Author: Serkadis

Ten years ago the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre burst onto the world stage giving social movements and civil society the space to challenge the orthodoxies symbolised by the World Economic Forum. IPS global news agency was there, and now in 2010 is launching a year of coverage as World Social Forum 2010 promotes more than 35 global, regional and thematic events during the year, on every continent.

The “IPS TerraViva World Social Forum 2010” online site will provide independent, professional reporting in many languages from as many of the events as possible, along with comment and analysis on the challenges that drive social movements. Will the WSF stay relevant and innovative? Read IPS TerraViva to find out.

Prominent civil society activists like Walden Bello, Kumi Naidoo, Kerry Kennedy and Candido Grzybowski are already contributing op-eds you can read at the IPS TerraViva site.

Coverage of the events will gather momentum at the Greater Porto Alegre 10 Years Social Forum, 25 – 29 January, in Porto Alegre, that meets to debate on the theme: “10 years later: challenges and proposals for another possible world”. Continuing coverage will come from the Bahia Thematic Social Forum, 29 – 31 January, in Salvador, Bahia, which has as its main theme: “Dialogue, cultural diversity and civilizational crisis”.

Teaming up with multi-media partners AMARC, WSF TV and the Ciranda news pool will increase audio, video and independent reporting linked to the site.

IPS TerraViva has been involved and has reported on the WSF process from the 2001 outset in Porto Alegre. The complete online IPS TerraViva newspaper archive available at IPS TerraViva WSF 2010 provides a unique contribution to understanding the history and achievements of this hugely influential global social process.

Inter Press Service (IPS) is a communications institution with a global news agency at its core. IPS raises the voices of the South and civil society and brings a fresh perspective on globalisation and development.

For more information visit our website or write to [email protected]

In the past, we’ve asked you guys which supercar you would buy if your had $300,000. We then decided to get a little more realistic and ask you which car you would by for under $40,000. Today, we decided to get as realistic as possible and are asking you what car you would buy if you only had $25,000.

Check out our picks below and then let us know your answer in the comments section.

Omar Rana (Editor in Chief): 2010 Volkswagen GTI.
Stephen Calogera (Senior Editor): 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 1LT.
Kap Shah (Senior Editor – West Coast): 2011 Ford Mustang V6 w/Track Package.
Anna Tarasova (Editor): 2010 Dodge Ram 1500.

– By: Omar Rana

The stars are dropping like flies in TV’s hottest zip code.

After two seasons, Rob Estes is departing his role as West Beverly Principal Harry Wilson on The CW’s 90210. Estes’ exit comes down to money and airtime, network infomants tattled to RadarOnline.com on Wednesday.

“The producers, the studio and Rob came to the conclusion together that his role had ran its course. There just wasn’t enough for Rob to do because the show is more about the kids,” says a source. “Rob’s an expensive actor and wants to be challenged and it became increasingly clear that most of the penny lifting was going to the younger cast members of the show, who Rob adores. He’s absolutely leaving the show on good terms.”

A second snitch, however, paints quite a different pic of the split, saying:

“Rob’s not happy about it all. Basically they couldn’t agree on money and that’s all it comes down to. Rob’s an experienced actor and feels he deserves to be compensated accordingly, but the CW just want to cut costs and they want to reward all these young, hot, up and coming, and therefore cheaper, actors and actresses instead……To be frank, he needs the money, this is going to hit him hard.”

Earlier this week, Jennie Garth, a cast of the original series in the ’90s, announced that she was leaving the revamped version to spend more time with her three daughters.

The University of South Carolina Hydrogen Hybrid Bus is leaving the moderate temperature of the South and heading towards the much less forgiving temperatures of Vancouver, Canada in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Back in November 2009, I had talked about how hydrogen buses commissioned in Canada were starting to arrive for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The buses will be traveling upon the British Columbia Hydrogen Highway that includes Whistler, Victoria, Vancouver and 4 other cities.

The University of South Carolina 38-foot, 37 passenger bus is on loan to the Canadian government for transportation of passengers and athletes. The hydrogen fuel cell hybrid bus needs some slight modifications before hitting the colder Canadian climates, however.

Both fuel cells and passengers will need supplemental heat in the bus so the vehicle must be retrofitted to achieve this. The hybrid bus is also fitted with a bank of fast-charge, lithium titnate batteries to provide more power when needed.

The Hydrogen Hybrid Bus uses a carbon fiber/fiberglass composite body in order to reduce weight. The one downside of this road trip is that because there are few hydrogen fueling stations between Columbia, South Carolina and British Columbia the bus will have to be hauled by trailer to and from this event.

This is yet another call for more hydrogen fueling stations to be built in the U. S. as a simple bus trip becomes a major undertaking without adequate fueling infrastructure to support long distance travel.

And the great sell off continues…

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See Also:

• CHART OF THE DAY: The Shorts Are Massing To Kill These Five NYSE Stocks
• Gushing Posco Steel Can’t Help But Blabber Buffett’s Intention To Buy More Shares
• Sorry, Folks, There’s No Way You Can "Invest Like Warren Buffett"

How can you tell if a musician’s artfreak persona is more than an act? When on a random afternoon, he’s in a bath on his lawn in front of a “Blob in the Bath” sign. Incredible. [Google Maps via Pitchfork]

Everyone’s favorite media software/cube company announced today that they’re going to be beefing up their content offerings in a few short months—at a price. Et tu, Boxee?

While details like “what will be available” and “how much will it cost” are still up in the air, the good news is that Boxee will offer a smorgasbord of payment options in their, from pay-per-view to subscriptions. And while the system will be structured to let content providers set pricing, Boxee says they’re going to be taking a relatively small cut of the proceeds, which may keep prices down.

The bigger issue, of course, is that this is yet another subscription we have to look forward to this year. A service like Boxee is terrific when it’s free, but when we have to start making decisions about what to keep and what to cut, is it going to be worth the price? [Boxee Blog via Slash Gear]

The JDR Motorsports/Motorex/KTM Team is proud to announce a two-year contract with American rider PJ Larsen to race the KTM 250 SX-F in both the Australian Motocross Lites and Supercross Lites Series.

I broke my wrist at the third outdoor national last year and was forced to sit on the sidelines for the majority of the season. My rehab went well and I made it back for the last few rounds which are where I caught the attention of Jay from JDR Motorsports,Larsen said in a release from KTM.
 
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It’s not just perma-skeptics like Jim Chanos warning about a massive real estate bubble in China.

The latest is Fred Hu, the Goldman Sachs Inc. Chinese Chairman

ChinaPost reports (via Alphaville) that Hu told a conference in Taipei that Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mainland China all need to be on the lookout.

Bear in mind this isn’t just talk from the bank. Earlier this month it emerged that Goldman has been dumping real estate holdings in Shanghai.

Bonus: Chinese real estate is the most obvious bubble ever — >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Why Shanghai Real Estate Is The Most Obvious Bubble Ever
• Official Communist Party Newspaper Congratulates Jim Rogers For "Debunking" The China Bubble
• Look Out: Goldman Sachs Is Now Dumping Shanghai Property

Cosmetic surgery fanatic Heidi Montag is looking for a new plastic surgeon after the doctor who carried out 10 procedures on the reality starlet last November refused to nip and tuck once more.

After having work done on her nose, chin, ears, eyebrows, cheeks, and breasts, the 23-year-old Montag is hoping to have her bust increased to an H-cup. However, bigger isn’t better for her Hollywood physican, Frank Ryan. The cosmetic surgeon to the stars says performing any more operations on The Hills blonde would compromise his professional integrity. He simply won’t do it.

“With me, she won’t go bigger. Another doctor may do it, but I won’t.”

You may recall that last month we had an interesting discussion here over whether or not Sherlock Holmes was in the public domain. The answer was not entirely clear, because you get different answers from different people. However, it looks like the NY Times is on the case, and has a an article looking into the ownership of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation. Unfortunately, I believe the NY Times gets it wrong.

While the article does detail the amazingly convoluted history over who owned the copyrights (and the various disputes associated with those rights), it gets a bunch of things wrong and (oddly) never seems to talk to any copyright lawyers. While the article does note that Holmes is public domain in the UK, it makes a blanket statement that Holmes is still covered by copyright in the US:

Mr. Lellenberg said that Sherlock Holmes remains under copyright protection in the United States through 2023, and that any new properties involving the detective “definitely should” be licensed by the Conan Doyle estate.

Lellenberg would say that, because Lellenberg is the literary agent for the Arthur Conan Doyle estate, and wants you to believe that. But, as we discussed last time, it’s not true. All of the Sherlock Holmes books except one have now entered the public domain. And, yes, this creates quite a mess. But, in theory, anyone who created a work based solely on the public domain works, and which is not based on or derived from that last work, should, in fact, be legit without a license. That doesn’t mean that Lellenberg (or some of the others who claim rights over Holmes) wouldn’t sue, but it’s not correct to claim that Holmes is still completely covered by copyright. The fact that the vast majority of his books are very much in the public domain is a rather important fact — and totally ignored by the NY Times article.

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The BlackBerry is the businessmans best friend. It helps them move away from their desks while still maintaining some kind of order and connection to the important activities that need to be carried out daily.

For many people this “always on” capability has modified their behaviour to such an extent that they simply can not leave the device anywhere that is not within arms reach. They have to check their email, they have to read just one more article or quickly scan Twitter or the BBM inbox. Admit it folks, you either know these people or you are one of them. That being said, I have just one question for you…

Do you take your BlackBerry camping with you?
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We’ve seen all sorts of styles, publishers going creative with the boxart, getting a message across, blah blah blah happens all the time. Understandable, you gotta get some attention on the shelves. But for the Japanese

Media Note: The annual observance of International Holocaust Memorial Day is Wednesday, January 27. Harper College Associate Professor Richard Middleton Kaplan, who has presented nationally on the subject, is available for interviews. Middleton Kaplan holds a Ph.D. and is the former lay leader of a Jewish congregation; he also was chosen as fellow for the 2004 Northwestern Summer Institute on the Holocaust and Jewish Civilization. Contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected] to speak with him.

Creating Internships

There are many Harper College students who’d like to have internships. And, Harper College Career Center Director Kathleen Canfield says, there are plenty of Chicago-area businesses that would like to have interns. The College is working to bring the two together. On Friday, February 5, Harper will host its first-ever Employer Connection Breakfast, uniting College faculty and administrators with dozens of Chicago-area employers in an effort to hammer out promising internship opportunities for Harper students. More than 200 Northwest suburban employers were invited, representing a range of career fields – from healthcare and engineering to interior design, marketing and finance. “Our role as an educational institution is to do all we can to prepare these students for solid future careers,” Canfield says. “We’re trying to attract employers to this event that haven’t worked with Harper before – in the hope that, together, we can get students in the door of great companies.” Some area businesses don’t realize Harper students are available, or don’t know how such internships would work, Canfield said. Internships can prove invaluable for students, providing them with work experience and helping them beef up their resumes in a competitive job market.

Media Note: This event is not open to the public, but reporters and photographers are welcome to attend and talk with Harper faculty and administrators and local employers. The event will include a presentation on the benefits of hosting interns. Harper experts also are available to talk about the importance of internships in college students’ academic careers. Contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, at 847.925.6159 or [email protected].

Veterans’ Support

Michael James Tumilty served six years in the United States Air Force before enrolling in Harper College’s Nursing program and joining the growing ranks of veterans-turned-college students. It’s a sharp change of pace – but he’s finding support and camaraderie in Harper’s new Veterans Club, a group aimed at helping veterans forge relationships with other former military men and women who now are taking classes on campus. The fledgling club, led by Assistant Political Science Professor Bobby Summers, will look to recruit members and boost its numbers at the annual Spring Semester Club Expo, from noon until 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 27 in the Student Center on the main floor of Building A. “Veterans who join will have a place where they can come together and be among others who can relate to their experience,” says Tumilty, of Algonquin. The number of Illinois veterans attending Harper College increased by more than 22 percent between fall 2008 and fall 2009. The Post-9/11 Veteran’s Educational Assistance Act of 2008 drove more veterans to college campuses statewide, promising them help in achieving a college education. “Many veterans are taking advantage of that, and it’s up to us to help them find success in every way that we can,” says Thomas Warfield, who assists student veterans in his role in Harper’s Office of Student Financial Assistance. The club’s first meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, January 28 in Room A243, Building A. The National Survey of Student Engagement, among other studies, has shown that college students who participate in co-curricular campus activities are more immersed in their college experience and have better success rates than other students. The Veterans Club needs at least 10 members to be officially recognized by the College’s Student Activities Department. The group will be one of nearly three dozen campus organizations seeking to recruit members at the upcoming Expo. For more information on the clubs or the Expo, call 847.925.6242 or visit www.harpercollege.edu.

Media Note: Veterans Club members and adviser Bobby Summers are available for interviews relating to Harper’s club and the importance of veterans’ support on college campuses. Contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159 or [email protected].

Climbing Computer Classes

With the economy down, increasing numbers of adults are turning to community colleges to reenergize their resume. Fall semester enrollment in Harper College’s Continuing Education (non-credit) computer training courses was up 30 percent from 2008, reflecting a desire for classes that can lead to greater marketability in a tech-savvy job market. “It was all tied into the economy,” says Martha Karavitis, Continuing Education Computer Training Coordinator. “Many of our students were current professionals who perhaps still had a job but needed to update their skills to better their career. Others were laid off and looking to become more competitive as they looked for jobs.” Enrollment gains were particularly substantial in the College’s non-credit Computer-Aided Drafting courses, with a large number of local mechanical engineers and architects looking to learn new ways to apply their know-how and keep up with trends. Those courses teach professionals to create electronic drafts of designs that otherwise would have been done on paper. Harper enrollment in non-credit web animation, multimedia and project management computer courses also spiked last term. “Many people realize that computer tech skills are great ones to acquire, because computers will not go away,” Karavitis says. “If anything, computers will become even more relied upon, and the skills needed to use them will become more advanced.” Many of Harper’s non-credit coursework culminates in certificates. Other computer programs offered through Continuing Education prepare students for industry certification. Harper offers numerous non-credit computer training options, including graphic arts, Java programming, network security and support and electronic bookkeeping. To enroll in a class, or for more information, call 847.925.6300 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/ce.

Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Mozart and More

Works by Mozart and Brahms will be performed at Harper College’s fifth annual Chamber Music Festival, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 23 in the College’s Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. This year’s edition will feature faculty members from Harper’s Department of Music, and include performances by the Harper Chamber Winds and the critically acclaimed Anaphora String Quartet ensembles-in-residence. Tickets are $15 for general admission, with discounts available for seniors and students. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free. For tickets, call 847.925.6100 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/boxoffice. To learn more about studying music at Harper, visit www.harpercollege.edu.

Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Reading Minds

Mentalist Christopher Carter – a mindreader and magician who uses hypnotism in his shows – will kick off Harper College’s Spring Welcome Week with a free show on Wednesday, January 20. Carter’s performance, at noon in the Student Center Lounge on the main floor of Building A, is open to all. Carter, who developed an interest in mindreading and magic at a young age, promises plenty of awe at his Harper show – saying he’ll persuade audience members to see things that don’t exist and take control of fluorescent light bulbs, turning them on at his command as students hold them. Welcome Week, a series of activities that salute the start of Spring Term 2010, also will feature Harper information tables, a Harper Hawks pep rally, free hot chocolate and a live remote broadcast by the student-run radio station. All events are free. Harper’s main campus is at 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. For more information, call the Student Activities Office at 847.925.6242 or visit www.harpercollege.edu.

Press Contact: Terry Karow, Marketing and Public Relations Specialist, 847.925.6627, [email protected].

Photo Opportunities

Event: Computer Kids Program. Elementary District 21 students whose parents are in Harper literacy courses are able to learn digital concepts and computer technology in this new class.

Date: 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through March 17.

Location: Harper College Northeast Center, 1375 Wolf Road in Prospect Heights

Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected]

Event: Spring Semester Club Expo

Date: Noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 27

Location: Student Center Lounge, main floor of Building A

Event: Mindreader Christopher Carter performing free show for Welcome Week

Date: Noon on Wednesday, January 20

Location: Student Center Lounge, main floor of Building A

Event: Chamber Music Festival featuring performances by Harper faculty

Date: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 23

Location: Performing Arts Center

Lindsay Lohan will accompany Austrian entrepreneur Richard Lugner to this year’s Vienna Opera Ball, the limelight-lovin’ eccentric announced on Wednesday.

Lugner, a quirky 77-year-old known for his young girlfriends and appearance on European reality shows, invites a different female star to the flashy event each year. Sophia Loren, Dita Von Teese, Nicollette Sheridan, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra are among the beauties who have accompanied him to the event in the past.

The 2010 Vienna Opera Ball takes place Feb. 11.

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Etc., Mazda

The Mazda5 has been around since 2006, going about its microvan business in relative obscurity, yet rewarding buyers with a healthy dose of zoom-zoom mixed into their three-row vanlet driving needs. The Mazda5 (Premacy in other markets) received a few tweaks in 2008, but other than new wheels and clear tail lamps, there weren’t a lot of changes. Well, Mazda just announced that an all-new Premacy will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, and despite the smile on its face, the changes are more than skin deep.

Cribbing heavily from recent show cars like the Nagare and Furai, the new 5 sports swoopy character lines along its flanks, and adopts the now-familiar and familial smiley face up front. Besides an all-new body, the 2011 Mazda5 will also get the company’s “i-stop” start-stop technology for its new direct-injection engine, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 15 percent according to Mazda. Mazda says the Nagare-inspired styling actually serves to reduce drag and maintain a good balance of downforce fore and aft, but we’re pretty sure people will just think it a bit overstyled.

The new Mazda5 will go on sale in Europe later this year with a choice of 1.8- or 2.0-liter direct-inject gas engines. No word yet on which engines will make it over to these shores, but we’re guessing the 2.5-liter in the current Mazda3. Hopefully Mazda has figured out a way to offer the trick karakuri second-row center seat that boosts seating to seven. We’ll have more details when they pull the cover off of it in Geneva, but for now, check out the press release after the jump and the gallery of high-res images below.

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading All-New 2011 Mazda5 coming to Geneva

All-New 2011 Mazda5 coming to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German tuner Lorinser has revealed information about its Mercedes E-Class Coupe tuning package, due to be launched soon.

An  aerodynamic package has been developed for the German coupe. The front bumper now has adjusted components with LED daytime running lights. The change at the front of the car is accompanied by a fresh radiator grill. New side skirts are also available, together with redesigned door mirrors. At the rear of the car we find a roofspoiler and a discreet rear lip together wit… (read more)