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If you have no idea who Jessica Stroup is, don’t worry about it. She’s been in a bunch of “B” movies and currently stars in the Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off 90210, which being a guy, you have probably never seen.

Jessica, who usually looks pretty button-down, shows off her more daring punk side in a rockin’ photo shoot for Complex Magazine.

You can check out more of Jessica’s bad girl side at Complex.

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1. Allure Magazine Gets Racy
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3. People Names Christina Applegate World’s Most Beautiful Woman

Is this the year we finally see Internet companies trying to go public again? There are a lot of folks rooting for an IPO from the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn or even Zynga. And I’m one of them, if only because it’s going to give me lots of interesting stories to write.

In the meantime, if you’ve got a voyeuristic need to scratch, public offering-wise, there’s still FriendFinder Networks. The money-losing collection of porn sites and social networks announced its IPO a year ago but never pulled the trigger.

It still wants to, though. The company has updated its filings with the SEC (via PaidContent), and it’s now looking to raise $220 million, down from the $460 million it was looking for a year ago. It still wants to do the same thing with the cash: Pay off its lenders.

Interested in getting in? You can read the new S-1 filing here, but here’s the very quick version: FriendFinder’s subscriber base has shrunk just a bit, but its net revenue has held steady — it brought in some $244 million in the first 9 months of last year.

The company’s pitch is that it is throwing off a lot of cash — it reported $45 million in income from operations in the first 9 months of last year — and that things will get better once it can pay off its debt and stop making huge interest payments — it spent $75.3 million on interest during that same period.

FriendFinder’s model, meanwhile, still revolves around paying other Web sites a lot of money to promote its own sites and bring in new subscribers. (More on its “freemium” model here — worth paying attention to in light of Zynga’s go-go growth.)

Oh. And it still has yet to sell the Ferrari 360 Modena it bought from its founder for $125,000 in 2006. The company says the car still has a “net realizable value” of $95,000.

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	How to turn the World’s Cheapest Car into the World’s Most Overpriced Car Yikes.		Sin City’s illegal activities include falsifying vehicle emissions tests Thousands paid to keep driving dirty cars illegally. Jerks.
	At Witz’ End – What Bob Lutz said in Detroit back then Ready for more? We are.	Other news: Study: Battery electric vehicles unlikely to be cost competitive Report: BMW working on twin-engine hybrid powertrain The best-selling new car in Japan for 2009 is…

AutoblogGreen for 01.11.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though the only connection between Maserati cars and boats is that they embody a luxurious lifestyle, Maserati GB is displaying two of its latest models at the London Boat Show until January 17, 2010, thanks to its partnership with Ventura UK Limited, the official importer for Ferretti Group in the UK.

A Maserati Quattroporte S and a GranTurismo S in Nero Carbonio (carbon black) will be displayed alongside a Riva Aquariva Super and a Riva Rivale, which will allow visitors of the L… (read more)

Packed in with LG’s new top of the line LCD, the 3D capable, LED backlit LE9500 is a new RF remote that users wave, Wii-style, to operate the onscreen menus. There’s also a standard IR remote for universal remote compatibility and the very necessary lazy bastards who don’t want to lift their arms to change the channel compatibility. Check out a quick demo from the CES show floor after the break.

Continue reading LG Magic Motion gesture control HDTV remote hands-on

LG Magic Motion gesture control HDTV remote hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goldman might sell a piece of high end residential property to a Chinese real estate developer.

The market is widely believed to be in bubble territory, so it’s notable that Goldman is now on the selling side of the equation

Reuters reports:

Chinese property developer Shanghai Forte Land Co Ltd is in talks to buy a high-end residential property in Shanghai from Goldman Sachs in a deal worth more than $200 million, two people familiar with the situation said.

…

Goldman bought the residential complex of villas and serviced apartments in 2007 for $190 million, according to real estate agency CB Richard Ellis.

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See Also:

• 2010 Will Be The Year Of China — And Not In A Good Way
• The 60-Second Guide To Everything You Need To Know About Oil, Gold, Bonds, China, And Stocks In 2010
• Here Comes The Next Real-Estate Bust

My wife and I are real Ikea enthusiasts. We wanted some sort of dresser for our dining room and didn’t want to pay dresser prices. So we had a go at creating one on a shoe-string budget. First of all we took a plain white Billy shelf and cut it in half. We then had a spare Pax wardrobe top which we got from the Ikea’s bargain basement and fixed that in the middle.

For the back we’ve used some tongue and grove panelling. For the side borders we’ve used some skirting board which we got from the local DIY center. We also got some wood lengths to use them as “plate holders”. The top border was some part of an Ikea bed head (also found in bargain basement). It had the ideal shape for what we had in mind and had to come with us.

All plain wooden items we’ve painted with some white base coat in order to give it a bit of a used look. Also the curtains are made from Ikea fabric.”

Voting to end soon!
I forgot to mention that voting for the Ikea Hack of 2009 ends on Jan 15. So, get clicky if you haven’t.

And the polls so far … it’s a battle that may just get wild.

The Hamster Haven is leading with 22% of votes, with the Chicken Home coming in a strong second at 21%. Trailing in third place is John’s Expedit Room divider (18%). Who will win? You decide. Vote now.

Filed under: Car Buying, China

What’s that Bruce Springsteen song? “Glory Days?” You know where this is going, and if you don’t, take a seat. America is no longer the largest auto market in the world. The People’s Republic of China is. Mao would be so… proud is not the right word.

Here’s the specifics. Before we start, China has around 1.3 billion citizens compared to our 310 million or so souls – let’s not forget that. That said, China closed 2009 with consumers buying 13.5 million cars, whereas we sold 10.9 million here in the U.S. Running the numbers, the U.S. demand for cars fell off by 20 percent, whereas the Chinese market charged ahead, up by 40 percent.

Is the playing field totally level? Probably not, as the politburo greased the skids a bit by cutting taxes on vehicles with motors smaller than 1.6-liters. The central planners also encouraged the sales of alternate fuel vehicles, such as what’s being offered by BYD. There were also programs in place to assist rural farmers in need of wheels.

Unfair comparison? Maybe, and there are also claims of the Chinese government purchasing and stockpiling vehicles to keep factory output up. Of course, we had Cash-for-Clunkers, federal and state incentives for green vehicles and giant tax loopholes that allow Hummer H2s to be taxed like farm vehicles. Also, the Federal Government, the UAW and Canada owns General Motors. And finally, does being the world’s largest car market actually matter? Isn’t it akin to having the world’s tallest building?

[Source: The Detroit Bureau | Image: Frederick J. Brown/AFP/Getty]

Report: China officially eclipsed U.S. as world’s largest car market in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May be you don’t know that Korean red ginseng is a natural (herbal) remedy which recognized as the official medications which used as:

•  aphrodisiacs (help in treating erectile dysfunction);
• nourishing stimulant;
• in the treatment of type II diabetes;
• adaptogens (increases resistance to stress) – this property allows to use korean red ginseng in treating depression.

Ginseng, also known as Ginnsuu in some regions of Asia, mainly China, is any one of eleven distinct species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the Panax genus in the family Araliaceae (from Wikipedia). The roots of the Korean red ginseng’s are well-known as a herbal medications almost over the whole world, but mostly in Asian countries. There are three types of ginseng plant: Chinese ginseng (also Korean red ginseng), American ginseng, Siberian ginseng. All types of ginseng have similar positive medicinal effects.

Korean red ginseng may used for treating depression? Why?

Korean red ginseng is used to improve body’s energy. Ginseng helps the body fight with stress through its effect on the adrenal gland (that is improve person’s mood and he simply forgets about the depression). Unfortunately at present there is no evidence of studies showing a positive effect in combating depression, but a lot of facts speak in favour of Korean red ginseng.

Side effects in some people could cause all herbal medications but these side effects are very minor as a rule. However you should be careful when taking other medicines which used to treating depression and don’t forget to consult with your doctor before start using Korean red ginseng and other herbal supplements (in order to avoid the unfavourable interaction with medication that was prescribed you).

Volkswagen of America’s boss Stefan Jacoby says that his company is aiming to more than double its sales in the United States within the next three to four years,

“We will sell 400,000 to 450,000 vehicles in 2012-2013,” Jacoby said at an event ahead of the Detroit Auto Show.

The German automaker sold 213,454 vehicles in the U.S. in 2009, down 4 percent from the previous year. The entire Volkswagen Group, including luxury brand Audi, sold 297,537 vehicles in the U.S. in 2009, down 5 percent from 2008 when it sold 313,581.

Jacoby said there is a strong possibility for Volkswagen’s U.S. business to become profitable in three years.

“We are a little bit more optimistic now than we were a few months ago,” he said.

All Photos Copyright © 2009 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

The BMW 5-Series GT will soon be available in an all-wheel drive xDrive version, specifically aimed at the US market. It should come into direct competition with the Mercedes R-Class, which has been available since its launch date in 4Matic all-wheel drive.

The first available version of the 5-Series GT four wheel drive will be the 550i GT xDrive, which will be available from June. In September the 535i and 530d will also be available with xDrive, and the models are expected to cost about 7,000 euros more than the standard rear wheel drive model.

Source | AutoInternationaal

Fat cats rule. We don’t mean just slightly overweight felines, we mean truly plus-sized pussycats. Now there’s a blog called ‘F@ K@ Lover‘ that lets you revel in the glory that is fat cats.

Here’s just a small sample of the corpulescent kitties featured on ‘F@ K@ Lover’:

Check out all the fatty furries at F@ K@ Lover.

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3. Remember that Drunken Text from Last Night? It’s Here.

Have you gotten a seasonal or H1N1 flu vaccine yet? If not, this would be a good week to get one since it’s National Influenza Vaccination Week. 

Though seasonal flu can peak as early as October or as late as March, it generally peaks in January or February. This is why I get my flu shot every year in late September or early October.

What complicates the current 2009-2010 flu season is the H1N1 virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the majority of the cases of flu during this season have been H1N1. Last fall, it was very hard to find an H1N1 vaccine. I saw this firsthand when the middle school near me had an H1N1 flu shot clinic for children and the line for it had to be at least a quarter mile long. This shouldn’t be a problem anymore though. The CDC reports that there are over 100 million H1N1 vaccines available.

CDC says that the number of H1N1 cases has gone down but the virus is unpredictable and could return again. I admit that I still need to get my H1N1 vaccine. If you don’t know where to go, Flu.gov’s searchable flu shot clinic locator lets you find both seasonal and H1N1 shots.

Have you gotten your seasonal and H1N1 vaccines yet?

Avatar has taken more than $1 billion dollars in its four weeks at the box office. Filmgoers across the Globe are in awe of the film, which place on the planet Pandora in 2154, light years away from Earth, where humans have established an environmentally-destructive mining colony. Despite all that, James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi adventure has failed to impress the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican brands the film bland, cliche, and overly-sentimental in reviews issued this week.

Avatar, which will be released in Italy later this week has received scathing reviews from Vatican Radio, as well as the Holy See’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

“It has a great deal of enchanting, stunning technology, but few genuine or human emotions,” L’Osservatore Romano wrote of the epic, which has received generally favorable reviews since opening in the United States and Britain. “Its significance is in its visual impact rather than in the story, and in its messages, despite the fact that they are hardly new.”

“Cameron, concentrating on the creation of the fantasy world of Pandora, chooses a bland approach. He tells the story without any profound exploration,” L’Osservatore Romano added.

Avatar was also on the receiving end of harsh criticism from Vatican Radio, who predict that the film’s faults will negatively impact its place in cinema history.

Following the official release of the 2010 Mercedes Benz E-Klasse Cabrio in mid-December, German carmaker Mercedes Benz announced today pricing and availability for the last member of the E-Klasse family.

The cabrio will hit dealerships in Europe on March 27, 2010, but orders for the car can be placed starting from today. Prices for the line-up (listed below) range in between 47,719 and 71,519 euros. They include 19 percent VAT and are specific to Germany.

… (read more)

Up until now, lots of media sources talked about the Volvo – Geely deal but nobody knew for sure which exactly are the terms of the agreement and what is going to happen to the Swedish unit after the Chinese manufacturer takes the majority package. Well, here are the first details of the deal which, according to China Car Times, got leaked onto the web a few days ago.

Basically, Geely will get control of a total of 9 products, S40, S60, S80, C70, C30, XC90, XC60, V50, V70. It will… (read more)

China begins to move toward concentrating solar thermal power through plants with 2-GW capacity

California’s ESolar and China-based Penglai Electric have agreed to develop the solar thermal plants over the next 10 years. Photo by ESolar

China begins to move toward concentrating solar thermal power generation through a series of solar thermal power plants with a total capacity of 2 gigawatts, the largest of its kind in the country.

California’s ESolar and China-based Penglai Electric have agreed to develop the solar thermal plants over the next 10 years. In total, the plants will eliminate 15 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Penglai plans to build the solar facilities using ESolar’s technology alongside biomass electricity generation facilities. China Huadian Engineering Company will manage construction while China Shaanxi Yulin Huayang New Energy Comapny will own and operate the initial solar plants. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed

Groundbreaking of the first 92 megawatts will take place in 2010 at the 170 square kilometer Yulin Alternative Energy Park in the Mongolian desert in northern China.

The company’s power plants use fields of mirrors called heliostats to focus the sun’s rays on a water-filled receiver that sits atop a tower. The intense heat vaporizes the water to produce high-pressure steam to drive a turbine.

The country is currently the market leader in photovoltaic manufacturing. The government recently announced aggressive plans to increase the country’s renewable power generation capacity to 15 percent by 2020.

–    Oliver M. Bayani