That’s the banner headline from HuffPost. Be sure to read their story on how “Big Oil Fought Off New Safety Rules Before Rig Explosion.” They link to some amazing NASA photos of the “worst oil rig disaster in decades”:
And here’s the close up:
To paraphrase the movie Airplane, looks like Obama picked the wrong time to give up the offshore drilling moratorium.
Related Posts:
When US Cellular first announced their intent to carry the HTC Desire, some industry writers were skeptical. While most immediately thought of what we know as the Desire (Android 2.1, Sense UI, 5.0-megapixel camera, etc.), others thought that US Cellular’s “Desire” referred to a device similar to the DROID Eris (since “Desire” was its code name prior to launch).
US Cellular posted the following on their Facebook page:
“Hungry for more Android info? How about a peek at some specs for the gorgeous HTC Desire including a 3.7” AMOLED touchscreen display, 5 MP camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, Android Market and an 8 GB microSD card. How about news of a launch date around July? We’ll need to make sure our rigorous testing is complete bef…ore you can get your hands on this sweet phone. Stay tuned here for more exclusive Android updates!“
The industry argument continues – if US Cellular is actually getting this device, why haven’t the big four (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile) spoken up? Honestly, they don’t need to. Verizon has the DROID Incredible (with nearly identical specifications), Sprint’s getting the EVO 4G, AT&T is picking up five Android devices this year, and T-Mobile continues to lead in the number of Android devices offered. Since we haven’t seen a CDMA-equipped Desire just yet, it’s possible that US Cellular’s “Desire” may be something similar to the DROID Incredible.
If you’re a US Cellular user (or live in a US Cellular market), does the news excite you?
Thanks to one of our tipsters!
In the last decade, the shambling hordes of the undead have graduated from schlock pulp material to the new wunderkind of horror and speculative writers around the world. Be they Haitin voodoo slaves; Romero shamblers; biological virii; otherworldly invaders or mystical monsters, the dead have risen and you don’t want to get in their way!
The Anita Blake books cross the whole gamut of supernatural — werewolves, vampires and zombies included. The titular character has the ability to talk to the dead — a skill usually called upon during litigation. A vampire hunter by trade (hence the name), Anita Blake raises the dead during the day, and slays the bloodsuckers at night. The series are incredibly popular, and a staple of the urban fantasy genre. Plus, we have to give Hamilton major credit for essentially turning her series into porn. The later novels are filled with BDSM, multiple partners, and all the other wonderful perversions we love vampire romances for. Anita wears pants less often than Lady Gaga, and will shag anything on two legs. See Stephenie Meyer — vampires are about sex!
Necroscope is like the hyper-masculine version of the Anita Blake novels. Starring a vampire hunter with the ability to talk to the dead, who helps out a government agency, and grows gradually more and more crazy powerful with each novel. Where the Blake stories soon become saturated in sex, Necroscope is instead intensely violent and horrific — centered around the threat of the Wamphyri. Of course, the main character’s greatest gift is his ability to talk to the dead, absorb their skills, and animate them to help him in times of need. I’ve got to say, when fighting against a mammoth tide of evil, I could think of worse allies than zombies.
How do you take a classic Regency romance, and make it interesting for those who don’t care about the romantic tribulations of wealthy brits? Throw in a few zombies, of course! This mash-up takes Jane Austen’s most famous novel and gives it a major geek upgrade. England has been troubled by the undead for some time in the novel, a dangerous annoyance, but not one sufficient enough to disrupt high society. The Bennet sisters have been trained from their youth as deadly martial artists, and the story covers their war against the undead, their attempts at love, and of course Elizabeth Bennet’s rocky romance with monster hunter Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Blood Crazy is a pseudo-zombie story, much the way 28 Days Later is. The ravenous horde aren’t actually the undead, but their actions are close enough for them to make the genre jump. In this incredibly violent and dark story, on Saturday night every adult in the world starts trying to kill anyone under the age of 19. Parents turn on their children, ruthlessly slaughtering them, and the young have to try and band together against their loving elders. Critically panned but popular regardless, Blood Crazy in an intense, blood-pounding page turner, that will have you up all night reading.
I, Zombie — as you probably guessed from the title — sticks you in the head of one of the undead. As much a noir detective story as a zombie thriller, I, Zombie is about a ten years dead private dick, solving mysteries and busting heads for a price. The real question on his mind, and on the readers, is the one he can never solve: who killed him in the first place. Ewing is a relatively new author, who has cut his teeth writing for 2000 A.D., the weekly comic magazine that spawned Judge Dredd. For some reason, Brits seem to have a special affinity for zombies, and they make up a significant portion of this list.
The very definition of pulp — less than two hundred pages long, on shoddy stock, weird cover art, and stereotypical characters, Dead in the West shouldn’t be as good as it is. Yet somehow, taking the essence of two genres — in this case western and zombies — makes it greater than the sum of its parts. Two great tastes, etc., etc. Peanut butter, chocolate, you know how it goes. There are all the stock characters of the western: the disillusioned preacher, town doctor and his beautiful daughter, and angry town, and an Indian who cursed the whole place. Now besieged by the walking dead, the wandering preacher must use his mad gun skills to take on zombies, demons, and whatever else comes his way. Sometimes brevity is a good thing.
After 100 years of zombies, Earth’s governments are in tatters. Only a few heavily defended cities remain, and the rest are badlands, where all must fend for themselves. With all these dead stumbling about, who do you think would be the least happy at the situation? It turns out Death himself, the Grim Reaper. Furious at these souls who have avoided his grasp by becoming shambling corpses, he descends onto Earth to discover their origin, and take as many of them to the afterlife as possible. Allying himself with survivors, the incarnation of Death must face off those who should be under his rightful domain.
Another almost-but-not-quote zombie story, that’s close enough for our definitions. This novel by Stephen King was excellently written, even if the basis for the plot is ludicrous in the extreme. A computer virus infects cellphone wielders the world over, turning them into a murderous hive mind, intent on destroying society. You have to give King points for making such a preposterous and technophobic plot into something worth reading. Then again, this is the same guy who wrote a story about a possessed car. While the phoners in this story are not technically undead, there’s not much difference between people infected with the Rage virus from 28 Days Later, and those hit by a cellphone virus — except the latter is far less plausible.
Bare-bones in the extreme, Day by Day Armageddon is a journal of the apocalypse. Just about zero characterization or growth, instead it’s just the day-to-day writings of the mundanity and terror of a zombie world. Sparse, violent, and logical, Day by Day Armageddon was a major hit with readers. The novel is written with a military bent, stuffed with with acronyms and army talk. It’s also a handy guide for how to protect yourself, and what you might need when Z day comes. The novel also has its fair share of critics: spelling and grammar are a major issue, and the novel is very right wing. As in “the Liberals are trying to take all of our guns, and we just managed to get them in time for the Apocalypse” style right wing. Ignore the politics, enjoy the headshots.
I went back and forth about including a comic on this list, but in the end, Walking Dead is far, far too good to be left by the wayside. An ongoing black-and-white comic published by Image, the Walking Dead centers on a small town cop in a world of traditional Romero zombies. Slow, relentless and hungry for you. In an interesting twist, the zombie infection isn’t transmitted via biting. All humans have it, and if they die with their brain intact, they’ll rise as the undead. Getting a bite just means infection and death, unless treated promptly. Walking Dead excels in every facet of the zombie story. It’s tightly plotted, with intense action and every rising pressure. It also excels in one field other zombie stories often fail — Kirkman actually knows how to write characterization! Shocking, I know!
Rather than the mindless zombies of most of these entries, the creatures in The Rising are thinking, reasoning, and pure evil. They set traps, use weapons, taunt the living and drive cars. The zombie plague was unleashed on the earth when scientists at a particle accelerator accidentally let a demonic alien force into our world. These demons took over the dead, using their memories and skills to try and kill all those remaining. A man West Virginia is taunted by the corpse of his second wife and their unborn child, as he attempts to make his way to New Jersey to rescue his surviving son. While it’s a questionable addition to the zombie genre to blame everything on dimension hopping demons, it’s not really any weirder than the mysticism steeped origins of the field. The strength of the story comes at least partly from having an enemy that is so malevolently intelligent, but also able to be slaughtered in such joyful numbers.
Originally released free online, Autumn (and now its sequels) proved to be mammothly successful, and soon spun into book and movie deals. Now spanning five books, the first of which can still be downloaded for free, Autumn humanizes the zombie apocalypse in a manner few other books do. Instead of gore and violence, Moody tells the story of the people who survived. It’s a deep, intriguing look at the psychological terror of the worst situation imaginable — almost everyone on the planet dying, and then coming back again. There are no flying guts and decapitations, hell the Z word isn’t even used, instead it’s claustrophobia, terror, and the dawning realization that humanity is completely and utterly boned. It’s a much slower, more deliberate story than the often breakneck pace of many other entrants on the list, taking more time to focus on the horror of the situation rather than gung-ho action and splatterfests.
Are you really surprised? WWZ is possibly the greatest zombie novel ever created, accurately portraying the immense damage a tide of the living dead would cause. Set after the end of a zombie war, it’s a collection of tales from survivors, under the guise of a report to the UN. It deals with people attempting to understand the causes of the attacks, struggling to leave their homes, the military attempting to deal with an enemy unlike anything ever seen before. Half the book is a broad historical discussion of the events, but scattered throughout are interviews and stories from individuals that bring home just how terrifying a zombie war would be. The eventual choices that had to be made are harrowing, but at the same time logical. It’s a terrifying, touching, and balanced look at a world at war with the undead. Remember Yonkers.
We recently mentioned that Google announced that the Nexus One wouldn’t be hitting Verizon, and the reason behind the decision is that there is a better option in the Droid Incredible from HTC. We recently got our hands on a Droid Incredible, and we’ve been playing with it for a couple of days now, steadily forming our opinion of the device. While the full review isn’t ready yet, we can comfortably say that we like the Incredible quite a bit more than the Nexus One. Look out for our review in a few days, but in the meantime, we’ve got a Droid Incredible gallery for you, giving you a look at the aesthetics of the device.
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I’m sure everyone can guess what I did as soon as I got home from the triathlon on Sunday…
Yes, I looked up triathlons for me!
I’m sure if you remember in February when I first got my bike that I was quite excited about doing a sprint triathlon. I had planned to do one in June that my hospital puts on, but then I lost enthusiasm and got caught up in issues at work/home/etc. I also seriously questioned whether I could ever do one based on my fitness level. I realize this is just stupid because I need to train for this event. Obviously, I cannot just wake up and expect to be able to do this!! Plus, I’m 25, in good shape, eat healthy, so there is NO REASON that I cannot do this!!
Watching St. A’s tri truly inspired me to venture out of my comfort zones and do the sprint triathlon.
Currently, I am looking at these:
This one is at Fort Desoto in August:
This one sounds awesome because it is sponsored by Trek (my bike), it is all women, and it is by Disney in September:
My sister mentioned doing them both. She thinks the first one can be like a practice–to see how it works, get comfortable, and then the second one will be better.
As you can see, I’m giving myself plenty of time to get used to all three events. I’m also looking into these open water swim nights from a local triathlon club. I have also e-mailed a swim coach about possible coaching.
I’m not going to let anything stop me this time, not even the fear of the water or the HEAT (August/September in Florida=HELL ON EARTH).
Yesterday, I went on a (approximate) 8-9 mile bike ride. It took me 38 minutes. Baby steps, baby steps!!
I park my car at a local Target and jump on the Pinellas Trail from there, which is right in the back.
When I come back from Washington, DC in mid-May, I am going straight to the bike shop to get the clip-in shoes/pedals. I would do it sooner, but I need the money for my vacation:)
After my ride yesterday, I refueled with a big green monster, and then got to baking! I was craving blueberry muffins!
(I love my apron)
(Recipe was derived from Jenna: http://eatliverun.com/good-stuff-all-around/ . I used frozen berries since the organic ones were cheaper than conventional fresh)
Later, we went downtown and sat on the bench for awhile.
Friendly dog who came over to say hello!
Other random photos:
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To continue with my triathlon post, today I started the Couch-to-5K program!!
I successfully completed work-out 1. I wasn’t going for distance, just the time intervals that they specify in the program for work-out 1. I did 1.71 miles on the treadmill. I know this sounds like nothing, especially compared to all of the marathon runners out there, but like I said–BABY STEPS!!
I am not a runner. But maybe someday I will be. I am trying to be enthusiastic about running, tricking my brain/emotions into thinking that I LOVE RUNNING, but I would much rather not be doing it, hehe. POSITIVITY!!
Here I am before my “run,” in all my glory, bahaha.
The always entertaining Center For Science in the Public Interest is attacking White Castle, Bob Evans, and Long John Silver’s for still using trans fats in their foods when other chains have eliminated it.
At Bob Evans the pancakes have up to 9 grams of trans fat, while at White Castle the French fries, onion chips and onion rings, have between 2 and 10 grams of trans fat per order.
From the press release:
CSPI said it was particularly disappointed to find that zombie trans fat still lurks at Long John Silver’s. That chain, owned by Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, knows better, according to the group. KFC phased trans fat out of its fried foods in 2006, four months after CSPI filed a lawsuit against the chain. Taco Bell also phased out artificial trans fat several years ago. Nevertheless, at LJS, battered fish and shrimp has between 2.5 and 4.5 grams of trans fat; a side order of cryptic “Crumblies” has 4 grams; and every single meal on the chain’s Dollar Stretcher menu has artificial trans fat, ranging from the Small Golden Fries (2.5 grams) to the Two Jr. Fish and Fries (7 grams).
“The FDA has all the scientific evidence and legal authority it needs to send partially hydrogenated oil to the chemical boneyard quickly and permanently, but it has failed to do so,” Jacobson said. “Banning it would save thousands of lives annually.”
To recap: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the three senators working on a comprehensive climate bill, withdrew from the process over the weekend to protest Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) plan to act on immigration reform before climate legislation. Reid has since offered signs that he’s willing to first focus on climate, but it seems that’s not good enough for Graham, who’s insisting that the Senate will not tackle immigration at all this year.
Never mind that just last month, Graham expressed his interest in passing immigration reform this year. The question now is whether Graham is willing to budge on the issue. And now it appears that some of Graham’s conservative GOP colleagues would very much like him to.
Dave Weigel reports:
Right after his not-so-secretly preferred U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio comes out against Arizona’s new immigration reform law, Jeb Bush lends his name to an under-the-radar conservative campaign for federal immigration reform this year. On Thursday, Bush will headline a “nationwide strategy call with key business and Evangelical leaders to share convictions around the need for immigration reform this year,” according to Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
If more Republicans come out in favor of immigration reform, it’ll be interesting to see if Graham is willing to get back to work on the issue — after all, he’s one of two senators crafting the immigration reform bill — or at least to drop his opposition and allow climate legislation to proceed.
NEWS RELEASE
April 26, 2010 Contact: Erica Jesberger, 544-4916
Columbia Basin College is celebrating Earth Day and Arbor Day this Thursday, April 29 with events on the Pasco campus at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
A solar-powered concert featuring musician Jonathan Kingham will be in the HUB from 11 a.m. to noon followed by a tree planting ceremony at 1 p.m. east of the W building along 20th Avenue. The solar power is courtesy of Franklin PUD. Students and staff in attendance at the tree planting will be taught the proper way to plant a tree and tree seedlings will be given to those wanting to plant at their own homes.
At the tree planting ceremony, the Department of Natural Resources and the Washington State Urban and Community Forestry Council will present a flag and plaque to CBC staff and students in recognition of being a Tree Campus USA school. The Arbor Day Foundation named CBC a 2009 Tree Campus USA College last August. CBC is the first and only community college in the state of Washington to be named a Tree Campus USA school.
NEWS RELEASE
April 26, 2010 Contact: Frank Murray, 542-4835
FreeForm, Columbia Basin College’s jazz choir, dominated the competition at the Reno Jazz Festival over the weekend in Reno, Nevada.
Directed by Dave Cazier, FreeForm was named the Outstanding College Choir among all two- and four-year colleges and universities. Winning the title was a daunting task since FreeForm was the first college to perform in the two-day event. Out of a possible 1,000 points per scoring judge, FreeForm earned 900, 925, and 933.
Not only did FreeForm earn the first place award, but all of its soloists received awards for outstanding musicianship. FreeForm was the only vocal group in any classification to receive awards for all soloists, as well as the largest number of awards to any one vocal group.
CBC’s soloist winners included:
Manuel Avila, piano
Michael Douglas, guitar/vocal
Omar Farias, drums
Luke Noll, percussion
Josh Osborn, vocal
Tracy Rasmussen, vocal
Brian Williams, bass
For further information, contact Bill McKay, dean for arts and humanities, 542-5531.
Published April 26, 2010
By Anusha Roy, KVEW TV
PASCO — It’s all about the sunshine for Pasco fifth graders today.
At a sustainability expo at Columbia Basin College students had a chance to explore alternative energies.
There were solar and wind powered trailers and demonstrations by employees from the Franklin Public Utilities District. Some Pasco High School students also taught lessons about alternative energy. The expo wraps up tomorrow. Anywhere from 1,100 to 1,200 fifth graders will attend. Tomorrow Chiawana High School students will teach lessons.
The expo was put on by a sustainable environmental network. It’s a group of citizens from organizations like Franklin PUD and the City of Richland.
Published April 22, 2010
By Josh Peterson, KVEW TV
Washington’s soon to be adopted budget is forcing Columbia Basin College to prepare for more cuts.
The college is waiting for final numbers from the state, but expects to lose at least $1.5 million.
CBC’s President says a bulk of the cuts will come from the college’s support services and administration.
He says he wants to keep as much of the cuts away from student learning as possible, but it won’t be easy.
“It’s just going to be a challenge for us to continue to meet the demand of a growing community. We’re gonna do our best. But we’re hoping that next time, we won’t take much of a cut, if at all” said Richard Cummins, CBC President.
The list of cuts are expected to be finalized next month.
They’ll go into effect in July.
NEWS RELEASE
April 27, 2010 Contact: Erica Jesberger, 544-4916
The documentary Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think will be shown tonight at 7 in the Gjerde Center on the Columbia Basin College Pasco campus.
After the film, a panel of Muslim professionals from the Tri-Cities will comment on the film and answer audience questions.
Focused on the issues of terrorism, democracy, and gender justice, the film challenges the popular notion that Muslims and the West are on a collision course and instead highlights a shared relationship that is based on facts, not fear. The film asks questions on many Americans minds: Why is there so much anti-Americanism in the Muslim world? Who are the extremists and how do Muslims feel about them? What do Muslims like and dislike about the West? What do Muslim women really want?
Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think runs 55 minutes. This free public showing is sponsored by the CBC Reads committee, the Office of Diversity, and the Associated Students of CBC.
Este año 28 editores de varias revistas sobre fotografia e imagen se hicieron presente en el Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). Todos ellos provenientes de 12 países diferentes se reunieron para la elección de los mejores productos de imagen.
Y los elegidos son..
Mejor Software de fotos: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Mejor servicio de fotos: Blurb, Inc.
Mejor cámara digital réflex avanzada: Canon EOS 550D / Rebel T2i
Mejor cámara DSLR Expertos: Canon EOS 7D
Mejor cámara compacta expertos: Canon PowerShot G11
Mejor cámara compacta resistente: Casio Exilim EX-G1
Mejor dispositivo móvil de imagen: Kodak playsport
Mejor cámara con SuperZoom: Fujifilm FinePix SA 10
Mejor cámara de prestigio: Leica M9
Mejor cámara profesional D-SLR: Nikon d3s
Mejor cámara compacta de Nivel de Entrada: Olympus Pen E-PL1
Mejor cámara compacta avanzada: Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Mejor cámara DSLR de nivel de entrada: Pentax Kx
Mejor cámara Compacta: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V
Mejor Videocámara D-System: Hasselblad H4D-40
Mejor Videocámara de nivel de entrada: Samsung HMX-H205
Mejor Videocámara de Expertos: JVC Everio GZ-HM1
Mejor impresora de gran tamaño: Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6350
Mejor Foto-Impresora multifuncion: Canon Pixma MP990
Mejor Papel fotográfico : Canson Infinity Baryta Photographique
Mejor sistema de acabado al por menor: Impresora HP Photosmart ML1000D Minilab
Mejor impresora Fotografía: Mini HiTi Photo Kiosk P510K
Mejor impresora fotográfica de Expertos: Epson Stylus Pro 3880
Mejor Escáner Fotográfico: Epson Perfection V600 de fotos
Mejor monitor para Fotografía: Eizo Color Edge CG243W
Innovación de imagen: Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D Technology
Mejor TV para Fotografía: LG Electronics 50/60PK950
Premio Especial: The Impossible Project
Mejor proyector de Expertos: Panasonic PT-AE4000
Mejor Proyector Photo Pro: Epson EH-TW5500
Bolsa de Mejor Fotografía: Vanguard Up-Rise, series
Mejor Accesorio: Manfrotto RC2 Joystick Heads, series
Mejor sistema de almacenamiento: LG NAS N2B1
Mejor sistema de flash: Multiblitz PROFILUX PLUS, series
Mejor Lente Profesional: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Mejor medio de almacenamiento: SanDisk Extreme Pro, series
Mejor objetivo de Nivel de Entrada: Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM
Mejor Lente de Expertos: Sony 28-75mm f/2.8 SAM
After the Giannoulias spot was released, the Kirk campaign on Tuesday sent out a reply:
below, from the Kirk campaign…
The Alexi Giannoulias Spin Cycle
From loans to criminals to the collapse of his bank, Alexi has a history of spinning inconvenient truths
Alexi Giannoulias is employing a serious spin cycle as he attempts to elicit sympathy for his reckless decisions that brought down his family bank and cost the FDIC $394 million. As it has often been the case throughout his career, Mr. Giannoulias resorts to pointing fingers when he finds himself in an inconvenient situation.
Bright Start: When the Bright Start college fund lost $150 million of Illinois families’ college savings, Alexi loudly blamed the fund manager, Oppenheimer Funds. Alexi neglected to mention that he chose Oppenheimer to manage Bright Start, and that he was well aware that certain Bright Start funds were having problems in April of 2008, six months before he eventually pulled out of the troubled funds. [1]
Loans to Criminals: When Alexi’s loans to convicted bookie and pimp Michael “Jaws” Giorango first came to light during his 2006 Illinois Treasurer campaign, Giannoulias called him “a very nice person”, and disputed Giorango’s criminal record saying “I don’t know what the charges are that makes him this huge crime figure.”[2] When asked in an interview whether it was acceptable for the State Treasurer to invest money with crime figures, Giannoulias replied that the Treasurer must get “the best rate of return.”[3]
When those excuses didn’t fly, Giannoulias claimed he had no role in the loans, even though he was Chief Loan Officer, saying “If it was up to me, I probably would have recommended against these loans.”[4]
When asked for more details in the Senate campaign about how Giorango came to get loans at Broadway Bank, Giannoulias hid behind his deceased father, saying “It’s tough to ask my father questions.”[5]
Broadway’s Collapse: Alexi said nobody could have foreseen the problems that led to Broadway Bank’s collapse. But Broadway Bank had 12 times the national average of risky “hot money” brokered deposits.[6] The dangers associated with brokered deposits have been well-known since the Savings and Loan crisis, and the New York Times called them “one of the primary factors in the accelerating wave of failures among small and regional banks nationwide.”[7]
Now Alexi is claiming it is Congressman Kirk’s fault.
Alexi Giannoulias has a big problem. Last week, federal regulators closed his family’s money-losing Broadway Bank, where he acquired the financial expertise he touted in running for state treasurer in 2006. So where does he place the blame? On Mark Kirk, his opponent in the race for the U.S. Senate.
… As it is, Broadway’s losses are far bigger than most other failed banks, amounting to a third of its assets. “The real question is why it wasn’t closed a long time ago,” says Washington, D.C.-area banking consultant Bert Ely. “It was a badly run bank.”
A badly run bank. Someone is to blame for that, and it isn’t Mark Kirk. (Chicago Tribune, 4/27/10)
There are serious questions about Broadway Bank and how it got to this point that Alexi will have to answer as his campaign moves forward. As we enter Alexi’s Spin Cycle, how will Alexi spin this?
Did Alexi Giannoulias pull his campaign funds out of Broadway before it failed?
The FDIC only insures up to $250,000. Given the deadline imposed by the FDIC, did Alexi change banks to protect his campaign cash, or did he leave it in Broadway because he had advance knowledge that the bank would be acquired?
Apple’s impressive growth as a company is a good thing for end users in a number of ways. Apple has more money to spend on innovative new product designs, for example, and its easier to get service and support for your products, not to mention software and accessories.
The iPad has been a pretty big success so far, especially for a category-busting product. But investors and Apple users aren’t the only ones to have taken note of the product’s success. The iPad is now being used as scam bait to sucker in people who might not be that familiar with the warning signs of internet scams, which, not coincidentally, is just who the iPad seems directed at as a device.
So far, the scam only works on Windows PCs, but even if you’re a Mac-using iPad owner, make sure any friends and relatives using the other platform are aware of the ruse. Basically, you get an email telling you that iTunes needs to be updated in order to update your iPad device, and provides a link to the software in question.
Of course, instead of taking you to some kind of iTunes download, the link instead opens up a direct line to their sensitive information, if accessed via a PC. Specifically, the malware in question is Backdoor.Bifrose.AADY, which uses Internet Explorer to open a back door on your system and look around for software serial numbers and login data, including usernames and passwords for various sites.
People on Macs or other Apple platforms, like the iPad and iPhone, won’t be affected at all by following the link, but obviously it’s never a good idea to open suspicious links in emails in case that changes in future versions of the scam.
At least for now, the iPad itself hasn’t been a target for hackers and/or malicious code. Apple’s securely locked down content distribution system in the form of the App Store really helps things there, but it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a target in a big way, and this attack is the first sign of why that’s a dangerous prospect. You’ve no doubt seen the articles about people picking up the iPad as their first ever computer. That category of user is the ideal candidate for malicious software, since they’ve yet to experience the nasty side of the Internet and don’t have any built-in defenses against these types of scams.
The iPad is raising Apple’s profile, and that means trouble for those uneducated about Internet security risks. It could also mean problems for all Mac users in the long run, as the iPad draws more people to OS X in the same way the iPod and iPhone did before it. But for now, it’s still the most secure platform around, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Rome or Bust: We flog the new Lotus Evora from England to Rome and back.
For as long as most folks at Lotus Cars in Hethel, England, can remember, most everyone has eaten lunch in the office, worked eight-and-a-half hours Monday through Thursday, and then taken off the rest of the day at noon on Friday.
Keep Reading: 2010 Lotus Evora – Road Test
Related posts:
When hitting the shops overseas, many credit cards will charge you additional international transaction fees. The savvy traveler needs to equip themselves with a credit card that charges low or no fees at all. Here’s the current rates for the seven credit cards with the lowest international transaction fees:
Capital One 0%
PenFed 0%
Discover 2%
American Express 2.7%
Bank of America 3%
Chase 3%
Citi 3%
Samsung is said to be considering the business feasibility behind creating televisions with Android. The Korean manufacturer already moves more units than anyone in the world so this may or may not come to fruition. As rival Sony is rumored to be hard at work trying to integrate Android into televisions via set-top boxes, it sounds as if Samsung is evaluating embedding the platform directly into tv sets. The company plans to watch how the market reacts later this year when competitors start to launch similar products.
Source: Korea Herald
Yes to ban, no to bombs
This is a response to “Veil ban overreaches” [editorial, Opinion, April 26].
What could you not hide under a burqa or a niqab? People, especially in the Western world, should keep their thoughts to themselves and be grateful for attempts to minimize the dangers associated with such garments.
This happens to be the reality of the times and has nothing to do with the rights of good, Muslim women and everything to do with the safety of the general public, which is any government’s responsibility.
If you writers could tell the difference between a pregnant woman and a man wearing an explosive belt around his middle while walking about under a niqab, with only slits for the eyes, or a burqa with netting over the face, then you are much more talented than the rest of us.
— Ruth Quiban, Seattle
Beggars can’t be choosers
Confronting “the veil” is the opposite of Islamophobia. The French are being courageous in confronting it. France has a right to expect immigrants to become Frenchmen. Immigrants could wear the burqa at home.
Immigrants need to join the country they moved to, not demand acceptance for everything they want to bring. I expect people who live here to become Americans; The French should have the right to the same.
— Jackie Harden, Seattle
Andy Rubin, VP of engineering for Google and one of the chiefs behind Android smartphones, just slipped a little bombshell into an interview with the New York Times’ Bits blog. In it he says that Flash will be coming with the Froyo version of Android. Much of the interview is paraphrased, but writer Brad Stone relates the following:
He also promised that full support for Adobe’s Flash standard was coming in the next version of Android, code-named Froyo.
Doesn’t get much more clear than that. There’s also some good stuff on Android’s openness ("We use the same tools we expect our third party developers to") the iPad (he bought one for his wife) and Android and/or Chrome tablets ("If a consumer walks into store and two of those tablets are my company’s choices, I’m all good.") [NYT Bits blog]
Edit: Good lord, people. Yes. The writer (and not Rubin, actually) said "full support." Read into that what you will. We choose to believe that means Flash is coming with Froyo. At launch? Maybe. We’ll just have to see, won’t we …