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  • EA Sports now has its own prepaid debit card

    How many EA Sports titles are there on your holiday wishlist? For those, the publisher launches its own EA Sports DebitSmart Visa Prepaid Card (my, that’s a long name) designed specifically for use with all EA Sports

  • LA 2009: Ford Taurus and Volvo XC60 named International Car and Truck of the Year

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    Ford Taurus and Volvo VX60 named International Car of the Year – Click above for high-res image gallery

    Hold onto your hats folks, because while magazine award ceremonies appear to be just about finished, the auto show trophies are just starting to be handed out. This time, it’s the International Car of the Year at the LA Auto Show, and we’ve got two winners from within the Ford empire. The Ford Taurus took top car honors while the Volvo XC60 won as the best truck. Both vehicles have been well received by the press and early returns from customers appear to be positive, too. While the Taurus is outselling its bland and unexciting predecessor, the XC60 has helped Volvo achieve six consecutive months of year-over-year sales increases.

    ICOTY creator and executive producer Courtney Caldwell claims that the winners aren’t chosen based on performance, but instead on how the vehicles “reflect our personalities, lifestyles and self-image and how well the automaker achieves that goal through the design and marketing of the vehicle.” Uh-huh. And while the ICoTY award isn’t exactly one of the big-name trophies for the mantle, a win is a win, and both Ford and Volvo are proud recipients of the accolades. Hit the jump to read over the press releases from Ford and Volvo.

    [Sources: Ford, Volvo]

    Continue reading LA 2009: Ford Taurus and Volvo XC60 named International Car and Truck of the Year

    LA 2009: Ford Taurus and Volvo XC60 named International Car and Truck of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • President Obama announces U.S. Afghanistan plan

    Misrepresentations of truth

    Editor, The Times:

    Regarding the editorial “President Obama asks a war-weary nation for time, resources,” [Seattletimes.com, Editorials/Opinion, Dec. 1] why does it state we are war weary?

    What about them?

    Ending our occupation isn’t about the American people and our stamina, it’s about the Afghans placing their trust in democracy and participating in its success, something they cannot be expected to do while our president misrepresents the truth about our shared history and current methods of occupation.

    During his West Point speech, President Obama made two specific and glaring misrepresentations. First, he described the Taliban as having seized control of Afghanistan after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.

    While the Taliban, specifically, may not be as old as the fundamentalists’ grip in Afghanistan, the condition of repressive fundamentalism was indeed catalyzed by the U.S. before the Soviet invasion. All parties are in the know here. To suggest that we are blameless in the current balance of power is indulgent and disrespectful.

    Secondly, Obama decried the practice of torture and touted the closing of Guantánamo, but he didn’t mention the Bagram facility, where prisoners are unable to bring evidence and witnesses to rebut allegations in their own defense. To brag about one while failing to mention the other is an obvious misrepresentation of the truth.

    The Afghans already live with the prospect of being arbitrarily apprehended and maimed by armed militias roving the countryside. If neither group is bound by laws grounded in the protection of the people, they have no reason to risk their lives investing in the permanence of our models of governance.

    — Mary Gross, Seattle

  • Maurice Clemmons gunned down, his family charged

    Family put all law-abiding citizens in danger

    Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s disdain for the separation of church and state has come back to bite him, as well it should [“Political death blow for Huckabee?,” News, Dec. 1].

    I wish Huckabee would stop exhibiting his capacity for forgiveness and Christian charity by inflicting vicious criminals on the rest of society.

    The friends and family of Maurice Clemmons were doing everything they could to keep a person who had just murdered four police officers in cold blood back out on the streets to potentially kill again.

    If prosecutors can prove these people in fact lent assistance to this killer, they deserve serious punishment for their crimes. I have no idea how these people can justify their actions. They put every law-abiding citizen in danger, and should be called to account.

    — Steve Alberts, Vashon

    Lone officer a hero, could have been another victim

    As a former police officer, I and many others insist that every single individual who assisted Maurice Clemmons after he gunned down four officers in Lakewood be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law [“Those who aided cop killer deserve full weight of the law,” Opinion, Lynne K. Varner editorial column, Dec. 2].

    I understand three or more people who helped Clemmons have been arrested for rendering criminal assistance in Pierce County. I believe that charge is insufficient on its face.

    Everyone involved should be charged as an accomplice in this case with appropriate sentences varying from the death penalty to life in prison, as an example to everyone.

    There is no excuse whatsoever for anyone helping Clemmons after what he did was plastered all over every TV screen in Puget Sound.

    What about the Seattle police officer who single-handedly took on Clemmons? He was working alone without backup and could have met the same fate as the officers in Lakewood. If he had been killed, his murder would have also been on the backs of the friends and neighbors of Clemmons who helped him escape after the shooting.

    — Bob Clark, Monroe

  • Mike Huckabee and the criminal-justice system

    Released prisoners should shack up with the parole board

    The tragic death of four Lakewood police officers is exacerbated by the early release of the alleged murderer [“Persuasive appeal helped Clemmons win clemency,” News, Dec. 1].

    Doubtless some prisoners truly rue their crimes, and are ready to rejoin society.

    But let’s envision a system where parole board members take direct responsibility for any person to whom they give early release. Let’s have the released prisoner live in a parole board member’s home for the first month.

    Would a parole board member with children be willing to have a released pedophile or rapist living in their home? Let them visibly demonstrate their belief in the reformation of a prisoner. If not, then why are these boards releasing such people early to prey on society again?

    And let’s not forget defense lawyers through a similar program. If their client gets off on a serious charge, let the client live in the lawyer’s house for a while. We might see the conviction rate of dangerous people increase, instead of them getting off on legal technicalities dredged up by the defense.

    — Roel Hurkens, Victoria, B.C.

    Voters should hold local judge accountable

    While I think former Gov. Mike Huckabee should be held accountable, what about the local judge who overruled another judge’s determination not to grant bail and granted Maurice Clemmons the ability to go out and murder [“Person of interest let out of Pierce County Jail one week ago,” page one, Nov. 30]?

    The state judiciary is allowed to hide behind sentencing guidelines instead of them determining the sentencing, thus making them accountable to no one. Here is a perfect example of why they should be held accountable. The decision this judge made had serious consequences to the detriment of four officers, their families and their community.

    Who will hold them accountable? The voters. The voters should know who this judge is so if the electorate chooses, he can be fired.

    There was every reason to deny bail to Clemmons: He was a three-striker, he demonstrated violence toward police and family members (i.e. sexual assault) and he had violent and unpredictable outbursts.

    Arkansas blew it and the Washington state judiciary system blew it.

    — Sam Granato, Yakima

    Blame resides right here, in Washington state

    Let’s talk about the Washington criminal-justice system, or the lack of it.

    I am shocked The Seattle Times is talking more about the Arkansas parole granted to Maurice Clemmons than it is about Washington state’s failures. He was released from custody here just days ago.

    He was released from custody here despite an outstanding fugitive felony warrant from Arkansas. He was released from custody here despite seven additional felony charges in Washington state. He was facing a child-rape charge committed against a 12-year-old relative. He was facing a life sentence in this state’s three-strikes law if convicted of the child-rape charge.

    Why is our state granting bail to a person charged with child rape? Who was the judge who granted this bail after it was previously denied by another judge?

    The ultimate blame here is not with Arkansas or former Gov. Mike Huckabee. It is with our own Washington state judicial system. Let’s place the blame where it belongs. Clemmons was being held in our system on eight felony charges.

    — Ronald Czarnecki, Everett

  • Dallas News Decides That Journalists Should Report To Ad Sales

    John Obeidin points us to the news that The Dallas News has basically wiped away the standard “church” and “state” separation of journalists and ad sales and has reorganized such that editorial and journalism positions now report to ad sales managers (nicely renamed “general managers”). Of course, historically, newspapers have always been clear to separate the two. There’s no reason why this needs to be the case, but it can certainly raise questions about the objectivity of the reporting.

    Of course, it’s interesting that this is happening just days after those new FTC guidelines on making it clear if content is somehow sponsored. So, will the Dallas News now need to be more clear about its advertising partners, since the paper is now admitting that its editorial content will now be closely tied to its advertising relationships?

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  • Clemmons case, manhunt reinforces racial profiling

    Officers white, criminals black

    The horrific shooting of four Lakewood police officers on Nov. 29 is an act that saddens us all, and that must be responded to the full extent of the law.

    There is justice to be served, grief to be processed, anger to be vented. Unfortunately, this incident is being used by some to justify their racist ideology [“Manhunt creates unease for black men,” News, Dec. 1], rather than to question a criminal-justice system that obviously needs fixing.

    The facts of the situation are polarizing: The officers are all white, the suspect African American. The unfortunate result is that a segment of the white community is using this incident to cast guilt upon a wide group of African Americans.

    If you have spent any time monitoring comments on the Internet, reactions posted to newspaper stories, if you listen to talk radio, there is a deep streak of racism that flows at opportunities such as this. Many of these comments call for a vigilante approach to justice, casting any young African-American male as a prime suspect, especially if he is wearing a hoody.

    No good can come from this — only more hate and more violence — only this time against innocent people who in no way are responsible for this horrible crime.

    The community candlelight vigil held in Tacoma the night of the murders drew a diverse group of mourners and supporters who represented the racial and cultural diversity of our community. We are all coping with this tragedy together. We must respond to this tragedy by recognizing the racism that is reawakened in response, and by having the courage to name it and stand against it as a community united in peace and justice for all.

    — Cheryl Cobbs, Seattle

    African-American community will continue to build bridges

    During the formative years of the Lakewood Police Department, the Lakewood African-American Police Advisory Committee (LAAPAC), worked hard to build bridges between the African-American community and the Lakewood Police Department.

    Through the years we were successful. I have to hold on to the fact that we made a difference that is still around in the community and the department.

    Today, my heart is heavy for the families, friends and co-workers of the four officers slain in cold blood. As the former chair of the LAAPAC, I add my heartfelt condolences to the many they have and will receive.

    I have faith that the Lakewood Police Department will continue to be fair. I stand behind our police department 100 percent. Thank you for all you do to keep our community safe. We will continue to build bridges and we will work hard to heal the wounds left open by a hideous act of violence.

    — Julius W. Brown Jr., Lakewood

  • So Where is AdSense for Newspapers ?

    Google is unquestionably the best at selling advertising on line.  They can sell Text, Display, Video at a level that is unparalleled anywhere.  True ?

    The Newspaper industry obviously sucks at doing the same. Eric Schmidt said so in his editorial in the Wall Street Journal.

    So why isn’t Google taking advantage of this unique opportunity ? Why not just offer a specially tailored version of AdSense for Newspapers ? They do what they do, create content. You do what you do, generate content and sell ads ?

    Makes sense. Wont happen.

    Why ? Because of the Google hypocrisy in play.  This argument is no different than the same argument they made with Youtube and the music and film industries.  All those movies, tv shows, music videos on Youtube were GREAT PROMOTION. The music and movie industries shouldnt blame Google if they don’t know how to monetize all the billions of views and impressions Google and Youtube provided the content industry. Right ?

    But a funny thing happened along the way. Google  caved on Youtube.  Their message is no longer “if you cant monetize the traffic, tough luck”. Youtube is now sharing revenue with as many music and video content sources as they can. They are even setting up VEVO a satellite music video site built around  Universal Music Group content.

    There is absolutely zero chance that the end of this discussion is Google saying “You will take our traffic and like it”.  Google is posturing.  They recognize they have the advantage. Particularly  if MicroSoft/Bing do nothing with Newscorp. Its only a question of how they use it.

  • The Clemmons Case and the Blame Game

    The tragic shooting of four police officers in Washington this week has brought a Willie Horton firestorm down on Mike Huckabee and has once again set back progress nationwide toward smart sentencing and early release.

    Maurice Clemmons (right) caused this mess, of course. In an unfathomable act of violence, Clemmons allegedly walked into a restaurant on Sunday and shot four police officers to death. After a two-day search, Clemmons was shot dead by a police officer on Tuesday. It’s a terrible tragedy, and my thoughts go out to the victim’s families. My thoughts are also with all of the men and women who will be denied early release because of Clemmons’ terrible example.

    The case has raised some valid questions about the criminal justice system — like why two Washington judges released Clemmons on bond last month after he was charged with raping a 12-year-old female relative and assaulting a police officer. But far louder are the criticisms of Huckabee, who commuted an earlier Arkansas sentence for Clemmons from 108 years to 47 years in 2000. This tough-on-crime posturing is coming mostly from conservatives, and it’s being done for purely political reasons. Unfortunately, this is the kind of perfect storm that can hurt parole and early release efforts across the country.

    Huckabee (left) has stood his ground, with a column on Monday and in comments yesterday in Florida. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m proud of Huckabee for sticking to his philosophy in support of parole. Second chances work, and Huckabee made Clemmons parole-eligible to address an excessive sentence handed down when Clemmons was 16 years old. Huckabee couldn’t have known what Clemmons would do later.

    Huckabee’s words last night are encouraging: “I looked at the file. Every bit of it. And here was a case where a guy had been given 108 years. Now, if you think a 108-year sentence is an appropriate sentence for a 16-year-old for the crimes he committed, then you should run for governor of Arkansas.”

    (more…)

  • Fifth Gear: Hope yet for Britain’s other car show?

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    Our heart goes out to the crew at Fifth Gear. It really does. Because it’s got to be tough living in the shadow of the BBC show that spawned it. We’re talking about Top Gear, of course, and by any other yardstick, Fifth Gear is a fantastic car show. But its popularity has never approached what Clarkson and company enjoy, which has reportedly led to UK’s Channel 5 decision to cancel the show. Which is really a shame.

    All hope may not be lost, however, as reports indicate that Channel 5’s decision isn’t final just yet. But if it is, the show’s lead host Tiff Needell has hinted that it could very well get picked up by another network altogether. Alternatively, Needell could get a show of his own. If he does, we hope he takes some of his co-hosts with him. Because short of Jezza, Hampster, Captain Slow and the Stig, Fifth Gear‘s ensemble is one of the best – on the airwaves or off. Thanks for the tip, Paul T!

    [Source: Tiff Needell on Twitter via iCars Singapore]

    Fifth Gear: Hope yet for Britain’s other car show? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Traders Freaking Out Over Rumors That Japan May Dump $100 Billion In Treasuries

    This morning, this message popped up on Bloomberg:

    “MARKET NEWS SAYS ‘RUMORS’ ARE JAPAN MAY TELL OF PLANNED SALE”

    Said sale in question is rumored to be a U.S. Treasury sell off by the Japanese government.

    Adding fuel to the fire is the U.S. and the Federal Reserve. Today, the Fed conducted a reverse repo (repurchase) test that could help with the Japanese UST sale.

    On the other hand, this wouldn’t seem to jibe with reports that the country’s main concern is the rising yen. If anything, you’d think they’d be snapping up more treasuries. So something is amiss.

    The Houston Chronicle reports Japan could be selling off as much as $100 billion worth of treasuries.

    japanUST_rumor44

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  • Spa Cuisine: Golden Door Cooks At Home

    I just got my hands on this highly anticipated cook book created by Executive Chef Dean Rucker from the Golden Door Spa in Escondido, California called Golden Door Cooks At Home. It’s beautiful bound and the images will have you mouth watering. As I flipped through the pages every dish was making me hungry and the best part is they are healthy for you.

    Golden Door Cooks at Home cover

    Golden Door Spa is an exclusive peaceful and private place where the most innovative and high-energy fitness and beauty programs cater to only 40 guests each week. Guests follow programs that include daily massage, meditation, beauty treatments, excercise which are designed for their needs and desires.The spa’s cuisine and nutrition is known for being high-flavor and low fat, designed for each individuals health regime.

    If you don’t have upwards of $7,000 lying around for a week at this exquisite spa then at least you can take a small part of the spa home with you. This cookbook is sure to be a crowd pleaser because of it’s healthy tips and gourmet recipes.

    Here is one recipe I’m drying to try!

    Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Caramelized Cauliflower

    This silken soup has the rich flavor of a classic, indulgent, cheesy fondue but with none of the guilt. The secret here is to cook the cauliflower until it is very tender and then puree it until smooth and fluffy. The method yields what appears to be a cream-­based soup, but which is, in fact, made up almost entirely of good-for-you vegetables and fat-free milk. SERVES 8

    2 pounds cauliflower, trimmed

    Olive oil spray

    1 teaspoon sugar

    Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

    1/2 small leek, sliced (1 cup)

    2 cups skim milk

    2 cups Chicken Stock (page 268) or store-bought low-sodium broth

    1 teaspoon dry mustard

    1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

    2 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely grated (about 1 loosely packed cup)

    Parsley Oil , for serving

    Preheat the oven to 400°F.

    Chop the cauliflower into enough small florets and stems to equal 2 cups.

    Coarsely chop the remaining cauliflower and set it aside in a separate bowl. Spray the 2 cups of cauliflower one or two times with olive oil. Add the sugar and a pinch each of the salt and white pepper. Toss the cauliflower with a fork to coat it with the oil and seasonings. Transfer it to a baking dish and spread the cauliflower in a single layer. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is light golden brown, about 25 minutes.

    Meanwhile, spray a large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.

    Add the leek and cook, stirring, until softened and not at all brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the coarsely chopped cauliflower, the milk, stock, dry mustard, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.

    Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

    Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, working in batches if necessary. Return the soup to a dean saucepan and reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it simmers lightly. Add the Gruyere and stir until it has melted. Remove the pan from the heat.

    Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top each with caramelized cauliflower and drizzle with a little parsley oil. Serve hot.

    Creamy Cauliflower Soup V2

    Mmmmmm! Enjoy!

    Image Credit and Recipe Source:  GOLDEN DOOR COOKS AT HOME: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa by Dean Rucker with Marah Stets (Clarkson Potter, April 2009, $40.00/ Hardcover)

    Post from: Blisstree

    Spa Cuisine: Golden Door Cooks At Home

  • Morgan Stanley: Yen Intervention Risk Rising

    yen

    The rumor everyone is talking about today is a coordinated move on the part of various central banks, organized by the Bank of Japan, to sell yen.

    In a note, Morgan Stanley says the odds of a massive intervention are rising to a critical level.

    In our prior research, we have identified an ‘intervention
    checklist’ of key criteria that we believe have the largest
    influence on the decision of policymakers to intervene in
    currency markets.  The most important of these criteria
    include: 
    (1) market mispricing of relative growth outlooks
    (2) significant deviation of the real exchange rate from
    historical trend 
    (3) excessive market positioning
    (4) increased momentum in exchange rate moves.  
    Using this broad framework we have developed a suite of
    models to gauge the probability of currency market
    intervention. According to our framework, model results
    indicating probabilities below 20% are consistent with a low
    level of intervention risk, results in the range of 20-30% are
    consistent with an elevated risk of potential FX intervention,
    while results above 30% suggest a significantly high risk of FX
    intervention.
    Currently, our models reflect a 28% chance of coordinated G3
    currency intervention (Exhibit 1).  This result is consistent with
    an elevated threat of currency intervention, but it does not
    necessarily imply that action is imminent.  Indeed, as Exhibit 1
    shows, the threat of coordinated action in USD crosses has
    registered as high as 50% earlier this year, amid
    unprecedented market dislocations during Q1 2009. Since
    then, the threat of coordinated intervention has been declining. 
    The falling probability largely reflects the decline in currency
    market volatility.  Indeed, though the USD’s fall has been
    ongoing, the path has remained orderly for the most part. 

    This has been particularly true on the EUR/USD axis; and this
    has been a key factor dampening coordinated intervention risk,
    according to our models.

    However, while the probability of coordinated USD
    intervention has been on the decline, our models show the
    probability of intervention in the USD/JPY exchange rate is
    actually rising. 

    Our models indicate a 29% risk for
    intervention in USD/JPY, which is just on the cusp of ‘high risk
    territory’ (Exhibit 2).  The 2 factors contributing the most to the
    elevated risk for USD/JPY intervention are (1) the apparent
    mispricing of longer-term relative growth outlooks, a factor we
    proxy using productivity and real rate differentials (Exhibit 3),
    and (2) the deviation of the real effective JPY exchange rate
    from its longer-term average (Exhibit 4).

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  • Tom Batiuk Offers an Early Holiday Gift for MENC Members: A New Halle Dinkle Strip

    For December, cartoonist Tom Batiuk, a friend of music educators, presents a new Halle Dinkle cartoon for MENC members (above). A Lowell Mason Fellow, Batiuk was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his comic strip, Funky Winkerbean.

    Batiuk was a big part of Music Education Week in Washington in June, 2009, drawing a strip for U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan on behalf of MENC.

    A former middle school teacher, Batiuk took the stage with Duncan for the presentation of the cartoon during a rally at the U. S Department of Education.

    Halle Dinkle cartoons formerly appeared in MENC’s Teaching Musicthen moved to the MENC Web site in 2009. In a series of interviews with MENC the cartoonist discussed his working process, and his interest in music education. 

    Batiuk’s themes are timely, as this cartoon from earlier in 2009 demonstrates. Is your program facing possible budget cuts? Looking for ways to advocate for your music program? MENC’s Advocacy Web site offers research, anecdotes, quotes and other material, through the SupportMusic "Make Your Case" database, which offers compelling reasons for strong support of school music programs.

    Or log on as a member and visit MENC’s forums to discuss concerns with other music educators.

    Look for new Batiuk cartoons on the MENC Web site in 2010.

     —Roz Fehr, December 3, 2009. © MENC: The National Association for Music Education

  • Stocks Plunge In Final Hour Of Trading

    finviz_final1203

    The market was relatively quiet all day.

    That is, until 3pm came and went. The Dow ended up plunging 90 points while the S&P lost 10. The NASDAQ was the least affected, dropping only 12 points.

    Gold gained $1.40 and remains at $1214 an ounce. Oil dropped 60 cents to close at $76 a barrel.

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  • LA 2009: Land Rover brings Autobiography package to 2010 Range Rover Sport

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    2010 Range Rover Sport Autobiography – Click above for high-res image gallery

    We can’t figure out exactly what the name Autobiography is supposed to convey, but Land Rover seems to think it’s a fitting name to put on its top-of-the-line Range Rover models. Last year, they pulled the wraps off the Range Rover Autobiography at the British Motor Show, and this week at the LA Auto Show the Range Rover Sport Autobiography has just made its official debut.

    Most of the appeal of the package is inside. All of the seating surfaces are covered in beautiful two-tone leather, and the Autobiography logo can be found in the wood door inserts and the embossed headrests. The exterior gets a few special touches as well, including body-colored lower door panels, an extended roof spoiler, and special 20-inch alloy wheels.

    Just 250 examples of the Range Rover Sport Autobiography will be built, all in Santorini Black with the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 as standard. Pricing is listed as an imposing $88,545, but we can see that in its exclusive circle, enough Land Rover buyers will likely be willing to cough up a $14,000 premium to have their own Autobiography, even if it’s only a leather, wheel, and trim package. Hit the jump for full details, or check out our high-res gallery of live shots below.

    Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

    Continue reading LA 2009: Land Rover brings Autobiography package to 2010 Range Rover Sport

    LA 2009: Land Rover brings Autobiography package to 2010 Range Rover Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • inFamous gets a price drop and free DLC

    You’ve seen inFamous in Thanksgiving and Black Friday deals so the title is clearly no longer interested in charging full price. SCEA and Sucker Punch Productions have now decided to make it official. From today onwards, inFamous

  • Holiday Recipes: Roasted Fresh Figs

    If you are looking for a healthy holiday dish, check out this recipe for roasted fresh figs featuring Veggie — the #1 soy-based cheese alternative. Veggie was recently re-formulated with an organic ingredient base and an improved taste. Check your local grocery store’s produce section to buy the new improved Veggie. It’s an excellent source of calcium without cholesterol, saturated or trans fat, or lactose.

    Stuffed Figs

    Roasted Fresh Figs with Smoked Almonds and Veggie Cheddar

    Makes 2 Servings

    Ingredients

    • 8 figs, fresh and ripe
    • 8 smoke almonds, whole
    • 1/2 Veggie Block Cheddar Flavor, crumbled or grated (or simply substitute the Veggie Block with your favorite Galaxy product)
    • Kosher salt and black pepper, as needed
    • Non stick vegetable spray, as needed

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
    2. Trim the top stem off of the fresh fig. Standing it up, cut downward towards the bottom without cutting through. Repeat this step going the opposite way to make it seem as if the fig has been quartered.
    3. Carefully place a whole almond in the middle of each sliced area, pushing it down into the fig, which will open it up a little bit.
    4. Do the same with the Veggie Cheddar.
    5. Place the figs upright on a baking sheet or dish. Spray quickly with the nonstick vegetable oil spray, and season with a pinch of salt.
    6. Bake in the oven until the Veggie Cheddar is melted, and the figs are warmed through, about 12 minutes.

    Chef’s Note: Look for figs that are tender, but not mushy when buying in the supermarket.

    Recipe and image courtesy of GalaxyFoods.com.

    Post from: Blisstree

    Holiday Recipes: Roasted Fresh Figs

  • HTC’s dumb phone has an interesting interface

    The HTC Touch.B is the long rumoured HTC dumb phone running on Qualcomm’s BREW platform.  This is likely the device HTC has had the most freedom developing its own user interface, and it has come up with this interesting text-based system of sliding pages, vaguely reminiscent of the Pre.

    I do however foresee the user easily getting lost in the menu tree, with very little showing the reader where he has been, where he is going and where to find what he is looking for.

    It is however interesting to see another take on phone user interfaces, one that does not involve menus, widgets or icons.

    Source: Mobifrance via Engagdet.com

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  • Vitamins D and B12 Offer Support Against Alzheimer’s

    Alzheimer’s research in recent years has been finding some new and encouraging information about the supporting roles of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D. As we age, we all become less able to absorb vitamins and other nutrients. Supplementation of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D can help to prevent or reduce the future risk of dementia like Alzheimer’s Disease.

    Vitamin B12, also called Cobalamin, is essential for the maintenance of healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. This means that we need it for our brains and nervous systems to function in top form. And we need it for the health of our cardiovascular systems.

    It has been discovered that a deficiency of Vitamin B12 can look very much like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. In cases like these, sufficiently high supplementation of Vitamin B12 can lead to the restoration of significant neurological, cognitive function for an individual who had previously been succumbing to mental confusion, depression, and personality change.

    Vitamin B12 can be found in protein foods such as seafood, meat, milk and other dairy products. It can also be taken as a supplement, in tablet, gel or liquid form, or by injection.
    Read more…