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  • DeMint Taps Buck in Colorado

    Washington – A little known conservative from Colorado running for U.S. Senate is hoping a big name endorsement will give his campaign a bump in name identification and fundraising.

    Colorado prosecutor Ken Buck is running to unseat Democratic Senator Michael Bennett. Buck’s main opponent is former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), who outraised Buck significantly in the last quarter of 2009.

    Conservative Senator Jim Demint (R) of South Carolina announced his endorsement of Buck today during a conference call with reporters and bloggers.

    “I saw the same thing with Marco Rubio, a person willing to get into a David and Goliath fight because he believes in the principals.” Said Senator Demint.

    Demint has become a kingmaker in the conservative movement and his Senate Conservatives Fund has given money to a number of races this year. The biggest influence has been in Florida where DeMint was an early backer of the former Speaker of the Florida House, Marco Rubio.

    Florida Governor Charlie Crist was the prohibitive favorite for the GOP Senatorial nomination in Florida last summer, earning the early endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Rubio has since caught and passed Crist in the polls, fueled in part by DeMint’s early endorsement and Tea Party support.

    Buck can use any help he can get when it comes to fundraising, his campaign hasn’t released first quarter 2010 fundraising totals yet but only raised about $40,000 in the final quarter of 2009. On the other hand Buck’s Republican opponent Jane Norton reported $816,000 in the first quarter.

  • Google Maps fail: Looking for MapQuest?

    Google Mapquest results

    One of our readers sent us this screenshot of a typical Google search, and we agreed that it was worth a chuckle. As you can see, rather than giving Google Maps results, Google instead served results pointing to the MapQuest map of the address. Funny.

    [Thanks, Buddy!]


    Tags:

    Google Maps fail: Looking for MapQuest? originally appeared on Gear Live on Wed, April 14, 2010 – 1:43:12


  • Honda unveils EV-neo electric scooter, leases start in Japan in Dec. 2010

    Honda yesterday took the wraps off its new EV-neo electric scooter prototype and said that it plans to start leasing it in Japan in December 2010.

    The Honda EV-neo electric-scooter is equipped with a lithium-ion battery (by Toshiba) and a brushless motor that allows it to travel over 18 miles on a single charge. That means you can travel 9 miles away from your house because you’re going to need the other 9 miles to get back. Charging from a standard 100V power source will take about 4 hours.

    While Honda didn’t announced any performance figures, it said that the “EV-neo provides performance equivalent to that of mass-market under-50cc gasoline engine motorcycles.”

    Honda hopes to target the EV-neo towards individual business owners who provide mainly delivery services.

    Make the jump for the press release.

    Press Release:

    Honda Plans to Begin Sales of Commercial Use Electric Scooter, EV-neo, in December 2010

    TOKYO, Japan, April 13, 2010 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. revealed the latest prototype of the EV-neo electric scooter and announced plans to begin lease sales in Japan in December 2010 to businesses and individual business owners who provide mainly delivery services.

    Honda developed the EV-neo, an electric scooter designed to provide the durability necessary for business use, envisioning a wide range of uses by businesses such as delivery services. Equipped with a lithium-ion battery and a brushless motor, EV-neo realizes excellent environmental performance with zero CO2 emissions in use. The battery is rechargeable using a household power source with attention given to the range per charge. Moreover, EV-neo provides performance equivalent to that of mass-market under-50cc gasoline engine motorcycles realizing a powerful ride even with cargo by leveraging the characteristics of a high-torque motor even at a low speed ride.

    Under the key words of “quiet and clean” Honda held the world premier exhibition of the EV-neo concept model (under the name EVE-neo) at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show in 2009 as one of Honda’s new-generation personal mobility products which will contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society while transporting people and cargo. The mass-market model of EV-neo is currently under development.

    Honda will continue providing products with excellent environmental performance to more customers in order to contribute to global CO2 emission reduction efforts.

    .

    [ Key specifications of EV-neo Prototype ]

    Dimensions (L×W×H) 1,820×693×1,066 (mm)
    Range Over 30km (at 30km/h on a flat road) per charge
    Battery type/make Lithium-ion battery manufactured by Toshiba
    Charge performance charged in approximately 4 hours (100V power source)

    – By: Kap Shah


  • Consumer Reports calls out Microsoft for “advocating sexting” in Kin ad

    When a man loves a woman very, very much and he’s not really thinking of repercussions and the state their relationship might be in a few months down the road, he sends her pictures of his netherparts via his cell phone. This act, friends, has come into the mainstream lately with its very own buzzword: sexting.

    Sexting can be a pretty bad thing, primarily because it’s purportedly becoming more common amongst the highschool crowd, where relationships move fast and end faster.

    Today, Consumer Reports is calling out Microsoft, saying one of their ads for the Kin “comes uncomfortably close to advocating sexting.”

    The ad in question is embedded below. It’s totally safe for work, unless your work has something against hipsters and their sleepy-time music. The specific bit they’re talking about comes right after the 30 second mark.

    What Consumer Reports has to say in the post on their Electronics Blog:

    “The video, on a promotional site for the new phones, includes a downright creepy sequence in which a young man is shown putting a Kin under his shirt and apparently snapping a picture of one of his naked breasts. The breast is then shown on the phone’s screen, just before the guy apparently sends it to someone. Next we see the face of a young woman, seemingly the recipient, with an amused expression on her face.”

    So, in other words: Guy lifts his shirt, jams his Kin 2 in there, and then snaps a shot of his man-boob. The crazy editing makes things a bit tough to follow from there on out, but it’s implied that he’s sending his oh-so-original man-boob imagery to the lady-person in the next cut.

    Is it a big deal? I don’t personally think so – but I recognize the fact that if the tables were turned and it was the lady-person popping the camera up her shirt (or the man-person taking a snap of his underbits rather than his upperbits) and sending it off to friends, people would — rightly or not — be going Bonkers McCrazyface over it.

    I’ll leave my wordy opinions out of the matter for once, and turn the conversation over to you guys. What say you?

    [Image via Consumer Reports]


  • Más imágenes del Roewe 350 y datos oficiales

    Roewe_350

    Al final la información sobre el Roewe 350 ha tardado en llegar, puesto que desde hace un mes se iban colando imágenes del modelo, algunos datos sobre su peculiar equipamiento o incluso las motorizaciones pero ahora ya podemos adelantaros nuevas imágenes del modelo, sobretodo del interior, y los datos de los motores que empleará esta berlina.

    En primer lugar tenemos el motor 1.5i de 16V que entregará una potencia de 103 CV, aunque también habrá disponible una variante turboalimentada de este mismo motor pero entregando una potencia de 135 CV. Pero donde destaca el 350 es en el diseño y el equipamiento, exteriormente han conseguido una línea muy lograda con rasgos más bien occidentales pero al menos es original (no como otras marcas).

    Roewe_350

    El interior también parece cuidado, aun así habrá que verlo en persona porque es un interior claro al estilo chino y seguro que los materiales no son todo los buenos en relación a los modelos europeos, también es de suponer que las unidades que lleguen a Europa en 2011 y sean fabricadas en Reino Unido tendrán mejor calidad.

    El equipamiento será bastante completo, y llama poderosamente la atención ver que el ESP es un elemento de serie, o el control de tracción, las llantas de aleación, entre otros elementos. Tampoco podemos olvidarnos de que dispondrá de DVD y de un sistema multimedia, el Roewe 350 DVD/GPS, que contará con el sistema Android, con el que podremos obtener datos del tráfico en tiempo real o navegar en internet desde el coche.

    Esperemos que finalmente se mantenga la fecha prevista y para 2011 no sólo llegue Inglaterra y también lo tengamos disponible en el resto de Europa bajo la marca MG.

    Roewe_350

    Vía | Autoblog en español



  • Mining Safety Agency Releases List of Worst Mines in the Country (Including Upper Big Branch)

    In February, White House mining safety officials told leaders on the House Education and Labor Committee some startling news: There were 48 mines across the nation, they said, that would likely be subject to the “pattern of violations” standard allowing the government to shutter the projects for the sake of miner safety. But they couldn’t do so, they added, because the backlog of appeals was preventing any such action.

    “We believe some operators contesting [significant and substantial] violations may be doing so because it delays the finding of a pattern, adding to the backlog and delaying MSHA from using this enhanced enforcement tool at their mines,” Joe Main, head of the Mining Safety and Health Administration, told lawmakers. “As a result, there are operations that might be on a potential pattern of violations, but the backlog has prevented their cases from becoming final orders.”

    At the time, however, MSHA officials declined to release the names of those mines, even to congressional leaders.

    Today that changed.

    MSHA on Wednesday released the names of those 48 projects to Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the panel, who, citing a “deep public interest,” promptly made them public. Of note, Massey’s Upper Big Branch Mine, which exploded last week, killing 29 miners, is on the list. The full list is here (PDF).

    Miller’s office offers some useful background on how the mining companies have abused the appeals process to keep even unsafe mines open and operating.

    Under current law, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration issues a letter to frequent violators warning them that they may be sanctioned under a so-called ‘pattern of violation’. Once a mine is notified that they may be under a pattern of violation, the mine must take immediate actions to reduce future violations – approved by federal mine safety officials – or face drastic sanctions including mine closure for any future significant and substantial violation.

    The list released by the committee today are those 48 mines that would have received this notice of a potential pattern of violation sanctions in October 2009 but for contested citations that had not been resolved due to delays caused by the backlog of more than 16,000 operator appeals.

    This story is long from over.

  • Shannen Doherty Self-Help Book “Badass” Coming November 2010

    Beverly Hills, 90210 baddie Shannen Doherty is bringing her life story of child stardom, teenage angst, and historic temper tantrums to the shelves of your favorite bookseller.

    The notorious Hollywood hellraiser has teamed up with Random House Books to pull the lid back on her life in Tinseltown on the pages of a new self-help book adeptly-titled Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the Right) Attitude.

    Here’s a synopsis: “Shannen Doherty has emerged a renewed woman on a mission. In her first book ever, she reveals her own evolution from bad girl to badass, sharing her secrets to happiness and success. Badass is a straightforward, but exciting journey to finding your inner badass and living life with moxie and style…. Woven throughout her tips and advice for living the badass lifestyle are photos, providing an intimate look at Hollywood’s favorite female badass.”

    Bookworms can pick up Badass when it arrives everywhere literature is sold on Nov. 2.

    CLICK HERE To Pre-Order……

  • Brief Controversy? Holder Avoids One Issue

     

    Eric Holder

     

    Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee promised it would be a “significant issue” the next time Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before them, but when Holder finally made it there Wednesday morning no one asked him about his failure to disclose a terror-related legal brief during his confirmation.

    Only Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., mentioned the issue at all.

    “There can be no doubt that treating terrorists as regular criminals will reduce our ability to obtain intelligence,” Sessions said in his opening statement. “And six years ago you acknowledged that fact in a Supreme Court brief — a brief you failed to disclose as required during your confirmation process — you candidly admitted that the civilian criminal system possesses inherent limitations.”

    Five weeks earlier, after the Justice Department acknowledged that several briefs should have been provided to the committee, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said he was “deeply disappointed” in Holder.

    Kyl said Holder would be grilled at the Judiciary Committee’s next hearing with him, which at the time was scheduled for March 23 but was then postponed until Wednesday.

    “Attorney General Holder will have a lot of questions to answer then about why he failed to disclose his prior representation of [Jose] Padilla to the committee, and, more importantly, why he has changed his views about the national security risks that we face because of this Administration’s handling of terrorism cases,” Kyl said in a statement issued March 12.

    Appearing on Fox News Channel two weeks later, Kyl wondered whether Holder “deliberately” failed to disclose the brief.

    “We’re going to be talking to him about that,” said Kyl, referring to the upcoming Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Similarly, Stephen Boyd, a spokesman for Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement at the time that Holder’s omissions were “simply unacceptable,” adding that they would be “a significant issue” at the next hearing, set for March 23.

    During Wednesday’s hearing, though, Holder was not asked about the issue at all. He was, however, questioned extensively about other major national security issues, particularly the use of civilian courts as a counterterrorism tool.

    Each senator was allowed only seven minutes of questioning, which included Holder’s sometimes long-winded responses.

    In fact, at one point, Kyl had to stop Holder from continuing to answer a question Kyl himself posed about border security.

    “Could I just interrupt you,” Kyl said. “I just got seven minutes, as you know.”

    The briefs that Holder failed to disclose — signed by Holder and other Clinton-era officials — argued that the president lacked authority to hold Padilla, a U.S citizen declared an “enemy combatant,” indefinitely without charge.

    In making their case, Holder and the others insisted that using federal courts to fight terrorism would not “impair” the government’s ability to obtain intelligence, but they also acknowledged a possible risk in using the federal court system.

    “It may be true that in some cases the government will not be able to obtain information from citizens who are informed of their right to counsel, or that obtaining that information may be delayed,” the brief said. “But this is an inherent consequence of the limitation of executive power. No doubt many other steps could be taken that would increase our security, and could enable us to prevent terrorist attacks that might otherwise occur. But our nation has always been prepared to accept some risk as the price of guaranteeing that the executive does not have arbitrary power to imprison citizens.”

    Republicans have said that assessment undermines Holder’s recent statements expressing confidence in the ability of federal courts to fight terrorism.

    Last month, a Justice Department spokesman said the omitted briefs were “unfortunately and inadvertently missed.”

    Kyl said he was skeptical.

    “Are we expected to believe that then-nominee Holder, with only a handful of Supreme Court briefs to his name, forgot about his role in one of this country’s most publicized terrorism cases?” Kyl said at the time. “Or that he was not reminded about it when he later received our letter about recusals? That strains credulity.”

    On Wednesday, a spokesman for Sessions declined to comment for this article. An email and a phone call to Kyl’s office were not immediately returned.

    A Justice Department spokeswoman would not say whether, before Wednesday’s hearing, Holder had prepared to respond to questions about the omitted briefs.

  • Hands-on with the WebStation Android Tablet

    By Tim Conneally, Betanews

    Camangi Webstation with Stylus

    Expectations are a very dangerous thing indeed. As a user, if you expect a new device to do something — however unrealistic that expectation may be — you are bound to be disappointed when you find that it doesn’t.

    With Internet tablets, it’s not really clear what users should expect when they pick one up for the first time. A couple of years ago, they were built on truncated versions of desktop operating systems, so users based their expectations on their desktop experience. Now, tablets are being built upon mobile operating systems, and expectations are shifting.

    So I’m just going to start out by saying the Camangi WebStation seriously disappointed me at first. It did not live up to my expectations of what an “Android Tablet” should be. If I was expecting a device with a different purpose, I would surely not have been as disappointed as I was.

    Here’s what hit me about the WebStation when I first powered it up: There are only eight full-fledged apps built in, there’s no Android Market, there’s no YouTube…and the 7-inch touchscreen is resistive.

    If you would have asked me to describe a tablet computer five years ago, a stylus would have probably been the second thing in my description. But because this is 2010, and this is an Android device, I had just assumed it was designed for fingers.

    You can use it with your fingers, but it’s nowhere near as responsive as it is when you use the stylus.

    Note Everything on WebStation

    The chassis is plasticky but mostly solid. The corner where the WebStation’s built-in microphone is situated has quite a bit of give to it, and if that were shored up, then it would actually be a very sturdy handheld. It’s just a tiny bit thicker than the iPhone, Nexus One, and Motorola Droid, so it does not feel flimsy.

    Camangi Webstation (back)

    Unfortunately, though, the chassis layout is poor, and the swap from landscape to portrait mode is completely counterintuitive.

    Instead of flipping the device into portrait mode with the “home,” “menu,” and “back” keys across the bottom where you’d expect them to be, they have to be flipped the opposite way so they’re at the top. If you set the device up in portrait mode with the supplied kickstand, the USB 2.0 and mini USB ports are free for use along the top, but the volume rocker switch located on the opposite edge is completely inaccessible.

    Camangi Webstation with USB Keyboard

    USB ports are an attractive feature on this device, and you can hook up common peripherals to enhance your experience. Device support, however, is unpredictable at best. A USB keyboard and mouse were both immediately recognized and usable; but a USB webcam, USB-to-DVI converter, and Skype headset were not. WebStation has 802.11b/g wi-fi and an app for detecting USB dongles, but no built-in 3G wireless. The app recognized a Qualcomm 3G modem I tested with it, but I could not establish a connection.

    USB connections could be a saving grace

    The WebStation’s home screen has a Google search bar across the top, and a dock across the bottom. The middle section of the screen is where twelve app icons or shortcuts are arranged; and when you add more, the screen is paginated. Unfortunately, the home screen does not have a portrait layout, and if you tilt the WebStation on the main screen, nothing happens.

    The browser, media player, photo gallery, and e-mail client on the WebStation are all from “Cupcake” (Android 1.5), and work just about the same. However, every single site the browser pulls up is first rejected as an untrusted source (even Google and Gmail!). So you have to click through and accept every one. For Web services that are usually Android apps like Twitter and Facebook, this quickly becomes tiresome.

    Camangi Webstation Gmail error

    As I said before, Android Market is not available, so you can only download .apk packages from Camangi’s WebStation site or from other third-party Web-based app stores. On one hand, this puts a huge damper on the WebStation’s usability; on the other, it prevents it from getting apps it cannot handle. Since this is an international device, it also is subject to different Market rules in different countries. Omitting Android Market altogether simplifies this for the company.

    But it makes installing apps a supreme hassle. I tried to install a number of indispensable apps like Opera Mini and Pandora, and none of them worked. The only apps that worked were the ones that also happened to be available in Camangi’s store. This is rather unfortunate, because the two real third-party apps WebStation includes are pretty much the best parts of the device, if more apps were easy to obtain, the device could conceivably be much more enjoyable.

    The WebStation includes the Aldiko e-reader software and the Fring VoIP client as the main third-party applications.

    It wasn’t until I started using these that I realized WebStation can’t really compete in the arena of tablets, but when you look at it instead as an e-reader, it’s actually pretty decent.

    Aldiko vs. Kindle

    The Aldiko app alone is enough to make a strong e-reader, but WebStation also includes a shortcut to the Google Books Web app on its home screen, so a lot of free content is easy to reach. Aldiko is linked to Feedbooks.com, O’Reilly EBooks, All Romance Ebooks, and Smashwords for free downloads, and it supports e-books encoded in epub, lit, pdf, mobi, rtf, txt, html, fb2, prc, odt, cbr and cbz. Any titles downloaded within the app are saved to the WebStation’s included 8 GB microSD.

    Camangi Webstation and Kindle 2 thickness

    In terms of actually reading on the WebStation, it’s quite good. It rests easily in the hand or it can be stood up if you’re reading while on the treadmill or cooking. It is a lot thicker than Amazon’s Kindle 2, and its four-hour battery life can’t even hold a candle to the Kindle’s week long charge. However, the full-color backlit screen, full Web browser, and ability to install third-party software make the WebStation a bit more useful as a communications tool, an area where the Kindle 2 is still weak.

    With all this taken into account, I don’t actually think of the Camangi WebStation as a competitor in the burgeoning Android Tablet market, where big PC manufacturers like Asus, HP, and Dell will soon be launching products. Instead, it belongs in the Android e-reader market alongside the Barnes & Noble Nook and Spring Design Alex. At least among those, it’s competitively priced ($275 through Amazon.com) and comparably specced.

    Camangi Webstation homescreen

    (624 MHz Marvell PXA303, 128 MB Mobile DDR, 256 MB NAND Flash, included 8 GB microSD)

    Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010



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  • Boston Tea Party: Palin Speaks, Brown in DC

    The original Boston Tea Party in 1773 was a protest about taxation without representation. It helped spark the American Revolution.

    Today’s Tea Party activists aimed to harness some of that revolutionary spirit on the Boston Common, calling for limited government and lower taxes.

    Sarah Palin was the highlight of the rally, which drew thousands of people carrying signs and waving flags.

    “Boston, if anybody knows how to throw a tea party, it’s you,” said Palin who was greeted with loud cheers through much of her speech as she slammed the Obama administration, Democrats and incumbents.

    “Americans now spend 100 days out of the year working for government before we even start earning money for ourselves, for our families,” lamented Palin, who’s anti-tax sentiment resonated with the crowd on the day before Tax Day.

    The Greater Boston Tea Party boasts 1,800 people and leader Christen Varley says they are growing everyday.

    “This is about reaching as many people as possible,” Varley said. She says the movement is a battle against big government and too many taxes. In the midst of a struggling economy she’s critical of elected officials she believes are not doing enough. “We elected these guys and gals and they’re not doing what we elected them to do.”

    The crowd numbered several thousand, a welcome surprise to some protesters in a state dominated by Democrats.

    “It was very important I think because it shows that there is a market here in Massachusetts, a deep blue state, for people who care about the same things as some of the redder states in the country,” said Stephen Moynahan of Marlborough, Massachusetts. “And I’m really encouraged to see everybody coming out here.”

    There was one notable absence.

    While Tea Party support and advertising is credited with helping Scott Brown secure the U.S. Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy, the newly minted senator did not attend today’s raucous event.

    Instead, Senator Brown was busy with his new job on Capitol Hill, attending the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Some political strategists say he must be wary of appearing too closely affiliated with groups that could damage his 2012 re-election bid.

    Many of those attending today’s rally are not miffed by his absence. They say he still has a lot to prove to Massachusetts’ voters and understand if he doesn’t want to rock the boat.

    “Seeing as he’s the first Republican in decades I see how he would not want to tip his hat to a polarizing figure,” said Will Grapentine of Bristol, Rhode Island. “I came because until recently with Scott Brown’s election New England has not been ready for a sea-change and to have a big figure like Sarah Palin here, that gives it legitimacy. It gives credence to how New England is ready for a new ways of thinking in government.”

    The nationwide Tea Party Express tour wraps up tomorrow in Washington, D.C. with a Tax Day Tea Party rally from 7p.m. to 9:30p.m. at the Washington monument.

  • NHL+BlackBerry+BBM=The BlackBerry All-Access Pre Game Show

    I’m not really a sports fan, but I do like hockey. It’s better live and my first hockey game was associated with RIM, so this turn of events is exciting to me. The National Hockey League is launching a new web series which is tied to the playoffs and they have a new sponsor being brought to the program: BlackBerry.

    It’s no secret that Jim Balsillie loves hockey. He loves it so much he even tried to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. It’s only natural that BlackBerry be sponsoring the NHL in some way.

    The BlackBerry All-Access Pre Game Show will be on Wednesday, April 14th (yes today) at 4:30 p.m. and is tied to the first round of the playoff games. The host will be Deb Placey and will originate from the NHL and powered by the Reebok store in New York. There will be one every day there is a playoff game.

    You can catch the show on NHL.com, the official NHL YouTube page, the NHL Facebook page, and some other sports sites that carry the syndicated content such as SBNation.com, Ticketmaster.com, and theScore.com.

    But there’s more to this story, the NHL is going to be using the BlackBerry Messenger (our beloved BBM) during the show. The reporters in the field will be using the BBM to send updates to the host, Deb Placey, who in turn will pass the updates to those watching.

    The NHL is also devising a virtual “insider” by the name of Stanley10 that BlackBerry users can add to their contact list on BBM and receive breaking news and tips of the day straight to you through your BBM.

    I’m excited about this. I think it’s a really interesting move and since I had come to know hockey through RIM, and knowing Balsillie’s love of hockey, this was a move destined to happen. And bringing hockey to the web as a pre game show and using BBM is a new and fascinating way to include BlackBerry users into the action, I’m curious to see how it turns out as it could mean a whole new way to use your BBM aside of your contacts.

    I’d like to know who else has any thoughts on this event. Please share them with us.

    [Broadcasting & Cable via Berry Review]

    You’re reading a story which originated at BlackBerrySync.com, Where you find BlackBerry News You Can Sync With…

    This story is sponsored by the new BlackBerry Sync Mobile App Store. Grab your free copy today at www.GetAppStore.com from your BlackBerry.

    NHL+BlackBerry+BBM=The BlackBerry All-Access Pre Game Show

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  • Allegations of push polling in the 5th

    Republican congressional candidate Mark Greenberg is under fire for conducting a “push poll” that implies his GOP opponent, Sam Caligiuri, defended Philip Giordano, who is currently serving a 37-year prison term for sexually abusing two young girls while he was mayor of Waterbury.

    “This is a really disgusting tactic by a candidate who’s desperate because he is isn’t going anywhere in this race,” said Tiffany Romero Grossman, spokeswoman for the Caligiuri campaign. “It really smacks as politics as usual which is really ironic coming from the guy who claims to be the political outsider in this race.”

    The telephone poll of registered Republicans in the 5th Congressional District was conducted by Promark Research Corp. of Texas. The Greenberg campaign did not release the text of the poll but, according to several sources, respondents are asked if knowing that Caligiuri “defended” Giordano would make them “more or less likely” to vote for him. Caligiuri toom over as Waterbury’s acting mayor after Giordano’s arrest. 

     Marc Greenberg, who is managing Greenberg’s campaign, said the poll is part of the candidate’s “fact-gathering” process.

    “Sam will discus on a regular basis how he became mayor of Waterbury,” Katz said. “How come when we mention it in a poll it becomes a story? This is simply our way of gathering information.”

    But why mention Giordano, one of Connecticut’s most notorious criminals, in the context of a highly charged political campaign? Giordano isn’t on any ballot this fall; he’s in a federal prison in Marion, Ill.”

    “The purpose was for us to gather information,” Katz said, who noted the poll also presented a series of statements about the record of Justin Bernier, another GOP candidate running in the 5th District. “We have candidates who are out there, who have a history. We ask questions about the history.”

     

     

      

    “We paint a picture of our candidate, we paint a picture of other candidates,” Katz said.

    Indeed, the pollsters also sketched a portrait of Greenberg, a wealthy political newcomer from Litchfield who has said he will sink $1 million into his campaign.

    According to Katz, they described Greenberg as a 56-year-old successful businessman and has a foundation that saves animals. “It paints a picture,” Katz said. “This is the candidate, that’s his story.”

    Katz went on to say that such facts are relevant because Greenberg was never held elective office and doesn’t have a voting record.

    Push polls — which aim to measure public opinion and alter a respondent’s views by selectively a set of facts or allegations — are highly controversial. In New Hampshire, such polls are highly regulated.

     

  • Gov. Rell Immediately Signs Bill That Makes Technical Changes To The State’s Campaign Finance Law

    State lawmakers voted to change a provision in Connecticut’s campaign finance law to give themselves more time to decide how to fix the law if a federal appeals court judge decides it is unconstitutional.

    Last fall, a judge for the U.S. District Court ruled that the law’s voluntary public financing provision would put minor-party candidates at an unconstitutional disadvantage against better-financing major party candidates. The state appealed the decision and is waiting for a response.

    Under current law, lawmakers would only have seven days to act once a decision is made, or the state would revert back to old campaign finance laws. Prior to 2005, candidates were allowed to collect money from lobbyists, special-interest groups and state contractors.

    Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell immediately signed the bill Wednesday.

    To minimize the time crunch, both legislative chambers passed a bill this week that would give lawmakers a 30-day window before reverting to old laws if a decision comes down between April 15 and Aug 10, the day of this year’s primaries. After that time period, lawmakers would only have 15 days to act.

    The bill would also allow candidates running for office to keep any money received through the citizens election program prior to any limitations or prohibitions taking effect.

    Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted 137-12 in favor of the bill with little discussion. The Senate approved the changes 24-11 Wednesday, but its debate included failed amendments that would have eliminated the public financing part of the state’s campaign finance law.

    “I believe in my heart of hearts that we need this money for other things,” said Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, who voted against the bill.

    Rep. James Spallone, D-Essex, co-chairman of the government administration and elections committee, called the bill reasonable and necessary. House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, agreed, but stressed that the bill does not fix the law.

    “It’s just delaying the time bomb,” he said.

    House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, said that lawmakers have not agreed on how to fix the law yet. Discussions are ongoing.

    The technical changes allow lawmakers to wait for a court decision, said Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn.

    “It makes all the sense in the world to wait for that opinion and not take a shot in the dark,” he said.

    The bill now heads to Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s desk.

    “Governor Rell was disappointed that more was not done to save the integrity of the program, but she does support lawmakers’ intention to have more time to address the federal court’s decision– whatever that may be,” said Rell’s spokesman, Adam Liegeot.

  • Como NO lavar un Enzo Ferrari

    enzoferrari

    La verdad que la Web siempre deja notas curiosas y hoy os mostramos algo que sinceramente nunca me había planteado, ¿Como lavaríais vuestro hipotético superdeportivo? Lavar el coche es algo de las tareas más comunes que existe pero al tratarse de un supercoche, ¿lo meteríais en un túnel de lavado?, ¿lo dejaríais en manos de otra persona para que os lo lavara? o ¿lo lavaríais vosotros mismos? Si es la última opción la que escogéis tened cuidado.

    En el vídeo que os mostramos a continuación, se puede ver como el propietario de un Enzo Ferrari se dispone a lavar su coche a mano, y visto el resultado, creo que no es la mejor opción que podéis escoger.

    Vía | GT Spirit



  • Report: All-new MG roadster in the works with gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrains

    Filed under: , , , , ,

    Hot on the heels of a report from one British car mag declaring the new MG6 – the company’s first clean-sheet new product since its acquisition by Chinese automaker Nanjing – possibly the best-handling vehicle in its class come new reports that another all-new product is in the works for the iconic British marque.

    According to Auto Express – which has, mind you, been known to jump the gun on the old rumor mill – engineers at MG are working on a new roadster. Unlike the aging Rover Metro-based TF (pictured above) and the plans to update the same, the new MG will go with a front-engine setup with a variety of powertrains on offer. Among them, a GM-sourced turbodiesel, a hybrid system similar to that found on the Honda CR-Z, and a gasoline V6. Sources expect to see the new MG roadster on the road by 2013… in the UK, at least. But if it proves as promising as the aforementioned MG6, we could have another hot Euro roadster to pine for Stateside.

    What about the X120 project, supposedly aborted due to lack of funds? That could be back on the table as well, stretching the TF’s mid-engine platform into more versatile dimensions. One roadster at a time, blokes.

    [Source: Auto Express]

    Report: All-new MG roadster in the works with gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrains originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • “If Treasury could miraculously unload its entire stake in Citi (C) right now, it would make a profit of nearly $13 b…

    “If Treasury could miraculously unload its entire stake in Citi (C) right now, it would make a profit of nearly $13 billion” — Dan Gross

    Join the conversation about this story »

  • OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Motorola Droid

    OtterBox Commuter Series Case for Motorola DroidNeed a sleek case that protects as good as it looks? The OtterBox Commuter Series fits that bill. Three sturdy but slender layers offer tough protection while allowing full movement of the slide-out screen, access to all buttons, and openings for all ports. The OtterBox Commuter Series Case for the Motorola Droid is available now in the Android Central Store for $32.95. (Sponsored post)

  • Google updates gmail Web app

    gmail web app

    When Google thinks mobile, it thinks more than just Android. And that’s evident by a recent update to the gmail Web app. The biggest new feature is that the address view has been redesigned, expanding so that you can actually see who you’re sending a message to. Other improvements:

    • Remove the contact you just added by tapping Backspace.
    • Press the ‘+’ button to see your top contacts, or hide them by pressing the ‘–’ button.
    • If for some reason autocomplete fails you and the person you are trying to reach is a Gmail user, just type their Gmail username and a comma, and we’ll take care of the pesky @ sign and the rest (so [hikingfan] becomes [[email protected]].)
    • The page now fills the entire screen, giving you more space to see what you’re writing.

    Take a look for yourself at gmail in your Android browser. [Google Mobile blog]

  • Google’s Insane Number of Servers Visualized [Google]

    You already just sort of know, logically and instinctively, that Google’s got a ridiculous number of servers working for them. That doesn’t make it any less mind-boggling when visualized. Get ready for a lot of scrolling. More »







  • Robonaut ready for duty










     

    NASA / msnbc.com
      Click for video: Engineers
    from NASA and GM discuss
    the Robonaut project.




    When Discovery’s six astronauts take the final space shuttle ride to orbit in September, there’ll be one more rider sitting in the back of the bus: Robonaut 2, the semi-humanoid robot created by NASA and GM.


    The 300-pound (137-kilogram) robot, known as R2 for short, is being outfitted for its first tour of duty on the International Space Station – a tour that marks one small step toward a world where robots and humans work side by side in space.

    …(read more)