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Host: Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)  
Co-host : e (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)  
Co-Host: Stepto (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter)

Name the Game

Xbox 101 and more

 
Note: I’ve added the above show notes to the ID3 Lyrics data field. If your device supports displaying lyrics, you’ll find this useful 

Links to some of the things mentioned in this episode:

http://www.xbox.com/games/g/gearsofwar3/

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/storage

http://www.xbox.com/games/splash/t/tomclancyssplintercellconviction/

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction
Xbox 360 250 GB Elite Splinter Cell Conviction Bundle
Just Cause 2

Halo 3- ODST <—You’ll need this for the upcoming Halo Reach beta

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

Dyson Air Multiplier

 

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Duration (approx):	1:14:49
File size (approx) :	34.3 MB
Format:	MP3

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Found under: BlackBerry, Application, Games, ,

Tower Defense games are really popular so you must be familiar with the principle of the game especially if you happen to love computer and cell phone games. This version right here Addictive Tower Defense is made for BlackBerry smartphones and at 3.68 Euro is quite a bargain.The game is compatible with most BlackBerry smartphones out there so whether you using a regular full QWERTY tranckballtrackpad device or you own one of the two touchscreen-only Storm handsets youll be able

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Just two seasons ago the Angels’ Ervin Santana(notes) was a highly regarded mound Jedi. Blessed with an aggressive demeanor and lethal concoction of mid-90s fastballs and filthy sliders, he completely mystified hitters. His resulting production was nothing short of spectacular. Over 219 innings he emerged victorious 16 times, punching out 214 (8.67 K/9) while walking just 1.93 batters per nine, the ninth-most valuable line in fantasy according to Baseball Monster. A wee tot at 25, he seemed destined to be a rotation anchor for decades to come. 

Then Emperor Palpatine cast lighting bolts on his arm.

Plagued by setbacks to his ulnar collateral ligament and triceps last May, his velocity dipped, control unraveled and ERA soared. Fly-balls which had stayed in the park the year before stretched to homers. Overnight he morphed into Ramon Ortiz(notes).

But on Sunday, the former pitching Skywalker polished up his light saber.

The reinvigorated righty, who is owned in only 51 percent of Y! leagues, was nearly flawless against Toronto. In a very efficient 106-pitch complete game masterpiece, he mowed down one Blue Jay after another, finishing with six strikeouts and zero walks. An Adam Lind(notes) solo blast with two outs in the ninth was his only blemish. Without question, first-pitch strikes, which dismayed Santana often a season ago, was his primary key to success.

Though his fastball is slightly more pedestrian than it was in ’08, Santana’s outstanding effort could be a harbinger of positive outings to come. With his confidence renewed and his command once again harnessed, he’s on the cusp of becoming shallow league relevant. Yes, it’s just one start and long-balls also continue to be problematic – he’s surrendered five homers already this year, but the 27-year-old was valuable in the recent past. Despite what fishy admirals may tell you, it’s not a trap.

Now healthy and with adequate run support, he could accumulate numbers in range of 12-15 wins, 4.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 170 K.

The Angels’ Jedi may have indeed returned.

• Staying north of the border, the Ricky Romero(notes) Festival of Love continued Sunday. Barely touched over eight innings, he yielded just one earned, walking one with five strikeouts. Healthy and equipped with a filthy change, the former first-round pick is flashing breakout signals. Still owned in just 67 percent of Y! leagues, he should be snatched up even in the shallowest of mixed leagues.

• Texas manager Ron Washington elevated Elvis Andrus(notes) into the leadoff spot, supplanting Julio Borbon(notes). Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News believes the move will "probably be for the foreseeable future." Assuming this is truly the case, Borbon, who is just 3-for-36 with one steal on the season, takes a significant value hit. He’s expendable in standard-sized mixed leagues. Meanwhile for Andrus, the switcharoo greatly enhances his overall worth. A short-term rise in runs and steals is definite.

• Mired in a deep early season slide, ultra-hyped outfielder Jay Bruce(notes) finally shook off a bad case of the slumps belting two solo blasts – his first two round-trippers of the season – against the Buccos. Hopefully Sunday’s power exhibition will springboard the 23-year-old to the projected 30-35 homer campaign most pundits pegged him for. Your chance to purchase the slugger at a discounted rate may have just expired.

• Scott Pianowski dreamboat, Ty Wigginton(notes), knocked in four more runs – RBI No. 7, 8, 9 and 10. Undeniably the hottest hitter in a Pale O’s uniform, he has seven hits and 10 RBI since taking over everyday duties at second for injured All-Star Brian Roberts(notes). His versatility, above average pop and routine spot batting second in Dave Trembley’s order is convincing. If you’re looking for a quick MI fix, Wiggs and San Fran’s Eugenio Velez(notes) are excellent mercenaries in deeper mixed formats.

• Ballyhooed Mets prospect Ike Davis(notes) could be promoted imminently after Mike Jacobs(notes) was designated for assignment. A strapping lad at 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, the former Arizona State standout possesses a watchful eye and terrific raw power. Between High-A and Double-A a season ago, he tallied a .298-20-71 line over 429 at-bats. Obviously, he’s not rosterable in 12-team mixed leagues considering the depth at first base, but for owners in NL-only and Grand Canyon-deep mixed formats he’s a nice speculative pickup. For additional information on Davis, check out Mets Minor League Blog’s richly detailed scouting report.

QUICK HITTERS: Brett Gardner(notes) swiped his sixth and seventh bags of the season in a 2-for-3 (one run) effort against friendly Rangers starter Rich Harden(notes). If Joe Girardi pencils him into the leadoff spot regularly against righties, he could very easily amass 70-80 runs and 40-plus steals…Ivan Rodriguez(notes) continues to defy the erroding effects of Father Time. The future HOFer went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI against the Brewers. It was his sixth multi-hit performance on the young season…Nate Robertson(notes) improved his record to 2-0 holding the Majors’ most explosive offense (Philadelphia) scoreless over 6.1 innings. If he continues to coax grounders (14 on Sunday), he’s worth a look in NL-only and very deep formats. Remember ’06?…Jon Lester(notes) was pounded for seven earned over six innings. The deplorable outing marked his third straight game allowing at least four runs. Poor command continues to be the culprit. Despite the tear-inducing start, he remains a strong buy low candidate…Carl Pavano(notes) returned to earth surrendering seven over 3.1 innings against the Royals. Because he possesses an underwhelming fastball, he was bound to get pounded eventually. Then again, maybe he had ex-girlfriend Alyssa Milano’s lady lumps on the mind…After blowing opportunities in his two previous attempts, Baltimore’s Jim Johnson(notes) shut the door on Oakland for a rare two-inning save. It appears Trembley is committed to the adventurous reliever until Mike Gonzalez is activated…Funston favorite Alberto Callaspo(notes) smoked the Twinkies for two homers and a career-best six RBI. It was his first multi-homer game of his career. Similar to Velez and Wigginton, the KC second basemen is an underappreciated middle infielder who should continue to post admirable numbers as an injury fill-in…Barry Zito(notes) notched his third straight quality start, limiting archrival Los Angeles to one earned over 7.1 innings. Unfortunately, Sergio Romo’s(notes) beach ball to Manny Ramirez(notes) spoiled the W. Expect a Zito regression soon. His high number of fly-balls will inevitably haunt him. Keep in mind he faced Pittsburgh and Houston in his first two outings.

—

Images courtesy of Getty and US Presswire

Leak(Apple)Sauce Blogfight!

Engadget, Boy Genius Report, and a few Apple blogs (including one written in Spanish) are trying to figure out – slash – arguing about whether or not some photos leaked this weekend are, in fact, of a prototype next-gen iPhone.

Prototype or not, there’s no way this is what the next iPhone is going to look like. So why not save yourself some stress and go back to barbecuing, watching hoops/baseball/hockey on TV, or flying a kite? It is Spring, after all, and the new iPhone will officially be announced within the next two months, so just let it go.

Yeah, right! xD

Seriously, while this may be a test mule of whatever Apple’s got up it’s sleeve for their annual iPhone refresh, I can’t imagine that the next iPhone will actually look like this. But Engadget says it will, so what do I know? But Boy Genius Report says it won’t, so maybe I do know something? But Gruber says, “Maybe, maybe not!” so I’m just confused. Sigh.

Keeping up my cynical – slash – I think it’s ugly stance for a second: First off, it’s got seams and square lines. Apple is all about unibody construction and curves that imply their devices are thinner than they really are. For Apple to release a new iPhone that’s so angular would totally be out of line with their current design language. Given that iPad 3G isn’t even shipping yet, it’s hard for me to imagine Jobs & Co. deciding that now’s the time to make Apple’s best-known product all square-looking and full of seams and stuff.

Still, if this is a legit prototype – and Engadget says it is but BGR says it’s just a photo of a Japanese knockoff – iPhone fans have a few things to be excited about. There’s nothing really new here, rumor-wise, but we’re talking front-facing camera, physically larger and higher resolution display, and a more-megapixels-more! camera with flash. Yay! Or, yay! so long as it doesn’t actually look all blocky and generic like this.  

I mean Yay!, if you like Apple. If you like Android, well, check back on the site tonight at midnight Eastern time. xD

Oh, and Boo! it may have a microSIM card slot instead of a regular SIM. , Because, you know, Apple hates standards that other companies actually use.

Okay, I’m going back to enjoying an early Spring Sunday now. As you were.

Source: Engadget

Via: Applesfera, Boy Genius Report, Daring Fireball, Macrumors

This weekend’s star-studded Coachella Music & Arts ended on a sour note for True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard — he had to be restrained by police after losing his cool with an aggressive photographer, who relentlessly snapped pics as the star tried to enjoy a live set with his rumored girlfriend, actress Kate Bosworth.

Alexander was photographed being physically restrained by multiple people including a police officer at the festival on Saturday night.bAccording to Sunday’s Huffington Post, the 33-year-old actor became enraged after the photographer refused to stop taking pictures of him with Kate.

The altercation was quickly diffused and no one was arrested.

Coachella 2010 also featured appearances by Katy Perry, Jay-Z & Beyonce, and Paris & Nicky Hilton.

Found under: Applications, Symbian, Adobe, Reader,

We all know how an important role Adobes Reader plays in our daily professional lives so why not use the app on our Symbian handsets too Adobe Reader LE 2.5 is now available for certain Symbian devices like the Nokia 5230 N97 N97 Mini X6 and the Sony Ericsson Satio and Vivaz Pro.The application is available for the very special price of 11.03 Euro which is half off compared to the regular 22.07 Euro. This Deal of the Day is valid for only a few hours more so youd better take adva

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Democratic Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz faces possible questioning under oath by the office of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in its investigation of a citizen’s complaint that she misused her office’s 36,000-name “constituent database” for political advantage — a claim that Bysiewicz denies.

Blumenthal told The Courant Friday that members of the secretary of the state’s office staff will likely be interviewed. So will Bysiewicz, herself, he said, “if there are questions that are appropriate and necessary for her to answer — as is likely.” He added: “Generally our interviews are conducted under oath,” though not always.

A Sunday Courant Government Watch column, which can be read by clicking here, reported on Bysiewicz’s potential testimony in that probe, and provided details about two other issues now facing her:

•The lingering question of why her taxpayer-funded “constituent database” of 36,000 names identifies 2,500 Democratic convention delegates, but no Republican delegates.

•And the new question of why the database also contains a special category headed “holiday card,” with about 5,400 names noted. Bysiewicz says that this wasn’t used to send holiday cards, and that the 5,400 people had sent cards to her office. But about 170 of those people told The Courant they never sent her a card — and, moreover, got a card or cards from her.

One of her opponents for the Democratic attorney general’s nomination, George Jepsen, said he doesn’t believe her and thinks that the database was used to send holiday cards. “This is yet another example of public resources and tax dollars being used directly for partisan politics,” he said.

Bysiewicz already has testified under oath recently during her Superior Court trial in her lawsuit to be declared eligible to run for state attorney general. She also gave sworn testimony in videotaped depositions before the trial, which have been made public. In her suit, Bysiewicz has named her own office and the state Democratic Party as defendants

Final arguments have been scheduled Tuesday. However, her lawyers filed a motion Friday to reopen the evidentiary phase of the trial, which closed last Thursday.

They want Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo to testify briefly on Tuesday morning that there is uncertainty within the party about Bysiewicz’s eligibility to be nominated as a candidate for attorney general, thus establishing a need for Judge Michael Sheldon to issue a ruling on her qualifications. The move apparently is intended to ensure that the case doesn’t get thrown out for lack of legal “standing,” or a lack of the “ripeness” of the issue. The Democratic nominating convention will be held May 21-22.

One of Bysiewicz’s lawyers, Daniel Krisch, said Sunday that the request for DiNardo’s testimony “definitely will not set back the argument schedule.”

He said: “Judge Sheldon has issued an interim order that our motion will be heard first thing Tuesday morning.  If it is granted, Nancy will testify quickly and then we’ll have final arguments. If it is denied, we’ll go right to the arguments. But, either way, the final arguments still will happen on Tuesday.”

The state Republican Party has intervened in the lawsuit  to challenge Bysiewicz’s claim that she qualifies under a state statute that requires the attorney general to have 10 years’ “active practice” as a lawyer in Connecticut. There’s no word as to whether its lawyer, Eliot Gersten, will oppose the request to reopen the evidentiary phase for DiNardo to testify.

Blumenthal will be vacating the attorney general’s post after he runs for the U.S. Senate this year.

Filed under: Classics, Bugatti

The Mullin Automotive Museum celebrated its grand opening this last week with a black tie event for media and distinguished guests. Of course, museum founder Peter Mullin will tell you that his new museum isn’t just about cars. The 50,000 square foot facility, located in Oxnard, CA, was built as a homage to the art deco period, and plenty of historic artwork and furniture can be found throughout the building.

The cars, however, are the main attraction. More than 100 French automobiles with names like Bugatti, Delahaye, Delage, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago and Voison can be found in the museum. Immaculate restorations are featured alongside original cars from the legendary Schlumpf Reserve Collection. A collection of race cars takes residence on the second floor in a display that mimics the Le Mans pre-WWII.

Specifically for the grand opening, Bugatti also loaned the museum a collection of prototypes that led to the development of the Veyron 16.4. including the 1998 EB118 Concept, the 1999 EB218 Concept and the 1999 18.3 Chiron Concept. A beautiful EB110 SS and a brand new Grand Sport were also outside to greet guests.

Perhaps our favorite car on display, though, was an incredible 1937 Delahaye Type 145 V12 Coupe. It seems like such a beautiful car would be confined to carrying around dignitaries and celebrities, but in reality the gorgeous coupe raced at Le Mans and the German Grand Prix. Since purchasing the car in 2002, Peter Mullin has taken the car to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Pebble Beach Concours, and it has won Best in Class at both events.

The Mullin Museum is currently open to the public on Saturdays with a reservation only, so if you’re interested in going, call them up and get a spot as quickly as you can. Can’t make it out to the museum? You can see all of our photos from the event in the gallery below or hit the jump to read the press release for the grand opening.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Mullin Automotive Museum celebrates grand opening in style

Mullin Automotive Museum celebrates grand opening in style originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Found under: Verizon, Best Buy, Droid, Incredible, HTC, Android,,

Best Buy has officially kicked off the HTC Incredible pre-order a day ahead of Verizon on Sunday April 18. Or at least thats what Best Buy wanted to do but it looks like Verizon was ready to match the offer. Therefore according to some sources Verizon has also started to offer the Droid Incredible today. Both Verizon and Best Buy will let you buy the Incredible for 199 with a new two-year contract but their offers arent exactly similar. Big Reds 199 price is valid only after you

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Josephine writes, “My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer on Valentine’s Day. Happy V-Day, right?? She, being the eternal matriarch of the family, called each child individually and told us the news. She is VERY upbeat and positive, and so we are, too. I am a mathematics major in college and when she told me the news, my sister and I both wanted tattoos in her honor. At first I wanted a blue whale, it being her favorite animal, but I went with a heart curve. In mathematics, as I’m sure you know, there are 6 heart curves. This is just one of them, and the least ‘busy.’ I am proud to display it on my right forearm for my mother through this trying time.”

Click here to go to the full Science Tattoo Emporium.

Who was IKB, the German bank on the losing end of John Paulson’s Abacus bet?

Mike O’Rourke of BTIG explains, and points out why they’re pissed as hell about the bubble bursting.

One of the “victims” of this alleged fraud is IKB, a bank.  If any institution should know how to analyze credit, it’s a bank.  Even worse is that IKB is one of these serial carry-traders who purchased these types of instruments for the Structured Investment Vehicles and floated paper in the Asset Backed Commercial Paper market against them borrowing short and lending long (see chart).  Those are the institutions that truly put the system at risk.

 Finally, in this scenario, the “independent” third party portfolio selection agent claimed to be unsure of the client’s intentions.  It should not matter what the related party’s views or intentions are, whether long or short.  The fact is the agent’s very job description is to be unbiased and independent.  Instead, just like the ratings agencies, the collateral managers saw the profits that loomed rather than performing the task at hand.  If ACA had simply performed its task of comprehensively and independently evaluating the underlying RMBS, the deal would not have happened.  It is hard to believe they did not know the intentions for the pool when the higher quality subprime RMBS were replaced.  In addition, if AAA ratings were not handed out to everyone who applied, this deal (like so many others) would not have been done.

The chart says it all.

Join the conversation about this story »

Found under: Samsung, Galaxy S, Android, T-Mobile, ,

The Samsung Galaxy S is the second hottest Android smartphone revealed at CTIA 2010 after the HTC EVO 4G and it looks like the device is ready to head to T-Mobile USA customers. The handset is also supposed to arrive from ATT later this year so youll be happy to know you can make a choice when it comes to picking a carrier.The Galaxy S has apparently been confirmed by the Bluetooth SIG which apparently approved a Samsung SCH-T959 device. According to the naming conversion this T959 A

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Found under: Xperia, X10, Multitouch, Android, Sony Ericsson, ,

One of the most interesting Android handsets coming to various market around the world right now is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. The phone definitely has some impressive specs and features to offer us but were still not sure that the device will come with multitouch support or not.And we all know how important multitouch is for a touchscreen smartphone these days dont we According to various reports some more official than others the Xperia X10 lacks the hardware support that wou

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Revisit [moritz.stefaner.eu] is a live visualization of Twitter messages (tweets) surrounding a topic that can be specificied by the users. The visualization can be used to create a unique “Twitter wall” at a conference or workshop, or as a dynamic ambient display at a company headquarters. In contrast to most existing Twitter visualizations, Revisit provides a sense of the temporal dynamics in the twitter stream, and emphasizes the conversational threads established by retweets and @replies.

When new tweets arrive, they are brought to the front and highlighted. Tweets that receive more attention – in form of retweets or @replies – move to the center of the stream and are displayed larger. The tweet’s connections to others (via retweets or @replies) are indicated with colored connections.

Other interesting Twitter visualizations:
. Tweet-o-Meter
. TweetCatcha
. Winter Olympics Treemap
. Mentionmap
. Trendsmap
. Concept Lens
. GoodMorning
. TwitterVision and TwittEarth
. Just Landed
. Twitt3D
. Social Collider
. Social Weather Mapping
. TwitArcs
. TweetWheel
. Twitter Blocks
. Pepsi Zeitgeist
. Twitter Blocks, Tweet Stats, Tweet Volume, Twitter Meter, Tweetpad, Twitter Counter

Our pal Rene at TiPB raises an interesting point: Look at how much of a nerdgasm has been created over these purported iPhone G4 (not iPhone 4G!) pictures that Engadget scored, just as pre-orders began for the Verizon HTC Droid Incredible. Put on your tinfoil hats for a minute, people. Do you really think Apple’s as petty and paranoid about Google, Android and/or Verizon to leak this out on its own? (Personally, I wouldn’t put it past them, though you’d think they’d come up with a better cover story than "lost it in a bar.") Anyhoo, let’s hear it, folks. Whatcha think?

by Kevin Jon Heller

Our friends at the Leiden Journal of International Law — an exceptional journal — have asked us to post the following call for papers:

Special Issue of the Leiden Journal of International Law (2011)

Foucault and International Law

Abstracts due by 12 May 2010; Complete articles by 17 September 2010

The Leiden Journal of International Law is now soliciting articles for a special issue exploring the relevance of Foucault’s oeuvre to international law and legal theory. Apart from its merits for philosophy, political theory and sociology, the importance of Michel Foucault as a legal thinker (both as a thinker of law in his own right and as a thinker whose work can be illuminating for legal studies) is increasingly being felt. With the continuing translation and publication of Foucault’s lecture courses at the Collège de France and the ongoing importance of his already published work, Foucault’s work continues to provide fertile suggestions for rethinking many of our established notions of law, right(s), sovereignty and legal subjectivity. Yet to date there have been, with some notable exceptions, few sustained treatments of Foucault’s relevance to international law and international legal theory. This is the subject of Issue 2 of volume 24 (2011) of the Leiden Journal of International Law (LJIL).

What is the relevance of Foucaultian methodologies (archaeology, genealogy, problematisation) to international law and international legal theory? What does a Foucaultian analytic of international law entail? How can we use it to analyse international legal subjectivity? How does that relate to, inter alia, sovereign statehood and/or human rights law? How can the Foucaultian toolbox contribute to our understanding of the devolution of international public law, its fragmentation and specialisation (e.g. as an instance of governmentality)? What about international law ‘from below’ (the relevance of Foucaultian models of power/resistance, anti-globalisation perspectives and critiques of neoliberalism and the global rule of law, for example). These questions are just a number of suggestions, intended as provocations for thought, within the general theme of ‘Foucault and International law’ we invite contributors to interrogate and critically engage with.

Contributors will be asked to prepare an article of approximately 10,000 words (including footnotes) for publication in the LJIL, consistent with its instructions for authors. Those interested in contributing are requested to respond to this Call for Papers by email to managing editor Christine Tremblay (ljil [at] law [dot] leidenuniv [dot] nl) by 12 May 2010, attaching a 300-word abstract of the article you propose to contribute.

The selected authors are requested to submit the full articles by 17 September 2010. All contributions will be subject to double-blind peer review in accordance with the usual procedures of the LJIL. Please contact the LJIL (guest) editors with any further questions: Tanja Aalberts (taalberts [at] fsw [dot] leidenuniv [dot] nl) and/or Ben Golder ([email protected]).

The Leiden Journal of International Law is published with Cambridge University Press, and provides a forum for two vital areas, namely international legal theory and international dispute settlement. For further information, please visit the journal’s website: http://www.journals.cambridge.org/LJL

It sounds like a fantastic special issue.  My second article, written when I was a grad student at the New School for Social Research, was on Foucault’s concepts of power, subjectification, and resistance.  Forgive the shameless self-promotion, but here is the cite for anyone interested in reading it: 79 SubStance 80 (1996).

Boiling artichokes is one of the easiest ways to cook them. You can boil them plain or stuff them and boil them.

Prepare the Artichokes
Cut off the stems so the artichokes can stand upright in the pan. Next, remove the tough outer leaves near the stem. Rinse the artichokes in cold water and let dry. Cut about a half inch of the tops of the artichokes. If you won’t be using them right away, squeeze lemon juice over the artichokes to prevent them from darkening.

Prepare the Pot
Place about an inch of salted water in a large pot or Dutch oven. For more flavor, you can saute a bit of chopped garlic in some olive oil in the bottom of the pot and then add about an inch of vegetable broth instead of water. Put flame on medium heat and until it is boiling.

Cooking the Artichokes
Once the water is simmering, place the artichokes in the pot, bottoms down. Make sure they can stand upright. If they aren’t, you may need to trip the stem some more so they stand upright.

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let boil for about 30-40 minutes. Large artichokes may take a bit longer and baby artichokes may take as little as 10 minutes so make sure to check every now and then to see if they’re done.

To find out if the artichokes are done, check to see if the inner leaves pull out easily. If so, they are ready. Take them out of the water and place them on a serving dish.

Let cool a few minutes and enjoy!

Bruno has heard rumors that Antonio is, well, kind of cheap.

I know, I know, this dog has had lots of fun with our mayor for living like a high roller – the mansion, a very rich taste in food and wine, world travel, body guards and the rest.  But remember, he doesn’t actually pay for any of that stuff.  You pay for some of it and rich friends pick up lots of tabs.

When it comes to paying out of his own pocket, Antonio is tighter than a chihuahua’s ass. At least that’s what I hear.

And the rumor seems to be confirmed with Antonio’s appointment of $1-a-year jobs czar Austin Beutner to “temporarily” take over the beleaguered DWP in addition to his other responsibilities — including Building and Safety, Airports and the Harbor and 10 others agencies.
.
Golly, if Antonio found a few more guys like Beutner, the budget crisis would be over, the streets and sidewalks would be paved and we’d have the 15,000 cops on the streets to really clean up this town.

While there’s been a lot of speculation that Beutner would replace crazy old David Freeman, Rick Orlov had the exclusive Sunday afternoon.  The mayor must be pissed at the Dog Trainer.

“I’m keeping my office in City Hall,” the new undisputed master of City Hall multitasking told Orlov.  “It’s a short walk or ride from the DWP.”

Well, at least Beutner knows where the building is.  That’s a start.

And he wasn’t particularly flattering about how the mayor has handled the recent crisis.  You can do that when you’re only making a buck a year and doing the jobs of a dozen or people.

Orlov said Beutner would not discuss the recent dispute over the increase in the Energy Cost Adjustment Factor, other than to say he believed it could have been handled better.

“I think now is a time to take a step back,” he told Orlov. “What I want to do is make sure the mayor, the commission and the City council are all sharing the same information and make sure we avoid falling in to the same sort of trap.”

That would be nice.

And Beutner said he met with guy who really runs the department — Brian D’Arcy, IBEW Local 18 business manager.

“People have made labor the issue,” Beutner said, “and I don’t think it’s the top issue facing the agency.”

Huh?  Labor became the issue when D’Arcy’s union was getting 6 percent raises when the economy tanked and more big pay raises for the next 35 dog years while other city employees were getting fired. 

No wonder Beutner told Orlov that he believes he can “establish a positive working relationship” with the union boss. After all, D’Arcy has been running the place while the guys supposedly in charge got run out at the rate of one a year for a decade.

“What people don’t realize is that at the DWP, labor is only 25 percent of its cost,” Beutner said. “And, they do a good job in their work. What I want to do is look at the other three-quarters of the agency and make sure costs are in line. People have made labor the issue and I don’t think it’s the top issue facing the agency.”

Beutner better watch out.  D’Arcy gets what he wants – and he doesn’t trust people who work for one dollar a year. Thinks they must be stupid..

Woof!

Here’s the difference between the pros and the amateurs who can’t never find their fucking Lego pieces. Enjoy, the supply room of a Lego maniac: More »

A Citroen divulgou as primeiras imagens e informações de seu novo conceito chamado de Citroen Metropolis Concept, um sedã hibrido de alto luxo e que será apresentado pela companhia francesa no Salão do Automóvel de Xangai.

De dimensões avantajadas, o Citroen Metropole Concept terá uma distancia de entre-eixos maior que o Mercedes-Benz Classe C e o novo Audi A8, e com os mesmos 2m de largura do Maybach 62. O conceito é inteiramente desenvolvido pelo estúdio do Grupo PSA de Xangai, e adotou a mesma plataforma utilizada pelo grupo nos modelos Citroen C6 e Peugeot 407.

Sua motorização hibrida combina o propulsor a combustão V6 de 2.0 litros a um elétrico que juntos, geram uma potencia de até 460 cavalos. De acordo com a companhia, seu desempenho é comparável a de um motor V8 de 4.0 litros, mas com reduzidos níveis de consumo e de emissão de CO2. O conjunto trabalha com uma transmissão de sete velocidades e dupla embreagem, além de um sistema de tração nas quatro rodas.

Citroen Metropolis Concept

Fonte: 4WheelsNews