work out the kinks, work on Project: V13, an MMO then a few months for us to s e t i n t h e l a t t e r ' s F a l l o u t enjoy the game post-launch, and universe. At least, that seems to then the sun will explode. be the message from Interplay, Interplay's 'Fallout MMO' beta which recently announced a to begin shortly before world development partnership with ends originally appeared on Masthead Studios, which is Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 lending Interplay its technology, 12:30:00 EST. Please see our t o o l s a n d r e s o u r c e s a s i t terms for use of feeds. continues work on the post- Read| Permalink| Email this| apocalyptic online game. Comments In fact, Interplay is so confident Submitted at 1/25/2010 12:30:00 PM
Build Your Own Built By Wendy Dress By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:26:34 AM
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“There’s one surefire way to solve a fashion emergency: Throw on a dress,” advises Wendy Mullin, the woman behind the eponymous Built by Wendy label, in her new guide, Built by Wendy Dresses: The Sew U Guide to Making a Girl’s Best Frock. Mullin, with Eviana Hartman, instructs would-be designers on how to construct variations on three dress silhouettes, and imparts techniques such as colorblocking and creating bold shoulders. The 25 projects
include styles apropos for a jaunt to the French Riviera, an alfresco music festival, brunch with your boyfriend’s folks, and myriad other events. And Mullin’s figure-flattering tips are handy even for those not in need of a DIY fix. —Erin Clements Follow ELLE on Twitter. Become our Facebook fan!
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Not so corny: Facebook game lets users play farmer (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
old sex therapist never has to leave her computer to tend to it all. ST. LOUIS – Even while calling She's one of tens of millions of Chicago home, Laura Hawkins occupants of FarmVille, a nearGrimes is a country bumpkin. utopian, wildly popular online Her scenic rural spread has three fantasy game where folks rush to dairy farms, two ponds and a log another neighbor's aid, ribbons cabin, all skirted by a white readily come as rewards, plants picket fence as scarecrows stand don't get diseased and there's sentry over her blackberries. never a calamitous frost, flood or And the best part is the 40-year- drought. Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:42:48 AM
Since its launch last summer, the cartoonish simulation game seeming to meld "Leave it to Beaver" and " Green Acres" has become a Facebook phenomenon, luring in everyone from urbanites like Grimes to actual farmers while gently nudging people to think more about where their food comes NOT page 80
PS3 'hacked' by iPhone cracker (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
with the system. It's like I've got an awesome new power - I'm just not sure how to wield it." Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:32:47 AM Sony said it was "investigating A US hacker who gained the report" and would "clarify notoriety for unlocking Apple's the situation" when it had more iPhone as a teenager has told information. BBC News that he has now 'Open curiosity' hacked Sony's PlayStation 3 Mr Hotz said that he had begun (PS3). the hack last summer when he George Hotz said the hack, had spent three weeks analysing which could allow people to run the hardware. pirated games or homemade After a long break, he spent a software, took him five weeks. further two weeks cracking the He said he was still refining the console, which he described as a hack but intended to post full "very secure system". details online soon. He said that he was not yet The PS3 is the only games ready to reveal the full details of console that has not been hacked, the hack but said that it was "5% despite being on the market for hardware and 95% software". three years. "You can use hardware to inject "It's supposed to be unhackable - an insecurity and then you can but nothing is unhackable," Mr build on that," he said. Hotz told BBC News. He admitted that he had not "I can now do whatever I want managed to hack the whole
system, including the protected memory, but had worked out ways to trick the console into doing what he wanted. Mr Hotz said that he was continuing to work on the hack and, once finished, would publish details online in a similar way to his previous iPhone exploits. In particular, he said, he would publish details of the console's "root key", a master code that once known would make it easier for others to decipher and hack other security features on the console. He said his motivation was "curiosity" and "opening up the platform". "To tell you the truth, I've never really played a PS3," he said. "I have one game, but I've never really played it." Opening the system could allow
people to install other operating systems on their console and play homemade games, he said. In addition, he said, the hack would allow people to play older PS2 games on their consoles. Recent versions of the PS3 do not have the ability to play PS2 games after Sony controversially removed a piece of hardware. He admitted that it could also allow people to run pirated games. "I'm not going to personally have anything to do with that," he told BBC News. Gaming firms do not take the issue of game piracy and console modification lightly. Recently, Microsoft disconnected thousands of gamers from its online gaming service Xbox Live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games. Mr Hotz said that the nature of
his PS3 hack means that Sony may have difficulty patching the exploit. "We are investigating the report and will clarify the situation once we have more information," said a Sony spokesman. Mr Hotz rose to fame in 2007 at the age of 17 when he unlocked the iPhone, which could only be used on the AT&T network in the US at launch. The hack allowed the popular handset to be used on any network. He has since released various other hacks, allowing people to unlock later versions of the popular handset. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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"It's kind of what you don't see every day," Grimes said of FarmVille by Zynga, a San Francisco-based developer of games widely played at online hangouts such as Facebook. "I have to say, living in Chicago, what appeals to me about FarmVille is it's not urban." FarmVille — with more than 72 million monthly users worldwide, the most talkedabout application in Facebook status updates — heads a growing stable of simulated agriculture that also includes SlashKey's Farm Town on Facebook and PlayMesh's recently launched iFarm for the iPhone. Purposely simplistic, FarmVille lets players build and trick out their farms, starting with a tiny parcel they till and seed with a range of crops including berries, eggplant, wheat, soybeans, artichokes and pumpkins. Players can add pigs, cows and chickens and accouterments such as barns, chicken coops, windmills and greenhouses. As on real farms, attentiveness in FarmVille is vital. Players who diligently tend to their crops see their farms flourish and their bank balances balloon. Those late with their harvests may see their crops — and their investment — shrivel and die. Neighbors get rewarded with points and gold for scaring away pests, fertilizing or feeding chickens on another player's spread.
"One thing we feel we got right is it has extremely broad appeal," said Bill Mooney, Zynga's vice president and general manager. "Everybody likes farming, whether you're a gardener, whether you grew up on a farm or your grandparents did. It's literally something everyone can relate with." And with FarmVille, "there's an appeal that's just cute, with the amazing ways people take the farms and develop them out as their own." In the end, he hopes, "people will see this as a fun little escape." Grimes sure has. The transplanted Oklahoman who detests video games and has no farm background razzed her FarmVille-loving friends before her sister successfully prodded her to join. Now, she admits, "I'm a total FarmVille freak." A mother of a 3-year-old daughter and the wife of a paramedic, Grimes squeezes in simulated farming between appointments and parenting. She devotes less than an hour each day "in little bitty spurts" to eventually max out her FarmVille spread to resemble a whimsical menagerie — black sheep, pink calves, penguins, reindeer with flashing Christmas lights in their antlers. "It was completely mindless and just mine," she said. "I could decide where everything went, I could decide when it happened. I
got to move things around. I got to make it look nice." She loves getting rewards at every turn, often for helping a neighbor. And she credits FarmVille with hastening her reconnection with old friends, including a fourth-grade schoolmate who's now living next door to her in this online agricultural experience. "I don't know anything about her life except she's a really nice neighbor — she leaves me little posts, she sends me nice gifts, harvests my crops. And it makes me feel better about people in my life," Grimes said. "What's so nice about this is it's really about camaraderie, like you depend on people to do things for you." "I really would have never thought this would have been something I do," she said. Even actual farmers are digging it. In his central Illinois farmhouse near Windsor, 31year-old bachelor Darin Doehring started playing months ago with the game he credits with helping him wait out sogginess that hampered harvesting of his 2,000 acres of real corn and soybeans. "There were more times this past fall I was doing my crops more on there ( FarmVille), than I was in the field because of the rain and mud outside. I enjoy it," Doehring said, noting that he wished the fantasy game posed more challenges mimicking reallife ones farmers face, including weather events.
Mooney of Zynga says that isn't likely: "We don't want it to be a punishing experience. We want this to be a positive." To John Reifsteck, a corn-andsoybean grower in Champaign County, Ill., there are parallels between virtual and actual farming. "Success at FarmVille requires foresight, persistence and a willingness to help others — just like farming in the real world," he wrote in an online column last month. And while he doesn't play FarmVille — "I work in the fields for a living" — he understands those who do and welcomes FarmVille's popularity. "It's a healthy sign for agriculture — but only if players don't come to think that running a farm is as easy as FarmVille makes it seem," he wrote. "If FarmVille was as difficult and complicated as actual farming, probably no one would play it." ___ On the Net: F a r m V i l l e , http://www.farmville.com Zynga, http://www.zynga.com S l a s h K e y , http://www.slashkey.com PlayMesh, http://playmesh.com Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Haiti 'can lead quake recovery' (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:43:31 AM
Haiti's government can lead efforts to rebuild the country in the wake of its devastating earthquake, Prime Minister JeanMax Bellerive has said. Mr Bellerive told a meeting of world officials in the Canadian city of Montreal that his country faced a "colossal" reconstruction effort. He urged the international community to provide "massive support" for Haiti. The Montreal meeting was called to assess the relief effort and to pave the way for further reconstruction. It is believed the 7.0 magnitude quake on 12 January killed as many as 200,000 people. An estimated 1.5 million people have been left homeless. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is attending the conference along with delegates HAITI page 81
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Usher testifies he saw Kan. abortion doc's slaying (AP)
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from 20 countries and representatives from the UN and the World Bank. (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) f i r s t - d e g r e e m u r d e r a n d purses into the courtroom. Roeder at local hotels are 'Action plan' aggravated assault in the case. Prosecutors have appeared expected to follow — but no "The Haitian government is Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:38:33 AM The Kansas City, Mo., man said determined to keep any mention mention of abortion, at least for working in precarious conditions but it can provide the leadership WICHITA, Kan. – An usher in a court filing that the trial of abortion out of what they as long as they can avoid it. testified Monday that he watched would be a "charade" if he were portray as a simple case of Roeder's public defenders have that people expect," Mr Bellerive the man accused of killing not allowed to argue that the murder. That led last Friday to yet to make their opening said. prominent abortion provider Dr. killing was necessary to save what was likely the first of many statements, but are expected to "The top priority right now is to George Tiller approach the "preborn babies" from abortion. skirmishes over the use of what t r y t o b u i l d a c a s e f o r a satisfy the vital needs of victims doctor in church, put a gun to his District Judge Warren Wilbert attorneys are calling, outside the c o n v i c t i o n o f v o l u n t a r y like food and water, shelter and head and pull the trigger. banned a so-called necessity jury's hearing, the "a-word." The manslaughter. The judge has health care." He added: "Haiti needs the Gary Hoepner, who like Tiller defense, which would be used to judge warned defense attorney warned them that would be volunteered as an usher at the a r g u e R o e d e r s h o u l d b e Mark Rudy in cross-examining difficult because the facts massive support of its partners in Reformation Lutheran Church in acquitted, and insisted the trial one witness that he should not i n d i c a t e T i l l e r p o s e d n o the international community in Wichita, said he chased Scott would not turn into a battle over use the word abortion unless the immediate danger while acting the medium and long term. The extent of the task requires that Roeder after the May 31 slaying abortion. witness first used it himself. as an usher in church. but backed off after Roeder But the judge galvanized both Key to the government's murder I n K a n s a s , v o l u n t a r y we do more, that we do better threatened to shoot him and sides of the debate when he case will be presenting evidence manslaughter is defined as "an and, without a doubt, that we another usher. refused to bar the defense from of premeditation. Prosecutors unreasonable but honest belief work differently," he said. Speaking earlier, Canadian During an hour of testimony, trying for a conviction on the s a i d R o e d e r m e t i c u l o u s l y that circumstances existed that Foreign Minister Lawrence Hoepner described the chaotic lesser charge of voluntary planned the killing, stalked the justified deadly force." Such a scene as the single shot rang out. manslaughter by arguing Roeder doctor at his church in Wichita, conviction for someone with Cannon said the morning session "It was a loud, popping noise," believed Tiller's killing would and practiced firing his newly little criminal history would would take stock of the relief Hoepner testified. "Then George save unborn children. purchased gun at his brother's bring a sentence closer to five efforts and in the afternoon fell, and I repeated `Oh my God, Wilbert won't rule on whether to secluded home the day before the years, compared to the life ministers would work on the Oh my God' several times." let jurors consider the lesser killing. sentence Roeder faces if found s t e p s n e e d e d f o r a l a r g e r reconstruction conference, where During cross examination by charge until after the defense On Friday, the prosecution guilty of first-degree murder. money will be pledged. defense attorney Mark Rudy, rests its case. began presenting a murder case ___ Hoepner testified that he had Monday marked the second day focused on emotional eyewitness Associated Press Writer Maria He said he expected the time seen Roeder at the church before of testimony in the trial. testimony, recordings of frantic Sudekum Fisher contributed to and place for that conference to be announced on Monday. the day of the shooting, and that Security in and around the 911 calls and photos of Tiller's this report. Roeder said "Lord forgive me," courthouse has been heavy; a body lying in a pool of blood in Five Filters featured article: "It's not a donor or pledging when he threatened Hoepner. bomb-sniffing dog has been his church foyer. Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: conference, it's to make sure we R o e d e r , 5 1 , h a s p u b l i c l y brought in, and spectators must DNA evidence linking Tiller to PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, have an action plan," he told the Associated Press news agency. admitted he killed Tiller but has show photo identification and are Roeder, forensic analyses of Term Extraction. "We want to co-ordinate better in pleaded not guilty to charges of not allowed to bring coats or bullet casings and video of the short term and make sure we all know who is doing what and how." Mr Cannon said one goal was to HAITI page 83
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Kerrigan's dad dies; brother accused of assault (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
was found on a couch in the basement of the home in the Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:41:21 AM middle-class Boston suburb of STONEHAM, Mass. – The Stoneham and was "belligerent brother of figure skater Nancy a n d c o m b a t i v e " w h e n Kerrigan has been charged with questioned. Officers used pepper assaulting their 70-year-old s p r a y t o s u b d u e h i m a n d father, who died over the e v e n t u a l l y a r r e s t e d h i m . weekend after a disturbance at "(Mark) Kerrigan appeared the family's Massachusetts home. i n t o x i c a t e d b u t a p p e a r e d Mark Kerrigan, 45, faced c o h e r e n t i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g arraignment Monday in Woburn questions and answering them," District Court on a charge of the report stated. assault and battery on a person "He stated that he wanted to use over 60 that resulted in injuries, the phone and his father would said John Teevan, first assistant not let him. He said he struggled clerk magistrate of the court. with his father and put his hands A police report said officers around his father's neck and his responding to the 911 call at 1:30 father fell to the floor," the a.m. Sunday found Daniel arresting officer wrote. Kerrigan lying on the floor Mark Kerrigan told officers that unconscious. He was taken to a he believed his father was hospital and pronounced dead. "faking it," according to the An autopsy was planned. report. Brenda Kerrigan told the Boston The officers said they saw blood Herald that her husband died of a on the floor near where Daniel heart attack and there was Kerrigan had been treated by nothing suspicious about the emergency workers, as well as death. signs of a struggle, including The report said Mark Kerrigan three pictures that had apparently
been knocked off the wall and a broken piece of the telephone. Stoneham and state police assigned to the Middlesex district attorney's office are continuing the investigation, Police Chief Richard Bongiorno said. The chief would not say if he knew whether police had been called to the home in the past for domestic reasons. Nancy Kerrigan is a two-time Olympic medal winner, taking the bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, and the silver at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. She won a gold medal at the 1993 U.S. Championships. She was at the center of a saga at the U.S. Championships before the 1994 Games, when an assailant clubbed Kerrigan's right knee during practice and an investigation revealed rival Tonya Harding had knowledge of the planning of the attack. Nancy Kerrigan married her manager, Jerry Solomon, in 1995. They live in Lynnfield and
have three children together. A message left with Solomon was not immediately returned. Kerrigan and Solomon established the Nancy Kerrigan Foundation, which supports the vision impared in honor of Brenda Kerrigan, who is legally blind. The Boston Globe published a death notice on Monday for Daniel Kerrigan, which said he was a U.S. Army veteran. He and his wife also have another son, Michael. A funeral Mass was scheduled for Thursday. ___ Associated Press writer Bob Salsberg in Boston contributed to this report. (This version DELETES an incorrect reference to Mark Kerrigan's age as 35; he is 45. Will be led.) Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
You're number 1: Tiny Alaska village up first in census (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:41:11 AM
NOORVIK, Alaska – The U.S. Census Bureau is launching its 2010 count of the nation's residents in a remote Alaska village. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves is flying to Noorvik in northwest Alaska on Monday to count the first household in the Inupiat Eskimo community of 650. Groves and other arriving officials are scheduled to be taken to the village school by sled dog teams driven by schoolchildren. The first to be counted will be Clifton Jackson, a World War II veteran and the oldest resident, according to residents. Villagers have prepared a day of festivities at the school to welcome Groves and other visiting federal, state and tribal officials. The residents plan to hold traditional dances, an Inupiat fashion show and a feast YOU'RE page 83
Dutch kids are the happiest (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:49:00 AM
According to new research by Unicef Germany, Dutch children have the best lives of all children living in industrialized countries. German researchers studied
children in twenty one industrialized nations on the basis of six criteria: material wealth, health, education, relationships, safety, and their own feelings of luck—and the Netherlands soared to the top of Dutch children have been ranked the list. This is the second time
the happiest in Europe. The top happiest children, by nation, are as follows: • Netherlands • Sweden • Finland Canada and the U.S. come in at
numbers seventeen and twenty one. (Via Dutch Daily News) All the latest on the Netherlands. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment »
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HAITI
YOU'RE
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"physically get the Haitian government back on its feet". The quake destroyed key government buildings, including the National Palace. 'Vanity parade' UK-based charity Oxfam has urged the international community to have Haiti's foreign debts cancelled. It said about $900m (ÂŁ557m) owed to donor countries and institutions should be written off. The World Bank has already announced that it is waiving Haiti's debt payments for the next five years. And the Paris Club of creditor governments - including the US, UK, France and Germany - has called on other nations to follow its lead in cancelling debts to Haiti. Venezuela and Taiwan are the other biggest creditors. Although aid continues to flow into Haiti, the head of Italy's civil protection service has strongly criticised the relief effort and the role of thousands of US troops sent there. Guido Bertolaso said there was a lack of leadership in the
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international aid operation. He described it as "a terrible situation that could have been managed much better". "When there is an emergency, it triggers a vanity parade. Lots of people go there anxious to show that their country is big and important, showing solidarity," he said. Mr Bertolaso, an Italian government minister, said it was logical and "commendable" for the US to lead the relief efforts, but "too many officers" meant they had not been able to find a capable leader. "We're missing a leader, a coordination capacity that goes beyond military discipline," he said. "It's a truly powerful show of force, but it's completely out of touch with reality. They don't have close rapport with the territory, they certainly don't have a rapport with the international organisations and aid groups." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Christian Fraser describes the
situation at Haiti's heavilydamaged port Aid workers have also criticised Haitian government plans to relocate hundreds of thousands of people from the capital, Portau-Prince, to large camps outside the city. Caroline Gluck, from Oxfam, told the BBC the move could be dangerous for the survivors. "In the past, experience has told us establishing some huge camps can cause all kinds of security problems, for example, robberies, rapes and kind of gang activities if the camps are kept too big," she said. Oxfam was pressing for the camps to be smaller, she added. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
of subsistence foods including moose and caribou. The school also will serve as lodging for Groves and most of the 50 visitors, who will bunk down in empty classrooms. Census workers and trained locals are expected to take a week to interview the rest of Noorvik's residents, using the same 10-question forms to be mailed to most households on March 15. Census workers also will visit 217 other rural Alaska communities in the coming weeks. Alaskans in rural communities that, like Noorvik, are not linked by roads have been the first residents counted since the 1990 census. These communities are the places where the process is first conducted in person by census workers, who also make personal visits to nonresponding residents around the country. It's easier to get census counters to the villages around Alaska before muddy conditions brought on by the spring thaw makes access more difficult, according to Ralph Lee, director of the bureau's Seattle region, which oversees Alaska. Many rural Alaskans also still live off the land, fishing and hunting for their food. Lee said it's important to reach villagers before they set off for fishing camps or hunting expeditions.
After the weather warms, Noorvik residents will hunt for moose, caribou, seal, geese and ducks. They also will fill their freezers with salmon, trout and other fish from the Kobuk River. Noorvik Mayor Bobby Wells said a handful of residents spend even winter in their camps, but they're expected to be in the community for the count because of its influence on federal funding and congressional representation. Noorvik, just north of the Arctic Circle, was chosen as the launching point after census officials met with leaders in a number of Alaska villages. Lee said Noorvik turned out be ideal because it is a good size and only 45 miles east of a hub town, Kotzebue, a destination for commercial flights. From the town of 3,100, the census travelers are taking a quick charter flight to Noorvik. Village leaders also were very open about wanting the enumeration to begin there, Lee said. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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175,000 gallons evaporated, dispersed in oil spill (AP)
'Not guilty' plea in Mumbai plot
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
(BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:10:19 AM
DALLAS – Nearly half the oil that spilled at a major Texas port during a collision between a tanker and a towing vessel has evaporated, dispersed or been recovered from the water, the Coast Guard said Monday. About 175,000 gallons of oil has evaporated or dispersed, Coast Guard Petty Officer Casey Ranel said. Some 46,200 gallons — or 10 percent of the total oil spilled — was recovered. About 462,000 gallons of oil spilled when an 800-foot tanker headed for an Exxon Mobil Corp. refinery in Beaumont collided Saturday with a vessel pushing two barges. Nobody was hurt. It was the largest spill in Texas in 16 years, but still well shy of one 20 years ago involving Norwegian tanker Mega Borg that leaked 4.3 million gallons of
crude oil about 60 miles off Galveston. Two sensitive wildlife areas nearby remain unaffected by the spill, which is mostly contained in a 2-mile stretch of the Sabine Neches Waterway near Port Arthur, about 90 miles east of Houston. Authorities have received one report of an oilcovered heron, and residents have been urged to report other affected animals. The shipping channel is closed, and it remains unclear when it will reopen, Ranel said. About 500 responders on the water and in the command post worked overnight to contain the spill. Nearly 46,000 feet of plastic walls known as booms and 15 oil-sucking skimmer boats were in the water, Ranel said. The Eagle Otome collided with a towing vessel pushing two barges on Saturday, leaving a 15foot-by-8-foot hole in the tanker.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard are investigating. The Eagle Otome is owned by AET Tankers, a Malaysian company with offices in Houston. "We have no insight right now into what caused it," said AET spokesman Darrell Wilson. "The Coast Guard has an investigation team in place ... and we are fully participating in that investigation process." The company is working with the Coast Guard on cleanup, although it's unclear who will pay for it. "It was our product that spilled and right now, we are the ones responsible for cleaning it up," Wilson said. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
2005 sparked angry and violent protests from Muslims in several countries. Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:17:14 AM Both men have denied the A Chicago businessman has charges. pleaded not guilty to charges Earlier this month, along with relating to the deadly 2008 two other men, Mr Rana was Mumbai attacks. charged with helping to lay the Tahawwur Rana is alleged to groundwork for the November have helped a friend from 2008 attacks in the Indian city. military school, David Coleman The two others, militant chief Headley, plot the attacks in Ilyas Kashmiri and ex-army which 174 people died. officer Abdur Rehman, have not Mr Rana, 49, has been in jail in yet been arrested. the US since his arrest last Abdur Rehman is believed to be October. living in Pakistan, while Ilyas He was charged with plotting K a s h m i r i , a l e a d e r o f a n attacks including one on the outlawed Pakistan-based militant D a n i s h n e w s p a p e r w h i c h group, is said to be living in the published incendiary cartoons of P a k i s t a n i t r i b a l a r e a s i n the prophet Mohammed in 2005. W a z i r i s t a n . He was arrested together with Ilyas Kashmiri was reported to M r H e a d l e y , a P a k i s t a n i - have been killed by an air strike American accused of having in September 2009 - but reports helped identify targets for the since then have said he was Mumbai attacks and also of alive. plotting to attack the newspaper. It is very difficult to confirm Mr Rana is alleged to have used information from Pakistan's his Chicago-based immigration north-western tribal belt. service as a cover for Mr Print Sponsor Headley to make surveillance Five Filters featured article: trips to India and Denmark. Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Differing reports PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, The Jyllands-Posten's decision Term Extraction. to publish a series of cartoons about the Prophet Mohammed in
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Nancy Kerrigan's Brother Arrested in US rules for Noriega Probe of Father's Death extradition (FOXNews.com)
Mark, was arrested and remains in police custody. Mark Kerrigan was charged Former Olympic figure skater with "assault and battery on an Nancy Kerrigan's brother was elder person resulting in serious arrested and charged with assault bodily injury," according to a in connection with the death of police press release. their father, who was found A 5-page police report, obtained unresponsive inside the family's by the Boston Herald, asserts home on Sunday. that the two men were arguing Emergency crews were sent to over use of the telephone when Kerrigan's childhood home in the younger Kerrigan allegedly S t o n e h a m , M a s s . , a t put his “hands around his approximately 1:45 a.m. Sunday father’s neck." after receiving reports of an Kerrigan's son reportedly told unresponsive man at the scene, police that he thought his father MyFoxBoston.com reported. was “faking it” when he fell to Police later identified the man as the floor, according to the Kerrigan's 70-year-old father, newspaper. Daniel. The death was labeled The report says that Mark suspicious, the TV station Kerrigan appeared intoxicated reported. when police arrived on the scene Click here to read more from and that he had to be subdued MyFoxBoston.com with pepper spray. Police also Stoneham Police Chief Richard said they found blood on the Bongiorno told the station that kitchen floor, the newspaper Kerrigan's 45-year-old brother, reported. Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:50:34 AM
Kerrigan will be arraigned on the charges at the Woburn District Court on Monday. Stoneham police and Massachusetts state police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office are conducting an investigation into the circumstances of Daniel Kerrigan's death. Kerrigan's mother, Brenda, refuted claims that her husband's death was suspicious, telling the Boston Herald that he died of a "massive heart attack." “My God. He had a heart attack,” she told the newspaper. “That’s what it was.” Click here to read more from the Boston Herald Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
(BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
returned to Panama. As a former prisoner of war following the US invasion of Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:57:34 AM Panama in 1989, they said, the The US Supreme Court has Geneva Conventions precluded refused to hear an appeal from his extradition to a third country. Panama's ex-leader Manuel He also faces a 20-year sentence Noriega against his extradition to a t h o m e i m p o s e d b y a France on money laundering Panamanian court in his absence charges. for ordering the murder in 1985 Noriega wanted to be sent back of Hugo Spadafora, a prominent to his country after completing a opponent. drug sentence at a jail in Florida. Noriega, who is in his 70s, led In April, a US court ruled the Panama in the mid- to late 1980s f o r m e r d i c t a t o r c o u l d b e and was a key American ally in extradited to France. the region before being captured The US convicted Noriega of by invading US forces. laundering illicit drugs money in He has remained in US custody 1990 and he was sentenced to 30 ever since the completion of his years, later reduced to 17 years 17-year US prison term, pending for good behaviour. his appeal against extradition. France convicted him in his Print Sponsor absence in 1999 for laundering Five Filters featured article: money through French banks, Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: though it says he will be granted PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, a new trial. Term Extraction. His lawyers had argued international law required he be
Greatest risk of 34 entrepreneurs and celebrities (Holy Kaw!)
• Robin Chase of Zipcar snuck into Kenya from Tanzania • Caterina Fake of Flickr What’s the greatest risk that mortgaged her house you’ve ever taken? Forbes has • Kenan Thompson of Saturday compiled a report about the Night Live referred Barack greatest risk that thirty-four Obama to his barber because celebrities, business people, Barack wasn’t looking too cool athletes, and politicians took in • Tim Westergren of Pandora their careers. Some highlights: (shown here) maxed out eleven Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:07:00 AM
credit cards to keep the company going
(Disclosure: Pandora is a Garage investment, and we’re proud of that) (Via Forbes) Total aggregation of innovation tips. Permalink| Leave a comment »
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Green.view: Gone but not forgotten (The Economist: Daily columns) Submitted at 1/25/2010 3:29:54 AM
Green.view Details of how people killed off species in the past may have implications for whether they do so in the future Jan 25th 2010 From Economist.com Between 50,000 and 5,000 years ago roughly half of the earth’s larger mammals (species that were sheep-sized or bigger) went extinct. The distribution of these extinctions in time and space suggests strongly that humans were responsible. Large mammals in Africa, which had evolved alongside humans for millions of years, were for the most part spared. The species which died out elsewhere—178 of them, possibly more—tended to do so at around the time that they first encountered modern humans coming forth out of Africa with pointy sticks, good throwing arms and large appetites. Ecologists have shown that wiping out big animals is surprisingly easy, since big animals reproduce slowly, which means that a small increase in the rate at which predators pick them off can have a large effect on the population, especially if the predators prefer hunting juveniles. Hence the now widely accepted argument that humans come with original ecological sin built in.
As a large and recent extinction event this topic would be worth studying even if it did not have implications for how people think about themselves. When extinction is becoming commonplace, a better understanding of its mechanisms is prudent. Research in this area has recently been throwing up some surprising and intriguing complexities. In North America, new evidence suggests that both mammoths and horses co-existed with humans a lot longer than had previously been expected, suggesting the extinctions could not have been simple wham-bam -yummy-leg-of-lamb affairs. Evidence from bones and teeth has led to researchers accepting that mammoths and native horses last roamed America between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago, which fits nicely with humans turning up about 14,000 years ago. But saying when the last of a species roamed on the basis of bones is an error-prone affair; the chances that the last of a dying race will pass away in some sort of ready-made ossuary are slim. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in late December, Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues from various other places looked instead at DNA evidence from frozen sediments in Alaska. They argue that specific layers within these
sediments can be reliably dated, and that DNA cannot easily have moved into these layers from older or younger ones; as a result, they can say with some conviction that there were still mammoths and horses roaming Alaska 10,500 years ago, well after humans got there. This is not to say humans did not cause the extinction—just that there was considerably more cohabitation beforehand. Another recent paper points out that hunting and other environmental changes can interact with each other in complex ways. In November Jacquelyn Gill of the University of Wisconsin and her colleagues published in Science their studies of a dung fungus and other ecological markers that provide insight into how the landscape of the north-eastern United States changed after people got there. They show that an initial collapse in the population of some large herbivores directly preceded an increase in the level of fire in the area. One possibility is that removing the big herbivores allowed woody plants that they previously kept under control to flourish, building up the fuel available for fires; those fires then reshaped the landscape, changing the distribution of plants to be found there, which may in turn have caused problems for herbivores who had been fine with the way
things were. This offers a way for the hunting of one species, through a chain of ecological cause and effect, to spell bad news for another. Such effects could spread the ecological damage beyond the original prey at the same time as drawing out the actual extinction. Elsewhere, though, what looked to some like a slow death has been redefined as a quick one. At a site in New South Wales called Cuddie Springs there have been claims that stone tools and the bones of large animals—giant wombats and the like—can be found side by side in sediments spanning 10,000 years of prehistory. Now a new study by Rainer Grün of the Australian National University and colleagues in Quaternary Science Reviews brings that long and comparatively recent period of cohabitation into doubt, providing evidence from new dating techniques that the animal teeth in the sediments are older than the tools those teeth are found alongside. The idea, dear to some, that humans cohabited with Australia’s megafauna for 20,000 years or so is thus dealt a blow. The evidence that humans were in some way responsible for these deaths remains strong. And to read a moral into that causation remains, for the most part, unhelpful. There has been some disquiet at the idea that the
first people in the Americas and Australia, almost wiped out themselves by the imperial spread of Europeans over the past 500 years, might be turned by such evidence from victims into perpetrators, their claims to compassion and restitution thus diminished. To think less of the people who populated those landscapes of another age because of the unforeseen consequences of their actions would be foolish, just as it would be to take a history of humanassociated extinctions as normalising, naturalising or even excusing the extinctions now going on and likely in the future. But if further understanding of these past extinctions—an understanding that explains the sometimes lengthy periods of cohabitation and the complex network of ecological knock-on effects that must have been involved—shows how similar disruptions might be avoided in the future, it would be hard not to see it, in some respects, as making good of an earlier ill. Readers' comments The Economist welcomes your views. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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American politics: Where to now? (The Economist: News analysis) Submitted at 1/24/2010 11:03:38 PM
American politics A ticklish week for Barack Obama Jan 25th 2010 From Economist.com THE president’s annual state-ofthe-union speech, despite the fuss and standing ovations in Congress, is often a forgettable laundry list of priorities. But Barack Obama’s first proper go at the address to Congress on Wednesday January 27th as mandated by the constitution (his inaugural speech last year did not count as a state-of-the-union talk) will be watched with unusual interest, and not only because he is a far better speaker than his predecessor, George Bush. After the recent stinging loss of a Massachusetts Senate seat to the Republicans, the president’s domestic agenda is imperilled. He needs to present a clear idea of what he plans to do next. Health care is still foremost in many minds despite the arguments surrounding Mr Obama's continuing efforts to rein in America's bankers. The Massachusetts vote means that Republicans, now with 41 of 100 seats, have denied the Democrats
a super-majority and so can use a filibuster to talk out almost any bill. Scott Brown, the new senator for Massachusetts, has promised to do just that. How the Democrats respond will matter greatly, both for the prospects of the bill and the performance of the two main political parties at mid-term elections in November year. Some Democrats want to push the Senate version of the health bill through the House of Representatives without amendment, which would mean not putting it back through the Senate. But that would appear to ignore the voters' wishes in Massachusetts, risking a big voter backlash later in the year. Mr Obama has instead hinted that he would like to build support for a bill “around those elements of the package that people agree on.” But if this means only the populist bits, this looks like bad policy. For example, both Democratic bills would make it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to customers because of a pre-existing condition. This would make premiums more expensive, by putting more unhealthy people in the system, as Mr Obama himself has conceded. It is not clear what other elements the president
believes could be agreed on. A bolder option Mr Obama might pursue is to make the bill bigger not smaller. Last year, he talked of bringing America’s famously plaintiff-friendly medical malpractice litigation under control. This helped to win the support of the American Medical Association. But none of this proposal made it into either the House or Senate bill. Offering this, the thing the Republicans say they want most out of health-care reform, could put Republicans on the spot. If they obstruct the bill, they would look like they have no interest but bringing Mr Obama down. But adding tort reform could lose Democrats, who are closer to trial lawyers. Mr Obama may instead want to move away from health care and to talk instead about the economy overall. One reason for the punishment in Massachusetts might have been voter anger that politicians are paying too little attention to joblessness and the recession. Mr Obama has claimed that the same anger that brought Mr Brown’s victory in Massachusetts carried Mr Obama himself to office. But the president can pose as an outsider only for so long. He needs to develop some of the empathy
that Bill Clinton famously showed when he adopted and made famous the phrase “I feel your pain”. Mr Obama might try: “I feel your anger.” This could mean even more of Mr Obama's bank-bashing populism. His latest plans, unveiled on Thursday, will restrict the size and range of activities of American banks. They come a week after he announced plans to make the banks pay back, through special taxes, the bail-out money they received during the financial crisis. The latest rules to curb America's banks were inspired by the thinking of Paul Volcker, a former Federal Reserve chairman and Obama adviser. If this has made Ben Bernanke, current Fed boss, a little nervous, the wavering last last week of some Senate Democrats over backing his confirmation for a second term will not have improved his composure. Mr Obama's team spent the weekend shoring up support for Mr Bernanke. Other domestic agenda-items, such as cap-and-trade legislation on greenhouse gases, will be wrapped up in the language of energy security, job-creation and boosting American competitiveness, rather than by
talking about the climate changing, about which voters appear relatively unconcerned. Most attention will be on domestic issues, but in foreign policy, too, the president has daunting challenges. He has won Republican support (and Democratic grousing) for his decision to boost troop numbers temporarily in Afghanistan. His vice-president, Joe Biden, has been deployed to hold hands in Iraq, where a de-Baathification commission has banned a large number of Sunni Arabs from the forthcoming elections, stoking fears of renewed sectarian war. And Iran remains a conundrum, with Mr Obama still committed to offering negotiations over nuclear matters, while gradually stepping up criticism of the regime’s violent handling of opposition protests. It would not surprise to hear Mr Obama offer his most ringing condemnation of Iran yet. Readers' comments The Economist welcomes your views. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Magazine Rack: Field and Stream (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 7:30:12 AM
Things learned from perusing recent issues of Field & Stream: -- An empty Altoids tin can be critical when nature calls in the wild. -- Venison is more American than apple pie. -- Rush Limbaugh may indeed be a Big Fat Idiot. Amid all the how-to diagrams -on parking cars before pheasant hunting; tinkering with the trigger to resuscitate an old rifle; using a transducer cord for ice fishing -- there are some shoots of amusement inside the ancient publication. Of course, those stand in sharp contrast to the deadly (pun intended) serious. Guns that no doubt would strike fear in the hearts of the Taliban get an endorsement from the editors for conquering big game. Be patient when stalking deer, readers are told: "If you don't have a good chance for a clean kill, hold off." The two fastest hunting bows on earth -- with "blazing-fast X Force" -- take a heckuva lot of strength to fire. Then again, what do you expect from a magazine that caters to the ardent hunter (and angler), and has done so for an astounding 115 years? That's just about half of our country's life. If
Ben Franklin had only realized its surefire appeal among Minutemen, F&S might have predated the Declaration of Independence. The magazine's levity may be unintentional, but is on display each issue with the "Reader Tips" section at the front of the book. The F&S fan base could put MacGyver to shame, as they write in with can't-miss, oftingenious suggestions for vanquishing the wild. Toilet paper -- perhaps understandably -- seems to be a popular topic. Iowa's Ryan Adams notes that something as small as an Altoids tin is ideal for carrying an ample amount of TP. A Colorado reader advocates using a Folgers' canister to store a roll -- and help ward off pesky mice. Then there's the breakdown of 2009 heroes and villains, selected by the editors. New York's Kirsten Gillibrand was given a thumbs-up for being the "first gun-owning, NRAsupported" senator from the state in some time. But Limbaugh, who some might count on to lobby for rights to keep a grenade launcher under the bed, is pilloried three times -once for doing PSAs supporting the "virulently anti-hunting" Humane Society.
Enjoyably, the magazine has five of the country's top chefs weigh in with their favorite recipes for venison, noted as more American than apple pie. Among them is John Delucie of New York's celebrity-dripping Waverly Inn, who offers an alternative to the $55 mac and cheese. Moving beyond the lighthearted, the February issue highlights some of the best of F&S through the years. Photography is definitely one top element. Readers way back in 1895 missed out! Whether it's of a deer in a cornfield, a fisherman showing off his prize, or antlers floating in a frozen creek, the shots are spectacular. Each of the issues I checked out (which also include November 2009 and December/January 2009/2010) has full-page displays that do justice to the clichĂŠ that a picture is worth a thousand words. February's F&S also offers an off-beat, human-interest story about two parents who started a competitive hunting club at an Iowa high school. Even as the author acknowledges the touchy subject of schools and guns, it's a feel-good first-person account. F&S could do well if it had more of these eccentric-discovery pieces. The pub also offers lengthier
features with some quality writing --including one about a bearded Alaskan trapper who braves ungodly elements. An intruder from the "Lower 48" -editor-at-large Bill Heavey -joins the hirsute one on a journey to nowhere. Heavey also writes a back-page column every month, where the humor is sometimes intentional. The February version, however, is tough for a non-hunter to follow, and at one point Heavey admits he wanders into "inside baseball." But playing that game, at least in part, is a necessity for F&S. It wouldn't have a shot in the dark at being around another 115 years without appealing to its core readers. Its editor, Anthony Licata, sure seems to know that. In November he opined that more schools should close to give kids a day to hunt deer. MAG STATS Publisher: Bonnier Corp. Frequency: Monthly, except December and January issues are combined W e b s i t e : http://www.fieldandstream.com Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Research Brief: Consumers To Spend $6.2B On Mobile Apps This Year (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 1/25/2010 5:16:00 AM
According to a new Gartner report, "Application Stores; The Revenue Opportunity Beyond the Hype," consumers will spend $6.2 billion in 2010 in mobile application stores while advertising revenue is expected to generate $0.6 billion worldwide. Analysts said mobile application stores will exceed 4.5 billion downloads in 2010, eight out of ten of which will be free to end users. Gartner forecasts worldwide downloads in mobile application stores to surpass 21.6 billion by 2013. Free downloads will account for 82% of all downloads in 2010, and will account for 87% of downloads in 2013. Stephanie Baghdassarian, research director at Gartner, says "As... application stores become the focus for players in the value chain, consumers will experiment with application downloads... games remain the No. 1 application, and mobile shopping, social networking, utilities and productivity tools continue to grow... " Worldwide mobile application stores' download revenue exceeded $4.2 billion in 2009 and will grow to $29.5 billion by RESEARCH page 89
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the end of 2013. This revenue forecast includes end-user spending on paid-for applications and advertisingsponsored free applications. Advertising-sponsored mobile applications will generate almost 25% of mobile application stores revenue by 2013. High-end smartphone users today tend to be early adopters, more trustful of billing mechanisms, and will pay for applications that meet their needs. Average smartphone users will be less tech-savvy and will be more reluctant to pay for applications. Ms Baghdassarian added,
"Growth in smartphone sales will not necessarily mean that consumers will spend more money, but it will widen the addressable market for an offering that will be advertisingfunded..." Read the complete release here, or obtain the full report from Gartner here. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Obama's Approval Most Polarized for First-Year President (All Gallup Headlines) Submitted at 1/24/2010 8:00:00 PM
PRINCETON, NJ -- The 65
percentage-point gap between Democrats' (88%) and OBAMA'S page 90
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UGA researchers find e-readers fall short as news delivery tool (Rome News-Tribune) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers)
Amazon, might be a viable substitute for the traditional newspaper. Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:32:35 AM “We are in the first phase of the Portable e-readers such as the project which compares eKindle are unlikely to win readers, such as the Kindle, to readers back to the newspaper traditional newspapers and habit unless they include features online delivery systems,” said such color, photographs and Krugman. “Our focus is on the touch screens, according to way people consume media in a r e s e a r c h c o n d u c t e d a t t h e rapidly changing environment. University of Georgia. Earlier, we employed similar Young adults in particular methods when studying the compared the Kindle DX used in growth of the multi-channel the study unfavorably to smart television environment.” phones, such as the iPhone or While adults of all ages were Blackberry. impressed by the readability of Professors of advertising Dean the Kindle screen, describing it Krugman and Tom Reichert, and as “easy on the eyes,” few Barry Hollander, an associate considered it a primary way to professor of journalism in the read news. U G A G r a d y C o l l e g e o f For younger adults, the Kindle J o u r n a l i s m a n d M a s s fell short when compared to their Communication, conducted the beloved smart phones, with research project over a six-month touch screens and multiple period in 2009. applications—from music to Athens-area residents were surfing the Internet—available in provided Kindles to read The a single small package. The eAtlanta Journal-Constitution. In- reader felt “old” to them. depth interviews and focus Older adults were overall more groups followed to learn their receptive to the concept of an elikes and dislikes of the e-reader. reader. However, the Kindle The Atlanta daily newspaper failed to include aspects of the d r o p p e d A t h e n s f r o m i t s traditional newspaper they had c i r c u l a t i o n a r e a i n 2 0 0 9 , grown fond of, such as comics prompting the researchers to and crossword puzzles. wonder whether e-readers such Cost was a factor regardless of as the Kindle, sold through age. Nearly all respondents
balked at the Kindle DX’s $489 price tag for reading a newspaper. As a stand-alone attribute, Krugman said, the newspaper feature is likely not strong enough to sell the e-reader. “It should be seen as one of a constellation of services for the device including books, magazines, etc.” A number of competing e-reader or “tablet” systems are expected on the market soon, including one by Apple. The first phase of focus groups was conducted in part by UGA students, with faculty guidance, in an advertising research methods class. A second phase will provide respondents the use of Kindles before undergoing more rigorous in-depth interviews to answer questions raised in the initial research. A key part of the study will examine if and how an e-reader becomes part of a consumer’s daily media experience. The research was funded by a grant from UGA’s Cox Institute for Newspaper Management Studies. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Republicans' (23%) average job approval ratings for Barack Obama is easily the largest for any president in his first year in office, greatly exceeding the prior high of 52 points for Bill Clinton. Overall, Obama averaged 57% job approval among all Americans from his inauguration to the end of his first full year on Jan. 19. He came into office seeking to unite the country, and his initial approval ratings ranked among the best for postWorld War II presidents, including an average of 41% approval from Republicans in his first week in office. But he quickly lost most of his Republican support, with his approval rating among Republicans dropping below 30% in mid-February and below 20% in August. Throughout the year, his approval rating among Democrats exceeded 80%, and it showed little decline even as his overall approval rating fell from the mid-60s to roughly 50%. "Prior to Ronald Reagan, no president averaged more than a 40-point gap in approval ratings by party during his term; since then, only the elder George Bush has averaged less than a 50-point
gap." Thus, the extraordinary level of polarization in Obama's first year in office is a combination of declining support from Republicans coupled with high and sustained approval from Democrats. In fact, his 88% average approval rating from his own party's supporters is exceeded only by George W. Bush's 92% during Bush's first year in office. Obama's 23% approval among supporters of the opposition party matches Bill Clinton's for the lowest for a first -year president. But Clinton was less popular among Democrats than Obama has been to date, making Obama's ratings more polarized. Obama still has three years left in his first term and possibly seven more as president, so there is much time for the polarization of his approval ratings to subside. However, if the current level of polarization persists through the end of his term, Obama would exceed Bush as the president with the most polarized approval ratings. Bush's average RepublicanDemocratic gap for his eight years in office was 61 points. This included the record gap for
a single approval rating: 83 points, which occurred twice -in September 2004 (95% Republican, 12% Democratic) and October 2004 (94% Republican, 11% Democratic). The political divide in Bush's ratings is to some extent understated, though, given the rally in public support for Bush after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, when he received record-high approval ratings. Even with these approval ratings, he averaged a 55-point gap in approval by party during his first term. During his second term, the average party gap in his ratings was 68 points, higher than Obama's to date. The accompanying graph makes clear how much the level of political polarization has grown in Americans' evaluations of presidents in recent decades. Prior to Ronald Reagan, no president averaged more than a 40-point gap in approval ratings by party during his term; since then, only the elder George Bush has averaged less than a 50-point gap, including Obama's average 65-point gap to date. Bottom Line As a candidate and as president, Obama -- like his immediate
predecessor, Bush -- sought to bring Americans together after periods of heightened political polarization in the United States. But despite their best intentions and efforts, both men's approval ratings have been characterized by extreme partisanship -- with high and seemingly unwavering approval from their own party's supporters and very little from the opposition party. The way Americans view presidents has clearly changed in recent decades, perhaps owing to the growth in variety, sources, and even politicization of news on cable television and the Internet, and the continuing popularity of politically oriented talk radio. The outcome is that Americans evaluate their presidents and other political leaders through increasingly thick partisan lenses. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Sous Vide Supreme Review: The Tenderest Meats, From the Science Lab To Your Home Kitchen By John Mahoney (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:59:00 AM
A new machine aims to bring sous vide cooking to the home chef for the first time Sous vide cooking presents an interesting paradox: it's currently de rigueur in the kitchens of the world's most advanced chefsthose helmed by wild prodigies like Keller, AdriĂ , Dufresne, Achatz-yet, fundamentally, it's one of the simplest and most foolproof methods for cooking just about anything to its exact level of perfect doneness. But now, we non-pros have a new option-the Sous Vide Supreme, the first sous vide setup aimed at home cooks. Do you have to be Thomas Keller to pull off sous vide? I've been cooking with a Sous Vide Supreme for the last month to find out. SOUS page 91
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Cooking sous vide is easy: seal the food in a bag, stick it in a water bath held at the precise temperature of perfection, wait, then enjoy meats and vegetables of such exquisite tenderness you may be surprised to find you're eating plain-old Earthly beef, and not a never-before-savored endangered species. The technique also represents the most literal transformation of your kitchen into the science lab it's always secretly wished it was, with a $1,000 immersion circulator straight from your chemistry professor's supply catalog being the tool of choice for restaurant chefs. There's a lot to love for someone who enjoys both cooking and science immensely. I am fairly confident in the kitchen, but the great thing about sous vide is that the me of 10 years ago, in college making Lipton instant noodles and ramen for just about every meal, could probably have summoned equally mind-blowing results from the Sous Vide Supreme. This is, again, a product of the technique's almost Puritanical simplicity. All you need is a plastic bag and a water bath held at a consistent, unchanging temperature of your choosing. That's it. So what's all the fuss about then? Well, let's use a beautiful piece of hanger steak as an example. You could sear that steak in a cast iron pan over high heat, then stick it in the oven to
finish for a few more minutes, let it rest and, if you know your oven and have done this a few times, come out with a perfect medium rare piece of meat to enjoy. Medium rare in the middle that is-the outer layer, no matter how perfect your timing and technique, will be overdone compared to the center. Now let's take that same piece of hanger steak and cook it sous vide. Salt and pepper it and seal it in a Ziploc bag (vacuum sealers work great for sous vide, which is, after all, French for under vacuum but they're not mandatory-as long as the bag doesn't float, you're good). Then toss it in your 55-degree Celsius water bath. If you've read your McGee, you know that cooking adheres strictly to the rules of science: muscle cells, fat cells, collagen and connective tissues all break down and tenderize at consistent and exact temperatures. As a result, we know that 55 degrees Celsius (no Fahrenheit! this is Science!) is the temperature of perfectly cooked medium rare beef. So toss it in, wait 45 minutes-or 4 hours, if that's more convenient, as the meat won't rise above 55 degrees-then pull it out. It may look gray and gross right now, but do not fear! We know that the entire piece of meat has cooked in nothing but its own delicious juices to the scientifically derived temperature of perfect medium rare beef. The antidote to the
yucky grayness is a good hot sear afterwards: fire up your cast iron pan to a scary level of heat and blast it for just a minute on each side with a little butter or oil in the pan to add a tasty, crunchy crust. Or if you really want to please your inner mad scientist, use a blowtorch. Then eat the most insanely tender and perfectly cooked steak of your life. And while proteins lend themselves beautifully to sous vide cooking, fruits and vegetables are similarly revelatory, with luxuriously even textures that still maintain essential, basic raw flavor. Delicious. Because the technique is inherently so simple, a review of the Sous Vide Supreme is more a review of sous vide cooking in general, because the machine only has to do one easy job. And based on my experience, it does that job just fine. Underneath the basin sits a PID heating element, one that delivers periodic heat of varying intensity, unlike the basic "on" or "off" of a thermostat. Having the heat element only on the bottom worried me, because the only way to screw up a sous vide water bath is with unevenly distributed heat. But the first thing I cooked-eggs-seemed to dispel this potential weakness. Placing them right on the removable porous metal grate that separates the bottom of the basin from the rest of the tank
(cooked for 55 minutes at 63 degrees), the eggs came out evenly cooked. And a sous vide egg is pretty magical-unlike a poached egg, the yolk is actually thicker than the whites, retaining a custardy or pudding-like texture. Delicious in a bowl of noodle soup, cracked over some asparagus, or on toast. With this initial worry out of the way, I proceeded to throw just about everything I could into the machine. Sirloin steaks, pork loin, shell steaks, Arctic char, fennel, apples, pork belly, short ribs, lamb shanks-all were delicious and in some way transformed from conventional cooking. For pornographic photos of every food I cooked sous vide (and a guide to times and temperatures and my thoughts on cooking each dish), see the gallery here. The beautiful thing is that the cooking is exceedingly easy: to cook something sous vide, all you really need to know is what temperature and how long. Sous vide has a reputation for being incredibly time-intensive, but tender cuts of meat and most vegetables and fruits can be cooked through in an hour or less. Fish can cook even more briefly, depending on the portion size. Only tougher cuts of meat that one would normally braise (like short ribs or lamb shanks) require the long haul-I kept my short ribs in for 48 hours, for example. Knowing those two variables,
you can cook anything sous vide. But the Internet-normally a bountiful font of foodie information-is currently pretty light on practical sous vide info. Which is due, of course, to the technique still being used only by professionals. But thankfully, one of sous vide cooking's allstars and one of America's most lauded chefs, Thomas Keller, has written Under Pressure, an abundantly useful book. Even if you call your pork belly "pork belly" and not "breast of pork" and skip the two or three complex purees that accompany each wildly technical recipe, the book is an excellent guide for times and temperatures of over 100 ingredient preparations, ranging from veal kidneys and duck gizzards to eggs, apples and sirloin of beef. It's $75, but it's the only definitive guide to sous vide cooking available in English right now. Other invaluable references are Harold McGee's aforementioned On Food and Cooking, which is the Bible of the science and history of food and really a must for anyone with an interest in cooking or even just eating. And available online is University of Colorado mathematics Ph. D. candidate Douglas Baldwin's detailed sous vide guide, derived clearly from much experimentation. I've enjoyed cooking with the Sous Vide Supreme immenselySOUS page 92
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NASA Plans to Give Data Transfer Connection Speeds in Deep Space a 50X Boost By Clay Dillow (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 1/25/2010 9:56:52 AM
In a world of real-time Twitter search and smartphones that whisk pictures and videos around a very mobile Web, it's hard to believe that data transfer rates to and from space often border on dial-up speeds. The ISS is one of the most advanced pieces of technology man has ever dreamed up, yet crew members got their first Internet connection just last week. But by integrating three of its space networks and polishing up its space comms technologies -- many of which have been in place since the 1990s -- NASA hopes to boost its connection speeds even in deep space by 50 times. By folding together its Space Network (SN), Near-Earth Network (NEN) and Deep Space Network, NASA plans to seriously up its data transfer rates, meaning future missions to the moon or Mars could be exchanging 600 megabits per second with handlers back on Earth, vastly increasing the scientific payoff per mission. As an added bonus, by adding new automated systems and smarter technologies, the space agency is getting it done without any
additional drain on its budget. An integration of existing technologies is way overdue; previously, each NASA mission patched together its own communication networks based on the demands of the mission, a process that worked but was inefficient for all the obvious reasons. By creating a single umbrella network for all missions, managers of everything from space probes to planetary orbiters to manned missions will have data flow capabilities that the Apollo and Gemini crews never dreamed of. The integration of the existing
systems should be fully completed no later than 2018. In the meantime NASA is cooking up some other rather impressive high-speed connections in space. The traveling wave tube amplifier on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter works in the Ka-band of the radio spectrum, enabling 461 gigs a day to flow between the orbiter and Earth. More impressive is the earth-based laser that hits the LRO in stride nearly 240,000 miles away, dozens of times per second. That laser is used for ranging and tracking rather than data transfer, but the capability
for connecting with moving spacecraft that far away bodes well for the data-laden lasers of the future. That kind of precision and speed could allow data transfer of 600 megabits per second from the moon or even Mars. If Constellation astronauts return to the moon in coming decades, don't expect to see the grainy footage of the Apollo era. With high-speed data connections, we can finally bring space home in HD. [ Space]
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anyone who loves food and cooking is always delighted by new tastes and textures, and the cooking sous vide is a constant source of both. But at $450 (available from the company's Web site and in most Sur La Table stores) , it's probably too expensive for all but the most serious home cooks. Less than half the price of a PolyScience immersion circulator, yes, but still priced beyond those who just want to experiment. Thankfully, it's easy to create your own DIY sous vide setup for much, much less-something we'll be detailing later this week. But if you're looking for an easy all-in-one sous vide setup and can stand the price, the Sous Vide Supreme gets the job done, deliciously. Launch the gallery for some tasty food porn, as well as thoughts, times and temperatures for everything I cooked
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U.S. Scientists Call for the Creation of an International Asteroid Defense Agency By Jeremy Hsu (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 1/25/2010 6:33:00 AM
Russia's proposal for an Armageddon-style mission to deflect the space rock Apophis seemed bold, but it's not the only one fretting about a catastrophic impact on Earth. The U.S. National Research Council (NRC) released a new report that calls for an international asteroid defense agency that can organize a proper mission to counter possible asteroid threats, New Scientist reports. The NRC repeats some grim facts about Earth's current lack of readiness to deal with giant space rocks flying at it. Current sky surveys will not be able to find 90 percent of near-Earth objects that are 460 feet (140 m) or larger by 2020, as the U.S. Congress instructed NASA in 2005 to ensure they could. As
always, a lack of funding has proved the main problem here. An asteroid-hunting space telescope could go a long way toward playing catch-up and reaching the survey goal by 2022, but at the hefty cost of more than $1 billion. Even if scientists spot a looming asteroid threat, few immediate
solutions exist. The NRC runs down past proposals that range from "slow push" or "slow pull" gravity tractors to small kinetic collisions by spacecraft that could nudge a space rock off course -- assuming that there's decades to spare. But only nuclear explosions stand ready as the current practical means for
dealing with the biggest threats in the form of space rocks greater than 1 km in diameter. Still, several planned missions offer hope of not only studying asteroids for weaknesses, but even using them as a sort of"Plymouth Rock" stepping stone to colonize Mars. Such missions could represent small yet crucial steps toward generating interest in funding more asteroid detection and deflection methods. Keep in mind that the NRC's plans primarily cover large asteroid threats. Plenty of smaller meteorites still fall to Earth every year, including one that crashed through the roof of a doctor's office in Virginia on Thursday. That culprit rock was identified by the geologist husband of one of the office receptionists, SPACE.com notes. [via New Scientist]
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Could Black-Market Botox Makers Supply Terrorists with Botulinum Toxin? By Jeremy Hsu (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
Each vial of Botox contains an incredibly tiny amount of botulinum toxin, a natural nerve agent created by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It's such a Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:05:58 AM tiny amount that terrorists would B l a c k m a r k e t l a b s t h a t have to buy hundreds of vials at manufacture the beauty drug $400 each to even kill one B o t o x c o u l d a l s o p r o v i d e person. t e r r o r i s t s w i t h t h e d e a d l y But just a speck of pure toxin, botulinum toxin, officials and smaller than a grain of sand, can security experts warn. U.S. kill a 150-pound adult, and so scientists found that a biologist terrorist groups such as Alwith a master's degree and Qaeda and Aum Shinrikyo have $2,000 worth of equipment could played with the bioterror agent in easily make enough pure toxin to the past. Now the worldwide theoretically kill thousands of p o p u l a r i t y o f B o t o x h a s people, The Washington Post cultivated a widespread network reports. of black market suppliers who
could easily provide the materials to create pure botulinum toxin to anyone willing to fork over some cash.
The Washington Post goes on to point out examples of illegal factories in Russia and China. Potent counterfeits of legally prescribed Botox have even found their way into the United States. Now it sounds like U.S. biodefense experts and investigators have their work cut out for them, to say the least -unless, perhaps, the beauty market can find a Botox substitute in the form of newborn foreskin. [via The Washington Post]
Video: Airborne Laser Tracks and Engages A Missile in Flight By Clay Dillow (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now)
missile fired from San Nicolas Island off the California coast. While the video might come off just a bit anti-climactic, with no dramatic explosion to cap off the Submitted at 1/25/2010 8:44:00 AM laser blast, it does prove one key R e m e m b e r t h e A i r b o r n e thing: the system, at least if the Laser(ABL), the jumbo-jet- video is to be believed, actually mounted chemical laser weapon works. d e s i g n e d t o k n o c k h o s t i l e Missile destruction, it turns out, missiles out of the air in mid- w a s n o t t h e p o i n t o f t h i s flight? The U.S. Missile Defense demonstration. Rather, the test Agency has released a video of rocket was a sensor-laden device (MARTI). While the ABL was this futuristic system in action, known as a Missile Alternative busy acquiring its target and tracking and engaging a test R a n g e T a r g e t I n s t r u m e n t firing its onboard High Energy
Laser (HEL), MARTI was collecting data on the test fire, data that supposedly will help the ABL complete a lethal interception sometime later this year. Of course, those who have been following the ABL from its ambitious beginnings know that the weapon system is underfunded, behind schedule and not exactly a high priority in Obama and Bob Gates' 21st-century military. The chemical laser is expensive, cumbersome and cost
-intensive to recharge. Better electrically powered lasers or naval-launched interceptor missiles very likely will supercede the ABL, which so far only exists as a single prototype plane. Still: lasers blasting missiles out of the sky. What's not to like? [ The Register]