Author: Serkadis

I guess all you need to do is ask for one and Apple hooks you up. As long as you host a nightly TV show and the Grammys.

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Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

Podcasting is an art best learned by experience. In order to be a good podcaster, it helps to have a good speaking voice, excellent topics to talk about (or fun guests), and equipment and software to assist you in recording and editing your podcast. It also helps to make a lot of mistakes, since you’ll learn from them.

A while back, I wrote a post about how to use an iPhone 3GS, Garage Band, and Posterous to do “quick and easy” podcasting. While that method has the desired results — your podcast has a feed that can be subscribed to, and it actually sounds pretty good — it forces you to stick with one website on Posterous to create the feed. Many podcasts are associated with a website, so it’s important in many cases to have the ability to upload a podcast file to an FTP server.

That, and my continuing quest to make my podcasting as easy as possible, is what got me interested in iPodcaStudio from Vault Multimedia. iPodcaStudio [$0.99, iTunes Link] is an iPhone app for recording, editing, and uploading your podcasts easily. While it isn’t as full-featured as it could eventually be, iPodcaStudio is a good start at a complete podcast studio on your iPhone or iPod touch running iPhone OS 3.0 or greater.Podcasting is an art best learned by experience. In order to be a good podcaster, it helps to have a good speaking voice, excellent topics to talk about (or fun guests), and equipment and software to assist you in recording and editing your podcast. It also helps to make a lot of mistakes, since you’ll learn from them.

A while back, I wrote a post about how to use an iPhone 3GS, Garage Band, and Posterous to do “quick and easy” podcasting. While that method has the desired results — your podcast has a feed that can be subscribed to, and it actually sounds pretty good — it forces you to stick with one website on Posterous to create the feed. Many podcasts are associated with a website, so it’s important in many cases to have the ability to upload a podcast file to an FTP server.

That, and my continuing quest to make my podcasting as easy as possible, is what got me interested in iPodcaStudio from Vault Multimedia. iPodcaStudio [$0.99, iTunes Link] is an iPhone app for recording, editing, and uploading your podcasts easily. While it isn’t as full-featured as it could eventually be, iPodcaStudio is a good start at a complete podcast studio on your iPhone or iPod touch running iPhone OS 3.0 or greater.

TUAWiPodcaStudio brings easy podcasting to the iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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from infoshop, 27 January 2010: “The Tarnac Ten have been closely surveilled. This isn’t a scoop. But there’s a problem: the phone taps and videos were made outside of any legal framework. The Tarnac Affair hasn’t ceased to resound. And the echoes have caused trouble for a prosecution that has already been amply attacked by the lawyers for the defense. On Wednesday, two new stones were thrown into Judge Thierry Fragnoli’s pool. Two components that could weaken the entire proceedings…” more

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Jeep, Off-Road

JeepGarage.com was the first to get spy shots of the 2011 Jeep Cherokee out testing, and now it’s apparently come through with exhaustive – perhaps complete – pricing of Jeep‘s ‘I’m bringing sexy back’ SUV. According to the documents, the all-new Cherokee will start at $31,480 (including destination charges) for the base Laredo “E” 4×2, climbing to $45,770 for the Overland-trim 4×4. For comparison’s sake, the outgoing 2010 model starts at $31,490 including freight, leaving a Hamilton left over to top off the gas tank.

In addition to the new paints and packages, there are 46 new standard and optional features. Some of them are unequivocally true and new, like including two transfer cases, Adaptive Speed Control, a larger fuel tank, dual-pane sunroof, bi-Xenon headlamps, and of course, illuminated cupholders. Others, like the “Best-in-class premium interior” we’re going to have to see to validate.

On top of that are eight pre-packaged trim groups: Electronic Infotainment System, Luxury II, Off Road I & II, Popular Equipment Group, Technology Group, Trailer Tow, and Trailer Tow IV. Naturally, they can’t be had across the model range, and a couple of them have intriguing requirements, like the Luxury II which can only be fitted to the Limited models that have the black/light frost beige interior. The new model will finally go on sale later this year, and the way it’s looking, this Cherokee might just fulfill the promise of its reveal, and its maker.

[Source: Jeep Garage]

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee pricing, options leaked? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan’s luxury division, Infiniti, today launched the FX37S and FX50S Limited Edition models, which will only be produced in a limited run of 100 units across Western Europe, with only 18 will go to the UK. All vehicles will be individually numbered. Pricing for the FX Limited Edition line starts at £55,855 for the FX37S and rises to £62,035 for the FX50S.

The Infiniti FX37S is powered by the 3.7-litre V6 engine that develops 320 horsepower, while the FX50S version comes equipped with a more… (read more)

SPRINGFIELD — Little-known attorney Jacob Meister is dropping out of the Illinois Senate race and endorsing Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.

Meister said Sunday that he got into the race to talk about job-creation and progressive issues. As a gay man, he also found himself asked to speak up on problems facing homosexual people.

But Meister’s campaign never caught fire. Polls found him with single-digit support.

Although his name will still appear on Tuesday’s ballot, Meister is asking people to vote for Giannoulias in the Democratic primary.

He says Giannoulias will support many of his job ideas and will also fight discrimination.

Giannoulias leads in the polls, followed by former prosecutor David Hoffman and Cheryle Jackson of the Chicago Urban League.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

As we told you earlier today, Toyota’s US CEO Jim Lentz went on the Today Show on NBC to try and talk some sense into all those Toyota owners who got spooked by the sticking accelerator pedal. In the interview, Lentz says Toyota is currently facing two different problems, both leading to sudden accelerations.

One is the now infamous floor mat which entraps the accelerator pedal and the second is the "sticking pedal issue". Both, Lentz says, will be brought under control.

TMS’s h… (read more)

Following up on the interview with a top Chinese commercial real estate developer who’s calling for a bubble, econ professor Patrick Chovanec draws attention to a report from Colliers international, which has some fresh numbers on real estate.

This chart, in particular, really stands out. Basically while square-foot luxury prices are surging, rents are only going in one direction: down (see chart below).

 We’ve heard, by anecdote, similar stories from China. The middle class are getting into real estate speculation, and they’re buying apartments, but not even renting them out (the prices aren’t worth it, and besides, they don’t want anyone messing up their pristine, mint-condition real estate.

And the chart confirms numbers from another CB Richard Ellis report we’ve seen, which confirms a lethal combo of declining rents and increased prices.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• CBRE On Chinese Real Estate: Slackening Rents, Rising Vacancies, Investment-Driven Homebuying
• Interview With Chinese Commercial Real Estate Developer Just Screams Bubble
• Resort Dreams Fuel Unprecedented Housing Bubble In China’s Hainan

Online privacy is increasingly becoming a hot topic as people spend more time online and services become more complex and targeted. With the international Data Protection Day last week, the topic was understandably the focus of several companies, Google included, but also of government organizations. The EU is working on new laws to regulate th… (read more)

 

This Time Is Different – By John Mauldin – Thoughts from the Frontline
The Statistical Recovery has Arrived
This Time Is Different
A Crisis of Confidence
Greeks Bearing Gifts
Biotech, Conversations and Babies

… And this is key. Read it twice (at least!):   “Perhaps more than anything else, failure to recognize the precariousness and fickleness of confidence-especially in cases in which large short-term debts need to be rolled over continuously-is the key factor that gives rise to the this-time-is-different syndrome. Highly indebted governments, banks, or corporations can seem to be merrily rolling along for an extended period, when bang!-confidence collapses, lenders disappear, and a crisis hits. … –

————

Free banks: FDIC Friday Lotto: Another Reason Why Banks Are Not Lending – by MISH – In case you need another reason why banks are not lending, please consider the following email from a Senior Vice President at a small California Bank.  “A California Banker” writes … By spreading out the number of bank failures over many months, the FDIC gives that small percentage of well capitalized banks a further reason not to lend for as long as the weekly lotto continues. Remember, the reason these banks are not in trouble in the first place is because they had prudent lending standards. … – MISH’S Global Economic Trend Analysis   

————

Lower leverage, deposit-based funding the “new normal” for US banks – Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services thinks it’s unlikely that banks will resume the risky practices and policies whose apparent failure forced the government to shore up the U.S. banking system in 2008 and 2009.  Instead, in S&P’s  view, banks will likely revert to a more conservative strategy based on a “loan-to-own” mindset versus the “originate to distribute” approach that exposed the largest financial institutions to the downside of aggressive underwriting and excessive leverage. – Research Recap

————

California mortgage defaults drop 24.3% – The number of homes entering the first stage of foreclosure fell in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter, MDA DataQuick says – a sign that banks are working with delinquent borrowers – LA Times Business

Toyota announced this morning that it will start fixing accelerator pedals in recalled vehicles this week. Toyota dealers should be receiving parts this week to fix accelerator pedals on the 2.3 million vehicles it recalled Jan. 21.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive,” said Jim Lentz, president and Chief Operating Officer, TMS. “We deeply regret the concern that our recalls have caused for our customers and we are doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to make things right. Stopping production is never an easy decision, but we are 100% confident it was the right decision. We know what’s causing the sticking accelerator pedals, and we know what we have to do to fix it. We also know it is most important to fix this problem in the cars on the road.”

Lentz said that many dealers will have extended hours and some may remain open 24 hours to get the job done. He said that fix should take a short time (approximately 30 mins) depending on the workflow at the dealership.

Toyota owners will be identified by mail when to setup an appointment to make repairs.

Customers can also visit www.toyota.com/recall or call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Check out a video by Jim Lentz in the video posted after the jump and list of the common FAQs from Toyota in the press release.

Press Release:

On January 21, Toyota announced its intention to recall approximately 2.3 million select Toyota Division vehicles equipped with a specific pedal assembly and suspended sales of the eight models involved in the recall on January 26.

Toyota vehicles affected by the recall include:
• Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
• Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• Certain 2007-2010 Camry
• Certain 2010 Highlander
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Highlander hybrids and certain Camry models, including Camry hybrids, all of which remain for sale.

Further, Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) that begin with “J” are not affected by the accelerator pedal recall.

In the event that a driver experiences an accelerator pedal that sticks in a partial open throttle position or returns slowly to idle position, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes. The brakes should not be pumped repeatedly because it could deplete vacuum assist, requiring stronger brake pedal pressure. The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.

Detailed information and answers to questions about issues related to this recall are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

How Toyota Will Fix Recalled Vehicles

Toyota has pinpointed the issue that could, on rare occasions, cause accelerator pedals in recalled vehicles to stick in a partially open position. The issue involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the proper “feel” by adding resistance and making the pedal steady and stable. The device includes a shoe that rubs against an adjoining surface during normal pedal operation. Due to the materials used, wear and environmental conditions, these surfaces may, over time, begin to stick and release instead of operating smoothly. In some cases, friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.

Toyota’s solution for current owners is both effective and simple. A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the assembly that will reduce the surface tension between the friction shoe and the adjoining surface. With this reinforcement in place, the excess friction that can cause the pedal to stick is eliminated. The company has confirmed the effectiveness of the newly reinforced pedals through rigorous testing on pedal assemblies that had previously shown a tendency to stick.

Separately from the recall for sticking accelerator pedals, Toyota is in the process of recalling vehicles to address rare instances in which floor mats have trapped the accelerator pedal in certain Toyota and Lexus models (announced November 25, 2009), and is already notifying customers about how it will fix this issue. In the case of vehicles covered by both recalls, it is Toyota’s intention to remedy both at the same time.

Toyota Answers Customer Questions About The Solution For Sticking Accelerator Pedals

1. What is the solution Toyota announced to fix sticking accelerator pedals?

Toyota’s engineers have developed and rigorously tested a solution that is both effective and simple. A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the accelerator pedal assembly, thereby eliminating the excess friction that has caused pedals to stick in rare instances.

2. What is the problem that could cause accelerators to stick and led to the recall?

The issue involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the proper “feel” by adding resistance and making the pedal steady and stable.

This friction device includes a “shoe” that rubs against an adjoining surface during normal pedal operation. Due to the materials used, wear and environmental conditions, these surfaces may, over time, begin to stick and release instead of operating smoothly. In some cases, friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.

3. How does a steel reinforcement bar solve this problem?

The steel reinforcement bar will reduce the surface tension between the friction shoe and the adjoining surface. With this reinforcement in place, the excess friction that can cause the pedal to stick is eliminated.

4. How does Toyota know that this solution will be effective?

We have confirmed the effectiveness of the newly reinforced pedals through rigorous testing on pedal assemblies that had previously shown a tendency to stick. Nothing is more important to Toyota than the safety and satisfaction of our customers, and we have high confidence in our solution for fixing our customers’ vehicles.

5. When can I get my vehicle fixed?

We will begin contacting customers to let them know when to bring in their vehicles for the fix, and some of them will be notified as early as this week.

At Toyota, our highest priority has been to quickly and effectively address the needs of owners of affected vehicles. Parts to reinforce the pedals are already being shipped for use by dealers, and many Toyota dealers will work extended hours to complete the recall campaign as quickly and conveniently as possible — some even staying open 24 hours a day.

6. How long will it take for a dealer to repair my automobile?

The actual repair involves about 30 minutes’ work.

7. Is the repair covered by warranty? Will drivers have to pay any money out of pocket for this work?

Toyota will cover all repair costs associated with this work.

8. Does the reinforced pedal feel any different?

Drivers should not notice any change in the feel of the pedal.

9. Is my car safe to drive if it has not yet received this solution?

To be clear, the condition is rare and generally does not occur suddenly. It can occur when the pedal mechanism becomes worn and, in certain conditions, the accelerator pedal may become harder to depress, slower to return or, in the worst case, stuck in a partially depressed position.

Customers who experience an accelerator pedal that is hard to depress, slow to return or is unsmooth during operation should drive the vehicle to a safe location, shut off the engine and contact a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance

In the event that a driver experiences an accelerator pedal that sticks in a partial open throttle position or returns slowly to idle position, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes. The brakes should not be pumped repeatedly because it could deplete vacuum assist, requiring stronger brake pedal pressure. The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.

10. What if my vehicle is also affected by the floor mat recall? Which will be addressed first?

We are working to coordinate the pedal entrapment and the sticking pedal recalls to minimize the number of customers who will have to have two service visits.

11. What do I do if I experience a sticking accelerator pedal before my car receives the remedy? Should I bring my car to a dealer?

Customers who experience an accelerator pedal that is hard to depress, slow to return or is unsmooth during operation should drive the vehicle to a safe location, shut off the engine and contact a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.

Otherwise, no action is required at this time unless you feel you are experiencing this condition. We will begin contacting customers to let them know when to bring in their vehicles for the fix, and some of them will be notified as early as this week.

12. Can I return my vehicle to Toyota if I purchased it in the five-day period between when the recall was announced and Toyota stopped the sale on my vehicle? What are my options?

Toyota will work with customers who have concerns about their new vehicles on a case-by-case basis.

13. Which models are affected by the sticky accelerator pedal recall/stop sale?

Toyota’s accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales is confined to the following Toyota Division vehicles:

* Certain 2009-2010 RAV4,
* Certain 2009-2010 Corolla,
* 2009-2010 Matrix,
* 2005-2010 Avalon,
* Certain 2007-2010 Camry,
* Certain 2010 Highlander,
* 2007-2010 Tundra,
* 2008-2010 Sequoia

Highlander hybrids and Camry hybrids are not affected by this action and will remain for sale.

Further, Camry, RAV 4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with VINs that begin with “J” are not affected.

14. What is a “VIN” and how do I find it on my automobile?

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a 17-character sequence of numbers and letters that is used by the automobile industry to uniquely identify motor vehicles. It can be viewed through the windshield on the driver’s side at the front of the dashboard.

In addition, the VIN number is also located on a sticker located the driver’s side pillar, with the tire inflation information and on the vehicle’s registration.

15. Why are mechanically similar Lexus and Scion vehicles not affected by this recall?

The recall affected pedal is confined to one of Toyota’s suppliers. That supplier’s pedals are not used on Lexus and Scion vehicles.

– By: Omar Rana

Scott Roeder found guilty of murdering Dr. Tiller. Oprah’s confrontation with the Palins is kind of weak. Also: the science of orgasms.

 

Subscribe to RealityCast:
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Links in this episode:

STOPP program in South Carolina

Dr. George Tiller on why he became an abortion provider

GQ article on Scott Roeder

Tim Tebow/Sarah Palin advocating choice

Glenn Beck claims women are psycho

 

On this episode of Reality Cast, we’ll learn more about the
science of orgasms.  Also, Scott
Roeder’s trial in the murder of Dr. George Tiller begins, and Oprah Winfrey
drops the ball in questioning Bristol Palin.

 

RH Reality Check posted a video looking into the success of
the STOPP program that helped reduce the teen pregnancy rate in a South
Carolina high school. 

 

• stopp
  *

 

It seems like common sense that you have to validate
people’s lives and experiences in order to communicate with them, but somehow,
that message is implemented less often than it should be.

 

********

Scott Roeder’s trial for the murder of Dr. George Tiller of
Kansas started on Friday. 
Unfortunately, that was also the 37^th anniversary of Roe v.
Wade, which hardly seems like a coincidence and has many people worried that
the judge in this case is disinclined to treat anti-choice terrorism like a
real crime.  We’ll see, I
guess.  Before I get into analysis
of the situation in the here and now, though, I thought I’d play some samples
from recently released videos where Dr. Tiller explains why he became an abortion
provider. 

 

• tiller
  1 *

 

After that experience, the older Dr. Tiller apparently
performed abortion quietly and illegally. 
When he died in a plane crash and Dr. George Tiller took over his
practice, he performed legal ones because his father did.  And apparently anti-choice nuts
radicalized him, made him see the serious misogyny in their viewpoint.

 

I wanted to play that, because I think what the Roeder
defense team may attempt to do is erase the victim of this crime, his humanity,
the fact that he had a family, the fact that he worked out of compassion for
women and horror at what can happen if women don’t have access to safe abortion.
Devin Friedman wrote a long and
interesting piece in GQ about the case, and while I think Friedman has a couple
of unforgiveable moments of pandering to violent misogynists, overall the piece
exposes the vast gulf between the pro-choicers out there fighting for freedom
and really for life, and anti-choicers who are battling their own weird
demons.  Rachel Maddow had Friedman
on her show to talk about what it was like to talk to Scott Roeder, who is open
about murdering Dr. Tiller.  You
really get an ideal of how much the anti-choice movement really is populated
with nutty folks that have a hostile attitude towards reality.

 

• tiller
  2 *

 

However, none of this should be taken to mean that Roeder is
crazy or that he could use the insanity defense.  Friedman discusses this later on the segment.  There’s a big difference between people
who are basically sane but have a lot of nutty, self-serving beliefs that they
cultivate in order to justify their seething hatred of the world and of life and
of reality, and people who are literally insane.  What we should take away from this is that the people who
engage in right wing misinformation campaigns and propaganda share the
blame.  When mainstream journalists
like Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck are willing to stretch the truth in order to
serve up a steady stream of hate, it’s not surprising that this encourages
their followers to get further and further into nutty territory with the
fluoride conspiracy theories.  And
when one of life’s losers like Roeder who is full of hate is encouraged to lash
out against an abortion provider like Dr. Tiller, this sort of thing is
inevitable. 

 

What really comes across as fascinating about this is that
Roeder was open about how much premeditation went into his plan to kill Dr.
Tiller.

 

• tiller
  3 *

 

What really jumped out at me, and I wish Friedman had taken
more time to point this out, is how much Roeder comes across as a coward in
this piece.  He planned obsessively
on how to get away with this, and when he finally did it, he ran.  Not really the man standing up for his
so-called convictions that he’d like to imagine he is, but really more a
sniveling coward who lashes out with hatred and hopes to escape
responsibility.  Since Friedman
contrasted the murderer and his victim in the piece, I wish he’d noted this cowardice,
since he is in awe, as most of us are, of how brave Dr. Tiller was to practice
even in midst of this constant threat of violence that finally took his
life. 

 

Friedman seems pretty sure that Roeder will be paying for
his crime.  The pro-choice community
is worried that the judge’s willingness to allow a voluntary manslaughter
defense will mean Roeder gets off with a slap on the wrist, but the extent of
the premeditation really means this crime can’t qualify, since the manslaughter
law requires you to be reacting in a very rushed way, not premeditating for a
decade.  So that’s good news, let’s
hope Friedman’s right.

 

********

insert interview

********

To no one’s great surprise, Sarah Palin continues to use
activity in and around her and her daughter’s reproductive tracts in order to
keep herself on TV and in magazines. 
Palin mother and daughter got on the cover of In Touch cuddling their
most recent offspring with a headline about how they’re glad they chose
life.  As I wrote at RH Reality
Check, this undermines their claims to be anti-choice, since obviously, if they
don’t get to make choices, they don’t get to be celebrated for them.  Sadly, these finer distinctions seem to
be lost on the anti-choice touring Palin baby circus. 

 

But that’s to be expected.  What was unexpected was that the producers of the Oprah
Winfrey show would let the Palins come on to spout their weirdness on the
anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which is especially tasteless sexism considering
that most of Oprah’s audience is female. 
And the interview was bizarre from the get-go.

 

* palin 1 *

 

Oprah sounds like she’s talking to a crazy person who just
accosted her on the street, and who she’s trying to escape without being rude
or causing a scene.  Things only
get worse from here, however, because as you know the Palin baby circus is all
about the sex and how evil it is. 
I fail to see why Oprah’s people think giving air time to anti-sex
sentiments is such a good idea. 
I’ve read Oprah magazine, while waiting for doctor’s appointments.  I know how much money they make off sex
tips, and you’d think they wouldn’t want to undermine that message.  And I suppose that Oprah does in fact
try to challenge the message that Bristol Palin is a repentant fornicator who
is going to stop fornicating.

 

• palin
  2 *

 

A fair question, but kind of a shallow one.  Obviously, the narrative the Palins are
trying to establish is that sex is naughty, but Bristol got her baby
punishment, and that somehow wiped the slate clean.  It should only be your business if you have sex or not, but
this whole charade is less about Bristol’s personal business and more about
sending the message that sex is bad and should be avoided.  Oprah tips her hand a little and
implies that Bristol’s statements probably have little to do with her actual
sex life, which I’m pretty sure is the case.  She’d be doing the abstinence tour even if she was juggling
5 lovers behind the scenes. 

 

So the real question isn’t, "What are you doing with your
own body, Bristol?", but, "Why are you out there  promoting the idea that sex is bad?  Why exactly is it bad?"  That would have avoided this extremely
silly exchange.

 

• palin
  3 *

 

But why?  Why
should it be a goal for women not to have sex?  What is so bad about sex?   Or what is so bad about women that they can’t have
sex?  Why can’t Oprah ask a real
question?  I suppose she’s afraid
the Palins won’t come on her show anymore, but then that means they won’t say
weird things about Oprah’s hair. 
Everyone wins under that scenario, except Sarah Palin. 

 

********

And now for the Wisdom of Wingnuts, just bring out the hate
edition.  Remember the days when I
had to troll YouTube for outrageous misogyny on occasion?  You know, because more mainstream
pundits and hosts hadn’t really gone off that week?   Me too. 
But now we have a steady drumbeat from Glenn Beck. 

 

• beck *

 

Yeah, he really really hates women.  And then wonders why the women in his
life are angry.

 

 

great article on forward curves – Here’s how much rates are expected to rise – Scott Grannis – A question from a reader made me think that this chart might be of interest. It comes from Bloomberg, and is designed to show the market’s implied forecast of interest rates at different points in time. The current Treasury yield curve is the bottom red line, and as you move up the chart you have the expected curve 1, 2, and 5 years from now. – Calafia Beach Pundit

————

Hamptons New York Home Sales Climb 59% as Deal Seekers Buy – By Oshrat Carmiel and Prashant Gopal – … Transactions climbed to 409 from 257 a year earlier, the biggest increase in seven years of recordkeeping, New York-based appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and broker Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate said in a report today. Competition for properties pushed the median price up 4.9 percent to $917,900, the first year-over-year gain since the beginning of 2008 … – Bloomberg

————

ominous? – Suspending Money Market Redemptions Is Now Legal; SEC Approves New Money Market Regulation In 4-1 Vote – Submitted by Tyler Durden – … This explains the negative rate on bills: at this point, should there be another meltdown, money market investors will not, repeat not, be able to withdraw their money purely on the whim of Mary Schapiro. … – Zero Hedge

————

Unlikely U.S. Treasury Yields Will Rise Until Securitization Is Fixed – Andrew Butter – Seeking Alpha

————

An early warning system for asset bubbles – By Charles Roxburgh and Susan Lund – As policymakers and business leaders gather in Davos this week, much of their conversation will no doubt focus on how to drive a global economic recovery. Yet they should spend just as much time and energy discussing how to prevent the next devastating financial crisis – specifically, how to spot and prick asset bubbles as they are inflating. – Financial Times – McKinsey Global Institute 

————

Davos 2010: George Soros warns gold is now the ‘ultimate bubble’ – Gold is now "the ultimate bubble", billionaire investor George Soros has declared, sparking fears that prices for the precious metal may soon suffer a tumble. – both text and video – Telegraph.co.uk

————

Chart – Dow in ounces of gold – … This results in what is referred to as the Dow / gold ratio or the cost of the Dow in ounces of gold. For example, it currently takes 9.3 ounces of gold to “buy the Dow.” This is considerably less that the 44.8 ounces back in the year 1999. When priced in gold, the US stock market has been in a bear market for the entire 21st century. … – Chart of the Day

————

Here’s The Secret Of How One Hedge Fund Trader Spotted The Housing Bust And Made A Fortune – John Carney -  Clusterstock at Business Insider

There is life beyond Pac-Man. Namco Bandai Games is famous for the quintessential video game of the 1980s. And that game has helped the Japanese game publisher break into new mobile and social game markets. But the core belief at Namco Networks, the U.S. arm of the company in San Jose, Calif., is that it can create new kinds of games that will help accelerate its growth in the hot parts of the video game market.

One example is The Wolfman Mobile Game, which Namco Networks launched this week in anticipation of a new movie coming from Universal Studios on Feb. 12. The movie, starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins, is the first in a series of revivals of Universal’s classic monster franchises, and it represents Namco’s first attempt at making a game based on a movie. The game is available on feature phones, the BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile platforms and will soon be on Android and Sidekick phones.

“This is the start of something good for us,” said Chris Lucero, manager of business development and licensing at Namco Networks. “We are going to establish a presence in games based on licenses from sports, film, and TV.”

By itself, the Wolfman game is not a big deal. But it could lead to bigger and better branded games for Namco Bandai, and it’s a sign that the competition is only going to grow as bigger companies get serious about the mobile and social games space.

Namco Bandai is as traditional as they come. The company was founded in 1955 and launched Pac-Man as an arcade game in 1980. It merged with Bandai in 2006 and is still rolling out lots of console games, such as the recent Tekken 6 console game. In its last fiscal year, Namco posted $4.7 billion in revenues. In the U.S., it diversified into PC games such as Flagship Studios’ Hellgate: London, but that game didn’t sell that well.

So far, the new stuff is just a blip in the company’s overall revenue picture. But the mother ship has to move into new markets because traditional gaming is changing. New audiences are developing on a variety of new platforms, from Facebook to the iPhone. And Namco has to be there. Namco is already a big player in mobile games. Like Electronic Arts, Glu Mobile, Digital Chocolate and Gameloft, Namco is one of the leaders in mobile games, thanks in no small part to popular mobile versions of its Pac-Man franchise. It uses Pac-Man to promote the other games that it is launching.

“We are just as big as those other companies are, and it’s about time we showed that,” said Rob Schoeppe, senior director of production and deployment.

The mission is reflected in the latest people hired at the company. Lucero was an agent at United Talent Agency in Hollywood. His job was to read every script in town and figure out how to exploit them as properties. At Namco, he helped secure the rights to make mobile games based on the upcoming movie The Wolfman.

And back in August, Namco Networks hired Jonathan Kromrey, who formerly worked in the iPhone division at Apple. His job as general manager of Apple games is to create iPhone games based on both existing Namco properties and new games as well. David Schwartz, meanwhile, heads the PC division that is making games for Facebook, web sites and other social networks. They’re among the couple of hundred or so employees based in San Jose, and there are hundreds more in locations such as Japan and Romania. (Schwartz is pictured left; Kromrey right).

These new folks are focusing on making games for broader markets, not just hardcore gamers. They’re creating games with more appeal to women and are casual affairs that don’t take a lot of time to play. There have been no giant original hits so far, but it’s still early.

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While in Los Angeles for a brief second Friday, BoomTown motored over to the Brentwood home of puckish entrepreneur Jason Calacanis to talk to him about his prank tweets the night before the introduction of the iPad last week.

On Tuesday night before the much hyped launch of the newest device from Apple (AAPL), Calacanis let loose with a series of over-the-top posts to Twitter, claiming he had been a beta tester for the iPad tablet computer for 10 days.

Unfortunately, these were assertions that some in the mostly mainstream media took too seriously.

So was it a jump-the-shark moment for journalism?

It was certainly sloppy, given Calacanis is well known for slapping Apple around and that the secretive computer giant does not even give its own employees access to new products.

All this might have sent off alarm bells.

But, he then followed up with a series of tweets on a myriad of features of the new iPad–one nuttier, pricier and heavier than the next, such as a built-in HDTV tuner, a solar recharging pad and more.

For example: “Yes, there are 2cameras: one in front and one in back (or it may be one with some double lens) so you record yourself and in front of u.”

The problem was a few big media outfits, including CNNMoney.com and the WSJ.com, posted reports on the tweets without much of a raised eyebrow or checking first about their veracity with Apple or Calacanis.

While anyone can get caught in a prank–and it was a pretty elaborate one pulled by Calacanis, who claims he was just trying to point out how ridiculous Apple hype had become–it’s still an instructive moment for journalism.

Here’s my interview with Calacanis, explaining it all (with a little shot of his new baby girl at the end), as well as images of his faux iPad tweets below that:

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Last Friday’s lights-out GDP report has revived hopes among bulls that we still might get the V-shaped recovery everyone was predicting last summer.

After a string of disappointing jobs and housing numbers in the fall, it seemed the chance of that had been fading.

But Goldman Sachs economist Jan Hatzius has a grim message: It’s not happening.

In a weekly note, he slams the idea that a sharp fall must be followed by a sharp recovery (the argument put forth by the likes of interest rate guru James Grant).

Hatzius’s argument: Unlike in past recessions, which were caused by Fed tightening, this time the Fed is super loose, and we’ll experience tightening while the economy recovers.

See the whole argument >

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See Also:

• Historically, Huge Inventory Boosts Like In Q4 Have Ended Very Badly
• Rosenberg: Here’s Four Reasons Why That GDP Number Was A Joke
• Bill Miller Makes Or Breaks His Career With This Call: U.S. GDP Will Grow 7-10% And Stocks Will Melt Up

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