Author: Serkadis

  • Report: Jan. auto sales are coming in expectedly low

    Auto sales figures for the month of January are coming in low, as expected, following a strong December rife with holiday sale specials. While this month’s sales figures may be somewhat disappointing after December, the seasonally adjusted annual rate for January is significantly better than early 2009, and for the full-year. Low January sales figures are generally expected, with this January forecasted to be particularly low because of the pull-ahead sales of this December.

    Despite this month’s performance, Edmunds predicts 2010’s sales to remain on track to hit 11.5 million units.

    “The discount opportunities between Christmas and New Year’s have become legend. The story is so compelling that the deals don’t actually have to be good, but people will still buy,” said Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl.

    January generally proposes a challenge for auto sales as those who are sensitive to deals are generally lying in wait for President’s Day events.

    – By: Stephen Caogera

    Source: AutoObserver


  • Johnson Controls posts higher than expected profit

    Johnson Controls, Inc. said today that it posted a quarterly profit higher than it originally expected, and raised its fiscal-year outlook as global auto production volumes recover from steep declines. The company, which is the largest manufacturer of car interiors, said that it expects sales to increase 16% this year to $33 billion from $31 billion. Their profit-per-share forecast for ’10 also rose from $1.35-$1.45 to $1.70 to $1.75.

    For Q1, which ended on December 31, the company reported a net income of $350 million, compared to the previous year’s loss of $608 million.

    The company is swiftly gaining market share from distressed companies after several large competitors went bankrupt in the wake of the recent massive production costs by automakers.

    Johnson Controls, Inc. ranks No.6 on the Automotive News list of top 100 global suppliers, having raked up $19.10 billion in sales during the last fiscal year.

    – By: Stephen Calogera

    Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)


  • Scott Baio Gets Liberal Death Threats for Free Speech (and the Truth)

    So, have you heard about the Scott Baio-Twitter-Michelle Obama controversy? Could you ever have imagined there would be a such thing as a Scott Baio-Twitter-Michelle Obama controversy?

    So, Scott Baio (the hot Chachi Arcola from Happy Days) Tweeted this pic of the first lady that read something like, [Can you believe President Obama has to wake up next to this every morning?]

    Little did he know that little Tweet would unleash a torrent of liberal rage. The death threats began. He had to contact the FBI. Then, predictably, accusations of racism came flooding in.

    “After receiving the initial criticism, Baio protested the photo was only a joke and appealed to his fellow Twitter users to have a ‘sense of humour’.

    He wrote: ‘I did not alter that picture. Stop bashing my charity just because I post an unflattering pic of a woman. Grow up people, have some humour.

    ‘One bad picture of a woman and everyone wants to bash me? If it had been of (Sarah) Palin people would have probably cheered. I am NOT making fun of anyone.

    ‘People need to relax and laugh a bit. Life is too short no matter what (political) party you are with. A joke is just that, a joke.’

    However, one Twitter user in particular was particularly incensed and sent Baio some chilling threats, which the actor then posted on his own page, also known as ‘Re-Tweeting’. source

    Newsflash: You can say an African American is ugly and that doesn’t make you a racist. There are ugly Black people, just like there are ugly white people and I’m sure if there were purple people there would be ugly ones! Whay are they acting shocked? Michelle Obama certainly does the most with her $44 million and the looks she’s been given, but it’s obvious she’s no Lauryn Hill. And so what, not every can be.

    So, Baio was right on with the Sarah Palin comment and he should have left it there…here’s where he messed up:

    “Then, in a bid to prove he wasn’t racist, Baio posted a photo of himself with a black friend of his wife.
    Scott Baio

    Worrying: Baio’s posted the threats on his Twitter page for all to see

    He said: ‘I’m NOT racist for posting a pic of Michelle Obama. My wife’s best friend is black, hello.

    ‘If I’m racist, don’t think I would have directed shows like The Parkers and The Wayans Brothers or worked 41 episodes with Victoria Rowell on Diagnosis: Murder.’ (source)

    He gave validity to the racism claims by addressing them–and then trying to prove them wrong with the ‘I have a Black friend’ thing. Listen, I totally understand the desire…I have gotten called racist here tons of times and you have to learn to walk away from the computer knowing that people in my real life KNOW without a doubt that I am not racist at all… I wish he could have done that.

    David Bowie’s wife and model Iman called Michelle Obama ugly, but since she followed it with how intelligent she was no one seemed to care…

  • Jason Momoa “Conan The Barbarian” Remake

    Jason Momoa has beat out Twilight hunk Kellan Lutz and Supernatural’s Jared Padalecki to land the lead role in the forthcoming Conan the Barbarian remake.

    Kellan LutzJason Momoa Conan The Barbarian

    The former Stargate: Atlantis actor — romantically-linked to ex-Cosby Kid Lisa Bonet — had been battling it out with the two hunks to take over the role that made Gov. Arnold famous in the 1982 original. According to Empire Online, producers settled on Momoa earlier this week. We hear Oscar-nominated star Mickey Rourke is in discussions to play Conan’s father, Corin.

  • Oil development threatens Ecuadoran wilderness area

    From Green Right Now Reports

    Yasuni National Park. Photo: ecuador-travel.net

    Yasuni National Park. Photo: ecuador-travel.net

    A team of 13 Ecuadoran, American and European scientists has concluded that Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park is the most biodiverse area in all of South America.

    Results of the study were published Jan. 19 in the open-access scientific journal PLoS ONE.

    “One of our most important findings about Yasuni is that small areas of forest harbor extremely high numbers of animals and plants,” said lead author Margot Bass, president of Finding Species, a nonprofit with offices in Quito and Maryland. “Yasuni is probably unmatched by any other park in the world for total numbers of species.”

    That enviable distinction may not save the region from the ravages of oil drilling.

    Until recently, the park has been protected by a creative arrangement known as the Yasuni-ITT Initiative. The plan calls for the park’s largest oil reserves to remain in the ground in exchange for international donations of $3 billion over the next 10 years. In return, 900 million barrels of oil, valued at about $6 billion, would not be removed as a contribution to fighting climate change that would be created by massive deforestation and the eventual burning of the oil.

    Representatives from Ecuador and the United Nations were expected to sign the trust fund agreement at December’s climate summit in Copenhagen, but Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa balked at what he described as “shameful” conditions set up by the trust. Some of those conditions — including contributing nations having a say in how the money was spent, were damaging to his country’s sovereignty and dignity, Correa said.

    In the wake of Correa’s comments, Foreign Minister Fander Falconi and two other members of the negotiating team resigned in protest. The president said the committee negotiating the Initiative has until June to come up with a palatable deal or the government will begin to look into tapping the oil reserves.

    “If they don’t accept our conditions, they can keep their money and we’ll drill,” Correa told The New York Times.

    Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

  • Crate & Barrel to leave Woodfield Mall for larger store

    Housewares retailer Crate & Barrel is closing its store in Woodfield Mall next week and opening a larger location nearby in February.

    Vicki Lang, a spokeswoman for the Northbrook-based chain, said Crate & Barrel will close its Woodfield store Jan. 24 and open Feb. 11 in a much larger space at 760 N. Martingale Rd., just west of the Streets of Woodfield shopping center.

    The new store is 26,000 square feet and can accommodate Crate & Barrel’s furniture collection. The old location was limited to housewares because it wasn’t large enough for Crate & Barrel’s full range of merchandise, Lang said.

    “We had an opportunity to open up a new store in that neighborhood, where we’ve had such dedicated customers,” she said. “They’ve been an important part of our Chicago customer base.”

    [email protected]

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • Barra da Tijuca – Un de los barrios más lindos y desconocidos de Rio de Janeiro (Vale la pena! 🙂 )

    Las fotos son de un GRANDE FOTOGRÁFO y forista carioca.
    Barra da Tijuca es un Barrio muy grande y populoso de Rio de Janeiro, Tiene MUCHO espacio aun vacio para nuevas construcciones, está ubicado en la Zona Oeste de la ciudad.
    Los cariocas llaman el barrio Miami Carioca

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Osmar Carioca
    (Post 50408501)
    Antes de qualquer coisa necessito registrar meu agradecimento à forista FAELA pela extrema generosidade em abrir seu apartamento, a fim de que eu pudesse tirar fotos da lindíssima paisagem que se descortina a partir de suas janelas. Sem a FAELA, este thread não existiria, e ficaríamos todos sem ter noção das vistas do alto do prédio (assinado por Oscar Niemeyer) onde reside.

    Feito o agradecimento, passo a dar explicações sobre mais este trabalho sobre a Barra da Tijuca. Este meu terceiro thread abordando o mais vibrante bairro carioca trará somente fotos tiradas do alto, a partir de diferentes locais como o Joá, a cobertura da Torre 3 do Condomínio Barramares, a cobertura da Torre Charles de Gaulle e a varanda de um residencial de nome Mirante 5 estrelas.

    O thread está assim estruturado:

    I – Chegando na Barra da Tijuca;
    II – Avenida das Américas – a principal artéria do bairro;
    III – Pedra da Gávea – o grande monumento natural da Barra
    IV – “Bairros”

    a) Joá;
    b) Jardim Oceânico;
    c) Centro

    i Condomínio Aquamarine;
    ii Condomínio Atlântico Sul;
    iii Torre Ernest Hemingway;
    iv Prédios que integram a Associação dos Moradores Bosque de Marapendi;
    v Condomínio Barramares.

    d) Península

    V – Condomínio de Casas
    VI – Centros Comerciais/Empresariais
    VII – Praia

    I – CHEGANDO À BARRA DA TIJUCA

    1 – As três primeiras fotos deste thread foram tiradas do Joá e mostram a entrada do bairro para quem chega vindo da Zona Sul carioca.

    2 – O visitante que chega à Barra da Tijuca vindo da Zona Sul Carioca sai de um pequeno túnel, atravessa um pequeno viaduto (ou seria ponte?) e chega ao “bairro” do Jardim Oceânico, onde os prédios são em sua maioria bem baixinhos, com 2, 3, ou 4 andares. Os prédios mais altos que aparecem na foto abaixo são hotéis, ou residenciais com serviços ou flats, que possuem gabarito diferenciado.

    3 – Acreditem se quiserem, mas antes de 1975 a Barra da Tijuca era um enorme e gigantesco areal. Os prédios que são vistos na foto abaixo foram todos construídos após 1975.

    II – A AVENIDA DAS AMÉRICAS – A PRINCIPAL ARTÉRIA DO BAIRRO

    4 – A avenida mais importante da Barra da Tijuca é a Avenida das Américas, que praticamente corta o bairro inteiro, indo desde o “bairro” do Jardim Oceânico até o bairro do Recreio dos Bandeirantes. No passado, esta importante via era expressa. Há tempos, no entanto, em virtude do crescimento da região, é cada vez mais comum deparar-se com enormes engarrafamentos, como o que pode ser visto na foto abaixo. Trafegar em determinados dias na Avenida das Américas pode ser um grande suplício.

    5 – Observem como é longa a Avenida das Américas. Parece-me que ela tem 40 quilômetros de extensão.

    6 – Notem que apesar das várias faixas de rolamento, o engarrafamento estende-se por vários quilômetros. Infelizmente, uma rotina no bairro.

    III – A PEDRA DA GÁVEA – O GRANDE MONUMENTO NATURAL DA BARRA

    7 – Em razão do seu urbanismo e, também devido ao fato de sido priorizado o uso do automóvel, são muitos os que comparam a Barra da Tijuca com Miami, nos EUA. A estes eu digo que Miami NÂO tem Pedra da Gávea, NÂO tem Pedra Bonita, NÃO tem Itanhangá Golf Club e NÂO tem 5 grandes lagoas.

    8 – Mesmo na divisa do bairro da Barra da Tijuca com o Recreio dos Bandeirantes é possível admirar-se a monumental Pedra da Gávea, que tem 842 metros de altura.

    9 – Curiosidade: a Pedra da Gávea é o maior bloco de pedra a beira mar do planeta!

    10 – Esta foto foi tirada da janela do living do apartamento da FAELA. Que vista “horrorosa” ela tem, não?

    11 – Já esta foto foi tirada da cobertura do prédio da FAELA.

    12 –

    13 – Há anos não subo mais na Pedra da Gávea. Mas guardo na memória, de forma indelével, as vistas lindíssimas que se descortinam do seu cume! Só quem já subiu a Pedra da Gávea sabe o que estou falando.

    IV – OS BAIRROS DA BARRA DA TIJUCA

    a – O JOÀ

    14 – Assim que se chega à Barra da Tijuca, pode-se admirar muitas mansões sobre o morro do Joá. Ano passado prometi à Mary T. a feitura de um thread sobre este bairro encantador. Como achei que ainda faltavam algumas fotos para que meu trabalho ficasse completo, acabei não liberando-o. Mas este ano o thread do Joá vai sair!

    15 – As fotos 14 e 15 foram tiradas da cobertura da torre 3 do Condomínio Barramares.

    16 – As três fotos a seguir foram tiradas da cobertura da torre Charles de Gaulle.

    17 – No bairro do Joá não existem edifícios. Há somente casas.

    18 –

    b – O JARDIM OCEÂNICO

    19 – O “bairro” do Jardim Oceânico lembra muito os bairros de Ipanema e Leblon. Neste pedacinho da Barra da Tijuca, os prédios são em sua grande maioria bem baixinhos, normalmente com varandas extremamente generosas, e um acabamento que nada deve aos melhores residenciais de Ipanema, Leblon e Lagoa.

    20 – Para quem não conhece o Rio e quiser fazer um passeio bacana pela Barra da Tijuca, sugiro perder-se pelas ruas do Jardim Oceânico. Vale a pena! Tem cada rua… Tem cada prédio…

    21 –

    c -CENTRO

    22 – Na região mais central da Barra da Tijuca encontram-se alguns dos maiores condomínios do bairro, como o Barramares, Atlântico Sul, Costa do Sol, entre outros. Na foto vê-se um dos prédios do Condomínio Aquamarine.

    23 – Idem

    24 – Outro prédio do Condomínio Aquamarine

    25 – Prédio do Condomínio Atlântico Sul. O Condomínio Atlântico Sul foi um dos primeiros a ser construído na Barra da Tijuca. Trata-se de condomínio de bacanas, digamos assim. Cada um dos muitos apartamentos deste condomínio possui piscina na varanda.

    26 –

    27 – Ao fundo, prédios do Condomínio Atlântico Sul

    28 – Torre Ernest Hemingway. Este prédio cilíndrico é projeto de Oscar Niemeyer.

    29 –

    30 – Os moradores dos prédios que aparecem na foto constituíram a Associação dos Moradores Bosque de Marapendi. Esta associação fornece aos seus associados ônibus refrigerados para o Centro do Rio, manutenção do Bosque de Marapendi entre outras atividades.

    31 – Um close nos prédios da AMB.

    32 – Fotos do Condomínio Barramares. Este condomínio é tão “antigo” quanto o Atlântico Sul.

    33 –

    34 – Que tal morar num apartamento duplex, com piscina privativa no varandão e de frente para o mar da Barra da Tijuca. Demais, não?


    35 – As muitas piscinas nos varandões de dois dos prédios do Condomínio Barramares. Demais, não? Para ir a praia os moradores do Barramares necessitam somente atravessar a rua. Para jogar tênis os moradores necessitam somente dirigir-se aos fundos do Condomínio.

    36 –

    37 – Algumas das quadra de esportes do Condomínio Barramares. Todos os grandes condomínios na Barra da Tijuca possuem ampla área de lazer, com parque aquático, quadras de tênis e de basquete, sala de ginástica, sauna, etc, etc..

    38 – Condomínio Barramares visto do alto da Torre Charles de Gaulle.

    39 –

    40 – Condomínio Barramares visto do alto da Torre Charles de Gaulle.

    41 – Condomínio Itanhangá Hills. Estes dois prédios ficam exatamente na frente de uma ilha onde funciona um dos melhores clubes da Barra: o Marina Barra Clube.

    42 – Os prédios de linhas mais retas a direita da foto integram o Condomínio Riviera dei Fiori, um dos primeiros condomínios a serem construídos na Barra. Já os prédios com cúpulas mais a esquerda da foto, são do Condomínio Mediterrâneo. O prédio na extremidade direita da foto é o empresarial Blue Chip

    43 – Conseguem ver um prédio baixinho na frente dos prédios do Condomínio Riviera dei Fiori. Trata-se do Cosmopolitan Work Style, um prédio comercial voltado para profissionais liberais como médicos, dentistas, advogados, etc.

    44 –

    45 – Observem que na Barra há muitos espaços verdes. As fotos seguintes foram tiradas da varanda do edifício Mirante Cinco Estrelas.

    46 – O contraste entre o concreto e o verde.

    47 – Nesta foto quis mostrar a Ponte Lúcio Costa. Esta ponte é utilizada por aqueles que se encontram na Avenida Sernambetiba (avenida da orla da Barra) e desejam ir para a Avenida das Américas e vice-versa.

    48 –

    49 – Close na ponte Lúcio Costa. Ao fundo, edifícios do Condomínio Atlântico Sul.

    50 – Na frente dos prédios mostrados na foto abaixo está sendo construído um pequeno centro comercial, que fará parte do empresarial Barra Prime.

    51 –

    52 –

    53 –

    54 –

    55 –

    56 –

    57 –

    58 –

    59 –

    60 – Torres gêmeas do Hotel Sheraton Barra da Tijuca.

    61 – Varandas do Hotel Sheraton Barra

    62 – Parque aquático do Hotel Sheraton Barra.

    63 – Outra foto do parque aquático do Sheraton Barra

    64 –

    d – PENÍNSULA

    65 – A Península é o mais novo e badalado “bairro” da Barra da Tijuca. Aguardem que muito em breve estarei lançando thread próprio só sobre este “bairro”.

    66 –

    67 –

    V – CONDOMÍNIO DE CASAS

    68 – Condomínio de casas PORTO DOS CABRITOS. Este condomínio está situado entre a Avenida das Américas e a lagoa e fica exatamente em frente à Torre Charles de Gaulle.

    69 –

    70 –

    71 –

    72 –

    73 –

    74 –

    75 – A casa com telhado claro que aparece na foto pertence a um ator global que é atualmente protagonista da novela das 19 horas.

    76 – O ator global dono da mansão já atuou em muitas novelas (Rei do Gado foi uma delas) e já dirigiu muito caminhão.

    77 – Já descobriram o nome do ator global dono da mansão do Condomínio Porto dos Cabritos?

    VI – CENTROS COMERCIAIS/EMPRESARIAIS

    78 – No canto direito da foto podem ser admirados: a) supermercado Freeway; b) Citta América; e c) Downtown

    79 –

    80 – Um dia ainda vou elaborar um thread somente sobre os empresariais da Barra. O Citta América possui em seu fundo, vizinho ao Downtown, um conjunto de prédios com vidros espelhados verdes, sustentados por colunas de aço pintadas de vermelho. Este conjunto de prédios está integrado a um parque muito lindo, com muitas árvores, fontes e lagos.

    81 – Close nos predinhos do Cittá América

    82 – Entrada do Cittá América. Parte da VALE ocupa o prédio principal do Cittá.

    83 – Close na entrada do Cittá América.

    84 – Fotos do Downtown

    85 – Eu gosto muito do Downtown. Este empresarial tem um paisagismo caprichado, um restaurante que eu gosto muito, de nome Galeria Gourmet e muitos cinemas da rede Cinemark.

    86 –

    87 – Agora fotos do Centro Empresarial ION

    88 –

    89 –

    90 – Não sei se conseguem observar que no prédio do Centro Empresarial ION voltado para a Avenida das Américas funciona uma filial da PUC (conseguem ver o letreiro?)

    VII – PRAIA

    91 – Não é possível se fazer um thread da Barra da Tijuca sem mostrar nem que em uma única foto a praia. Todas as fotos seguintes foram tiradas da cobertura da Torre 3 do Condomínio Barramares.

    92 –

    93 –

    Espero que tenham gostado do meu thread! Agora comentem!


  • Sean Salisbury admits to cell-phone incident

    seansalisbury.JPGUSA Today reports: Former ESPN football analyst and NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury has fessed up to what has become an Internet legend: that he took a cell-phone picture of his private parts in a bar and showed it to a female co-worker.

    Salisbury was suspended by ESPN for the 2006 incident and fired two years later, but had previously denied doing it in an interview with Deadspin.com.

    Now he opens up to USA Today’s Michael Hiestand.

    “I was ashamed, and I didn’t want to say anything,” Salisbury told the paper.

    “I thought it would go away and let my ego get in the way. Since then, I’ve beat myself up about it more than 10 baseball bats could. A stupid mistake can cost you, and this has really cost me. I should have been having this conversation a long time ago.”

    That said, Salisbury has filed suit against Deadspin, which he outlined in two bizarre and rambling e-mail exchanges with the site’s editor in August.

    Get the full story: usatoday.com

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • Prince Minnesota Vikings Song “Purple & Gold” [AUDIO]

    Pop icon Prince has released a new song about the Minnesota Vikings.

    The Minneapolis-born singer said he hadn’t seen the Vikings play in a very long time, until he went to the game against the Dallas Cowboys last week.

    “I saw the future,” Prince beams.

    He went home that night and wrote the song, “Purple and Gold,” just in time for the big NFC Championship game against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday.

    The Vikings love it so much, they plan to put it up on their website. What do you think? Rock It or Drop It?


  • American Airlines to lay off up to 160 pilots

    American Airlines plans to lay off up to 160 pilots by the end of March, according to its pilots union, a sign that carriers continue to clamp down on costs.

    United Airlines is also jettisoning 140 front-line workers and mechanics even though the industry appears to be recovering after two years of tumult that prompted U.S. carriers to park planes and sharply reduce flying.

    American Airlines executives told analysts Wednesday that business travel was starting to rebound and predicted that its capacity would increase slightly in 2010.

    Those pilots losing their jobs in the latest round of layoffs at American had just rejoined the Texas-based airline in February 2009 after a six-year absence, according to Dennis Tajer, an American pilot and spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association.

    The pilots had previously been furloughed in June 2003, and many had left promising jobs to resume their careers at American, the nation’s second-largest carrier, Tajer added.

    The Allied Pilots Association was notified of the pending job cuts Thursday night and was told that management intends to furlough about 130 active pilots, although the total could be up to 160 pilots.

    American currently has 1,887 pilots on furlough, about half of whom previously had been employed by Trans World Airlines and lost their jobs after American merged with TWA in 2001.

    American’s workforce shrank by 11.3 percent to 66,500 workers between 2005 and November 2009, the most recent month for which employment data is available, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

    [email protected]

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • Blommer Chocolate CEO dead at 67

    The Chicago-based Blommer Chocolate Co. says Joe Blommer, its president and CEO, has died at age 67.

    The company, which is reportedly North America’s largest cocoa bean processor, said Blommer died Wednesday at his home in River Hill, Wis., after a long fight with brain cancer.

    The Milwaukee-born Blommer led the family owned company founded by his father and uncles in 1939 through a period of sustained growth.

    Blommer was responsible for the 1980 construction of the company’s plant in East Greenville, Pa., and a recent major expansion there. The company also has plants in Chicago and Union City, Calif.

    Blommer and his brother, Henry, also helped the company defeat a takeover attempt by Cargill, Inc., in 1992.

    Blommer is survived by his wife, Karen, five children, and three grandchildren.

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • Reformulação das Freguesias da Margem Sul

    Aqui fica uma proposta para o Concelho do Seixal:

    Mais tarde farei para Sesimbra.

  • Snooki Helps Haiti

    Jersey Shore star Nicole ‘‘Snooki’’ Polizzi is helping Haiti by participating in an autograph-signing at a used car dealership in Easton, Pennsylvania this weekend. Snook gained national attention this year as America’s favorite ”Guidette” for her outspoken demeanor on the controversial reality smash. The Princess of Poughkeepsie will be busy slapping her John Hancock around for fans between 2 – 4 PM this Saturday, Jan. 22.

    Star Pontiac Buick GMC Car Pre-Owned Center, which will host the event, says it will donate $100 for every car sold at tomorrow’s event to Haitian Earthquake Relief.

    “We are thrilled to have ‘Snooki’ visiting the dealership to raise awareness for the cause and attract new buyers so we can offer more aid to the Haitian people,” says sales manager Eric Watson. “Love her or hate her, Snooki has become a national phenomenon and we are so thrilled she’s taking time from her busy travel schedule to visit our Lehigh Valley auto dealership. She’s helping us go above and beyond for a great cause and we look forward to writing a large check towards Haitian relief efforts on Saturday.”

    Every dollar counts!



  • Mayor Daley’s school board presidents used credit cards freely

    Mayor Richard Daley’s last two school board presidents freely and widely used their school board credit cards to charge thousands of dollars in meals, travel and gift-giving, according to documents obtained by the Tribune.

    The credit card use by Rufus Williams and Michael Scott, who committed suicide, was on top of the yearly spending allowance each man received–$19,200 for Williams and $36,000 for Scott in public money.

    Williams, in an interview, defended his charges, saying they all related to school business.

    “My credit card use was fully proper,” he said. “There is clearly reasonable and rational explanations for each charge. Each related to our children and to our schools.”

    Williams declined to answer questions about items attributed to him, such as more than $6,000 charged in September 2008 with the vendor who supplies food and beverages at Soldier Field; a $650 limousine ride in August 2008; and a $640 tab in January 2009 at Table 52, an acclaimed restaurant on the city’s Gold Coast.

    Scott, who had replaced Williams as board president in March 2009, charged about $1,000 on average each month for meals and alcohol at notable city eateries such as The Chicago Firehouse, Rosebud Prime Restaurant and Spiaggia, according to documents.

    The Tribune previously disclosed that Scott, who committed suicide in November, improperly used his board credit card to pay for a trip last fall to Copenhagen to lobby for Daley’s failed bid for the Summer 2016 Olympics. After the newspaper’s inquiries, Scott began to repay those charges.

    The documents also show that a former board staffer used the taxpayers’ credit card for a $2,500 gift to Daley’s Chicago 2016 Olympic bid committee. The Tribune’s inquiries into the board’s spending habits last year sparked an investigation by the school district’s inspector general and prompted the board to hire an outside lawyer at $295 an hour also to investigate. Both of those reviews are ongoing.

    Williams said the inspector general’s office had interviewed him late last year.

    Scott, a Daley loyalist, died Nov. 16 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before he could be interviewed. Why Scott took his own life remains a mystery. Police have not found any note, and the motive for his suicide is unknown.

    Todd Lighty and Azam Ahme

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • BMW dealer’s billboard scaring motorists into 911 calls [w/video]

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    There’s a David Lee Roth era Van Halen song in here somehere – Click above to watch the video

    Bridgeport BMW in Bridgeport, Connecticut decided to go with an outside-the-box kind of billboard to advertise it take home test drive program. Perched on top of the big billboard is a man and a big teddy bear. Of course, if you take a close look you’ll see it’s a mannequin and a big teddy bear. This fact did not stop passing motorists from calling 911 concerned that either the man or his bear would fall off the top of the billboard, or that they would jump. No really, they were concerned about the teddy bear, too. Make the jump to watch the video. Tip of the nighttime stocking cap to Jeff!

    [Source: YouTube via Huffington Post]

    Continue reading BMW dealer’s billboard scaring motorists into 911 calls [w/video]

    BMW dealer’s billboard scaring motorists into 911 calls [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Report: Media use by teens, tweens hits 53 hours a week

    The amount of time young people spend consuming media has ballooned with around-the-clock access and mobile devices that function practically as appendages, according to a new report.

    A few years ago, the same researchers thought that teens and tweens were consuming about as much media as humanly possible in the hours available. But somehow, young people have found a way to pack in even more.

    In the  last five years, the time that America’s 8- to 18-year-olds spend watching TV, playing video games and using a computer for entertainment has risen by 1 hour, 17 minutes a day, the Kaiser Family Foundation said.

    Young people now devote an average of 7 hours, 38 minutes to daily media use, or about 53 hours a week – more than a full-time job.

    “What surprised me the most is the sheer amount of media content coming into their lives each day,” said Kaiser’s Vicky Rideout, who directed the study. “When you step back and look at the big picture, it’s a little overwhelming.”

    The numbers zoom even higher if you consider kids’ multitasking – such as listening to music while on the computer. Those data show young people are marinating in media for what amounts to 10 hours, 45 minutes a day – an increase of almost 2.25 hours since 2004.

    The report, “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds,” is based on a survey of more than 2,000 students nationwide. It is the third wave of the nonprofit’s ongoing look at children’s media use, providing a glimpse at current viewing and listening patterns while also documenting changes from five and 10 years ago.

    The huge increase since 2004 can be attributed to the transformation of the cell phone into a content delivery device, Rideout said.

    “Kids are spending more time using their phone to play video games, watch TV and listen to music than to actually talk on them,” she said.

    And, of course, the last time Kaiser took the nation’s temperature, social networking sites barely existed.

    “The average day for me, if I am not at work, I will text all day or be on MySpace or Facebook,” said Felinda Seymore, 17, of Waukegan. “That’s my life.”

    On Sunday, for instance, she fiddled around online from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., updating her status and commenting on her friends’ pages, she said.

    “My mom thinks it’s too much technology,” Seymore said. “She says back in her day, they didn’t have that stuff. I feel like it helps us open up and learn new things … instead of sitting around at home being bored.”

    Media consumption is even heavier in minority families such as Seymore’s – a trend unaffected by a child’s age, socioeconomic status or parents’ education. African-American and Hispanic  youths favor TV over mobile devices, posting nearly  six hours of tube time a day compared  with 3.5  hours for their white counterparts.

    Parents aren’t helpless to limit the intake, the study found.

    When parents impose limits, they work, with their offspring tallying nearly three hours less exposure a day. But only 30 percent impose some kind of parameters, the study found.

    It’s not easy playing electronic cop, but the stakes are too high, said Becky Kirsh, who has been known to pack up the remote controls and bring them with her to work.

    With four kids, three computers and assorted cell phones, TVs and video games, Kirsh and her husband struggle to keep media from seeping into every corner of their Lombard home.

    “The bottom line is that this is my house,” she said. “There’s so much that is positive about old-fashioned family life … and I’m just not willing to give that up to technology.”

    She offered one example of how gadgetry can alter relationships with her four children, who range in age from 9 to 15. In a simpler time, the car was an ideal place for heart-to-heart chats (captive audience, no eye contact).

    But when her kids go right to their cell phones or immediately retreat into their headphones in the car, “it’s no different than if they were in their bedrooms, with the door closed,”  said Kirsh, an educational coordinator at a local church. “That’s when I really put my foot down.”

    Right now, the biggest tussle is with her 15-year-old son over texting – a practice Kaiser didn’t include separately in its count of media use, but parents often file under the same category. The Kirshes have responded by building in some restraints, including a limit of 2,500 texts and blocking any incoming messages  from 7  to 9 p.m. (homework time) and after 11 p.m.

    To most adults, a couple of thousand texts is tantamount to a blank check, but Joe Kirsh chafes under the allotment, saying it cramps his social life.

    “When I run out of texts, I can’t make plans,” he said, adding that there is no way to access messages that arrive after hours and that he is the only one of his friends to have such restrictions. “I get good grades … so it’s really not fair.”

    When it comes to report cards, the Kaiser report finds a difference between heavy and light media users, though researchers note that they haven’t determined cause and effect. Nearly half of all heavy media users, those who consume more than 16 hours a day (including time spent multitasking), say they usually get “fair or poor” grades compared  with about a quarter of light users (less than 3 hours).

    Certainly, part of managing the media landscape means parents need to be savvy about everything from age-appropriate content to V-chips.

    But it’s not just about more government regulations and stronger locks, Rideout said.

    Adults also need to look at their own behavior. Do they put a computer in every bedroom? Is the TV on during dinner? Are Mom and Dad tethered to their own BlackBerrys?

    “Really, parents make choices about the media environment every day, Rideout said. “We hope these findings will allow them to look at what goes on in their own families … and talk about it.”

    Lisa Black contributed to this report.

    Bonnie Miller Rubin

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Warrantless Wiretapping, Appeal Planned

    This comes as no surprise, but is still somewhat disturbing. A lawsuit the EFF was involved in over the federal government’s warrantless wiretapping program has been dismissed by the court because it “was not a ‘particularized injury’ but instead a ‘generalized grievance.’” This same issue has been raised before. If the government illegally spies on people, how can you prove it? You can’t go to court unless you prove that you were harmed by the action, but as long as the government keeps it secret then you can’t know. That’s why the one case where the gov’t accidentally revealed some info is so important. But, still, in this other case, the EFF plans to appeal noting the ridiculousness of the situation:


    “The alarming upshot of the court’s decision is that so long as the government spies on all Americans, the courts have no power to review or halt such mass surveillance even when it is flatly illegal and unconstitutional,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston

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  • Supportive Living Facilities: Good for Southern Illinois

    As the senior citizen population in Southern Illinois continues to grow, ensuring that seniors can obtain the proper care they need is becoming a more pressing issue. Recently, I attended a press conference where Governor Quinn announced that a local supportive living facility (SLF) in Marion would be the recipient of $7.5 million in state and federal funding. These funds are going to be used for the construction of the facility, River to River Residential Community of Marion. In total, the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) provided $5.7 million in financing to build the facility and an additional $1.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, provided through the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), helped secure more than $2 million of equity for the development.

  • Man stabbed in back aboard Red Line train

    A man who was found stabbed in the back aboard a southbound Red Line train this morning said he was minding his own business when he was robbed.

    The victim sat alone in the back of a train car, on his way to his Gresham-area home from an appointment, when a man and a woman confronted him while passing through doors connecting two cars.

    The man told him to stop staring at his girlfriend. The woman stole his iPod and stabbed him, the victim said in a telephone interview while recuperating at a hospital.

    Authorities are now investigating the incident. No one has been arrested in connection with the incident.

    Authorities were called to the 55th Street Red Line “L” stop about 10:40 a.m. following emergency calls about a man who had been stabbed in the back, police news affairs and CTA officials said.

    A customer notified a train operator via the train’s passenger intercom system that a customer onboard the train had been injured, said Catherine Hosinski, a CTA spokeswoman.

    The victim would not go into any other details but said he was feeling OK, resting at Stroger Hospital.

    The operator notified the CTA’s control center, which notified the Fire Department, Hosinski said.

    Wentworth Area detectives were investigating, Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said.

    The train was delayed about eight minutes, Hosinski said.

    Serena Maria Daniels

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • Cop admits mistakes in Savio case

    A retired Illinois state police sergeant admitted there were numerous shortcomings in his investigation that led to the conclusion that the death of Drew Peterson’s third wife was an accident.

    “I’m not going to beat myself up right now, you can second-guess anything,” Patrick Collins testified today. “Looking back now, everything could have been important. But at that particular moment, I was looking for things that were more obvious.”

    Savio was found dead in an empty bathtub in her home in 2004. After Peterson’s fourth wife Stacy disappeared more than three years later, investigators exhumed her body, ruled her death a homicide and charged Peterson with murder.

    Collins took the stand today during a hearing to determine what hearsay evidence, if any, should be allowed in Peterson’s murder trial.

    Collins said a crime scene technician considered the death an accident, and that assessment colored his view of what happened because he had never investigated a murder before.

    Collins also admitted he broke with normal protocol and allowed Peterson to sit in on an interview with Stacy Peterson, who gave Peterson his principal alibi for his whereabouts in the days before Savio was discovered.

    Police interviewed Stacy Peterson for one hour on March 3, 2004. She said she and her husband had spent the weekend with the children, backing up Peterson’s statements made to police a day earlier. She said they had spent Saturday hanging around the house and had gone to the Shedd Aquarium Sunday.

    The only time Peterson left was Sunday morning to get doughnuts. Savio was found the next day, a Monday.

    Peterson, a Bolingbrook police officer at the time, asked for “professional courtesy” and sat about a foot away from Stacy while she was interviewed, Collins said.

    Collins also said he regretted not reaching out to any of Savio’s family.

    Other shortcomings he admitted to: Not examining or saving a glass of orange juice in the kitchen or a cup in the microwave; not specifically asking about the position of Savio’s body in the bathtub; not asking if the people who had discovered her had touched the body.

    The initial autopsy concluded Savio, a 40-year-old woman in good health, had drowned. A coroner’s jury ruled her death an accident after a state police special agent testified Savio had probably fallen, hit her head and drowned in the water before it leaked out the drain.

    After Savio’s body was exhumed and a second autopsy done, State’s Atty. James Glasgow said it appeared the scene was staged to look like an accidental drowning.

    Peterson has pleaded not guilty in Savio’s death. He has not been charged in Stacy’s disappearance, but authorities say he is the only suspect.

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.