Author: Serkadis

Russell Crowe and Beyonce have emerged as the frontrunners for the lead roles in a remake of classic movie A Star Is Born. Robert Downey, Jr. was attached to the male lead at one point, but now it seems the Gladiator star has taken his place. Crowe is the new favourite to play an ageing, alcoholic musician who mentors and falls in love with a younger female star.

The film was a big screen hit in the 1930s and it has already been reworked twice, with Judy Garland and James Mason in 1957 and Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in 1976. Nick Cassavettes is onboard to direct the film, which is rumoured to feature Mad Men star Jon Hamm, Alicia Keys and Rihanna.

More than 50 Sony high-definition cameras will cover every angle of the National Football League’s championship game, Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts), to be broadcast Feb. 7 (at 6:25pm ET) on the CBS from Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. NEP Broadcasting will provide several trailers for pre- and post-game, main game and the half-time show. The Sony gear used by NEP for the main broadcast in the United States includes HDC-1500 multi-format cameras and HDC-3300 super-motion camera systems, which will be positioned throughout the stadium. In addition, a Sony MVS-8000A production switcher, HD videotape recorders, displays and supporting production equipment will also be used to deliver the game.

According to George Hoover, senior vice president of engineering for NEP, the Sony cameras and switchers have continuously proven themselves in high-profile live event productions, and he’s confident in their ability to perform flawlessly again during the game.

“These technologies deliver a range of functions that are critical to delivering quality live football coverage,” Hoover said. “The cameras work extremely well, they have fast response and very good sensitivity, and the switchers give us the flexibility we need.”

“The technology used to cover a game of this magnitude needs to have the power to fully integrate the level of graphics that NFL fans have grown accustomed to while still producing as clean a feed as possible,” said Ken Aagaard, senior vice president, operations and production services at CBS Sports. “The Sony HD equipment offers a significant level of production flexibility and the image quality is extremely high. This all translates into delivering an enhanced viewing experience for the consumer at home.”

This is the fifth consecutive year that Sony has provided its professional HD equipment for the NFL’s big game, and its technology has evolved to meet the game’s increasing production requirements and more complex camera angles.

“This is the biggest stage for television broadcast production,” said Rob Willox, director of Sony Electronics’ content creation group. “Our multi-format live production technology is the perfect fit, and will help to add an extra layer of excitement and reality for viewers.”

Want to read more about Sony’s predictions for who will win the Super Bowl? Check out a fun Super Bowl post by Social Media Evangalist Sukhjit Ghag on the Sony Electronics blog. I also found great interest in some of the most recent Super Bowl posts on DVICE.

British Columbia, Canada | Inspired Inventions

With a six-meter diameter and weighing in at three metric tons, the Large Zenith Telescope is the third-largest optical telescope in North America and the largest liquid mirror telescope in the world. Completed in 2003, the telescope is housed in the UBC Liquid-Mirror Observatory at Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, overlooking British Columbia’s Fraser Valley.

Isaac Newton first advanced the idea for a liquid telescope. He realized that a liquid made to rotate inside a container would take the form of a paraboloid (shaped like an oval cup ), precisely the shape needed for the primary mirror of a telescope. Unfortunately for Newton, without a stable source of rotation such as an electric motor, building such a telescope was not possible.

Utilizing current technology, however, the scientists and engineers at the Large Zenith Telescope have realized Newton’s aspirations. The LZT employs a six-meter dish filled with a thin layer of mercury. A motor rotates this liquid mirror at a constant rate of six revolutions per minute and walls at the edges of the dish prevent the mercury from spilling over the sides. To support the massive mirror, a special air bearing was engineered that could withstand a 10-metric ton load. This bearing differs from conventional ones in that it uses a thin film of pressurized air to reduce the friction at the interface of the two surfaces.

Land-based liquid mirror telescopes have several advantages and disadvantages compared to their solid mirror counterparts. The major advantages of a liquid mirror telescope are that they are relatively inexpensive, costing about one percent of a conventional mirror, and they can be built much larger. The disadvantages are that the mirror can only point straight up towards the zenith, because it would lose its shape if it were to tilt, and the most common metal employed, mercury, is highly toxic to humans and animals. Extraterrestrial liquid mirror telescopes are advantageous as well, and NASA hopes to one day put one on the moon.

The science topics investigated at the LZT include cosmology, the large-scale structure of the universe, and the evolution of galaxies. With a telescope that can only point overhead, the scientists are somewhat limited in what they can study. Nevertheless, the instrument is used for long-term sky surveys in which the light from over 100,000 distant galaxies is analyzed and supernova searches where astronomers aim to capture the explosive energy of a star in its dying moments.

Los Angeles, California | Strange Science

Every Thursday night, scores of science fiction and fantasy fans gather for the weekly meeting of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. As the world’s oldest continuously meeting science fiction and fantasy society and one of only a handful that have a designated clubhouse, LASFS (pronounced Loss-Fuss or Lass-Fass) is not your average fan club.

LASFS began in 1934, as a charter group of Hugo Gernsback’s Science Fiction League. Gernsback, editor of the prominent science fiction magazine Wonder Stories, created the League so that magazine fans from across the country could correspond with each other. By 1940, the Los Angeles charter had split with the failing Science Fiction League. Led by a young Forrest J. Ackerman (founder of the Ackermansion and perhaps sci-fi’s greatest spokesperson), the group established its own identity: the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society.

Since its inception, the society has had a number of notable members including Golden Age authors A. E. van Vogt and Ross Rocklynne, sci-fi moguls Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen, and even Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Today, contemporary writers such as Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle are known to attend meetings.

LASFS is also responsible for the founding of two major science fiction and fantasy conventions, Loscon and Westercon. In fact, LASFS is such a powerful force in fandom that during the McCarthy era the FBI placed an undercover agent in the society to monitor Communist influence in “fannish” subcultures. Later, in 1968, the society flexed its fanboy muscles and helped save Star Trek from cancellation through a national letter writing campaign directed at NBC executives.

As one would expect of a fan club as reputable as LASFS, the society has its own motto which is echoed in their coat of arms: De Profundis Ad Astra or “From the Depths to the Stars.” LASFSians even have their own rules and bylaws, some serious and some silly, such as Rule 0: “Death will not release you.” Perhaps most importantly, the society has had its own clubhouse since the 1970s. This luxury has allowed them a reliable meeting place, a home to their extensive library, as well as a means to inspire the creation of various subgroups. In 1977, the first Japanese anime fan club, Cartoon/Fantasy Organization, held its first meeting at the LASFS headquarters.

While past society activities included publishing mimeographed fanzines and group outings to scientific lectures, typical meetings today feature guest speakers and auctions of science fiction items. And if you’re lucky, the video librarian will share an obscure 1950s serial just before the meeting. Members are also encouraged to arrive to meetings early for the Neverending Panel, a weekly forum for fan-submitted discussion topics. The subject matter of these conversations can range from the best sci-fi death scenes, to Enterprise vs. Galactica, and even “how society would adapt to sex changes if they were as easy as changing your hair color.”

Newcomers are welcome at LASFS, but should expect to be formally introduced to the group and publicly admit to any history of bedwetting. The first three meetings are free and after that members are required to pay dues. In exchange, any society member is allowed to borrow from the LASFS library, which boasts more than 20,000 volumes of sci-fi and fantasy books, magazines, audio and video tapes. For the shy ones, the “aftermeeting” dinners at nearby Coral Cafe offer a more intimate environment to socialize with LASFS regulars.

Bergen, Norway | Inspired Inventions

The longest tunnel in the world extends 15.2 miles (24.5 km) between the cities of Laerdal and Aurland in western Norway. Known as the Lærdal Tunnel (or Lærdalstunnelen in Norwegian), the tunnel’s construction lasted five years and was completed in 2000, surpassing the world’s second longest tunnel, the St. Gottard Tunnel in Switzerland, by five miles.

Aside from its length, the Lærdal Tunnel is also the first to feature its own air treatment plant. Located in a 328-foot (100 m) cavern, the plant is comprised of two large fans and an electrostatic and carbon filter, which all work to remove dust and nitrogen dioxide from the large structure.

Since it takes the average driver 20 minutes to travel through the tunnel, special design features were added in order to prevent drivers from falling asleep. The tunnel is thus divided into four different sections that are broken up by “mountain caves.” The mountain caves are 3.7 miles (6 km) apart and each one is equipped with special lighting that gives off the illusion of driving into daylight.

In the mountain caves visitors can stop to rest, make a U-turn, or even have a wedding ceremony, as one couple has done.

Los Angeles County, California | Unique Collections

The Museum of African American Firefighters is located at old Fire Station 30 in Downtown Los Angeles. The historic fire station was established in 1913 and served as one of two segregated fire stations in LA between 1924 and 1955. The museum’s exhibitions seek to educate the public on the racial discrimination that black firefighters faced throughout history, as well as to celebrate their profound achievements.

The exhibitions span almost a century of African American history in fire service and includes a variety of firefighter paraphernalia, from a 1940s ladder truck to a hunky “2008 Los Angeles Men of Fire” calendar. Perhaps what stands out most, however, are the displays that share the stories of former black firefighters’ struggles during their time of service.

Article clippings, old photos, and letters are all on view. Visitors can read countless stories of how “colored” firefighters were forced to sleep on isolated cots near the bathroom, away from white firefighters. Treated as second-class citizens, they were forced to scrub toilets, eat alone in silence, and were told to stand four human spaces away from their white colleagues during line-ups and inspections.

Most of the stories are compiled by the museum’s historian, Arnett Hartsfield, who served in the LAFD between 1940-1961. Hartsfield was never promoted during his twenty years of working at the fire department, which earned him his nickname as the “Eternal Rookie.”

Born in 1918, Hartsfield has seen his fair share of discrimination — but also of progress and positivity. He is a member of the “Old Stentorians,” a group of LA African-American firefighters who banded together in the 1950s to address discrimination. Today, the stories of the Stentorians are showcased throughout the museum, along with the awards and achievements of black firefighters — both men and women — who have since gone on to hold prominent positions of power.

Though Harstfield is on the Board of Trustees of the museum, and though he has even earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the LAFD (the first of its kind!), he volunteers at the museum two days a week in order to share his stories with curious visitors. He will gladly talk to guests about his life history and pension plan, but is most enthusiastic about encouraging people to stop complaining and, instead, “be grateful for the things that you don’t have, that you don’t want.”

As a 91-year old, Hartsfield is just happy “to be able to feel the aches and pains of being old,” and he is proud to have helped turn Fire Station 30 — which was once a symbol of oppression and shame for many black firefighters — into a place that now honors their achievements.

Don Kramer will be the Republican nominee for Kane County sheriff in the November election, now that his primary opponent, Rob Russell, conceded the race in which the two came within hundreds of votes.

Russell issued a statement Friday congratulating Kramer on his victory and pledging his support to him.

Russell, of South Elgin, said Kramer ran “a clean and issues-based campaign and I wish him success in the election. Between him and his father, George (past sheriff of Kane Co), there has been almost 50 years of public service to the citizens of Kane County, so I believe the Kramer family needs to be commended for that.”

Russell also thanked his supporters, as well as his wife and children for all of their help during the campaign.

Kramer, a Geneva resident who recently retired from the sheriff’s department, will face his former boss, Sheriff Pat Perez, in November. Perez ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Some great, clear thoughts from Rolfe Winkler on the matter of Europe’s Greek (and Spanish) problem.

As he puts it, there are only three scenarios, two of which are awful, and one is nuclear:

1) The PIIGS cut their budgets to pay back debt. Such austerity programs are typically very difficult to get done in democracies. Deficit spending stays high long past the point that it’s possible to work off debt over any reasonable period. To successfully dig out of the hole requires cuts so deep, voters never agree to them.

2) Europe bails them out, which is the easiest solution in the short-run. Richer European countries certainly have the wherewithal to bail out a small country like Greece or Portugal. But it’s a dangerous precedent to set. What about Spain? It’s 14% of the Euro economy compared to 6% for Portugal/Ireland/Greece combined. If economies keep spending with an eye towards a bailout from the ECB, eventually you get #3.

3) The monetary union breaks apart. The customary way out of a debt crisis is to devalue one’s currency, see Argentina in 2001. It couldn’t maintain it’s dollar peg and still service its debt, so it devalued its currency and defaulted on debt. But this locked the country out of the international capital markets and drove them into a deep, though brief, Depression. For Greece to devalue, it would have to pull out of the Euro, pass a law that it’s debts are payable in new local currency and then devalue.

Please, if you think there’s another scenario, put them in the comments.

Read more of Rolfe’s thoughts here >

And don’t miss: 15 countries on the verge of a sovereign debt collapse >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Niall Ferguson: The Next Greece? It’s The US!
• 7 US States That Are Worse Off Than Greece, Portgal, Ireland, And Spain
• Goldman: If Greece Is Handled Wrong, All Of Southern Europe Will Fall Like Dominos And 30% Of Euro GDP Would Be At Risk

In last week’s exploration of Primal Snacks we delved into the world of non-potato chips. This week, it seemed fitting to explore non-cracker crackers. Although saying these Sunflower Sesame Crackers submitted by Girl Gone Primal (from Girl Gone Primal) aren’t real crackers just because they aren’t made from flour doesn’t really seem right. They look like crackers. They taste like crackers. Most importantly, they withstood the ultimate cracker test: dip-ability. You can dip Sunflower Sesame Crackers into any number of Primal dips and they won’t shatter into a pile of crumbs.

Most of the time, sliced raw vegetables are our favorite dipping device. But if you need variety every once in awhile, crackers made from seeds or nuts are a tasty alternative. The process is easy if you have a food processor. The only tricky part is rolling the dough, but if you aren’t obsessed with having uniformly shaped crackers this part is a breeze too.

As Girl Gone Primal suggests, adding herbs or spices to this cracker dough is an option, and adding salt is up to you, too. GGP uses equal parts sunflower and sesame seeds when she makes these crackers, but you can adjust the ratio to your own tastes. Sesame seeds have a distinct flavor that can be a bit too bitter for some people. If you’re one of these people, simply use less sesames and more sunflowers.

We’ve also included GGP’s recipe for Prawn Paté, which is delicious spread on top of these crispy crackers. Which reminds us, these crackers aren’t just for dipping. They also make a great base for appetizers. Stack them up with lox, cucumber slices, small slices of flank steak or whatever else you find in the fridge.

Sunflower Sesame Crackers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup each of sunflower and sesame seeds
• A little bit of water – about 1/4 cup

Instructions:

In a food processor (or by hand if you’re game), create a sort of flour from the sunflower seeds. It will take about 2-3 minutes for the seeds to break down and turn into a more flour-like consistency, although it will be thicker and heavier than regular flour.

Add the sesame seeds and pulse a few times (or mix in by hand) and then slowly add water, stirring or pulsing until a thick paste forms that can be rolled out.

Between two greased pieces of baking (parchment) paper, roll out the paste as thinly as you can. Remove the upper piece of parchment.

Lightly score the batter into squares with a sharp knife, and sprinkle with salt and pepper/herbs if you’d like.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes, Allow to cool thoroughly before gently breaking into squares as scored.

Prawn Paté

Ingredients:

• 1 /2 pound peeled, cooked prawns
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped dill
• several tablespoons salted butter, softened (optional)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor, and combine thoroughly. Adding butter will give the pate a smoother, richer texture. If you don’t want to add butter, just use more lemon juice.

Chill and serve as is, or you can level off the top of the prawn mixture, melt more butter and pour it gently over the top. Chill for an hour before serving.

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Related posts:

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2. Halibut, Snapper and Shrimp Ceviche
3. Announcement: New Recipe Theme for the Cookbook Contest

Looking for conferences this month in warm locations? We’ve got a bunch of ’em in Florida and California. Tired of your hometown’s balmy winter weather? We’ve got you covered, too, with events in New York City. Look at that – who says you can’t make everyone happy?

How do you like your ReadWriteWeb events guide? As a world map? As a downloadable iCal (and Google Calendar-importable) file? You can even import individual events using the link beside each entry. Know of something cool taking place that should appear here? Let us know in the comments below or contact us.

Sponsor

8 February 2010: Tampa, Florida

Social Fresh Tampa

This is the social media conference that comes to you. Social Fresh is a one-day, case-study-rich conference targeted for marketers. Social Fresh Tampa will have 30+ speakers, including Chris Barger of GM, Maggie Fox of Social Media Group and John Andrews of Collective Bias (formerly of Walmart).

ReadWriteWeb readers get a 15% discount with the code “RWW15”.

10 February 2010: New York City

Online Community Unconference East

The Online Community Unconference East is a gathering of online community professionals – managers, developers, business people, tool providers, investors – to discuss experience and strategies in the development and growth of online communities. As we have found with our past events, the best source of information on all of these challenges is other knowledgeable practitioners. The event runs from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Digital Sandbox.

11 February 2010: New York City

NYC Venture Capital and Angel Showcase

FundingPost is hosting a VC showcase where 20-plus VC funds and angel groups will be exhibiting their firms during a great cocktail party setting. Each fund will have their own table setup for the sole purpose of meeting great new companies.

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop from 2:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. The cost to participate in the workshop will be $400. This workshop includes the $125 ticket to the event, and a 1/4 page listing in the Venture Guide Magazine. This event is sponsored by Credit Suisse, and takes place at One Madison Avenue, from 6-9:15 p.m.

18 February 2010: Silicon Valley, California

Future of Funding

Active limited partners, top rated venture capitalists, and successful entrepreneurs are invited to Silicon Valley on February 18, 2010 to discuss the Future of Funding. The venture capital bubble has burst, and change is coming. Now is the time to have a constructive dialog about the future with all of the stakeholders at the table.

Don’t miss the opportunity to partake in this exclusive event hosted by TheFunded. Please visit www.futureoffunding.com to see speaker and event details.

ReadWriteWeb readers use the code “RWW” and get 10% off.

22 – 24 February 2010: Miami, Florida

The Future of Web Apps Miami

The Future of Web Apps Miami is a three day event for Web application developers and entrepreneurs, and includes tutorials, inspiration and workshops taught by leading figures at the cutting edge of today’s Web. Companies at the event include Twitter, Facebook, Mint.com, Palm, FreshBooks, Reddit and Mozilla. Topics include HTML5, jQuery, online marketing, funding strategies, measuring the success of your Web app, and Facebook Connect. Find more information at http://carsonified.com

ReadWriteWeb readers use the code “RWW” and get $50 off.

25 February 2010: Miami, Florida

Miami VC and Angel Event

At FundingPost‘s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

4 March 2010: Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley VC and Angel Conference

At FundingPost‘s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

11 March 2010: Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles VC and Angel Event

At FundingPost‘s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

15 – 16 March 2010: London, England

2nd Annual Social Networking World Forum — London

The 2nd Annual Social Networking World Forum takes place at the Olympia Conference Centre in London. The two-day event features four dedicated conference streams:

1. Social Networking World Forum
2. Enterprise social media
3. Social TV World Forum
4. Mobile Social Networking Forum

The event features key speakers from global brands, organizations, social networking publishers and developers, pioneering social media leaders, top agencies, content producers, and more.

• Full workshop program within exhibition area
• Evening networking reception
• Pre-show online meeting planner for delegates
• Free pass for exhibition only

7 – 9 April 2010: Sydney, Australia

ConnectNow

ConnectNow brings together international specialists and thought leaders in social media, emerging technologies and their intersection with business. Learn how the realtime web, location based services, augmented reality, ubiquitous computing and personalised services are changing marketing and communications. Understand the importance of trust in relationship marketing and what is “social currency”. For more info email [email protected].

16 April 2010: Mountain View, California

Under the Radar: Cloud

Under the Radar: Cloud is must-attend event for dealmakers and heads of IT from large enterprises, SMBs, service providers, carriers and media companies who are responsible for helping their companies leverage new technology and innovation in the fast-evolving IT ecosystem. Join us for the 15th Under the Radar conference, featuring a hand-picked selection of the world’s most innovative cloud startups among 350 top tech, media, telcom and finance executives. For ticket and more information, visit http://undertheradarblog.com.

16 – 17 April 2010: Royal Oak, Michigan

FutureMidwest

FutureMidwest is the region’s largest technology and knowledge conference. Founded by Adrian Pittman, Jordan Wolfe and Zach Lipson, FutureMidwest is the fusion of two successful conferences held in Michigan in 2009 – the Module Midwest Digital Conference and TechNow.

Both conferences highlighted how technology and digital tools have dramatically changed the way we do business and the effect this transition has had on companies. FutureMidwest kicks things up a notch with presentations, group breakout sessions, relationship-building opportunities and influencers who are taking action to redefine business in the digital age. Register here.

11 May 2010: San Francisco, California

FinovateSpring

FinovateSpring 2010 will again showcase the most cutting-edge financial and banking technology innovations to Silicon Valley and the world. With Finovate’s signature mix of short, fast-paced onstage demos (no slides are allowed) from handpicked companies and intimate networking time with their executives, this conference packs a ton of unique value into a single day.

Come see the cutting edge of banking and financial technology and network with hundreds of the leading financial executives, venture capitalists, press, industry analysts, bloggers and fintech entrepreneurs. Early bird registration rates are available.

5 October 2010: New York City

FinovateFall

FinovateFall will return to Manhattan on Tuesday, October 5 to showcase dozens of the biggest and most innovative new ideas in financial and banking technology from established leaders and hot young companies. The Fall event is the original and largest Finovate and features a single day packed with our special blend of short, fast-paced onstage demos (no slides are allowed) and intimate networking time with top executives from the innovative demoing companies.

FinovateFall is a unique chance to see the future of finance and banking before your competition and find the edge you need in today’s market. Early bird registration rates are available.

Download this entire events calendar in iCal format.

Discuss

Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Spyker

Most people think of Ford when they hear the name Galpin. After all, the Van Nuys, CA dealership has been the Blue Oval’s number one volume seller for twenty years running. But Galpin sells more than Mustangs and Fusions. Their Premier Collection showroom houses inventory for Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lotus – it’s the same place we visited to get up close and personal with the Aston Martin One-77.

Galpin can now add one more to that list. Spyker, the new owner of Saab, has appointed Galpin as its latest dealer and the only one in Los Angeles. The announcement kicked off with a party earlier this week at Galpin’s Classic Collection building with various colors of the C8 Aileron coupe and spyder on display.

Don’t expect the Dutch supercars to fly off Galpin’s showroom floor, though. Just 45 cars were sold worldwide last year, with the United States accounting for less than half that total. That said, Beau Boeckmann, President of Galpin, has realistic expectations for 2010. He hopes to maintain ten percent of the North American market share, which would currently equate to just a couple of cars each year. Hit the jump for the press release from Galpin or click on our gallery of live shots from the event below.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Galpin launches new Spyker dealership in Southern California

Galpin launches new Spyker dealership in Southern California originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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video: Carol Binkowski

FIGMENT is an annual celebration of creative culture on Governors Island in New York Harbor. It provides an open forum for artists, helps build a creative community and fosters participatory and public art. This year it will be both in NYC and Boston.

FIGMENT submissions are open for the pavilion, minigolf, and sculpture garden!
Call for Art!

They also need members of the team, check it out!

Despite another profitable quarter, Sony Pictures is preparing to lay off nearly 450 employees (6.5% of its total work force) in the coming weeks, according to an recent internal e-mail sent to staff. Most of the layoffs be in the USA, and will come in the home-entertainment and IT departments; the impact should be evident in every division, including motion pictures, TV production, and corporate. The memo indicated that affected employees haven’t yet been notified. Co-chairmen Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal said that certain challenges face their business, such as digital piracy, and social media undermining the studios’ marketing efforts.

Here is the full memo from Michael and Amy to employees:

Dear Colleagues,

In our article in The SPE Reel in December, we spoke about the shifting landscape of entertainment and its impact on the economic model at the heart of this industry. Despite the records our studio set at the box office, we’re not immune from these forces, and we said then that costs needed to be controlled as part of a sustained and strategic effort to remake Sony Pictures for the future.
Since that time, in all-hands meetings and small groups, our division heads and executive team have been in touch with many of you to talk in more detail about the transformation of the studio and the kinds of changes being considered.

Last week, the first steps towards the creation of a new operating model for our studio were taken in our home entertainment division and the IT department.
Today, we want to let you know, in a timely manner, what will be involved in the crucial – and difficult — next phase of this process.

In several stages, we will have a workforce reduction, with most of the notifications taking place by the first week in March. It will affect each of the studio’s divisions, with the majority occurring in home entertainment and IT, and in the United States.

We do not have final numbers or specific dates for all reductions now, because decisions regarding proposals for certain international offices are pending. Local laws will be governing a consultation process with employees in those locations.

The decision to take this step was difficult. But it’s being done in the context of a strategy designed to help us safeguard our competitiveness and chart our own course through these troubled waters.
The need is clear: from the growth of online piracy, to the social media effect on the performance of films, to the way people have changed how they watch television and acquire DVDs. The business is going through a rough period of trial and transition, and we have an obligation to take the steps necessary to get through it.

As we said in December, we are grateful to everyone at Sony Pictures for helping us meet the challenges of this time in our history from a position of strength. And we are confident that the changes we’re making, as difficult as they are, will keep us on a path toward greater success in the future.

Michael and Amy

Beyonce performed on stage during her show at Planeta Park on February 4, 2010, in Florianopolis, Brazil. Check out the pictures below!

Ajamu Dillahunt is a long-time labor and community activist in the South, outreach director at the N.C. Justice Center and co-chair of the board of the Institute for Southern Studies. The following speech was given at a press conference for HKonJ, an annual march in Raleigh, N.C. promoting a state-wide progressive agenda. The march this year will take place on February 13.

By Ajamu Dillahunt

Communities across the United States are experiencing the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression. Our region in particular is suffering under the weight of joblessness, foreclosures and escalating incarceration rates.

Changes in the political landscape that led to President Obama’s victory in 2008 have not translated into changes in the quality of life for many residents of our region.

As reported by the Institute for Southern Studies in their recent report, 8 out the 13 Southern states have unemployment rates over 10%, rank number 8 of the 10 states with the lowest median income and occupy position number 11 of the 15 states with the
highest rates of incarceration.

The popular wisdom in the African American community says that when white America gets a cold, the black community gets pneumonia. Clearly what is a rough recession for the rest of the country is a Depression for African Americans. Black unemployment was 16.2% in December of last year in comparison to the white rate of 9%, a drop from
November.

According to United for a Fair Economy, blacks earn 62 cents for every dollar of white income. Blacks have 10 cents of net worth for every dollar of white net wealth. Blacks are 3 times as likely to live in poverty as whites. Black unemployment in North Carolina is a frightening 14%, 5 points higher than that for whites. This last statistic is the basis for a “social state of emergency.”

What we need to bring an end to the suffering is a public jobs program that pays living wages, provides training and offers sustainable employment. Billions of dollars have been spent to bring relief to the banking industry but not nearly enough has been done for the working families in our urban and rural communities.

We want a jobs program that provides funds for states, municipalities, non-profits and small businesses to immediately hire the long termed unemployed to do work that rebuilds our communities.

Weatherization, repair and rehabilitation of schools and other public facilities, daycare and other human services functions are examples of what the newly employed workers can do while helping local economies with the income and spending that has long been absent because of extreme joblessness. Tax incentives to small business that hire will not generate enough jobs at the rate they are needed.

Those lawmakers in Washington like the Congressional Black Caucus who have advocated a targeted approach to job creation have identified the best way to help those in greatest need. Communities with the highest rates of unemployment and greatest number of unemployed low income persons should receive a rapid infusion of federal dollars that will come from redirecting funds that were set aside to assist the
financial institutions and increasing taxes on the wealthy.

We are asking that our Congressional delegation, along with our state and local officials join us in supporting legislation like the Put America to Work Act, HR 4268 that will create 1 million jobs. There are other initiatives like the Community Jobs Emergency Employment Program being advanced by groups like the Center for Community Change which calls for 2 million jobs over a two-year period.

And we call on our friends to support the efforts of coalitions like Jobs for America Now that call for an extension of unemployment insurance benefits and COBRA benefits, in addition to a robust jobs program. We are willing to work with state government
in crafting projects that will utilize the funds from a public jobs program without
displacing current employees.

Regrettably, the initial federal government efforts were aimed at Wall Street. More recently the target for support has been the so-called “Main Street.” We would add to that a call for aid for “Martin Luther King Blvd” and “South Street.”

Communities that were struggling before the recession have to be a priority if
the entire state and nation is going to recover.

I am a Rock

Author: Jean Marzollo

Illustrator: Judith Moffatt

“I am a Rock” by Jean Marzollo is a good book for introducing earth science o young students (K-1) because it explains different kinds of rocks through a “Rock Hall of Fame” theme and what many of their functions are in real life.  The descriptions of what the rocks’ uses are are given in a riddle format, where the students are given clues as to what the rock can do and then they are asked to guess what rock it is.  For example, the book introduces slate by saying ” I [slate] am flat enough to walk on. I am flat enough to write on. Who am I?” Here the students can answer or guess what rock they think is being described.  A total of twelve different rocks are described in this fashion throughout the book.

Curriculum Connections: This book is useful in introducing students to the concept of earth science in the early grades.  The students learn that rocks are important parts of the earth and actually all have different uses depending on what they’re made of and what they look like.

Additional Resources:

1. This is a 3-day long activity for first grade students to do with their teacher, where each student gets their own special “rock” made from dough that the teacher prepares.  The students will describe what their rocks look like to their fellow classmates, write down observations, and do Internet activities where they pretend to be archaeologists.

2. Here is a lesson along the same lines, but the students get to use real rocks and go outside for 20 to 30 minutes to do their observations of different rocks.  They would also get to work in groups.

3. I found this interesting because it came up in my search as a site where teachers can buy rock kits for their classrooms.  Some are pricey, but it would probably be very helpful to buy a kit in order to really show the students a variety of different types of rocks.

Book: I am a Rock
Author: Jean Marzollo
Illustrators: Judith Moffatt
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: 1998

Pages:  29

Grade Range: K-1
ISBN: 0-590-37222-X

Article Tags: Law/Policy

Conservatives propose an initiative that would delay curbs on greenhouse gas emissions until the state’s unemployment rate drops to 5.5%, a level not seen since 2007.

Republican politicians and conservative activists are launching a ballot campaign to suspend California’s landmark global-warming law, in what they hope will serve as a showcase for a national backlash against climate regulations.

Supporters say they have “solid commitments” of nearly $600,000 to pay signature gatherers for a November initiative aimed at delaying curbs on the greenhouse gas emissions of power plants and factories until the state’s unemployment rate drops.

Source: latimes.com

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Here’s an interesting bit. GameStop has a copy of Final Fantasy XIII’s Xbox 360 version the back of it contains the usual game information, like video output, supported functions, and memory-related notes. One interesting bit here