Mark your calendars: Conan O’Brien returns to the small screen as TBS’ Main Man at Midnight on Nov. 8!
“My vision for the new TBS show is to pick up where Hee Haw left off. My hunch is that 33-year-old males want to hear corny jokes and country music.”
GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre
General Motors’ Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre has finally spoken about the Detroit automaker’s first-quarter profit… at least to his employees. In an e-mail sent to employees Monday, Whitacre thanked employees for their contribution and said that there is still more work to do to rebuild confidence among consumers and growing the business.
In the e-mail, Whitacre told employees that the $865 million first-quarter profit was a sign of progress and that he hopes there will be additional profitable quarters moving forward.
“We still have more work ahead to rebuild consumer confidence and grow the business in an uncertain global economy,” Whitacre wrote.
The e-mail also struck a positive tone for employees and executives who survived Whitacre’s wave of job cuts.
“It’s good to know that we are moving forward,” Whitacre said. “I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to General Motors. I appreciate your contributions…”
– By: Stephen Calogera
Source: Detroit News
By now, you should know the drill. It’s a 12-team PPR league where we start one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one K and one DEF. You’ll find the earlier picks by following these links: Round 1, Round 2. OK, let’s mock…
Vincent Jackson(notes), SD, WR – Round 3, Pick 1
Despite sitting out a meaningless Week 17 contest, Jackson produced a career-high 68/1167/9 line, and tied for the league-lead with six 100-yard games – he also caught seven balls for 111 yards in a playoff loss to the Jets. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Jackson is a matchup nightmare who keeps getting better every year. Entering his sixth season, I’m expecting another personal-best performance.
Here’s this team so far: RB Chris Johnson; RB DeAngelo Williams(notes); WR Vincent Jackson – Brandon Funston
Steve Smith, Car, WR – Round 3, Pick 2
Considering how bad Jake Delhomme(notes) was last season, it’s a testament to Smith’s talent that he was still able to finish among the top 20 WRs in fantasy points per game. He caught seven TDs in his final nine games and really took off with Matt Moore(notes) behind center, averaging 94.5 yards and scoring three times in the four games he played in which Moore was the starter. Smith showed last season, with seven receptions of 40-plus yards (fourth-best in the league), that he’s got plenty of rocket fuel left. He just needed a QB upgrade, and he has that now.
RB Maurice-Jones Drew; WR Sidney Rice(notes); WR Steve Smith – Funston
Steve Smith, NYG, WR – Round 3, Pick 2
Though diminutive in size, Smith is an absolute monster in leagues that reward possession receivers. Functioning as Eli Manning’s(notes) greaseman, he reeled in an NFC-leading 107 catches with 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago. Hakeem Nicks(notes) may be the breakout candidate in Giants blue the fantasy community will fawn over, but Smith is a consistency king who is incredibly productive. Quite frankly, he deserves more respect.
RB Ray Rice(notes); RB Jahvid Best(notes); WR Steve Smith – Brad Evans
Greg Jennings(notes), GB, WR – Round 3, Pick 4
Rodgers’ primary target was a major disappointment last season despite catching 68 passes for 1,113 yards. The steady play of Donald Driver(notes) combined with JerMichael Finley’s(notes) emergence kept the fourth-year receiver’s dancing shoes in the closet. Because little has changed in Title Town, the same scenario could unfold again this season. Still he’s far too talented a route runner to post another mediocre campaign. Expect numbers closer to ’08, not ’09.
RB Adrian Peterson; QB Aaron Rodgers(notes); WR Greg Jennings – Noise
DeSean Jackson(notes), Phi, WR – Round 3, Pick 5
Jackson only recorded 63 receptions last year, but thanks to 18.5 yards-per-catch (second highest in the NFL), he produced 1,167 yards and 11 total touchdowns. He’s a bit feast-or-famine, as he finished with fewer than 50 yards receiving in six games, but with the more accurate Kevin Kolb(notes) taking over QB duties, a true WCO system will be in place, relying less on big plays and more on yards after the catch, which should lead to more targets (and more receptions) for the most exciting wide receiver in football.
RB Frank Gore(notes); RB Shonn Greene(notes); WR DeSean Jackson – Dalton Del Don
Anquan Boldin(notes), Bal, WR – Round 3, Pick 6
Boldin is a pretty big injury risk, and it’s also a gamble banking on a receiver switching teams. Still, Boldin has averaged more yards receiving per game (79.2) than any other WR in the history of the NFL, and he’s joining a system in Baltimore with a highly promising quarterback. He’s sure to dominate targets in Baltimore as by far the best option through the air. While he scored only four touchdowns last season, he hit paydirt in 20 of his previous 24 games and no longer has to worry about goal-line monster Larry Fitzgerald(notes) taking away looks in the red zone.
RB Rashard Mendenhall(notes); RB Ryan Mathews(notes); WR Anquan Boldin – DDD
Ryan Grant(notes), GB, RB – Round 3, Pick 7
Grant is probably going to land in the 20-30 reception area, not great for this format, but he’s also coming off a 1,450-yard season (ninth in the league in yards from scrimmage) with 11 touchdowns, and that makes him a reasonable pick in this spot. Green Bay didn’t add a major back in the offseason; it’s happy to stick with what’s working. The identify of the Packers offense is Aaron Rodgers and Friends, but there will be enough left over for Grant.
WR Andre Johnson(notes); RB Pierre Thomas(notes); RB Ryan Grant – Scott Pianowski
Joseph Addai(notes), Ind, RB – Round 3, Pick 8
Location, location, location. The Colts keep the scoring opportunities coming – Addai has 43 scores in 58 pro games – and Peyton Manning(notes) looks for No. 29 when a play breaks down (Addai caught 51 passes last year). On a per-play basis Addai is a very ordinary back (last year’s 3.8 YPC doesn’t even get you to the league average), but his environment makes him a very safe fantasy pick.
WR Larry Fitzgerald; WR Miles Austin(notes); RB Joseph Addai – Pianow
LeSean McCoy(notes), Phi, RB – Round 3, Pick 9
THE McCoy enters his second camp atop the depth chart at running back after producing a respectable 945 total yards as part of a timeshare as a rookie. His 40 receptions in ‘09 were noteworthy, particularly for a guy who struggled (as many rookies do) with blitz pick-up in his first year. We know the Eagles like to involve running backs in the passing attack and McCoy is the team’s best weapon in that regard (Mike Bell(notes) doesn’t have much of a history catching passes out of the backfield). Couple a featured role with an expected second-year uptick and a 1,200-yard, eight TD, 60 reception season isn’t difficult to visualize.
RB Steven Jackson; WR Roddy White(notes); RB LeSean McCoy – Matt Romig
Ronnie Brown(notes), Mia, RB – Round 3, Pick 10
As has already been discussed in this space, everybody in Miami came out a winner when the Dolphins acquired Brandon Marshall(notes). Teams can no longer overload against the run, meaning Brown – already back on the field after last year’s serious ankle injury – can pick up right where he left off, which was on an 18 TD in 24 games binge. Brown is far from PPR gold, but throw in the occasional rogue touchdown pass and all is forgiven.
RB Jamaal Charles(notes); WR Brandon Marshall; RB Ronnie Brown – Mig
Cedric Benson(notes), Cin, RB – Round 3, Pick 11
This pick is about preserving the integrity of the mock. That’s it. This is probably where Benson goes, if objective people are handling the picks. I cannot explain his 2009 season, and I especially don’t know where that spin move came from that he burned the Ravens with in Week 5. No idea. It was not present in Chicago, I can tell you that much. The PPR format doesn’t really help Benson, but you can’t argue with the workload he’s likely to get in Cincinnati. Cedric averaged 23.2 carries per week last year. Here’s an official projection: 310 carries, 1188 rush yards, 20 receptions, 169 receiving yards. I would pay to not own this team…
WR Reggie Wayne(notes); RB Michael Turner(notes); RB Cedric Benson – Andy Behrens
Felix Jones(notes), Dal, RB – Round 3, Pick 12
This owner was seriously unhappy when McCoy was selected, but that’s the penalty for picking at the turn. Alas. Beanie Wells(notes) would be the pick here in a standard league, but A) he caught only 12 passes last year, B) Tim Hightower(notes) is still in the mix, and C) I don’t fully trust a Leinart-led offense.
So Felix it is. He takes over the traditional Jones role in the Dallas backfield, formerly held by Julius. Now at the top of the depth chart, Felix is in line for 200-plus carries and an as-yet-unknown number of catches. (Probably not a massive number; he had just 19 last year, plus four in the playoffs). He’s a ridiculously explosive player in a juggernaut offense. Health is the worry, of course, but the upside is awfully tempting. And in a mock, there really are no gambles.
The choice now facing this team is whether to draft an elite quarterback, or a less-than elite RB. Good thing I’ll have 24 hours to think it over…
WR Randy Moss(notes); WR Calvin Johnson(notes); RB Felix Jones – Behrens
—
Photos via US Presswire
A Chevrolet apresentou oficialmente nessa semana a sua mais nova aposta para o mercado brasileiro, o novo Chevrolet Malibu.
Pra quem não conhece muito o Malibu, ele é um sedan de luxo importado dos Estados Unidos e no mercado brasileiro, deve entrar acima do Vectra e do Omega que deve entrar até no final do ano no mercado brasileiro.
No mercado brasileiro, ele terá como concorrente direto, o Ford Fusion e o Hyundai Azera. Além disso, o modelo será oferecido apenas na versão LTZ, que é equipada com um motor de 2.4 litros que rende 171 cavalos de potencia.
Quanto a potencia o carro não deixa a desejar, ele consegue atingir de 0 a 100 m/h em apenas 10,9 segundos e atinge 194 km/h de velocidade final.
Dentre os seus equipamentos de serie, o modelo conta com freios ABS, controle de estabilidade e seis airbags.
O modelo estará disponível nas concessionárias a partir de junho. Pra quem quer ter um desses na garagem basta desembolsar R$ 89.900.
Fonte: Quatro Rodas
Biking two-timer Jesse James will sit down for his first interview since splitting with soon-to-be ex-wife Sandra Bullock in a chat with Nightline, ABC News announced on Wednesday.
In March, James’ world came crashing down after his longtime mistress, Michelle “Bombshell” McGee, sold the story of their affair to In Touch Weekly for $30,000. The article set off a firestorm of controversy for the husband of the Oscar-winning actress, who was later romantically-linked to at least four other women during his five year marriage to Sandra.
After weeks of dodging the chorus of Americans screaming “Who would cheat on Sandra Bullock?,” the former reality TV star/suspected Nazi will finally give some insight into what happened in his marriage to America’s Sweetheart in a gut-wrenching discussion with ABC’s Vicki Mabrey. James is also expected to share the reason why he went to rehab and what role he’ll have in the life of Bullock’s infant son, Louis.
The interview will air Tuesday, May 25 at 11:35 PM.
Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA
Toyota’s top U.S. sales execs are planning to tell Congress that it fully believes that faulty electronics are not to blame for the recent unintended acceleration issues in its vehicles. This conclusion comes as the result of 11,000 hours of testing and analysis by Toyota of its electronic throttle controls.
Despite safety groups pointing their fingers at electronics, President of Toyota Motor Sales USA Jim Lentz has said that he ‘remains confident’ that electronics are not at the route of the issue.
A House committee hearing is set for Thursday in order to review complaints of electronic issues in Toyotas. The hearing comes after Toyota paid a record $16.4 million fine for a slow response to an accelerator pedal recall.
– By: Stephen Calogera
Source: MSNBC
Tired/scared of Facebook? No worries, guys: Gink is the next big social network, and it’s got all the Gorks and Quimbles you’ve ever wanted. Welcome back, Derrick! You were missed. [Derrick Comedy via Laughing Squid] More »
Wow…the 3G auction in India has raised a whopping $11 billion by selling licenses to some of the country’s major telecom carriers including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Aircel. That is an astounding amount of money considering the low tariffs in the Indian market, where voice minutes and SMS messages are ridiculously cheap and most telecom carriers are struggling to keep their profit streams intact.
Bharti, for example, is in the process of buying the assets of Zain in 15 African countries in order to diversify from the hyper-competitive Indian market. Vodafone, which entered the Indian market with much fanfare a few years ago, is taking it on the chin these days. In its most recent quarter, the company said it was taking an impairment charge of around 2.3 billion pounds ($3.31 billion) related to its operations there.
There is no reason to believe that things will be any different in the 3G world. The 3G buildout isn’t going to be cheap and if the tariffs remain low, expect things to be tough for Indian telecoms. Given the history of telecom regulation in the country, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and/or the Department of Telecommunications continued to make short-term, politically popular moves that will kill the golden goose. Bharti Airtel, for instance, spent $2.6 billion on the 3G spectrum — good luck recouping that after a big network buildout.
While it might seem like an opportunity for hardware providers like Ericsson, I think the big winners of India’s 3G buildout are going to be the three smartphone giants: Apple, Research in Motion and Google with its Android ecosystem.
In fact, if Google was smart, it would be shifting much of its mobile resources to India right now. Not only could it use the demand for cheap 3G smartphones to its advantage, it could also jump-start its tablet ambitions by building low-cost devices coupled with affordable 3G Internet plans.
Similarly, Apple could offer a lower-priced version of the iPhone 3G/3GS in the Indian market — even as it introduces the higher-priced iPhone 4 in it core markets such as the U.S., Europe and Japan.
2010 Volkswagen Golf
March was a very good month for Ford of Europe with the automaker’s Fiesta becoming Europe’s best-selling car for the month, helping the automaker become the best-selling brand in the region. Well, Ford’s No.1 celebration was short-lived as Volkswagen returned to its traditional place as the top-selling brand in the European Union in April.
In April, Volkswagen sold 138,304 new vehicles in Europe, a 7.7 percent decline. Ford of Europe on the other hand fell nearly 20 percent to 87,721 units. In fact, Renault beat out Ford with 99,642 units along with Peugeot, which sold 88,721 units.
Click here to get prices on the 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
In March, Ford outsold Volkswagen by 1,298 units, selling a total of 168,611 units compared to Volkswagen’s sales of 167,313 units.
Ford sales were hit hard as scrappage schemes that have boosted sales of the company’s smaller Fiesta and Ka models finished or were wound down in key European markets.
– By: Omar Rana
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
In a word – and to quote from the title – this book is amazing. Filled with poems chosen by award-winning poet Lee Bennett Hopkins that celebrate the wonders of our diversity, this gorgeous book is populated by the vibrant immediacy of Chris Soentpiet‘s stunning canvases that breathe life in the very amazing faces all around us.
The opening poem, “Amazing Face” by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, acknowledges Soentpiet’s own background as a Korean adoptee … the gurgling baby in motion, his arms flung wide, his one little foot up in the air, laughing in joy at his adoring mother holding him up for all the world to see as she tells him, “Amazing, your face. / Amazing.” Clearly mother and child are not biologically related, but they have all the love to make them a forever-family. [Soentpiet groupies will also call to mind his illustrations for a previous book, Jin Woo by Eve Bunting, one of the most affecting picture books on transracial adoption, mostly because of Soentpiet’s art.]
Soentpiet masterfully gathers a memorable crowd from all walks of life: from a young boy who has fallen asleep waiting for his mother to finish her long hours of sewing work in an excerpt from “My Chinatown” by Kam Mak, to a fabulous little girl with can-do attitude admiring her strong reflection in the bilingual “Me x 2″ by Jane Medina, to the no-longer-lonely student whose teacher asks her to play in “Miss Stone” by Nikki Grimes, to the high-fisted young girl with flying ponytail and outstretched foot mid-kick in “Karate Kid” by Jane Yolen, to a young boy watching the nighttime shimmer in “High in the Sky” by Pat Mora … the list goes on and on …
Perhaps the most heartstring-pulling of all is “A Young Soldier” by Prince Redcloud, which captures the strong embrace of a father and his son who has just returned from military service, as the mother stands in the doorway in shocked relief, waiting her turn for a beloved hug from her young man who has seen too much: “… keeping / miles of memories / sealed within // one / heartbreaking / boyish / grin.”
As a grandmother and two grandchildren share memories in “Abuela” by J. Patrick Lewis, and a great crowd gathers for nighttime festivities in “My People” by Langston Hughes, gather your family, share Amazing Faces, and cherish the moments of wonder-filled togetherness.
Readers: All
Published: 2010
Filed under: ..Children/Picture Books, .Poetry, African American, Korean American, Latino/a, Native American, Nonethnic-specific, Pan-Asian Pacific American Tagged: Anthology, Cultural exploration, Family, Friendship 
WMExperts report that the ZuneHD has seen some minor software updates, with the Facebook client moving to version 1.1, and the twitter client to 1.2.
The changes are not appeared in the Facebook client, but the twitter app gets a landscape keyboard option under its settings, which improves typing speed.
There is also a new game, Hearts and Spaces, available in the Marketplace.
More screenshots at WMExperts here.
We have to give concept designers points for trying, but I don’t think this resizable battery is going to fly. For one thing, the actual core is tiny, and batteries derive their power from packing as many volatile chemicals into their little bodies as possible. Imagine putting six of these, at D size, into a boom box — the thing would die in like 15 minutes.
There’s also a question of heat. That memory foam is, I’m guessing, rather a good insulator. Batteries generate heat when they’re in use and rechargeables really hot up when they’re plugged in. I’d be concerned that these suckers would catch fire.
That said, though, it’s good to see thought being applied to battery design. Unlike wall outlets, which are surprisingly hard to improve on, batteries are pretty much a blank slate. Sure, we’ve got AAs and stuff, but there’s a lot of room to play in as a designer. This particular concept just doesn’t seem to have legs.
[via Gajitz and Treehugger]
What’s Good: Finally, an iDEN device (along with the i9) that doesn’t look like something out of a bad 80’s television show.
What’s Bad: Battery life is rather poor.
Verdict: If you need Direct Connect and want a stylish phone, the i890 is for you.
Every time I use a new Nextel phone, the first thought that crosses my mind is “wow, they’re actually stylish now.” Though one can still pick up a rugged (and hefty) iDEN device, it seems like Sprint is finally realizing that it is possible to mesh style and Direct Connect. To that end, the Motorola i890 is a svelte, RAZR-esque device with a spring-loaded hinge that can be purchased at Sprint stores and online for $129.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year agreement.
The phone ships in a box complete with the phone, battery, AC adapter, and instruction manuals. Overall, it feels good in the hand, and isn’t bulky (even when the flip is opened). At 4.2 ounces, the i890 is perfect for a pocket, purse, or briefcase. In an age of minimalism in regards to phone design, the Motorola i890 is loaded with buttons. The volume rocker and Direct Connect button can be found on the left side of the device, while the hinge release and lock button can be found on the right side. The speaker and menu buttons can be found on the top of the unit, and the 2.0-megapixel camera is located on the hinge. The phone sports a large external display with four touch buttons (three under the display, one above it). Once opened, you’re greeted with a 2.2-inch display with 65,536 colors and 240 x 320 pixels. One of the neat features on the i890 is the ability to navigate through select parts of the phone’s menu from the external display. Using the touch buttons, I was able to access many of the media functions on the device.
The Motorola i890 offers a numeric keypad. I found myself missing a QWERTY layout, but the large buttons on the device made it easy to get used to it. The menu structure is similar to what we’ve seen on Nextel devices in the past, and after a few days of working with it, I was able to navigate with ease.
I’ve been testing the Motorola i890 in the Charlotte area, and call quality has been strong. When I took the device to a known Nextel trouble spot, I was able to hold the call, despite choppiness here and there. During calls, users told me that they could hear me fine, and I had no trouble on my end. I paired the Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset to the device, and used it without trouble. As with any device equipped with Direct Connect, the speaker on the i890 is next to phenomenal.
The i890 is an iDEN device, so data connectivity isn’t its best feature. That being said, CNN’s mobile page loaded in about seven seconds, while the PhoneDog page loaded in about 42 seconds. It’s not the device for the data-hungry consumer, but for occasional web browsing, it gets the job done. While estimated talk time rolls in at about 3.4 hours, I have only been able to obtain about two before the low battery indicator flashes. I’m still conducting battery tests, but with moderate use encompassing calling, text messaging, occasional web browsing, and Direct Connect usage, I was barely able to make it over a day before the unit powered down. It’s a close call, so if you’re interested in it, be sure to purchase a car charger before you leave the store.
Stay tuned for my full review of the device!
Filed under: Truck, Technology, Chevrolet, GM, GMC
General Motors’ full-size pickup trucks may be next in line to get thermostatically controlled louvers behind the grille to improve aerodynamics. SRG Global, which produces a variety of components for numerous manufacturers, is developing just such a system for GM’s trucks. Similar systems will debut later this year on the Chevrolet Cruze and later on the new Ford Focus.
One of the biggest sources of aerodynamic drag and turbulence comes from the air flowing through a vehicle’s engine compartment. Closing off the grille to limit this airflow can drastically reduce this issue, however, the engine still needs air for cooling – especially at lower speeds. At higher speeds, the increased air velocity means less open area is required for adequate cooling.
Thermostatically controlled slats monitor coolant temperatures and then open or close as needed, giving the best of both worlds at the expense of a bit of added cost and complexity. That said, SRG’s new designs will integrate the slats into the grille structure reducing the cost of the system and making assembly simpler. Theoretically, such technology could also be used to improve cold-weather warm-ups by keeping the grille’s slats closed.
Gallery: 2009 Chevy Silverado
[Source: Ward’s Auto World]
GM pickups to adopt active grille louvers for fuel economy? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 May 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that he’ll be splitting the Mineral Management Service into three pieces in response to charges that officials there dropped the ball leading up to the current oil spill disaster in the Gulf.
The move is designed to eliminate conflicts of interest between the various functions of the agency amid heavy criticism that MMS officials have grown overly chummy with the companies they’re charged with monitoring.
“The Minerals Management Service has three distinct and conflicting missions that — for the benefit of effective enforcement, energy development, and revenue collection — must be divided,” Salazar said in a statement announcing the overhaul.
A more detailed breakdown of those divisions is here:
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: A new bureau under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management will be responsible for the sustainable development of the Outer Continental Shelf’s conventional and renewable energy resources, including resource evaluation, planning, and other activities related to leasing.
- Office of Natural Resources Revenue: An office under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget that will be responsible for the royalty and revenue management function including the collection and distribution of revenue, auditing and compliance, and asset management.
- Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement: A bureau under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management that will be responsible for ensuring comprehensive oversight, safety, and environmental protection in all offshore energy activities.
This looks great on paper — and doing nothing was never an option in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. But there’s a precedent for such a split that should serve as a cautionary tale for federal officials aiming to prevent the next big energy disaster.
In 1977, the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration — then a branch of the Interior Department — was overhauled to become the Mine Safety and Health Administration under the Labor Department. The move was made to eliminate conflicts of interest between safety enforcement and energy development. Many would argue that it didn’t work so well.
É isso mesmo, a Opel acabou de lançar o novo Astra a poucos dias e já lança novo kit de personalização.
O kit inclui spoiler dianteiro, grande dianteira sem logotipo da Opel e rodas de liga leve de 19 polegadas.
No seu interior o modelo recebe apenas um aparelho que exibe relatórios do cambio manual. Seu motor também não é alterado, mas com certeza vai ser no futuro.
Fonte: Auto Blog . it
Forests are declining in all six New England states for the first time in 150 years, threatened by urban sprawl in the south and by recreational development and forest ownership fragmentation in the north, according to a new report released by researchers at the Harvard Forest.
The report, “Wildlands & Woodlands: A Vision for the New England Landscape,” was authored by 20 researchers at a dozen institutions. Released Wednesday (May 19), the report calls for renewed conservation efforts with the goal of protecting 70 percent of the region’s forests from development over the next 50 years, mainly through voluntary conservation easements given by private landowners.
The report’s authors, including eight from Harvard, said New England’s forests began to rebound from their original clear-cutting in the mid-1800s, as agricultural production moved west and the region industrialized. After a century and a half of expansion, the forests today represent an amazing success story, covering 80 percent of the region’s landscape.
Though today’s forests are predominantly second growth and different in character from the region’s original forests, researchers said area residents have a second chance to decide their forests’ fate. The first Colonial-era settlers decided to cut them down, but now that the forests have re-grown, it’s our turn to make a similar choice.
The report’s findings and recommendations were presented at a press conference by David Foster, Harvard Forest director; Robert Lilieholm, associate professor of forest policy at the University of Maine; and James Levitt, director of the Harvard Forest’s Program on Conservation Innovation.
Protecting 70 percent of the region’s forests will require doubling the current pace of conservation activity, Foster said. The report envisions two main types of conservation status. Most of the land — 90 percent, or 27 million acres — would be in what the report terms woodlands, which would maintain forest but allow timber harvesting, recreation, and other uses. The other 10 percent, totaling 3 million acres, or 7 percent of New England’s landscape, would be preserved as wildlands, free from human disturbance and management, and allowed to develop naturally.
Roughly twice the property under development would be open to future development, Foster said. Though that’s a smaller percentage than the land that would be conserved as forest, there would be plenty left for development, especially since old mill towns and declining urban neighborhoods can be rebuilt as well.
Forest threats today — houses and shopping malls — tend to be more permanent than past threats — pastures and fields, according to Lilieholm. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, forest threats mainly stem from urban sprawl, meaning residential development and building on the coastlines.
In the northern states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, the threat is from development for leisure purposes such as second homes on otherwise pristine lakefronts. Another looming threat is fragmentation of ownership of the large tracts of forest in the northern part of these states, particularly in Maine.
As recently as the 1990s, Lilieholm said, large chunks of northern forest were owned by forestry companies, which periodically cut the trees and then let the forest regrow. Today, a significant portion of that land has been purchased by financial entities such as pension funds and real estate investment trusts, which hold onto them as investments to lower portfolio risk. These companies, Lilieholm said, only expect to hold onto the land for 10 to 15 years and then can sell it off as smaller parcels, possibly with the lakefront land sold separately to people seeking second homes.
New England’s forests have value far beyond aesthetics and their use as wildlife habitat, the report’s authors said. Forests provide a range of services valuable to humans, such as ensuring clean water and, perhaps most pertinent in this age of global climate change, binding up carbon dioxide in wood and soil.
The group called for cooperation across the region, in both the public and private sectors, to bring the report’s vision to reality. The Wildlands and Woodlands Partnership already has a network of about 60 conservation organizations. While cooperation is needed, increased public funding also will be important, since many property owners in rural areas are “land rich” but not wealthy and so can’t turn over land or development rights without compensation.
Today HulloMail announced the launch of its free visual voicemail product for Android devices in the U.S. and U.K. HulloMail 2.2 has the ability to replace the voicemail service that is provided by wireless network operators. When a voicemail is received, HulloMail converts the voicemail to an MP3 file and then emails the file to the user as an attachment. It can then be listened to, saved, and forwarded to others. Pretty neat. I can see this being very convenient.
Take a look at the video below to see how the app works. It is very cool. It is definitely going to replace my carrier voicemail.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: Phone Scoop
As it swept over the Gulf of Mexico the Aqua, using the onboard Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument, the satellite took the above image showing three big bright sunglints.
According to the May 18 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) web update of the Deepwater Horizon incident, “satellite imagery on May 17 indicated that the main bulk of the oil is dozens of miles away from the Loop Current, but that a tendril of light oil has been transported down close to the Loop Current.” (more…)
During health care reform, senators strengthened and hammered out the bill in committee before it hit the floor. This go-around, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) decided to pass the bill through the Banking Committee on a party-line vote (the vote took all of 20 minutes) and to allow a substantive amendment process. Senators were nearing the end of that process today, but major provisions promised a vote remained without one — including Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Carl Levin’s (D-Mich.) amendment banning proprietary trading at commercial banks and Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) amendment reinstituting the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act.
Midday, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called off a planned cloture vote. At 3:15, Democrats went into an emergency caucus meeting. When they emerged, Reid called the vote again, despite the number of major amendments still pending. The Senate rejected the measure, 57 to 42, with Cantwell and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) joining most Republicans to keep debate open.
Of course, losing this vote is not losing the bill. Reid has already said he plans to have the Senate vote again tomorrow. Still, the politics felt fevered today.
Reid has pointed his finger at the Republicans, despite the progressive crossovers. He released a statement, saying: “At every stage of this debate, Republicans and their friends on Wall Street have worked overtime to weaken this bill because they view it as a threat to business as usual. They know these reforms — reforms the American people overwhelmingly support and demand — will finally hold Wall Street accountable. I am calling on my Republican colleagues to start putting the interests of families, small businesses and seniors over those of big banks on Wall Street.” He later said one senator broke his or her promise on the vote, then suggested it was Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.).
Feingold released a statement saying: “After thirty years of giving in to the wishes of Wall Street lobbyists, Congress needs to finally enact tough reforms to prevent Wall Street from driving our economy into the ditch again. We need to eliminate the risk posed to our economy by ‘too big to fail’ financial firms and to reinstate the protective firewalls between Main Street banks and Wall Street firms. Unfortunately, these key reforms are not included in the bill. The test for this legislation is a simple one: Whether it will prevent another financial crisis. As the bill stands, it fails that test. Ending debate on the bill is finishing before the job is done.”
And, for her part, Cantwell said that the hold-up on the vote was due to another senator’s family matter — not due to Reid wrangling with her, though Reid was on camera speaking to Cantwell during the vote — and that she wants the Senate to close a loophole that might allow some firms not complying with derivatives clearinghouse requirements to avoid any penalties before another cloture vote.
