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The RonKayeLA/OurLA news desk got a call the other day from a reporter asking questions about our mayor’s travels, obviously hoping to put together a piece accusing Antonio of globe trotting while the city sinks deeper into economic depression.

These hit pieces are clichés: They don’t take much work and they’re almost impossible to disprove.

But as far as this dog is concerned, Antonio could travel to the moon first-class – and bring girlfriend Lu Parker and her dog Monkey – if it meant more jobs for Los Angeles.

If you haven’t noticed, it’s gruesome out there. The jobless rate in LA is now at 13.4 percent. Grrrrrrrr!

Don’t think it’s that bad?  I heard of somebody who put an ad on Craigslist last week for a barely paid intern and got applications from as far away as Georgia – and that was from a lawyer.

And for all the talk about how Bill Bratton eliminated crime, three guys robbed the Tiffany jewelery store at 6:30 last night – in the Westfield Century City shopping mall! (Three hours free parking but I’m sure they didn’t spend that long there.) Who knows about the culprits’ job status, but if we don’t do something soon, LA could end up being more dangerous than downtown Johannesburg. (Guess we’d have to lure Bratton back.)

That’s why I began growling and barking this morning when I read that Antonio cancelled a trip to Washington to deal with unemployment because it’s raining.  

OK, I know it’s raining pretty hard (I spend a lot of time in the doghouse in the backyard), but it’s not like the mayor’s going to jump into a swollen storm drain and save a puppy – unless it’s Monkey — even if he is in better shape because of meatless Mondays and yoga.  

He’s staying because he doesn’t want to miss the opportunity for press conferences wearing one of those cool firefighter turnout coats he looks ridiculous in.

Antonio was going to Washington to, among other things, lobby for what’s called the 30/10 Initiative, which, simply put, means we’d do the three decades of transit work approved by you folks in Measure R in just one decade.

The proponents of this plan say it would create 127,800 transit construction jobs in Los Angeles County alone and at least 2,800 permanent operations and maintenance jobs.

That’s a lot of kibble on a lot of tables.  Let’s get the guy on a plane – now!

Meanwhile, the mayor did find time though to appear on an episode of “All My Children,” which just moved production to LA.  That creates some jobs and our newly svelte mayor (meatless Mondays and yoga) loves the attention.

Maybe that’s why he and the Council are today ordering everyone in city government to do cartwheels for Hollywood. We need more production jobs in LA and the mayor will probably get an Actor’s Equity card for being so helpful.

Woof!

A Glen Ellyn church music director and his roommate have been charged with possession of child pornography, authorities said today.

Brian Milnikel, 45, music director at St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic School in the western suburb, and Christopher Kontopoulos, 20, both of the 800 block of Nelli Court in Naperville, had bonds of $200,000 and $100,000 respectively set for them this morning by DuPage Judge Liam Brennan.

(An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported the name of the church.)

Assistant States Attorney Brian Perkins told Brennan that Naperville police have been investigating the pair since October.

“They both admitted downloading the videos and that they watched them together,” Perkins said.

Milnikel told Brennan that he was the full-time music director at the school and had been a music instructor for over 20 years.

Barry Lewis, an attorney representing Kontopoulos told Brennan that if his client posts bond, he was going to move in with his parents in Glenview.

“Your honor, there is a great likelihood that Chris was under the domination of a much older person,” Lewis said.

Brennan, as a condition of bond, banned the defendants’ use of the Internet and computer, and ordered them not to have any contact with anyone under 18 years old.

–Art Barnum

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

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Death penalty foes descended on Louisville, Ky. this weekend, in the latest wave of an emerging trend among criminal justice reform advocates: bipartisanship. It turns out that even in this much-examined age of political polarization, conservatives and progressives occasionally prove capable of privileging common sense over egos and ideologies.

The Louisville gathering was the annual conference of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP), featuring Republican candidate for governor in Montana, Roy Brown, among others. Echoing arguments by NCADP, Brown made it clear that his opposition to capital punishment is, in fact, firmly rooted in his conservative perspective. In particular, his views that the death penalty is a). unjustifiably expensive and b). that “life is precious from the womb to a natural death” are two cornerstones of an effort to woo conservatives into adopting what many see as an inherently conservative position — that is, that governments shouldn’t be in the executions business.

(more…)

The rumoured sale of a 47% stake in Thailand-based Siam City Bank, is an opportunity that Bank of Nova Scotia should not pass up, says Blackmont Capital analyst Brad Smith. 

"While not material from a consolidated bank perspective, the opportunity to have a front row seat in the formation of what could be Thailand's fifth largest bank sets BNS apart from its North American focused peers," said Mr. Smith in a note to clients.

The analyst said the favoured bidder for Siam City is Thanachart Bank, which is 49% owned by Scotiabank, however other players are expected at the table, including Korea Development Bank. It is speculated that a winning bid will cost the purchaser roughly US$1-billion.

Mr. Smith said a succesful bid would provide Bank of Nova Scotia earnings growth and regional diversification plus attractive risk adjusted returns on capital.

"Based on Thanchart Bank's nine month published results, BNS has earned an 11% annualized return on its invested capital which compares very favourably to negative to low single digit return levels achieved by its domestic peers on their US retail banking initiatives," he said. 

David Pett 

WASHINGTON — About 1.5 million Graco strollers sold at Wal-Mart, Target and other major retailers are being recalled after some children’s fingertips were amputated by hinges on the products.

The recall by Graco Children’s Products Inc. includes certain model numbers of its Passage, Alano and Spree Strollers and Travel Systems.

The Exton, Pa., company received seven reports of children placing their fingers in a stroller’s canopy hinge as the canopy was being opened or closed. Five children had their fingertips severed and two children received cuts on their fingertips.

The strollers were made in China by Graco and sold at AAFES, Burlington Coat Factory, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Kmart, Fred Meyer, Meijer, Navy Exchange, Sears, Target, Wal-Mart and other retailers nationwide from October 2004 to December 2009.

In announcing the recall Wednesday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said the strollers pose an amputation and laceration hazard to children when opening or closing the canopy.

The government advised consumers to stop using the strollers and contact Graco to receive a free repair kit.

The recall involves strollers made between October 2004 and February 2008. The model numbers and manufacture dates are on the lower inside portion of the rear frame, just above the rear wheels.

This is the second major recall in recent months of strollers that led to fingertip amputations and injuries. Last November, about a million Maclaren strollers were recalled after there were 12 reports of children’s fingertips being amputated by a hinge mechanism.

The safety commission is now examining all strollers with the designs that have caused the fingertip amputations, said spokesman Scott Wolfson.

“CPSC is taking a larger look at the entire product line to determine what steps need to be taken to keep children safe in and around strollers,” he said.

For more information about the recalled strollers, consumers can call 800-345-4109 or visit cpsc.gov.

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

We’ve all heard allusions to Cameron’s massive sets, motion cap system and 3D/virtual cameras used to create Avatar, but this 22-minute clip actually shows us these techniques. (So don’t watch this video if you don’t want the magic spoiled):

Hit up about 16 minutes in to see CGI characters layered into live action scenes in real time—which is essentially augmented reality making its way into filmmaking. [Sci Fi Wire]

KNOXVILLE — The College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is sending a team of four instructors to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday to teach two customized Lean for Healthcare courses at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center.

It is the first time UT faculty — who have delivered the course for organizations in Italy, Germany, Canada and across the U.S. — have tailored the course for healthcare professionals in the Middle East.

A customized one-day lean healthcare overview will be delivered to approximately 40 senior King Faisal healthcare executives; a customized five-day Lean for Healthcare course will be delivered to approximately 40 King Faisal healthcare practitioners.

“We’re excited to take the expertise we’ve developed in this area to another part of the world,” said Ted Stank, associate dean of executive education in UT’s College of Business Administration. “This opportunity illustrates how global the reputation of our college and curriculum has become.”

Developed in 2007, Lean for Healthcare is a five-day program offered through the College of Business Administration’s Center for Executive Education. Designed for hospital executives, physician leaders, nursing executive and medical suppliers, the course teaches how to efficiently deliver quality healthcare by identifying and eliminating waste. Instructors include academics, lean practitioners and physicians who have gone through the program and have successfully implemented lean in their work environments.

The opportunity to take the Lean for Healthcare course to Saudi Arabia came about, in part, because five physicians associated with King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center graduated from the University of Tennessee’s Physician Executive MBA program (PEMBA). PEMBA has trained over 350 physician leaders from 45 U.S. states; Saipan; Puerto Rico; and eight other countries, including Saudi Arabia. Lean is one of the organizational improvement philosophies taught in PEMBA.

“In Lean for Healthcare, the patient is the center of everything,” said Jody Crane, a 2004 PEMBA graduate who helped develop and is a lead faculty member for the Lean for Healthcare program. Crane is an emergency physician at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Va., and business director of Fredericksburg Emergency Medical Alliance.

By applying lean principles, Crane and his team reduced the length of stay in the Mary Washington Hospital emergency department by more than 38 percent — from over four hours in 2004 to two hours and 30 minutes in 2009. They also decreased the rate with which patients leave without being seen by almost 90 percent — from a high of 13 percent in 2003 to 1.5 percent in 2009. In essence, the team created the capacity to treat 38 percent more patients with similar resources.

Crane, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia, said UT’s Lean for Healthcare curriculum applies to for-profit and nonprofit healthcare facilities, as well as facilities that operate in countries having a government-run healthcare system.

“The curriculum is the same; it’s robust enough to apply to just about any healthcare setting,” Crane said.

For more about the Lean for Healthcare program, see http://LeanHealthcare.utk.edu.

—

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

Cindy Raines (865-974-4359, [email protected])

Remember Symbian? It’s still alive and kicking in spite of Nokia’s fascination with Maemo. Seriously, Symbian has got nothing to worry about as Nokia has made it clear they are still 100 percent behind the platform. Well, except for that portion of the company that is now behind Maemo. In any event, third party companies are still developing apps for Symbian, and the Skyfire browser has just opened up a new version for the platform.

The new Skyfire 1.5 has performance improvements, along with some totally new features (from the press release):

• Finger friendly UI: A new, intuitive, and finger friendly UI for high resolution touchscreen devices provides an easier browsing experience.
• Smooth Scrolling: Kinetic scrolling has been enabled to Skyfire. Pan or flick the screen to move in any direction smoothly on touchscreen.
  
• Full screen mode: For touchscreen, browse in full screen mode with no UI elements on the screen for maximum page visibility.
• Auto-Rotate: Browse in portrait or landscape mode with a simple change of the device orientation.

Skyfire 1.5 supports both Symbian S60 Third Edition and S60 Fifth Edition, and can be downloaded here. Skyfire is the mobile browser that does page rendering on the Skyfire servers, making for fast performance and the ability to display virtually any web page just like on the desktop.

Tennis star Anna Kournikova’s mother has been arrested in Florida and charged with child neglect.

A Palm Beach police report says 46-year-old Alla Kournikova left her 5-year-old son home alone while she ran errands Tuesday.

Someone passing by the home found the boy and called police.

The boy told police he jumped out a second-story window, but was not seriously injured.

Police said Alla Kournikova locked the home with a deadbolt and officers had to get inside through a second-story window.

She was released from the Palm Beach County Jail after posting a $3,000 bond.

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

Google has been known for its quirky ways and has surprised most people with its unique approach to any problem. If it’s the company’s way of doing business, giving away most stuff and making money from ads, or the way it approaches innovation, developing many of its products as open-source projects, Google has rarely followed traditiona… (read more)

Like Sony Ericsson devices, but unimpressed with the Satio, Aino, and Yari?  The Sony Ericsson Vivaz (formerly known as “Kurara”) might be the device for you.

Sporting a 3.2-inch WVGA display, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz offers Symbian S60 5th Edition, an 8.1-megapixel camera with image stabilization, face detection, and 720p video capture, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, FM radio, and TV-out.  The Vivaz will launch with four color options: Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue, and Venus Ruby.

No word on pricing or availability at the moment,  Shortly after hitting the internet, Burson-Marsteller pulled the release, so it appears that it wasn’t supposed to be announced today.  In the world of Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, webOS, and Maemo, does the Vivaz appeal to you at all?

Via Engadget

It’s the penultimate week of the Smartphone Round Robin and my task this week is to try to understand where Windows Mobile / Windows Phone is at these days.  I’m seeking advice from Windows Mobile users over at WMExperts, so if you’re in that camp, go on and give me a shout-out there.

If you’re looking to get the final word in on the comparative looks at webOS, Rene Ritchie of The iPhone Blog has it this week and he’s looking for assistance himself.

After the break, Phil Nickinson of WMExperts walks me though the latest and greatest Windows Phones

read more

Mark Buehrle’s left arm already is a topic of discussion, but White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper is pleased with reports about Buehrle’s off-season preparation.

”He’d doing more arm specific stuff, and he hopes to continue to feel good,” said Cooper, who has stayed in contact with Buehrle through telephone calls and text messages.

”He’s doing all he can. So far, everything is going smoothly.”

Buehrle’s health has been a topic of discussion for the past four years, as he has thrown at least 200 innings for nine consecutive seasons. Cooper wanted Buehrle to focus more on concentrating on his left arm to ensure his durability.

Buehrle, 30, has worked with a trainer in his St. Louis-area off-season home this winter. At the end of the 2009 season, there was some speculation that, with the addition of Jake Peavy, Buehrle could be pushed back to as far as the fourth spot in the Sox’s rotation in an effort to preserve his arm.

In recent seasons, the Sox have protected Buehrle’s arm by pitching him in minor league and ‘B’ games during spring training and adjusting the rotation during the first month of the regular season to give him an extra day of rest when it was possible.

”I’ll say this,” Cooper said. ”I’m getting a lot of energy from Mark Buehrle.”

By Mark Gonzales

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

Don’t you just hate it when some big dumb press release company spills the beans on your top secret product long before you intended? Wait, you’ve never experienced that? Well, neither have we. We were just trying to, you know, connect with our readers or something.

Sony Ericsson, on the other hand, has felt that burn. Just today, in fact! We’d already heard rumors and tales of an 8 megapixel Symbian phone called the Sony Ericsson Kurara; thanks to some mis-scheduling, it’s now about as official as things get.

Here’s what we learned before they pulled down the presser:

• The Kurara is now called the “Vivaz”. We liked the old name better; it reminded me of that “your crew run run” line in Notorious B.I.Gs “Hypnotize“.
• It will launch sometime in Q1 of 2010 — in other words, sometime in the next 2-3 months.
• Four colors: Silver Moon, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby.
• 8.1 megapixel camera, capable of recording video at 720p, with continuous autofocus, geotagging, smile detection, and image stabilization.
• It’ll run S60 5th edition with the same stylistic tweaks as you’d find on the Sony Ericsson Satio

One detail the press release skimped on was the price. According to the dudes over at PhoneArena, we should expect it to come in somewhere between $670 and $750 bucks.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.