Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK, Celebrities, Rumormill

Our heart goes out to the crew at Fifth Gear. It really does. Because it’s got to be tough living in the shadow of the BBC show that spawned it. We’re talking about Top Gear, of course, and by any other yardstick, Fifth Gear is a fantastic car show. But its popularity has never approached what Clarkson and company enjoy, which has reportedly led to UK’s Channel 5 decision to cancel the show. Which is really a shame.

All hope may not be lost, however, as reports indicate that Channel 5’s decision isn’t final just yet. But if it is, the show’s lead host Tiff Needell has hinted that it could very well get picked up by another network altogether. Alternatively, Needell could get a show of his own. If he does, we hope he takes some of his co-hosts with him. Because short of Jezza, Hampster, Captain Slow and the Stig, Fifth Gear‘s ensemble is one of the best – on the airwaves or off. Thanks for the tip, Paul T!

[Source: Tiff Needell on Twitter via iCars Singapore]

Fifth Gear: Hope yet for Britain’s other car show? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This morning, this message popped up on Bloomberg:

“MARKET NEWS SAYS ‘RUMORS’ ARE JAPAN MAY TELL OF PLANNED SALE”

Said sale in question is rumored to be a U.S. Treasury sell off by the Japanese government.

Adding fuel to the fire is the U.S. and the Federal Reserve. Today, the Fed conducted a reverse repo (repurchase) test that could help with the Japanese UST sale.

On the other hand, this wouldn’t seem to jibe with reports that the country’s main concern is the rising yen. If anything, you’d think they’d be snapping up more treasuries. So something is amiss.

The Houston Chronicle reports Japan could be selling off as much as $100 billion worth of treasuries.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Uh-Oh: One By One, The Fed’s Inflation Hawks Are Speaking Up
• Japan Preparing To Launch Quantitative Easing; What Are Three Lost Decades Among Hyperdeflationary Friends?
• How To Understand The Treasury’s Upcoming Liquidity Crunch

I just got my hands on this highly anticipated cook book created by Executive Chef Dean Rucker from the Golden Door Spa in Escondido, California called Golden Door Cooks At Home. It’s beautiful bound and the images will have you mouth watering. As I flipped through the pages every dish was making me hungry and the best part is they are healthy for you.

Golden Door Spa is an exclusive peaceful and private place where the most innovative and high-energy fitness and beauty programs cater to only 40 guests each week. Guests follow programs that include daily massage, meditation, beauty treatments, excercise which are designed for their needs and desires.The spa’s cuisine and nutrition is known for being high-flavor and low fat, designed for each individuals health regime.

If you don’t have upwards of $7,000 lying around for a week at this exquisite spa then at least you can take a small part of the spa home with you. This cookbook is sure to be a crowd pleaser because of it’s healthy tips and gourmet recipes.

Here is one recipe I’m drying to try!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Caramelized Cauliflower

This silken soup has the rich flavor of a classic, indulgent, cheesy fondue but with none of the guilt. The secret here is to cook the cauliflower until it is very tender and then puree it until smooth and fluffy. The method yields what appears to be a cream-­based soup, but which is, in fact, made up almost entirely of good-for-you vegetables and fat-free milk. SERVES 8

2 pounds cauliflower, trimmed

Olive oil spray

1 teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

1/2 small leek, sliced (1 cup)

2 cups skim milk

2 cups Chicken Stock (page 268) or store-bought low-sodium broth

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely grated (about 1 loosely packed cup)

Parsley Oil , for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Chop the cauliflower into enough small florets and stems to equal 2 cups.

Coarsely chop the remaining cauliflower and set it aside in a separate bowl. Spray the 2 cups of cauliflower one or two times with olive oil. Add the sugar and a pinch each of the salt and white pepper. Toss the cauliflower with a fork to coat it with the oil and seasonings. Transfer it to a baking dish and spread the cauliflower in a single layer. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is light golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray a large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Add the leek and cook, stirring, until softened and not at all brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the coarsely chopped cauliflower, the milk, stock, dry mustard, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, working in batches if necessary. Return the soup to a dean saucepan and reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it simmers lightly. Add the Gruyere and stir until it has melted. Remove the pan from the heat.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top each with caramelized cauliflower and drizzle with a little parsley oil. Serve hot.

Mmmmmm! Enjoy!

Image Credit and Recipe Source:  GOLDEN DOOR COOKS AT HOME: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa by Dean Rucker with Marah Stets (Clarkson Potter, April 2009, $40.00/ Hardcover)

Post from: Blisstree

Spa Cuisine: Golden Door Cooks At Home

The rumor everyone is talking about today is a coordinated move on the part of various central banks, organized by the Bank of Japan, to sell yen.

In a note, Morgan Stanley says the odds of a massive intervention are rising to a critical level.

In our prior research, we have identified an ‘intervention
checklist’ of key criteria that we believe have the largest
influence on the decision of policymakers to intervene in
currency markets.  The most important of these criteria
include: 
(1) market mispricing of relative growth outlooks
(2) significant deviation of the real exchange rate from
historical trend 
(3) excessive market positioning
(4) increased momentum in exchange rate moves.  
Using this broad framework we have developed a suite of
models to gauge the probability of currency market
intervention. According to our framework, model results
indicating probabilities below 20% are consistent with a low
level of intervention risk, results in the range of 20-30% are
consistent with an elevated risk of potential FX intervention,
while results above 30% suggest a significantly high risk of FX
intervention.
Currently, our models reflect a 28% chance of coordinated G3
currency intervention (Exhibit 1).  This result is consistent with
an elevated threat of currency intervention, but it does not
necessarily imply that action is imminent.  Indeed, as Exhibit 1
shows, the threat of coordinated action in USD crosses has
registered as high as 50% earlier this year, amid
unprecedented market dislocations during Q1 2009. Since
then, the threat of coordinated intervention has been declining. 
The falling probability largely reflects the decline in currency
market volatility.  Indeed, though the USD’s fall has been
ongoing, the path has remained orderly for the most part. 

This has been particularly true on the EUR/USD axis; and this
has been a key factor dampening coordinated intervention risk,
according to our models.

However, while the probability of coordinated USD
intervention has been on the decline, our models show the
probability of intervention in the USD/JPY exchange rate is
actually rising. 

Our models indicate a 29% risk for
intervention in USD/JPY, which is just on the cusp of ‘high risk
territory’ (Exhibit 2).  The 2 factors contributing the most to the
elevated risk for USD/JPY intervention are (1) the apparent
mispricing of longer-term relative growth outlooks, a factor we
proxy using productivity and real rate differentials (Exhibit 3),
and (2) the deviation of the real effective JPY exchange rate
from its longer-term average (Exhibit 4).

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Morgan Stanley: The Dollar Has Bottomed, Time To Play The Yen Carry Trade
• With Dollar At 14-Year Low Against Yen, Japan Raises Hints Of Dramatic Intervention
• Japanese Yen On A Tear

For December, cartoonist Tom Batiuk, a friend of music educators, presents a new Halle Dinkle cartoon for MENC members (above). A Lowell Mason Fellow, Batiuk was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his comic strip, Funky Winkerbean.

Batiuk was a big part of Music Education Week in Washington in June, 2009, drawing a strip for U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan on behalf of MENC.

A former middle school teacher, Batiuk took the stage with Duncan for the presentation of the cartoon during a rally at the U. S Department of Education.

Halle Dinkle cartoons formerly appeared in MENC’s Teaching Music, then moved to the MENC Web site in 2009. In a series of interviews with MENC the cartoonist discussed his working process, and his interest in music education. 

Batiuk’s themes are timely, as this cartoon from earlier in 2009 demonstrates. Is your program facing possible budget cuts? Looking for ways to advocate for your music program? MENC’s Advocacy Web site offers research, anecdotes, quotes and other material, through the SupportMusic "Make Your Case" database, which offers compelling reasons for strong support of school music programs.

Or log on as a member and visit MENC’s forums to discuss concerns with other music educators.

Look for new Batiuk cartoons on the MENC Web site in 2010.

 —Roz Fehr, December 3, 2009. © MENC: The National Association for Music Education

The market was relatively quiet all day.

That is, until 3pm came and went. The Dow ended up plunging 90 points while the S&P lost 10. The NASDAQ was the least affected, dropping only 12 points.

Gold gained $1.40 and remains at $1214 an ounce. Oil dropped 60 cents to close at $76 a barrel.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Why Oil Dependence Was Always Going To Screw Dubai
• Goldman: Gold’s Headed To $1450
• Major Funds Dumped Equities In November

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Performance, SUV, Land Rover

We can’t figure out exactly what the name Autobiography is supposed to convey, but Land Rover seems to think it’s a fitting name to put on its top-of-the-line Range Rover models. Last year, they pulled the wraps off the Range Rover Autobiography at the British Motor Show, and this week at the LA Auto Show the Range Rover Sport Autobiography has just made its official debut.

Most of the appeal of the package is inside. All of the seating surfaces are covered in beautiful two-tone leather, and the Autobiography logo can be found in the wood door inserts and the embossed headrests. The exterior gets a few special touches as well, including body-colored lower door panels, an extended roof spoiler, and special 20-inch alloy wheels.

Just 250 examples of the Range Rover Sport Autobiography will be built, all in Santorini Black with the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 as standard. Pricing is listed as an imposing $88,545, but we can see that in its exclusive circle, enough Land Rover buyers will likely be willing to cough up a $14,000 premium to have their own Autobiography, even if it’s only a leather, wheel, and trim package. Hit the jump for full details, or check out our high-res gallery of live shots below.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading LA 2009: Land Rover brings Autobiography package to 2010 Range Rover Sport

LA 2009: Land Rover brings Autobiography package to 2010 Range Rover Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve seen inFamous in Thanksgiving and Black Friday deals so the title is clearly no longer interested in charging full price. SCEA and Sucker Punch Productions have now decided to make it official. From today onwards, inFamous

Over a dozen hedge funds have invested in the video game company, Activision, according to Reuters.

The massive investment is a bit surprising, because the video game market is down 12% this year in the US.

But Activision A(TVI) shares are up 30% this year, mostly due to the release of the monster hit “Call of Duty.” The gaming company also has recurring revenue from “World of Warcraft,” and “Starcraft 2” is set to be released next year.

Reuters: “The expectation for ‘Call of Duty’ is probably what they were trading into,” said Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey, regarding fund manager’s buying shares. “You think these things are already priced in, but it never seems to be.”

Soros Fund (who bought 22,000 shares), Singh’s TPG Axon Capital (who bought 4.3 million shares), Adage Capital, and Carlson Capital are among those who have invested.

Read the full story >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• George Soros Taking Heat Over Ties To Pro-Iranian Group
• Columnist: "Soros Style" Investing Is What’s Killing The Dollar
• Surprise, George Soros Is Bullish On Ford (F, VZ, WMT)

Today Google unveiled its new project: Google Public DNS. It means now anybody can use Google’s DNS servers for resolving domain names into IP addresses and back. According to Google it should speedup browsing as well as security. Hope I won’t see adsense ads once tried to load expired domain name (that’s how OpenDNS acts today).

Here are easy-to-remember Google Public DNS IP addresses: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

In order to set up Google public DNS to your Linux settings place the following lines into /etc/resolv.conf:

nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

Use command dig @8.8.8.8 linuxscrew.com to test how long it takes to resolve linuxscrew.com:

artiomix@artiomix-laptop:~$ dig @8.8.8.8 linuxscrew.com
...
;; ANSWER SECTION:
linuxscrew.com. 51844 IN A 69.164.195.222

;; Query time: 80 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Thu Dec 3 21:53:29 2009
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 48

Shocklee points us to an odd, totally unsubstantiated article by a University of Southern Illinois professor insisting that “piracy” is creating tremendous harm to West African content industries. This goes against numerous studies, including those by the WTO on how developing nations often should have less stringent intellectual property laws while they’re developing. The article is based on some simple conjectures: that even with low budgets, films made in Nigeria are having trouble making money and it’s all the fault of piracy — first from lost sales, but also because people are pirating high budget American films as well. Basically, the argument is that if people can get those high budget films at the same “pirated” cost as local films, of course they’ll go for the high budget films, and thus destroy the local film industry.

Of course, that assumes that in the absence of “piracy” prices to see foreign films or to buy their DVDs scale relative to their budget. That’s simply not true. Movie tickets and DVD prices do not scale based on the budget of the movie. The professor doesn’t seem to mention the fact that most films (especially the low budget kind) struggle to make money in the first place. He just assumes that it’s because of piracy. He neglects to mention that there are plenty of business models beyond selling DVDs. He does mention that people seem to prefer local content, but then ignores that in his very next sentence, saying that local content “can’t compete.” Even though he just said that the market demands local content.

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(This guest post originally appeared at the author’s blog)

Rail traffic continues to decline despite very easy year over year comps.  In a sure sign of tepid recovery, we continue to see improvement off the lows, but a still very meager traffic trends.  A recovering economy would have no problem overcoming the very low levels of last fall, but we actually continue to see declines.  Total intermodal traffic was down 6.4% versus 2008 and down a staggering 32% versus 2007.  The recovery on Wall Street might be real, but it’s certainly not real on Main Street as these numbers clearly show.   A few commodity groups are showing strong year over year climbs, but all data is still very weak compared to 2007.

The AAR reports:

———–

The Association of American Railroads today reported that freight rail traffic was down for the Thanksgiving holiday week ended Nov. 28, 2009. U.S. railroads reported originating 246,133 carloads for the week, down 3.9 percent compared with the same week in 2008 and down 29.3 percent from the same week in 2007. The comparison week from 2008 included the Thanksgiving Holiday, while the 2007 comparison week did not. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR will now be reporting 2009 weekly rail traffic with year over year comparisons for both 2008 and 2007.In the Western U.S., carloads were down 3.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 23.9 percent compared with 2007. In the East, carloads were down 4.3 percent compared with 2008, and 37.3 percent compared with the same week in 2007.

Intermodal traffic totaled 165,856 trailers and containers, down 6.4 percent from a year ago and 32.1 percent from 2007. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume dropped 0.9 percent and trailer volume dropped 27.2 percent. Compared with the same week in 2007, container volume fell 26.2 percent and trailer volume dropped 51.9 percent.

While 10 of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were down compared with the same week last year, increases were seen in nonmetallic minerals (38.1 percent), grain (21.3 percent), farm products not including grain (20.1 percent), motor vehicles and equipment (15 percent), chemicals (13.2 percent), grain mill products (11.5 percent), metals and products (11.2 percent), metallic ores (3.1 percent) and petroleum products (2.2 percent). Declines in commodity groups ranged from 0.9 percent for crushed stone, sand and gravel to 28.3 percent for coke.

Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Nov. 28, 2009 was estimated at 27.6 billion ton-miles, down 3.8 percent compared with the same week last year and down 25 percent from 2007.

For the first 47 weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 12,571,696 carloads, down 17.1 percent from 2008 and 18.2 percent from 2007; 8,967,824 trailers or containers, down 15.5 percent from 2008 and 18.3 percent from 2007, and total volume of an estimated 1.35 trillion ton-miles, down 16.2 percent from 2008 and 16.7 percent from 2007.

Source: AAR, Railfax

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• U.S. Rail Traffic Sinks 9% (BNI)
• U.S. Rail Traffic Backslides In October
• Sorry Warren Buffett, Rail Traffic Still Sinks

Filed under: Budget, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchback, Mitsubishi

Yesterday, we reported that Mitsubishi is bringing its small, B-segment Colt to our shores. And that’s true, mostly. What we’ve learned between now and then is that Mitsu isn’t bringing over the current Colt, but rather the replacement for the current Colt, i.e. the next Colt. In fact, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. President Osamu Masuko said as much during last month’s Tokyo Motor Show. Here’s what he told Automotive News:

“Mitsubishi will follow that with a global small car in 2012. That car will be smaller than the Colt, which is sold in Japan and Europe, and will have a 1.0- to 1.3-liter gasoline engine. A plug-in hybrid version and all-electric version of the global small car are scheduled for 2013. Mitsubishi is studying which of those would best suit the United States.

The scoop, then, is that this new global small car will be called Colt. As opposed to say, Havasu.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

UPDATE: U.S. bound Mitsubishi Colt will be an all-new global small car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Healthy young adults experience dream-enacting behavior. Most of us have had that experience of waking to find we’re subtly acting out a dream, right?

In a recent study, “Dream-Enacting Behaviors in a Normal Population,” researchers at the Université de Montreal in Canada found that more than 50% of study participants awakened from a dream to discover they were talking or crying. They also found themselves waking up while acting out an angry or defensive behavior like punching or kicking, or other actions like waving or pointing.

Women in the study experienced more speaking, crying, fear and smiling/laughing than men. However, men reported more sexual arousal in their sleep. Of all participants, 78% reported awakening from an erotic dream to find that they were sexually aroused. Plus, 72% reported awakening from a happy dream to find themselves smiling or laughing. The study results were published in the December 1 issue of the journal Sleep.

In the same issue of Sleep, researchers in Paris, France reported that people experiencing sleepwalking or sleep terrors (night terrors) may be acting out dreamlike thoughts. Research findings reveal that 71% of the study participants claimed at least one incident of “dreamlike mental content” linked with an episode of sleepwalking or sleep terrors. In addition, the action in the dreamlike thoughts corresponded with the observed behavior. The published article is “Dreamlike Mentations During Sleepwalking and Sleep Terrors in Adults.”

“The results are surprising, as it is commonly reported that sleepwalkers and patients with sleep terrors do not remember dreaming,” said principal investigator Isabelle Arnulf, MD, PhD, neurologist.

As someone who experiences sleep terrors from time to time, I can say the study makes sense to me. I sometimes remember dreams associated with sleep terrors, but not always. I have also found myself acting out those dreams by either sitting up in bed or standing up while trying to escape the unpleasant dream, which is usually that someone is standing over the bed. And, of course, there’s the loud screaming I often don’t remember.

Do you act out dreams or experience any sleep disorders like terrors or sleepwalking?

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

What’s in a Dream? Sleep Study Results.

MobilitySite has unboxed the HP Glisten and given the device a brief hardware tour. The Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional smartphone with its front-facing keyboard appears to compare pretty well with its other front-facing competition and has a cool, professional look which should see it fit in pretty well in a suite pocket.

We look forward to seeing more on this device soon.

It’s been more than a year since LittleBigPlanet and Sackboy came along, but the little guy still hasn’t lost his knack for dressing up as other video game characters. This time, he’d like to think he’s in

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Ford

The 2011 Mustang is only one year removed from a major refresh, but that didn’t stop Ford from adding a host of upgrades, especially to the V6 model, to better-compete against its new pony car competition. While we certainly don’t discount the V6 Stang’s new suspension and packaging updates, the big story resides under its bonnet. The new 3.7-liter V6 packs 305 horsepower mated to a six-speed auto tranny (a six-speed manual is also available, but you lose 1 mpg) giving the new Mustang a big advantage over its predecessor while reportedly delivering the 30 mpg efficiency the masses are looking for.

We got our hands on some b-roll video of the new Mustang V6, with both static and moving shots. If that’s not a good enough reason to watch there is also some aural pleasure courtesy of the new 3.7-liter V6. Unfortunately, the engine sounds are only audible when the Stang is in park but it still sounds pretty meaty when inside the cockpit. Hit the jump to see and hear the 2011 Mustang V6 in action.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading VIDEO: 2011 Ford Mustang with 305-HP V6 gets seen and heard in motion

VIDEO: 2011 Ford Mustang with 305-HP V6 gets seen and heard in motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lalibela, Ethiopia | Cultures and Civilizations

When young Saint Gebre Mesqel Lalibela was born into the Zagwe Dynasty in Ethiopia, the town of Lalibela was known as Roha. The name Lalibela was given to the young boy when he was surrounded by a swarm of bees soon after birth. His mother believed this was a sign that he would come to rule Ethiopia one day. His name literally means, “the bees recognize his sovereignty.”

Lalibela is best known as the king who ordered the construction of 11 monolithic stone churches found in the town today. Lalibela’s goal was to create a new Ethiopian Jerusalem, and he recreated many biblical scenes, such as the stable, out of carved rock. The Bete Giyorgis is by far the most spectacular of these churches. Carved out of the ground, and shaped from the inside out, it is one, unbroken piece of stone. Bete Giyorgis is connected to the other sunken stone churches through a series of elaborate tunnels.

These eleven solid rock churches, in the hills not far from the town, make Lalibela one of the holiest places in Ethiopia. Today, the site is considered one of the centers of pilgrimages for Ethiopian Christians.

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Sedan, Buick, Luxury

Buick officially took the wraps of its 2011 Regal at the LA Auto Show, and in addition to showing off its sportier side, General Motors’ reborn Lexus competitor confirmed its intentions to produce a compact sedan – and here’s the first rendering.

Likely based on the Chinese market 2011 Buick Excelle XT (a rebadged Opel Astra with an upmarket interior), the new compact four-door is expected to lose its hatch in favor of a traditional trunk and gain a 181 horsepower, 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a six-speed gearbox.

The sketch above (flashed on screen during the Regal unveiling here in LA) certainly bears a resemblance to the Excelle and to the larger LaCrosse, although a few tweaks to the fascia, headlamps and the addition of a few hood-mounted portholes could be found on the concept and later, the production model. We should know more later this year, when Buick unveils an official design study followed by the eventual production car that is expected by the end of 2010.

LA 2009: Buick rendering teases new compact sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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