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Following yesterday’s Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition announcements, here’s a trailer for Lost in Nightmares, the first new episode to be release…

Warren Buffett warns that while some parts of the U.S. system need to be updated, there is “nothing more important to economic future of the country than to have an independent fed.”

He believes this was proven over the course of U.S. history, and even during the latest crisis.

“I think it’s done a good job over the years. I think it’s had good leadership most of the time. I think it has terrific leadership now. And I think that curbing the independence of the Fed could lead to a lot of mischief.”

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See Also:

• Goldman And Buffett To Small Businesses: We’re Here To Help! (GS)
• Warren Buffett Bets America’s Future Will Be Poor, Crowded, And Dirty (BRK, WMT, XOM, BNI)
• Warren Buffett And Bill Gates Explain How To Make $100 Billion…

The future is looking bright for web apps with more and more players interested in the space and Google going all out with a dedicated operating system that will rely exclusively on web applications. Huge desktop software companies should start worrying or better yet start preparing for the paradigm shift like Adobe is doing with its suite of office apps over at Acrobat.com. Adobe says the site has been pretty successful so far but the company is preparing to launch a hugely revamped version of it any time now.

Adobe hasn’t made the big official announcement yet but it has confirmed that the changes will begin to be implemented later today: “The team will be taking down Buzzword, Presentations and Tables at 6:00 PM Eastern time today (Friday, 11/20/09.) Share and CreatePDF will go offline at 8:00 PM Eastern time. ConnectNow will be up and running throughout the update window. All of the services will be up and running again by 11:00 PM Eastern time and open for business. The new look and changes in Acrobat.com are starting to get some good reviews. We invite you to come and check it out later today.”

The new version comes with a lot of new features but one of the biggest is the new file organizer, which enables users to manage all of their files in one place regardless of their type. This has been one of the … (read more)

People are staying together in South Florida.  But not because they want to.

Miami Herald:  With the economy sputtering, South Florida couples are staying together more or attempting do-it-yourself divorces rather than paying pricey divorce lawyers.

As a result, local divorce lawyers say they are facing their slowest period ever, and are discounting rates, offering sliding payment scales and military discounts and accepting credit cards. One said her business is down 35 percent from last year.

The article goes on to note that people report staying together because one spouse has health insurance or they own a home together that is now a liability, rather than an asset.  Some just cannot afford an attorney to represent them in a divorce.  

The full article is here, and coverage by the ABA Journal is here.  

What caught our eye is this paying-for-legal-services-via-credit-card idea.  We complain as much as the next person when the dry cleaners or, really, anyone, does not take cards.  It isn’t convenient.  

But seeing as how legal fees can get quite expensive, it just feels strange — like this should be one of those cases where people are protected from buying what they cannot afford.  We like to think (though we realize this is up for debate) that lawyers do not want to take cases their clients cannot afford to bring, but if the bill is being paid via credit card every month, one would not necessarily know if that’s the case.

So, we looked into the ethics of lawyers accepting credit cards.  It turns out, as of 2000, it’s ABA approved (pdf), as long, of course, as use comports with all other ethics rules.  

Lawyers choosing to accept credit cards due to clients’ economic hardships, as the Miami Herald article indicates attorneys are, obviously raises a question of if access to a divorce, or any legal service, should require people to resort to credit risks to obtain legal services.  

There is often a gap between those people eligible for pro bono services and those who can afford quality representation, or any representation.  

The option of representing yourself in a divorce always exists, but any lawyer who has taken on a pro bono divorce case knows, it’s really not as simple as just saying “I Don’t.”  When you are not trained in the area, properly achieving a legal break-up is a whole lot more than filling in the blanks on a model form.  

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• All Texas Marriages Are Void, Maybe
• Stanford’s Wife Sues Her Former Divorce Lawyer For $200 Million
• Casino Mogul Wynn Dumps Shares To Pay For His Divorce

As part of our ongoing Primal Blueprint Fitness Video Contest readers Anders, Annika and Rob submitted their interpretation of a Primal Blueprint Sprint Routine (the latest contest theme). They’re in the running for a cash and Primal prize package and have a one in four shot of winning.

If you liked this video be sure to check out other videos Anders has submitted: Bringing Home the Bacon and Primaldelphia.

If you’d like to be featured on Mark’s Daily Apple for a chance to win Primal gear read the Primal Blueprint contest details and submit your video (fitness or recipe), real life Primal story or Primal recipe today!

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Related posts:

1. Contest Video: Primal Blueprint Bodyweight Exercises
2. Contest Video: Primal Blueprint Upper Body Workout
3. Primal Blueprint Fitness: Sprint Routine

Filed under: Japan, Crossover, Mitsubishi, First Drive

Mitsubishi presented its best and brightest rides for us to drive over the course of an eight-hour event in the parched desert oasis of Palm Springs, CA. Everything from a tuned, 290-hp Lancer Sportback Ralliart to an electric i MiEV. And drive them we did. We rocketed up winding mountain roads and down gravel-caked trails. If they brought it, we pounded on it. Fairly hard, too. Odd then that the focus of this particular review – and in many ways the star of the party – isn’t some carbon fiber body kit-enhanced EVO X, but rather the new 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT.

Yup, an SUV. Actually, a CUV, albeit one with lots of ground clearance. Mitsubishi first introduced the second generation Outlander in 2006 (replacing the more wagon-esque first gen.), and 2010 marks a major refresh. In GT trim, almost everything has changed, from the exterior to the interior to the quantity and quality of gadgets to the engine output to the transmission and finally, most importantly, its all-wheel-drive system. The 2009 Outlander was a fine, competent, utilitarian machine – perfectly adequate for schlepping kids and groceries. But let’s be frank, it didn’t set hearts on fire. And while the new Outlander GT won’t necessarily do that either, it’s most definitely not just another sedan on stilts.

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

Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is a CUV we can live with

First Drive: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is a CUV we can live with originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The quality and readiness of the Army Guard is in the hands of its senior
leadership, the Army Guard’s top officer told more than 2,000 officers and senior
NCOs here today….

The National Guard can play an important role in helping to spread the news about
the Veterans Affairs Department’s new programs to veterans in their communities,
VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told a National Guard conference just outside the
nation’s capital today…

For over 100 years, there has been a hotly contested rivalry that boils over to an
all out war for three hours one fall Saturday afternoon in
November…

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently implemented many new initiatives and
programs as a way to specifically engage National Guard and Reserve veterans who
have been deployed, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said Nov. 19…

The National Guard has changed dramatically since 2001, transforming itself from a
strategic reserve to an operational force…

A transformed National Guard has been essential to America ‘s war effort, the
Army’s chief of staff said here Nov. 19…

Found out that there are two types of installers for the game — US and UK. I alerted the LoL developers with a query.

I’ve also updated my previous post; I’ve added the download link for the US version.

The download links (to the US and UK versions and a tutorial video) after the jump.

>>>Click here for the download links.

Notre Dame Associate Professor of Law O. Carter Snead, along with Professor Philip Sloan in Notre Dame’s Program of Liberal Studies and Graduate Program in History and Philosophy of Science, was awarded a $50,000 seed grant from the University’s Initiative in Adult Stem Cell Research and Ethics. The money will fund a project entitled “Theological, Scientific, Ethical, and Legal Aspects of Alternative Stem-Cell Research.” The project will culminate in an interdisciplinary workshop to be held next summer at Notre Dame, and is meant to be a precursor to a permanent interdisciplinary center focused on this topic.

Snead was recently named to serve as an expert for the Initiative. Says Snead, “the Initiative takes a comprehensive approach to stem cell research, exploring not only the relevant scientific and engineering questions, but attending to the ethical and humanistic matters as well. The research aims at the common good, and is conducted in a manner that respects the equal dignity of all human lives from conception to natural death.”

Adult stem cell research is actively pursued at Notre Dame. Adult stem cells are found in different tissues and organs throughout the bodies of animals, including the nervous system. The two most well known sources of adult/non-embryonic stem cells are bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. Notre Dame commits itself to never using embryonic stem cells in research to cure human disease. The University opposes the use and destruction of embryos on the grounds that it constitutes the unjust taking of innocent human life for the benefit of others.

“The Notre Dame Adult Stem Cell Initiative is a tribute to the uniqueness of Notre Dame as the nation’s premier Catholic research university,” says Snead. “Notre Dame, like other elite schools, is committed to scholarly excellence, interdisciplinarity, and the pursuit of cutting edge research. At the same time, these aspirations are shaped by and grounded in the University’s mission. The Initiative reflects this synthesis.”

A significant portion of Snead’s research and teaching centers around the ethical, legal, and social questions associated with stem cell research and related questions (such as human cloning). He has published numerous articles, both for scholarly and general audiences on these matters including: The Pedagogical Significance of the Bush Stem Cell Policy: A Window into the Nature of Bioethical Regulation in the U.S., 5 YALE J. HEALTH POL’Y, L. & ETHICS 491 (2005); Preparing the Groundwork for a Responsible Debate on Stem Cell Research and Cloning, 39 NEW ENG. L. REV. 701 (2005) (Keynote address for 2004 Symposium, “Bioethics: The Current Stem Cell Research Debate”); A Comparative Analysis of E.U. and U.S. Funding Policies for Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Details, Aims, and Effects, 4 QUADERNI COSTITUZIONALI 834 (2007); Bioethics and Self-Governance: The Lessons of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND PHILOSOPHY, 34: 204-222, 2009 doi 10.1093/jmp/jhp024; Public Bioethics and the Bush Presidency, 32 HARV. J. OF L. & PUB. POL. 867 (2009); and Public Bioethics, Science, and the Problem of Integration, _ U.C. DAVIS LAW REVIEW _ (forthcoming 2010).

Aside from teaching and research, Snead’s professional service has also focused heavily on the question of stem cell research. Prior to joining the faculty of Notre Dame, he served as General Counsel to the President’s Council on Bioethics (a White House advisory body), where he advised the Chairman and Members on the legal and public policy dimensions of stem cell research and human cloning. From 2004 to 2005, he led the U.S. government delegation to the United Nations Educational, Science, and Culture Organization (UNESCO) in the negotiation of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (adopted in October 2005).

Snead recently concluded his service as Permanent Observer for the U.S. government at the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI), where he assisted in the development of international instruments and standards relating to stem cell research, among other things.

Currently, Snead serves as a member of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee, a 36-member body of independent experts who advise member states on bioethical questions. It is the only bioethics committee in the world with a global mandate.

Snead serves as Chairman for the Stem Cell Research/Bioethics Working Group of the New Federal Initiatives Project for the Federalist Society. Finally, he is a Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC.

To learn more about Professor Snead, visit his webpage.

Facebook is one of the biggest things in Silicon Valley at the moment and the social media giant is showing no signs of slowing down. It is being valued at several billion dollars, over 10, by previous transactions but since it’s a private company, no one can really tell what it’s worth. However, despite the fact that Facebook isn’t listed on any stock exchange, some shares end up on places like SecondMarket and SharesPost, which allow people who own Facebook common stock, mostly employees or former employees, to trade it. And prices for those shares have been going up over the past months to the point where Facebook’s common stock is now worth around $9.5 billion.

That figure may be a bit misleading but it gives a rough estimate of what most people think the social network is worth. The $9.5 billion number is based on the price of shares currently being traded on SecondMarket, which has reached $21. The price has shot up 42 percent in the past four months, according to Bloomberg. This is just for the common stock though, as a chunk of the company is tied up in preferred stock, which is usually owned by venture capital investors so by this metric, Facebook may be worth more than $10 billion at the moment.

The valuation does seem very high but it’s not the highest the social network has got; in fact, a couple o… (read more)

Just this week, James Harding, the editor of The Times (of London), a paper owned by Rupert Murdoch, tried to explain why the news is worth paying for, as the paper starts to put up a new business model to get consumers to pay for news. Unfortunately, Harding apparently didn’t get the message himself. As pointed out by Mathew Ingram, just days after making the case for paying for news, The Times has been accused of publishing an article that it copied without permission from a blog.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Yes, just as Rupert Murdoch is calling aggregators (sites that simply summarize and link to stories) parasites (even as he owns a bunch of aggregators himself), one of his papers didn’t aggregate, it flat out copied, without permission, a blog post that was written by Edgar Wright as a tribute to Edward Woodward, who recently passed away. The Times eventually put up a “clarification” online that had a link to the original site, but that hardly explains the original copying — especially during the very week that they’re trying to convince the world that news should be paid for….

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Filed under: Wagon, Videos, Volvo

Freya Svensson feels like she’s getting screwed. According to her blog postings, she owns a still new-looking Volvo XC70 that has had more than its fair share of problems: a faulty transmission and an internal coolant leak that could have been caused by a cracked cylinder head or head gasket. To make matters worse, Svensson says the transmission, cylinder head and motor mounts (twice) have been replaced by Rusnak Volvo in Pasadena, California. Svensson further claims that when the transmission was replaced, she told Rusnak that it still didn’t feel right but the dealership allegedly wouldn’t take a look at it again. Now that the supposed defective tranny is out of warranty, the dealership wants to repair it. None of this tale is funny, odd, or different from some of the dealer/warranty horror stories that we hear about all the time. So why are we bothering to report on this one? As you might have guessed from the viking helmet and acoustic guitar show above, Svensson has no issue in pulling out all the stops in order to get her message across. She’s even got t-shirts. This amuses us.

For starters, Svensson started up her own website, Rusmackedvolvo.com, which details her problems with Volvo North America and Rusnak Volvo. She took to Facebook to friend Volvo North America President Doug Speck, offering to help him add to his paltry friend total of 24 in exchange for free repairs to her Scandinavian lemon. To add a little flair, Svensson then took to YouTube to provide a video play by play of what is going on with her cursed wagon. The blonde haired, blue eyed Svensson plays up the Swedish connection by even singing an original composition, “O Rusnak Volvo” in her native tongue. Hit the jump to watch the clip, and don’t worry if you don’t speak Swedish – Svensson has been thoughtful enough to provide English subtitles.

[Sources: Rusmackedvolvo.com; YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Disgruntled Volvo owner starts blog, crafts lament in her native Swedish tongue

VIDEO: Disgruntled Volvo owner starts blog, crafts lament in her native Swedish tongue originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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