Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Crossover, Honda, Reviews

The Honda CR-V charged into the breach back in 1996, showing traditional SUV buyers that a rapier could work as well as a broadsword. When gas prices turned the body-on-frame market topsy-turvy, might didn’t necessarily equal right. The meek crossover inherited the Earth, or at least a lot of conquest sales from former SUV buyers. The CR-V lead this charge against traditional SUVs and following a complete makeover in 2007 it surged to the top of the sales charts. This supposedly weak little softroader stole the SUV sales crown from atop the Ford Explorer’s head where it had sat untouched for 15 years from 1991 through 2006.

But the battlefield has changed and the 2010 Honda CR-V is facing formidable challengers on all sides. Most offer a V6 engine, having grown in size and power to resemble those mid-size SUVs they once displaced. Rather than bulk up the CR-V with an optional V6, Honda did what Honda does best and just made its four-cylinder better. The 2010 model is armed with 14 more horsepower and a long list of standard and optional equipment. So… is the CR-V this segment’s once and future king or is time to crown another? Read on to find out.

Photos by Frank Filipponio / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading ­­Review: 2010 Honda CR-V defends the CUV crown

­­Review: 2010 Honda CR-V defends the CUV crown originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enrollment Increase

Shawn Mahoney was in his early 30s with two children and a job in the mortgage business when the recession hit hard. Facing a grim pay cut and a drop in business that he knew could cost him his livelihood, the McHenry County resident hatched a new plan: he’d become a lawyer. Mahoney headed to Harper College to get started, signing up for courses that would help him reach his new career goal. Mahoney and others like him – adults seeking new careers and extra training amid a bottomed-out job market – have helped push the College’s enrollment well above last spring’s levels. Harper’s official Spring 2010 headcount is 15, 619 – an increase of more than 11 percent from Spring 2009. The boost primarily comes from the College’s adult students, defined as those ages 25 and older; that category grew by about 18 percent from last spring. “We’re seeing many adults who are returning because they realize that in this job market, they have to continue learning vital new skills,” says Maria Coons, Interim Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing. “There also are many adults who have lost their job after spending years in a single profession, and now are coming to us to start a new career. Still others simply are realizing now is the time to pursue a long-held passion.” Last fall, the Lumina Foundation noted that the economic downturn was funneling hundreds of thousands of American adults back into postsecondary education, and said the trend was sure to intensify as the recession-rocked country continued to demand workers with even higher levels of education and training. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. now can count nearly 7 million adult learners – a group that once represented a minority on college campuses and now is accounting for as much as 70 percent of the nation’s college enrollment. With an eye on beefing up her skills, Schaumburg resident Angela Styczykowski enrolled at Harper this term to complete a Financial Management Certification. The 54-year-old cash management specialist is facing unemployment because of changes at her company, and “I feel that some college classes will enhance my work experience,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my career.” The College also is seeing increasing numbers of young adult students (ages 19 to 24), which includes those who began their education at another institution before transferring to Harper. Spring 2010 young adult enrollment is up about 7 percent from Spring 2009.

Media Note: Adult students are available for interviews about their decisions to return to college and seek new careers. To book interviews or for more enrollment information, contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Balloon Art

Harper College’s next art exhibition requires a lot of hot air and significant lung capacity. Beginning Friday, February 19, a rotation of Harper art faculty and students will join guest artist Jason Hackenwerth in manually blowing up as many as 7,000 balloons – preparation for a large-scale balloon sculpture that Hackenwerth, known for his sophisticated and enchanting aerial art, will create in Harper’s exhibition space. “An air pump would be helpful,” Assistant Professor Jason Peot acknowledges, but human air is one of the secret ingredients that helps make Hackenwerth’s alluringly ephemeral sculptures work. The artist’s finished product, created by twisting, blowing and shaping the inflated balloons into an intricate configuration, will be on display from Tuesday, February 23 through Thursday, March 18 in Harper’s Art Exhibition Space, Room C200, Building C on the main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. Viewing times for the free “Tide of Poseidon” exhibit are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. A slide lecture will be held at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23 (the exhibit’s opening day) in the Harper Painting Studio, Room C201 in Building C. A reception and discussion with Hackenwerth runs from 12:15 to 1 p.m. the same day in the exhibition space. “Jason Hackenwerth is a completely intriguing artist whose work I’ve admired many times,” Peot says. “To be able to work alongside him, helping him create the framework for his latest project, is an awesome experience for our faculty and especially for our students.”  Hackenwerth, a New York City resident who holds a master’s degree in fine arts and has exhibited throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia, draws from plant and animal forms to create his all-balloon sculptures. The pieces come to life with the help of human air and then slowly expire, all within the time and space of the exhibition.

Media Note: The artist, with help from students and faculty, will blow up between 5,000 and 7,000 balloons for his Harper sculpture, starting on Friday, February 19. Reporters and photographers are invited to observe that process and talk with the artist. Contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, at 847.925.6159 or [email protected] for the best photo times and dates.

Lincoln Learning

Harper College Speech Team members and public speaking students this month will celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday with a Readers’ Theater, performing selections from speeches, plays and other literature that dramatize the personal and political struggles of the nation’s sixteenth president. Collectively, the selections will tell the story of Lincoln’s life and legacy. The presentation, an annual event started last year to mark the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, is at noon on Thursday, February 11 on the second floor of the College’s Library, Building F on the Palatine campus. The event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served. Lincoln was born February 12, 1809. Today, a year after a historical presidential inauguration that put another Illinoisan in the White House, “Lincoln still has a lot of relevance,” says Instructor Margaret Bilos, whose students will present the Readers’ Theater. The Harper campus is closed Friday, February 12 in honor of Lincoln’s actual birthday.

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

Bilingual Financial Aid

Harper College is offering a series of workshops aimed at helping potential students navigate the murky waters of financial aid – whether they speak English or Spanish. The dual-language Financial Aid Workshops, geared toward high school juniors and their parents, will feature information on financial aid eligibility, the FAFSA application process, deadlines, the varying forms of federal and state aid and Harper scholarships for new freshmen. Those who aren’t eligible for financial aid will get tips for researching other scholarship options online. Participants also can receive onsite help filling out the FAFSA. The first workshop, offered in Spanish only, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 11 at Wheeling High School, 900 S. Elmhurst Road in Wheeling. Two more bilingual workshops, offered in both English and Spanish, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, February 21 at Rolling Meadows High School, 2901 W. Central Road in Rolling Meadows, and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11 at Palatine High School, 1111 N. Rohlwing Road in Palatine. “Financial aid can be intimidating even for the savviest person. Offering the pertinent information in Spanish can be helpful to parents, in particular, when it comes to understanding the details,” says Juanita Pérez Bassler, a Harper College Recruiting Specialist. “We offer these workshops to let high school students know that college really is an option, and to let them know we’re here to help.” The workshops are free, but seating is limited. For details or to RSVP, visit www.harpercollege.edu or contact Pérez Bassler at 847.925.6940 or [email protected]. To complete the FAFSA at the event, students must bring a driver’s license, social security card and 2009 tax information (tax returns should be completed first).

Media Note: Harper’s Director of Student Financial Assistance, Earl Dowling, is available for interviews on financial aid topics. His answers to frequent questions, including details on the new FAFSA form changes, are available in video form on Harper’s web site, www.harpercollege.edu, under the Financial Aid tab. For interviews or for more Harper financial aid information, contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Documentary and Lecture

Journalist David Wilson began tracing his roots six years ago. His transatlantic journey, and the surprising discoveries that came with it, are the focus of an acclaimed documentary that explores the legacy of slavery and the pursuit of racial reconciliation. Wilson, 32, will personally share his experiences at a Harper College lecture at 7:30 p.m. Monday, February 8 in the Building J Theatre on Harper’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. Wilson’s quest to explore his background took him from his Newark, N.J. birthplace to Ghana in Africa, where his ancestors had been put on a slave ship. He eventually discovered the plantation where they’d been enslaved, and found their modern-day descendants – one of whom also was named David Wilson. “In my film (“Meeting David Wilson”), the other David Wilson asks me where I think I’d be if my ancestors hadn’t been brought to America as slaves,” Wilson says. “I respond this way: America would have been a far different country had it not been for the contributions of African-Americans.” Wilson’s documentary was released in 2008; he’s now launching theGrio.com, a video-centric web site devoted to community news about African-Americans. Tickets for his February 8 lecture are $7 for general admission, with discounts for seniors and students. For tickets or more information, call 847.925.6100 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/boxoffice.

Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [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

 

Event: Students and faculty blowing up thousands of balloons in preparation for visiting artist Jason Hackenwerth’s balloon-art sculpture

Date: Friday, February 19-Monday, February 22 (Call for best days and times)

Location: Art Exhibition Space, Room C200, Building C

 

Patented filtration system ideal for efficient removal of fine dust particles

ELGIN, Ill. (Dec. 22, 2009) – Elgin Sweeper has introduced the Crosswind® NX® high-performance regenerative air sweeper for use in environmentally sensitive sweeping. The new machine includes all the performance, maintenance and design features of the Crosswind sweeper, which has been popular with users worldwide for more than 20 years. Equipped with the patented NX filtration technology introduced on Guzzler industrial vacuum loaders by Federal Signal in 2002, the Crosswind NX is ideal for efficient capture and removal of fine dust particles.

“The Crosswind NX is fully verified to the latest Toronto Protocol and delivers ultra-low dust emissions and outstanding stormwater material removal,” said Brian Giles, sweeper product manager at Elgin Sweeper. “This sweeper removes small particulate matter from roads and city streets without the release of potentially harmful fine dust into the atmosphere, resulting in cleaner streets, improved public health and improved air and stormwater quality.”

The extra-wide, 12-foot sweep path on the Crosswind NX is suited for municipalities, contractors, airport applications and general maintenance sweeping in all weather conditions, all temperatures and in wet or dry environments.

Airflow and dust separation system
The Crosswind NX functions like a standard Crosswind for picking up debris, but unlike the standard Crosswind, a significant portion of the air flowing through the pickup head is diverted off and filtered to remove the dust. This dust is then pumped directly into the hopper, leaving a cleaner airflow to return to the pressure slot.

As the filter systems on competitive sweepers begin to plug, less air is filtered and more unfiltered air begins to circulate in the regenerative loop, potentially increasing fan wear,” Giles said. “Utilizing a secondary filter fan and continuously automatic cleaning filters, the Crosswind NX exhausts nearly 20 percent of the total air flow, resulting in a powerful and constant negative pressure in the pickup head. It’s like opening the vacuum enhancer or sweeping uneven surfaces without generating any fugitive dust.”

NX technology
The NX technology from Federal Signal has consistently proven to outperform other filtration systems in mobile, pneumatic conveying applications, particularly in high-dust loading conditions. The system incorporates an array of vertically-oriented filter bags, which provide high efficiency filtration of 99.997 percent at 0.5 micron. Made with GE’s BHA-TEX ePTFE membrane, the filter bags ensure the fewest cleaning cycles, reducing energy consumption and filter fatigue.

When the Crosswind NX is operating, the filtration system is always in a vacuum condition, which ensures that any potential leak point results in inward leakage rather than dust emission.

“Elgin Sweeper customers are looking for equipment to help them comply with tough environmental regulations,” Giles said. “We’re confident the Crosswind NX sweeper, with its innovative filtration technology, will help revolutionize the way municipalities manage their air and storm water pollution efforts.”

For additional information on the Crosswind NX regenerative sweeper or to schedule a demonstration, please see your local Elgin Sweeper dealer or visit www.elginsweeper.com.

Sold and serviced through a network of more than 100 dealer locations worldwide, Elgin Sweeper products are the sweepers of choice for a variety of general street maintenance, special industrial and airport applications. With more than 90 years of experience, Elgin Sweeper offers municipalities, contractors and industries the most sweeper options in the country, using the latest sweeping technologies—mechanical, pure vacuum, regenerative air, alternative fuel and waterless dust control. Elgin Sweeper is a subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation’s Environmental Solutions Group. For more information, visit www.elginsweeper.com.

Federal Signal Corporation (NYSE: FSS) is a leader in advancing security and well-being for communities and workplaces around the world. The company designs and manufactures a suite of products and integrated solutions for municipal, governmental, industrial and airport customers. Federal Signal’s portfolio of trusted, high-priority products include Bronto aerial devices, Elgin street sweepers, Federal Signal safety and security systems, Guzzler industrial vacuums, Jetstream waterblasters and Vactor sewer cleaners and vacuum excavators. Federal Signal was founded in 1901 and is based in Oak Brook, Ill. For more information, visit www.federalsignal.com.

WOODSTOCK — A spectator who was bitten at a police-dog competition is seeking at least $100,000 in damages in a lawsuit filed last week.

Karyn Pimental was watching the K-9 Olympics in Algonquin on Aug. 14 when Pablo, a Waukegan police dog, broke free and bit her, according to the lawsuit.

Pimental is suing the city of Waukegan and canine officer Mallory Baker on allegations of negligence and reckless misconduct.

“The defendants intentionally and with conscious disregard for the surrounding circumstances and the safety of the plaintiff and other persons agitated the dog to incite it into an attack mode and then released the dog from its leash in the presence of nearby spectators,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that city officials were negligent in allowing a dog they knew or should have known was not reliably trained for the competition to enter, along with an inexperienced handler. The lawsuit also alleges that Pablo has attacked and bitten people in the past.

The lawsuit states that Pimental sustained internal and external injuries, including torn tissue, nerves and ligaments.

The case is set for a scheduling conference on June 8 before Judge Michael Caldwell.

By JILLIAN DUCHNOWSKI, [email protected]

Read the original article from the Northwest Herald.

A winter storm warning is in effect through early Wednesday for a system which could drop up to 12 inches of snow across the area.

The National Weather Service issued the warning Sunday night for a storm which could leave nearly a foot of snow during peak drive times Tuesday.

Forecasters say the storm, which may last through early Wednesday, could deliver between 6 inches to 12 inches of snow in under 24 hours.

That storm will be accompanied by wind gusts up to 30 mph. The highs both today and Tuesday will be around 28 with the lows around 20.

Flurries could start as early as 8 p.m. tonight but the storm is only expected to bring about 1 to 3 inches overnight. Then, following a small break, the flakes will start to fall heavier and the wind will kick up Tuesday afternoon and evening, depositing another 4 inches to 9 inches across the area before the storm moves through Wednesday.

The potential exists for near white-out conditions to develop in outlying areas Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

The warning covers all of the areas in the north central part of the state, including Chicago, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake and Will counties.

A second winter storm may follow starting Sunday, Feb. 14, which could bring three straight days of precipitation.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Two recent studies, both concerning solar energy used to produce hydrogen may help PEM fuel cells become more efficient and effective. One set of research is from Great Britain at the University of East Anglia. The second research study is from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC).

At the University of East Anglia the scientists are using a gold electrode covered with indium phosphide (InP) nanoparticles and then layered with an iron-sulfur complex, [Fe₂S₂(CO)₆]. Just add water and light to this photoelectrocatalytic system and the scientists were able to achieve 60-percent efficiency.

At UCSC the researchers are using a photoelectrochemical (PEC) reaction to create a direct solar to hydrogen production inside the solar cell itself. The system uses a light absorbing anode and two different techniques called elemental doping and quantum dot sensitization.

Either one of these techniques is efficient in causing a reaction and producing hydrogen, but by combining techniques, higher efficiency can be demonstrated.

According to Nanotechnology Now, “The researchers synthesized thin films of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, as well as titanium dioxide nanowire arrays vertically aligned in a thin film on a substrate. The titanium dioxide films were doped with nitrogen, and cadmium selenide nanoparticles were used for quantum dot sensitization. The resulting nanostructured composite materials were then used as photoanodes in a PEC cell to compare their performance in carefully controlled experiments.”

I’ve talked about the merits of using direct solar to hydrogen technology before. These two studies add more weight to the discussion that solar to hydrogen will be a viable method in the near future for large scale production of H2.

George Lucas is suing Skywalker Outdoor, a Chicago billboard company, which the creator of Star Wars claims is hitting a little too close to home.

Lucas believes the company’s name violates his trademark on the name Skywalker, as in Luke.

Skywalker Outdoor did sign an agreement with Lucasfilm two years ago to stop using the name, but the people who now lead the company say the executives who signed that deal had no authority to do so.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.

To say Facebook is growing isn’t really news and it’s even somewhat of an understatement. The social network has been adding users like there’s no tomorrow and has now reached the 400-million-user mark. However, in certain aspects, Facebook has been growing even faster than it’s been adding new users and, every week, there are five times more shared items… (read more)

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Capcom Japan has finally revealed that last two characters for Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition’s Mercenaries Reunion mode in the pages of this week’s Famitsu magazine.

Filed under: Motorsports, Dodge, Racing

The Chrysler-mad tuners at SpeedFactory have taken a 2006 Dodge Charger, ripped out its interior and inserted a GEN III Hemi stroker motor boosted by a Vortech supercharger under the hood. The 3,700-pound, 900-horsepower sedan has kept its factory transmission and independent rear suspension, but swapped over to 1,000-horsepower half-shafts and a different suspension and shock setup.

The result: a quarter-mile run in 9.453 seconds at 145.38 miles per hour. The mad-about-Chrysler moderators at LXForums.com say it’s the fastest run done on any LX/LC platform. Follow the jump for video evidence of the blitz and for SpeedFactory’s press release on the feat.

[Source: SpeedFactory]

Continue reading Video: SpeedFactory builds the quickest quarter-mile Dodge Charger in the world

Video: SpeedFactory builds the quickest quarter-mile Dodge Charger in the world originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Timbuktu, written by Larry Brook and illustrated by Ray Webb, is an informative book that gives children facts and illustrations about life in Timbuktu.  The book begins with an overview of the history of Timbuktu and leads the reader through the different eras in Timbuktu’s history.  The reader can learn about the roles of men, women, and children in Timbuktu.  The pictures show the layout of the city, life in the desert, and people at the local markets.  The maps show how Timbuktu became a great meeting place for trading goods as a result of its strategic location between trade routes and its proximity to the Niger River.  Timbuktu was once a thriving city in Mali with schools, universities, hotels, mosques, and a booming trade market.  Recently, the city and its people have suffered greatly as a result of war and increasingly drier conditions.  The final pages show life today in Timbuktu.

Curriculum Connections

This book is a great reference for  teaching students about the early West African empire of Mali (VA SOL 3.2).  It shows students the importance of trade and introduces the reader to the different people groups that have populated Timbuktu throughout time.  Although the book is too wordy for younger elementary students, teachers can summarize the words and show the descriptive illustrations.  Each two-page spread begins with a title, so teachers can easily choose which pages are most relevant to their audiences.  Older elementary students can use this book to provide information for a report on Timbuktu but may find some of the names of the leaders, people groups, and places to be a challenge to read.

Additional Resources

For additional facts about Timbuktu, visit the History Channel online or the International Museum for Muslim Cultures.

Listen to traditional Malian music played on the kora by Mamadou Diabate.

Click here for  lesson plan ideas.

General Information

Book:  Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Timbuktu
Author:  Larry Brook
Illustrator:  Ray Webb
Publisher:  Runestone Press
Publication Date:  1999
Pages:  64
Grade Range:  2nd-6th
ISBN:  0-8225-3215-8

Equities started off with a bang today with the DJIA soaring another hundred-some-odd points. Then around 10:45am, the market pivoted and is now giving up a little.

Currently, the Dow is at 9988 and drifting. The NASDAQ is up 7.75 to 2133.

The dollar is weakening and in turn, commodities are climbing. Oil is now $72.78 a barrel, up $0.90.

Gold is doing well, up $7.20 to $1073 an ounce. Silver is up $0.20 to $15.29 an ounce.

Lastly, futures are up across the board thanks to the weakening dollar. Only natural gas is taking a hit, down 2.7% to $5.2760.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• The Stock Rally Peters Out As Equities End A Mixed Bag, Oil Prices Drop Over Increased Supply
• Market Opens Weak: Dow Down 55 Points, Commodities Up
• Jobs Data Saves The Day As Stocks Start Mixed

Naperville firefighters will be rushing toward a fire station today instead of away from it.

The city will cut the ribbon at 2 p.m. on its newest station at 3201 95th St., just west of Route 59.

Parking will be available on Anna Marie Drive.

The environmentally friendly station will serve portions of the city’s southwest side bordered by 83rd Street to the north, Book Road to the east, the city boundary to the west and electrical lines between 95th and 103rd streets to the south.

Neighborhoods that will be protected by the station include White Eagle, Carillon Club, Tall Grass and Aero Estates.

Station 10 is intended to help the department reach its goal of responding to 90 percent of emergencies within six minutes. It currently hits that mark less than 70 percent of the time on the southwest side.

“Response times in the area served by this building will decrease and every second counts in an emergency situation,” Mayor George Pradel said in a news release.

The city broke ground on the station in June using land donated by the developer of Naperville Crossings.

The 9,885-square-foot building includes three apparatus bays, living quarters, a hose tower and turn-out gear storage room.

The cost of the project came in at $2.3 million – about $100,000 under budget. The city received a $30,000 Energy Efficiency Block Grant to install LED lights and a $37,059 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation to fund a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Naperville applied for silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

The station will be staffed using existing personnel.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Last summer, Gary Shilling of A. Gary Shilling & Co. predicted that stocks would fall 30%.  That hasn’t happened yet, but the extraordinary bull run that made idiots out of many of Wall Street’s greatest gurus last year has now finally reversed, and Gary is sticking by his bearish guns.

At Dow 10,000, Gary says, stocks are still priced to reflect a strong economic recovery throughout 2010 and 2011.  And that’s not going to happen.  Consumers still account for more than 70% of the spending in the U.S. economy, and consumers are retrenching.  The value of their assets has plummeted, so they’re finally saving again.  They’re unemployed.  They’re tapped out.  Put all that together, and consumer spending will continue to be weak, and the overall economy will only grow 2% a year.

When the market finally realizes that its dream of a v-shaped recovery is too optimistic, stocks will go lower–perhaps much lower.  In fact, Gary thinks there’s a 40%-50% chance they’ll crash right through the bear-market lows set last spring.

See why Gary thinks the stock-market may crash to a new low >

Join the conversation about this story »

Barring some total collapse that not even Jim Chanos is predicting, it’s hard to see any scenario in which the booming Chinese auto maker doesn’t have a seismic effect on global commodities consumption. Oil, yes, but also all the commodities that go into building roads (and the cars themselves).

Waverly Advisors has produced these two charts, showing just how dramatic the move up has been:

And:

 

Now check out more details on the Chinese transportation boom >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Actually, Nobody, Not Even The Chinese, Understands Who Runs China
• The 10 States About To Get Murdered By The Coming Chinese Import Slowdown
• Citi: Foreign Investors Rushing To Buy Collapsed Chinese Stocks

Stewart Butterfield’s resignation letter from Yahoo (from Watching the birth of Flickr co-founder’s gaming start-up)

California, US | Ghost Towns

Nat Mendelsohn had a dream. A city that was going to rival Los Angles, in three hundred and twenty square kilometers of Mojave desert paradise, centered around a beautiful — though not native to the desert and artificially watered, of course — park, complete with a 105,218 square meter artificial lake.

Seen on a map it might seem as if perhaps Mendelsons dream came true, for hundreds of miles of named streets cut through the desert area known as California City, ending in cul-de-sacs, and looking much like a large suburban community has been built. It is by this metric of its geographical size, that California City can lay claim to being the third largest city in California and 34th largest in the nation. However, on closer inspection one quickly notices something missing: houses.

There is absolutely nothing lining these streets, no houses, no electric grid, nothing. The roads form an empty ghost-grid, a mirage of suburbia still waiting to be filled. Seen from above it looks almost like the remnants of some ancient culture, ritual lines cut in the desert, similar to another California desert phenomena the Blythe intaglio’s.

Mendelson’s plan was like that of a number of real estate developers in the fifties and sixties. Operating under the idea that the fastest way to riches was through owning land, developers bought vast tracks, laid them out, and subdivided the land into tens of thousands of small house plots, with the plan to sell each plot as a paradise to some young family hoping to buy their dream home. Often it worked and these formed many of the sprawling suburbs that exist today. But in the case of California city, it never quite caught on. Among the reasons are that in clearing the area for development it lead to an increase in dust storms.

California city isn’t entirely empty. As of 2008, fifty years after Mendelsohn, the sociology professor and real estate developer who bought the property, California city has a total population of 14,556, living in a small town, to the southwest of the vast empty grids. It also contains the massive California City Correctional Center a 2,305-bed prison, an Air Force base, a Honda testing facility, and a nearby boron mine, California’s largest open-pit mine. The area has also become a popular location for dirt bikers and off-roaders.

The town may still fill up yet, California City is the 12th fastest growing city in California, and National Recreational Properties has hired Erik Estrada of CHiPs fame acts as the town’s media spokesperson.

The city also has its own website where you can “Talk To” the city. Among the local clubs and organizations it lists one

We’ve already pointed out how director/writer/filmmaker/entertainer Kevin Smith is a great example of a filmmaker embracing the model of connecting with fans and giving them a reason to buy, even to the point of saying that unauthorized file sharing is just a way to get more fans he can “convert.” Apparently, he may take things to another level, by following a crowdfunding effort similar to what we’ve seen with some musicians and authors.

The twist here is that it wasn’t his idea. The fans came to him and made it clear they wanted to fund the project. If you are a fan of Smith (as I am), you know he’s been talking about various projects he’s been thinking about, and last year talked a lot about a rather different kind of movie, a “political horror film” called Red State. Of course, that’s definitely a big step away from Smith’s usual comic-fare, and finding financing for it was initially proving difficult. But, the fans stepped up:

“I think an interesting thing that may happen with it is–I was on Twitter and people are asking about Red State, and then a dude tweeted ‘hey man, what if we pay for it?’ And all of a sudden, a bunch of people were like ‘Seriously, why not?’”

Smith has said that if he does this, he’d match every dollar donated. They’re working on a website for it, but there have been some logistical issues:

“We’re kind of creating this website. We’re seeing if it works to set up and collect donations. It becomes a weird tax nightmare, though… It sounded like such an easy thing online… but now there’s lots of checks and balances to make sure we can do it, but if that’s the case, I would be into it, and I’ll match it. Whatever you raise on line, like fuck it, you put it up, I’ll put it up.”

Of course, doing it from scratch may raise some issues, and I’d imagine he’d be better off if he weren’t trying to sell “shares” in the film, since that’s where things get really tricky, but focusing on selling something else (credit in the film, access to screenings, meet & greet with Kevin, etc.), with the proceeds going to fund the film. But there are lots of platforms like Kickstarter or Biracy that he might want to look into, since they’ve worked out a lot of the legal issues.

Still, it highlights, yet again, what a lie it is to claim that “fans just want everything for free.” And it shows that content not yet created is a scarcity people will pay for. It’s still early (and Smith is focused on another movie first), but it could be one of the most high profile movies made using this technique.

But the further this moves along, the more interesting it gets. After a bunch of people misinterpreted the original interview Smith gave, he wrote out a more detailed explanation of his thinking, which is clearly still in the very initial planning stage (i.e., they don’t even know if it’s possible), but it looks to be about more than just fan funding this one film:

Our plan is to put anything we make into a fund that would, in turn, finance other (cost-sensible) flicks fans want to see. And from that? Build a People’s Studio. Simply have any interested/frustrated/desperate party put their script on our website, open for all to read, during a “pilot season” of sorts. Script that gets the most votes, gets the loot. That flick gets made and sold, all the loot goes back into fund for next round. If there’s enough loot from RED STATE sale to do so, idea would be to fund two low budget flicks a year. Ultimate dream: Indie Movement, v.3.

Even though a lot of the talk around these parts has been about music industry business models, in the last year or so, I’ve really been amazed at the number of indie filmmakers who have been really digging in on new business models, with a strong willingness to experiment and adapt. It’s very encouraging to see.

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