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A Chicago man was sentenced today to 55 years in federal prison for enticing two minor boys to engage in sexual activity after having committed previous sex crimes against minors and while registered as a sex offender, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

The defendant, Matthew Calek, 28, of Chicago, received a mandatory 10-year sentence as part of the 55-year total prison term because he was a registered sex offender when he committed the new crimes.

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen in Federal Court in Chicago. Calek faced a maximum sentence of life in prison and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines called for a sentencing range between 30 years and life imprisonment.

“This sentence will incapacitate this defendant and guarantee that he will inflict no further harm upon young victims for the foreseeable future, and we hope that it helps deter the conduct of other sexual predators and spares other potential victims,” Mr. Fitzgerald said.

According to court documents, in the summer of 2006, Calek used a social networking site, MySpace.com, and online chats to lure a 14-year-old boy from his home in Pennsylvania to Chicago, where Calek raped the boy.

In the fall of 2006, Calek deceived a 17-year-old minor into engaging in repeated sex acts by posing as an MTV movie producer; then tried to extort the boy for more sex by threatening to distribute DVDs of the sex acts at the boy’s high school.

At the same time, Calek amassed a collection of images and videos of children being sexually abused. At the time he committed these crimes, Calek was on federal supervised release for a previous federal child-exploitation conviction, and was registered in the State of Illinois as a sex offender.

Calek was indicted in April 2008 for possessing child pornography and obscene material, in addition to the enticement counts, to which he pleaded guilty in April 209.

Judge Andersen sentenced Calek to a total of 660 months on the two enticement counts, including a mandatory consecutive 10-year prison term for committing the crime while being a registered sex offender. He also imposed lifetime supervised release and ordered restitution to one of the victims.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie B. Porter.

MEDIA CONTACT:

United States Attorney’s Office, 312-353-5300
Northern District of Illinois

Less than a week before its scheduled debut, Our Little Genius has beeb removed from the FOX schedule. Hosted by Kevin Pollak, Genius features academically accomplished kids ages 6-12 answering tough questions for the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars. The first eight episodes have been yanked by producer Mark Burnett, who says he recently discovered “an issue” with how some information was relayed to the show’s young contestants that has led to his request that the network not air those episodes.

“I believe my series must always be beyond reproach, so I have requested that Fox not air these episodes,” Burnett, best known as the creator of Survivor and The Apprentice, said in a statement Thursday.

Mark Burnett Prods. will pay to reshoot the episodes, and will also pay the winnings to the contestants who took part in the original eight episodes.

“Even though we were incredibly pleased with the quality of ‘Our Little Genius,’ we respect and appreciate his due diligence and the decision to pull these episodes,” Fox said in a statement. “We agree there can be no question about the integrity of our shows.”

Our Little Genius was set to premiere after Wednesday’s edition of American Idol. FOX will instead air a repeat of the 450th episode of The Simpsons.

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, BMW

BMW is knee-deep in hybrid technology these days, having both mild hybrids and sophisticated full two-mode drivetrains in production. Apparently, there’s work underway on a radical twin-engine system as well, proof of which can be seen by perusing this patent application.

Unlike any hybrid powertrain currently on the road, one of the engines in BMW’s split-hybrid technology remains completely dormant unless more power is needed than the first engine and electric motor combination can provide. The patent application specifies that each internal combustion engine would have two cylinders – a configuration that BMW has a great deal of experience in on the motorcycle side.

Like BMW’s current hybrid systems, the electric motor would be integrated into the transmission, and it seems that the two gasoline-fed engines are mounted together as one unit. We have no idea if the German automaker has plans to put such a system into production, but it’s obvious that it’s at least considering the possibility. Stay tuned.

[Source: BimmerFile]

Report: BMW working on twin-engine hybrid powertrain? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlockChalk is an anonymous message board for your neighborhood. The company’s founders want to enable neighbors to interact with each other while protecting everybody’s privacy. At it’s core, BlockChalk feels a bit like an anonymous, location-based Twitter clone.

BlockChalk just released its native iPhone app (iTunes link) today and also offers an app for the Palm Pre and Pixi. Android users can access the service through a mobile website.

Sponsor

Anonymity Makes for an Easy Setup

Given that BlockChalk is completely anonymous, you don’t have to sign up for the service or jump through any hoops before you can get started. Simply start up the app, allow the service to access your location data and you can see what others around you are saying. BlockChalk works worldwide and has active users in over 90 countries.

Features

BlockChalk keeps its feature set light and to the point. Besides posting your own messages, you can browse replies to your own posts and respond to messages publicly and in private. On the iPhone, BlockChalk also supports push notifications.

By default, BlockChalk doesn’t reveal a user’s exact location. You can, however, force the service to do so by typing [here] in a post.

One of the company’s co-founders, Stephen Hood, used to run the product team at del.icio.us and some of the same design aesthetics shows in BlockChalk. The design is simple, to the point and doesn’t get in the way of the product’s features.

Anonymity: Good, Bad or Just the Best Way to Get People to Share?

While using BlockChalk is a lot of fun, there is also something strange about the anonymity of the service. On the one hand, it will surely encourage those users who would otherwise be afraid to reveal their location to use the service. On the other hand, however, this could easily encourage vandalism. BlockChalk offers a profanity filter and the ability to “bury” posts, but only time – or an attack by 4chan – will tell if this will be enough to discourage disruption.

Discuss

D-Link’s giving your popularity the benefit of the doubt by offering 8 Ethernet ports on their new DIR-632 802.11n router. If you’re worried about all those open ports bumming you out, D-Link has 3 other new devices to check out.

If the DIR-632’s 8 ports seem like overkill, there’s the D-Link Rush (DAP-1560), the Touch (DAP-865), and a new 802.11n pocket router that has no epithet.

The Rush is a secure, powerful access point designed to beef up your current home network for bandwidth intensive content, like HD movies. The Touch, as its name suggests, has a 3″ touch screen for, you know, changing all those settings you change on your router. The pocket router can function as its own router or as an access point, extending an existing network.

The new routers will be available in the first half of 2010, and prices will be announced at launch. In the case of the DIR-632, that gives you just a few months to secure your LAN party RSVPs. [GDGT]

D-LINK ANNOUNCES THREE NEW 802.11n
WIRELESS HOME ROUTERS FOR GREATER SPEED,
DISTANCE AND PORTABILITY

The D-Linkâ Rush™ and D-Link Touch™ in Fast Lane of Home Connectivity; Wireless N Pocket Router
Provides Unlimited Mobility

LAS VEGAS, CES Booth 36232, South Hall, LVCC, Jan. 6, 2010 – D-Link today announced three innovative 802.11n wireless devices for the home – one that boosts network speeds to unprecedented levels for existing routers, another that combines high speed and range with stylish functionality in the digital home, and yet another that offers convenient wireless connectivity on the go.

The D-Linkâ Rush™ (DAP-1560) is D-Link’s fastest, most far-reaching and most secure wireless device yet. It takes home networking to a new level of performance for homeowners who demand the fastest streaming possible of high-definition content, such as movies, HD video and photos. There is no need to replace the home router – its unique 4×4 antenna design helps boost the power of any existing 802.11 a, b, g or n router with up to 600Mbps* speed and greater signal coverage.

The dual-band selectable device transmits in 2.4GHz wireless band for applications such as surfing the Internet or in 5GHz wireless band for HD media streaming, online gaming and large data file transfer. The latest D-Link AP can also be used as a wireless client to Ethernet-enabled media devices such as video game consoles, Digital Video Recorders (DVR), and Digital Media Adapters (DMA) for seamless access to the Internet.

The D-Link Touch™ (DIR-865) blends power, speed, range, security, functionality and energy efficiency into one economical and attractive router for homes or small businesses with ever-growing multimedia applications. It sports a 3-inch interactive touch screen for easy setup, configuration and management of the router and Internet traffic.
Its concurrent dual-band capabilities and three data streams support data transfer rates up to 450Mbps*, allowing users to stream HD content faster than ever before in the 5GHz wireless band, while surfing the Internet without lag-time and checking email on the 2.4GHz band. The 802.11n Wi-Fi router is backward compatible to earlier standards (802.11 a/b/g).

The D-Link Wireless N Pocket Router is an ideal travel companion featuring multi-mode functionality. It can be used either as a wireless router to create an 802.11n Wi-Fi network anywhere one is needed, or as an access point (AP) to add Wi-Fi to an existing wired network. It is small enough for travellers to carry with them, includes a travel case for convenience and SharePort™ technology to enable users to share USB devices. The device also can be used to connect an Ethernet-ready device, such as a desktop PC or Xbox 360®, to a Wi-Fi network for increased flexibility and convenience.

Lightweight and compact with its own travel case, the Pocket Router is small enough to carry while traveling and sets up easily to share an Internet connection or connect to an existing wired network in a conference room, hotel room or anywhere a Wi-Fi network is needed. It delivers powerful 802.11n performance and offers the latest wireless security features to help prevent unauthorized access.

Price and Availability

The D-Link Rush, the D-Link Touch and the D-Link Wireless N Pocket Router will be available in the first half of 2010 through the company’s network of retail and etail outlets, and at D-Link’s online store, www.dlinkshop.com. Pricing will be announced when the products ship.

Yesterday we posted a video of a Japanese whaling ship ramming into anti-whaling protester boat the Ady Gil and slicing it in two.

Apparently, the craft that rescued the six activists on board the Ady Gil was the Bob Barker, a fellow anti-whaling vessel purchased with a $5 million donation from the former host of The Price Is Right, the LA Times reports.

Barker, “one of the entertainment industry’s top animal-cause philanthropists,” got involved in the anti-whaling cause after the head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation society, Paul Watson, told him $5 million could pay for a boat that would help “put Japanese whalers out of business.”

Barker made the commitment for his namesake ship on the spot.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Amazing Footage Of Japanese Whaling Ship Slicing Anti-Whaling Protester Boat In Two

Friday’s disappointing jobs numbers might have been good news for corporate profits.

Demand rebounded in the fourth quarter even as firms held the line on hiring more workers or adding much to their hours. That adds up to another barn-burning quarter of labor productivity growth, which likely supported corporate profit growth. Something to keep in mind as corporate earnings reporting season kicks in.

Chris Varvares, economist at Macroeconomic Advisers LLC, estimates U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 5.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter and that output-per-hour of non-farm workers (i.e. labor productivity) grew at a 6.5% annual rate. In normal times, 2.5% productivity growth is considered really good.

Of course, these aren’t normal times. While labor is suffering, productivity is booming. It grew at an 8.1% annualized rate in the third quarter and a 6.9% annualized rate in the second quarter. That averages out to a growth rate of more than 7% during the past nine months, much faster than anything registered during the tech boom.

The last time productivity grew at such a fast rate, in the early 1960s, corporate profits took off. Mr. Varvares says it should eventually lead to an upturn in job growth as well.

Taser, not content just helping cops electrocute old people and the handicapped, has decided to focus some of its energy on stopping sexting and texting while driving. Not with electrocution, sadly.

The tech itself is pretty ho-hum: it lets parents monitor texts and control when they can use their phone. Why the hell they’re doing this when they normally make, you know, tasers, is beyond me. But hey, power to you, Taser.

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was joined today by David Webb, Chief of the Hanover Park, Illinois Police Department (HPPD) and James R. Kruger, Chief of the Roselle, Illinois Police Department (RPD) in announcing the arrest of a suburban man for the Dec. 14, 2009 robbery of the Chase Bank branch, located at 1640 West Irving Park Road in the western suburb.

CAYETANO E. WILLIAMS, age 50, whose last known address was 25 West 019 Argyle in Roselle, was arrested late Sunday, without incident, by officers from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department, who were assisting in the investigation of a convenience store robbery.

CAYETANO was charged in a criminal complaint filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Bank Robbery, which is a felony offense.

According to the complaint, CAYETANO entered the Chase Bank branch around noon, approached a teller, and handed her a note announcing a robbery.

This was followed by an oral demand for money and a threat of physical harm if his demands were not met.

CAYETANO claimed to be armed with a handgun, although no weapon was displayed and no injuries were reported during the robbery.

After receiving over $25,000.00 in bank funds, CAYETANO fled the bank on foot.

He was seen by witnesses entering a compact-sized automobile that was parked nearby, in which he fled the area. This vehicle was not further described and the robbery remained unsolved, despite investigative efforts by the FBI and HPPD.

On Dec. 30, 2009, the Roselle Bank and Trust, located at 1350 West Lake Street in Roselle, was robbed by an individual matching the description of the man who robbed the Hanover Park bank two weeks earlier. The RPD then joined the FBI and HPPD in the investigation.

On the evening of January 3, RPD officers responded to an armed robbery report at a convenience store. After obtaining a description of the robber, who was believed to have fled the scene on foot, officers from neighboring communities joined in the search.

An individual who matched the description of the robber, and who was later identified as CAYETANO, was stopped nearby and eventually arrested. He was charged in state court with armed robbery.

Subsequent investigation by the Chicago FBI and Detectives from the Hanover Park and Roselle Police Departments developed additional evidence linking CAYETANO to the robbery and the filing of the charges announced today.

Though not charged, CAYETANO is also a suspect in the robbery of the Roselle Bank and Trust, located at 1350 West Lake Street in Roselle.

CAYETANO appeared before Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown late yesterday, at which time he was formally charged. CAYETANO was ordered held without bond, pending his next court appearance, which is scheduled for tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.

Until then, CAYETANO will be housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago. If convicted of the charge filed against him, CAYETANO faces a possible sentence of up to twenty (20) years’ incarceration.

In announcing this arrest, Mr. Grant commended the officers of the Hanover Park and Roselle Police Departments for their efforts in helping to solve this robbery. Said Mr. Grant

“The dedication and cooperation exhibited by these officers led to the safe arrest of a potentially dangerous serial robber and the solution of multiple criminal acts. This coordination of efforts is essential to effective law enforcement in the 21st century.”

Chief Kruger added “On behalf of the Roselle Police Department, I would like to thank all of our neighboring agencies and the FBI for collaborating on a successful investigation. This collaborative effort culminated with the arrest of a possibly dangerous offender before he could strike again or cause injury to innocent victims.”

Additional information about this and other recent Chicago area bank robberies, including downloadable photographs, is available at the Bandit Tracker Web site, bandittrackerchicago.com.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Copies of the criminal complaint filed in this case are available from the Chicago FBI’s press office at (312) 829-1199.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Special Agent Ross Rice, 312-829-1199
FBI Chicago

Last we saw marathon karaoke man, he was singing for nobody like he was singing for his life. There’s no evidence that he’s stopped since Wednesday, but he has accumulated a small fanbase. Feel, as your pity transmutes into respect.

Get ready for Mannequin: The Remake.

Mannequin starred Sex & The City’s Kim Cattrall as an Egyptian princess trapped in the body of showroom dummy who comes to life and falls in love with Andrew McCartney’s awkward department store window designer. Panned by critics when it was released in 1987, Mannequin went on to become a cult classic. How could it not? Meshach Taylor was just divine as the script’s token queen, Hollywood. Tinseltown insiders tell Moviehole.net that Gladden Entertainment is in the early stages of producing a Mannequin remake with the new version featuring a lonely man who falls for a “laser display hologram.”

WTF? What is the meaning of this? Have we learned nothing from the craptacular mess that was Mannequin 2? That feature came out in 1991 and was dubbed “one of the worst follow-ups ever made.”

This post was generously contributed by Emily of Minneapolis Real Food Lover – one of my favorite blogs focusing on real food.  Over the coming week Nourished Kitchen will feature more guest posts by some of the best, but most undersung voices in the real food community. What will I be doing?  Why sipping fresh coconut water and lime juice from the beaches of Mexico.  If you’re interested in guest blogging at Nourished Kitchen at a later date, why don’t you drop me a line? – Jenny

I love cottage pie for supper, on a cold winter’s night, it’s a delicious comfort food. This recipe is simple, nourishing, and can be prepared using one cast-iron pan, what’s more to love? One of my health-related goals for this year is to eliminate gluten and grains from my diet, while eating more nutrient-dense food. This dish fits my criteria for a healthy meal filled with vitamins and goods fats found in grass-fed animal foods such as fat-soluble nutrients; locally raised ground beef, real butter, rich local Cedar Summit Farms cream, and no grains or gluten. As a mother, kid appeal of foods is also a key factor in meal planning and this one gets a thumbs up from folks of all ages at our house.

Cottage Pie with Mashed Yams

Ingredients for Cottage Pie with Mashed Yams

• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 1 cup homemade beef stock or store bought organic beef broth
• 1/4 cup cream from grass-fed cows
• 3/4 stick good-quality butter (the higher fat content the better)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 medium sized yams or sweet potatoes
• 3/4 cup shredded grass-fed sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 T arrowroot powder
• 1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 T organic tomato paste (I like Bionaturae as it comes in glass jars)
• 1 tsp organic Worcestershire sauce (I use Annie’s)
• real sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Method for Preparing Cottage Pie with Mashed Yams

1. Bake yams in a 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until soft when pricked with a fork. Peel yams, discarding the peel and mash them with 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup cream and a dash of salt in an electric mixer. When the yams are nicely mashed set aside.
2. In a large cast-iron pan saute onions and carrots in 1/4 stick butter on medium heat, stirring until onions are translucent and carrots are slightly browned. Add in ground beef, breaking up meat into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir occasionally until beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour in beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme, stirring to incorporate and turn heat to low. Allow the liquid to reduce a bit, about 15 minutes or so. Add in the peas, and sprinkle the arrowroot on top. Briskly stir to prevent the arrowroot from clumping, then continue stirring gently until the sauce has thickened, less then 5 minutes. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Remove pan from heat, turn oven to 375 degrees.
4. Spread mashed yams evenly on top of the meat and veggie mixture. Sprinkle cheese over the yams. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Enjoy this warm meal with your family on a cold day (it’s 4 degrees here in Minneapolis as I write this, brrr!).

For more real food ramblings and recipes please visit me at MplsRealFoodLover.com

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Post tags: cottage pie, meat, pie, supper