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I’m jealous!

According to a bizarre puff piece in the Dog Trainer over the weekend that provided the citizens of LA details on our mayor’s diet, exercise regime and love life, his girlfriend’s dog is spending time at Getty House.

In fact, former beauty queen and current TV reporter Lu Parker even did a photo shoot in the backyard with her new pal, Monkey. Check it out on her personal blog.

This is really getting cuter than a Labrador puppy.

According to the Dog Trainer , Antonio has lost some weight.  He runs on a treadmill – symbolic, I guess, of the progress he’s made fixing our budget mess – and has added yoga and stretching to his routine, and he alternates weight and cardiovascular training in his workouts.

“I’m also eating healthier and eating less, including meatless Mondays,” Villaraigosa told hard-hitting Trainer reporter Phil Willon, who added, “It’s probably no coincidence that Parker, whom the mayor has been dating since March, is a vegetarian and avid runner.”

Both Monkey and I are “rescues,” which means we were “adopted” by our current owners after getting dumped by our former owners.

Monkey ended up with a former Miss USA who dates the mayor. I ended up with a former newspaper editor who picks on the mayor.

I figure that gives us a lot in common.

So I figure it would only be fair if Antonio invited Ron and me over to the house for a photo shoot in the backyard.   We could frolic for a while for the camera, and then Monkey and I could eat some of the meat the mayor’s skipping on Mondays while Ron and he fight about the DWP and the budget.

I think it’s only fair.  After all, Getty House belongs to all of us.

Woof!

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

Continue reading Officially Official: Honda releases photos and specs on HSV-010

Officially Official: Honda releases photos and specs on HSV-010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Ford

2011 Ford Mustang GT – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford has really pushed the envelope with its 2011 Mustang. Both V6 and V8 models receive nearly 100 horsepower bumps and new transmissions along with a host of standard features that will help the Blue Oval go toe-to-toe with the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. The 2011 Mustang looks pretty good on paper, but we’re very curious to know how much Ford will increase the price of its upgraded ponycar. The Mustang Source appears to have the answer to that question, and from what we can see, the Mustang will cost more than the coupe it replaces, yet it will still beat the Camaro on price.

Judging by TMS’ information, a base Mustang coupe will cost $22,995 (*including $850 for destination) – that’s $750 pricier than the 2010 model, but over $500 cheaper than the base Camaro. The base GT coupe will reportedly crack the $30,000 barrier for the first time with an MSRP of $30,495 including destination. That’s $1,250 more than a 2010 GT and $1,300 cheaper than a 1SS Camaro.

The pony lovers also got their hands on option pricing, ranging from $995 to opt for a six-speed automatic transmission to $2,340 for an electronics package that includes navigation. The California Special package can be had for $2,475 and stopping power can be increased by adding Brembo brakes for $1,695. Head over to The Mustang Source to download the PDF (which we’ve also gallerized below), or hit the jump to check out base pricing for all eight Mustang models. Once you’ve done that, come back to let us know if you think Ford has added enough value to justify the price hikes by leaving your thoughts in Comments.

[Source: The Mustang Source]

Continue reading 2011 Ford Mustang pricing to start from *$22,995?

2011 Ford Mustang pricing to start from *$22,995? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asi es, aunque en los últimos días el nombre que más sonaba para ocupar un puesto en Sauber era el de Pedro de la Rosa, la última información parece indicar que finalmente será el italiano Giancarlo Fisichella.

Todo esto ha sido debido a un pequeño desliz del actual campeón del mundo, Jenson Button. El piloto británico afirmó que el próximo 1 de febrero Pedro de la Rosa debutará con el nuevo monoplaza de McLaren, el MP4-25.

Por último, la propia escudería Ferrari esta presionando a Sauber para que sea Fisichella el que ocupe uno de los puestos de piloto titular ya que recordemos que el equipo italiano es el que les suministra los motores.

Related posts:

1. Pedro de la Rosa podría fichar con Sauber en cuestión de horas
2. Sauber confirma el fichaje de Pedro de la Rosa
3. Pedro de la Rosa podría estar apunto de firmar con Sauber

Brooklyn, New York | Incredible Ruins

At the time of the Civil War, the southwestern edge of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York was the site of Admiral’s Row, a gated community of Second Empire-style mansions occupied by naval personnel. Today, the Row is a series of dilapidated, abandoned structures and the subject of much heated debate between New York City officials and historic preservationists.

Also known as Officer’s Row, the eleven structures were built between 1864 and 1901. Home to high-ranking naval officers and their families, the compound included tennis courts, communal vegetable gardens and a stable that converted into an ice skating rink during winter months.

The base was decommissioned in 1966 but records indicate that naval personnel inhabited the homes through the 1970s. Since then, however, the structures have been abandoned and left in a considerable state of decay. Though Admiral’s Row remained under the jurisdiction of the National Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it has been the site of much vandalism and squatting over the past thirty years.

Locals walking down Flushing Avenue have witnessed the decline of the century-old mansions, now completely overgrown with weeds. Though severe weather conditions and multiple fires have led to the collapse of much of the interiors, a considerable amount of the homes still remain in good condition. Much of the original bathroom tiles, lighting fixtures, and grand staircases still remain intact, providing a small sample of the site’s rich historic significance.

In the past decade, however, the city of New York has acquired much of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and intends on converting it into an industrial park. Operated by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, there have been plans to demolish all but two of the remaining structures to make way for a commercial complex.

Though the development company insists most of the homes are beyond repair, historic preservationist groups argue that at least half of the buildings are salvageable. Over the past few years, these groups have presented a number of alternative plans to better incorporate the historic structures into the new commercial complex. It remains to be seen if these plans will be adopted.

CGI artist Alex Roman recently released a video highlighting the extensive technical work underlying his video The Third & The Seventh. The Third & The Seventh serves as Roman’s showcase for his extensive digital modeling and rendering work. Instead of creating a standard video reel or gallery of images, he created a digital environment in which the viewer “walks through” every project, experiencing them spatially and tangibly. Roman’s work is truly impressive, and The Third & The Seventh is nearly impossible to distinguish from reality upon initial viewing. The latest video shows wireframe models of the environments, and demonstrates the material application and lighting effects that make the original video so convincing.

Continue reading to see how the Third and the Seventh was composed and the original video.

Composition Video:

Compositing Breakdown (T&S) from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Original Video:

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Source: DoobyBrain

Maybe it’s because I spent countless days glued to these things when I was a kid, but I must get Takara Tomy’s new solar-powered, officially licensed Nintendo Game & Watch keychains. And their price is as tiny as their size.

Only $11. [Gigazine via Crunchgear]

Former Wilson Phillips crooner Chynna Phillips and her husband, Billy Baldwin have been notified from U.S. tax official to pay outstanding debt of more than $180,000.

The couple, who wed in 1995 and have three children. A tax lien for $39,561 was filed by the State of California against Billy and Chynna on March 19, 2009, however, the IRS is also seeking $148,401 from the couple and filed a lien of their own this week.

Chynna is the daughter of Michelle and the late John Phillips, who fronted the ’60s rock band The Mamas & The Papas. Billy, on the other hand, is one-fourth of Hollywood acting clan, The Baldwin Brothers.

Last week a friend of mine called. He was someone I used to coach in Chicago. He now lives in Minneapolis and wanted some advice about coaching a group who wanted to learn the Invocation. It’s an improv exercise that is sometimes used as an opening for improv forms like Harold. We talked for an hour about the Invocation, about Del Close (the guy who came up with the exercise) and about other similar exercises.

I thought it might make a good journal entry to write down a lot of the things that we went over in the conversation. But before I got too far into the entry, I decided to look it up on the IRC Improv Wiki to see if anyone had written anything about it. It turns out I had already written a pretty comprehensive explanation of the exercise there.

So instead of rewriting that, I’ll first show you this video I found on youtube. It’s an animation by Shaun Clayton of a song writtend and performed by Michelle Edwards. I think they did a great job of capturing the spirit of what Del what was after. If you want to learn more about them after you watch the video, go over to the IRC Improv Wiki and read about the Invocation there.

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Chinese purchases of U.S. businesses jumped 300% in 2009, vaulting past U.S. purchases of Chinese ones for the first time. Lower U.S. stock prices plus a weak dollar probably have a lot to do with this.

It’s interesting because we’re always fed the notion that China needs to buy more American things while the U.S. needs to buy less Chinese goods. Yet in fact the Chinese are buying things — long term assets (like the Hummer brand, shown with Arnie to the right), rather than the short term consumables so many Americans blow their money on.

USA Today: For the first time, Chinese investment in U.S. companies has eclipsed U.S. purchases of Chinese entities, a trend analysts say is fueled partly by depressed American assets.

In 2009, Chinese buyers snapped up $3.9 billion of U.S. assets, nearly four times the level in 2008, says Dealogic, a data-tracking firm. By comparison, U.S. buyers plowed $3 billion into Chinese entities last year, down 80% from 2008.

It’s too early to tell whether this pattern will hold. Chinese buyers represented only 3% of the $118.7 billion in U.S. foreign investment last year. Yet China ranked as the ninth-largest foreign investor in the U.S., and among the minority that increased its stake amid a sputtering global mergers-and-acquisitions market.

Read more here >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Here’s How China Came To Kick The World’s Ass, And Dominate The Global Rare Earth Metals Industry
• Google China Employees May Have Helped Chinese Government Hack Google
• Marc Faber: A China Bust Is Coming

According to Scott Garberding, senior vice president for manufacturing for Chrysler Group, the company is considering a new assembly plant in North America to produce Fiat-based models.

“There are a few options we’re digging into, including a new plant,” said Garberding, however, he declined to give any specifics or when Chrysler plans on making a decision. He also said that Chrysler could make some Fiat-based models at existing factories in the United States.

Chrysler plans on selling a number of vehicles based on Fiat platforms in North America. The move starts later this year with the new Fiat 500 minicar, which will be produced at the company’s Toluca, Mexico plant, in a space currently occupied by the Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Chrysler plans on producing 100,000 units of the 500 annually – 50,000 for North America and 50,000 for Latin America.

At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler showed a rebadged version of the Lancia Delta, hinting at additional product merging plans.

2010 Detroit: 2009 Lancia Delta based Chrysler:

All Photos Copyright © 2009 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

MLB.com reports: Entering the final year of a five-year, $60 million deal, Paul Konerko says he hopes his 12th season on the South Side won’t be his last.

“Absolutely, I would like to stay (with the White Sox),” Konerko, who turns 34 in March, told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin.

“I know I’m not going to play forever. But I’ve come this far, so I might as well finish it out with them.

“That would be my hope. At the same time, I’m prepared for anything. We’ll have to see how it plays out.”

Get the full story: MLB.com

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

JANUARY 18, 2010, 2:13 P.M. ET

By SCOTT PATTERSON

Warren Buffett is likely about to orchestrate one of the biggest changes the financial structure of his company has seen in years.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is widely expected to approve a 50-to-1 share split of its Class B shares on Wednesday, a move tied to its planned purchase of the railroad giant Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.

With the split, trading volume will likely increase, and that could attract a new group of bigger and faster-trading investors. The B shares closed Friday at $3,247, a lofty price that limited the kind of investors who bought the stock to mostly those with a long-term performance view.

The price of the stock will be about $65 after the split. There will be no change to the more exclusive Class A shares, which closed at $97,500 a piece Friday.

About 36,000 B shares trade a day, on average. By comparison, about 6.4 million shares of International Business Machines trade a day. Only about 1,000 A shares change hands a day.

Mr. Buffett in 1996 introduced the B shares, known “Baby Bs,” because some small investors unable to buy Berkshire’s high-priced shares were investing in funds that tried to mimic his investing strategy.

Mr. Buffett famously quipped in a press release at the time that neither he nor Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger would purchase B shares, which don’t have voting rights, “nor would they recommend that their families or friends do so.”

A new lower share price would mean the B shares could be eligible for inclusion in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. Standard & Poor’s has passed on the stock in the past because it “is not sufficiently liquid,” said David Blitzer, chairman of the S&P index committee.

If the B shares become part of the S&P 500, that will require index funds and other portfolio managers who track the index to purchase the stock, potentially giving it a one-time boost. The B shares have slipped 2% since the announcement of the Burlington deal in early November.

Berkshire agreed in November to purchase the 77% of Burlington it didn’t already own by using a mix of cash and stock, and Mr. Buffett described the investment as an “all-in wager on the economic future of the United States.” He agreed to split the B shares so that smaller Burlington shareholders who want the tax benefit of maintaining an equity investment could accept Berkshire shares instead of cash.

The share split took some Berkshire watchers by surprise. Mr. Buffett has long been a critic of share splits. In a 1983 shareholder letter, he wrote that a share split “would attract an entering class of buyers inferior to the exiting class of sellers.” In his 1992 letter, he wrote that “modest degradation would occur” if the company were to split its stock, because more short-term investors could buy it.

Despite the magnitude of the move, it’s likely to have little impact on the overall financial health of Berkshire, analysts said. Says Morningstar analyst Bill Bergman, who tracks Berkshire: “In terms of thinking about the value of Berkshire, I don’t see it as a big issue.”

Still, there is one perquisite some might find attractive: Class B shareholders can attend Berkshire’s annual meeting in Omaha, widely known as the Woodstock of capitalism and which last year attracted about 35,000 people.

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