Despite some recent rumors which placed the seven-time AMA Superbike champ in the Reitwagen BMW team for 2010, Matt Mladin yesterday put an end to all speculations that he will return to World Superbike next year.
Some two weeks ago, Mladin fueled speculation of a possible return to racing on a Twitter feed when he said in a December 9 post: a couple of world superbike offers have come my way in the past month. 1 of them very good in regards to machinery. decisions decisions ;-)…. (read more)
ModernGhana.com (Dr Kwame Okopu)
It is very strange how the minds of some Westerners seem to work when it comes to discussing repatriation of looted/stolen cultural objects or objects acquired under dubious circumstances or from a people under foreign domination. For example, we have a fairly senior member of the British cultural establishment, Roy Clare, head of Britain’s Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, writing in an article, “The Rosetta Stone can be shared where it is” as if its removal by French soldiers and the subsequent transport to London were perfectly legitimate. (2) Who gave the French the right to remove objects from Egypt? Even the British Museum, in its publication, entitled The Rosetta Stone, by Richard Parkinson, noted the evil colonialist and imperialist aims of Napoleon’s military expedition to Egypt in 1799: “…it colonized, in the name of the Enlightenment, a country that was supposedly the origin of all wisdom. The French justified this imperial enterprise by claiming that it would rescue the ancient country from a supposed state of modern barbarism, but the Egyptian historian Abd al-Rahman al Jabari (1754-1882) saw the start of the occupation in July 1798 from a very different perspective as the beginning of a period marked by great battles…miseries multiplied without end.” (3)Since the British seized the Rosetta Stone, considered by scholars as having been very crucial to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphics, from the French on the defeat of Napoleon’s army in 1801, they cannot claim any right greater than that of the French, except if you concede that the powerful can take whatever they like from any country. The Egyptians never consented to such a seizure or removal. The capitulation agreement, the Treaty of Alexandria (1801), was an agreement between the victorious British and the defeated French. The surrender, resulting in the seizure of Egyptian artefacts under the control of the French, some allowed to be taken to Paris and others, including the Rosetta Stone, taken to Britain, was an affair between two European imperialist powers at the cost of an African country, not recognized by either combatant State as equal partner at the International Law level.
When it comes to the Nissan GT-R, not a month passes by where we don’t hear some wild ass rumor about the supercar. Earlier this month, its was reported that the next-generation GT-R will carry a hybrid system featuring an electric-motor capable of producing 160-hp.
We now have more information on the Nissan GT-R Hybrid courtesy of some “sources” that spoke with Inside Line. Insiders familiar with the project say that the drivetrain for the Nissan GT-R Hybrid will be a version of the hybrid system found in the upcoming Infiniti M35 Hybrid but with some significant power output and an all-wheel-drive system. The model will use a twin-turbocharged V6 just like the R35 based Infiniti Essence concept did.
Targeted output is expected to come in around 440-hp plus the 160-hp from the electric-motor. That will allow for a total of 600-hp, with fuel-economy estimated between 25-30 mpg.
The Nissan GT-R Hybrid will come in as a part of the R36 generation lineup. Expect it debut in 2012 as a 2013 model year with prices starting around $100,000.
2011 Nissan GT-R:
– By: Kap Shah
Source: Inside Line
Hot on the heels of both Goo.gl and Fb.me, there’s now a Youtu.be! Its sole purpose: shorter YouTube links.
There isn’t really a lot more to this one, other than a brief explanation of how they work:
* Take the ‘key’ from the end of a YouTube video URL — The key, in the URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0 would be ‘oHg5SJYRHA0′
* Stick it on the end of YouTu.be — and… voila! http://youtu.be/oHg5SJYRHA0
The thing is, it’s not really all that short. The only real advantage, over something like Bit.ly, is that you now know it’s a video and not some stupid meme or phishing attempt. Also, as the YouTube Blog suggests, web developers can use the video key to bring up thumbnails, or embed videos directly. It’s also great with YouTube’s fairly-new AutoShare option: publish your youtu.be links straight to Twitter! Woo!
I know what you’re all thinking: Belgium has finally brought more than than just waffles or fries to this world; hallelujah!
More information [Download Squad]
Asi es, finalmente se ha hecho oficial, Michael Schumacher regresa a la Fórmula 1 y esta vez lo hará con la nueva escudería Mercedes Grand Prix que esta misma mañana han publicado el comunicado oficial en su página web.
Sin duda, el regreso de Schumacher a la máxima categoría hará que suba la audiencia y la emoción en las carreras pero no podemos olvidarnos de que el piloto alemán ya tiene 40 años aunque si su estado físico es bueno, estoy más que seguro que será un claro optador al título mundial.
La parrilla de la próxima temporada esta más que completo con pilotos de primer nivel como Alonso, Hamilton, Button, Massa, Vettel y Schumacher. A continuación os dejo con las primeras palabras de Schumacher tras su fichaje:
La llamada que Ross Brawn me hizo a finales de noviembre y las circunstancias en que Mercedes-Benz se involucró con el propietario fueron importantes. En realidad yo nunca dejé la F-1. A finales de 2006 yo estaba cansado de correr, pero después de tres años de ausencia, he vuelto con mucha energía y me siento con fuerza. Mi participación en carreras de motorbikes también me ha ayudado. Por otra parte, antes de dar el visto bueno me aseguré de tomar la decisión correcta. También quiero dejar claro que la lesión de mi cuello está curada al completo y no me dará ningún problema.
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Q: Recently I bought a loaf of the most wonderful bread. It was toothsome and dense with a beautiful shiny golden crust. The label calls it “European bread – bosanski kruh”.
Only flour, water, yeast, and salt were listed in the ingredients, but it’s very different from the usual “italian bread” or baguette. I’ve searched for a recipe, but the only ones I’ve been able to find are in Bosnian. Can anyone share a recipe for this lovely bread?
Sent by Erin
The Aston Martin DBS and Aston Martin V12 Vantage will have a carbon black edition available from next month. In time for Christmas orders, the Aston Martin carbon fibre finish increases the appeal of the cars and reduces weight. Thanks to new sports seats, for example, the use of carbon and kevlar has saved up to 17 kg.
New Aston Martin rims with five spoke design are available, and obviously the DBS and V12 Vantage now come with Carbon Black exterior finish, used also on the interior features. The audio systems also get an overhaul, with the Vantage now equipped with the 700 Watt Premium Audio System, while the DBS has the Bang & Olufsen Beosound.
According to Aston Martin, a price increase of approximately five percent will be added, although full pricing and available will be available next month.
Bryan Ward-Perkins presents a fascinating snapshot of history in the FT, describing what happened in Britain after Rome was sacked in 410 AD.
Some highlights:
So maybe Hank Paulson, Ben Bernanke, and Tim Geithner were actually right about what would have happened If they hadn’t bailed out AIG!
Bryan Ward-Perkins: As we face an uncertain and worrying New Year, we can at least console ourselves with the fact that we are not living 1,600 years ago, and about to begin the year 410. In this year Rome was sacked, and the empire gave up trying to defend Britain. While this marks the glorious beginnings of “English history”, as Anglo-Saxon barbarians began their inexorable conquest of lowland Britain, it was also the start of a recession that puts all recent crises in the shade.
The economic indicators for fifth-century Britain are scanty, and derive exclusively from archaeology, but they are consistent and extremely bleak. Under the Roman empire, the province had benefited from the use of a sophisticated coinage in three metals – gold, silver and copper – lubricating the economy with a guaranteed and abundant medium of exchange. In the first decade of the fifth century new coins ceased to reach Britain from the imperial mints on the continent, and while some attempts were made to produce local substitutes, these efforts were soon abandoned. For about 300 years, from around AD 420, Britain’s economy functioned without coin.
Core manufacturing declined in a similar way.
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Traveling for the holidays is never fun and getting stuck at an airport during a snowstorm can be hell. Unless you happen to hook up with that globe-trotting hottie a few seats away.
If you’re stuck waiting at an airport over the next week, the folks at AXE grooming have put together a list of the best spots to “make a connection” with fellow travelers this holiday season.
Here’s the top 20 international airports to hook up with a hottie:
How did they figure out which airports were best for hooking up? I have no idea, but if you get stuck at one of these places and do manage to meet the girl of your dreams, let us know!
photo credit: f_mafra
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As I told Larry Kudlow on CNBC last night, the employment recovery will be poorer than the market appears to expect, for reasons I’ve posted on this blog during the past two weeks. The yield curve is at record steepness. I think that’s an overreaction. In fact, the steep yield curve in the present environment is NOT a harbinger of recovery — it’s a brake on recovery because it encourages banks to own Treasuries rather than risky assets (see below). Here are my top ten reasons to expect the yield curve to flatten.
1) The Treasury is shifting issuance to the long end of the curve, and the market is front-running the Treasury in anticipation of higher issuance. This effect is temporary.
2) Employment won’t come back because the unvarying source of employment recovery — small business — is flat on its back. The credit crunch for small business (with bankruptcies up 44% year on year) keeps getting worse
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Eric Goldman has the details on a case involving Fair Isaac and its (failed) attempt to claim a trademark on the infamous credit scores it offers. Obviously, you can’t just trademark numbers, but Fair Isaac tried to make the case that the scale it uses for your credit rating scores, 300-850, is protectable. The jury tossed that out, and the judge summarized:
“the jury returned a verdict finding that the alleged ‘300-850’ mark was not a valid, protectable trademark because the term ‘300-850”’has not acquired secondary meaning.”
Separately, in the meat of the case, the court rejected claims by Fair Isaac that Experian and Trans Union infringed on its trademarks with their Google AdWords advertising, noting that (beyond the fact that 300-850 isn’t trademarkable), there was no confusion on the part of consumers who saw the ads. Fair Isaac had offered up an “expert” witness to claim otherwise, but the court simply said that the expert “lacks credibility.”
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I remember my years behind the cheese counter distinctly. But around the holidays, my days would blur together, with endless hours and perpetual lines of people needing cheese. One question was consistent, anxiety-ridden and almost deja vu-like in its repetitiveness: “I’m flying. I want to bring cheese. But can I?”
The simple answer is yes. But what is the best, most durable cheese to choose if refrigeration is nowhere in sight, and what won’t instigate a seat change on the part of your neighbor?
Here, a quick rundown on some safe (and delicious) bets, even if your travel time is upwards of 8 hours.
France is heading for a credit rating downgrade from all-important AAA-status warns Fitch Ratinggs.
Just like the U.S. and most major developed nations, the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio has exploded and is expected to hit 90% by 2011. Realize that Japan lost AAA-status in the past by just breaking 80%. Thus France, and the U.S., could be pushing its luck already.
Telegraph: Mr Coulton [of Fitch Ratings] said the surprise “mauvais élève” has been France, which has let its budget deficit balloon to 8.5pc of GDP next year – or higher including an off balance sheet “Grand Loan” of €35bn (£31bn) for investment projects – despite having suffered a mild recession. “It is one thing to run a large deficit when your economy has shrunk sharply, but this is self-inflicted. They are moving close to double digits. It is a concern,” he said.
Luckily the solution is far easier than one would expect. Just jawbone.
France must articulate credible fiscal consolidation programmes over the coming year, given the budgetary challenges they face in stabilising public debt. Failure to do so will greatly intensify pressure on their sovereign ratings,” it said.
The funny thing, is that when every developed nation risks losing AAA-status, then it all becomes far more excusable on a relative basis. Thus the more other nations push their debt limits, more politically palatable it becomes for the U.S. to do so as well.
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Q: I’m looking for help in selecting new cookware. My Teflon set is 8 years old and flaking, and I’d like to get pots and pans without Teflon coating, as I’m concerned about the health risks associated with nonstick cookware.
I’d like something that food doesn’t stick to, is easy to clean, and is economical, and I am open to mixing and matching (e.g. stainless pots and iron skillets).
Social gaming has really taken off this year, following the spectacular rise of Facebook, but much of that rise can be attributed to the sometimes spammy methods these companies used to attract more users. It’s no doubt that they worked, Zynga, the largest social gaming company, has a user base comparable to that of Facebook, but the social network is moving to close of some of the ways these companies used to spread their messages. Zynga is already looking ahead and has began testing SMS notifications as a way of keeping the users engaged.
The move is important for Zynga and social gaming in general for a couple of reasons. First, it may be one way of dealing with the fact that Facebook is banning apps from being able to send out regular notifications and app messages will be relegated to a special dedicated section. This move would likely significantly affect the conversion of new users, but also how much existing ones invest in the games. While it won’t solve the new users problem, SMS notifications would enable Zynga to notify users in a hard to dismiss way.
Second, it gives the company a bit more independence from Facebook, something it sorely needs. The two companies are largely dependent on each other, but Zynga is in the worst position. It is said that the social gaming company is F… (read more)
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The rally is going to continue into 2010 according to Wall Street’s most influential bank (Please see here for Goldman’s top 10 trades of 2010). Analysts at Goldman Sachs Europe and America have released their full year 2010 estimates and they are very bullish about the upcoming year.
Goldman sees very low rates, stronger than expected earnings, strong commodity demand and investor reallocation driving prices higher. Goldman sees no rate changes through 2011 – one of the most accommodative outlooks of any bank we have covered. Stronger than expected revenue growth and continued margin expansion will result in 15%+ equity returns in the upcoming year. Although they see a continuation in the rally some moderation is expected. As we previously mentioned, their analysts expect many similarities to 2004. David Kostin wrote:
“Continued profit margin resiliency from prior aggressive cost reductions should drive strong returns in early 2010 and push the S&P 500 towards 1,300.”
Their analysts in Europe are even more bullish. They see the DJ STOXX 600 rising 20% to 300 by the end of 2010.
Goldman argues that we are transitioning into the growth phase of the recovery from the hope phase. This period is generally characterized by stabilization in economic growth and lower equity returns than the hope phase. Nonetheless, doubt remains and catalysts for higher stock prices remain.
Perhaps most important, Goldman sees a continued influx of cash to the equity markets. Thus far, investors have been risk averse and either remain in cash or have moved into bonds. Goldman sees a substantial move into equities as investors become less risk averse.
How to play it? Thematically they focus on three key themes:
* You can find Goldman’s 2010 commodity predictions here.
Source: GS
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Former F1 champion Lewis Hamilton insisted that he is delighted with the news that Michael Schumacher will return to Formula One racing for the upcoming 3 seasons. The Brit never got to compete against the 7-time world champion, as he entered F1 in 2007, and will finally get that chance starting 2010; which he waits forward like nothing in the world.
It’s brilliant news. It’s great to have Michael back in Formula 1. I used to watch him race when I was in the junior categories and … (read more)
It’s Christmas season or cookie season to be more apt. I wanted to bake some cookies for my son’s teachers. I bought Wilton’s cookie sheet (large one) from Michael’s. The sheet came with 2 festive cookie recipes. One for chocolate chunk cookies and another one for thumbprint cookies. I would rather call the chocolate chunk cookie recipe as oatmeal chocolate chip cookies because it has a good quantity of oatmeal. I decided to try that recipe for the teachers because it made a huge batch and anything with chocolate chips and walnuts has to be definitely tasty.
Yield: 4 dozen (48 cookies)
1 Process the oats in a food processor/blender. The texture of the powdered oats was not mentioned
in the original recipe, so I chose a consistency in between coarse and fine.
2 In a medium size bowl combine together the powdered oats, flour, baking powder, soda and salt; mix well.
3 In a blender, blend together the EnerG powder and warm water until it’s frothy; set aside.
4 In another large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluff. Beat in the EnerG mixture and vanilla.
5 Add the flour mix to the sugar mixture; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
6 Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and chill the dough at least for an hour.
7 Around the 45th minute, start preheating the oven to 350F/175C for 15 minutes.
8 Scoop out heaping tablespoons of cookie dough; drop it on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake on middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. For crisper cookies, I would suggest flattening the dough instead of just dropping them. The scooped out dough doesn’t spread much, so it’s very chewy in the middle. In that case I think the baking time will also reduce by a minute or two. I used an aluminum pan, so mine took about 13 minutes. The baking time will vary if you are using a dark coating non stick cooking pan. Be sure to check it earlier. I used to 2 cookie sheets at a time. So I shifted the pan from the middle layer to the bottom layer and vice-versa after 6 minutes.
9 Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place it on wire racks. Let the cookies stand for 5 minutes because the cookies will continue to bake. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to the cooling racks directly using a spatula and let it cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.
2 The 2 and 1/2 cups of oats when powdered measured to 2 cups. So I think we could also use 2 cups of oat flour instead.
