Author: Serkadis

areview.co.cc: Asian Development Bank has termed the criticism by the Ministry of Water and Power on Rental Power Plants (RPPs) audit as unwarranted. Sources divulged that the audit was carried out by the Bank free of cost on Pakistan governments asking.However, they wondered over the propaganda being aired on media by federal ministry in this regard.Sources said that the Bank was considering the criticism keenly and would likely to take the matter to high level. It merits to mention here that in the ADB report regarding RPPs, misappropriations were noted besides the revelations that the scheme had benefited the RPPs owners. The Ministry Of Water and Power however, denied all the allegations.

areview.co.cc: Around 38 militants have been killed as security forces resorted to helicopter gunship shelling in Bajaur Agency during the last 24 hours. According to official sources, some eight militants hideouts have been destroyed in Tehsil Mamond and Salarzai. Curfew was being imposed in Khar.Gunship helicopters hit militants hideouts in Gung, Banda, Mulla Syed, Damma Dolla, while the people have started migration to safer places. Meanwhile, security forces have nabbed some 20 suspects in Darra Adam Khel while defused two remote-controlled bombs and three IEDs.

areview.co.cc: Australia has announced its squad for T20 series today. Two new players Steve Smith and Travis Birt would be debuting in the tournament.Clarke would head the team and Cameron White would be vice captain as Ricky Ponting is on rest.Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Dirk Nannes also made to the Aussies team. On the other hand, Green Shirts also reached Melbourne.Shahid Afridi was banned for two T20 matches for ball tampering and as such Umar Akmal is likely to get the captaincy for the series.

areview.co.cc: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) core members called on President Zardari. After the meeting speaking to the media, the leaders of PPP and MQM said that consent has been reached on appointment of neutral administrators in Sindh. Farooq Sattar said that some forces are plotting against democracy. Pir Mazhar Shah said that the coalition of PPP and MQM is not acceptable to some elements.

By Amelia Lawrence ADDIS ABABA , Feb 01 (IPS) Peace in Sudan remains an uncertainty ahead of the country’s first general elections in 24 years, according to the African Union Commission chief.

With two months to go before the decisive presidential and parliamentary elections, the United Nations (U.N.) and the AU want to ensure that elections take place without an eruption of violence between the north and the south, which can also risk instability in the region.

Addressing media before the start of the 14th annual AU Summit in Ethiopia on Jan. 31, AU Commission chairman, Jean Ping, said the prospects for peace appeared unpredictable ahead of the crucial elections.

"We do not pretend that in 2010 there would be no crisis, but Africa hopes to find African solutions to these crises," Ping said. The AU has also declared 2010 as being the year of peace and security for Africa, in addition to focusing on information, technology and communication.

Ping added that the body remained committed to ensuring Sudan’s April elections were peaceful.

"(The) AU will remain active to assist the Sudanese to ensure they have lasting peace."

A recent report from the Enough Project, a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity, warned that there was a risk of a new civil war and that both the nationwide elections and the 2011 referendum (on whether the oil-rich and semi-autonomous south should secede from the Khartoum-led north) would not be free and fair.

The Sudanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Akuei Bona Malwal, said: "Preparations (for the) elections are ongoing, but the (possibility) of insecurity is an issue."

He said he hoped the international community and the Sudanese authorities will ensure proper coordination so that the ‘election will take place in a peaceful manner’.

Malwal warned that ‘the question of security is essential to ensure a peaceful election’.

It has been reported from Khartoum that ‘three presidential candidates, including the only woman, have been rejected’.

This ruling has raised further doubts about the presidential and legislative elections after opposition accusations of fraud during registration and of intimidation and vote-buying by the ruling National Congress Party.

The AU High-Level Panel on Darfur, later known as the AU High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan (AUHIP), noted in Oct. 2009 that a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Darfur needed to be achieved before the April elections.

Headed by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, the AUHIP found that the people of both north and south Sudan are keen to live in peace.

"It is therefore self-evident that the resolution of the conflict in Darfur, like those in south and eastern Sudan, cannot but necessitate the restructuring of Sudan as a whole…" Mbeki said in a speech to the U.N. Security Council in Dec. 2009.

Malwal said that his country has accepted the AUHIP report and the re-appointment of the Mbeki team ‘to ensure the implementation of the plan’.

He said the Mbeki’s team was engaging with all the different role-players like non-governmental organisations, civil society, traditional leaders and government. "Mbeki’s team has a big role to play this year," Malwal added.

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, attended a sideline discussion on the future of Sudan held alongside the main AU agenda.

Ban said that ‘the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is also in the best interest of the Sudanese people’. Sudan’s first multi-party election in over two decades was agreed to in the 2005 CPA that ended the 21-year north-south civil war.

"They have taken a long time to agree on the agreement and the U.N. has been working very closely with the AU to implement the CPA." (The U.N. partnered with the AU two years ago to establish the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur.)

Ban said the U.N. will ‘seek to forge consensus among member states on the way forward’. He said the body will ‘stand ready to respect the outcome of the 2011 referendum whatever the outcome’ but added that the most ideal outcome would be one of national unity.

Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir, who is awaiting an International Criminal Court decision on whether he will be tried for war crimes in his country, was recently quoted as saying that Khartoum would cooperate with south Sudan.

Some analysts point out that the comments implied a wish to accept the independence of the south.

Khartoum has been working on ‘making unity attractive’ for the south Sudanese who fought the civil war with the north over access to political power and sharing the massive oil revenue.

Both north and south Sudan’s governments have negotiation an agreement on the conditions of the 2011 referendum, in which the country will vote on whether the south will secede from the north.

"They have the right to choose their own future. We are going through a very crucial time to prepare for election and the referendum next year," Ban said.

Ban said that a strong U.N. presence on the ground in Sudan would remain in place.

Mbeki acknowledged the importance of peace in Sudan in his speech to the U.N.

"As we carry out this work, we will be very mindful of the critical importance of Sudan to its neighbours and the rest of our continent. If is self-evident that Sudan, which shares borders with nine other countries in a volatile part of Africa, should serve as a force for peace, stability and development both in this region and in Africa as a whole," Mbeki said.

By Amelia Lawrence ADDIS ABABA , Feb 01 (IPS) Peace in Sudan remains an uncertainty ahead of the country’s first general elections in 24 years, according to the African Union Commission chief.

With two months to go before the decisive presidential and parliamentary elections, the United Nations (U.N.) and the AU want to ensure that elections take place without an eruption of violence between the north and the south, which can also risk instability in the region.

Addressing media before the start of the 14th annual AU Summit in Ethiopia on Jan. 31, AU Commission chairman, Jean Ping, said the prospects for peace appeared unpredictable ahead of the crucial elections.

"We do not pretend that in 2010 there would be no crisis, but Africa hopes to find African solutions to these crises," Ping said. The AU has also declared 2010 as being the year of peace and security for Africa, in addition to focusing on information, technology and communication.

Ping added that the body remained committed to ensuring Sudan’s April elections were peaceful.

"(The) AU will remain active to assist the Sudanese to ensure they have lasting peace."

A recent report from the Enough Project, a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity, warned that there was a risk of a new civil war and that both the nationwide elections and the 2011 referendum (on whether the oil-rich and semi-autonomous south should secede from the Khartoum-led north) would not be free and fair.

The Sudanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Akuei Bona Malwal, said: "Preparations (for the) elections are ongoing, but the (possibility) of insecurity is an issue."

He said he hoped the international community and the Sudanese authorities will ensure proper coordination so that the ‘election will take place in a peaceful manner’.

Malwal warned that ‘the question of security is essential to ensure a peaceful election’.

It has been reported from Khartoum that ‘three presidential candidates, including the only woman, have been rejected’.

This ruling has raised further doubts about the presidential and legislative elections after opposition accusations of fraud during registration and of intimidation and vote-buying by the ruling National Congress Party.

The AU High-Level Panel on Darfur, later known as the AU High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan (AUHIP), noted in Oct. 2009 that a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Darfur needed to be achieved before the April elections.

Headed by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, the AUHIP found that the people of both north and south Sudan are keen to live in peace.

"It is therefore self-evident that the resolution of the conflict in Darfur, like those in south and eastern Sudan, cannot but necessitate the restructuring of Sudan as a whole…" Mbeki said in a speech to the U.N. Security Council in Dec. 2009.

Malwal said that his country has accepted the AUHIP report and the re-appointment of the Mbeki team ‘to ensure the implementation of the plan’.

He said the Mbeki’s team was engaging with all the different role-players like non-governmental organisations, civil society, traditional leaders and government. "Mbeki’s team has a big role to play this year," Malwal added.

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, attended a sideline discussion on the future of Sudan held alongside the main AU agenda.

Ban said that ‘the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is also in the best interest of the Sudanese people’. Sudan’s first multi-party election in over two decades was agreed to in the 2005 CPA that ended the 21-year north-south civil war.

"They have taken a long time to agree on the agreement and the U.N. has been working very closely with the AU to implement the CPA." (The U.N. partnered with the AU two years ago to establish the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur.)

Ban said the U.N. will ‘seek to forge consensus among member states on the way forward’. He said the body will ‘stand ready to respect the outcome of the 2011 referendum whatever the outcome’ but added that the most ideal outcome would be one of national unity.

Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir, who is awaiting an International Criminal Court decision on whether he will be tried for war crimes in his country, was recently quoted as saying that Khartoum would cooperate with south Sudan.

Some analysts point out that the comments implied a wish to accept the independence of the south.

Khartoum has been working on ‘making unity attractive’ for the south Sudanese who fought the civil war with the north over access to political power and sharing the massive oil revenue.

Both north and south Sudan’s governments have negotiation an agreement on the conditions of the 2011 referendum, in which the country will vote on whether the south will secede from the north.

"They have the right to choose their own future. We are going through a very crucial time to prepare for election and the referendum next year," Ban said.

Ban said that a strong U.N. presence on the ground in Sudan would remain in place.

Mbeki acknowledged the importance of peace in Sudan in his speech to the U.N.

"As we carry out this work, we will be very mindful of the critical importance of Sudan to its neighbours and the rest of our continent. If is self-evident that Sudan, which shares borders with nine other countries in a volatile part of Africa, should serve as a force for peace, stability and development both in this region and in Africa as a whole," Mbeki said.

Now that the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore has officially signed on for a season two, show producers are discussing the idea of taking them out of Jersey’s Seaside Heights and into another city where they’re sure to carry on their tradition of fist-pumping…apparently no one cleared the move with Hitler.

Todos sabemos que Fernando Alonso no deja de trabajar en ningún momento para mejorar el monoplaza de Ferrari y asi tener más oportunidades a la hora de luchar por el título mundial la próxima temporada.

Pues bien, concretamente, el piloto asturiano ha afirmado que ha colaborado en el rediseño del nuevo volante del Ferrari F10 de la escudería italiana para que sean más simples a la hora de utilizarlos.

El propio piloto ha realizado las siguientes declaraciones:

Hemos trabajado para simplificar el volante, que me parecía muy complejo. Tengo confianza en el equipo de ingenieros de Ferrari, y creo que son los mejores ingenieros que un piloto puede tener en la Fórmula 1.

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2. Michael Schumacher asegura que Fernando Alonso se sentirá bien en Ferrari
3. Ferrari confirmará el fichaje de Fernando Alonso en el GP de Japón

Might We Suggest…

• Walmart to Offer Nexus One
  
  Part of my daily routine involves checking my RSS and twitter feeds while I drink my morning coffee  as both seem to help me get my day going.   As much as I’d like to think the world stops with And…

THE market has spoken to aspiring students of the humanities and it has said, “Don’t bother.” Some American academics lament the waning number of humanities students. According to the New York Times, they fret that focusing on more career-oriented fields undermines the purpose of a university education; which is to become a well-rounded, creative, and analytic thinker.

“There’s no immediate impact, that’s the problem,” says John J. Neuhauser, the president of St. Michael’s College, a liberal arts school in Vermont. “The humanities tend to educate people much farther out. They’re looking for an impact that lasts over decades, not just when you’re 22.”

When prospective students and their parents visit, he says, they ask about placement rates, internships and alumni involvement in job placement. These are questions, he says, that he never heard 10 years ago.

St. Michael’s, like other colleges, has adapted its curriculum to reflect demand. The college had to create new sections of chemistry labs and calculus on the spot during summer registration, and it raised the cap on the number of students in a biology lab. “I’d say, given the vagaries of the business cycle, people are looking for things that they know will always be needed—accountants, scientists, mathematicians,” says Jeffrey A. Trumbower, dean of the college. “Those also happen to be some of the most challenging majors academically, so we’ll see how these trends hold up.”

Still, Dr. Neuhauser finds the careerism troubling. “I think people change a great deal between 18 and 22,” he says. “The intimate environment small liberal arts colleges provide is a great place to grow up. But there’s no question that smacks of some measure of elitism now.”

That argument has always smacked of elitism. There is no doubt studying humanities imparts useful, important skills. There also exists a cultural value to keeping some fraction of the population well-educated on great books and philosophy. But should a majority of the population be educated this way? A humanities-heavy curriculum might have made sense when only a small, elite fraction of the population attended university. But now over 50% of the population has at least some post-secondary education. The graph below plots educational attainment as a percentage of the population since 1940.

More young Americans have become better educated. This reflects a shift in the labour market, which has increasingly rewarded post-secondary education. At the same time, the economy has seen a decrease in well-paid manual labour that required skills learned on the job or in trade schools. The shift to a more service-oriented economy means universities and colleges have replaced trade schools and apprenticeships.

On the one hand that is good because it makes the American labour force better educated. Theoretically, it should also increase meritocracy. Much of the income disparity in America can be explained by the earning differential between college and non-college graduates. As more people attend university income disparities should diminish. But as university education becomes more widely available should curricula change? How many philosophers does an economy need? There exists a significant opportunity cost to spending ages 18 to 22 studying humanities. Between labour-market demand and innate ability, probably only a fraction of the population benefit economically from doing so.

On the other hand, America suffers from title inflation. A university degree is now a prerequisite to middle-class membership. Rather than just being proof of education, it is also an expensive and time-consuming signal. The high rate of matriculation masks a grave problem. Dropping out of university is at epidemic levels, especially among low-income Americans. Starting but not finishing a degree results in a considerable loss of time and money. Many poor students drop out not just because of cost, but because they find themselves unprepared and frustrated. Offering more practical degrees could be part of the solution to this problem; though it is not a sufficient solution. America also needs to increase the rigour and accountability of its secondary-school system.

In an essay in American Scholar last year, William Chase, a professor of English, explained why his field has been “pushed to the periphery”:

But there are additional reasons for the drop in numbers of students concentrating in English and other subjects in the literary humanities. History, geography, and demography do not explain it all. Other forces, both external and internal, have been at work. The literary humanities and, in particular, English are in trouble for reasons beyond their control and for reasons of their own making. First, an obvious external cause: money. With the cost of a college degree surging upward during the last quarter century—tuition itself increasing far beyond any measure of inflation—and with consequent growth in loan debt after graduation, parents have become anxious about the relative earning power of a humanities degree. Their college-age children doubtless share such anxiety. When college costs were lower, anxiety could be kept at bay. (Berkeley in the early ’60s cost me about $100 a year, about $700 in today’s dollars.) Alexander W. Astin’s research tells us that in the mid-1960s, more than 80 percent of entering college freshmen reported that nothing was more important than “developing a meaningful philosophy of life.” Astin, director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, reports that “being very well off financially” was only an afterthought, one that fewer than 45 percent of those freshmen thought to be an essential goal. As the years went on, however, and as tuition shot up, the two traded places; by 1977, financial goals had surged past philosophical ones, and by the year 2001 more than 70 percent of undergraduate students had their eyes trained on financial realities, while only 40 percent were still wrestling with meaningful philosophies.

University for everyone often results in students bearing the cost because the state, and their parents, can’t afford to subsidise so many fees. Mr Chase also notes that larger public universities, besides offering cheaper education, promote research grant-receiving fields. If humanities have been marginalised because of factors that made higher education more accessible, is that a bad thing? It is a nice fantasy that we live in a world where most people can go to university without a financial care. But it’s important to keep in mind that the 1960s population he refers to were an elite group who had the luxury of such naive enlightenment.

Also while some newly popular subjects have dubious academic merit, many of the fields Mr Chase and the Times mention are nothing to sneeze at. Hard science, engineering, and economics may be dismissed by some for not being esoteric enough. But they can be very demanding, and impart excellent analytic skills. America also needs scientists and engineers to keep the labour force innovative and globally competitive.

Hey reality fans, can’t wait to find out which of your favorite celebrities from yesteryear will be skipping towards Gomorrah on the upcoming 10th season of Dancing With The Stars?

On Monday, ABC revealed that it will be announcing the new lineup of its celebrity dance competition during the finale of The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love, airing March 1. Host Tom Bergeron will appear throughout the two-hour show revealing celebrity names. Last week, longtime DWTS second banana Samantha Harris announced that she is leaving the series to focus on her work as the poor man’s Mary Hart on Entertainment Tonight Weekend Edition.

Former Idol host Paula Abdul, an accomplished dancer, has reportedly been offered a $1 million development deal to join the program — possibly as a co-host or judge.

Dancing With The Stars returns in a two-hour premiere March 22.

Nos acaban de llegar diferentes noticias en las que se confirma que Tesla se encuentra ultimando unos detalles ya que su salida a bolsa se producirá de forma inminente.

Recordemos que a día de hoy, dicha marca ha conseguido vender 1.000 Roadster y ya dispone de 2.000 reservas confirmadas del nuevo Model S. De esta manera, se acaba de hacer pública una oferta de acciones en el registro del mercado bursátil.

Seguro que los primeros accionistas de Tesla ya se frotan las manos debido a la gran tajada que van a sacar con este negocio. Os mantendremos informados.

Related posts:

1. Tesla vende la unidad 500 del Tesla Roadster
2. Tesla Model S, más imágenes oficiales
3. Tesla Roadster Sport, imágenes oficiales y nueva información

An important nugget from President Obama’s proposed 2011 budget: The White House aims to scrap $36.5 billion in subsidies to oil and gas producers by repealing an array of tax breaks for the industries.

That ought to please both environmentalists and fiscal conservatives in Congress, right? Don’t get your hopes up. From The Vine:

The president can propose whatever he wants; what really matters is whether lawmakers follow through. And the tax breaks for oil and gas producers have a lot of support in Congress—last year, in the FY2010 budget, the White House wanted to repeal $31.5 billion worth of fossil-fuel subsidies, and that idea was buried.

Remember that 12 Democratic senators just spent the weekend raising money for lobbyists, including some from oil companies.

The White House is holding a conference call on the energy and climate implications of the budget momentarily. More to come…

Update: White House officials on the call are presenting the administration’s three-pronged approach to energy issues in the budget. One element is a “focus on clean energy jobs and energy efficiency”; another is “a commitment to science research and energy innovation.” But the third, “increased funding for clean energy jobs in the nuclear sector,” will have some environmental advocates concerned. This point is largely in line with President Obama’s increased emphasis on nuclear power of late, including in his State of the Union last week. But considering that the budget will eliminate the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, it’s bound to raise some questions about how exactly this nuclear expansion will work.

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, BMW, Electric

According to Auto Motor und Sport, BMW will add two new small cars to slot below the current 1 Series by 2014. One of those vehicles has already been publicly confirmed by the automaker, the Megacity, an urban commuter BMW is developing as a dedicated electric car. The powertrain technology will be an evolution of what was shown a few weeks ago in the ActiveE concept at the Detroit Auto Show.

The other vehicle is more speculative at this point, but will likely be powered by an internal combustion engine and is reportedly intended to compete with the new Audi A1 in the premium B segment. This car will probably use a range of new three cylinder engines and may even get a hybrid version. The platform is still up in the air, but BMW is reportedly developing a small front-wheel drive platform in-house or opt to purchase an existing platform from another company if the development proves too expensive.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]

Report: BMW to launch two cars below 1 Series by 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday night’s 52nd Annual Grammy Awards drew a huge audience for CBS, early viewing figures show.

According to Nielsen projections, an audience of approximately 25.8 million viewers tuned in for the biggest night in American music — which featured a performance by Lady Gaga and Elton John and a historic six wins by nominee frontrunner Beyonce. In fact, this weekend’s live broadcast from the Staples Center Los Angeles attracted the largest Grammy audience since 2004.

This is the second year that I was privileged to attend (and speak) at Midem, the big music industry conference that takes place each January. Once again, it was quite an experience, and I had so many fascinating conversations with those in and around the industry (including many folks who I have disagreed with quite publicly on the blog, who were kind enough not to take swings at me in person). Last year, in writing up my summary post, I discussed how there was optimism and opportunity, but there was still this undercurrent of anger. Even as new business models and new ideas were being discussed, it would always come back to anger at “pirates” and “piracy” and declarations of how it needed to be stamped out. While there was still some of that on the periphery, what struck me about this year’s Midem was that there was very, very little talk about “piracy” or how it needed to be stopped. While there was still some chatter about things like ISPs agreeing to blanket licenses or three strikes rules, even that was a pretty minor part of the discussion.

Instead, the word that I kept hearing was “quiet.” Almost everyone you spoke to mentioned how “quiet” Midem was this year. Attendance was down (apparently about 10% from last year, when I remember them saying that attendance had also been down about 10%), but that’s not too surprising given the state of the economy and the general turmoil of the industry. However, it was still quite well-attended, and the thing I noticed was that there was actually quite a lot of activity going on behind the “quietness.” And that activity was dealmaking. Lots of it. I talked to many people working for companies that are enabling and embracing new business models, and they were swamped with deal opportunities and discussions. Sure, the major record labels have all but disappeared from the show, but the companies that are enabling what comes next were quite busy — just behind the scenes.

In thinking about it overall, I began to think about the famous Kubler-Ross model of the five stages of grief. You know the one: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I’m beginning to think that the recording industry has reached the beginning of the bargaining stage. Last year, we were still seeing the end of the anger stage, which followed a long period of denial. I think the bargaining stage is what we see with things like the pressure to get three strikes laws passed around the world, rather than suing individuals. It’s what we see in the ACTA negotiations behind closed doors. While it’s not as loud and as angry as what we’ve seen in the past, it’s still a bit questionable. As Wikipedia notes:

The third stage involves the hope that the individual can somehow postpone or delay death. Usually, the negotiation for an extended life is made with a higher power in exchange for a reformed lifestyle. Psychologically, the individual is saying, “I understand I will die, but if I could just have more time…”

That sounds about right for the recording industry, doesn’t it? Of course, rather than a “higher power,” it’s politicians around the world. I have no idea how much longer this stage will go on, but it’s worth noting that the fourth stage is still depression, which apparently involves much “crying and grieving” and during this stage “it is not recommended to attempt to cheer up” those going through the grieving process. I’m not quite sure how exactly that will play out in the recording industry, but if this is accurate, then the industry will need to go through that process before finally reaching the acceptance stage that it needs to get to.

All in all, though, like the stages of grief, this is part of the necessary process, and it should be seen as a good sign that the industry at least appears to be moving through them, rather than hanging onto denial and anger completely. Midem itself was actually quite encouraging in that regard, and I’m hopeful that going forward we see more and more positive signs of an industry coming to grips with the changes thrust upon it, rather than still trying to hold back the tide. So while Midem may have seemed “quiet” this year, I think it was actually a sign of good things happening.

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Whitney Tilson is a longtime Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) bull, and nothing has changed him.

If anything, he’s gotten more bullish, it seems.

In a recent presentation, found via MarketFolly, he breaks down the company and argues that the shares have 44% upside, and could go to 153,600 per class A share.

Click here to view the presentation ->

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Maybe This Is The Chart Warren Buffett Keeps Under His Pillow
• The Life And Awesomeness Of Warren Buffett
• Warren Buffett Says He Spent $44 Billion On Burlington Northern To Fulfill A "Boyhood Dream"

The California Supreme Court decided Monday that registered sex offenders who are paroled to places where it is impossible to avoid living near parks and schools may challenge the residency requirements imposed by “Jessica’s Law,” which voters passed overwhelmingly in 2006.

In the 5-2 ruling, the majority rejected several constitutional challenges brought by four parolees who contended they would be forced to leave their homes and families if subject to Proposition 83’s residency requirements, which bar registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of any public or private school or park where children regularly gather.

But the court said the four men could challenge the residency requirements as unconstitutional when applied to them on the grounds there would be no place for them to live in the cities where they are serving parole.

Proposition 83, passed by 70% of voters, makes it impossible for some registered sex offenders to live in densely populated cities. Nearly all of San Francisco is off limits to them because of the number of parks and schools close to housing.

— Maura Dolan in San Francisco

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

Federal agents find 14 suspected illegal immigrants in Reseda ‘drop house’

Son of alleged serial killer is suspected in Melrose Avenue stun-gun attack

Orange County fishermen angle for unusual catch: Giant squid

Will Angelenos soon be trimming city trees? Budget cuts could bring big changes

The Italians still hate Jersey Shore….

An Italian-American anti-discrimination organization is livid that MTV’s controversial reality smash has been renewed for a second season. MTV recently confirmed that the reality show, which followed a group of self-professed “Guidos” and “Guidettes” as they spent the summer in the Garden State resort town of Seaside Heights – would return later this year in a new location.

The National Italian American Foundation is among the groups hitting the roof over the announcement that Jersey Shore will soon be back on the tube. The organization has issued a statement expressing “continued concerns” about the program’s depictions of Italian-Americans in the media and argues that the reality soap makes it difficult for young Italians to be taken seriously in the workplace.

“This program and its characters had more in common with the adolescent residents of Animal House than with Italian Americans,” the organization wrote in a press statement issued Friday. The “outrageous behavior” on the show, says NIAF, which is “laden with promiscuity, debauchery, and violence,” is “a disgrace.”

Jersey Shore debuted on the network last December. By the time the eighth and final episode of Season One aired last month, the show was drawing nearly 5 million, making it the highest-rated show in MTV history.

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