The famous TV host and judge of American Idol, Ellen DeGeneres founded a record label just to sign Greyson Chance, 12 years old artist from Edmond (Oklahoma) who became famous on YouTube singing “Paparazzi” by Lady GaGa.

The presenter, Ellen announced on her own program, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” that she decided to start new projects in the world of music with the intention of finding new talent. This has created a new label called “Eleveneleven” and, as explained, has its first customer, Greyson Chance small boy who, like many others, through the Internet portal YouTube unveiled to the world its talent. The label is being created in partnership with Telepictures Productions, while Guy Oseary, Madonna’s agent, and Troy Carter, Lady Gaga agent, also signed for Chance as agents.

The presenter first saw him in a Youtube video which featured a piano playing of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” for a musical festival at his school. The video had such an impact in the U.S. (has more than 20 million views), Ellen invited Chance as a special guest of the program on May 13. The young artist has also published two original songs on YouTube, entitled “Stars” and “Broken Hearts.”

During the broadcast of the program where DeGeneres broke the news of his sponsorship, Greyson Chance said he thinks it’s amazing what is going on and that seems crazy to think that 30 million people could be looking at him in that very moment.

Related posts:

1. Watch Greyson Michael Chance playing “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga
2. Greyson Chance Performs at ‘Ellen’ and Chats With Lady Gaga!
3. Greyson Michael Chance: The Child Prodigy

We’ve seen all the iPhone Pro leaked shots, and so we all know that the thing is coming. At&T has given further credence to the most leaked phone in history, as they’ve notified employees that the next iPhone will launch in June. According to BGR, they’ve heard the same, and they are saying that it won’t even be that late into the month of June. We like it, and we know Apple wants to get this thing out the door—but we haven’t even seen it go through FCC approval yet.

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Good job, everyone. Research firm Rescuetime says y’all spent (wasted?) 4.8 million hours playing Pac-Man on the Google homepage since its launch last week. If we convert those lost man-hours to dollars and cents, then you can say the U.S. economy has lost slightly more than $120 million because of Pac-Man.

Thanks to the game, the average visitor to the Google homepage spent 36 extra seconds on the site than usual. That sounds about right: I did a quick game and spent no more than one minute chasing ghosts.

CNET mentions that many people had trouble turning off the game, so that may account for some of the time accounted for in the survey. That prompts me to ask how many people actually type www.google.com into their address bar, or even click a bookmark icon on their bookmark bar? Like, I though the normal thing now was to simply search from your browser’s built-in search bar?

In any event, the game will forever be available on google.com/pacman.

Marianne Fay, Chief Economist, Sustainable Development Network for the World Bank Group, discussed climate change and developing countries at the National Building Museum. The World Bank recently released the 2010 World Development Report, a major report focused on climate change and development. Fay said the World Bank is focused on climate change because of its enormous impact on the way countries grow, but also said it’s important to ask: What is the impact of development on climate?

The World Development Report argues that a “climate-smart” world is possible if we “act now, “act together,” and “act differently.” Fay said the World Bank is now using the term “climate-smart” because “climate resilient” is too passive. “The development paradigm needs to change. Inertia in the system needs to change by applying new ideas, policies / regulations and financing mechanisms.” New approaches will help countries adapt to climate change. Some countries may even have a comparative advantage and see opportunities with climate change, Fay said.

On the importance of “acting now,” Fay argued that the threat of climate change is “serious and immediate.” Using IPCC data from 2001 and then 2007, she showed how the risks of unique and threatening systems, extreme weather, and large-scale discontinuities are all growing. ”We are already at 0.8C above pre-industrial temperatures. Stopping at 2.0C above pre-industrial levels, which is the best we can achieve, still puts us in the danger zone.”

Inertia on many fronts is holding back change. Inertia in the built environment is the result of costs (it costs to retrofit a building, street, or entire neighborhood). Inertia in the climate system relates to feasibility. In institutions and individual’s behavior, it’s due to a lack of “political momentum.” Inertia together with uncertainty creates a situation similar to ”driving in the fog heading towards a cliff” but not knowing exactly when to stop. “So we need to take a precautionary approach.” For cities, Fay said how we design communities now will impact the climate up to 100 years in the future. Power plants, which are expensive to build, last 40-50 years, but their impacts are longer. Housing stock, which gets renewed at a rate of around 2 percent per year, also has a long-term impact. The potential long-term climate impact of any new built systems must be considered in advance.

On “acting together,” Fay said poor countries will bear 80 percent of the overall impact, but are responsible for only 1/3 of the total carbon stock in the atmosphere to date. This demonstrates the “deep unfairness of the issue.” She argued that relatively smaller changes in the developed world could create “space” for increased emissions in the developing world under a safe total cap. As an example, if American SUVs applied EU fuel efficiency standards (“which wouldn’t cause too much pain”), the emission reductions would cover growing emisisons from providing electricity to 1.6 billion Africans. Currently, only 25 percent of Africans have access to electricity.

Looking at a “marginal cost abatement curve” created by McKinsey & Company, which presents the climate change emissions reductions from a range of measures including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), Fay said every country has both cheap and expensive options. “All the cheap options aren’t exclusively in the developing or developed worlds.” Across the board, energy efficiency is a low-hanging fruit, and relatively cheap to implement in comparison with carbon capture and sequestration schemes.

In order to “act differently,” countries need to tap every potential energy efficiency measure. “We should target the nega-watts in addition to the mega-watts.” Fay added that nuclear energy has a role to play despite people’s NIMBY concerns. Biomass needs lots of water and land and so isn’t feasible on a large-scale given the world population is expected to swell to nine billion by 2050. Renewables “are great but provide intermittent energy and are located far from where energy is used.” Fossil fuels will continue to be used, but carbon capture needs to be scaled up. Fay didn’t mention the enormous costs (in the billions) or potential environmental dangers involved in CCS processes. 

Increasing energy R&D and moving subsidies away from fossil fuels and towards wind, hydro and solar power are smart measures. “Right now, there’s only $15 billion in government energy R&D worldwide. This is equal to the amount the French spend on cheese each year, and Americans spend on pet food.” Private sector R&D investment is another estimated $60-70 billion per year.  “While innovative industries put in 8-15 percent of total revenue in R&D, energy businesses spend a total of 0.5 percent.” The energy business is “fossilized.” Additionally, of the $300 billion in energy subsidies, about half of that goes to fossil fuels. Inertia also seems to be built into the global energy production system.

The Copenhagen Accord (see earlier post) was viewed as a “disappointment by most,” but yielded an agreement to increase funds for climate change mitigation  and adaptation in developing countries to $30 billion. Unfortunately, the World Bank and other organizations estimate that some $275-300 billion is actually needed per year. “Some developing countries are so poor they can’t pay for mitigation themselves.” The World Bank hopes to leverage funds so developing countries can invest in clean energy like wind, solar, and hydroelectric, instead of coal plants. “We can then finance the difference in costs.” This will also help the Bank reduce those big new loans for new coal plants. A recent $3 billion loan for South Africa generated major controversy.

On the opposite scale, Fay pointed to some innovations at the local level. While the U.S. never ratified the Kyoto Accord, hundreds of cities, many of which are in the U.S., have signed on to Kyoto emissions reduction targets. In India, at the community level, ”barefoot hydrologists” are using simple techniques to monitor underground water. Also, “remote sensing” technology can now be easily and widely deployed. Indeed, in a recent interview with Solutions, Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics recently said the most effective climate change mitigation and adaptation activities occur at the local (not international) levels.

In the developed world, Fay called for increased press coverage on the negative impacts of climate change, and said marketing can help change people’s behavior. “Fifteen years ago, no one wore a seatbelt so in some cases marketing works.”

When asked about the economic and enviromental costs and benefits of urban smart growth redevelopment or retrofitting urban neighborhoods or cities wholesale to make them more energy efficient and livable, Fay could offer no positive or negative numbers on emissions. “The only cities getting redesigned on a major scale are in China. Democracy presents a real challenge to this type of work.” 

Meanwhile, World Changing pointed to recent numbers on larger-scale neighborhood energy efficiency programs. However, more research may be needed on the costs and benefits of LEED-ND-style neighborhood and urban redevelopment in terms of the climate. Hopefully, retrofitting for energy efficiency at the large-scale yields a net-gain for both people and the climate.

Check out the World Development Report 2010 and the World Bank’s blog on climate change and development.

Image credit: DPI Animation House / 2010 ASLA Honor Award. Park 20/20: A Cradle to Cradle Inspired Master Plan, Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. William McDonough + Partners.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Videos, Crossover, Mini

Mini is reportedly seriously considering creating a production version of the Beachcomber concept that debuted at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. The Beachcomber was produced as a Mini Moke-inspired preview of the Countryman crossover that debuted in Geneva, but the concept left the doors and roof behind to create what looked like the offspring of a Jeep Wrangler and the iconic British small car.

Mini SVP for brand management Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht acknowledged that the response to the concept was so strong that BMW is now looking at the business case for this open-sided variant. If Mini does proceed with the Moke/Beachcomber that would bring the lineup to seven models, including the upcoming coupe and roadster variants. A production version would probably come with removable doors and a folding fabric roof. We wouldn’t expect to see this one appear until at least 2012 or 2013 at the earliest, if then, but in the meantime, make the jump to see Dr. Armbrecht and designer Gert Hildebrand discuss the Beachcomber concept.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Continue reading Rumormill: Beachcomber-based Mini Moke may get the greenlight [w/video]

Rumormill: Beachcomber-based Mini Moke may get the greenlight [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 May 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The bulls are blowing it… Markets turn negative. Dow off 40. NASDAQ off .5%

Join the conversation about this story »

In a welcome end to one of the biggest non-stories to come out of the HP-Palm merger so far, HP’s Chief Technology Officer Phil McKinney put an end to the rumors that the company’s upcoming (or not) Slate tablet would run webOS upon its release later this year in an interview with ZDNet.  When pressed on details of the upcoming product and if it would be running Palm’s next-generation operating system, McKinney responded simply by giving a piece of advice that perhaps the tech press at large should heed more often: "Don’t believe everything you see online".

If you recall, the furor began when the LA Gadgets Examiner posted a story that was as improbable as it was questionably sourced: that HP was going to ready a webOS powered tablet computer named "Hurricane" and have it ready during the third quarter of this year.  The story subsequently spread like wildfire – a webOS based tablet is a wet dream for most any gadget enthusiast – but folks generally failed to consider two important things: First, that the merger transaction between the two companies still hasn’t closed, and isn’t expected to until July which means that Palm is still an independent, resource strapped company. Second, that while webOS was designed from the ground up to be scaled across any number of hardware configurations, it still needs some work to get it tablet ready.

There’s little doubt that a webOS powered tablet is in our future, but expecting one as soon as Q3 is probably unrealistic.  

[via webOS Roundup]

When he’s not busy managing Square Enix and replying to a bazillion questions on Twitter, Yoichi Wada plays games too and not just their games. The Square Enix CEO recently played Heavy Rain, and he enjoyed

Relwen prides itself in coming from the American working heritage. Inspired by the shops, general stores, and farms of Ohio, Michigan, etc., Relwen wanted to mirror the work ethics of those living and working in such places. High functionality, quality, and construction are a part of Relwen’s clothing tradition and defines the brand completely with use of the right materials for the right details. For Spring/Summer 2010, Relwen has produced a collection that consists of classic styles ranging from twill jackets, blazers, checkered shirts, surf shorts, parkas, denim, and some accessories.

Continue reading for more images.

Lifehacker has a handy guide to and analysis of the new, streamlined privacy controls just announced by Facebook. There’s also the full version posted on Facebook. The new controls are simpler, but fall short in some respects.

For example, there is no way to make your activities and interests private, and you’re opted-in by default to sharing your personal info with applications.

The changes will show up for different users in stages over the coming weeks, and you’ll know when they hit your account when a little icon shows up saying so.

What do you think of the modifications? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

A Guide to Facebook’s New, Simpler Privacy Controls [Lifehacker]
Controlling How You Share [Facebook]
Making Control Simple [Facebook Blog]

Be it oil painting or digital photography, the self-portrait has become one of the most fascinating motifs in art. Sometimes brazen, like Chuck Close’s Big Self-Portrait, sometimes hidden, like Michelangelo’s in The Crucifixion of St Peter…good self-portraiture is always fascinating. More »










Photography – Portrait – Business – photographer – Arts and Entertainment

It looks like Project Natal is set to launch just five months from today, if a trusted Edge Online source is to be believed. That would put Natal launching on October 26th, and they’ve even got it priced at $149. Even more interesting, although not surprising, is that the motion sensing Natal camera will also be sold in a bundle with the Xbox 360 Arcade console for $299. Obviously, Microsoft is looking to reach a new market with Natal, so bundling it with the entry-level Xbox 360 console will only make sense as they aim to intrigue casual users and families. Now the launch date could change, and we won’t get it confirmed until E3. That said, one other sure-thing is that Project Natal will be officially named at E3 as well—seriously, you didn’t think they’d ship with a name like that, did you?

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In a big setback for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Rep. Patrick Murphy’s (D-Pa.) efforts to insert amendments overturning the military’s ban on open gay service in this year’s defense authorization bill, Igor Volsky of ThinkProgress has obtained letters from the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force urging legislators to forestall a legislative repeal until after the Pentagon’s Working Group on implementing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” completes its report in December.

The markup of the Senate version of the bill is underway in the Armed Services Committee. A floor vote in the House is expected tomorrow.

As Volsky observes, the compromise enshrined in the amendments would punt implementation of the repeal until after the Working Group issues its guidance. But I’ve been hearing for days that key Pentagon leaders, despite Defense Secretary Gates’ begrudging support for the legislation, were embittered by the White House’s Monday pledge to LGBT activists to acquiesce to the legislative push. Regardless of the amendment’s substantive respect for the Working Group’s timetable, those leaders thought that the Working Group represented a mechanism for overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” with maximum military buy-in and minimal disruption to wartime operations. (Of all the service chiefs, only Gen. James Conway, the Marine Corps commandant, opposes overturning the ban on open gay service.)

The chiefs’ opposition indicates that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” fight has fallen into in a briar patch of acrimony, where substantively small differences appear massive due to injured pride and perceived disrespect.

The Los Angeles Times reports that some fishermen have “become ill after working long hours near waters fouled with oil and dispersant.”  This is a TP repost.

With last month’s massive oil spill at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico threatening the livelihood of the area’s fishermen, BP said it would “hire as many local residents as possible to clean the beaches and distribute booms through the surrounding marshes and waterways.” But the effort has hit a few bumps with fishermen complaining that “too few people” were being hired and their cleanup contracts contained problems.

At least one worker says he wasn’t given protective equipment by BP:

Like other cleanup workers, Jackson had attended a training class where he was told not to pick up oil-related waste. But he said he wasn’t provided with protective equipment and wore leather boots and regular clothes on his boat.

“They [BP officials] told us if we ran into oil, it wasn’t supposed to bother us,” Jackson said. “As far as gloves, no, we haven’t been wearing any gloves.”

BP spokesman Graham McEwen told the LA Times that “he was unaware of any health complaints among cleanup workers,” adding that “the fishermen the company is training are not being deployed into areas that require respirators or breathing apparatus. Those who are working for BP laying booms or skimming oil are issued protective coveralls and gloves.” However, George Barisich, president of the United Commercial Fishermen’s Association. in St. Bernard Parish, said that fishermen “complained to a BP representative about illness” at a recent meeting. “BP has the opinion that they are not getting sick,” Barisich said.

Related Posts:

• Exclusive: The human dimensions of oil spills
• The BP oil disaster is a health disaster, too

Below are links to news stories of interest from newspapers that came up during a search today.  These links were active at the time of this e-mail, but should you want to save a story, printing it or cutting and pasting the entire article and saving it to your computer is recommended.    

State News 

One sick child, two teachers and a selfless act  LINCOLN — Tuesday was Tim Chavosky’s last full day as a science teacher at Lincoln High School. In February, the ax fell on nine LHS teachers who were laid off because of budget constraints. Chavosky was one of the teachers cut. But Chavosky’s situation is different from the other eight. He volunteered to go. Why he volunteered might end up being the best lesson he ever taught the students at Lincoln High. 

Decatur School District, teachers union at odds over ‘Race to the Top’ memo
Decatur Herald – DECATUR – The second deadline for Race to the Top is fast approaching, and Decatur’s application lacks the signature of the Decatur Education Association. Bobbi Williams, director of special programs, gave a report on the federal program to address low-performing schools to the school board Tuesday.   

Dist. 205 and Teachers Join Race to the Top
WIFR (CBS) 23 Rockford – a more than four billion dollar jackpot. And representatives for both the teachers union and the administration say it’s too big a prize to miss out on. Rockford Education Association president Molly Phalen says the teacher’s union is joining the district in signing the state’s application for round two of the federal “Race to the Top” contest.   

REA puts frustrations aside for Race to the Top collaboration
WREX (NBC) 13 Rockford – The Rockford Education Association puts clashes with Superintendent Dr. LaVonne Sheffield on the back burner and pledges collaboration. Both sides signed a memorandum of understanding to work together   

Somonauk teachers agree to salary freeze, cut programs reinstated
Ottawa Daily Times – union also approved the changes to the contract, voting “overwhelmingly in favor of freezing our salaries and stipends at the exact salary paid for the 2009-2010 school year,” said Somonauk Education Association President Lois Whalen. “Teachers, and especially Somonauk teachers, are committed to our students we work with every day,” she added.   

D204 support staff OKs hourly pay freeze
Fox Valley Villages Sun –  a 2 percent “step” raise for existing employees. Currently, starting secretaries earn $13.49 per hour and other IPCA members, including deans assistants, health assistants, and teacher assistants start at $11.01 per hour. Carol Schaible, president of IPCA, said 78 percent of the union’s members are also District 204 residents, something that was kept in mind   

Teachers say union OK of U46 pact likely
Elgin Courier News – teachers would not receive a pay increase, so it “won’t dramatically increase the number of teachers we can recall.” Nor would more U46 staff necessarily be recalled, Sanders said, even if Gov. Pat Quinn signs legislation to fix the district’s funding process and give the district $22 million more general state aid for the 2010-11 school year. That’s because the state is so far behind

Unit 5 may start an hour later on up to 16 days next year
Bloomington Pantagraph – Superintendent Gary Niehaus emphasized the board won’t decide tonight whether to introduce the late starts, but it could direct him to discuss the idea further with union officials with the Unit Five Education Association. In a work session set for 5 p.m. the school board is expected to discuss how the still-uncertain state budget will affect the district’s 2010-11 budget.   

The Southern: Cut fat from state budget, not meat of public education  Editorial – Some lawmakers in Springfield apparently realize the state of Illinois is pursuing a path of financial ruin. That sounds good, but serious state budget deliberations were needed months ago, at the opening of the regular session of the State General Assembly.   

Our Opinion: Disappointing decisions by U of I board
Springfield State Journal Register –  There is no doubt a university presidency is a difficult, 24/7 job. But the fact that new U of I President Michael Hogan’s salary of $620,000 is more than the $177,412 that Gov. Pat Quinn earns and President Barack Obama’s $400,000 salary shows how university administrator salaries have gotten out of hand. THE U OF I BOARD approved Hogan’s salary   

News-Gazette: Who says how much is enough?  The (Champaign) News-Gazette – When Michael Hogan starts his new job as president of the University of Illinois in July, he’ll be earning an annual salary of $620,000 a year, and that has a lot of people upset. The anger or resentment or whatever one chooses to call it is no big surprise. Big salaries bring out the envy in many people. But the envy is accompanied by anger this time, and not without reason.   

Illinois turns away 27,000 for financial aid
Sterling Sauk Valley News – Thousands of Illinois college students who were hoping for financial aid from the state may be out of luck: The agency that distributes the payments says an increase in demand has forced it to turn down almost 27,000 students, and that figure could grow to 200,000 by fall. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission says it expects to have about $400 million to spend 

Political News

Illinois House approves budget; Senate to meet today  Chicago Public Radio – Illinois is closer to a new budget. The state Senate this afternoon is scheduled to discuss a $13 billion deficit. The House yesterday approved a spending plan that relies heavily on borrowing and putting off paying state bills. Democratic Representative Pat Verschoore says the House budget plan is not a good solution but it’s the best given the options.  

House OKs borrowing to cover state pensions  Pension borrowing — a major (and controversial) component of a state budget plan — finally won approval in the Illinois House on Tuesday after a series of rejections. The scene now shifts to the Senate, which returns to Springfield today.   

House passes pension borrowing plan on 2nd try  The Illinois House approved, on its second try on Tuesday, a bill that borrows $3.7 billion so the state can make its pension payment. The vote was 71-44, with two members voting ‘present.’ Two Republicans crossed party lines to vote in favor of the bill.  

Borrowing has huge role in proposed spending plan
Chicago Tribune –  For the second consecutive year, lawmakers are favoring taking out a loan to cover the required contribution to pensions for retired state workers, judges, elected officials and teachers outside Chicago. Democrats argued that spending $1 billion on interest payments to cover the pension borrowing plan would be less expensive to taxpayers than simply refusing to make the pens   

Illinois Lawmakers Adopt Plan to Borrow To Pay For Pensions
Chicago WFLD (Fox) 32 – One measure would borrow $3.7 billion to make the state’s annual contribution to government pension systems. Another would give Gov. Pat Quinn broad power to decide where to cut spending. Quinn would also be allowed to borrow from special government funds. A third measure cuts administrative spending by 5 percent.   

NEW: Illinois House slashes $200 million in Medicaid, rejects other cuts   Alton Telegraph – A day after a coalition of Democratic lawmakers proposed $1.3 billion in cuts in an effort to dig the state out of a $13 … 

Democrats reject Black motion on 63 Republican bills
Champaign News Gazette – A motion by state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, to discharge 63 separate pieces of Republican legislation aimed at cutting government costs and improving Illinois’ economy was blocked Tuesday night by House Democrats. “I think part of the frustration I feel is that we’re not allowed to participate. We’re not asked. We’re not invited. 

Curtailing use of state planes not on lawmakers’ list of cuts Chicago Tribune –  Lawmakers are proposing a wide variety of ways to cut the woefully out-of-balance budget,

Quinn won’t sign bill to let colleges borrow The Associated Press – Gov. Pat Quinn says he will not sign a bill that would allow Illinois’ public universities to borrow money to make up for millions of dollars in overdue state funding.   

White House Sending Campaign Help for Giannoulias
NBC Chicago – Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign said today that Secretary of education Arne Duncan and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina would be coming to Chicago in June to campaign for the senate candidate. “Should be a good time,” said spokesperson Matt McGrath   

Pantagraph: A few reasons why public sees need for cuts  The (Bloomington) Pantagraph – If state lawmakers wonder why the public doesn’t believe those who say there’s no fat to trim in the budget, let us explain.   

During his first year, Quinn stayed at Executive Mansion 55 nights  Gov. Pat Quinn had been in office only a few hours last year when he vowed to do something his impeached predecessor did not – live in the Executive Mansion in Springfield. But a Tribune analysis of his official travel schedule shows that Quinn stays at the ornate, taxpayer-funded house only sporadically. He didn’t spend more than three consecutive nights in the executive mansion.  

Our Opinion: Spare state retirees dose of ‘tough love’  STATE REP. KAREN MAY, D-Highland Park, said the legislature might have to show state retirees some “tough love,” and start imposing premiums upon them for their health insurance as part of a plan to balance the state budget.  

Gubernatorial candidate Whitney pedals throughout state for his green platform
Decatur Herald and Review – SPRINGFIELD – Traveling by public transit, Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney visited Central Illinois on Tuesday to call for the state to phase out its reliance on fossil fuels and nuclear power. The Carbondale attorney has been relying on his bike and mass transit to travel the state during a nine-day, 650-mile trip that will cover 19 cities when it’s completed in the coming   

National News

Neither side happy with jobs bill being pushed through Congress Washington Post – Some conservatives say people who are out of work shouldn’t be able to collect jobless benefits for almost two years. Liberals, meanwhile, want Congress to pay for a New Deal-style program in which the federal government would send … 

School is in session: Governor announces deal to eliminate Hawaii’s public school furloughs
CLTV-Chicago –  The governor will release $57.2 million to the state school system, out of a total of $67 million the Legislature allocated from a special state hurricane relief fund; and teachers will hold classes on six of the 11 non-instructional days their labor contract previously required. “We are gratified that the agreement we worked hard to reach with the Board 

Teacher in trouble after students don Klan robes ATLANTA (AP) — A North Georgia teacher is on administrative leave and could lose her job after she allowed four students to don mock Ku Klux Klan –  in Klan-like outfits upset some black students at the school and led at least one parent to complain. Catherine Ariemma, who teaches the advanced placement course combining U.S. history with film education, could face punishment ranging from suspension to termination, Lumpkin County School Superintendent Dewey Moye said Monday 

TIME.com Today’s Top Stories 

Politics and Gangsters: Behind the War on Jamaica’s Streets

In Jamaica, the same government trying to arrest an indicted gang leader had previously tried to shield him from extradition. Can Prime Minister Bruce Golding survive the showdown? 

BP’s Oil: Fouling the White House Along with the Gulf

One day, the gusher in the Gulf will stop. Then what?

 Is the Housing Market on the Rebound?

For the first time in years, it appears, now is actually a good time to buy a house

 In Death-Penalty Cases, Innocence Has to Matter

The case of Hank Skinner gives the Supreme Court a chance to confront the fact that the legal system does not always seem to care whether the people it executes are actually guilty

 Chinese Factory Under Scrutiny as Suicides Mount

The massive Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China, is known for assembling electronic goods like Apple’s iPhone and iPad. But in recent months it has gained a darker image, as a place where workers regularly throw themselves to their deaths

Nations go own way on global financial reform
LONDON — The global campaign to harmonize rules for financial firms is swerving off course, threatening efforts to curb the risky bets that rocked the world economy two years ago.
(By Anthony Faiola and Brady Dennis, The Washington Post)

North Korea severs all ties with South
SEOUL — North Korea announced Tuesday that it is severing all relations with South Korea, heightening the risk of armed conflict and creating perhaps the most serious crisis on the Korean Peninsula in more than two decades.
(By Blaine Harden, The Washington Post)

BP readies mud and robots to try to plug oil well
The most critical moment in the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico is at hand, as BP engineers armed with 50,000 barrels of dense mud and a fleet of robotic submarines are poised to attempt a “top kill” maneuver to plug the gushing well a mile below the surface.
(By Joel Achenbach and Steven Mufson, The Washington Post)

BP presents: One slick horror film
For all the gunk on television, it’s hard to think of a more depressing show these days than the “spillcam,” the live, continuous underwater footage of the broken BP pipe that has been gushing away deep, deep down in the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month now.
(By Hank Stuever, The Washington Post)

Obama beefs up border security
President Obama will deploy 1,200 National Guard troops and request an extra $500 million to secure the Mexican border, his administration said Tuesday, a move dismissed by Republicans as insufficient to win their cooperation on an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system.
(By Michael D. Shear and Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington Post)

Word of the Day for Wednesday, May 26, 2010

regnant \REG-nuhnt\, adjective:

1. Prevalent; widespread.
2. Reigning; ruling (usually used following the noun it modifies): a queen regnant.
3. Exercising authority, rule, or influence.

2010 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics

BMW announced that its most fuel-efficient and greenest 3-Series ever completed a record-breaking journey from the UK to Munich and back on one tank of gas. Fueled up and ready to go at the Channel Tunnel, the new 2010 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics sedan made it to Munich and back – a total of 1,013 miles on a single tank of fuel.

Tom Ford

The BMW 320d EfficientDynamics was piloted by Tom Ford (of Fifth Gear) who averaged a combined figure of 57 mpg and CO2 emissions of only 109g/km. On his way to Munich, Tom was achieving a 63 mpg and said that he didn’t hit below 54 mpg the entire trip.

Click here to get prices on the 2011 BMW 335d.

“I was prepared for this car to fail in the real world, I was wrong,” Tom said. “Although I did try and be careful and drive in a feather-footed manner, I did cruise at a reasonable 65ish mph on the autoroutes and autobahns, so faster than the usual economy run pace.”

The 2010 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics is powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel making 163-hp with a maximum torque of 265 lb-ft. Mated to a 6-speed manual, the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics can go from 0-62 mph in 8.2 seconds with a top speed of 140 mph.

2010 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics:

– By: Omar Rana

It’s all just a game until society forfeits the gross domestic product of Haiti.  As much fun as the Pac-Man game was (not all that fun), it sure did come at a price.  The embedded game caused web surfers to spend 44 seconds on Google.com, rather than the more standard 11.  Multiply that by the number of people (lots) and their wage (about $25/hour) and you’ve got a very expensive timesuck on your hands.

I’m guessing that Lost message boards cost the economy more money, but I think NASA would need to get involved in the tabulation of that one.

Related posts:

1. Watches That Are More Confusing Than “Lost”
2. Starbucks Adds Booze to Menu
3. Google Makes Some Odd Suggestions

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

For weeks, pundits predicted what happened today: Apple’s value exceeded Microsoft’s. While writing post “The Windows era is over” early this afternoon, Apple’s market capitalization was $227.95 billion and Microsoft’s $228.47 billion, or just $520 million separating them. By the time I posted, at 2:56 pm, Apple’s market cap was $225.98 billion and Microsoft’s was $225.32 billion.

In the 20 minutes after, the two companies went on a roller coaster ride of sorts, with Microsoft failing to near $221 billion and Apple rising above $228 billion.

For Apple, there has been dramatic change since stock markets collapsed in autumn 2008. Apple’s market cap was $88.68 billion on Oct. 2, 2008 and Microsoft’s was $228.35 billion on Sept. 29, 2008. Mmmm, do you see a difference? Microsoft hasn’t much changed, while Apple, boasted by surging share price, has rapidly gone up. About six weeks before the crash, on Aug. 13, 2008, Apple’s market cap was $158.84 billion compared to $254.83 billion for Microsoft.

From one perspective, market valuation doesn’t mean much. It’s mitigated by several factors, including the number of shares publicly traded. But its symbolic significance cannot be understated, particularly considering the long rivalry between Apple and Microsoft and Apple’s near-death experience during the mid 1990s.

Something else: Apple and Microsoft were founded about the same time and both companies played important roles launching the mainstream PC industry in the 1980s. But since 2000, Microsoft’s stock has been moribund. Apple shares started a slow surge around 2003, which the September 2008 financial collapse reversed. But throughout 2009, Apple shares rose and rose and rose. Apple shares closed at $100.10 on Oct. 28, 2008. As I write, Apple is trading at $248.15.

A more meaningful comparison of the companies — at least as rivals — is revenue and profit. During first calendar quarter, Apple closed the revenue and profit gap with Microsoft to just $1 billion dollars. A year earlier, Apple revenue trailed Microsoft by $4.57 billion and net income by $1.36 billion. In the same quarter in 2005, the difference between the two: $7.01 billion by revenue and $3.6 billion by net income.

Update after 4 pm market close: In the closing half hour of trading, volumes for Apple and Microsoft were unusually high. Apple closed at $244.11 a share, down $1.11 from the previous close. The stock opened at $250.20 today. Microsoft closed at $25.01 a share, down $1.06 from the previous close. Microsoft opened at $26.24 a share. Despite the roller coaster trading, Apple ended trading with a market cap above Microsoft: $222.12 billion to $219.18 billion. But with market caps so close, Microsoft easily could top Apple in another day’s trading.

Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
















Microsoft – Apple – Market capitalization – Stock market – Business

T-Mobile sent out a press release today announcing the pricing and availability of the Android-powered Garminfone.  The device will be available online and at select T-Mobile stores and authorized dealers on June 9th for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.  Of course, you’ll have to sign up for a two year contract and qualifying voice and data plans to receive that price.

If you aren’t in contract and still want a Garminfone, then T-Mobile has a contest for you.  Titled the “T-Mobile Garminfone Navigate Your Life Sweepstakes,” customers can follow T-Mobile’s twitter account (@TMobile_USA) and tweet at the company about a time in their life when they got lost without a GPS.  Interestingly, customers must also include the hashtag #needgarminfone, leaving only 111 characters for the customer’s story, which could lead to some strange tales.  So are any of you planning on picking up a Garminfone? Tell us below!