Liberty Newspost May-13-10 by Liberty Newspost

E-reader News Edition

- 13/05/10

http://www.LibertyNewspost.com

“Everything but the kitchen sink” poll JoAnne Allen (Front Row Washington)

benefits of offshore drilling outweigh its potential harm to the environment,” NBC said. Submitted at 5/13/2010 2:21:30 AM Asked about the environment in The oil spill, immigration, the country, 56 percent said racial profiling, President they believe the U.S. is “off on Obama’s policies, the Tea Party the wrong track” compared with — you name it, Americans were 34 percent who said it’s “headed asked about it in the latest NBC in the right direction.” SeventyNews/Wall Street Journal public six percent say the United States opinion poll. is in a recession and no one said The pollsters surveyed 1,000 they thought “it’s almost over.” people from Thursday through Obama gets a 50 percent job Monday (when there was a lot approval rating. About half of news happening) and came disapprove of his policies but 69 away with what NBC says were percent said they like him “striking results.” personally. Congress fares far Despite the huge oil spill in the w o r s e , w i t h a 2 1 p e r c e n t Gulf of Mexico threatening a p p r o v a l r a t i n g w h i l e a environmental d isaster, 60 w h o p p i n g 7 2 p e r c e n t o f percent of Americans said they Americans disapprove of the job support more offshore drilling, lawmakers are doing. according to the poll. The poll found that more “In addition, a majority believes people have “very positive” that the potential economic feelings about the Tea Party

than both the Democratic and Republican parties. While there’s a growing move to protest or boycott Arizona over its crackdown on illegal immigrants, the NBC/Wall

Street Journal poll suggests Americans aren’t exactly on board. Sixty-four percent said they support the Arizona law, which requires police, during lawful contact, to check the immigration status of anyone who they reasonably suspect is in the country illegally. Among Hispanic or Latino respondents, 70 percent said they oppose the law. A majority of all respondents, 76 percent, said the Arizona law will lead to racial profiling. Photo Credits: REUTERS/Sean Gardner (Officials walk along beach looking for signs of oil in Pass Christian, Mississippi, May 12, 2010)

The Independent wonders if Rupert Murdoch's paywall plans will pay off. "Though Rupert Murdoch's plans to charge for ... (Business Insider) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:43:31 AM

The Independent wonders if Rupert Murdoch's paywall plans will pay off. "Though Rupert Murdoch's plans to charge for online journalism have seen him ridiculed as failing to understand internet culture, the once prevailing online credo that 'information demands to be free' is no longer so powerful," writes Ian Burrell. Join the conversation about this story »

Kayak.com Cofounder Paul English Plans to Blanket Africa in Free Wireless Internet Austin Carr (Fast Company)

Head to JoinAfrica.org to get involved and join the

conversation.

Headline/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Frankly, Mr. Karzai, the U.S. does give a damn Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row Washington)

Obama went on to say, “Our job is to be a good friend and to be frank with President Karzai Submitted at 5/12/2010 1:24:30 PM in saying, ‘Here’s where we When two heads of state stand think we’ve got to put more side-by-side in public, it’s all effort’.” about reading into the words When Karzai took his turn at they choose and the body the question, he pointed out that language. this version of the U.S.-Afghan In the case of Afghan President relationship was in its 10th year. Hamid Karzai and U.S. “It’s not an imaginary President Barack Obama the r e l a t i o n s h i p . I t ’ s a r e a l word “frank” came up a number relationship. It’s based on some of times. very hard and difficult realities. In Washington-speak when We are in a campaign against p o l i t i c a l l e a d e r s d e s c r i b e terrorism together. There are discussions as “frank” and “very days that we are happy. There frank” it usually means they are days that we are not happy.” didn’t quite see eye-to-eye. And “And definitely days have come g i v e n t h e r e c e n t t e n s i o n s in which we’ve had a difference between Karzai’s government of opinion. And definitely days and the U.S. government that in the future will come in which the visit sought to ease, the use we have difference of opinion,” of the word “frank” showed that Karzai said. not everything was agreeable. Both Obama and Karzai said “Obviously, there are going to the relationship between their b e t e n s i o n s i n s u c h a countries had strong roots and c o m p l i c a t e d , d i f f i c u l t would be long-lasting. Perhaps environment and in a situation to symbolize this rekindled in which, on the ground, both — friendship, they shook hands in both Afghans and Americans front of the cameras after their a r e m a k i n g e n o r m o u s public statements and before sacrifices,” Obama said at a taking questions. joint news conference at the “So I believe what you saw in White House. “We’ve had very the past few months is reflective frank discussions.” of a deep and strong

relationship. And in that sort of relationship, as President Obama rightly described, there are moments that we speak frankly to each other. And that frankness will only add to the strength of the relationship and contribute to the successes that we have,” Karzai said. One source of tension between Afghanistan and the United States has been the civilian casualties in Afghanistan, and two of the more powerful statements made at the White House podium were related to the war effort in which U.S. forces are fighting Taliban

Sports Car Videos (HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)

The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK (more info) General Election. Available Five Filters featured article: tools: PDF Newspaper, Full

Text RSS, Term Extraction.

insurgents. “When there is a civilian casualty, that is not just a political problem for me,” Obama said. “I am ultimately accountable, just as General (Stanley) McChrystal is accountable, for somebody who’s not on the battlefield who got killed. And that is something that I have to carry with me and that anybody who’s involved in a military operation has to carry with them. And so we do not take that lightly.” Karzai in his opening remarks mentioned his visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center

where he met American military personnel wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. “It was a very difficult moment for me, Mr. President, to meet with a young man — a very, very young man, who had lost two arms and legs. It was heartrending. And there were other wounded, too, just like I had seen in Afghanistan. ” “This shows the commitment that the United States has to bringing security to Afghanistan and by extension to the United States and the rest of the world, and the difficult task that we have ahead of us in securing our future generations a better and more secure life,” Karzai said. As for body language, the two leaders appeared cordial, businesslike, friendly, but not the best of friends. Although we don’t know if their demeanor changes during private meetings. Where is that fly on the wall when you need it? Photo Credit: Reuters/Jim Young (Obama looks over at Karzai during news conference), Reuters/Kevin Lamarque (Karzai and Obama shake hands)

Business/

E-reader News Edition

LEDs: The Bright Bulb Revolution Kit Eaton (Fast Company) Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:04:55 AM

The soft glow of a burning-hot wire in an incandescent lightbulb, and the bluish tinge from the screaming electrical plasma storm in a fluorescent tube may soon become largely things of the past. LED lighting has arrived to beat them both. Ever since British inventor Humphry Davy passed current through a platinum strip in 1802, electrical lighting based on incandescent technology in vacuum-sealed glass bulbs has lighted up our lives. Edison didn't invent the things, despite what you may have heard, but he did perfect an early design that made the lightbulb a practical commodity. Since Edison's experiments, the tech has been tweaked and polished, to the point that we're no longer amazed by the instant availability of electrical light, seeing it as merely "normal." And don't forget fluorescent systems either--decades of effort by Brits, Germans, French and Americans starting in the mid1800's resulted in those long tubes lighting up practically every office space everywhere, as well as the curling glass tubes that glow over the door of your favorite diner. As concerns about the environmental impact of incandescent bulbs grew, compact plug-in fluorescent (CFL) tech even seemed briefly

like it could be the future of lighting. And all of these innovations will remain with us for some time--the differing benefits of the technologies will mean they retain a grip on niche markets in the lighting industry (in stage lighting, and sign writing for example). But for mainstream lighting, the CFL and the hot lightbulb are doomed. Doomed faster than you may imagine, actually--thanks to the LED. At the Light+Building trade show in Frankfurt last month,

this quiet revolution in lighting technology couldn't be more blindingly obvious. Where events like this had remained pretty stagnant and uninteresting for years, L+B was filled with drama. Seemingly every company's exhibition stand was featuring LED technology with jazzy demos and snazzy music and, yes, pretty young female stand promotional teams (LED Ladies?). The stand for Royal Philips Electronics more than every other: The company had taken the bold step to light the

entire sweeping exhibition hall with LED tech, and the only lighting gear made by the company (which started out as an early pioneer in incandescent bulbs) that was being promoted was LED-based from consumer practical and "fun" lighting to LED street lamps that could save authorities millions of dollars in energy bills. The CEO of Philips Lighting, Rudy Provost, explained why at the beginning of his press conference: "This Light + Building is not about 2010 - it is

about a new decade, a new era of growth, powered by innovation. A decade of opportunity, driven by a fundamental transformation of our industry." Explaining more to us, Provost noted that LED's are just a "means to an end" for delivering new lighting systems to people, while acknowledging that the arrival of the small, white, super-efficient LEDs has completely turned the industry on its head--"A few years ago LEDS: page 6

Business/

E-reader News Edition

Russia Backtracks On Black Sea Oil Exports, Because The Real Market Is In Asia (ROSN) John Helmer (Business Insider)

Stream instead of Bulgaria…bypassing Bulgaria”; and that Russia and Turkey have Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:47:09 AM agreed to consider construction Russia’s energy chief, Deputy of an oil refinery at Ceyhan, and Prime Minister Igor Sechin, has are “close to an understanding disclosed that the Black Sea oil of [their] participation in joint export plan he launched in marketing of the oil in the Milan last October, with much pipeline”. applause from Turkish and An October 19, 2009, statement Italian interests, is going by Eni, the Italian partner in the nowhere fast – err, I mean, slow. p r o j e c t , a n n o u n c e d t h a t He was speaking on the “representatives of Eni, Calik sidelines of President Dmitry Holding, JSC Transneft and Medvedev’s visit to Turkey on Rosneft, the energy companies Wednesday. Without allowing i n v o l v e d , s i g n e d a d i r e c t q u e s t i o n s f r o m , o r Memorandum of Understanding quotation by Russian reporters, w h i c h e n v i s a g e s t h e Sechin reportedly said that a commitment to discuss the start on the new crude oil definition of the economic and delivery route, including the contractual conditions for cross-Turkey pipeline from R u s s i a n companies to Samsun, on the Black Sea, to participate in the SamsunCeyhan, on the Aegean, will be Ceyhan Project in order to delayed until 2015. In the oil ensure the volume of crude that business, five years into the would guarantee the economic future is a number equivalent to sustainability of the project. Eni eternity — and for practical has been heavily involved in the purposes, oblivion. oil pipeline project since 2005 When he unveiled the project and will play a leading role in its on October 19, Sechin was realization. In 2006, Eni bought reported in Kommersant as 50% of Trans Anadolu Pipeline saying: “Turkey has agreed to C o m p a n y ( T A P C O ) , t h e the implementation of the South company designed for the S t r e a m [ g a s p i p e l i n e ] i n realization and management of exchange for participation of the Samsun Ceyhan pipeline.” Russia in construction of the As Eni pointed out, the Samsun pipeline Samsun-Ceyhan;” that -Ceyhan project was not new Russia had agreed to the “ when Sechin signed on to it. It participation of Turkey in South had been unveiled by Çalik

Energy, which made it the subject of a press conference on June 22, 2006, at the Istanbul Hilton Hotel. The company presentation said the “SamsunCeyhan Petroleum Pipeline Project was introduced…as having great importance in changing Turkey’s geostrategic position to a strategic advantage and strengthening its position in the international energy sector. At the meeting organized jointly by the business partners realizing the project, Çalk Energy and the Italy based giant petroleum company, Eni , the importance of the project and the benefits it would provide from the viewpoint of the international energy sector were presented.” The estimated capital cost at the time of building the 550-km pipeline was $1.5 billion. But the Russian oil companies

is oil supply, money, and strategic justification for building both of them in parallel. A month later, when the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou came calling, Putin said of the BurgasAlexandroupolis pipeline – already a decade in the planning – was affordable. “There’s enough money for this type of projects. There would be absolutely no problems with refused to fill the pipeline with funding them,” Putin said. But their oil. Until last October’s he didn’t say that he and Sechin statement by Sechin, that is. had decided to provide Russian Then a spokesman for Rosneft, funds for two pipelines on either the state oil company chaired by side of the Turkish straits. That Sechin, said it was joining the has been left for the backroom Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline plan, c o m m i t t e e o f m i n i s t r y , along with the Russian pipeline Transneft and Rosneft experts to figure out. Nikolai Tokarev, company Transneft. T h e p r o j e c t m o m e n t u m Transneft’s boss, has signaled gathered force in January of this that, so far as he knows, the year, when Prime Minister backroom exercise isn’t over. Vladimir Putin met his Turkish “We … see real prospect of counterpart, Recep Tayyip a s s o c i a t i o n [ o f t h e t w o Erdogan, in Moscow, and projects], ” Tokarev said in a announced they had “agreed to published statement on January step up work on the Samsun- 19. Ceyhan pipeline.” Calik Energy What Sechin disclosed this and the Italian company Eni week signals that a decision has were also involved; according to been taken not to do anything Putin, “we will start to study this for the foreseeable future. with the Italian partners.” An According to Sechin, the expert group, under Sechin’s Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline will supervision, is reported to be not be ready until mid-2015. analyzing both pipeline projects, RUSSIA page 7 and considering whether there

Business/

E-reader News Edition

How To Become Best Friends With Your Suppliers (And Why It Matters) Bob Reiss (Business Insider) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:43:00 AM

From Entrepreneur: Your approach to suppliers needs to be part of your strategic plan since almost every company, whether product- or service-oriented, is dependent on suppliers. Many business owners seem to get this supplier issue backwards. They think that because they write the order, they're in the dominant position and can exploit it with unreasonable demands, including personal perks. Let's get this right . . . you need good and reliable suppliers. When you find them, treat them like gold. Work as hard on building a good supplier relationship as you do building a good relationship with your customers. And be loyal to your good suppliers. They are essential to your business's good health and growth. Let's briefly look at all the ways suppliers can impact your company. • Quality: Supplier components can positively or negatively affect the quality of your product. Higher quality increases customer satisfaction and decreases returns, which adds cash to your bottom line. • Timeliness: Their timely

deliveries are crucial to how customers view your reliability. A quick turnaround can become the key to minimizing your inventory, which in turn translates to less risk of inventory obsolescence and lower cash needs. • Competitiveness: They can give you the one-up on your competition based on their pricing, quality, reliability, technological breakthroughs and knowledge of industry trends. • Innovation: Suppliers can make major contributions to your new product development. Remember, they live their product more than you do; they're working to be on the cutting edge of innovation for their product. The good ones will understand your company, its industry and needs, and can help you tweak your new idea. • Finance: If you've proven to be a considerate, loyal and paying customer, you may be able to tap into your suppliers for additional financing once you hit growth mode--or if you run into a cash crunch. That financing may take the form of postponed debt, extended terms on new purchases, a loan, or an investment in your company. All of these improve your cash position. It is OK to Be a Demanding

placed, don't renege or attempt to change the rules. If you can't, call up your suppliers and tell them why and when you will pay. Don't play games with suppliers' cash. You'll be absolutely amazed at the goodwill and benefits you will earn by observing this simple rule. • Provide adequate lead times. Try to give suppliers as much lead time as possible on your orders. Unless there's a compelling, competitive reason not to, share with them an honest projection of your needs and keep them abreast of any significant changes in that Customer one supplier. If that supplier has estimation. When developing Having said how valuable and a strike or a fire, you don't want your lead times, it helps to be important a supplier can be to to be in a position where you'd knowledgeable about your you, I'll now say that you should be shut down too. So keep a suppliers' production methods not be a patsy. You can be a backup or multiple suppliers on and needs. demanding customer--just be hand--and don't be embarrassed • Personalize the relationship. fair. State your quality and time to tell your key supplier that Visit suppliers' offices. While n e e d s c l e a r l y . H o l d y o u r you're doing so. They will you're at it, include them in suppliers to their agreements. appreciate your honesty. some of your strategy meetings. M a k e s u r e t h e y s t a y How to Be a Valued Customer Invite them to break bread and competitive. Tell them you These ideas assume, of course, invite them to your office parties never expect to pay higher that you are a customer that and picnics. prices than other purchasers. somebody out there wants. In • Share information. Keep the There are times you need to order to be a valued customer to good suppliers aware of what's replace a supplier because you your suppliers, here are a few going on in your company. Tell have outgrown them and they things you should do: them about changes in key can't perform to your new • Always pay on time. For the personnel, new products, special expectations. Before dropping sake of emphasis, I'll repeat this promotions and so on. Many them, however, you might try to one: Pay your bills on time! You times, you'll find that good help them change to keep up can negotiate for favorable with you. payment terms before you place HOW page 7 Also, it's not prudent to rely on an order, but once the order is

Business/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

LEDS: continued from page 3

we would call ourselves a ballast and bulb company, and today we're talking about being a lighting solutions company ... but of course LED allows you to do things you couldn't do before." While 90% of Philip's Lighting business revenues came from non-LED sources in Q4 of 2009, Provost noted he's certain that LED tech is the future, and that he's trying to "accelerate" the change inside the company. "We've articulated very well what [...] the dream is, we know where we are today, [and the] breakthrough is having plotted the migration path" towards a future of the industry where LED is the big business. Today's announcement of the 12W EnduraLED bulb, a replacement for the standard consumer 60W unit is a very definite step in this direction. Across the hall in the L+B trade show, one of lighting's biggest names, Osram, was also promoting its LED lighting solutions, from consumer-scale systems to LED video walls. An Osram spokesman was candid about the revolution going on, and noted that "Five years ago

you'd only see one or two LED systems" while this year the entire show was about LEDpowered lighting solutions. But why is there such excitement about white and colored LEDs and OLEDs? It's for two main reasons. The rapidly advancing technology is around 80% more efficient than incandescent systems, meaning it saves power and thus money. But more importantly it's because the physical nature of LED lighting (the little diodes in standard LEDs and the plates of glowing light of almost any shape in OLEDs) combined with the digital control that makes them tick allows for totally innovative implementations. An LED light bulb, with the right chipsets in its base, could even communicate wirelessly with smartMeters in the home, and it certainly allows you to program-and remotely control--lighting "states" for your house as if you were a theater lighting technician lighting a stage play. This has other advantages too-Philips' Rudy Provost also noted that there are whole new business models arriving thanks

to this. "We have now cities coming to us and saying, 'We want to outsource our lighting management, can you do it for us?' Airports who come to us and say, 'We want to outsource our energy management.'" This outsourced efficiency, timing, and bulb-replacement management is only possible due to the digital tech behind LED lights, combined with modern networking solutions. Hence you have manufacturing giants like Philips and Osram quickly re-directing their century-old businesses toward these new lighting devices. They'd better move swiftly though: Advances in white and colored LED tech are incredibly swift, and putting together enough components into an LED "bulb" is technologically pretty simple. And at the other end of L+B, hundreds of small Chinese, Korean, and Japanese companies were showcasing their own LED bulb solutions, with everything from streetlights to lightstrings to office area lights all on display and ready for bulk purchase. Sure, the quality of white light from these may not have the same warm,

natural glow as Philips is aiming for...but they're already available to buy. At the end of the day, that old $0.60 light bulb hanging over your desk is probably doomed, for all the right environmental and economic reasons. The quiet, bright white LED bulb revolution is already overtaking the lighting industry, and is poised to be big news in the consumer world. Then the next challenge facing companies like Philips is to change consumer's minds about lighting--and get them to imagine it as much more than a way to see in the dark, but as a means of changing the lightscapes of their homes and workplaces. Exploding bulb image: Flickr user Laszlo-photo To keep up with this news follow me, Kit Eaton, on Twitter. That QR code on the left will even take your smartphone to my Twitter feed. And if you really liked this story, you can re-tweet it too.

Street Chic: New York ELLE.com (ELLE Fashion Blogs) Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:00:00 AM

A light-weight button-down

shirt can carry your outfit from the office to the streets Photo: Kelly Stuart Think you are Street Chic? Email us your photo and you

Street Chic Daily. Follow ELLE on Twitter. Become our Facebook fan! could appear in ELLE.com's

Options Update: SAP Volatility Increases into Sybase Deal Paul Foster (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 5/13/2010 10:00:00 AM

Filed under: Options SAP AG ( SAP) has agreed to pay $5.8 billion for Sybase ( SY). SAP is recently trading at $44.69 in pre -open trading; near its close of $44.90. May put option implied volatility is at 37, June is at 31, September is at 32; above its 26 -week average of 28, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement. Harmony Gold ( HMY), the fifth largest gold producer globally, closed at $10.43. Gold is recently down 0.67% to $1,234.80 according to Bloomberg. HMY overall option implied volatility of 43 is below its six-month average of 47, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing movement. Update is by Stock Specialist P a u l F o s t e r o f theflyonthewall.com Options Update: SAP Volatility Increases into Sybase Deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments SAP AG- Sybase- BusinessOption- Bloomberg L.P.

Business/

E-reader News Edition

Judge Rules LimeWire Liable for Its Users' Rampant Copyright Infringement Dan Nosowitz (Fast Company) Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:44:49 AM

If you're like me, you're thinking, "LimeWire? Didn't that go out of fashion years ago in favor of BitTorrent?" Turns out the courts don't let possible copyright offenders sneak out of the limelight (bam! Welcome to PunTown, population: all of us!) as fast as fickle music sharers do. According to Ars Technica, a judge just granted summary judgment in agreement with the RIAA, which according to my extensive legal experience (read: Google University, with a minor in Wikipedia) means the case might not even move forward-it's a statement that the facts fall on one side clearly enough that a trial might not be necessary. Judge Kimba Wood has just granted summary judgment against LimeWire, agreeing with the labels that the peer-topeer company was liable for inducing copyright infringement. Turns out that asking LimeWire downloaders to check a box marked "I will

not use LimeWire for copyright infringement" before proceeding doesn't count as "meaningful efforts to mitigate infringement." Ars Technica spoke to a few legal experts who chimed in that after this ruling, it should be fairly easy to paint LimeWire as having adequate knowledge that illegal behavior was happening on their network, but having not taken adequate steps to stop or discourage it. Apparently the court dredged up some communications between LimeWire employees that indicate that they knew perfectly well what their service was being used for--something that's obvious but without evidence is

RUSSIA continued from page 4

The estimated cost of the pipeline will be $3 billion, Sechin also says, doubling Çalik’s estimate. According to Sechin, Russia is guaranteeing minimum difficult to prove. throughput of between 60 to 70 W i t h t h i s k n o w l e d g e o f million tonnes per annum (1.2infringement, LimeWire still 1.4 million barrels daily). This might have been okay if it had is 20% below earlier projections taken steps to mitigate the of pipeline throughput of 1.5 problem. But "the evidence mbd. The crude will be shipped r e v e a l s t h a t L W h a s n o t by tanker from Novorossiysk implemented in a meaningful p o r t , a n d t h e r o u t e w i l l way any of the technological substitute for the present tanker barriers and design choices that route through the Bosphorus a r e a v a i l a b l e t o d i m i n i s h Strait. The Samsun project is infringement through file- substantially cheaper by the sharing programs, such as hash- kilometre than the alternative b a s e d f i l t e r i n g , a c o u s t i c route from Burgas, Bulgaria, to fingerprinting, filtering based on Alexandroupolis, Greece, but other digital metadata, and the latter route is half the aggressive user education." distance and about half the total Limewire, for what it's worth, cost. said they "strongly oppose" the Why the change of Sechin’s court's decision, and will mind, casting both of the new attempt to defend themselves further as the case proceeds. But HOW summary judgment is a major continued from page 5 blow for LimeWire--this isn't suppliers can be help you find new customers. looking good for them. Dan Nosowitz, the author of this post, can be followed on Developing good relationships Twitter, corresponded with via w i t h s u p p l i e r s i s n o t a email, and stalked in San c o m p l i c a t e d p r o c e s s . B e Francisco (no link for that one-- communicative, treat them you'll have to do the legwork fairly, be demanding (coupled with loyalty) and pay them on yourself). time. It's that easy. Join the conversation about this story »

Black Sea pipelines into doubt? Alexei Bezborodov, a leading Moscow maritime analyst, believes that Rosneft is calculating that it can fetch more profit for its crude if it ships it eastwards, to Russia’s new oil terminal on the Sea of Japan at Kozmino. From there the crude is sold to China and other Asian markets. According to Bezborodov, “there will not be enough oil for Samsun-Ceyhan. That’s because quotations for the Far East oil are better, so most companies want to work with the Far-East project.” Read more at Dances With Bears --> Join the conversation about this story »

See Also: • How To Cut Your Company's Tech Bills • 5 Creative Ways To Cut Your Office Space Costs • 6 Steps To Pricing Your Product Right

Business/ Food/

E-reader News Edition

Wow. Larry Ellison Just Tore ExBefore the Bell: Futures Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz A New Mixed Ahead of Open One (ORCL) Melly Alazraki (BloggingStocks)

Nicholas Carlson (Business Insider)

Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:30:00 AM

Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:51:44 AM

Wow. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison -- who oversaw his company's acquisition of hardware-maker Sun in 2009-just pointed a bazooka at former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz…and then pulled the trigger. In a detailed Reuters story about Oracle's post-acquisition plans, Larry explains that the reason Oracle was able to buy Sun for cheap – about $5.6 billion excluding debt – was that "[Sun] management made some very bad decisions that damaged their business and allowed us to buy them for a bargain price." Larry told Reuters that Jonathan spent too much time on his blog (translating it into 11 languages!) and too little time solving Sun's management problems. "The underlying engineering teams are so good, but the direction they got was so astonishingly bad that even they couldn't succeed," Ellison told Reuters. "Really great blogs do not take the place of great microprocessors. Great blogs do not replace great software. Lots

and lots of blogs does not replace lots and lots of sales." Larry told Reuters Jonathan's biggest goof was the way he handled Sun sales people. First, Jonathan allowed them to be paid based on deal sizes, not on profit. Larry says this made it so "the sales force could care less if they sold things that lost money because the commission was the same in either case." Then Jonathan laid off salespeople at StorageTek, a Sun subsidiary that sells mainframe storage to the enterprise. "They just got rid of them all,"

says Larry. "Guess what? Sales dropped. It's breathtaking!" Join the conversation about this story » See Also: • SAP's New Product Line: Law Enforcement (SAP) • Obama Taps Oracle's Charles Phillips As Economic Adviser (ORCL) • Salesforce.com Ex-President Cakebread Re-emerges At SaaS Vendor Xactly

Filed under: Before the Bell, International Markets, Cisco Systems (CSCO), Market Matters, Kohl's Corp (KSS), Economic Data, Housing U.S. stock futures were mixed Thursday, pointing to a somewhat flat to lower open as European debt concerned lingered and the tech sector was in focus after Cisco earnings and the SAP/Sybase deal. Meanwhile, reports about a widening investigation into Wall Street banks added to jitters as investors awaited jobless claims. World stock markets advanced Thursday. In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 and Shanghai's index both jumped over 2% on improved sentiment and prediction China's government cooling measures won't affect the financial system. In Europe, worries of a wave of debt defaults continued

to ease in the wake of the massive $1 trillion aid package from the European Union. The euro, however, which soared after the EU announced the rescue package, is back to levels it was before the announcement. Continue reading Before the Bell: Futures Mixed Ahead of Open Before the Bell: Futures Mixed Ahead of Open originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 May 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments European Union- Cisco Systems- Asia- Nikkei 225Wall Street

Recipe Makeover: Burgers (Cooking Light: Editor's Picks)

Follow our steps to lighten homemade burgers while adding big flavor. Five Filters featured article:

The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Business/

E-reader News Edition

Options Update: Gold Trends Higher and Oil Trend Lower Paul Foster (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:00:00 AM

One in Four U.S. Households Are Landline-Free Addy Dugdale (Fast Company)

phones by 2015. It's the 25- to 29-year-old age bracket that uses fixed lines the Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:10:05 AM least, with 48.6% of them Nearly 25% of households in l i v i n g i n w i r e l e s s - o n l y the U.S. have given up landlines households. The data, which for cell phones, according a was taken from 21,375 homes, survey from the NCHS. The also discovered that one in report(.pdf file) shows an seven American households has astonishing graph: in just six a landline which is never used. years, landlines have declined So, fixed-line phone tenfold, which means that, companies, what are you going should the trend continue, barely to do? If, like AT&T and anyone will be using fixed Verizon, you've already moved

into the cell phone business--as have most of the European telcos (Spanish firm Telefonica, once state-owned, is the most aggressive, with acquisitions of cell phone networks all over the place)--then you can breathe again. However, if that's not your modus operandi, then it's time to start thinking about diversifying. Into the museum business, perhaps. One of the odder bits of data mined by the NCHS, however,

claims that binge drinking is double the rate in wireless-only households compared to those with fixed lines, with 34.5% of wireless phone users having more than five drinks in one day, compared to 18.7% of landline users. Do you think it's got something to do with AT&T's 3G coverage? [Image Via Flickr]

Filed under: Options, Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR) Market Vector Gold Miners ( GDX) closed at $53.43. Gold rallied 1.66% to $1240. GDX May and June put option implied volatility of 39 is below its 26-week average of 43, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement. Petrobras ( PBR) closed at $38.18. Crude oil futures closed down 1.24% to $75.42 a barrel according to Bloomberg. PBR overall option implied volatility of 39 is near its 26-week average of 37, according to Track Data, suggesting slightly larger price movement. Update is by Stock Specialist P a u l F o s t e r o f theflyonthewall.com Options Update: Gold Trends Higher and Oil Trend Lower originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 May 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments Option- Implied volatilityBusiness- Investing- Derivatives

Business/ News Wire/

E-reader News Edition

FBI search near Boston in Times Square bomb probe (Reuters: Top News) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:47:53 AM

Infographic: Facebook's Labyrinthine Privacy Settings Dan Nosowitz (Fast Company) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:52:31 AM

The New York Times's latest infographic ( check it out in full size here) shows the complex maze of Facebook's privacy settings. Don't be ashamed if you get lost along the way. Exceedingly complex controls like those Facebook offers for

privacy always struggle with balance. Keep things too simple, and everyone can understand them but advanced users won't have enough control to tweak the settings the way they want to. That leads to Facebook making decisions for people--a dangerous system. But if you provide every conceivable permutation of privacy setting, you'll confuse the hell out of the

people who just want to make one tiny bit of information invisible. That leads to users thinking, "screw it." And that comes to the same result: Facebook makes decisions for people. I don't know if Facebook has found their desired balance with the current system. It looks as if they've veered toward the "too complicated" side, as many of

the company's responses to user queries is "you can already do that." Dan Nosowitz, the author of this post, can be followed on Twitter, corresponded with via email, and stalked in San Francisco (no link for that one-you'll have to do the legwork yourself).

Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Business/ Technology/ Economy/

E-reader News Edition

Higher Revenue Helps Kohl's' First-Quarter Earnings

Whole Foods Market: Time to Buy or Sell?

Mark Fightmaster (BloggingStocks)

Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:00:00 AM

Steven Mallas (BloggingStocks)

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Whole Foods Market (WFMI) Whole Foods Market ( WFMI) Filed under: Earnings Reports, has been one heck of a nice Kohl's Corp (KSS) Kohl's Corp per share. For the full fiscal investment over the last 12 ( KSS) reported Thursday that year, KSS forecast a range of months. The 52-week low is i t s f i r s t - q u a r t e r e a r n i n g s $3.57 to $3.75 per share -- a $17.16; the 52-week high is increased 45% as a result of an range that also fell short of the $40.70. The company reported 11% jump in revenue. Kohl's consensus estimate of $3.77 per its second-quarter numbers on earned 64 cents per share during share. Wednesday after the bell, and the quarter, far outpacing last Continue reading Higher once the traders took a look at year's same-quarter earnings of Revenue Helps Kohl's' First- the data, they decided to push 45 cents per share and topping Quarter Earnings the stock even higher. It reached the consensus estimate of 61 Higher Revenue Helps Kohl's' $42.85, which means that the c e n t s p e r s h a r e . R e v e n u e F i r s t - Q u a r t e r E a r n i n g s stock was up over 6% from increased to $4.04 billion from o r i g i n a l l y a p p e a r e d o n yesterday's close of $40.25. $3.64 billion a year ago. BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 May Of course, we'll have to see Despite the results, shares fell 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see what Thursday's regular session 2% ahead of the bell as the our terms for use of feeds. brings for the company. No company's forecast disappointed P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | matter what, though, I'm sure investors. KSS issued a second- C o m m e n t s many players want a reason to quarter forecast for earnings Kohl- Revenue- Fiscal year- bet on this business. The onebetween 70 and 75 cents per Business- United States share, which is well short of the expected earnings of 88 cents Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:30:00 AM

year chart shows an upward trend, albeit with one big rough patch in the middle. Continue reading Whole Foods Market: Time to Buy or Sell? Whole Foods Market: Time to Buy or Sell? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments Whole Foods Market- Business - Investing- Stocks and BondsStock

Crazy Powerful And Magical? Where Do I Sign? Here’s The New iPad Commercial John Biggs (TechCrunch) Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:58:09 AM

As I said before, I like me my iPad but the magical language has to go. This is the latest iPad

commercial and it sounds more like a soliloquy from Easy Rider than a CE commercial, which I guess is Apples modus operandi. It also sounds like they’re using Yeahs, without Karen O’s Gold Lion from the Yeah Yeah howls, a decidedly dark song for

something so magical. Read more…

Is The S&P As Measured In Gold The Ultimate Sign Of The Fed's Bluff Being Called? (SPY, GLD) Joe Weisenthal (The Money Game) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:02:51 AM

Last night we jokingly posted a chart of lean hogs priced in gold, but where you see this kind of calculation typically made is in stocks. Arthur Cutten at Jesse's Cafe Americain has posted the latest update of this, and not surprisingly, it's an ugly chart. Cutten argues that this is why Bernanke "fears" gold. We're not so sure if that's what it means, but it is interesting. Thoughts? Join the conversation about this story »

Business/ Top News/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Offshore natural gas platform sinks off Venezuela (AP) (Yahoo! News: Most Viewed)

news is that 95 workers are safe." Officials are investigating what CARACAS, Venezuela â&#x20AC;&#x201C; An could have caused the platform offshore natural gas platform to sink, Ramirez said. He said s a n k o f f V e n e z u e l a o n there was a problem with the Thursday, and 95 workers were flotation systems of the semirescued safely, the government submergible platform that led to said. a massive water leak in one All of the workers on the Aban area. Pearl platform off eastern Sucre He said alarms went off three state were safely evacuated, and hours before the sinking, giving the sinking poses no threat to the crew time to evacuate. Three the environment, Oil Minister workers including the captain Rafael Ramirez told state stayed behind until it was clear television. that the platform was at risk of The navy rescued the workers collapsing, and then abandoned using a frigate and boats, the rig, Ramirez said. Vincent Fernando, CFA was shot in the head, during an Ramirez said. The gas platform He said a tube connecting the (Business Insider) interview with IHT within the disappeared into the Caribbean r i g t o t h e g a s f i e l d w a s disconnected and safety valves red shirt encampment according Sea at 2:20 a.m. Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:42:00 AM P r e s i d e n t H u g o C h a v e z shut. "There's no problem of any to The New York Times. Violence is erupting once again Sean Boonpracong, a red shirt announced the sinking on sort of any leak from the field in Bangkok as the army moves spokesman, as told Al Jazeera, Twitter early Thursday, saying: into the environment," Ramirez in to blockade the 'red shirt' "We will fight with cameras, the "To my sorrow, I inform you said. protesters who have been international community is that the Aban Pearl gas platform Last week, Ramirez stood atop sank moments ago. The good the rig on live television as its encamped in central Bangkok watching." for nearly two months. Developing... check back here Power has been cut at many for more updates as we get points within the 'red shirt' zone them. and phone signals are being cut A Thai English-speaking ELLE.com (ELLE Fashion must-have staple for your as well as reported from sources blogger is live-blogging the Blogs) Spring shoe wardrobe. on the ground via twitter. situation here > Don't miss our Submitted at 5/12/2010 7:00:47 PM Here are a couple of our The situation is said to be complete guide to the violence extremely tense at the rally site > We love a flesh-tone pump to favorites: after a well-known Thai general, Join the conversation about this finish a leggy look for Spring. A From left to right... Gen. Khattiya Sawatdipho, who story Âť perfect fleshy hue will also help Lanvin, honey colored satin has sided with the protesters, to elongate the leg; and, as a escarpin ($893 available at the neutral element, it will go with L a n v i n B o u t i q u e i n B a l everything in your closet. It's a Harbour, FL 305-864-4254), Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:22:42 AM

Thai Violence Explodes Anew As Opposition Thai General Is Shot In The Head Mid-Interview

gas flare was lit to inaugurate the project. Chavez praised the project at the time as an important step in Venezuela's efforts to tap its huge naturalgas deposits. The exploration platform at the Dragon 6 gas field was operated by the state energy company Petroleos de Venezuela SA off the Paria Peninsula of eastern Venezuela, near Trinidad and Tobago. Venezuela, a major oil exporter and OPEC member, is exploring offshore natural gas fields that are among the biggest known deposits in the world. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Accessories File: Style Quotient Brian Atwood "Rozy" ($645 a v a i l a b l e a t www.brianatwood.com), Christian Louboutin "Elisa" nude patent round toe pump ($625 Christian Louboutin Boutiques in NYC 212-3961884 and Hollywood, CA 310247-9300)

Top News/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Conn. judge: Elderly sister can keep lottery prize (AP) (Yahoo! News: Most Viewed)

notarized contract a decade earlier to split all gambling profits, but Bakaysa says that NEW HAVEN, Conn. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; An 87- deal ended in 2004 during a spat year-old Connecticut woman over a few hundred dollars. The doesn't have to split her share of judge ruled that the contract a $500,000 lottery jackpot with ended during the argument. the 84-year-old sister she hasn't It was Sokaitis who told her spoken to since they began sister during the argument that fighting over the windfall in she didn't want to be her partner 2005, a judge ruled Wednesday. anymore, the judge said, noting Rose Bakaysa and Theresa that after the argument the Sokaitis stopped speaking sisters never again bought shortly after Bakaysa refused to lottery tickets, went to the give Sokaitis any winnings from casino or gambled together. the Powerball jackpot, split by William Sweeney, Bakaysa's Bakaysa and their brother, attorney, said he was grateful Joseph Troy Sr. A judge ruled for the decision. Wednesday that Bakaysa can "This has been a long and keep her share. difficult journey since this "There is something in this litigation began in August of tragedy that touches most 2005," Sweeney said in a people," New Britain Superior statement. "Rose is hopeful that Court Judge Cynthia Swienton this decision will be the end of wrote in her decision. "While that journey and that time will the court may be able to resolve allow the bonds that have been the legal dispute, it is powerless broken by this case to heal." to repair the discord and strife A telephone message was left that now overshadows the once W e d n e s d a y f o r S o k a i t i s ' h a r m o n i o u s s i s t e r l y attorney, Samuel M. Pollack. relationship." Bakaysa and Sokaitis were Sokaitis says they signed a among nine siblings in their Submitted at 5/12/2010 1:11:03 PM

family, sharing a bond that included buying lottery tickets together and making regular road trips to Connecticut casinos in search of jackpot riches. The notarized contract had its roots in an earlier win: a $165,000 haul that Sokaitis won playing poker at Foxwoods in 1995 while her sister was playing slots nearby. Sokaitis testified she intended to split it evenly with Bakaysa and gave her about $64,000 of it in payments over time, with about $18,000 still unpaid at the time of their 2004 rift. Bakaysa testified that the end of their partnership came in a fight over a few hundred dollars, shortly after Bakaysa stayed with Sokaitis for a few weeks while recovering from heart surgery. Sokaitis says that she thought the dispute would get resolved in time, and that she never said or intended for it to end their relationship â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or their notarized contract. But Bakaysa says Sokaitis told her over the phone that she

didn't want to be partners any longer, so Bakaysa tore up her copy of the contract and started gambling instead with their brother. About a year later, a ticket he purchased using Bakaysa's numbers won $500,000. Bakaysa said that because Troy bought the ticket, she couldn't have split it with her sister even if she wanted to. The case has wound through Connecticut courts since 2005. A judge had dismissed Sokaitis' lawsuit under a Connecticut law that makes gambling contracts illegal. But the state Supreme Court, in a ruling that took effect in August, said the sisters' agreement wasn't covered by that law because it involves legal activities. It said the case could go to trial. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Chat With Joe Zee About the Season's Must-Haves on Rue La La ELLE.com (ELLE Fashion Blogs)

Ask Joe about the latest spring designers like Whitney Port and trends and the season's musts, Brian Reyes. and get the scoop on modern Click here to ask Joe a

question!

10 Allergenic Foods to Avoid (HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)

It's a parent's worst nightmare. You're sitting down to dinner when, all of a sudden, your 9month-old starts having difficulty breathing and begins swelling up around the mouth. Your child just consumed soy and is experiencing anaphylactic shock, an allergic reaction. What most people can eat freely might be fatal to someone with an allergy to that food. An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system mistakes a perfectly harmless substance for a dangerous one. In response, the system launches a full-scale attack, all the while wreaking havoc on your body. If you're raising a child or even just like giving dinner parties, you should be familiar with some of the most prominent allergenic foods. Catering to someone's special dietary needs could save his or her life. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

News Wire/

E-reader News Edition

Red shirt military advisor wounded in Thai capital (Reuters: Top News)

shut roads surrounding thousands of defiant protesters on Thursday, forcing businesses BANGKOK(Reuters) - The to evacuate workers as tensions c h i e f m i l i t a r y a d v i s o r o f rise in the deadliest political Thailand's anti-government crisis in two decades. protesters was injured in the The army said its armored head, after an explosion and v e h i c l e s w i l l b o l s t e r bursts of automatic gunfire were checkpoints, stopping protesters heard near Bangkok's business from entering the area, and district on Thursday night. urged businesses on roads World leading into the protesters' 3 sqK h a t t i y a S a w a s d i p o l , a km (1.2 sq-mile) fortified suspended army specialist in encampment to close on Friday. charge of security at an Army spokesman Sansern e n c a m p m e n t o c c u p i e d b y Kaewkamnerd said authorities t h o u s a n d s o f " r e d s h i r t " tasked with resolving the crisis demonstrators, was admitted to will also seek cabinet approval an intensive care ward after to invoke a state of emergency being shot, said the state in 15 northern and northeastern Narenthorn Emergency Medical provinces, which are stronghold Service. of protesters to prevent any It had no other details. mobilization. Khattiya, better known as "Seh SURROUND MILITARY Daeng" (Commander Red) V E H I C L E S enjoys a cult following among The mostly rural and urban some red shirts and soldiers, but poor protesters refused to leave has been dubbed a "terrorist" by as their leaders challenged the Thailand's government, which g o v e r n m e n t f r o m b e h i n d accuses him of involvement in medieval-like walls made from dozens of grenade attacks that tires and wooden staves soaked have injured more than 100 in kerosene and topped by razor people. wire. The army had earlier said it was The government estimated the planning a huge lockdown crowd size at 10,000 but Reuters around the fortified encampment witnesses put it at more than of the red shirts, who have 20,000. defied warnings to end their five "We will send out groups to - w e e k o c c u p a t i o n o f a n surround these vehicles to upmarket Bangkok shopping prevent them from advancing," district. Jatuporn Prompan, a protest The Thai military said it would leader, told supporters. "We deploy armored vehicles and believe the army will try to Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:50:07 AM

crack down this evening or tomorrow morning." Companies and embassies across the area told employees to leave work early and activated back-up plans for Friday. Several stations in an elevated train system were shutting early. Public transportation was being diverted from the area. The mood at the protest site turned quickly in the afternoon from festive to tense. Leaders took turns on the stage to call for more protesters to come to the encampment, chanting "come out, come out" and threatening to lay siege to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's house and an infantry barracks where he has taken refuge if there is a crackdown. Abhisit is under enormous pressure to end the two-month crisis that has killed 29 people, wounded more than 1,000, paralyzed parts of Bangkok and slowed growth in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy. But analysts and an army source close to Army Chief Anupong Paochinda said an immediate crackdown is unlikely despite the threats. "It's hard to say if or when the crackdown will be because we have to evaluate by the hour. We don't want casualties so we have to keep the pressure up so people are too tired to resist. "Casualties will be bad for us as well."

Analysts said potentially high casualties have prevented the army from going in. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE FALLS The turmoil is shattering consumer confidence, a survey showed on Thursday, suggesting spending in shops and department stores is drying up as the crisis grinds on, a troubling sign for a sector that accounts for half the economy. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce said its consumer confidence index fell by a record 2.6 points in April, the lowest since July 2009. Confidence has fallen for three straight months after rising steadily since the middle of 2009. The Thai baht fell sharply immediately after the army's announcement, though witnesses saw no unusual activity around the sprawling red shirt encampment. The red-shirted protesters are mostly supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a 2006 coup. They say Abhisit lacks a popular mandate after coming to power in a controversial parliamentary vote 17 months ago with support from the military. The prime minister on Wednesday canceled a proposed November 14 election under his "national reconciliation" plan and called off talks with the protesters, raising speculation of

a crackdown. Foreign investors have turned negative since violence flared in April and have sold $584 million in Thai shares in the past six sessions, cutting their net buying so far this year to $607.6 million as of Wednesday. "The markets have no idea what to make of the situation. It seems like we're heading back to square one," said Sukit Udomsirikul, a senior analyst at brokerage Siam City Securities. Disparate views among protest leaders -- from radical former communists to academics and aspiring lawmakers -- make it difficult to reach consensus. Many face criminal charges for defying an emergency decree and some face terrorism charges carrying a maximum penalty of death. Several harbor political ambitions and need to appease rank-and-file supporters. Others fear ending the protest now would be a one-way ticket to jail. Some hardliners advocate stepping up the protests to win the fight once and for all. The red-shirted protesters, have said they would only disperse if a deputy prime minister faces criminal charges over a deadly April clash between troops and protesters. (Additional reporting by Ploy Ten Kate; writing by Jason Szep and Ambika Ahuja; editing by RED page 18

News Wire/

E-reader News Edition

BP to try new fix as oil spill threatens Gulf (Reuters: Top News) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:15:27 AM

PORT FOURCHON, Louisiana(Reuters) - Energy giant BP was preparing on Thursday to once again try and staunch the unchecked flow of oil from a ruptured well that threatens an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S.| Green Business BP Plc, operator of the well off Louisiana's coast, said it hoped to have a small containment dome in place by late Thursday, its latest attempt to plug the roughly 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons/795,000 liters) a day of gushing crude. It is also fighting to salvage its soiled reputation. London-based BP, Transocean Ltd and Halliburton Co. are all in the hot seat over their responsibility in an April 20 rig explosion that killed 11 workers and triggered what could be the most devastating U.S. oil spill ever. Scientists say coastal wetlands threatened by the spill, which provide critical habitat for bird life and serve as rich nurseries for the region's valuable shrimp and oyster stocks, are already dwindling from erosion and development. Oil pollution would accelerate the process by killing the vegetation that holds the marshes together. "If we allow that oil to come in and touch our marshlands, that'll

shut us down for about five to six years," said Rodney Dufrene, 23, a new shrimp boat owner from the hamlet of Cut Off, north of Port Fourchon. Investors have knocked about $30 billion off BP's share value and the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday BP had decided to finish work on Deepwater Horizon despite tests suggesting combustible gas had seeped into the well. And a House of Representatives panel said it had uncovered significant problems with a safety control mechanism on BP's well that could have contributed to the accident. Representative Bart Stupak, a Democrat, said his panel's investigation showed the Deepwater Horizon rig's underwater blowout preventer leaked and was not powerful enough to cut off the oil flow before the rig blew up. The New York Times reported on Thursday that BP had drafted plans to work on or around the blowout preventer to seal the well. One option would be a "junk shot" that would clog the blowout preventer with materials including shredded tires and golf balls, the Times reported. Democratic Representative Henry Waxman, quoting from a BP document describing its view of events, said the well failed a pressure test in the hours before the blast.

Panel investigators spoke with officials of the company that manufactured the blowout preventer and reviewed company documents, finding the device on the rig was modified, making it hard to operate after the accident. On Thursday, a massive operation was gearing up. Federal authorities said more than 510 vessels were responding to assist in containment and cleanup efforts in addition to dozens of aircraft and remotely operated vehicles. Fourteen staging areas have been set up and approximately 1.5 million feet of boom -plastic barriers strung along the coast -- have been deployed to contain the spill and another 1.5 million feet remain available. Cleanup crews found oil washing ashore at Whiskey Island in Louisiana's Terrebonne Bay, west of the Mississippi Delta. Crude has also been found at the Chandeleur Islands and Port Eads in the state, as well as on Dauphin Island in Alabama. Efforts also continue to focus on cutting off the flow, which threatens regional economic mainstays including fishing and tourism as well as wildlife throughout the Gulf region. The attempt to maneuver the "top hat" containment dome over the leak was already underway. BP engineers lowered it to the seabed and are

hoping to start capturing oil by late Thursday. NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said the company is studying whether to try just positioning the top hat over the leak or inserting a tube directly into the existing equipment. Both methods would involve siphoning the crude to a tanker. The company is not guaranteeing success, citing the difficulties of working almost a mile under the ocean surface. A buildup of slushy gas hydrates stymied its first attempt at covering the rupture with a huge metal dome. BP is also drilling a relief well, which could take 80 more days. At Port Fourchon, the tip of southeastern Louisiana's La Fourche Parish and the main supply harbor for the Gulf's deepwater oil and gas industry, gooyey, rust-colored globules were found washed up on a beach around sunset on Wednesday. A sample of the blobs, recovered by a Reuters reporter, was collected by harbor police for testing to determine whether the substance came from the oil spill. Officers who took the sample refused to speculate on its origins. Crews have found oil washing ashore at Whiskey Island in Louisiana's Terrebonne Bay, west of the Mississippi Delta.

Crude has also been found at the Chandeleur Islands and Port Eads in the state, as well as on Alabama's Dauphin Island. There were small protests against BP in several U.S. cities. In Los Angeles, about 50 people protested at a busy street corner near a BP gas station. They waved signs that said "Spill Baby Spill" and "BP is not green, its deadly." In San Francisco, about 30 people marched in a circle and chanted slogans while in Chicago two dozen protesters passed out flyers at a downtown street corner near BP's Chicago offices, chanting "seize BP, make them pay". Nearly 100 lawsuits have already been filed across the Gulf region and the disaster, which lawyers see becoming one of the biggest class actions in U.S. history, involves billions of dollars in potential liabilities. So far, 87 sea turtles, 18 birds and six dolphins have been found dead, officials said. Scientists are testing to determine if the oil spill killed them, or if they died of other causes. (Additional reporting by Dana Ford in Los Angeles, Braden Reddall in San Francisco, Andrew Stern in Chicago and Jonathan Spicer in New York; Writing by Ed Stoddard; editing by Todd Eastham) TRY page 18

News Wire/ World News/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Obama to knock Republicans and emphasize jobs Thursday (Reuters: Top News)

quickly on new job creation measures, including proposals to strengthen small businesses so WASHINGTON(Reuters) - they can grow and hire," the President Barack Obama on official said on Wednesday. Thursday will urge Congress to "And he'll call on Republicans move forward on new job to stop sitting on the sidelines creation measures and pounce and obstructing efforts to on Republicans for "obstructing rebuild our economy for the efforts to rebuild" the U.S. sake of short-term political e c o n o m y , a W h i t e H o u s e gain." official said. Employers added 290,000 jobs Barack Obama in April, the U.S. Labor Obama travels on Thursday to Department said on Friday. It Buffalo, New York, where he revised figures for February and will give a speech on the March to show 121,000 more economy that highlights his jobs were added than previously administration's achievements thought. The unemployment after the most recent U.S. jobs rate, however, rose to 9.9 report showed the largest percent as the size of the labor increase in jobs in four years, force increased. the official said. Republicans charge that the "He'll urge Congress to act president's policies have not Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:50:27 AM

TRY continued from page 17

RED continued from page 16

Bill Tarrant) Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime been successful in tackling Ministerial - The 2010 UK stubbornly high unemployment, General Election. Available which has been a political sore tools: PDF Newspaper, Full spot for Obama even though the Text RSS, Term Extraction. job market appears to be slowly on the mend. Republicans largely rejected Obama's $787 billion stimulus package, which Democrats and many economists say helped move the United States away (HowStuffWorks Daily Feed) from the brink of a second Great Depression. We've all had bruises. For some (Reporting by Jeff Mason; people, they're a rare Editing by Stacey Joyce) occurrence, and for others Five Filters featured article: they're a fact of everyday life. The Art of Looking Prime But what, exactly, is happening Ministerial - The 2010 UK under your skin when you General Election. Available bruise? Most bruises heal on tools: PDF Newspaper, Full their own, but how can you Text RSS, Term Extraction. identify an out-of-the-ordinary

Fact or Fiction: Bruises bruise that requires medical attention? Fear not -- we have the answers for you, right here in this quiz. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Live debate: Have we lost the war in Afghanistan?

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available (World News from Times tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Online) Text RSS, Term Extraction. Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:44:14 AM

Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement. Times Online Services: Dating| Jobs| Property Search| Used

Cars| Holidays| Births, Marriages, Deaths| Subscriptions| E-paper News International associated websites: Milkround| Globrix Copyright 2010 Times Newspapers Ltd. This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To

inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is

registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

World News/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Red Shirt military chief shot as Thai army moves in (World News from Times Online) Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:50:00 AM

A former Thai general who is chief military adviser to the Red Shirt opposition protest has been shot and seriously wounded after the army moved quell the two-month demonstration. Gunfire and explosions were heard near the site where thousands are encamped in Bangkok as the government positioned armoured vehicles around the area in order to seal it off. Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, nicknamed “Seh Daeng,” was shot in the chest and in a “very serious condition,” said the nurse at Hua Chiew Hospital. He had been an open opponent of the deal proposed by Abhisit Vejjajiva the Prime Minister to end the stand-off. Earlier today he said in an interview that his presence at the protests was vital. "Everyone is here because I am here," he said. Authorities said earlier today that they would shut supply routes to the central business district occupied by the Red Shirts in an attempt to put a stop to their two-month demonstration. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, an

army spokesman said: “In an operation to step up pressure and limit the protest area, we will bring in armoured vehicles to help protect officers from those militants among protesters.” Demonstrators would be allowed to leave but not to enter the area, he said. “Snipers will be deployed in the operation." Jatuporn Prompan, a Red Shirt leader, said that they would stop the vehicles reaching their fortified encampment. “We will send out groups to surround these vehicles to prevent them from advancing,” he said. “We believe the army will try to crack down this evening or tomorrow morning.” A small group of soldiers carrying assault rifles appeared to be setting up a checkpoint on one road leading to the protest site, but there was no sign of major troop movements or armoured vehicles in the area shortly after 6:00pm local time. Colonel Sansern said soldiers would be authorised to use real bullets for warning shots, selfdefence and against “armed terrorists”, although the government did not announce any immediate plan to forcibly disperse demonstrators. The protesters, who are mostly rural and urban poor, refused to leave and challenged the

Government from behind walls made from tyres and wooden staves soaked in kerosene and surrounded by razor wire. “We urge that our supporters come and help us here because the more people we have, the harder it is for them to hurt us,” Nattawut Saikua, a protest leader, said. “We are ready for any attempt to forcibly disperse us. Our guards are ready to protect the site.” Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Prime Minister, is under pressure to end the crisis that has killed 29 people, wounded more than 1,000, paralysed parts of Bangkok and slowed growth in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy. The turmoil is shattering consumer confidence, a survey indicated today, suggesting spending in shops and department stores is drying up. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce said that its consumer confidence index fell by a record 2.6 points in April, the lowest since July 2009. Confidence has fallen for three straight months after rising steadily since the middle of 2009. About 10,000 protesters ignored a midnight deadline to disperse after authorities delayed plans to cut power and

water to the area after complaints from residents. Protesters said that Mr Abhisit lacked a popular mandate after coming to power in a controversial parliamentary vote 17 months ago with support from the military. They have called for new elections and the return of exiled Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Abhisit has cancelled a proposed November 14 election under his “national reconciliation” plan and called off talks with the protesters, raising speculation of a crackdown. “To come out publicly with a threat, causing major worries among some and raising hope among others, and then to retract it, was a very bad move for Abhisit,” Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, head of the National Institute of Development Administration, said. “It’s another blow to his credibility. And that’s going to make it harder to resolve the crisis, let alone govern.” Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Joshua Jackson Pulls Diane Kruger in For a Rome-Antic Kiss! Molly (PopSugar) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:00:00 AM

Joshua Jackson couldn't keep his hands off Diane Kruger as they waited for their ride at the airport in Rome yesterday. The two are coming from a few days in St. Tropez where they partied their way through the Chanel Cruise collection festivities including attending the bocce, film screening and wine party and being among the guests at the show. Diane was still toting her playful basket for the next leg of their romantic journey. Josh and Diane have a week until her movie closes the Directors Fortnight Festival on May 22, but hopefully after Italy they will stop by nearby Cannes to grace a red carpet or two. To see more photos of Josh and Diane, just read more. View 10 Photos ›

World News/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Barack Obama plans to punish BP with tax hike as Gulf spill worsens (World News from Times Online)

frustrated” that the leak has still not been plugged three weeks after it erupted, intends that BP Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:01:02 PM will pick up most of the cost of O i l c o m p a n i e s f a c e a n his new plan. immediate tax rise of 1 cent per Hearings into the incident barrel to help to pay for the aboard the Deepwater Horizon clean-up in the Gulf of Mexico d r i l l i n g r i g o n A p r i l 2 0 under proposed legislation c o n t i n u e d y e s t e r d a y i n rushed out by the White House L o u i s i a n a a n d i n t h e U S yesterday. Congress, where Democrat The measure, unveiled as BP H e n r y W a x m a n b l a m e d a began a new attempt to contain “calamitous series of equipment the ruptured well that has and operational failures” for the leaked millions of gallons of disaster. “If the largest oil and c r u d e o i l i n t o A m e r i c a ’ s oil services companies in the southern coastal waters, would world had been more careful, 11 put an extra $500 million (£340 lives might have been saved and million) over ten years into the our coastlines protected,” he Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, said. which covers damage caused by The way BP and its partners such disasters. responded to the disaster, which Under a $118 million spending began with an explosion aboard plan outlined in the package, the Deepwater Horizon on April people affected by the spill — 20, will also be a matter for such as fishermen who have lost investigation. their livelihoods because of the Survivors have alleged that, c o n t a m i n a t i o n — w i l l b e after being rescued, they were granted financial assistance, and held at sea while the rig’s federal agencies will get owner, Transocean, assembled additional funds to monitor the its lawyers. After being brought slick and assess its impact. ashore, traumatised and President Obama, said by a exhausted by two nights without s p o k e s m a n t o b e “ d e e p l y sleep, they claim that they were

taken to a hotel and “coerced” by Transocean representatives into signing liability waivers before being allowed to see their families. According to Steven Gordon, of the Houston legal firm Gordon, Elias and Seely, the waivers are now being used against the workers as they attempt to seek compensation for emerging psychological problems that have left some too afraid to work at sea again. “These people went through holy hell. They have probably just gone through the most traumatic period of their entire lives. They needed counselling — not ‘Please sign here that you’re not hurt’ ,” said Mr Gordon, who is representing Christopher Choy, a rig worker. “When they asked him to sign this, he hadn’t been allowed to sleep and have his first nightmare.” Mr Choy, 23, teamed up with a firefighter on the rig to try to rescue a crane operator who was trapped by the fire. “They couldn’t get to him because he was in flames. These guys watched their friends burning,”

Mr Gordon told The Times. Alwin Landry, the captain of a cargo ship that was moored alongside the rig, told a hearing in New Orleans that mud began pouring down on him “like a black rain”, followed by a thunderous hiss. “I saw the green flash on the main deck. Time kind of slowed down. I heard the explosion,” he said, adding that minutes later came a radio call: “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! The rig’s on fire. Abandon ship.” Workers leapt eight storeys into the sea to escape the flames, but even the water was on fire. The last to climb from the rig on to Mr Landry’s boat was the rig’s captain, Curt Kuchta, who tried to hit the “kill” switch to shut the oil well. “He acknowledged he pressed it and didn’t know if it worked or not,” Mr Landry said. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

T-Shirts That Hurt ELLE.com (ELLE Fashion Blogs) Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:46:27 AM

SD: Jersey tees, shredded tees. drapery-front bandage tees!!! Oy vey! This is really the season of the T-shirt. Discuss... JZ: DYING over the T-shirt. It’s just the chicest thing to wear this summer! I love it with everything: jeans and a big necklace; with a suit; even layered under a strapless dress. And don’t even mention the Tshirt DRESS! OBSESSED!! SD: Have you spoken to a mental health professional about this deranged obsession? JZ: If that mental health professional works at Barneys, then yes. A few times. With my Amex. SD: Thank you for your patronage! SHOP THIS T-SHIRT Follow ELLE on Twitter. Become our Facebook fan!

World News/ Technology/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Italy to ordain the first woman priest Happy 24th Birthday, near Vatican Robert Pattinson! (World News from Times Online)

have no venue of their own in Rome,” she said. “They use our facilities for their regular Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:11:00 AM worship.” Italy’s first woman priest is to The Old Catholics, founded in be ordained a close to the the early 19th century in an Vatican later this month. attempt to set up a national Maria Vittoria Longhitano, 35, Italian denomination separate a member of the Italian Old from Rome, do not accept a Catholic Church, a breakaway number of central Catholic group not recognised by the d o c t r i n e s i n c l u d i n g p a p a l Vatican, will be ordained at All infallibility and the Immaculate Saints Church, near the Spanish Conception of the Virgin Mary. Steps in Rome, on 22 May. Ms Longhitano, a teacher in A spokeswoman for All Saints M i i a n w i t h a d e g r e e i n Church said Ms Longhitano, p h i l o s o p h y a n d t h e o l o g y , who is married, was not being became a deacon last year. She ordained as an Anglican. “We will be ordained by Bishop Fritz are offering our church as the -René Müller of the Union of venue because the Old Catholics Utrecht, to which the Italian Old

Catholics are affiliated. She said that she had dreamed of being a priest since childhood, and her ordination “represents a great opportunity for women of faith”. She hoped that it would “stimulate a debate among Catholics” on female ordination, which has been definitively ruled out by successive Popes, including Pope Benedict XVI. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Molly (PopSugar) Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:00:00 AM

24 years ago on this day, Robert Pattinson was born which means it's time to celebrate! His birthday is perfectly aligned with the kickoff of Eclipse mania - his Oprah episode with Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner airs today, and yesterday he scored big with the MTV Movie Awards nominations. Plus, a new Eclipse is expected within ours and the soundtrack list is out. We've got more goodies

coming up to get in the Pattinson B-day spirit - like this quiz to see how well you know him- so stay tuned and check 24 of our favorite Rob shots! Cheers! View Slideshow ›

Is Sharepoint 2010 Cloud Ready? Alex Williams (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:30:08 PM

It can get a bit confusing when you start to unravel what Sharepoint 2010 looks like as a cloud offering. Perhaps it's due to the fact that Sharepoint 2010 is not cloud ready. As Information Week pointed out today, Microsoft hardly gave a nod to cloud computing in its launch that took place on the Saturday Night Live set at NBC Studios.

Sponsor It's surprising, especially considering the deep commitment that Microsoft says it is making to cloud computing. Information Week's Doug Henschen points out that Microsoft's cloud-oriented bundling of Exchange Online and Sharepoint Online never came up today:"But the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) -- Microsoft's cloud-oriented bundling of Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, never came up. "Perhaps that's because

SharePoint 2010 won't show up as part of BPOS until later this year. Microsoft says BPOS-D will bow by year end; but that's not hard given that "D" simply

means that its conventional Exchange and SharePoint hosted on dedicated hardware. BPOSS, the true Software-as-aService (SaaS) offering, will only reach beta by year end, so look toward mid 2011 for broad availability. Competitors have pounced on the differences between Microsoft's on-premise and cloud offerings. ' " Confusing, isn't it? But it gets even more contradictory when Microsoft executives say that Sharepoint 2010 is truly a multitenant service with its only delay being the roll out of

Microsoft's provisioning and online billing systems. But it really is not multi-tenant ready. According to Information week, a number of functions are handled at the server level or at the SharePoint Farm level. The goal is to make Sharepoint Online identical to the Sharepoint on-premise offering launched today. But it looks like it may be some time before we see that true transparency. Discuss

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

Facebook's follies: A brief history (CNET News.com)

it's unclear whether U.S. senators who have taken issue with Facebook's latest privacy In the tech industry, a company policy modifications will be like Facebook likes to say that it able to chip away at Facebook's "iterates." Old products are armor. killed. New ones are rolled out Let's take a look at some of one at a time, rather than Facebook's notorious and not-so bundled together in a huge -notorious misfires over the annual relaunch. Experimental y e a r s , a n d i t s s u b s e q u e n t features emerge and disappear. attempts to patch them up. It all This is one of the main reasons starts, really, even before w h y F a c e b o o k ' s b e e n s o Facebook itself did. successful: it's kept up with the Squishing Facemash times. When this happened: October And an iterative product, rather 2003 than one that plods out in What happened: Call it o c c a s i o n a l , f i n e l y - h o n e d insidious, childish, or just plain editions like a textbook, will s i l l y : B e f o r e h e f o u n d e d invariably see many of its F a c e b o o k , Harvard mistakes and foibles played out undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg in the public eye. In Facebook's had a crazy late-night idea. He history some of its product broke into online campus decisions have been driven by directories and used their l a w m a k e r s ' t h r e a t s , u s e r contents to build Facemash.com, indifference, or plain old an app that let students vote on negativity--and now we're which of two of their classmates waiting to see what will happen t h e y t h o u g h t w a s m o r e in response to the backlash attractive. Facemash created an a g a i n s t i t s m o s t r e c e n t authentic viral sensation before modifications. the marketing world had even O n o n e h a n d , o v e r t i m e caught wind of the term "viral"-Facebook has shown a lot of and not everybody liked it. f l e x i b i l i t y i n t h e f a c e o f How Facebook messed up: legitimate user and lawmaker Well, at the time, "Facebook" outrage. On the other hand, it d i d n ' t e v e n e x i s t . B u t also shows that as it's grown in Zuckerberg's actions--hacking power, Facebook has looked into campus directories, pulling less and less likely to really the identities of his classmates backtrack again. Less than a into a semi-public project d e c a d e a g o , C E O M a r k without their permission--echo Zuckerberg could be silenced by eerily today. university administrators. Now What Facebook did about it: Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:00:00 AM

Following protests from several women's groups on campus, Harvard shut down Facemash, and the university's Administrative Board charged Zuckerberg with breaching security, violating copyrights, and violating individual privacy. The charges were ultimately dropped, but Facemash was dead in the water. It's obvious now, though, that the early seeds of Facebook had been sown. Disconnecting ConnectU When this happened: Original complaint 2004; settled 2008 What happened: Even Facebook's earliest days were messy. Zuckerberg's Facemash project put him on many Harvard students' radar-including the three seniors who were in the process of assembling a social-networking project called The Harvard Connection (later changed to ConnectU). They enlisted him as a programmer; he eventually bailed to found Facebook. The ConnectU founders have claimed ever since that he stole their code and intellectual property in the process, and took their case first to Harvard and then to court. How Facebook messed up: Well, if Zuckerberg indeed stole ConnectU's intellectual property, that's a big problem. What Facebook did about it: Facebook didn't make any product modifications in response to the legal action (at

least we don't think so). But in 2008, the spat with ConnectU had been dragging on and Facebook undoubtedly wanted to put what it saw as a dormroom dispute behind it as it sought bigger audiences and bigger investors. The suit was settled, and the ConnectU founders are said to have received $65 million from it as Facebook effectively acquired the erstwhile social network's assets. This debacle, however, will get plenty more exposure when "The Social Network," a film based on the origins of Facebook and helmed by "Fight Club" director David Fincher, hits theaters this fall. Butchering the Wirehog When this happened: Fall 2004 What happened: Early users of Facebook may remember that its creators built a side project, called Wirehog, which "plugged in" to Facebook and let users give their friends access to the contents of their music and photo libraries. There were, surprisingly, very few privacy complaints because Facebook at the time was still restricted to a number of U.S. universities, and Wirehog was made accessible to even fewer. How Facebook messed up: File sharing had drummed up plenty of fervor among antipiracy advocates long before Wirehog made its quiet debut, and so it's safe to assume that having a file -sharing service in the portfolio

could be a strike against Facebook as it courted early investors. But the real problem with Wirehog, a source close to Facebook's early days said, is that its small original team didn't think Wirehog was taking off fast enough and considered it a distraction from Facebook proper. What Facebook did about it: Wirehog was shut down. But more importantly, Facebook began to significantly downplay Wirehog in its company narrative. This, according to the source, simply wasn't an accurate portrayal: Zuckerberg and his early Facebook team, particularly co-founder Andrew McCollum, had a lot of enthusiasm for Wirehog and even thought it could potentially be as big as Facebook itself. Still, the philosophy behind Wirehog--using Facebook identity and social connections as the instant foundation for another application--remains tightly woven into Facebook's fabric ever since it first launched its developer platform in 2007. Force-feeding the News Feed When this happened: September 2006 What happened: It all seems incredibly silly and innocuous now, but in the fall of 2006, Facebook users were up in arms over an unfamiliar feature that popped up on the site--the news FACEBOOK'S page 23

E-reader News Edition

FACEBOOK'S continued from page 22

feed. With the updates of their life now aggregated on friends' home pages rather than squirreled away on their own profiles, members originally derided it as creepy and stalkerish. How Facebook messed up: In retrospect, ticking off members with the News Feed launch was a risk the company had to take in order to make such a big step in social networking. But Facebook could've offered more of a hand-holding process rather than simply springing this one on members. What Facebook did about it: Zuckerberg authored a post on the Facebook company blog that started off with, " We really messed this one up." In turn, the company added some privacy controls so that members could opt to not share certain details of their Facebook habits, like changes in relationship status, on their friends' home pages. Sinking the Beacon When this happened: November 2007 What happened: Facebook launched its Beacon advertising program as part of a big Facebook Ads announcement in New York. A Facebook user interacting with a Beacon partner site would have data shared back on Facebook in turn --purchases on commerce sites, reviews on Yelp, rentals on Blockbuster. Privacy advocates panicked. Activist group

MoveOn.org was the most vocal critic of Beacon, damning it as a serious violation of user privacy. How Facebook messed up: Taking your third-party site activity and sharing it with your friends on Facebook without much warning? Yes, that's a misfire. What Facebook did about it: Beacon died a slow and brutal death. First, Facebook announced modifications to the program that let members opt out of it altogether, but after several lawsuits, Facebook finally killed it altogether nearly two years after its original debut. Ironically, sharing thirdparty activity on Facebook reemerged as Facebook Connect and is now as integral to the social network as the News Feed --and not surprisingly, Mark Zuckerberg's mea culpa in the wake of the Beacon controversy never apologized for the product itself, just the way the launch was handled. Conceding to Craig When this happened: 2008 What happened: In 2007, Facebook launched a classifieds service. But it was playing a serious game of catch-up to Craigslist, and it never really caught on. How Facebook messed up: This was yet another peripheral feature that didn't really fit into Facebook itself, but which would make a great third-party application.

What Facebook did about it: Facebook Marketplace, as it was called, was quietly snuffed much as Wirehog had been. Instead, it anointed the thirdparty app built by classifieds service Oodle as the "official" home for Facebook-based bartering. It still probably doesn't keep Craigslist founder Craig Newmark awake at night. Flying after Twitter When this happened: March 2009 What happened: In 2009, the breakneck ascent of Twitter infected the Web with an addiction to real-time, streaming information. As a result, Facebook revamped its News Feed to make it up-to-theminute. How Facebook messed up: Zuckerberg giveth, Zuckerberg taketh away. In this case, too much was taken away. What had been a relatively neat home page featuring new friend connections turned into a confusing stream of "live" updates that was tough to parse. Plus, it was reactionary and hasty: Facebook made this change after it unsuccessfully tried to acquire Twitter itself. What Facebook did about it: It redesigned again. Facebook's news feed returned to something that looked quite a bit like its old self, but members could toggle back and forth between that and the "live feed." Losing your location

When this happened: June 2009 What happened: First, you could register for Facebook as the student or alumnus of a college or university, provided you had the e-mail address to prove it. Then, high school students could join. Then you could join company networks, too. Finally, you could register for Facebook by joining a "regional network" that grouped you in with other people who live where you do. Facebook decided that this didn't really make sense. How Facebook messed up: Hindsight is 20/20, so when Facebook let its users box themselves into regional networks, it seemed like a good idea at first. But it doesn't make sense for a global company. Do you join a network for your city, state, or country? What about if you want to connect to both your hometown and your current residence? What Facebook did about it: You still fill out your location and hometown in your profile, and Facebook can target ads specifically to these attributes. But there's no separate "network" anymore for, say, people living in Miami. Facebook is unapologetic about doing away with products or branding concepts that it sees as obsolete--the Facebook Connect name disappeared a year later with the launch of Social Plugins--and this is one of the

reasons that the company has been so successful. Rewiring the controls When this happened: July 2009 What happened: In preparation, perhaps, for bigger changes to the site as it encouraged members to make more content public, Facebook made some high-profile modifications to its privacy controls. One executive explained at the time that they "can add up and pile up and not be as clean as one would like." How Facebook messed up: They might have made a few things simpler, but they didn't please lawmakers. Privacy officials in Canada, among others, didn't like the new version. What Facebook did about it: A month after the changes first went live, Facebook released further modifications in response to the Canadian Privacy Commissioner's critique that third parties had a troubling level access to Facebook user data. It must be F8 When this happened: April 2010 What happened: The volume of new product announcements in Mark Zuckerberg's keynote address at its F8 developer conference was staggering. It was also, to some, a bit terrifying. As part of new changes that emphasize FACEBOOK'S page 29

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

How Facebook And Twitter Are Changing Business Models, Shaping Brand Identity [Video] Evelyn Rusli (TechCrunch) Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:44:46 AM

Now that many corporations have mastered the tricky art of signing up for a Twitter or Facebook account, the next step is leveraging social media tools in a meaningful way that impacts your brand and your bottom line. While some have found varying degrees of success, the vast majority could use a crash course stat. That deficiency has given rise to conferences like Smash Summit, held on Wednesday at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco, where representatives of Twitter, Facebook, Salesforce, Google and others offered social media tactics for businesses (Techcrunch was a media partner). The keynote speaker, Jeremiah Owyang, a Partner of the Altimeter Group, offered four laws of social business: don’t fondle the hammer (don’t focus on the specific tools, think about your broader marketing agenda), live the 80% rule (get your company ready for social media, that’s “80% of success”), customers don’t care what department you’re in, and real time is not fast enough. You can access Owyang’s presentation, along with all the other Smash presentations, here.

Although far from perfect in their social media efforts, Virgin America, Comcast and Cisco have all employed parts of Owyang’s rules. They were also (relatively speaking) early movers on blogs, Twitter and Facebook. For example, Comcast’s Senior Director of National Customer Operations, Frank Eliason started using his Twitter account in early 2008 to find customer complaints and interact with disgruntled users. We spoke with Eliason, Virgin America’s Bowen Payson (Manager of Online & Digital Marketing), and Cisco’s LaSandra Brill (Senior Manager, Global Social Media), after their panel on “The Brand & Enterprise Story: ‘Who’s Changing The Channel.’” Each of course represents a very different sector, but there were several shared threads (see video above): 1. Expansion These companies are increasing the number of employees dedicated to social media. Cisco’s Brill currently manages a team of 7, she predicts that will rise to 20 to 30 by 2011. Comcast’s Eliason says he’s adding two more to his tenperson staff this year. The rising headcount naturally reflects the companies’ growing online initiatives— Cisco already has

has also acknowledged the power of Twitter, saying in late 25 blogs and more than 100 2009 that it has “changed the Twitter accounts (sometimes culture of our company.” there is such a thing as too much The expansion of social media also has the power to reshape of a good thing). the very guts of a company: its 2. Identity Within corporations, social brand identity. According to media is also breaking out of its Brill, Cisco’s social media s i l o . C o m p a n i e s m a y b e initiative has softened the building out specialized teams company’s image, making it less for social media, but many are formal and more human (a nice a l s o e n c o u r a g i n g o t h e r complement to the company’s employees to use social CRM “human network” campaign). tools and to become active “We basically have to relearn external agents. For the last few how we do things, how we years we’ve been focused on communicate, and it’s no longer how companies should push out t h e p o l i s h e d m a r k e t i n g their content and interact with b r o c h u r e , t h e p o l i s h e d the market, the less apparent website— conversations are power of social media is how it happening,” she says. Of course will disrupt the mechanics of with that power comes risk— business. Eliason says that it has the increase in dialogue and the potential to completely brand ambassadors reduces the restructure companies, flatten control a company has over its organizations, and democratize message. Cisco’s solution was the workplace: “We’re going to to accept that risk and try to s e e a r e a l b i g s h i f t w i t h minimize it by education and employees, whether it be offering a “social media employees talking externally or certification program” to all even talking internally…it’s employees. 3. Stay Focused On Your going to be a new way of having a little bit more power than they Business Objectives did before. And so companies This is related to Owyang’s are going to have to figure out a first (oddly phrased) rule, “don’t whole new game plan and f o n d l e t h e h a m m e r . ” T h e change their culture… executives warned that Companies are going to be a companies shouldn’t be caught smaller place.” Eliason’s boss, up in specific platforms or rough Comcast CEO Brian Roberts metrics. Everything should be

done in the context of your businesses’ objectives and broader strategy. For example, when it comes to return on investment, Eliason says “The real approach to ROI in this space, is to get all these groups together, PR, marketing, HR IT, and talk through what’s important to you. So we get huge return on investment when we listen to these things and then we act or fix things because we’re listening. The dollars are huge. You could have a 30 minute event that pays for my team for well over a year.” Meanwhile, Virgin America’s Payson says a flexible model will help you meet your objectives and stay responsive, he balances flexibility with structure by working in threemonth cycles. The team plans for developments and initiatives on a three-month time line, but will constantly readjust according to buzz activity and user feedback. 4. Facebook, It’s Complicated I couldn’t let them go without a parting question on Facebook. Conclusion (not a big surprise): it’s complicated. The companies were all grateful for the platform, but they also highlighted some serious concerns. Brill was upset by the HOW page 26

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

Google coding tool advances cloud computing (CNET News.com)

efforts at Google to weave the Web deeply into the fabric of computing. That mission that G o o g l e h a s r e l e a s e d a will be on center stage at the programming tool to help move company's I/O conference, set its Native Client project--and for May 19 and 20 in San m o r e b r o a d l y , i t s c l o u d - Francisco. computing ambitions--from That conference will feature a abstract idea to practical reality. h o s t o f r e l a t e d p r o j e c t s The new Native Client software embodying Google's fervent developer kit, though only a belief in cloud computing: its developer preview version, is C h r o m e b r o w s e r , C h r o m e designed to make it easier for browser-based operating system, programmers to use the Net the App Engine foundation for giant's browser-boosting Native Python and Java programs on Client technology. the Net, its higher-level Google "The Native Client SDK Apps services for word preview...includes just the processing and the like--even basics you need to get started things as nitty-gritty as the writing an app in minutes," G o o g l e W e b T o o l k i t a n d Google programmer David Closure Tools for Web-based Springer said Wednesday in a J a v a S c r i p t p r o g r a m m i n g . blog post, a week before the Another Google I/O centerpiece, developer-oriented Google I/O the Android operating system, is conference."We'll be updating designed to make mobile phones the SDK rapidly in the next few first-class citizens on the Net. months." NaCl has been reengineered to Henry Bridge, Google product support the ARM processors m a n a g e r f o r N a t i v e used widely in smartphones, C l i e n t ( C r e d i t : G o o g l e ) though the SDK can't take Native Client, or NaCl, is advantage of that support yet. designed to let browsers run To let people download Native programs at nearly the speeds of Client modules from Web pages those compiled to run natively without security problems, NaCl on a computer system. It's fast prohibits various operations and enough to handle tasks such as confines NaCl program modules video decompression and first- to a sandbox with restricted person shooter video games, and p r i v i l e g e s . N a C l l e t s it's designed to handle adjusted programmers write in a variety versions of existing software, of languages, and a special not just programs written from compiler converts their work scratch. into the NaCl modules. Native Client is one of several The ultimate promise of NaCl Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:01:46 AM

interested in Chrome. With its own browser, it can push its agenda much faster, even if it's only through projects such as Gears or O3D that didn't live beyond the experimental stage. To use the NaCl developer kit, programmers need a browser with a new plug-in technology called NPAPI Pepper. (Nomenclature nuts will note that NaCl is the chemical symbol for sodium chloride, or salt. NPAPI stands for Netscape Plug-in Application is that Web-based applications for x86 chips only; NaCl now Programming Interface.) Guess could run much faster than those supports ARM processors and which browser is the only one to of today that typically use NaCl modules also can take support Pepper? Chrome, of JavaScript or Adobe Systems' a d v a n t a g e o f 6 4 - b i t x 8 6 course, though Adobe and Flash. If Google can attract processors. Some of this work Mozilla are backing the project, developers, the Web and cloud has been through a project too. computing generally could called PNaCl, or Portable Native The NPAPI Pepper project and become a much more powerful Client. NaCl SDK show one of foundation for programs. Another move was adding NaCl Google's biggest challenges in Google argues that it profits by support for OpenGL ES 2.0, a bringing its cloud-computing increased use of the Web, since standard interface for tapping vision to reality, though: getting that drives more search traffic i n t o h a r d w a r e - a c c e l e r a t e d others to come along for the and therefore search-ad revenue. graphics. That could help ride. But Google also has a growing modules such as games that use To make NaCl real, it must Google Apps subscription 3D graphics. convince programmers to use business to support--a service A software developer kit could the software, convince browser that CEO Eric Schmidt calls help NaCl become more useful, makers to include it or at least Google's next billion-dollar but only if there's a way to run support it as a plug-in, and opportunity. More powerful the modules. Google early on convince the general public to tools for Web-based word released a Native Client browser upgrade their browsers to use it. p r o c e s s i n g , p r e s e n t a t i o n s , plug-in, but potentially more With Chrome and Google spreadsheets, image editing, and interesting is its work to build Apps, Google can ensure its the like could help that business Native Client into Chrome and technology is used in the real grow. into the browser-based Chrome w o r l d . B u t e s p e c i a l l y a s Google has been working hard OS it plans to release later this Google's dominance brings it o n f l e s h i n g o u t t h e N a C l year on Netbooks. into competition with more promise. One step has been Indeed, projects like NaCl GOOGLE page 26 expanding from 32-bit modules illustrate why Google is so

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

OneSocialWeb: We’re Ahead Of Diaspora In The Creation Of An ‘Open Facebook’ Robin Wauters (TechCrunch) Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:51:03 AM

For all the attention the Diaspora project has been getting, largely thanks to the New York Times, another alternative called OneSocialWeb has been desperately trying to raise even just a couple of eyebrows. Which is frustrating to them, they say, because the goals of both projects are perfectly aligned, while OneSocialWeb is self-reportedly much further ahead of Diaspora in many ways. So what gives? Here’s how OneSocialWeb bills itself: The purpose of onesocialweb is to enable free, open, and decentralized social applications on the web. Its protocol can be used to turn any XMPP server into a full fledged social network, participating in the onesocialweb federation. The suite of extensions covers all the usual social networking use cases such as user profiles, relationships, activity streams and third party applications. In

addition, it provides support for fine grained access control, realtime notification and collaboration. The project was built based on other standardization initiatives aiming to open up the web: a c t i v i t y s t r e a . m s , portablecontacts, OAuth, OpenSocial, FOAF, OpenID … you name it. Sounds like a dream if you’re into the whole ‘open’ thing and not happy with how Facebook and other social networks are evolving, right? So why has it been flying under the radar so much? Maybe their timing just wasn’t right – Diaspora got introduced to the masses by the NYT at a time when a lot of spotlights are turned to Facebook and its privacy policies – or maybe it’s the fact that OneSocialWeb isn’t an initiative of four geeky college students but the Vodafone Group Research and

alternatives in a lot of different ways will only make things more complicated, and probably assure that none of them grow into anything meaningful. Development(which acts as a OneSocialWeb’s Eschenauer isn’t concerned about that, but double-edged sword). Either way, the people behind he hopes that there can be some O n e S o c i a l W e b ( L a u r e n t common language for social Eschenauer, Alard Weisscher, networks in the future, like Lorena Alvarez and Diana SMTP for email. He adds that C h e n g ) h a v e a d r e a m o f he has high hopes for Google building exactly what their Buzz, and expects the Mountain name suggests, one social Web, View company to announce a and they realize it’s not going to couple of interesting things next week at Google I/O. Eschenauer be a walk in the park. And that something isn’t going will be travelling to Silicon to be attractive to the masses Valley next week, too, in order simply because it’s open source, to meet with people from the b a s e d o n X M P P o r industry who can help him make decentralized – there needs to be his ‘one social web’ dream a reality. added value. The OpenSocialWeb team is OpenSocialWeb is currently also impressed with the energy developing beta versions of a the team behind Diaspora is W e b c l i e n t , a n A n d r o i d displaying – they even invited application, and more. We’ll see t h e m t o c o m e w o r k a t how far they can take this – the Maastricht for the Summer – so service and protocol is expected it’s not like there’s any bad to be ‘consumer ready’ by late Summer. blood between them. CrunchBase Information Which is good, because I happen to think that building Diaspora* Information provided multiple open social networking by CrunchBase

GOOGLE continued from page 25

c o m p u t i n g c o m p a n i e s , become tougher. Ministerial - The 2010 UK extending its ideas beyond its Five Filters featured article: General Election. Available own products and services can The Art of Looking Prime tools: PDF Newspaper, Full

Text RSS, Term Extraction.

HOW continued from page 24

company’s recent launch of Community Pages, which are pseudo-Wiki pages regulated by the Facebook community. She says a page on Cisco was frequently confused with the company’s official profile: “I’m surprised that they would even do something like this without consulting the brands…It looked a lot like our corporate fan page and I think it’s hard for the users to determine what’s official and what Facebook created.” Virgin’s Payson was more upset by what he described as a lack of transparency, calling on Facebook to follow Twitter’s lead and give companies more access to analytical tools/data. CrunchBase Information Cisco Information provided by CrunchBase CrunchBase Information Comcast Information provided by CrunchBase

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

You Might Want to Rethink that Email Pitch: Your VCs Have Declared Email Bankruptcy

Apple issuing invitations for MobileMe Mail beta

Audrey Watters (ReadWriteWeb)

Megan Lavey (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

Rather, it's noteworthy that despite being overwhelmed by unread email, Suster and Wilson Submitted at 5/12/2010 10:00:41 PM actively blog - and moreover, Although being overwhelmed they interact with commenters by email is a fairly common on their blogs. Suster remarks complaint, entrepreneurs would that he prefers this mode of be wise to take note when two communication, saying "I enjoy renowned VCs - recipients Suster's blog post expands on the creative outlet of blogging perhaps, of your email pitches- this, explaining why the norms a n d b e i n g a b l e t o b u i l d speak out about their struggles o f e m a i l i t s e l f m a k e i t relationships with people in a with overflowing email inboxes. u n s u s t a i n a b l e . lightweight way that often lead O n M o n d a y , F r e d W i l s o n According to Suster, email is a to in person meetings or phone declared email bankruptcy. And problem because: calls down the line where Mark Suster followed suit a few 1. Anyone and everyone can appropriate." Suster further email you. hours later. notes that he generally is more 2. The sheer volume of emails receptive to the shorter, more Sponsor Wilson's blog post describes is overwhelming. succinct modes of how three hours of his Sunday 3. People expect a response. communication that Twitter and 4 . S o c i a l n e t w o r k s h a v e instant messaging services evening were spent wading through 400 or so non-spam m u l t i p l i e d m e s s a g i n g . provide. emails - only a third of his 1200 Both Wilson and Suster point to Of course, this isn't a call to or so unread messages. After services that help them manage start inundating Suster and that, Wilson checked to see if he their email communications Wilson and other VCs' blogs had any pending messages from (namely Gist, X1, and Etacts), with pitches. Rather, it's a t h o s e w i t h w h o m h e and indicate in their blog posts reminder to entrepreneurs that communicates most regularly and comments that they're email, as with any form of and who are his most important receptive to new systems of communication, has to be used email relationships. For the rest, o r g a n i z i n g a n d f i l t e r i n g wisely. "I select all and hit archive. It is i n f o r m a t i o n . And if you are not getting a tremendously satisfying And while many of us can responses to your emails (from benefit from adopting new investors or others), it may be feeling." Wilson contends it's not simply productivity tools, the lessons t i m e t o t r y o t h e r t a c t i c s , a matter of efficiency or time for entrepreneurs from these two including those old-fashioned m a n a g e m e n t - " t h e m o r e VCs' posts may have little to do modes of phone or face-to-face. efficient I get with email, the with making emails more Discuss more of it that comes in." And palatable.

Submitted at 5/13/2010 2:45:00 AM

Filed under: MobileMe An eagle-eyed reader spotted something new on his MobileMe account after the completed maintenance this evening -- an invitation to join a "mail beta" for MobileMe. What is this? We originally thought it could possibly be linked into the rumors that MobileMe may soon be free, but reader Beau quickly pointed us to a news post from Apple detailing a new MobileMe Mail beta application. Features include:

• Improved performance for MobileMe Mail through me.com. • SSL security no matter where you access your MobileMe Mail.

The beta will work best with Safari 4, Firefox 3.6, and Internet Explorer 8. Additional information can be found on this support page. To get an invitation, sign into your MobileMe account through me.com and you'll see the invite in the bottom left corner. Please • The ability to have both note that the beta is only widescreen and compact views. available to English-language • Rules to help keep mail users of MobileMe at this time. organized on any device you use Thanks to Moses for the tip! MobileMe. Note that any rules TUAW Apple issuing set up on the beta may override invitations for MobileMe Mail rules already in place on OS X beta originally appeared on The Mail, so disable duplicate rules U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g on your Mac before giving this a (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 test drive. 02:45:00 EST. Please see our • Single-click archiving of e- terms for use of feeds. mail. Permalink| Email this| • Formatting toolbar including C o m m e n t s the ability to shorten long URLs.

Technology/ Food/

Comcast shows off an iPad remote (CNET News.com)

Time Warner's HBO picked Verizon as the first carrier partner for its HBO Go service a The heads of the big TV officials say the company has few months back. companies are in Los Angeles plans to allow cable subscribers The thread here is consistent: this week, and all of them are t o p u l l d o w n w h a t e v e r ' s cable providers and cable making an effort to publicly available via the company's programmers want the world to embrace the brave new world of Fancast video portal to the know they're happy to give you video. Not freaked out by it at Apple gadget. all the Web you want--as long We haven't heard yet about subscribers keep paying their all, OK? Here's Comcast CEO Brian timing and other details (3G monthly bills and getting a Roberts, for instance, showing versus Wi-Fi-only, etc.), and bundle of TV channels in return. off a forthcoming iPad app that there will probably be some If we ever get to the world allows you to program and roadblocks. It's unlikely, for where you can start buying control your TV remotely. instance, that you'll get the Hulu individual channels--doesn't Looks cool. And while I think feed that Fancast has, since matter if they're on TV or the there's actually a limited-use Hulu plans to charge for access Web--then all bets are off and case for programming your TV on the iPad. But people seem TV economics get radically while you're out of your house, very happy with the ABC iPad reshuffled. But we're not getting the ability to search for shows app, so if Comcast can deliver there anytime soon, and I'm not on the app should be better than something similar, it should convinced we ever will. the crappy experience you get expect some pats on the back. Story Copyright (c) 2010 from your remote and set-top Meanwhile, Time Warner used AllThingsD. All rights reserved. the cable industry's annual Five Filters featured article: box. So you'll likely get more use convention to announce that it The Art of Looking Prime out of this thing when you're h a s e x p a n d e d i t s " T V Ministerial - The 2010 UK actually sitting on your couch in Everywhere" program--people General Election. Available who pay for TV get access to tools: PDF Newspaper, Full front of your TV. Note that the app won't allow the same shows on the Web--to Text RSS, Term Extraction. you to actually watch shows on include subscribers to Verizon's your iPad, but Roberts says Fios TV service. that's coming, too. Comcast That makes sense inasmuch as Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:19:13 AM

E-reader News Edition

Hobby artist creates paintings on the iPad Mike Schramm (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:00:00 AM

Filed under: iPad Obama Pacman's got a few cool paintings by an artist named John Haasl. The unique thing about these paintings is that Haasl created them exclusively with the iPad. While a lot of the talk around the iPad has centered on the device as a content consumer, content creation is definitely easier in one big area with a much larger touchscreen, and of course, that's art. Not only does the extra screen space help out would-be artists, but the processing power makes things quick and easy, too. Haasl is using ArtStudio for iPad for his work, and there's other good software available as well ( SketchBook Pro is another popular app, though it's a little more expensive, with ArtStudio on sale for just a buck). Haasl says that he takes about two days to put a painting together, and it's totally a hobby -- his day job is in IT. (Cooking Light: Editor's Picks) foods that can help ward off Next Tomatoes osteoporosis, heart disease, Five Filters featured article: It's very cool, anyway. It will The first step in any healthy breast cancer, and even tone The Art of Looking Prime diet is eating a balanced variety down a Ministerial - The 2010 UK of foods, so everyone should hot flash or two. Find seven General Election. Available start there. But for women, â&#x20AC;&#x153;wonder womenâ&#x20AC;? foods and tools: PDF Newspaper, Full s c i e n c e recipes to get them cooking in Text RSS, Term Extraction. is showing that there are some your kitchen.

Foods for Women

also be interesting to see what professional artists end up doing with the iPad's screen, and if some of the new interfaces for art make their way back to traditional computers. TUAW Hobby artist creates paintings on the iPad originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Technology/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

The Hotlist Raises $800,000 For Geo -Aware “What’s Going On” Service

FACEBOOK'S continued from page 23

Facebook's ability to connect just about anything on the Internet to anything else, users Robin Wauters (TechCrunch) its geo-social aggregator in were given the choice of either public beta last March, and making their profile interests Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:22:19 AM currently welcomes around p u b l i c o r d e l e t i n g t h e m The Hotlist, a social aggregator 100,000 unique visitors per altogether. New "social plugins" take Facebook Connect to that enables you to find out month. what’s going on amongst your Already, the company has the next level, and a test f r i e n d s , w i t h i n y o u r of specific events based on their managed to collect data from p r o g r a m c a l l e d " I n s t a n t neighborhood, and around the network of friends, enabling over 400,000 venues and 1.2 Personalization" will Facebookify any partner site. world, this morning announced users to view detailed venue million upcoming events. t h a t t h e c o m p a n y c l o s e d analytics and ratings so they can The Hotlist was the first How Facebook messed up: $800,000 in angel financing led manage their social calendar on undergraduate team in history to Most of this, angry Facebook by Centurion Holdings, the the spot. win a grant from the NYU Stern members really should have The service combs through user advisory firm of former UBS Business Plan Competition, seen coming. What's thrown -generated data from Facebook giving the company $25,000 in them off guard for good reason Chairman Joe Grano. Funds from the angel round and Twitter and combines it seed funding. The Hotlist is is making profile interests will be used to to launch full with local reviews and listings located in the New York City- public by default, something mobile integration of its service in Yelp – among other third- sponsored 160 Varick Street that has made some users t o c o n s u m e r s ( i P h o n e , party content streams – in an Incubator as part of Mayor concerned that Facebook can't BlackBerry and Android apps effort to automatically shows Michael Bloomberg’s business b e t r u s t e d t o a d h e r e t o are on the way) and to support w h a t ’ s g o i n g o n t o d a y , incubator for promising start- reasonable standards of privacy protection. T h e H o t l i s t ’ s p l a t f o r m tomorrow and throughout the ups. week among the user’s network ( F u l l d i s c l o s u r e : I ’ m a development. The Hotlist aims to filter of friends. Presented data shareholder of a company called information from several online includes a map of venues and Oxynade, which has developed resources based on a user’s list of friends who will be there technology that automatically preferences and social graph of and when, past and future event aggregates event listings and friends (based on Facebook). It and attendance activity plus real venue information as well.) gives users a personalized and -time venue information and CrunchBase Information Hotlist instant view of things to do, reviews pulled from Twitter I n f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d b y places to go and people to see feeds. Also handy: guy-to-girl C r u n c h B a s e Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) within the area. The company’s ratio at venues! Submitted at 5/13/2010 4:00:00 AM platform aggregates geo-social The Hotlist was founded in September 2009 and launched data to calculate the popularity The New York Times does the heavy lifting of actually plotting out Facebook's headacheinducing privacy options, helping some of us to navigate 50 settings with 170 options, and the rest of us to shake our heads in disbelief. More »

What Facebook did about it: You're not going to reach 400 million people on the Facebook company blog. So Facebook turned to the press instead: public policy chief Elliot Schrage answered a lengthy Q&A with The New York Times. Will it quell users and privacy advocates? Probably not. Facebook isn't through with the damage control for this one yet. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Facebook's Huge Maze of Privacy Options Mapped Out [Facebook]

Facebook- New York TimesUnited States- Privacy- New York

Technology/ Food/

E-reader News Edition

Building a Startup Culture Audrey Watters (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:01:44 PM

As the school year draws to a close, college graduates will making a move to the next stage of their lives. Will college have encouraged or discouraged them from making that next stage involve entrepreneurship? Venture capitalist Roger Ehrenberg penned an impassioned call-to-arms on Monday, challenging the venture capital and startup industries to do a better job recruiting young entrepreneurs from college. He urges the "seeding of a startup culture." Sponsor Inspired in part by James Kwak's post"Why Do Harvard Kids Head to Wall Street?" Ehrenberg calls for better efforts to "lure the best and brightest into game-changing areas such as start-ups and social enterprises." Ehrenberg says that it may be that too much emphasis is placed on the risks and the fears

Best of 2010 (Cooking Light: Editor's Picks)

Coarsely chopped almonds, two kinds of chocolate, and golden cane syrup help give UpsideDown Fudge-Almond Tart its r i c h f l a v o r and our highest rating. "Easy

associated with startups - "bad marketing, plain and simple" something that makes jobs on Wall Street or with established corporations seem safer. Instead Ehrenberg wants young entrepreneurs to be steeped in a "startup lore" and encourages experienced investors and founders/CEOs to tell what he contends are "better stories" about the challenges and opportunities that come with starting your own company. Ehrenberg points to a number of VCs who have become instructors at universities in order to "use their positions as vehicles for identifying top students, building relationships that ultimately result in ideas getting funded or students placed in promising start-ups."

However, he questions whether it's worth waiting for more hiring or for an institutional change at the university level to encourage entrepreneurship, and urges instead a "grassroots effort on the part of local venture investors and successful start-up executives to get into the classrooms and onto campus to re-orient talented students away from the money culture and towards the building culture." Although some universities are working to develop entrepreneurial programs, it may be that the "culture" of business school isn't the right place on campus for the cultural transformation that Enhrenberg wants. (Entrepreneurs do major in things other than business.) Ehrenberg's essays calls for a better "startup culture" and focuses primarily on storytelling from experienced VCs and entrepreneurs in order to foster it. How else might we go about fostering such a culture? You can read Ehrenberg's full blog post here. Discuss

Kindle DX trial at Darden concludes it's academically woeful, personally enjoyable Vladislav Savov (Engadget)

participants would be happy to recommend the Kindle DX as a personal reading device. That A m a z o n ' s e x p e r i m e n t o f meshes rather well with the high replacing textbooks with Kindle satisfaction and sales figures eDXs in classrooms already took readers are enjoying, but it does a p r e t t y h e f t y b l o w f r o m show that the hardware has a Princeton's feedback -- which l o n g w a y t o g o b e f o r e i t described the jumbo e-reader convinces us to ditch our a s " a p o o r e x c u s e " f o r a n paperbacks. academic tool -- but here comes [Thanks, Miles B] some more punishment courtesy Kindle DX trial at Darden of the trialists at Darden. The concludes it's academically Business School describes the woeful, personally enjoyable DX as clunky and too slow to originally appeared on Engadget and beautiful, this tart will Five Filters featured article: keep up with the pace of on Thu, 13 May 2010 08:57:00 satisfy every chocoholic's need The Art of Looking Prime teaching, with up to 80 percent EST. Please see our terms for f o r a c h o c o l a t e f i x , " Ministerial - The 2010 UK of users saying they wouldn't use of feeds. Permalink| Darden c o m m e n t s T e s t General Election. Available recommend it for academic use. School of Business| Email this| Kitchen Professional Deb Wise. tools: PDF Newspaper, Full There is a silver lining to this Comments View Recipe: Upside-Down Text RSS, Term Extraction. cloud of hate however, as up to Fudge-Almond Tart 95 percent of all project Next January: Poutine Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:57:00 AM

Technology/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Wikpedia Goes 3D Mike Melanson (ReadWriteWeb)

This effort would involve determining what would be on those 52 other, yet unseen Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:32:32 AM puzzle pieces. Only Wikipedia, the massively The new logo incorporates a collaborative online number of languages, though no encyclopedia, would want its longer Klingon, and now uses users to know what's on the an open-source Linux Libertine other side of its logo...in three typeface, in order to make the dimensions. Wikipedia wordmark For those of you who still doubt recreateable in hundreds of the ability of Wikipedia to get professors, volunteers and localized editions. the facts straight, the latest students) editing Wikipedia in And for those of you who are update should be a case in point order to increase diversity. curious about how this all for exactly how things work According to a blog post today happens, just take a a look at when everyone gets a say about by the Wikimedia Foundation, this one page of discussion to what's wrong, what's right and the now-familiar globe logo was get a glimpse of what's going on what's somewhere in-between. found in 2003 in a logo design in the background of what looks Sponsor c o n t e s t a n d t h e e d i t i n g to most like a neat and orderly Wikipedia announced a number immediately began. As errors in product. This is how the new of new changes last March, the Wikipedia logo were found logo was born, with proposals including a major redesign with by users, it was slowly touched and votes and more proposals the intention of getting even up. A year ago, the effort began and histories of prior votes more users to join in on the " t o r e s o l v e s o m e m i n o r and...it could make you dizzy if creation and editing of content. typographic errors found by our it weren't all so organized and, According to Moka Pantages, volunteers, and to develop a well, encyclopedic. the communications officer for high-resolution version with And as the new logo looks to the WikiMedia Foundation, the gradient qualities (it is a sphere, replace the old, the discussion new logo and redesign is part of after all) that could be used in a has already begun over what a five year strategy plan, variety of new settings. It was a could be done for the next wherein the company hopes to perfect opportunity to build a incarnation. Discuss get more subject area experts new model that would be from universities (such as completely 3D in its design."

Cisco touts growth in latest earnings (CNET News.com) Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:53:40 AM

Cisco Systems on Wednesday reported solid third-quarter financial results, noting that company witnessed a "return to strong balanced growth" across the board that has not been seen since before the economic downturn. For the quarter, Cisco reported net income of $2.5 billion, or 42 cents per share, a 40 percent increase from the same quarter a year ago. Revenue was $10.4 billion, a year-over-year increase of 27 percent. Wall Street analysts had been expecting earnings of 38 cents per share on revenue of $10.24

billion. ( Statement, Preview) In a statement, Cisco CEO John Chambers said that the company is coming out of the downturn stronger, gaining market share and a "larger share of the total wallet spend of our customers" with next-generation products in across almost every category. Read more of " Cisco earnings: 'Return to strong balanced growth'" at ZDNet's Between the Lines. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Reschedule One-Hour Meetings to a Tighter 45 Minutes [Meetings] Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:00:00 AM

Modern calendar apps make

one hour a kind of default appointment, and it seems like a nice, average time slot for meeting planners. The 45

Minute Meeting is a movement

to make meetings shorter, both Google- Christianity- Google on the calendar and in the room. Calendar- Woodturning More Âť Religion and Spirituality-

Technology/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

SCVNGR Takes Location-Sharing Beyond Check-Ins Frederic Lardinois (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 5/13/2010 12:01:00 AM

The current crop of locationsharing services like Foursquare and Gowalla rely on very basic game mechanics to entice their users to check in at their favorite bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Just checking in, however, really isn't that exciting in the long run. SCVNGR, which got a major investment from Google Ventures earlier this year, is taking check-ins to the next level by adding additional game -like challenges to virtually every one of the 20 million places in its database. For now, SCVNGR is only available in the U.S., but the company plans to expand internationally soon. Sponsor Challenges vs. Check-Ins While you can just use SCVNGR to check in at your favorite coffee shop (worth 1

point), you will get extra points if you fulfill one of the missions that either the SCVNGR team or other players have created for this place. This could mean taking a picture of the location, for example (worth 2 points). Seth Priebatsch, the company's founder, also told us of another example, where customers at a local restaurant had to fold their burrito wrappers into elaborate origami sculptures (worth 5 points). According to Priebatch, most activities shouldn't take more than just a few seconds to complete. For now, getting points on SCVNGR isn't tied to discounts, coupons or any other real-world bonuses. Instead, players will simply get to see how well they are doing in relation to their friends. Instead of just becoming the mayor of a given place,

SCVNGR allows regulars to create their own challenges after they have checked in a few times. SCVNGR is currently available for the iPhone and Android platforms. From Enterprise to Consumer Product Interestingly, today's consumer launch of SCVNGR is the second part of the company's roadmap. Since launching in late 2008, SCVNGR has already worked with over 600 companies, museums, universities, conferences and other organizations, including Princeton, MIT, The Smithsonian National Zoo, the City of Philadelphia and the U.S. Navy. These groups have used SCVNGR to create interactive experiences for their customers and visitors. Now that anybody will soon be able to create challenges, it will be interesting to watch how SCVNGR develops. Discuss

Bigfoot Networks Killer 2100 reviewed, 'completely destroys' on-board NICs Tim Stevens (Engadget) Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:18:00 AM

We're still trying to wrap our heads around the idea that an aftermarket NIC can really improve your gaming experience, but time and time again Bigfoot Networks Killer line of network interface controllers comes through reviews with flying colors, and its latest, the Killer 2100, is no exception. Boot Daily took one for a spin and found that it "completely destroys the typical on-board LAN port in all the gaming tests." Latency and UDP throughput were clearly improved, and the new software was found to be comprehensive and useful. We're still not seeing this as a product for casual gamers, but if you've ever

blamed lag for your inability to rack up the headshots then this is $129 well-spent -- assuming you'll be able to come up with some other excuse. Bigfoot Networks Killer 2100 reviewed, 'completely destroys' on-board NICs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Boot Daily| Email this| Comments

Dinner Diary: Ham and Asparagus Hash WomansDay.com Editors (Daily Woman's Day Blog)

strawberry shortcake for dessert. As a result, when I read this post on Smitten Kitchen, I found Submitted at 5/12/2010 3:00:00 PM myself with some things on Sunday, for Mother's Day, my hand to make this beautiful husband made a big ol' brunch hash. I have tried to brown for everyone: ham and sausage, potatoes before and always Deb's instructions, using a casteggs, bread, fruit salad and failed; this time I followed

iron skillet, 2 tablespoons olive oil and small-diced potatoes (1/2 -inch). I didn't mess with them for the first few minutes and they got nice and brown. Make this dinner when you're looking for something quick that will let fresh produce shine.

Here's how: Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

TUAW's Daily App: Silent Hunter Mobile Mike Schramm (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

plan is mostly to kill the other side before they kill you. Still, it's fun, and except for a Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:00:00 AM little bit of lag in the controls, it Filed under: iPhone The Silent plays pretty well. You can send Hunter series is largely accepted your sub up or down in the as the pinnacle of submarine water (make sure to stay below simulation. The PC and console when you get close to the escort games are pretty much the best y o u ' r e s t a l k i n g ) a n d f i r e way to feel like you're in charge torpedos at any targets you spot. of a real old-school submarine. The game's campaign mode has Ubisoft currently owns the 12 different missions, and each l i c e n s e , a n d t h e y ' v e n o w one offers up a nice set of released an iPhone version of progressions, from just hunting the brand, which has you down merchant ships to taking piloting a German U-boat on destroyers, on up into anti-air around the North Sea in 1939. It combat. You can earn XP to lacks most of the depth (pun upgrade your sub and its parts, intended, sorry) that Silent but the gameplay doesn't change Hunter is known for; the game much; you pretty much just is basically a shooting gallery, navigate to the right spot, and and while there is a bit of then open fire at the right time. strategy in ship placement, the The graphics are presentable on

the iPhone, but the music is actually excellent. All in all, the game is definitely worth a go at US $1.99 (which is what it's on sale for in the App Store right now). You won't find anywhere near the level of complicated and subtle gameplay that the larger versions of Silent Hunter have, but if you just want to line up a destroyer in your sights and yell, "Torpedo away!", Silent Hunter Mobile does the trick. TUAW TUAW's Daily App: Silent Hunter Mobile originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Archos 7 Home Tablet review Joanna Stern (Engadget)

for, but can the Archos 7 rise above those shortcomings and persuade us to dig $199 out of Upon first look is there our piggy banks? We've spent anything not to love about the the last week with the tablet, so Archos 7 Home Tablet? It's .5- you'll just have to click on to inches thick, has a seven-inch find out. touchscreen, runs Android, and Gallery: Archos 7 Home Tablet wait for it...only costs $199. It's review all sounded pretty great to us Continue reading Archos 7 since its CeBIT unveil, but then Home Tablet review small, yet saddening details Archos 7 Home Tablet review began to emerge about the originally appeared on Engadget d e v i c e : i t h a s a r e s i s t i v e on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 t o u c h s c r e e n , l a c k s a n EST. Please see our terms for accelerometer, and doesn't have use of feeds. Permalink| Archos access to the Android Market -- 7 Home Tablet (Amazon)| Email and worst of all, it runs Android this| Comments 1.5. Sure, you get what you pay Submitted at 5/13/2010 10:00:00 AM

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

Buzznet Channels Facebook And Twitter; Adds News Feeds And The Ability To Follow Leena Rao (TechCrunch) Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:55:40 AM

Buzznet, a social network based around people’s interests (i.e. music, art, fashion, photography, movies, television, celebrities), is relaunching today with a more social layer on the platform. Buzznet, which is a property of pop culture media conglomerate BuzzMedia, allows users to share, curate and socialize content based on their personal interests. On the site now, users will be able create a custom content feed when they follow other users or follow communities

around topics that appear on other contributors’ blogs. The ability to follow a user means tapping into their own content and sharing channel on Buzznet. Users will then see updates in a news feeds from the people they follow on their homepage and in the footer that follows them around the site. Users with the most followers will be trending under “most followed” on the Buzznet homepage. Buzznet has also included a trending topics section to their homepage that features the most popular features and topics on the network. The new reblog feature allows users to create a

channel that reflects their personality and taste without having to post any original content. Users can also now add

multimedia to comments and the site includes Facebook Connect. To oversee this new version of the site, Buzznet has named magazine exec Aviva

Yael as editor. Clearly, Buzznet is remodeling its site with inspiration from Facebook and Twitter. According to Compete, Buzznet got around 2.3 million unique visitors in March, which isn’t too shabby for a niche social network. It still remains a question, however, if Buzznet will be able to replicate the engagement on Twitter or see any more substantial growth as Facebook takes over the world with its 400 million plus userbase. CrunchBase Information BUZZNET Information provided by CrunchBase

Behind the scenes with the iRetrofone's creator Mike Schramm (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

them and deliver them to customers; he's currently working with two resin molds Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:00:00 PM and has tweaked his process a Filed under: iPhone I really bit. It sounds like the iRetrofone enjoyed seeing this retro handset is already a successful product. base for the iPhone(even if I did When you hear what he has to mistake the shipping charge for say about the handset, it's not the price -- sorry about that). hard to determine why. The Now, iPhone Savior has a nice model is based on a 1937 phone, piece up about the base's and Freeland says it hit him in designer, Florida artist Scott the same nostalgic way it does Freeland. Since news about the most of us: "As a sculptor, when set went live, he's apparently I need something in my life I been bombarded by requests, make it ... That was the phone I and he's actually been working had as a kid. I looked online on making it easier to make until I saw a phone that looked

like what I had, and then I made it." He's making more, too. As you can see above, he's got pink and clear models being made already, and he says he wants to

make about six to eight more versions, including crazy ideas like "a skull with the iPhone in it." That one doesn't sound quite as,

ahem, nostalgic, but it's still interesting. The iRetrofone is available on Etsy for US $195, and while it's on back order right now, the page says it'll be available in about two weeks. TUAW Behind the scenes with the iRetrofone's creator originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 12 May 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Technology/

E-reader News Edition

Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone Sebastian Blanco (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

card game version(different from the original Lost Cities card game) and, most recently, a new board game called Keltis Submitted at 5/13/2010 10:00:00 AM Filed under: iPhone, iPod Oracle. U.S. board gamers will touch, App Review, iPad most likely recognize the Keltis Keltis is a relatively new games in the similar Lost Cities: marquee family of board games The Board Game. Are you - in Europe, at least - with a wondering why the European somewhat meandering history. version of the game made it into The series started as the Lost your iDevice? Because the Cities card game, which evolved developers in Tribeflame are into the original board game in based in Finland. the series, Keltis. That game In any case, the universal won the Spiel des Jahres, a p p ( U S $ 4 . 9 9 ) t h a t ' s n o w Germany's highest board game available on the iPad and iPhone honor, in 2008. Since then, there (and iPod touch) is the latest have been two expansions: a Keltis game. Is it the greatest?

To some, maybe. It's certainly the most player-friendly of the batch, and it looks good on the iPad screen. The game works, but as you can see in the

galleries below, it's crowded when packed into the iPhone's 480 x 320 pixel screen. Read on to see what the Oracle can do for you.

Gallery: Keltis Oracle on the iPhone Gallery: Keltis Oracle on the iPad TUAW Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Air Force feels afterburned as Sony clips the PS3's Linux wings Tim Stevens (Engadget) Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:41:00 AM

When we learned that the Air Force was buying 300 PS3s we knew it could mean only one thing: all-night HAWX LAN party. But, when the order came through for 2,200 more, it seemed something more serious was afoot, and sure enough the armed force that aims higher was aiming to use them as a cluster for high-def video

processing. Naturally that's quite dependent on the machine's Linux capabilities, capabilities that Sony has, of course, since disabled. You might think this doesn't matter, since the units will never play games and so don't need the distro-disabling firmware update. But, hardware fails, especially when stacked as close as these units are and, according to the Air Force's Research Laboratory, Sony takes the liberty of applying the

feels afterburned as Sony clips the PS3's Linux wings Air Force feels afterburned as Sony clips the PS3's Linux wings originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Joystiq| ars technica| latest firmware even to refurb'd could bring it back together. Email this| Comments units. In other words, this is one Dramatic re-enactment after the cluster that's bound to fragment break. and not even Louis Gossett Jr. Continue reading Air Force

Technology/ Economy/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Gisele Bundchen Stays in Perfect Underwear Model Shape Molly (PopSugar)

Optimus Popularis keyboard is still on target, due next year Tim Stevens (Engadget) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:29:00 AM

Is your Optimus Maximus feeling a little... dated? OLED keys just not quite doing it for you any longer? Looking for something a little different, and maybe a little smaller? That's the Popularis, a product announced just about two years ago that the good folks at Optimus would like to remind you is still progressing quite nicely. Plans are to start production later this year with a release sometime in 2011. Like the Maximus, the Popularis will have full-color keys, but they

Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:00:00 AM

Gisele Bundchen kept her hat pulled down as she left the gym in LA yesterday. This week she's on mom duty without husband Tom Brady, who had to head back to Massachusetts on are said to not be OLED-based Monday. The Patriots QB has was shot in the head, during an openly talked about balancing this time, leaving us wondering. Vincent Fernando, CFA (The interview with IHT within the his time between his team and When it was initially announced Money Game) red shirt encampment according his sons, once again speaking the keyboard was set to retail for Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:42:00 AM to The New York Times. the bargain price of under about the importance of being $1,000 but, given the rate of Violence is erupting once again Sean Boonpracong, a red shirt with his boys even if they're too inflation since then, we could be in Bangkok as the army moves spokesman, as told Al Jazeera, young to remember. Gisele has looking at an MSRP closer to in to blockade the 'red shirt' "We will fight with cameras, the gotten back to work as well $1,010. Better skip today's protesters who have been international community is we're still wowed by her post encamped in central Bangkok watching." Starbucks run. baby photo shoot including a Developing... check back here n e w u n d e r w e a r m o d e l i n g Optimus Popularis keyboard is for nearly two months. still on target, due next year Power has been cut at many for more updates as we get c a m p a i g n . G i s e l e i s a l s o originally appeared on Engadget points within the 'red shirt' zone them. speaking out about her feelings A Thai English-speaking on being a mom after her first on Thu, 13 May 2010 08:29:00 and phone signals are being cut EST. Please see our terms for as well as reported from sources blogger is live-blogging the Mother's Day with Ben. situation here > Don't miss our View 5 Photos â&#x20AC;ş u s e o f f e e d s . P e r m a l i n k on the ground via twitter. Gizmodo| optimus_project| The situation is said to be complete guide to the violence extremely tense at the rally site > Email this| Comments after a well-known Thai general, Join the conversation about this Gen. Khattiya Sawatdipho, who story Âť has sided with the protesters,

Thai Violence Explodes Anew As Opposition Thai General Is Shot In The Head Mid-Interview

Economy/

E-reader News Edition

Russia Backtracks On Black Sea Oil Exports, Because The Real Market Is In Asia (ROSN) John Helmer (The Money Game)

Economy/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Initial Jobless Claims Still Way Too High At 444K Joe Weisenthal (The Money Game) Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:31:00 AM

This is still too weak. Analysts were looking for 440K, so the initial claims of 444K are a bit worse than expectations. This isn't HORRIBLE, obviously, but what we're not seeing is any kind of surprise improvement. We're just getting an elevated number week after weak. The market is still heading higher, with dow futures up 12. The euro is below $1.26. Here's the full release: -------------On the week ending May 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 444,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 448,000. The 4 -week moving average was 450,500, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised average of 459,500. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 1, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured

unemployment during the week ending May 1 was 4,627,000, an increase of 12,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,615,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,639,500, a decrease of 14,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,654,250. The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.174 million. UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 407,267 in the week ending May 8, an increase of 11,132 from the previous week. There were 570,412 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009. The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent during the week ending May 1, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,515,632, a decrease of 140,708 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.6 percent and the volume was 6,191,149. Extended benefits were

available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending April 24. Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,300 in the week ending May 1, an increase of 86 from the prior week. There were 2,289 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 97 from the preceding week. There were 18,944 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending April 24, a decrease of 267 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,699, a decrease of 500 from the prior week. States reported 5,137,385 persons claiming EUC

(Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending April 24, a decrease of 216,874 from the prior week. There were 2,156,516 claimants in the comparable week in 2009. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 24 were in Alaska (6.6 percent), Puerto Rico (6.3), Oregon (5.8), Nevada (5.1), California (4.9), Pennsylvania (4.8), Wisconsin (4.8), Montana (4.7), North Carolina (4.6), Rhode Island (4.6), Connecticut (4.5), and Idaho (4.5). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 1 were in New York (+4,021), Kentucky (+1,015), Pennsylvania (+773), Illinois (+611), and Tennessee (+609), while the largest decreases were in California (-18,546), Massachusetts (-3,628), Indiana (-3,242), Michigan (-1,748), and Florida (-1,291). Join the conversation about this story Âť

Print the Contents of Any Folder in Windows [Windows Tip] Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:00:00 AM

Need a listing of everything you've got in a Windows folder? You could grab screenshots, but that's a pain when there are lots of files. A quick command line trick gives you an easily printable directory of contents. More Âť Windows 7- Microsoft Windows- Windows- Windows Tip- Operating system

Economy/ Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Default, and other dogmas (The Economist: Daily news and views)

debt after 1989. Thanks to heavy politicking from America, the freely elected authorities Submitted at 5/13/2010 12:47:07 AM were allowed to swap sovereign Europe.view The experience of debt incurred by the communist ex-communist countries in the regime into less onerous “Brady 1990s undermines many of the bonds” (stored in the same claims now made about Greece museum, also viewable on May 13th 2010 | From The application). Hungary, which Economist online did not have the same backing FOR anyone from the ex- from America, has had to pay its c o m m u n i s t w o r l d w i t h a debt in full. That depressed its medium-term memory, the growth rate in the 1990s and frantic efforts under way to save m e a n t l o w e r g o v e r n m e n t Greece (and the other wobbly spending and higher taxes. southern members of the euro Hungary should have benefited zone) are rather puzzling. from this sacrifice by gaining a For a start, what is so bad about better credit rating. It didn’t. default and restructuring? In the Funny things, markets. 1990s Russia restructured $32 The moral is that investors’ billion worth of Soviet debt into memories are short. If Greece PRINs and IANs (both are now were to restructure its debt, it s t o r e d i n t h e M u s e u m o f would not take long for greed to Financial Archaeology and may trump fear and for capital to be viewed on application to the start flowing again. curator). In 1998 it defaulted on A second piece of dogma those debt instruments. People undermined by the experiences s a i d R u s s i a ’ s f i n a n c i a l of the ex-communist countries is credibility would never recover. that leaving a common currency One banker said he would rather area is all but impossible. The eat nuclear waste than invest in Czech and Slovak korunas Russia again. But within a separated without even a ripple couple of years, Russia was of disturbance. The Yugoslav flavour of the month. dinar disappeared in a puff of It was the same story with h y p e r i n f l a t i o n , b u t t h e Poland, which restructured its currencies that succeeded it did

pretty well almost from the word go. The death-agonies of the Soviet rouble were painful, but now the Russian currency is one of the most solid in the region. Dig out the drachma from the museum and it may float better than anyone expects. But perhaps trumping these feelings of confusion is a kind of envy. Greece is benefiting from the kind of support of which the ex-communist half of Europe could have only dreamed in the 1990s. Imagine for a moment that Greece was an EU candidate country, rather than a full member of both the union and of the euro zone. To judge by the way Turkey has been treated in recent years, Brussels would be demanding not only a leaner public sector but a different political system: for example, secularisation of church-state relations, greater minority rights or a climbdown on issues such as the names the country calls its neighbours. The big difference, of course, is that in 1981, when it joined the then EEC, Greece was just one small country emerging from authoritarian rule (and from a military regime that had been partly supported by the West).

In 1989, the sentiment was different. The west Europeans felt intimidated by the illdressed needy hordes in the east and preferred to slow things down rather than speed them up. That led to a long process of negotiations with phoney benchmarks for reform and adoption of EU standards. That was a great business for bureaucrats and consultants. But at the end the decisions on which countries to admit were almost entirely political. Funny thing, politics. The lesson of Greece is that faced with a big, urgent issue, Europe can get its act together. What will it take for Ukraine or Turkey, both of which arguably deserve EU membership just as much as Greece does, to gain the same kind of attention? Readers' comments The Economist welcomes your views. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Take Control of Last Minute Job Demands by Guiding Which Job Gets Deferred [Managing The Boss] Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:30:00 AM

We've all been there, you're busily working on a variety of projects and your boss comes and dumps some rush hour job on your lap. While you can't always avoid the rush job you can steer it in the right direction. More » Employment- Business- Job Search- Boss- Business and Economy

Economy/ TV/

E-reader News Edition

15 Scary Reasons Why It's NEW YORK That's The Next Greece Gus Lubin (The Money Game) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:29:00 AM

Unprincipled speculators -- as Greece PM Papandreou called them-- may want turn their attentions closer to home. New York faces a fiscal crisis, with a balanced budget six weeks overdue. An ongoing stalemate will damage the state's AAA credit rating. Your best chance to short the Empire State is next week when $510 million of bonds go on sale. New York could be as screwed as California and that is scary. Since April 1, the state has operated on week-to-week emergency spending bills Source: Businessweek Paterson will furlough 100,000 state employees for one day per week -- until unions give in to pay cuts I m a g e : http://www.flickr.com/photos/lu ciuskwok/3175437650/ Source: Businessweek But Unions are suing -- and a federal judge suspended the furloughs last night Source: NY Daily News New York needs to close a $9.2 billion deficit for the current fiscal year Source: NY Daily News Paterson delayed payment of $2

billion to school districts from March until June I m a g e : http://www.flickr.com/photos/ka tesheets/2517692919/ Source: Businessweek Photo: katesheets on flickr 899 state employees get paid more than the Governor -including the assistant VP of Hospital Affairs at SUNY Read more --> New York can't fire ANY state employees until 2011 -- thanks to a deal Paterson cut for pension reductions I m a g e : http://www.flickr.com/photos/da rksidex/224456132/ Source:

NYT New York's long-term debt is grave: $120 billion in unfunded pensions and benefits Source: Citizen Budget Commission More than 1,000 retired teachers receive pensions of over 100k Source: SeeThroughNY Comptroller DiNapoli admits: New York hid billions through budget sweeps and other fiscal tricks -- and lost track of how big the debt really is I m a g e : http://scams.wikispaces.com/file /view/Bonneteau__March%C3%A9_aux_Puces_d e_Clignancourt.JPG/78501159/

B o n n e t e a u _ _March%C3%A9_aux_Puces_d e_Clignancourt.JPG Read more --> Draconian budget cuts will close 55 state parks and historic sites in FY2011 Source: NY Parks Mayor Bloomberg is launching his own austerity budget and cutting 11,000 city jobs Source: NY Daily News Thousands gathered at the state capitol on Monday to protest furloughs (no firebombs yet) I m a g e : http://www.flickr.com/photos/ba ron_army/4600029848/ Photo: baron_army on flickr Source: Saratogian Unlike Uncle Sam, New York can't just print money to stave off debt New Yorkers blame the rest of the Union: they pays $1.23 in federal tax for every $1 in federal spending I m a g e : http://www.flickr.com/photos/at urkus/255736904/ Source: Tax Foundation Don't miss... 16 Reasons Why California Is The Next Greece and Meet The 899 NY State Employees Who Earn More Than David Paterson Join the conversation about this story Âť

Joel McHale and Sofia Vergara to Unveil Emmy Nominations on July 8 (TVGuide.com: Breaking News) Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:12:00 PM

Joel McHale, Sofia Vergara Joel McHale and Sofia Vergara will unveil this year's primetime Emmy nominations, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Wednesday. The Community and Modern Family stars, respectively, will announce the nominees on Thursday, July 8 at 8:30 a.m. Jimmy Fallon to host Primetime Emmys The 62nd annual awards, with host Jimmy Fallon, will be broadcast live Aug. 29 on NBC. Which shows do you think should be nominated? Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Culture/ Products/

E-reader News Edition

RUSSIA

Anti-Wrinkle Face Serums - from Consumer Reports

continued from page 37

The estimated cost of the pipeline will be $3 billion, Sechin also says, doubling Çalik’s estimate. According to Sechin, Russia is guaranteeing minimum throughput of between 60 to 70 million tonnes per annum (1.21.4 million barrels daily). This is 20% below earlier projections of pipeline throughput of 1.5 mbd. The crude will be shipped by tanker from Novorossiysk port, and the route will substitute for the present tanker route through the Bosphorus Strait. The Samsun project is substantially cheaper by the

kilometre than the alternative route from Burgas, Bulgaria, to Alexandroupolis, Greece, but the latter route is half the distance and about half the total cost. Why the change of Sechin’s mind, casting both of the new Black Sea pipelines into doubt? Alexei Bezborodov, a leading Moscow maritime analyst, believes that Rosneft is calculating that it can fetch more profit for its crude if it ships it eastwards, to Russia’s new oil terminal on the Sea of Japan at Kozmino. From there the crude is sold to China and other Asian

markets. According to Bezborodov, “there will not be enough oil for Samsun-Ceyhan. That’s because quotations for the Far East oil are better, so most companies want to work Press Room (Consumer with the Far-East project.” Reports) Read more at Dances With Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:00:59 PM Bears --> Join the conversation about this Anti-Wrinkle Face Serums story » from Consumer Reports Consumer Reports tests for the May issue show anti-wrinkle face serums -- like face creams -

- don't work very well. AntiWrinkle Serums - CR Podcast Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Burning Question: How Much Will This Switch to 3-D Cost Me? Bryan Gardiner (Wired Top Stories)

the path toward stereoscopic bliss is going to be bumpy. What will a 3-D-ready living Submitted at 5/12/2010 7:00:00 PM room require? More to the point, Illustration: Don Clark how much of your existing Good thing you’re reserving a home theater is obsolete? Take a seat on the 3-D bandwagon, seat, son. This is going to be a because electronics companies difficult conversation. are hitting the trail this summer. That flatscreen you ate ramen Hard. Consortiums have been for a month to buy? Too flat. f o r m e d . S p e c s a r e b e i n g The cornerstone of any 3-Dfinalized, and nearly every enabled living room will be a major player — from hardware new HDTV (at least $1,500) m a n u f a c t u r e r s t o c o n t e n t that can spit out alternating providers — is readying wares images from slightly different for sale. perspectives to create the But even if you’re giddy at the illusion of a third dimension. prospect of an extra dimension, And a lot of new 3-D sets do not

even come with the batterypowered specs that transform your TV’s sketchy winks into floating mountains and 10-foottall blue spacecats that copulate with their ponytails. Expect to shell out roughly $100 for a pair of those — hope you don’t have a big family. And if you opt for one of the less expensive “3-Dready” HDTVs, you may have to purchase a separate IR emitter that syncs the glasses and the set, too. (Time to search the couch for another 100-ish bucks to buy one of those.) While some $2,500-plus TVs, like Toshiba’s Cell and

Samsung’s C9000, will be able to add depth to standard moving pictures, most displays will come alive only with special content. (You enjoyed Up, right?) And special content needs a special player. Yup, throw that year-old Blu-ray player on craigslist; you’re in the market for a $250 box designed especially for 3-D that can unscramble Multiview Video Coding. Cheer up, though: You might already have one of these. The PS3 will shed its 2-D shackles when it gets a free firmware boost this summer.

If you don’t feel like shelling out $1,900 now for the third dimension, just sit tight: Analysts agree that most AV equipment will be 3-D-ready within a few years. And if you don’t care about the third dimension in the first place, don’t worry. All that enhanced AV gear has a “3-D off” setting. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Culture/

E-reader News Edition

May 13, 1935: Enter the Parking Meter Tony Borroz (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:00:00 PM

1935: An entrepreneurial politician files a patent application for a device that will elicit curses and contempt from generations of motorists: the parking meter. If it weren’t for Pearl Harbor, FDR might have called May 13 a day that will live in infamy. It was 75 years ago that Carl C. Magee of Oklahoma City sought a patent for the world’s first parking meter. Many will come to see the invention as a bane of urban living. Soon after Magee filed to protect his intellectual property, the world’s first installed parking meters were put into nickel-gulping service right there in Oklahoma City in July 1935. Your five cents (about $.80 in today’s money) got you anywhere from 15 minutes’ to an hour’s worth of parking, depending on location. Some would say things have been going downhill ever since. Who among us has not realized a minute too late that we forgot to feed the meter, or been walking back to our cars on a beautiful spring day just in time to see a ticket being slapped onto our windshield? Blame Carl Magee. What prompted this seemingly fine upstanding lawyer,

newspaper editor and occasional senate candidate to come up with his infernal device? He was appointed to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce traffic committee, and then he was assigned the task of solving downtown parking problems. Even back in 1935, U.S. cities were having thoroughly modern problems: Workers parked on downtown streets and stayed all day. That left few spaces for shoppers and others who visited the central business district. Magee’s brainwave was to install a device that had a coin acceptor and a dial to engage a timing mechanism. A visible pointer and flag indicated the expiration of the paid period, meaning you either had to move, put in more money or face the wrath of the local constabulary. The design continued largely unchanged for more than 40 years. Carl Magee’s new parking meter not only solved Oklahoma City’s parking problems, it also got a new revenue stream flowing in to city coffers. Magee mentioned money in the patent application for “meters for measuring the time of occupancy or use of parking or other space, for the use of which it is desirous an incidental charge be made upon a time basis.” U.S. Patent No. 2,118,318 was granted for the device May 24,

1938. The idea spread to other cities around the country and the world. Magee managed to make money manufacturing meters and selling them to many municipalities, starting at $23 a pop ($365 in current cash). No one seems to like parking meters, but they do serve their intended purposes of controlling parking and generating revenue. On top of that, they provided the

central plot point for Paul Newman’s 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. Newman’s character Luke Jackson, was sent to a chain gang for drunkenly cutting the tops off several parking meters. Do not try this at home. Source: Various Photo: A circa-1940 parking meter in Long Beach, California, proclaims itself an “original Carl Magee meter.”

Wikipedia See Also: • How to Trigger Green Traffic Lights • Smart Parking Meters Hacked — Free Parking For All! • Cell Phones, Internet Bring Parking Meters into the 21st Century • May 13, 1637: Cardinal Richelieu Makes His Point • May 13, 1884: Electrical Engineers Meet Up, Light Up • Feb. 2, 1935: You Lie • Feb. 26, 1935: Radar, the Invention That Saved Britain • April 8, 1935: WPA Puts Millions Back to Work • May 24, 1935: Reds Nip Phils as Night Baseball Comes to the Major Leagues • May 29, 1935: Hoover Dam Set in Concrete • Sept. 3, 1935: Campbell Shatters 300 MPH Barrier at Bonneville • Nov. 12, 1935: You Should (Not) Have a Lobotomy • Dec. 17, 1935: First Flight of the DC-3, Soon to Be an Aviation Legend Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Culture/

E-reader News Edition

Weird Clouds Look Even Better From Space Betsy Mason (Wired Top Stories)

resolution version. Von Kármán Vortex Street, Selkirk Island The crazy-looking swirls in the Submitted at 5/12/2010 7:00:00 PM image above may be one of the Clouds are fascinating because weirdest cloud formations that they take on so many different, can be seen from space. The b e a u t i f u l s h a p e s a n d a r e pattern is known as a von constantly changing. Cloud- Kármán vortex street, named watching from Earth can be after Theodore von Kármán. endlessly entertaining, but some First noticed in the laboratory by of the most amazing cloud fluid dynamicists, it occurs patterns can only be properly when a more-viscous fluid flows appreciated from space. through water and encounters a Satellites can take in thousands cylindrical object, which creates of miles of the Earth’s surface in vortices in the flow. one shot, revealing complicated Alejandro Selkirk Island, off and intriguing cloud patterns we the Chilean coast, is acting like could never see from below. the cylinder in the image above, We’ve gathered here some of taken by the Landsat 7 satellite the best cloud formations to see in September 1999. A beautiful from above. vortex street disrupts a layer of Click on any of the images in s t r a t o c u m u l u s c l o u d s l o w this gallery for a higher- enough to be affected by the

island, which rises a mile above sea level. More strange and wonderful vortex streets formed by islands can be seen in the images below and in the last slide of this gallery. Below is Guadalupe

Island, 21 miles off the coast of Mexico’s Baja California, shot in 2000 by Landsat 7; Rishiri Island in the northern Sea of Japan, photographed by space shuttle astronauts in 2001; and Wrangel Island, above the

Arctic Circle northeast of Siberia, flanked by a vortex street created by the smaller Gerald Island, imaged by NASA’s Aqua satellite in August 2008. Images: 1) Bob Cahalan/NASA, USGS. 2) NASA. 3) NASA. 4) NASA (STS100-710-182). Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 View All Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

NBA-Branded Headphones Slam-Dunk Style, Air-Ball Sound Missy Schwartz (Wired Top Stories)

different styles sporting each team's signature colors and the jersey number of its best player: Submitted at 5/12/2010 7:00:00 PM The Lakers model is festooned NBA-Branded Headphones with Kobe's number 24, Cavs Slam-Dunk Style, Air-Ball get Lebron's 23, natch. MemorySound foam pillows line both the Skullcandy's newest set of headband and the earpads for a headphones allow you to put snug, comfortable fit, and your favorite NBA team on your separate jacks allow you to head, provided your squad of connect a straight or coiled choice is the Lakers, Knicks, cable to the left or right side. Celtics, Heat, Cavaliers or Bulls. The 'phones use passive noise The NBA Mix Master DJ cancellation to effectively H e a d p h o n e s c o m e i n s i x dampen unwanted racket, while

a one-touch on-ear mute button silences your jams and lets you hear what's happening in the outside world. Unfortunately, when music is cranked at high volume, we heard slight hissing and muffled tunes. Bass? Let's just say we've read hallmark cards with more impact. The sound emitted from these pretty kids isn't revolutionary, but you buy these for style. And exclusivity — there are only 100 pairs for each team. When you're done mixing the latest

beats or streaming the NBA playoffs on your computer, the Mix Masters fold comfortably into a padded travel pouch. Try getting your fave NBA baller to do that. WIRED Connect the cord to whichever ear you fancy. Highgloss finish is quite the headturner. TIRED Look way better than they sound — audio quality isn't stellar. Snug fit can feel a bit too tight after long use. What no Pistons? No Jazz!?

• Home Audio Components: Headphones • Manufacturer: Skullcandy • Price:$300 Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Culture/ Sports/

E-reader News Edition

Top 5 Reasons Your Car Is Vibrating (HowStuffWorks Daily Feed)

Own a car long enough and there's a good chance you'll develop auto problems of some nature. And one of the most common and most bothersome problems is vibration. What's more, it often creeps up on you gradually and subtly -- until one day you find yourself wondering how you ever put up with such an annoyance. Perhaps then you asked yourself, what does it mean if my car is vibrating? While there's no substitute for the assessment of someone with an

extensive automotive background, you can develop a good feel yourself for diagnosing car problems that are relatively common, such as vibrations. The fix could be something relatively cheap and simple, like a tire rotation or balance. Or it could signal more serious auto problems -- something more costly, like steering or suspension issues. Diagnosing car trouble in its early stages may seem like a hassle at first, but you have to remember that it can often save you from bigger car trouble (and

bigger repair bills) down the road. If your vehicle shakes, shimmies or vibrates out of the ordinary, or if you're just interested in preventing those conditions in the first place, keep reading. This article will Ashley, Vanessa and take a look at the top 5 reasons behind a vibrating car. Zac Get Together for Five Filters featured article: a Big Nylon Night The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK PopSugar (PopSugar) General Election. Available Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:00:00 AM tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. Nylon rounded up some of ASHLEY, page 45

Guess Who Makes Up The All-Star PopSugar 100 Final Four? Molly (PopSugar)

pick the finalists - click below or here to start, and don't forget that a completed ballot enters S a n d r a B u l l o c k , R y a n you in the running to win Reynolds, Robert Pattinson, Chanel! Reese Witherspoon - Welcome Whichever celebrities receive to the Final Four of this year's the most votes will move into PopSugar 100! From an initial subsequent rounds - this time l i n e u p o f 1 3 2 , y o u h a v e we're narrowing it down to the narrowed the contest down to final two! Even if you didn't get the four stars who have had the a chance to vote in the first few b i g g e s t a n d b e s t y e a r i n rounds, you can still enter by H o l l y w o o d . W e j u s t s a i d clicking on any pair of names goodbye to Jennifer Aniston, and completing the whole Rachel McAdams, Brad Pitt and remaining bracket. Johny Depp so now it's time to With every round you Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:45:00 AM

complete, you will be entered to win this Chanel purse - so you have seven chances to enter! The winner will ultimately be

Believing Strasburg Hype a Leap of Faith Greg Couch (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 5/13/2010 12:12:00 AM

Filed under: Nationals, Prospects, Minor Leagues SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Richie Hebner has been around, seen selected randomly from the pool e v e r y t h i n g , d o n e m o s t of users who completed each e v e r y t h i n g . I t s h o w s . round and will be announced in Anyway, he played nearly two J u n e n e a r w h e n t h e n e w decades in the majors, and has PopSugar 100 list is revealed. coached forever, too. And now, You must be logged in to your as a hitting coach for the TripleOnSugar account in order for A N o r f o l k T i d e s , h e w a s your entry to be counted. Log in responsible for getting his team or register here! Click here for r e a d y W e d n e s d a y t o f a c e all the rules. baseball's newest, greatest, can't So who do you think will take - m i s s p h e n o m : S t e p h e n home the top spot? Check out S t r a s b u r g . the final four! Before the game, I asked: Admit it, Richie, you want a chance to hit off Strasburg, not coach others on it. "I'm anxious to see this kid, and I'm not the only one," he said. "But I'm glad I'm a coach."

Culture/ Food/

E-reader News Edition

ASHLEY, continued from page 44

young Hollywood's hottest stars last night to celebrate their new issue with cover girls Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Greene and Portia Doubleday- who do you think was best dressed of the bunch? Vanessa brought along Zac Efron to playfully pose on the red carpet before they headed inside to catch up with their High School Musical costar Ashley Tisdale. Zac had some celebrating of his own to do after just getting nominated for Best Actor at this year's MTV Movie Awards. MTV was well-represented at the bash, as Whitney Port from The City turned up with boyfriend Ben Nemtim and The Hills girls Kristin Cavallari and Stephanie

Get Erin Kaplan's No-Nonsense, Take-Charge Look From The City ELLE.com (ELLE Fashion Blogs)

leather jacket, simple tee, and edgy-feminine skirt. Top row from left: jacket, $695, Submitted at 5/12/2010 3:16:13 PM by Veda at intermixonline.com. On last night’s episode of The Diamond-shaped stud earrings, City, Olivia failed to show up to $80, from In God We Trust at an important interview with refinery29.com. T-shirt, $75, by Whitney for Elle.com-- Erin Blue Life at calypso-celle.com. wasn’t pleased to say the least. Jacket, $585, by Doma at net-aLater, after viewing Olivia’s less porter.com. Necklace, $115, by -than-stellar video interview for T u l e s t e Market at another project, she took matters intermixonline.com. T-shirt, into her own hands and decided $ 2 5 0 , b y U n d e r . L i g n e a t to cut the piece entirely. Shop lagarconne.com. Middle row Erin’s top-dog style with a chic from left: skirt, $44, by All

Saints at allsaint.com. Belt, $80, by Topshop at topshop.com. Skirt, $412, by Vanessa Bruno at l agarconne.com. Belt, $145, by B-Low the Belt at zappos.com. Bottom row from left: shoes, $495, by Alexander Wang at aloharag.com. Shoes, $369, by Rock & Republic at zappos.com. —Sydney Wasserman Follow ELLE on Twitter. Become our Facebook fan!

Pratt. Ashley Greene, meanwhile, picked a strapless dress for her big evening out, and put aside any Breaking Dawn contract drama to let loose with her friends. To see more from the party just read more. View 30 Photos › Images include: Whitney Port, Kristin Cavallari, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Ashley Greene, Portia Doubleday, Ben Nemtin

Quick Pasta Dinners (Cooking Light: Editor's Picks)

Time: 30 minutes Time-Saver: Buy prepeeled and deveined shrimp from the seafood counter. Serve with Wilted Tomatoes: Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 pints grape tomatoes, and sauté for 3 minutes or until skins begin to burst. Stir in 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 18 teaspoon salt, and 18 teaspoon black

pepper. View Recipe: Shrimp and Pine Nut Spaghetti • Watch Video Demo Next Noodles with Roast Pork and Almond Sauce Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Culture/ Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Android 2.2 Could Include Lit Fix: Apparent Shura to Built-In Tethering and Wi-Fi Danger by David Stokes Fail? WomansDay.com Editors Ann Marlowe (The New Hotspot Sharing [Rumors] (Daily Woman's Day Blog) Republic - All Feed) Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)

Submitted at 5/12/2010 4:00:00 PM

Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:30:00 AM

TechCrunch is reporting that "Froyo," the next version of the Android smartphone operating system expected to be released next week at Google's I/O conference, will pack in more than just big compiling speed improvements and fragmentation fixes. It could also include built-in USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot sharing, allowing everyone around you to share your mobile data connection. That doesn't sound like something that every carrier is going to be happy about, and TechCrunch's batting average on Google scoops is far

Today's book review is from Woman's Day's reader Kelli Simpson. She read Apparent Danger by David Stokes. Thanks for submitting, Kelli! During the 1920s, the Reverend Doctor J. Frank Norris was a from 1.000. This time, though, l e a d i n g light of the there are decently believable fundamentalist movement. As screenshots (not that they can't be doctored), and both USB pastor of the nation's first tethering and Wi-Fi connection megachurch, the First Baptist sharing have long been available Church in Fort Worth, Texas, he in unofficial/"rooted" Android preached to a congregation of b u i l d s . S t a y t u n e d . [ 10,000. As a publisher and radio broadcaster, he reached tens of TechCrunch] More » Google- Wi-Fi- Android- thousands more. And, in 1926, he shot an unarmed man to Tethering- Searching death and was tried for murder in one of the first "trials of the century."

Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:00:00 PM

Shamalzai District, Zabul Province, Afghanistan—The village of Sher Khan Khel sits at 7,221 feet, a few miles from where Zabul Province borders Pakistan. Stone and mudbrick houses dot the barren slopes (there is little that will grow at this altitude). Women wear dresses trimmed with coins and ink tribal tattoos on their faces, Five Filters featured article: while the men are clad in The Art of Looking Prime traditional shalwar kameez and Ministerial - The 2010 UK turbans. There is no electricity, General Election. Available no cell phone reception, no TV tools: PDF Newspaper, Full service. When I visited this Text RSS, Term Extraction. spring, I asked a few men how far a nearby village was from SHURA page 47

Stupak: How Did Oil Spill Companies Get Permits? (Newsmax - Inside Cover) Submitted at 5/13/2010 3:30:35 AM

The chairman of a subcommittee delving into what happened at BP's blown-out oil well says he wants to talk with the federal service that is supposed to oversee drilling in

the Gulf of Mexico. Rep. Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat, told ABC's "Good Morning America" he wants to know why the Mining and Minerals Service gave permits to BP and the companies involved in various aspects of the well and rig. The service

enforces drilling regulations and collects the royalties oil companies pay to the government. Stupak said Thursday that once permits to drill are issued, the federal government's role is to make sure the companies are drilling properly, to protect the

environment. But investigators found evidence of equipment failures in aspects of the well's safety that weren't monitored. © Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

E-reader News Edition

SHURA continued from page 46

another. "Two to three hours walking," was the answer. Distances here are often measured by walking. On the morning of April 21, a group of U.S. Chinook helicopters broke the village's calm. They landed near Sher Khan Khel, bringing dozens of U.S. and Afghan officials for a shura, or meeting, with village elders. Among the visitors were U.S. Lieutenant Colonel David Oclander, Zabul's maneuver commander; Ashraf Naseri, Zabul's governor; and General Jamaladeen Sayeed, the provincial army chief. Dozens more U.S. and Afghan police officers, soldiers, and doctors lugged medical supplies, prayer rugs, and a catered Afghan lunch. Their goal? To connect Sher Khan Khel's residents with the Afghan government, in hopes of building peace and order. In Sher Khan Khel, the Afghan government is a largely conceptual notion. The village is a two-day road trip from Kabul, and, while it is only 70 miles from Qalat, Zabul's capital, but the terrain is so rugged that only donkeys or motorcycles can handle the painful eight to ten hours the trip takes. There are no schools or clinics here, and there is no way to call the Shamalzai District authorities, who are hours away and embarrassingly inept. Recently, Shamalzai District's governor,

called Wazir, was removed for corruption, as was the entire police force— twice in 90 days. Sher Khan Khel's isolation and lack of governance has led to lawlessness. The Taliban use the dirt path running by the village to move their forces into more populated parts of southern Afghanistan, and also to traffic heroin. The area around the village is home to at least one IED-making cell. (The Taliban killed eight American soldiers with explosives in Zabul between last summer and April 21, and, just a few miles from Sher Khan Khel, an IED killed two paratroopers on February 2.) And, in the vacuum left by Shamalzai's weak governing authorities, the Taliban have either coerced or gained the support of many local residents. As Lieutenant Colonel Oclander told me, “If I lived in Shamalzai, and my choice were Wazir or the Taliban, I’d support the Taliban, too.” There are thousands of Sher K h a n K h e l s i n Afghanistan—remote, traditional villages with little connection to the country's authorities, where militant groups find shelter, plot attacks, and funnel their arms, fighters, and drugs. These villages are the center of gravity for U.S. counterinsurgency strategy, which focuses heavily on shuras(and has since at least early 2007, just after the

publication of the counterinsurgency field manual, FM 3-24). Every lieutenant and captain knows the drill: Sit down with village or town elders, drink tea, listen to their complaints, and enlist their cooperation in the fight against the insurgency, in return for government services, U.S. aid, or protection from the Taliban or a rival tribe. But, in Zabul, as in other southern provinces, the U.S. counterinsurgency (COIN) effort appears to be faltering. A recent Pentagon report revealed that, out of 121 districts critical to stabilizing Afghanistan, only 29 are sympathetic to the Afghan government. Forty-four are neutral and another 48 are sympathetic to the insurgency, including three of Zabul's eleven districts (Shamulzai and the province’s other districts were listed as "not assessed"). Indeed, many people here have ties—sometimes blood—to Taliban fighters. With the administration of President Hamid Karzai (who is in Washington this week for talks about U.S.-Afghan relations) widely viewed as a kleptocracy, there is little reason for Zabulis to risk defying the Taliban to stand with the far-off government. No amount of shuras seems likely to change this reality. As one military expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told

me, “The shuras they [the Afghans] have with the American colonels are for show. The real shuras take place at night, in the mosque, with the Taliban.” The immediate aim of the Sher Khan Khel shura, organized by U.S. commanders in Zabul, was to persuade the villagers to stop giving sanctuary to insurgents coming from Pakistan, helping them on their way to Kandahar and Helmand provinces. The U.S. and Afghan officials also hoped to enlist men in the village to join the Afghan National Police to help in the effort against the Taliban. The longer range and more elusive goal of the meeting was to put the village on the Afghan government's radar, and vice versa: Invite authorities to the village, and show residents that the administration wants to help them have a better life. The visitors climbed terraced, stony slopes to a large clearing surrounded by trees, shivering in the mountain chill. Blankets and rugs had been laid down on the ground, and, standing in a single -file line on one side of the clearing, village elders waited for the new arrivals to take their seats. Gaunt from a lifetime of subsistence farming, the elders looked to be in their seventies or eighties, though they were probably decades younger. There were only 19 elders present—far fewer than

anticipated. As the visitors would soon learn, the 19 weren’t all from Sher Khan Khel; a few were from a neighboring district. Naseri, Zabul's governor and a man of considerable ego, was annoyed. He complained to those gathered that he’d expected 300 to 400 elders. (Both Naseri and the Americans knew that the lack of attendance didn’t bode well; most likely, the Taliban have a hold on the village, and it's possible elders didn't show up for fear of bloody reprisals.) One elder, the stoutest by far, sat on a raised cushion in front of the others. He was the village headman, Haji Abdul Salam, large, florid and about 50 years old. He opened the shura by explaining that most of the men in the village are economic migrants who go into Pakistan. There isn’t enough water in Sher Khan Khel to do much farming, so they have to go elsewhere to make money. The small number of men who remain the village, Salam said, cannot defend it from the Taliban—so they do not try. The Taliban regularly come t h r o u g h o n motorcycles—anywhere from five to 30 bikes in a pack, carrying two fighters each. Masked, they extort food from the villagers. “But what are our alternatives?” Salam SHURA page 53

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Window Dressing Cap and Trade Won’t Make the Costs Go Away Nicolas Loris (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.) Submitted at 5/12/2010 6:00:37 PM

Last year Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (DCA) rolled out a companion cap and trade bill to the WaxmanMarkey version that passed in the House of Representatives. Boxer-Kerry was essentially dead on arrival so Senator Kerry went back to work, this time with Senators Joe Lieberman (D -CT) and Lindsey Graham (RSC). Although Senator Graham is urging his colleagues to slow down, Senators Kerry and Lieberman are trudging forward and have introduced the American Power Act– the latest big climate change bill. Subtitled, “A New Start for Clean American Power and a New Economy,” this bill fails when it comes to energy production and job creation. APA is a new climate bill that tells the same old story: corporate handouts that raise energy prices for years to come. John Kerry made his sales pitch in The Hill today saying, “There’s a reason why people and American businesses that have always opposed and fought against previous legislation – quite successfully! – are standing behind this one.” It’s because they were offered a seat

at the table leaving the rest of America to pick up the tab. Take the words of one major electricity CEO who said, “We don’t flinch from the charge that, yes, some of our motivation and enthusiasm comes from the fact that we should make money on it if it happens.” As the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Chris Horner stresses, the handouts will go to the businesses that won the lobbying battle while the costs will be passed onto the consumer. It’s no surprise “influence spending” is up 25 percent for the first quarter of 2010 compared to last year. Other sections of the bill attempt to win support but are nothing more than gimmicks. Farmers, for example, are exempt from CO2 reductions requirement and have the potential to earn revenue through a domestic carbon offset program where farmers can use cleaner technology, use cleaner insecticides, or even not grow crops. In other words, farmers will be paid to reduce their emissions. But carbon offsets won’t compensate for the lost income farmers incur because of higher energy prices. Farmers use a lot of electricity, a lot of diesel fuel, and a lot of natural gas-derived chemicals and fertilizers to grow crops and

maintain their farms. The result could be income losses in the billions. This is merely one section in a nearly 1000-page bill that grants the government more control over our economy and aims to protect certain groups at the expense of others. For all the Americans who didn’t have a seat at the table, the story is not as glamorous. This is a significant tax on energy that will reduce Americans’ income and destroy jobs. Neither cap and trade nor any of its variations can protect consumers. The whole reason for a cap and trade system is to drive up energy prices high enough for people to use less. Despite claims that consumers will eventually save money and that the will be rebated back to the consumer, the net effect is

that consumers still pay more for energy and income and savings will fall. In spite of the best attempts by households and businesses to adjust to CO2 caps, the ensuing higher energy costs impose extraordinary losses on the economy. Even a recent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office shows net job losses from carbon capping policies. And what’s it all for? Climatologist Chip Knappenberger modeled the environmental benefits and found, “The global temperature “savings” of the KerryLieberman bill is astoundingly small—0.043°C (0.077°F) by 2050 and 0.111°C (0.200°F) by 2100. In other words, by century’s end, reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by

83% will only result in global temperatures being one-fifth of one degree Fahrenheit less than they would otherwise be. That is a scientifically meaningless reduction.” This is not a jobs bill, nor is it an economic stimulus or a pollution reduction bill. Dress it up however you’d like. It’s still an energy tax that will inflict significant damage on the American economy. Tags: cap and trade, energy prices, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry, Kerry-Boxer, KerryGraham-Lieberman, KerryLieberman, Lindsey Graham, Waxman-Markey 2 Responses to “Window Dressing Cap and Trade Won’t Make the Costs Go Away” • LibertyAtStake, Alexandria, VA on May 12th, 2010 at 7:00pm said: Ron Paul was right – at least in their current incarnation – America’s Leftist Elites are Corporatist to the c o r e . http://libertyatstake.blogspot.co m/[For a light hearted take on our present peril] • Samurai, Tokyo on May 12th, 2010 at 7:00pm said: Cap & Trade and the whole Anthropogenic Global Warming movement are complete hoaxes. It’s all about global WINDOW page 52

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Florida’s Sen. LeMieux: Cap Fed Spending (Newsmax - Inside Cover) Submitted at 5/13/2010 1:50:43 AM

Runaway budget deficits and a ballooning national debt could be avoided by capping federal spending at 2007 levels, says U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who is proposing just such a resolution.“The effects of having to make some priority decisions in Congress are dramatic,” the Florida Republican tells Newsmax. “We would balance the budget by 2013, and we would reduce our national debt from $13 trillion, which is it is right now, to just $6 trillion.” The debt is estimated to be $22 trillion by 2020, so the saving would be even greater, he says. “If we do these things, we can really put our country on a strong financial footing and save America.” The federal government spent $2.7 trillion in the 2007 fiscal year, compared with about $3.5 trillion slated for this fiscal year. LeMieux’s projection of balancing the budget in 2013 contrasts with the nearly $800 billion deficit the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects for that year under President Obama’s latest budget proposal. The senator, who says his plan

uses more conservative numbers than the White House’s, explains that he picked 2007 as a baseline year because that was the last year of economic growth before the recession. LeMieux’s proposal also would repeal the stimulus, which he says “really blows the spending out of control.” At the same time, the Bush tax cuts would be renewed under LeMieux’s plan. “If you look at Florida families and in terms of families across this country, they would be happy to have what they made in 2007,” LeMieux says. “It was the last year of the decade with bigger and bigger economies, and to me it makes sense.” He has received a positive reception from many of his Republican Senate colleagues, LeMieux tells Newsmax. So far, Sens. Jim DeMint , RS.C.; Roger Wicker,R-Miss.; and James Risch, R-Idaho, have signed on as co-sponsors. He also hopes to garner support from moderate Democrats. “It’s a political risk, I guess, to say if you are going to stop spending at 2007 levels, you would mean that we actually have to govern,” he says. “We have to make difficult decisions about cuts. And a lot of my

colleagues don’t want be on the record for a plan that’s actually going to cut governmental programs.” Were Congress to enact LeMieux’s plan, it would take 60 votes in the Senate and 261 votes in the House to spend beyond the 2007 levels. Both houses would be required to look for a way to cut spending to 2007 levels each year under the senator’s plan. Current debt projections endanger the United States’ triple-A bond rating and jeopardizes its international standing, LeMieux says. “Money that should be used in America is being deterred from America,” he says. “We are becoming less and less of a good bet.” Driving home that point was a May 10 letter from Weiss Ratings, an independent ratings agency, pressuring Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch to downgrade the country’s bond rating. "The U.S. government's triple-A rating is an anachronism," said Martin D. Weiss, chairman of Weiss Ratings. "Given the rapid deterioration in our nation's finances and the spreading threat to sovereign debt overseas, the downgrade is long

overdue." Losing the triple-A rating would mean higher interest rates. The senator describes the fiscal path now as “unsustainable” because the federal government will be able to pay only for its social programs, and necessities such as transportation and national defense could suffer. “Every dollar we take in goes to entitlements,” LeMieux tells Newsmax. “Right now, we are spending $200 billion to suspend debt service, and that number is expected to go to $900 billion by 2020. That’s more than we spend on the Department of Defense.” Continuing this pattern would place the federal government in the same dire straits as Greece, which has required a bailout from the European Union, Lemieux warns. “I believe that, if we cut government spending and we allow for the free market to fire up as much as it possibly can, I think you would increase revenues anyway,” LeMieux says. “I think our numbers are a bit conservative and that you would get better numbers than I am suggesting. “The more fiscally sound the United States government is, the stronger the United States

economy is going to be.” Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, who now is president and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation, says Lemieux’s plan is a good first step but says more needs to be done to keep the federal government from going bankrupt. Lemieux’s plan does not go far enough to curtail spending because it defers some of the more difficult decisions, such as what kind of a country we will have and how to pay for it, Gilmore says. This is especially true when it comes to Obama’s healthcare plan and other existing entitlements. “The problem we have is we are moving in the wrong direction, and I appreciate the fact the senator is trying to fix the problem, and the problem is spending,” Gilmore says. The Senate Budget Committee’s Democratic staff could not be reached for comment. © Newsmax. All rights reserved. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Morning Bell: Can We Avoid Becoming Europe? Conn Carroll (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.)

generous to workers and retirees but has become increasingly unaffordable for an aging Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:48:22 AM population.” And a New York The Treasury Department Times headline blared In Greek announced yesterday that the Debt Crisis, Some See Parallels federal deficit for April soared to U.S. with David Leonhardt to$82.69 billion, more than reporting: “The numbers on our twice the $40 billion deficit that federal debt are becoming Wall Street economists had frighteningly familiar. The debt predicted. An April deficit is is projected to equal 140 percent rare for the federal government of gross domestic product (there has been a surplus in 43 within two decades. Add in the out of the past 56 years) and the b u d g e t t r o u b l e s o f s t a t e announcement marked a record governments, and the true 19th consecutive month that the shortfall grows even larger. Treasury has posted a shortfall. Greece’s debt, by comparison, Like those who said there was equals about 115 percent of its no housing bubble, some on the G.D.P. today.” left who crave an ever larger To put it simply: European federal government are still economic growth simply has not saying that Americans have risen fast enough to support nothing to worry about. That we European government spending. can borrow and spend forever. The economic literature clearly But many in the center left are establishes that a large and b e g i n n i n g t o w o n d e r i f growing government is not emulating Europe, as President conducive to better economic Barack Obama’s policies are performance. Just take a look at pushing us to today, is such a this chart comparing Gross wise policy. Domestic Product (GDP) The Washington Post reported purchasing power parity (PPP) on its front page that the bailout per capita numbers for European o f G r e e c e w a s f o r c i n g countries compared to U.S. “European governments [to] States. For two generations after rewrite a post-World War II post-war reconstruction, Europe social contract that has been and America have moved in

different economic directions. The American model favored growth, income and vibrancy; the European model was said to favor fairness, equality and stability. Germany may be the economic powerhouse of Europe that is bailing out Greece, but the average residents of 45 U.S. states are richer than the average German. If we want to avoid Europe’s fate, we must drastically cut federal spending. Since World War II, federal spending has generally remained between 18 and 22 percent of GDP. During the Bush Administration, spending increased from 18.4 to 20.9 percent of GDP. But under President Barack Obama’s policies, federal spending reached 24.7 percent of GDP in 2009 — the highest level in American history outside of World War II. And President Obama’s budgets will only make the problem worse. Before the recession, federal spending totaled $24,000 per U.S. household. President Obama would hike it to $36,000 per household by 2020 — an inflation-adjusted $12,000-perhousehold expansion of government. Commenting on

President Obama’s budget, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) tells National Review Online: “This budget presents a choice of two futures. … This budget is about more than specific programs or policies. It is really about the American idea, and whether we want to move towards a European-style welfare state.” There is another way. Simply bringing real federal spending back to the inflation adjusted $21,000 per household average that prevailed in the 1980s and 1990s would balance the budget by 2012 without raising a single tax on anyone. Even returning spending to the pre-recession level of 20 percent of GDP would eliminate two-thirds of the projected 2019 budget deficit without raising taxes. Quick Hits: • Even after the recent — and highly publicized — oil spill in the Gulf Coast, six in 10 Americans still support more offshore drilling, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. • The White House joined Democratic tax writers Wednesday in support of a new tax on oil production. • A Los Angeles County

Superior Court judge ruled yesterday that the Los Angeles Unified school district cannot lay off teachers at three of the city’s worst-performing middle schools. • The United Auto Workers will ask for the concessions they made for a taxpayer bailout back from Ford, Chrysler (owned by the UAW), and General Motors (owned by you, the taxpayer) when their current contract expires in 2011. • Iran is loosening its grip on Al -Qaeda, allowing terrorist operatives who have been detained for years to begin making their way quietly in and out of the country. Tags: federal spending, Greece, Morning Bell You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

The Left’s John Roberts E.J. Dionne Jr. (The New Republic - All Feed)

Roberts' confirmation (his Ivy League background, the fact that he wasn't a military veteran, the Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:00:00 PM content of memos he wrote as W A S H I N G T O N — B r a c e an executive branch employee) yourself for several months of will now be declared highly o c c a s i o n a l l y b i t i n g b u t significant in Kagan's case. essentially meaningless political But none of this will matter. In theater over the nomination of 2005, Republicans controlled Solicitor General Elena Kagan t h e S e n a t e a n d R o b e r t s ' to the Supreme Court. confirmation was more or less Underlying the fight will be a guaranteed. In 2010, Democrats fundamental divide between control the Senate and Kagan's liberals and conservatives over confirmation is more or less the direction of the court. Thus, guaranteed. That means that the many senators who supported issues underlying the left-right Chief Justice John Roberts and differences over the judiciary, Justice Samuel Alito will the ones senators will actually oppose Kagan, while most who be voting on, will go largely were against Roberts and Alito undiscussed. will be for her. Much as I would like this The irony is that the surface debate to happen, why should similarities between Roberts and Kagan abandon a successful Kagan are breathtaking. My confirmation script, even one conservative colleague Michael she herself cheekily noted 15 Gerson wrote of Kagan: "We years ago "takes on an air of know that she is connected to vacuity and farce"? Given the just about everyone in the legal incentives of the system, vacuity establishment, and most seem to in pursuit of confirmation is no like her." Change "she" to "he," vice. and "her" to "him," and the I say that as one of those many same sentence could have been people who have known her for written about Roberts. a long time and think she very Considerations that didn't much deserves to be confirmed. bother conservatives during And paradoxically, one of the

reasons I admire her involves a question Republicans are raising on which I actually disagreed with Kagan. Back in 2003, a group of law schools went to court asserting their right to deny military recruiters access to their campuses because the "don't ask, don't tell" policy discriminated against gays and lesbians. When she was dean of Harvard Law School, she signed amicus briefs supporting the schools' contention; they eventually lost their case in the Supreme Court. I agreed with the law schools in opposing "don't ask, don't tell." It's both morally wrong and stupid. But I also argued at the time that the growing separation between the military and other parts of our society, particularly its most liberal and elite precincts, was a major problem for the country. Because closing that divide should be a high priority, perhaps especially for liberals, I felt the schools should welcome the recruiters to their campuses and find other ways to fight "don't ask, don't tell. A couple of years later, I ran into Kagan. After we exchanged

warm greetings—her assets include an open and welcoming personality and a lovely sense of humor—I raised the recruiting controversy, saying I thought the universities were wrong. Several things about her response show why she will make an excellent justice. First, she understood we were debating in good faith. She doesn't turn disagreements into personal quarrels. Second, she spoke with genuine feeling about her respect for the military. When she offers this view during her hearings, as she no doubt will, people should know it's a sentiment she expressed in private. Third, she made a superb argument based on a careful balancing test: Yes, in a free and democratic society, the military should be able to recruit on campuses; but university officials have an obligation to maintain policies that protect groups that are part of their student population from discrimination. At Harvard Law, she struck this balance by allowing recruiters access through a student veterans group, but not through its main

career office. In the end, her argument made clear that we agreed on both of the core imperatives, but weighed them differently. Her approach—simultaneously careful and principled—is what makes for thoughtful judging. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no reason for Kagan to offer the Senate a full airing of just how thoughtful she can be on a host of other issues. She will give the senators no more and no less than John Roberts did. She'd be a fool to do otherwise. And foolish is something she's definitely not. E.J. Dionne's e-mail address is ejdionne(at)washpost.com. E.J. Dionne, Jr. is the author of the recently published Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right. He is a Washington Post columnist, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a professor at Georgetown University. (c) 2010, Washington Post Writers Group For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

WINDOW

King Tut Has Returned! James Gardner (The New Republic - All Feed) Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:00:00 PM

The last time King Tut came to New York, back in 1979, he was appropriately entombed in the neo-classical temple of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Now, some 30 years on, he returns to less exalted digs at the Discovery Center in Times Square. Yet the change of venue underscores the enhanced fortunes of both Times Square and the Met. Three decades ago, at the perigee of New York’s civic fortunes, the area around this new exhibition would have been buzzing with hookers and addicts and littered with porn shops (and litter). Now, notwithstanding last week’s events, this has transformed into one of the safest, familyfriendliest places in America. As for the Met, it has again become one of the most high-minded and unapologetically elitist institutions in the country. Its blockbuster of the moment, after all, is The Art of Illumination: The Limbourg Brothers and the Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry. But 30 years ago, the late Thomas Hoving, who was the Met’s brash director at the time, had very different ideas for that institution: He aspired to tear down the notional boundaries between the high-art inside the building and the unwashed

mobs outside. In the process, he ushered in the era of the museum blockbuster, where hordes of newly-minted art enthusiasts tackled one another for a glimpse of some frail antiquity, to the sounds of cash registers ringing up Egyptian themed tote-bags in the nowinevitable sales area just beyond the exit; over 1.8 million visitors saw the show at the Met. But its Barnumesque success clings to Hoving’s posthumous reputation like a lewd tattoo—it is emblematic of what serious museum directors are now determined not to do. As for Tut’s second coming to New York (which winds up his American tour), it is quite easy to make fun of it, and frankly, I intend to do so. You could begin with the press material, which invites us to “Party with the BOY KING and experience the majestry (sic) of the world of the Pharaohs in the exciting 3000-square foot private King Tut event space. There are also those commercials that have invaded the local television market. A grainy male voice—the sort used in trailers for espionage thrillers—informs you that, as soon as this show is over, Tutankhamun “returns to Egypt—FOREVER!!!” This is highly imprecise for a number of reasons. First of all, there is no good reason to doubt that he will be back in another 30 years

continued from page 48

or so. Second, he isn’t really here at all. That charred-looking chap lying in state at the end of the exhibition is not the real boy king, but only a facsimile—if that’s the word—of the actual cadaver, which remains in Egypt. Then there is the deft crowd control that you encounter as soon as you enter the exhibition space. Perky, t-shirted individuals—unlike any guards I have seen in all my years visiting museums, and more akin to the grounds people at rock concerts than humble docents—practically leap on you as you enter the building. After paying nearly $30, you are led through a maze of stanchions and roped off areas that lead into other roped off areas, that bring you to a zone where you wait some more, before finally entering—another waiting area, where you are compelled to watch a brief and remarkably pointless 90 second film that gets you in the mood, so to speak. At several points you are pestered to purchase an acousta-guide. And once you gain entry, you are assaulted with music and signage, massage parlor lighting and manipulatively paced exhibits. The only thing that remains beyond the control of the handlers is the art itself and that, it must be said, is magnificent. Whatever this extravaganza might say about

our civilization, the refinement of the works on view infallibly reflects the greatest honor upon the civilization that produced it. Perhaps for the first time in visual culture, the Egyptians of the 18th Dynasty (circa 1350 BC) created not a haphazard congeries of formal tropes, but a unified aesthetic, a paean to geometry and to the sublime justness of right-angles. Not for nothing did this taste conquer Europe on two occasions, in the early 19th century and then again in the early 20th century From golden sarcophagi and chairs encrusted with ivory, to a royal Canopic bust, unguent vessels, and ceremonial daggers, this show, however improbably, delivers the goods. At the risk of cliché, it purveys memories that deserve to last a lifetime—even if the most lingering memory for some visitors will be of the Egyptian-themed baseballs they purchase in the massive merchandizing area that greets them as soon as they emerge from their presumably lifechanging encounter with the Boy King. James Gardner, formerly the architecture critic of the New York Sun, now writes on culture for several publications. For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

redistribution of wealth. Some reports say the Chicago Carbon Exchange will generate $1.4 trillion/year by 2020… Who will get all this money? ThirdWorld countries will get the lion’s share because of their dismal industrial production. Moreover, Third-World countries will be further dissuaded from building their economies as they’ll be paid not to industrialize, not to plant crops, not to build their infrastructure–complete insanity. The long-term economic repercussions will be catastrophic. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Food/

E-reader News Edition

SHURA continued from page 47

complained. “If we don’t give them food, they will humiliate us and beat us.” But Naseri wasn't buying the argument. “In the time of the jihad, we got rid of the Soviets in their sophisticated tanks. You can get rid of these guys on their motorcycles.” Naseri asked the villagers who among their sons would join the provincial police to protect the village. “This is our country. Everyone has an equal responsibility to protect it,” he said. At the time, there were no Sher Khan Khel men in the district police. The pay (roughly $250 a month is good, but the turnover rate is high. “Every month 100 men are coming and 100 men are going," the recruitment officer at Zabul’s provincial police headquarters told me. None of the elders spoke, or showed any sign of a reaction. Naseri continued, arguing that the region needs security so it can have schools. Then he added, perhaps with an eye toward the elders who likely have family ties to the insurgency, that any Taliban fighter is welcome to put away his weapons and reconcile with the government. At this point, three or four younger men, who

had joined the outer edge of the elders’ line, smirked and talked among themselves. One turned his back on Naseri—an insult—and, one by one, they drifted away. Salam spoke again, complaining about corruption among Zabul's authorities. He suggested that that Naseri ask President Karzai to organize the public execution of thieving officials. It is a not uncommon suggestion in rural Afghanistan that harks back to the Taliban practice of public executions. (Naseri is fighting corruption charges stemming from his last job as governor of Badghis Province in the northwest. It’s unclear whether Salam knew that.) General Jamaladeen, the provincial army chief, reminded Salam and the other elders that the Taliban are the real problem. In addition to demanding that villagers not go out at night or attend the local bazaar, the Taliban had killed 15 Afghan civilians, including two children, in the previous month alone. “The Taliban just use the cover of Islam," Jamaladeen said. “We accept that there are issues with the government, but the Taliban are cruel.” The elders listened impassively. Only one villager besides Salam

spoke. When noon came, lunch was served, but the villagers stayed on their side of the clearing, the visitors on theirs. And then, slowly, with little goodwill or fanfare, the gathering broke up. No agreements had been made, no aid promised, no allegiances pledged. As the American and Afghan officials made their way back to the helicopter landing zone, it was hard not to wonder when the Taliban would arrive in Sher Khan Khel again. Perhaps it would be that night. They'd make offers (or threats), and maybe, or even likely, elicit a more supportive response. Eight days after the shura at Sher Khan Khel, one of the young American officers in attendance, Lieutenant Sal Corma, a recent West Point graduate, was killed by an IED on a foot patrol in the Shajoy district of Zabul. “[He'd] give you the shirt off his back," Oclander told me. "Brought a light to any room he was in." Despite numerous shuras held in recent months, soldiers like Corma keep dying. (There had even been a shura in Shajoy earlier in April, where Oclander announced an initiative to pay locals to guard their own bazaar

and roads, plus a $1,200 bonus if they serve a full twelve months.) The United States is offering all the carrots it can, but, in places like Sher Khan Khel, too many locals seem comfortable with the familiar—that is, the Taliban. Rather than disrupt the balance of things, they listen skeptically (if at all) to what the American and Afghan authorities have to say, then continue to support the insurgency, whether passively or actively. U.S. officials would like to say that the local shura strategy is working, that Corma and other young Americans have not died in vain—but, as the Afghans like to say, "it is not clear." Ann Marlowe is a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. and blogs for World Affairs. She just completed her sixth embed with American troops in Afghanistan and her fourteenth trip there. For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Oil-Poached Artichoke Heart Salad (Simply Recipes) Submitted at 5/13/2010 1:50:00 AM

Do you like artichoke hearts? We do! Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares this delectable artichoke salad recipe. ~Elise One of my favorite artichoke heart recipes, this is a simple salad that is great on a warm spring afternoon. Yes, it does use a lot of oil, but you can reuse it. Just put it in the fridge and use the oil for salad dressings or to fry something else in it will add a certain artichokiness to your next dish. Oil keeps its heat well, so use that to your advantage here: Undercook the artichoke hearts, then keep them in the hot oil until it cools. You run a far less risk of turning them into mush that way. Continue reading "Oil-Poached Artichoke Heart Salad" »

Politics/ Food/

E-reader News Edition

Subsidized Green Jobs Still Destroy Jobs Elsewhere Conn Carroll (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.)

which is seen. But if, on the other hand, you come to the conclusion, as is too Submitted at 5/12/2010 4:30:01 PM often the case, that it is a good Last month Politico reported thing to break windows, that it that the alternative energy sector causes money to circulate, and had upped its lobbying efforts that the encouragement of from $2.4 million in 1998 to industry in general will be the $30 million in 2009. So what is result of it, you will oblige me the renewable power industry to call out, “Stop there! Your getting for its investment? theory is confined to that which Studies like this one by is seen; it takes no account of Navigant Consulting, Inc. for that which is not seen.” the Renewable Electricity It is not seen that as our Standard-Alliance for Jobs. The shopkeeper has spent six francs RES Alliance study found that upon one thing, he cannot spend “that a 25% by 2025 national them upon another. It is not seen RES would result in 274,000 that if he had not had a window more renewable energy jobs to replace, he would, perhaps, over no-national RES policy.” have replaced his old shoes, or Which is great news if you own added another book to his a renewable electricity business. library. In short, he would have But what if you’re not? What if employed his six francs in some you manufacture widgets and way, which this accident has you need inexpensive power to prevented. stay in business? The RES Tags: broken window fallacy, Alliance study tells you nothing would reduce employment by pane of glass? … Suppose it green jobs, renewable electricity cost six francs to repair the about what happens to those more than 1,000,000 jobs. standard, RES, RES Alliance T h e i d e a t h a t f o r c i n g damage, and you say that the jobs. It never even tries. You can follow any responses The reality is that Renewable Americans to pay artificially accident brings six francs to the to this entry through the RSS 2.0 Electricity Standards will cause high energy prices thanks to g l a z i e r ’ s t r a d e — t h a t i t feed. energy prices to go up and that renewable electricity standards encourages that trade to the Five Filters featured article: those higher energy prices will is a classic example Frederic amount of six francs—I grant it; The Art of Looking Prime lead to job losses throughout the Bastiat broken window fallacy. I have not a word to say against Ministerial - The 2010 UK it; you reason justly. The glazier economy. Just ho many jobs In 1850 Bastiat wrote: General Election. Available Have you ever witnessed the comes, performs his task, will RES destroy on net? The tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Heritage Foundation’s Center anger of the good shopkeeper, receives his six francs, rubs his Text RSS, Term Extraction. for Data Analysis crunched the James Goodfellow, when his hands, and, in his heart, blesses number s and found that an RES careless son happened to break a the careless child. All this is that

How to Trim an Artichoke (Simply Recipes) Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:44:27 PM

Sometimes you want to get right to the heart of the matter, in this case the heart of the glorious fresh artichokes that arrive each spring. Heres how to trim an artichoke to get that heart, which you can use for all sorts of recipes, such as oilpoached artichoke salad or sautéed artichoke hearts. You don't have to discard the leaves. You can cook them, steam them as you would a whole artichoke. Continue reading "How to Trim an Artichoke" »

Politics/ TV/

E-reader News Edition

Florida GOP Sells Crist Portrait on eBay (Newsmax - Inside Cover)

The online auction for the portrait, an oil painting on linen canvas, ended late Wednesday The Florida Republican Party morning after a flurry of bids in has turned some high-profile the final hour jacked up the clutter to cash, selling a portrait price about $1,000, the party of its former leader -- newly said. i n d e p e n d e n t F l o r i d a G o v . The party said it hasn't had C h a r l i e C r i s t - - o n e B a y contact with the buyer yet and Wednesday for $7,700. doesn't know what he or she "Now that Charlie Crist has plans to do with it. The buyer, deserted his post as elected head from Florida, made a total of six of the Republican Party ... we bids during the auction, which are trying to clean up the mess began May 3. left behind," said a statement The painting, along with a from party officials announcing p o r t r a i t o f f o r m e r p a r t y the sale. "Today we completed Chairman Jim Greer, a Crist ally an important step." who recently was forced from F l o r i d a s t a t e S e n . J o h n office amid reports he misused Thrasher, chairman of the party money, had cost the party Florida GOP, removed the $7,500. p o r t r a i t f r o m t h e p a r t y ' s "It's a new day for the [Florida] T a l l a h a s s e e h e a d q u a r t e r s Republican Party and this immediately after Mr. Crist portrait is just an example of the announced last month that he extravagant spending under the was bolting the party to continue leadership of Mr. Greer and his run for the U.S. Senate Gov. Crist," said Florida GOP without party affiliation. spokeswoman Katie Betta. Submitted at 5/13/2010 3:01:16 AM

Once a darling of the Republican Party, Mr. Crist had been considered a shoo-in a year ago to win his party's primary for an open Senate seat and the probable winner in November's general election. But his support among Republicans began to erode the moment conservative former House Speaker Marco Rubio entered the primary race. Mr. Crist had fallen significantly behind Mr. Rubio in polls for the open Senate seat just prior to leaving the party. Recent surveys, however, give Mr. Crist a slight lead over Mr. Rubio and Democratic Rep. Kendrick B. Meek in a threeway race. © Copyright 2010 The Washington Times, LLC Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

GOP: Obama’s Medicare Pick Wants Rationing (Newsmax - Inside Cover)

transform U.S. healthcare into a tight system that would chill patient choices and delay Republicans are knocking the treatments. nomination of Donald Berwick Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of to lead the agency that runs Kansas said, "I can see a time Medicare and Medicaid -- when the rural health care calling the Harvard professor an system will consist of a Banda d v o c a t e f o r " r a t i o n i n g " Aid and a bedpan. Most of us healthcare, according to a report will agree that he is the wrong by boston.com. man, wrong time, wrong job." Berwick, a pediatrician and To read the full boston.com president of the Institute for report Go Here Now. Healthcare Improvement, has © All Rights Reserved. been the target of increasingly Five Filters featured article: vocal attacks by Republican The Art of Looking Prime lawmakers. Ministerial - The 2010 UK These critics focus on his General Election. Available support of controlling costs and tools: PDF Newspaper, Full h i s p r a i s e o f t h e U n i t e d Text RSS, Term Extraction. Kingdom’s national health system -- arguing that he would Submitted at 5/13/2010 4:35:10 AM

'Modern Family' - 'Hawaii' Recap Jason Hughes (TV Squad)

neither of the teenage girls fell in love with an island local, nor did anyone lose their luggage or Filed under: Recaps(S01E23) g e t l o s t o n t h e w a y t o They finally made it to Hawaii s o m e w h e r e . after all that trouble last week at In fact, virtually the entire the airport. Now they have a episode took place in the resort whole island to get into trouble they were staying at, which was on. Even more impressively, so nice my wife now wants to Submitted at 5/13/2010 3:39:00 AM

go there for our ten-year wedding anniversary. Sure, I've

got four years to figure it out, but thanks a lot 'Modern Family' for showing us such a beautiful looking and relaxing family vacation. Relaxing isn't exactly something Claire and Mitchell are good at. As we've discussed prior, they're both a little

uptight. But they weren't the only ones struggling to relax, after one fateful phone call. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

Politics/ TV/

E-reader News Edition

Elena Kagan, Mystery Nominee Hannah Sternberg (The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.) Submitted at 5/12/2010 5:30:12 PM

Elena Kagan is an enigma as a Supreme Court Justice nominee: her practice record is slender, and her publications are few and far between. In the latest Heritage in Focus podcast, senior legal fellow Robert Alt discusses what we know about Kagan, and how her views could shape constitutional litigation if her nomination is approved. Alt also describes the nomination and Senate approval process, and how Kagan’s nomination in particular should be considered. Given the

controversies surrounding her recorded views, and her overall lack of experience, Alt advises a thorough and incisive review, rather than a speedy one.

Listen to Heritage in Focus: Robert Alt on the Nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court here. Tags: Elena Kagan, Heritage in Focus, nominee, podcast, supreme court, United States Supreme Court You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Alan Ball Partners with Oprah Winfrey for HBO Movie (TVGuide.com: Breaking News) Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:54:00 PM

Oprah Alan Ball is partnering with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films for an HBO movie based on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Variety reports. The nonfiction book, published in February, focuses on Lacks, a mother of five who died from cervical cancer in 1951 and whose cancerous cells were

used for groundbreaking research following her death. What will air on Oprah's OWN network? The cells used — removed without her family's knowledge — helped doctor's at John Hopkins develop a cure for polio and contributed to AIDSrelated treatment. The book devotes time to both the science behind these discoveries and the Ball, the executive producer effect Lacks' death and the behind HBO series Six Feet subsequent medical research had Under and True Blood, and on her family.

Harpo are set to begin recruiting a screenwriter. "I fell in love with it," Ball told Variety of the book."I thought it would be a perfect movie for HBO." Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

TV/

E-reader News Edition

TVGuide.com's In Focus: The Joys of Being Ian Somerhalder (TVGuide.com: Breaking News) Submitted at 5/12/2010 10:20:00 PM

Ian Somerhalder On the CW's breakout hit The Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder plays a nearly 170year-old man who â&#x20AC;&#x201D; perhaps unwittingly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; became a vampire as a teen. Though the actor's luck has been indisputably better than that of his character, Damon Salvatore, both have had the same response to the twists in their lives: outright glee. For Damon, that giddiness manifests itself in the smirky, wanton torment of the people who surround him. In Somerhalder, fortunately, it takes a more gracious form. "Right now, where I am, doing what I'm doing, it's exactly where I want to be," he says. See photos of Ian Somerhalder's career As Vampire Diaries wraps up its first season (Thursday at 9/8c), look to learn even more about Damon's tortured past, as he teams up with vampire hunter Alaric to prevent a massacre at Mystic Falls' annual Founders Day celebration. He won't be entirely successful, and the subsequent tragedy will change Damon in the second season. From Somerhalder's start in modeling to nabbing the lead role in a Bret Easton Ellis film adaptation to a TV hit, he's

always managed to convey joy and pain at once. In L.J. Smith's young-adult horror novels, on which the series is based, Damon is complicated and misunderstood. When he acts out, it's only because he's hurting inside. Somerhalder's version of Damon seems to be having more fun than his literary counterpart. He pounces on his quarry with almost sadistic delight. See our Finale Preview for scoop on more than 30 top shows The real-life fun started early for the Louisiana native, who started modeling at age 10. After a brief sabbatical, he got an agent at 16 and, within a week, he says, shot a 12-page spread for L'Uomo Vogue with fashion photographer Steven Meisel. He's grateful for this early success, which gave him the opportunity to travel between New York and Europe. "The best education is seeing the world, understanding how other cultures work," he says. "It's a blessing and a curse [living in the U.S.]. We're cursed in the sense that kids don't leave, a lot of them don't get a sense of the world around them." Somerhalder began taking acting classes in New York in 1998 as part of a two-year program. Entourage's Adrian Grenier was a classmate. The then-20-year-old slogged

was for a reason," he says, pointing to the subsequent success of his co-stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Monaghan and Katherine Moennig. "It moved me to L.A. and launched my career." Next came movies, and Somerhalder started big, with one of the three lead roles in The Rules of Attraction(2002). Roger Avary's adaptation of a Bret Easton Ellis novel featured a slew of young stars, including James Van der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Jessica Biel, Fred Savage and Bosworth. through hundreds of auditions "I read the first three pages of during just the first year of the the script [which details a program, without much success. clever, Rashomon-like sequence But his modeling background the audience sees three times worked in his favor. In the from different perspectives] and spring of 1999, he went to Los I called my agent and I said, 'I Angeles for a shoot for Guess? don't care what it takes, what I when he caught the eye of writer need to do, I'm getting this film. -director Steve Antin, who I promise you,'" he recalls. "'I wanted him for the cast of know I'm completely unknown, Young Americans, a Dawson's and [the studio is] going to want Creek spin-off the WB was a name actor, but no f---ing developing about a Connecticut way. I'm getting this role.'" Vampire Diaries' Ian boys' school. ( Kevin Williamson, the creator of Somerhalder on Elena vs. D a w s o n ' s C r e e k , i s t h e Katherine Somerhalder plays Paul executive producer of Vampire Denton, who is in an unusual, Diaries.) Vampire Diaries scoop: Elena's unrequited love triangle with mama, Uncle John and the Sossamon and Van Der Beek's characters. Avary's shiny young tomb! The show lasted eight episodes, cast takes on some not-so-shiny b u t i t w a s c r u c i a l t o moments in Ellis' gimlet-eyed, Somerhalder's later progress. drug- and sex-soaked look at "Even at that point, I knew it college life. "James was coming off huge amounts of success, he

was flying back and forth every few days to do Dawson's Creek. The rest of us were young and we were crazy, man. There was a phenomenal amount of partying and insanity that ensued on that set. And if you watch the movie, that's exactly how it should be. It was such a rare moment in time." It only got better for Somerhalder when he was cast as one of the original castaways on ABC's Lost, but his tenure was short-lived. His character, Boone Carlyle, was the show's first major casualty. The news that Boone would be killed was definitely a shock to the actor, but he handled it with his characteristic optimism. "You go the whole gamut of 'What did I do wrong? What didn't I do right?' It's something that's impossible not to take personally, but you can't," he says. "Actors always think it's about them, but it's really not. It's about the story." Somerhalder recently returned to the Hawaii set of Lost to film a few cameos for the show's final season. He reports that Boone will get a proper ending in the series finale, an experience to which he assigns several adjectives, including cool, simple, emotional and beautiful. "Wow, man, it was gratifying," he says. "Watching people who've become like my TVGUIDE.COM'S page 59

TV/ Social Media/

E-reader News Edition

Private Practice Cast Dishes on Tragic Season Finale (TVGuide.com: Breaking News) Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:17:00 PM

Private Practice Grab a few boxes of tissues, a pint of ice cream or a bottle of wine, because — according to KaDee Strickland— these are things you'll need while watching the season finale of Private Practice. "It's very Godfather-y," adds Paul Adelstein. "Everything gets wrapped up. Today we settle all family business." So what business needs to be settled? Get the scoop on the devastating season finale — which includes at least one death — straight from the cast below: Exclusive: Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice's next crossover? A Shepherd reunion Game on:"There's a battle between Sheldon [ Brian Benben] and Cooper for Charlotte's affections," says Adelstein who plays Cooper. "Amidst all of this craziness, Cooper sees Sheldon closing in and also feels scared in the face of what's happening to Maya [ Geffri Maya Hightower], so he goes for it." Who wins?"There's every

reason to believe these two can make it," says Strickland on Charlotte and Cooper. "In real life, it's the strangest pairings that work out best." Home wrecker much?"I don't want to break up Pete [ Tim Daly] and Addison [ Kate Walsh]," says Amy Brenneman. "If there is breaking up, that's not my thing. I think she's extremely respectful and grateful." Private Practice exclusive: Who is getting engaged and will it stick? Reunited and it feels so good:"There is always a possibility to reconcile

friendships," says Walsh of Addison's estrangement from Naomi ( Audra McDonald) this season. Adds McDonald: "In the stress of the moment, Naomi tries to make peace with Addison." Less baby drama than we thought?"Dell [ Chris Lowell] helps deliver Maya's baby," teases Lowell. Tragedy unites:"There's nothing like a great tragedy to bring people together," says Walsh of the divided practice after Violet and Pete's custody battle. "In the end, even if they have these rivalries, they all kind of grow up in the face of tragedy."

Private Practice: Are Addison and Sam meant to be? Grab some Kleenex:"You better get your hankies out and you might want to get a pint of ice cream because this [finale] is going to knock you on your tail; either that or a bottle of wine. That's Dr. Charlotte King's prescription," Strickland jokes about her character. Adds Brenneman: "It'll be devastating for the audience, so if you want a bang for your buck, you're going to get it." Um, ABC is renewing the show, right?"We don't have an official pickup, but we do know when we're starting [production] again, so figure that one out," jokes Adelstein. Who do you think is dying in the season finale? Check TVGuide.com on Friday morning for our exclusive interview with the departing star. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Google Logo Constructed Out of 884 Photos [TIME-LAPSE VIDEO] Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 5/13/2010 7:13:22 AM

A group of employees at Google’s offices in London have taken their time (working at Google really seems the best job in the world when you’ve got time for stunts like this) to create a Google logo out of 884 individually printed 4-inch by 6inch photographs. The result is this amazing timelapse video that documents the creation of the logo, which took about five and a half hours to create. A camera took a shot every seven seconds and the entire thing has been compressed into less than a minute and a half for your convenience. Enjoy. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: Google, logo, time-lapse, trending, video

TV/

E-reader News Edition

TVGUIDE.COM'S continued from page 57

family, seeing what it would be like for Boone to be this certain way." Not surprisingly, he doesn't elaborate what "this certain way" might be. Gallery: How you think Lost should end After Lost, Somerhalder had a small part in HBO's Tell Me You Love Me, an intriguing, experimental series about the sex lives of several couples. He plays Nick, the "rebound guy" for a woman who recently broke off her engagement. The part required total nudity by all the main characters, something the actor says he wasn't entirely comfortable with at first. "The first time you go to [re-record dialogue] and you walk into a soundstage and there's a 20-by20-foot screen in front of you, and your balls are like the size of taxicab tires, and you're

sitting there looking up and you go: 'Oh my goodness, really?' "At the end of the eight-hour shooting day, being naked all day, it wasn't the fact that it was the nudity. I wouldn't say it was gratuitous. I just thought that there's got to be another way to tell this story. And then I thought to myself, 'No, you moron, that is the show.'" Network television, for now, is allowing Somerhalder to remain fully clothed. The actor explains that the only nakedness in his current acting style is emotional, as he taps into his own experiences to create a realistic life for the character. As Damon changes, so does Somerhalder's method in playing him. "As far as the shift, the only thing that's really changing is what I'm taking out of my life," he says. "Sometimes you have a lot of

big what-ifs. You don't have the experience; crazy, supernatural things don't happen to us." Some might argue that Somerhalder's career has included its own degree of magic, and of that, he's appreciative. "I never thought I'd be on a vampire television show," he says. "We're the luckiest kids in Hollywood right now." Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Gandolfini Joins HBO Reality TV Movie Kim Potts (TV Squad) Submitted at 5/13/2010 4:30:00 AM

Filed under: TV News Well, it's not'The Sopranos' update movie we've been hoping for, but James Gandolfini is returning to his old HBO stomping grounds for a movie project. 'Sopranos' Emmy winner Gandolfini is joining Tim Robbins and Diane Lane in the HBO Films flick 'Cinema Verite,' a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the seminal 1973 PBS series'An American Family.' 'Family,' considered one of the earliest reality shows, was a 12episode series that followed the Loud family, a California clan

Five Scenarios the 'Lost' Finale Should Avoid Danny Gallagher (TV Squad) Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:01:00 AM

Filed under: Features I'm not really a'Lost' watcher. It's not that I dislike the show. I just don't have the patience, the physical time or the glucose IV bag set up needed to fully absorb the entire program. That doesn't mean I won't be

joining the rest of the show's core audience of puzzle junkies and people who get sexually excited from headaches for the show's May 23rd finale. It's a part of television history, and even if I have a better chance of understanding my student loan contract, I'll still tune in and help send the show off as it boards a flaming Viking ship

headed for "Television Valhalla."

But such a grand piece of television history is subject to fall in the same bear traps that someone of TV's greatest series have jumped in with both feet. These are the ones that the 'Lost' finale needs, nay, must avoid. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

where mom Pat and dad Bill were splitting up and oldest son Lance was one of the first openly gay "characters" on TV. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

TV/ Products/

E-reader News Edition

'America's Next Top Model' - Daily 'America's Next Top Model electronics Is...' Recap (Season Finale)

Submitted at 5/13/2010 3:21:00 AM

Filed under: Recaps So tonight, the general consensus seems to be that it's either going to be Casey or Big Mike going home tonight, barring some sort of huge upset. I made it pretty clear who I want my final two to be, so as long as they don't get kicked off tonight, I'm really fine either way. Before we find out the results, which takes all of three seconds, we have 59 minutes to fill. We

deals

Submitted at 5/13/2010 4:02:00 AM

Paul Eng (Consumer Reports)

Filed under: Recaps, Finales(S14E11)'America's Next Top Model' is finally down to it's final two and I haven't seen two equal competitors in a while. While each had certain strengths, I think that the exposure of the television show will help both Krista and Raina. I am a bit disappointed that 'Entertainment Weekly' accidentally dropped the names of the final two a week too start off this week with a early, but it seemed obvious that performance by season three Krista and Raina were destined w i n n e r , F a n t a s i a . S h e ' s to be the final two. performing her new single, I'm really happy that the show 'Bittersweet.' I've never been a has moved to the idea of a huge fan of hers, but she sounds double elimination before the as good as she always has. It's final episode because there was nice to see her making a bit of a a lot to go through if the episode comeback too. She had a lot of problems dealing with the sudden fame that winning 'Idol' brought, so I'm glad to see her returning to the scene. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

'American Idol' - 'One of Four Voted Off' Recap Kona Gallagher (TV Squad)

Michael Pascua (TV Squad)

Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:06:51 AM

had to eliminate someone at the CoverGirl commercial. Not only did we witness the runway, the girls had the Seventeen shoot and a family portrait. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

Daily electronics deals Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist: • Dell: Dell Studio XPS 7100 with AMD Phenom II 6-core 2.6GHz CPU for $699 • Think Geek: $10 Off $40 Purchase + Free Timmy Torch [w/ Coupon TORCHPLUS10] • Dell: Sharp 60" LCD 1080p 240HZ HDTV for $1699 [w/ Coupon 4?D72ZBX065PLB] w/ Free Shipping • Dell: Kodak 10MP 10X Optical Zoom Digital Camera Blue for $99 [w/ Coupon 28H3DBWB29NBW$] w/ Free Shipping • Dell Home: Dell Studio 15 Core i3 Laptop + $50 Gift Card $649 + free shipping • SuperBiiz: 10-inch Samsung N150 $287.99 + free shipping Entertainment • Meritline: MotionPlus Controller for Wii for $12.99 w/ Free Shipping • Walmart.com: Buy 2 Platinum Hits Games, Get 1 FREE • Barnes & Noble: MLB 2K10 $29.99 + free shipping • Walmart: Walmart Video DAILY page 61

Products/

E-reader News Edition

Plasma TVs: "We're not dead yet..." James Willcox (Consumer Reports)

represented about 20 percent of all TVs 40 inches or larger, Quixel said. Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:44:59 AM “Plasma TV sales are still strong Plasma TVs: "We're not dead because they provide a great yet..." value, and when consumers do a While plasma TVs sometimes little homework they understand seem like the forgotten stepchild that plasma TVs offer picture of the flat-panel TV business, a quality that is just as good, and new market research report says sometimes better, than LCD that during the past year, plasma TVs,” stated Tamaryn Pratt, TV sales were actually up more Quixel Research’s principal. “It than 40-inch or larger LCD TVs also helps that almost all the during the same period, though plasma TVs available today are they still account for a smaller offered by top-tier brands and percentage of overall TV sales. for many consumers that seals In its "USA Large Area Display the deal.” Report," Portland, Oregon-based While year-to-year sales for the Quixel Research said[PDF] that large-screen category rose unit sales of plasma TVs were overall, Quixel said that sales up 14 percent from the first for both LCD and plasma TVs quarter of 2009 to the first fell significantly in the second quarter of 2010, compared to a 6 quarter of this year, a drop percent jump in LCD TVs with blamed on "typical seasonal screens 40-inch and larger. In decline and a recessionary the first quarter of 2010, plasma marketplace."

Fueling growth in the LCD category were increased sales of 55- and 60-inch models, and Quixel reports that during the second quarter of the year, LED -backlit 55-inch LCDs for the first time outsold similarly sized sets with conventional CCFL backlights. Perhaps surprisingly, rearprojection microdisplay TVs still account for about 3 percent of all big-screen sales, Quixel said, despite Mitsubishi being the sole remaining supplier. – James K. Willcox Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

DAILY continued from page 60

Game Bundles: Three PS3 games for $60 + $1 s&h, more • iTunes Music Store: App Store Freebies: Japanese Mate, iGraveDigger, Dino Surf, more Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or products becoming unavailable as the day progresses. These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or the Web sites that sell them—though some of the sites may be included, and recommended, in our Ratings of

Q&A: Prospects for penis enhancement? rss@consumerreports.org (Consumer Reports)

disappointing, and there are frequent complications.The procedures may involve skin Submitted at 5/13/2010 2:59:59 AM grafts or injections of fat to Q&A: Prospects for penis thicken the penis. Or surgeons enhancement? can remove fat from around the I keep seeing ads for surgical base of the penis or seve rand penis enlargement. Is it really r e a t t a c h t h e s u p p o r t i n g possible? — L.K., Fort Lee, ligaments to lengthen the organ, N.J. generally by an inch or so––but Yes, but the results tend to be only when it’s flaccid, not erect.

In addition to the routine surgical complications, such as pain, bruising, swelling, and infection, the operation can damage the tube that transports urine from the bladder, reduce penile sensitivity, and cause erectile dysfunction. Moreover, scar tissue can deform or even shorten the penis. Because of the substantial risks and limited

cosmetic benefits, the surgery should generally be reserved for cases ofsevere penile damage. Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

retailers for computers and other major electronics(both available to subscribers). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas. For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides. Subscribe now! S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Products/ Sports/

FDA to consumers: Don’t ingest topical Benadryl products Consumer Reports on Safety (Consumer Reports)

sleepiness, difficulty walking, dizziness and inability to speak. The product’s manufacturer, Submitted at 5/13/2010 4:59:59 AM Johnson & Johnson, has FDA to consumers: Don’t changed the product label and ingest topical Benadryl products added a sticker to the cap stating People are reporting side effects “For skin use only.” Johnson & to the Food and Drug Johnson is also undertaking a Administration after mistakenly study to see why people might swallowing Benadryl Extra confuse the topical product for Strength Itch Stopping Gel. The an oral one. To stem the over-the-counter product should confusion, the FDA advises only be applied to the skin, but pharmacies and consumers to some Benadryl products are store separately those products meant to be ingested, which is taken orally and those applied perhaps the reason some topically. consumers became confused. Consumers should take care to The active ingredient read the “drug facts” box on all diphenhydramine in Benedryl over-the-counter drug products Extra Strength Itch Stopping and look for warnings and Gel can cause dangerous directions for proper use. reactions if swallowed in large considered serious because —Maggie Shader Subscribe doses. patients required treatment in now! The FDA said that between t h e e m e r g e n c y r o o m , S u b s c r i b e t o 2001 and 2009, there have been hospitalization, or admission to ConsumerReports.org for expert 121 cases of ingestion of the intensive care unit. Others Ratings, buying advice and B e n a d r y l ' s i t c h r e l i e f g e l reported adverse events included reliability on hundreds of reported to the manufacturer. Of hallucinations, unconsciousness, products. Update your feed these cases, seven were preferences

E-reader News Edition

Tiger Woods says on website MRI showed inflamed neck Associated Press (ESPN.com)

"I now need to take care of this condition and will return to playing golf when I'm Submitted at 5/13/2010 12:47:56 AM physically able," Woods said. ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tiger Woods said treatment will Woods said tests Wednesday include physical therapy, such showed an inflamed neck joint as soft-tissue massage, rest and that causes pain and makes it anti-inflammatory medicine. He hard to turn his head, an injury said the prognosis was for a full that will require little more than recovery, and while the layoff is medicine, massages and rest. not expected to be long, rehab Woods had an MRI that can vary. revealed inflammation in a facet Woods said in a press joint of his neck. He said on his conference this week that he website that when facet joints hoped to be able to defend his are inflamed, it causes pain in title at the Memorial, which the area along with headaches starts June 3 at Muirfield and difficulty rotating the head. Village. His next tournament He withdrew from the final will be his first without swing r o u n d o f T h e P l a y e r s coach Hank Haney, who stepped Championship on Sunday after a aside Monday. week in which he was seen Copyright 2010 by The stretching and rolling his neck. A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s Woods said his neck had been Five Filters featured article: bothering him since before he The Art of Looking Prime returned from a five-month Ministerial - The 2010 UK layoff at the Masters, and that it General Election. Available was not related to the Nov. 27 tools: PDF Newspaper, Full car accident when he ran into a Text RSS, Term Extraction. tree, setting off revelations of infidelity.

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

Habs stun Pens in Game 7 to extend dream run Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 5/13/2010 6:54:37 AM

Canadiens pull off second straight upset as Gionta, Cammalleri finish Pens PITTSBURGH -- First the Capitals, now the Penguins. The Canadiens, the worst-record team in the playoffs, keep sending home the NHL's best. Brian Gionta had two powerplay goals, Mike Cammalleri scored his seventh goal of a series in which he upstaged Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and Montreal built a stunning four-goal lead before beating the Penguins 5-2 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday night. Believe it, Canadiens. Disbelieve it, Penguins. Burnside: Pens Take Cheap Out It wasn't shocking that Montreal won Game 7 on Wednesday. But the manner in which the Penguins bowed out was, writes Scott Burnside. Story â&#x20AC;˘ Blog: Last word from Pittsburgh Montreal, about the last team anyone would have picked to beat the top-seeded Capitals, much less the reigning NHL champion Penguins, accomplished what no team has done since the current playoffs format was adopted in 1994. And that's beat the Presidents'

Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion in successive rounds as an eighth-seeded team. "We played Washington and we were supposed to get killed and we played these guys and we were supposed to get killed," defenseman Hal Gill said. "It's nice to be part of a team that gets things done." When it ended, the Canadiens crowded around goalie Jaroslav Halak, who made 37 saves in a performance not quite as dominating as that in Montreal's 2-1 elimination win of Washington but one that shut down the NHL's oldest arena. The Canadiens move on to the Eastern Conference finals against Boston or Philadelphia. The Flyers beat the Bruins 2-1 on Wednesday night to force Game 7. "I don't claim we're this great team, I don't claim we're perfect and I don't claim that everything we do is on purpose," Cammalleri said. "I think we're just finding ways to win." The Canadiens, who trailed the series 3-2 before winning 4-3 in Game 6, silenced the standing room crowd of 17,132 in the last game played at 49-year-old Mellon Arena by seizing a 1-0 lead on Gionta's power-play goal only 32 seconds into the game. The Canadiens built it to 4-0 with barely 25 minutes gone. O, Canada? With four more wins, the

Canadiens would have a chance to become the first Canadian team in over 50 years to win the Stanley Cup in the same year as Canada won an Olympic gold medal in hockey. "I was stunned," Crosby said of his penalty for driving Josh Gorges into the boards. "I don't know how that's a penalty 10 seconds into the game." Dominic Moore made it 2-0 later in the period and Cammalleri scored his playoffleading 12th goal at 3:32 of the second. "Who would expect it? Nobody gave us a chance and here we are," Halak said. The tone was set when Crosby drew his penalty -- it was the Penguins who couldn't make plays, made the wrong decisions and stood around as Montreal skated past them. "It's definitely disappointing," Crosby said. "Game 7, anything can happen and, unfortunately, we weren't at our best." When Travis Moen scored on a short-handed breakaway by skating past defenseman Sergei Gonchar and wristing a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury, it was 4-0 with 14:46 remaining in the second. Effectively, it was over. It was for Fleury, the Game 7 star of last year's finals against Detroit. He was pulled after giving up four goals on 13 shots, and Brent Johnson finished up. Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal

beat Halak later in the second period. But Halak turned aside Crosby 25 seconds into the third period as the teams skated 4-on3, perhaps the biggest of Halak's saves. Montreal made it 5-2 when Gionta got his second of the game, and seventh in the playoffs, with 10 minutes remaining. The Canadiens ran out the clock and, following the traditional handshakes, many fans remained to watch a video tribute to the nation's first and only retractable roof indoor arena. Mellon Arena is expected to be torn down, sometime after the Penguins move across the street into the Consol Energy Center. "We've been talking about a lot, 'Let's make sure we play the last game at this rink,'" Cammalleri said. "That's a cool piece of history for us." This wasn't the way the Penguins wanted to go out. Stanley Cup Playoffs Sixteen teams are chasing Lord Stanley's Cup. Get stats, scores and analysis for every matchup all playoffs long on ESPN.com. Playoff previews â&#x20AC;˘ SportsNation: Who will win? Maybe they simply didn't believe a team like the Canadiens could do it, much like the Capitals couldn't. Maybe it was fatigue -- the Penguins have played 300-plus games the last three seasons,

advancing to the finals in 2008 and winning them in 2009. While they did, they've enjoyed only two calendar months without hockey since September 2008. "I'm not going to sit here and complain about playing in Stanley Cup finals and Olympic gold medal games, that's a good problem to have and you've got to deal with it," Crosby said. Crosby and Malkin were handcuffed throughout the series by Montreal's suffocating, turnover-forcing defense. Gill, injured for Game 6 but back for Game 7, was on the ice for nearly every Crosby shift, and the NHL's regular season goal scoring co-leader managed only one goal in seven games. So did Malkin, even though Montreal played the final six games without its top defenseman, Andrei Markov(knee). "They beat Washington, now they beat us," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "I think it's time to give this team some credit for what they've done, rather than picking apart why we didn't do what we were supposed to do." Game notes The Penguins were 2-0 in Game 7s during their Stanley Cup run last season, winning both on the road. ... Montreal is 13-8 in Game 7s, Pittsburgh is 7 HABS page 66

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

Brian Cushing keeps NFL rookie award in AP revote ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com) Submitted at 5/12/2010 7:48:22 PM

NEW YORK -- A positive drug test notwithstanding, Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing is still The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Five days after he was suspended without pay for four games, a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL voted again to give Cushing the award. He didn't receive anywhere near the 39 votes of his previous landslide victory, but the 18 he got in Wednesday's revote were enough to reclaim the honor. Tale of Two Votes Both in the initial vote and in Wednesday's revote, Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. A look at the voting totals: "I was just glad to hear the news, that people stuck by me. Very honored," Cushing said. "I'm very happy to have the award once again, and I'm just happy with how everything turned out." Although Cushing said he took a non-steroid substance, the league still considers it a performance enhancer. The AP decided to have a revote, in which Cushing finished five votes ahead of

Buffalo safety Jairus Byrd. Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews III got 12, Washington linebacker Brian Orakpo earned three votes, and St. Louis linebacker James Laurinaitis got one. Three voters abstained. In all, 19 voters switched from Cushing to another player, and one voted for Cushing after picking Byrd originally. "I'm good," Byrd said, referring to the result. "Yeah, I'm fine with it." In the original balloting in January, Cushing received 39 votes to six for Byrd, three for Matthews and two for Orakpo. Cushing said he was nervous waiting to hear the results of the revote. "It was stressful," Cushing told KRIV-TV in Houston. "You heard some speculations about a revote. I didn't think it would really go through. "It did, unfortunately, but you know what nothing changed and I'm just happy again, I am." Cushing did lose his spot on the All-Pro second team, for which he originally had five votes and now has just one. "If Brian Cushing had come out with a plausible excuse as to why he failed a test for prohibited substances, he could have kept his defensive rookie of the year award as far as I was concerned," said voter Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.

"But his silence was deafening, disturbing and damning." Not to some voters. Clayton: Why I Changed My Vote ESPN.com's John Clayton explains why he changed his vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year from Brian Cushing to Clay Matthews III. Story â&#x20AC;˘ AFC South blog "If I had known in January when we initially voted that Brian Cushing had tested positive for a banned substance, I might not have voted for him," said Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and president of the Pro Football Writers of America. "However, Cushing won the award in January, and I don't feel like we should revise history. I am concerned about the precedent." John McClain of The Houston Chronicle voted for Cushing the first time and had "no problem" voting for him again. "In good conscience, I couldn't not vote for him after voting for Julius Peppers in 2002 knowing he'd tested positive [and won the same award], and for Kevin Williams on the All-Pro team knowing he'd tested positive [in the StarCaps case]. "I also believe taking the award from Cushing would have opened up a Pandora's box when it came to players and awards. I think the AP should make it a rule that a player who tests

positive is going to be subjected to a revote." But Peter King of Sports Illustrated cited Peppers' case as a reason to change his vote. "Two wrongs don't make a right," King said. "And just because Peppers' rookie victory in 2002 wasn't overturned ... doesn't mean you continue to make the wrong decision year after year. The precedent this sets, in my opinion, is a good one. I know I have changed my mind over the past couple of years, and won't vote for any player who tests positive for any performance enhancer." Cushing was tested last September, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. After being alerted of the positive test, Cushing was tested randomly numerous times throughout the season and never tested positive again, a source familiar with the case told Schefter. Cushing's test was positive for elevated levels of hCG, the source familiar with the case told Schefter. HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a banned substance that is widely used to stimulate the body's testosterone production after an athlete uses anabolic steroids. Cushing is suspended without pay until Oct. 4, although he can participate in offseason

workouts, training camp and preseason games. He will not be eligible for next season's Pro Bowl -- he made the AFC team last January, but did not play, citing several injuries -- or any NFL-sponsored awards. "We respect the AP's decision to revote and the decision of the voters," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. One voter who switched from Cushing, Adam Schein of Sirius NFL Radio and FoxSports.com, said he was stunned by the outcome. "A player who tests positive for a performance-enhancing drug, especially a masking agent for steroids, should not be honored with a prestigious award," Schein said. "He failed the test in September. His season is tainted. This is wrong. "I am very disappointed in the results of the revote and my fellow voters who voted for Cushing." Information from The Associated Press, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and ESPN's T.J. Quinn was used in this report. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

Flyers force Bruins to Game 7 after trailing 3-0 Associated Press (ESPN.com)

to win a best-of-seven playoff series. The Flyers are the first team to trail 3-0 and force a Submitted at 5/13/2010 12:48:08 AM Game 7 since the '75 Islanders. Leighton keeps Flyers alive as Mike Richards and Danny Bruins blow 3-0 series lead Briere scored for the Flyers. PHILADELPHIA -- The Flyers' Milan Lucic scored with a farfetched comeback is nearly minute left for Boston. complete. "If you would have asked me Michael Leighton stopped 30 before the series if it would go shots in his first start in nearly seven, I would have said yes," two months to help streaking Bruins defenseman Dennis Philadelphia beat the Boston Wideman said. "No one thought Bruins 2-1 on Wednesday night we would win three straight to and force a seventh game in start the series." Boston on Friday night. It was an even bigger reach to "It's not always the easiest route, expect the Flyers to win the next but we seem to find a way," three. Richards, the Flyers' Flyers defenseman Chris captain, was stone faced Pronger said. discussing the significance of a McDonald: No Panic Game 7 victory. Despite blowing a 3-0 lead and "It would mean we move on," heading to a Game 7, the Bruins he said. "We're not worried a r e n ' t g e t t i n g d o w n o n about any of the other stuff. We themselves, w r i t e s haven't really done much right E S P N B o s t o n . c o m ' s J o e now." McDonald. Story Leighton was everything the â&#x20AC;˘ Check out the Bruins blog Flyers wanted in his first start Philadelphia's season appeared since he sprained his ankle over after it lost the first three March 16. Leighton's injury games of the series. Not now. p a v e d t h e w a y f o r B r i a n The Flyers are on the brink of Boucher to take over and all he history -- and a spot in the did was lead the Flyers into the Eastern Conference finals postseason as the No. 7 seed and against Montreal. an upset over New Jersey in the The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs first round. a n d t h e 1 9 7 5 N e w Y o r k Boucher sprained the MCL in Islanders are the only NHL his left knee in Game 5 and the teams to overcome 3-0 deficits job again belonged to Leighton.

Boucher blew kisses to the crowd and fought back tears when he received a standing ovation from the orange-andblack diehards. Boucher and Leighton combined for a 4-0 victory Monday night. Leighton said all he wanted this postseason was to return as Boucher's backup. He's done so much more -nearly 95 shutout minutes to start the postseason. Mixed Results Forcing a Game 7 after being down 3-0 can be a taxing effort and it doesn't always bode well for the rallying team. "It's kind of hard not to be nervous when you have that crowd going like that right at the beginning of the game," Leighton said. "It just took me a few minutes again just to get my feet." Boucher was about the only one saddened in Philly on this night. The Wachovia Center felt at times like the setting for a classic rock concert. MontrealPittsburgh served as the opening act, the Canadiens' dominating win over the Flyers' in-state rivals enough to put the crowd on an emotional edge. Richards sent them over it. He knocked in a rebound 6:58 into the game for his fifth goal of the playoffs, pushing the

crowd into a frenzy. The Flyers talked between Games 5 and 6 that all the momentum shifted their way -- and all the pressure was on Boston. "I'm sure the pressure is mounting even more," Briere said. Boston goalie Tuukka Rask surely felt the burden at 1-0. The Flyers were the aggressors early, putting quick pressure on Rask and keeping the crowd of 19,929 in the game. Leighton calmed his early jitters when he took the puck right in his chest on a nice early save off Trent Whitfield's shorthanded breakaway shot. "Everyone on the bench was rooting for him to score that goal," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That would have been a big goal for us." Instead, Briere delivered when he made it 2-0 on a power-play goal that deflected high off Rask's shoulder. Rask was solid in goal with 25 saves. He made a nice glove save on Ville Leino's penalty shot with 7:21 left in the third. The Bruins just can't get any get any offense going -- no matter who's in goal for the Flyers. Boston hadn't scored since Mark Recchi forced Game 4 into overtime on a goal with 31.5 seconds left in regulation

until Lucic made it 2-1. "They really took it to us the first 10 minutes," Julien said. The Flyers had good reason to root for Montreal. Philadelphia would have home-ice advantage with a series win. This was only the 11th time in 162 tries that a team facing a 3-0 deficit forced a Game 6. They are the sixth team in 11 tries to play a Game 7. "Now that we're here and now that we've climbed all the way back in this series, we want it too," Briere said. "We have to realize that the last game will be the toughest to leave with." Game notes The Flyers are 17-17 in Game 6s. ... The Flyers have a 12-4 series record when winning Game 6. ... Boston is 16-0 when leading a series 3-0. The Bruins swept 12 of them. ... Flyers center Blair Betts left with a shoulder injury, but is expected to play Game 7. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

What Went Wrong In Pittsburgh Adam Gretz (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 5/13/2010 8:00:00 AM

Filed under: Penguins, NHL Playoffs The Eastern Conference was set up for the Penguins to take. The two teams they could not beat in the regular season (Washington and New Jersey), and, as an added bonus, the No. 3 seed Buffalo Sabres, were all eliminated in the first round, leaving Pittsburgh as the top remaining seed, giving it home-ice advantage for the remainder of the conference playoffs. And then it all came to a sudden and unexpected end in Game 7 on Wednesday night, closing down Mellon Arena with what can

only be described as a disappointing effort. There's plenty of blame to go around, so let's take a look at where it all went wrong. First and foremost, the Montreal Canadiens deserve a ton of credit. They deserve more credit than the Penguins do blame, and that includes

everybody from head coach Jacques Martin, to Jaroslav Halak, Mike Cammalleri, Hal Gill, Josh Gorges and right on down the roster. They have, after all, knocked off the Presidents Trophy winners and the defending Stanley Cup Champions in back-to-back rounds. I kept waiting for the floodgates to open against them as they were outshot by an astronomical number, but it never happened. It's hard to believe, but here they are. Believe it. That said, there's still some blame to go around in the Steel City.

HABS continued from page 63

-5. ... The Canadiens also played the first game in Mellon Arena, then known as the Civic Arena, winning 2-1 on Oct. 11, 1967. ... Pittsburgh also lost Game 7s at home after leading 3-2 in 1993 (Islanders) and 1996 (Panthers). Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime

Montreal Police Clash With Rowdy Youths FanHouse Newswire (FanHouse Main)

police and their horses, with the officers charging back with tear gas. Submitted at 5/13/2010 12:29:00 AM The trouble erupted following F i l e d u n d e r : C a n a d i e n s , the beloved Canadiens' 5-2 P e n g u i n s , N H L P l a y o f f s victory, well after many of the MONTREAL (AP) -- Dozens of jersey-wearing hockey fans had youths tossed bottles and cans at gone home. Montreal police early Thursday, Share Shortly after the game, smashing store windows and fireworks erupted over Stelooting downtown businesses Catherine Street as people h o u r s a f t e r t h e M o n t r e a l crowd-surfed and held aloft Canadiens' Game 7 victory in trinkets including a stuffed Pittsburgh. penguin. Small pockets of the unruly The flag-waving crowd was as crowd tossed projectiles at riot euphoric as the 21,000 fans who

chanting, "We want the Cup! We want the Cup! Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. crammed into the Bell Centre to watch the game on giant screens. After the game, they spilled out into the streets

Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Shaq: 'We'll See What We're Made Of' Pat McManamon (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 5/13/2010 5:00:00 AM

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, NBA Playoffs BOSTON -- The Cleveland Cavaliers offered no guarantees, but they did not lack confidence as they looked ahead to Game 6 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against Boston Thursday night. Being down 3-2 isn't good, they said, but it also is not the end of life as they know it. The Cavs, including two-time MVP LeBron James, acknowledged a bad Game 5 -SHAQ: page 67

Sports/ Gaming/

E-reader News Edition

Nets Reach Out to Avery Johnson Sam Amick (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 5/13/2010 2:30:00 AM

Filed under: Nets, FanHouse Exclusive Just one day after the sale of the New Jersey Nets to Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov was approved by the NBA, team president Rod Thorn quietly started the team's coaching search. League sources told FanHouse that Thorn inquired about Avery Johnson and his interest in the Nets job through his representatives on Wednesday. The former Dallas coach has already interviewed for openings in Philadelphia and New Orleans and looked to be the frontrunner for the Hornets job, but he is believed to have interest in joining New Jersey. An interview has not yet been scheduled, but Thorn -- who has

said he is hoping to have a coach in place before the June draft -- is expected to begin interviewing with candidates soon. Yet while Johnson will certainly receive consideration, the Nets continue to hope the prospect of big money on two vital fronts can coerce Jeff Van Gundy to return to coaching: his potential salary and the team's salary cap space.

SHAQ: continued from page 66

then pointed ahead, which is pretty much all they can do as they face a way-earlier-thanexpected playoff ouster. "When you have set the bar high for yourself and you don't do that every single night, then you're going to have a bad one,"James said of a 15-point, uninterested performance Tuesday night. "They can talk about you and say the elbow or he wasn't this or he wasn't that. I'm OK with accepting it, but I

don't get involved in it and I've got to understand that [Game 6] is a huge game." "We have to get it done," Shaquille O'Neal said. "Everyone knows what's at stake and we'll see what we're made of."

Impressions: Bulletstorm Randy Nelson (Joystiq) Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:00:00 AM

Epic Games and Painkiller dev People Can Fly have finally taken the wraps off Bulletstorm, their FPS collaboration for EA, and it's looking like a brutal yet beautiful love note to fans of over-the-top action. Epic's design director Cliff Bleszinski and Bulletstorm producer Tanya Jessen (who also produced Gears of War on PC) flew in to San Francisco last week to debut the game. The duo kicked things off with the above trailer before getting into the nitty-gritty details in a live gameplay demo, with Bleszinski steeling the crowd for what he considers to be "a mix of Burnout, Duke Nukem and Firefly / Serenity." Bleszinski prefaced the demo by saying that, while still very much into the Gears series,

"what really gets me out of bed in the morning is crafting a whole new world" -- something that he's excited to do on this project with the team at People Can Fly in Poland. He says he plays the game three to four times a week to offer his feedback, and that Epic's art and production teams in Raleigh, NC work daily with PCF. He said that Epic also sends techs to the developer on a frequent basis to ensure that it is up to speed on Unreal Engine updates. Whatever they're all doing, it looks amazing -- both from a visual and gameplay standpoint. Blezsinski said that, unlike most modern FPS titles, Bulletstorm"doesn't take itself too seriously," adding that it has

the intense action, the headshots and the like, but "does it with a wink and a smile." But what does it do differently? Skillshots. "It's like a cat playing with a mouse before killing it," Blezsinski said of the game's core play mechanic, claiming that it takes the scoring system introduced in Unreal Tournament-- killing sprees, double-kills, etc. -- to "the next level." Gallery: Bulletstorm (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Continue reading Impressions: Bulletstorm Impressions: Bulletstorm originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Gaming/

E-reader News Edition

OnLive headed to the UK through BT partnership Randy Nelson (Joystiq)

of Western Europe spanning from the UK to Italy and from Scandinavia down to Spain." Streaming games on demand The OnLive service is slated to spearheader OnLive has launch in the US this June 17 for announced a partnership with PC and Mac users, with an BT, whereby the British initial lineup of titles numbering communications firm has taken in the teens. The company's a 2.6 percent share in the stand-alone "micro-console" company and will have the hardware has yet to be dated for exclusive rights to bundle release here, but will be OnLive service with its available at the service's UK broadband packages in the UK. launch. We're in touch with "We're really excited about OnLive with the hope of OnLive's potential in Europe, bringing you more details and looking forward to kicking regarding this morning's it off in the UK through our to the UK, such that it operates our US launch this summer. the OnLive Game Service announcement later today. partnership with BT," OnLive OnLive headed to the UK reliably and with high quality Once we get the US service up directly from OnLive to run CEO Steve Perlman said in a t h rough BT partnership over the UK's Internet backbone and running, we'll be sharing over any UK ISP," adding that, post on the company's blog. originally appeared on Joystiq to BT's broadband customers," more details, including when "What's great about Western "Today we are announcing that on Thu, 13 May 2010 03:45:00 P e r l m a n w r o t e . " I k n o w we'll be starting a UK public Europe geographically is that so BT, the largest broadband EST. Please see our terms for everyone would like the exact Beta." many countries are within a operator in the UK, has formed use of feeds. details of when OnLive will be Addressing those in the region 1000 mile (1600 km) radius, a partnership with and has made available in the UK, but we are who already have broadband which is within the latency limit Read| Permalink| Email this| an investment in OnLive. We'll not announcing dates just yet. service, Perlman said that "UK for a single OnLive data center. Comments be working together with BT to We're completely focused on gamers will also be able to order We've tested OnLive across all bring the OnLive Game Service Submitted at 5/13/2010 3:45:00 AM

New Mass Effect 2 DLC 'Overlord' welcomed in June Alexander Sliwinski (Joystiq)

DLC as "five levels set across one story on one planet," with players battling through a Overlord, the next content laboratory (and occasionally expansion for Mass Effect 2, piloting the Hammerhead tank) was apparently revealed to defeat an artificial yesterday at Electronic Arts' intelligence. There is currently European showcase event in no price nor official release added in the DLC, nor would a s E A m a k e s a f o r m a l L o n d o n . A c c o r d i n g t o date. there be in any future DLC. a n n o u n c e m e n t w i t h m o r e Gamerzines, ME2 director Hudson also announced that no We'll be sure to update as soon d e t a i l s . Casey Hudson described the new squad mates would be Submitted at 5/13/2010 10:00:00 AM

[Via VG247] New Mass Effect 2 DLC 'Overlord' welcomed in June originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Gaming/ Featured/

E-reader News Edition

Sick of Just Dance? Try KIDZ BOP Dance Party! The Video Game David Hinkle (Joystiq) Submitted at 5/13/2010 2:00:00 AM

We get it. Sometimes you just need to put something on the TV to get a break from the kids. Now that they've danced to all the MC Hammer a human being could ever dance to in Just Dance, you've got to resort to stronger, more potent forms of distraction. That's why we're here to tell you about KIDZ BOP Dance Party! The Video Game. A joint operation between D3Publisher and those weird cover albums you see advertised on Nickelodeon, the new Wii game will launch on September 21 and will feature "24 contemporary hits" -- including pint-sized renditions of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi," Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Pink's "Get the Party Started." Really? Kids know who Pink is? The game will also have five different modes of play: Free Play; Challenge; Dance Off; Shop; and Dress-Up. Challenge mode will allow two players to

Modern Warfare 2 'Resurgence Pack' adding five more maps on June 3 Code as photo-op Griffin McElroy (Joystiq)

will feature a mix of new maps and renovated versions of Call of Duty 4 maps -- perhaps a bit In what might be the briefest more of the latter, given the title p r e s s r e l e a s e w e ' v e e v e r of the bundle. What we also received from a major publisher assume is that the "Resurgence announcing a new chunk of Pack" will carry the $15 price DLC for an 端ber-successful tag of the "Stimulus Package" (it game, Activision revealed that worked well enough before). another set of five multiplayer We'll contact people in the maps for Modern Warfare 2 will know to see if we can squeeze drop on Xbox Live on June 3. out any firmer details. We know two things about said Modern Warfare 2 'Resurgence maps so far: They're coming in a Pack' adding five more maps on set called the "Resurgence June 3 originally appeared on Pack," and their release will be Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 heralded by two double XP 09:32:00 EST. Please see our weekends on May 28 and June terms for use of feeds. 4. Read| Permalink| Email this| Now, that's what we know. Comments What we assume is that the pack Submitted at 5/13/2010 9:32:00 AM

dance cooperatively, while Dance Off will feature a head-to -head mode. The remainder of the game will be single player only but don't fret: if there's one thing kids are great at doing, it's sharing their toys. Sick of Just Dance? Try KIDZ BOP Dance Party! The Video Game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

(Scripting News) Submitted at 5/12/2010 6:06:08 PM

There's an article in today's NY Times about a group of four NYU comp sci students who are embarking on a great adventure to create a decentralized version of Facebook, where the data is under the user's control. This goal is right on, it's something I've written about many times, it's why the Internet is such a breath of fresh air compared to the locked trunk schemes of tech companies. That the article appeared in the Times is an indication that the they share the aspiration of many users to be free of control of not only Facebook, but the whole tech industry. A worthy goal for the students, a worthy CODE page 70

Featured/ Science/

E-reader News Edition

CODE continued from page 69

goal for the Times. But whoa Nellie, just a minute - nice picture-- but there isn't any code here! The news people are always doing this. Pumping up a bunch of nice-looking young men (almost always men) to be David in an epic Boy Kills Boy battle to the death with Goliath. These beautiful young men are going to flail against the machine and emerge victorious. Or more likely be forgotten like so many who came before. Example: A 2005 Times article by John Markoff about a new startup that aims to commercialize podcasting. Didn't happen. It's irresponsible of the Times to run such a piece. There must

be a dozen projects all over the world that are much further along than this one. It's definitely not good for users to focus so much attention on a project that doesn't exist, instead of ones that do. To be clear, I'm on their side. I hope they're successful. But instead of setting the expectations so high, I would prefer to see them bite off a smaller piece of the pie. We could really use a great open source Twitter client, a smaller more pragmatic goal, and much more likely to be realized in the three months they've set aside to Change The World. Last week I wrote about Coach Walsh and the 49ers and setting expectations a notch below

reality. Let's step back from this and wish these young men well, and hope they can help the rest of us achieve some small independence from the tech industry. And let's hope next time a big publication like the Times writes puffery like this, that some editor points out all the pitfalls of such a project and gets them to stifle the hype, just a little. Note: I am a visiting scholar this year at NYU, in the journalism institute. I am remarkably close to this story, but have never met the students.

Embedded DNA Commands Let Nanomachines Follow Instructions, Assemble Components Clay Dillow (Popular Science -

EMBEDDED

Confronting the next taboo: Single (Scripting News)

to make a commitment to each other, how can anyone else say Submitted at 5/12/2010 10:09:42 AM they shouldn't? It's hypocrisy for Elena Kagen is not gay, she's conservatives who say the single. government must stay out of We've decided that gay people people's lives to then turn are okay. Maybe now we'll around and say that marriage is decide that single people are between a man and a woman. too. It's okay to believe that of A related issue comes up from course, but it's not okay to deny time to time, esp in the Village-- people rights if they don't where people make a wide conform to your beliefs. benefits to people who are variety of lifestyle choices. Here's what I do have a married. Should gay people have the problem with -- the government I don't sign the petitions that right to marry? Of course they being in the marriage business, call for amendments allowing should, I say. If two people want and the government giving tax

EMBEDDED page 70

continued from page 70

gay marriage. It can be awkward because people assume this is because I'm against gay people. It's not so. I'm against the government having a stake in the relationships between people, or lack thereof. So I think it's great that Elena Kagen is straight and single, and may well become a Supreme Court justice. It's about time that people who say they want diversity of representation get to stretch a little.

Schematics for a Nano-factory The tan rectangles represent the DNA origami foundation of the assembly line. The blue, purple and green objects are the DNA machines, each with either an "on" or "off" command. As the nano-walker comes by, the machines either pass off their gold nanoparticles or they don't. Atomic force microscopy images show the different end products that are assembled as a result. Hongzhou Gu, Jie Chao, Shou-Jun Xiao & Nadrian C. Seeman Nanotech has opened the door EMBEDDED page 71

Social Media/ Science/

E-reader News Edition

EMBEDDED continued from page 70

to some serious sci-fi possibilities: tiny robots -- built by other tiny robots -- that swim in our bloodstreams eradicating infection or hunting tumors, or perhaps assembling miniscule electronic components. But programming such tiny objects to do what we want presents a problem: commands need space to exist, and space is limited aboard a nanobot. But two papers just published in the journal Nature today highlight an interesting and promising approach to this problem: embedding the commands in the nanobots' environments. In one paper, researchers describe a "molecular spider" designed to perform a particular task, in this case walking along a certain, pre-programmed path. While traditional robots would rely on internal memory and processing to orient themselves toward their programmed goals, this spider gathers its commands from an environment that has been precisely defined by the

researchers beforehand via nucleotides placed exactly where they want the spider to step. A specially designed twodimensional DNA origami landscape dictates the spider's movements. The spider is made of an inert molecule body and three catalytic legs adapted from a specific DNA enzyme that binds to certain nucleotides. When they do so, they cleave the nucleotides into two smaller ones with weaker attractions, at which point the leg moves on to the next strong bonding nucleotide. Moving independently of one another, the legs will carry the spider along a preset path laid out by the researchers, one step at a time, making turns and following the proper nucleotide until a set of uncleavable nucleotides makes it stop. Pretty cool, but can we make it actually do something? A second paper says we absolutely can. Using a similar DNA

origami tile, three DNA controlled two-state "DNA machines" and a DNA walker like the molecular spider above (with four feet and three "hands" that carry cargo), researchers aimed to show that by integrating several simple nanobots, we can create more complex nanosystems that can actually build things. Each DNA machine holds a different gold nanoparticle, which it will either hold onto or let go of depending on whether it receives an "on" or an "off" command from its DNA programming. As the walker traverses the tile, the machines either pass off their cargoes or they do not. Which means at the end of the line, the finished product can be one of eight different products assembled from the gold nanoparticles, depending on which particles were handed to the walker. Do that over and over, and you've got an assembly line. Not only that, but a machine can be

manipulated to produce different end results depending on DNA commands, making it as versatile, in theory, as a computer controlled macro scale assembly line. This is an oversimplification of course. The science behind all this is complicated and not easy to duplicate, but both papers express exciting new methods to manipulate things at the nanoscale in ways that were once the realm of fantasy (think The Magic School Bus or Fantastic Voyage). While widespread application is still a ways out, the idea of very, very small things programmed to assemble even smaller things tailored to our precise designs is very cool science indeed.

North Korea Claims to Achieve Unprecedented Nuclear Fusion Success Clay Dillow (Popular Science New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 5/12/2010 12:55:39 PM

Kim Jong-il The Dear Leader of North Korea, checking out an apartment bloc in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. State-run media backs up the claim In what the BBC is calling "a claim that is likely to be met with some scepticism," North Korea has announced that it has made huge strides toward developing thermonuclear power, going so far as to claim that the nation's scientists have NORTH page 72

Is Your Browser HTML5 and CSS3 Ready? [INFOGRAPHIC] Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 5/13/2010 3:10:14 AM

Lately, in part due to Apple’s rejection of Flash on its mobile devices, we’re hearing a lot about HTML5 and CSS3. These new web standards promise

video and audio support and many graphical improvements in webpage rendering, as well as certain technical tidbits, such as drag-and-drop support, which will make our web-browsing experience more enjoyable. It’s all fine and dandy, but how

many CSS3 and HTML5

features are supported in today’s web browser? The answer comes in a deliciously visual way. This interactive visualization shows you support for most important HTML5 and CSS3 features in eight major browsers; move the mouse over

it to see the names of individual features. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: browser, css3, HTML5

Social Media/

E-reader News Edition

NORTH continued from page 71

built a "unique thermo-nuclear reaction device." We've got your skepticism right here. We don't mean to be xenophobic here, nor do we wish to diminish the work of North Korea's nuclear scientists, who have no doubt been hard at work. But a means of controlling a sustained nuclear fusion reaction has eluded the best scientists in the world collaborating across borders and continents for half a century. So the idea that isolationist and economically destitute North Korea has cobbled together the physical means -- brainpower notwithstanding -- to conquer one of modern science's greatest challenges is a bit hard to swallow. Nuclear fusion is, of course, the long-sought golden ticket to inexpensive and clean energy that is, for our purposes, limitless. It's the process that occurs naturally in stars when

nuclei of light gases fuse together under immense pressure, releasing considerable energy that could be harnessed to solve the world's energy problems. But while laboratory demonstrations have recreated the phenomena, no one has yet been able to create a sustained, controlled reaction that could be used to generate electricity -though many are trying. Per usual, North Korea's claim, published in the newspaper Rodong Sinmun, is a bit vague, so it's conceivable that scientists there demonstrated a small fusion reaction in-lab and North Korea's state media -- notorious for blowing things way out of proportion -- turned this announcement into something more than it is. More likely, it's nothing. Without concrete evidence, which seems particularly scarce at this pivotal moment in human history, we're calling shenanigans here. Pyongyang is

inclined toward manufacturing the truth, with a particular penchant for conjuring momentous occasions to coincide with events in its own history, and this one supposedly coincides with the birthday of the nation's founder, Kim Ilsung. In the meantime, we'll happily eat our words if it turns out North Korea is telling the truth. There's a team of international atomic energy experts on standby somewhere waiting to for the chance to observe North Korea's nuclear energy program up close. The next logical step would be to have them come take a look at it. However, we're not holding our breaths for that invitation. [ BBC]

3D Video Recording Coming to a Cell Phone Near You Barb Dybwad (Mashable!) Submitted at 5/13/2010 12:50:24 AM

When we say everything is going 3D, we really mean it. Roger Ebert notwithstanding, the world has gone gaga for 3D, from Titanic to the$100 bill and even Playboy Bunnies. But wait, you say — there’s still a huge gap in terms of actually being able to produce 3D video thanks to the expensive new equipment outlays required. True, but consumer electronics manufacturer Sharp has plans to leapfrog over much of that gap by the end of this year by bringing the world’s first 3D camera for mobile devices to a cell phone near you. The camera module, designed specifically for small devices like cell phones and digital cameras, shoots 3D footage at 720p resolution. Samples of the new camera will be available by July before the real mass production begins, so by this summer we should be able to get our eyes on the level of quality we might expect from devices that will incorporate it later this year. If Sharp is able to produce the modules at comparable cost, it might not be long until 3D video

support becomes a commodity baked in to most smartphones and point-and-shoots. There are yet other problems to solve, not the least of which is ensuring everyone has the means to comfortably view 3D content — whether it be via glasses or through the still relatively nascent glasses-less 3D technology. Nevertheless, Sharp’s mobile 3D camera stands to be yet another important milestone in the march to ubiquitous 3D. Would you be interested in the ability to record 3D video right from your cell phone, or do you think 2D will keep most people content for some time? [via Engadget] For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: 3D, cameras, cell phones, Mobile 2.0, Sharp, video

Science/

E-reader News Edition

Bioelectric Nanotube Transistor Could Bring Biology and Machines Closer Together Clay Dillow (Popular Science New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 5/12/2010 3:53:15 PM

Carbon Nanotubes By stretching a carbon nanotube between two electrodes and adding some biotech wizardry, researchers have created a transistor that turns the body's chemical energy into electricity. St Stev via Flickr Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab have taken a big step toward bridging the gap between mind and machine. Using ATP adenosine triphosphate, the molecular medium of energy exchange present in nearly all living cells - the team has created a novel transistor that could allow electronic devices that can be hooked directly into the nervous system. The transistor, which creator Aleksandr Noy calls the first integrated bioelectronic system, consists of a carbon nanotube stretched between two electrodes that is wrapped in an insulator at both ends but exposed in the middle. The

transistor is then wrapped in a lipid bi-layer akin to those that surround the cells that make up our bodies. When the team applied voltage to the electrodes and poured a solution full of ATP and potassium and sodium ions over the transistor, current flowed from electrode to electrode. The magic is in the lipid bi-

layer, which contains an ATPsensitive protein that serves as a kind of ion pump when ATP is present. The lipid hydrolyses ATP molecules, with each occurence causing three sodium ions to move one way through the lipid and two potassium ions to move the other way, netting one charge across the bi-layer to the nanotube.

This means the higher the ATP concentration, the stronger the current flows through the transistor. When the ATP concentration is reduced, ions move back through the membrane and the current is reduced. It all adds up to a way to use biological chemical energy to create electricity from the movement of ions in the body. As for applications, the researchers think they've just scratched the surface when it comes to creating integrated bioelectric systems in which machines and living beings communicate in a more seamless way. It could lead to electronics that live permanently within the body without needing batteries or outside power supplies to operate. More importantly, it could lead to the Holy Grail of prosthetic research: mechanical devices that can be wired seamlessly to our brains. [ New Scientist]

While Hiding Behind the Sun, Jupiter Loses One of its Belts Clay Dillow (Popular Science New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 5/12/2010 2:30:55 PM

Jupiter, Before and After Anthony Wesley The science world is upside down this afternoon. First North Korea announces it has cracked the nut on nuclear fusion. Now Jupiter has lost one of its belts, specifically the Southern Equatorial Belt (SEB) which figures prominently in Jupiter's overall appearance. Astronomers aren't exactly sure why this happens, but the flightiness of the SEB is actually not unprecedented. Jupiter's bands are actually clouds, with the SEB being primarily made up of ammonia ice, sulfur, and phosphorous hovering above the planet's toxic, gaseous surface. The belt took leaves of absence in both the early 1990s and in 1973, so its disappearance now, if anything, is a bit overdue (it seems to be on a roughly 15year cycle). But due to the orbital dynamics of Earth and Jupiter, this WHILE page 74

Science/ Religion/

E-reader News Edition

Sharp Unveils 3-D-Shooting Cellphone Camera Corinne Iozzio (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 5/12/2010 1:45:00 PM

Sharp 3-D HD Camera Module Sharp Today Sharp announced plans that could turn your cellphone into a 3-D-shooting mini film studio as early as next year. The company today unveiled a mobile-phone 3-D camera capable of shooting in high def. The module captures 720p stereoscopic (two-eyed) video and is only about two inches wide. To put that in perspective: Fuji's 3-D camera uses much larger, heavier sensors and only records standard-def video. The camera on its own, though, needs help to produce a 3-D image. As with a 3-D TV or Blu -ray player, there needs to be an integrated circuit capable of decoding the stereoscopic signal, converting file formats, and then sending the information to a 3-D-ready display. Oh, yeah, Sharp has one of those, too: the glasses-less kind. In March, the company announced a small-format

screen consisting of two stacked LCD screens; the screen on top only displays thin vertical black lines, which block half of the image at a time, so that your right and left eyes only see their own angles. The meshing of the two images is your brain's job. It's been rumored for a while now that Sharp's screen will be what makes Mario pop on the forthcoming 3-D Nintendo DS, so it's only natural to intuit that maybe (just maybe) the DS will

both display and capture in three dimensions. For the time being, though, it's all just conjecture -especially considering that these camera modules won't go into production for several more months, and Nintendo's still mum on when the 3DS rollout might start. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled.

WHILE continued from page 73

particular disrobing was far more abrupt. Jupiter has been hanging out on the other side of the sun since late 2009, obscured from our view for the last few months. The belt disappeared while Jupiter was hiding, making for quite a drastic change in appearance when it recently re-emerged. If this occurrence follows the precedent of the others, the planet should maintain its appearance for another few weeks - possibly even months at which point a bright white spot will appear and begin seeding the former belt with dark blobs, eventually restoring the SEB to its former dark color. And if that doesn't happen?

Well, that's not really a problem. Jupiter has looked more or less the same as long as we've known her, so if she wants to shake things up a bit, that's her prerogative. For kicks, we've include the original footage from the Voyager flyby below, where you can get a good look at just how lively Jupiter's atmosphere can be. [ Astro Bob via TGDaily, Slashdot]

The medium and the message Mollie (GetReligion) Submitted at 5/12/2010 5:54:14 PM

Pope Benedict XVI is on a visit to Portugal. As is his custom for trips outside the Vatican, he takes reporters’ questions while in-flight. One of the responses has gotten quite a bit of media coverage. Here’s how Reuters put it: Pope Benedict said on Tuesday that the greatest threat to Catholicism came from “sin within the Church”, one if (sic) his most forthright comments so far on a sexual abuse scandal

that has created turmoil in the church. The Church has “a very deep need” to recognize that it must do penitence for its sins and “accept purification”, he said. “Today we see in a truly terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from outside enemies but is born of sin within the Church,” Benedict told reporters on the plane to Portugal, replying to a question about the MEDIUM page 75

E-reader News Edition

MEDIUM continued from page 74

scandal. The first thing I find fascinating about this is the angle that all media outlets are taking. They’re saying these are the first or most forthright comments pointing out the church’s errors. I find it fascinating because back in mid-April a reader sent along a transcript of one of the Pope’s homilies from that time. In very short order, he gave an emotional acknowledgment of the sins of the church, a call to Christian penance, hope and encouragement to a suffering church, a direct (albeit gentle) challenge to the West’s current concept of freedom and to individualism absent a reverence for God, and a stunning indictment of the way news cycles are formed. And for the most part, the media barely acknowledged the homily — much less the more interesting parts of it. The indictment of the media had to do with what Benedict called the dictatorship of conformist opinion. It was ironic, then, that the general lack of coverage of that important sermon only confirmed what he was saying. I can’t find the full homily online but here is a summary from the Vatican Information Service. Anyway, I find the chosen angle interesting because I actually found the Pope’s midApril homily to be just as forthright as his remarks to journalists. In fact, because they

were in the context of a full homily, they packed much more punch than the Q&A session with reporters. In the current scandal environment, we’re seeing a lot of talking past each other. As veteran Godbeat scribe Kenneth Woodward said well in his “ Church of the New York Times” piece, we’re witnessing cultures that are completely at odds with each other. I realized, upon reading dozens of the comments left in a New York Times story about these latest remarks, that readers didn’t really understand that the same act could be both a sin and a crime. This is startling to me, but a reminder of how secularized the media (in general, not just news media) has become. In the opposite vein, it’s also true that the Vatican moves in decades and centuries. Nothing could be more foreign to the modern media environment where on Tuesday we’re supposed to be obsessed with a missing blonde American, on Wednesday with a Vatican sex scandal, and on Thursday with an oil spill. There are advantages to the fast information age, obviously, but considered decision-making is probably not one of them. One of my favorite economics professors — Tyler Cowen — was profiled in the Washington Post today. An information hound, he’s also skeptical of

how the news media convey information. The reporter who profiled him at least engaged the issue. But it seems as if the only coverage we get of Benedict must relate to scandal or politics. If he speaks outside of those areas, it’s like he becomes magically invisible. There must be some deeper meaning in how the Pope’s comments directly to reporters get more play than an actual homily. Or maybe it’s just a shame that that particular homily, in which Benedict subtly critiqued the way in which instant global communications can lead more to a feeding frenzy echo chamber rather than considered action. Benedict is clearly someone who cares more about making systemic changes over time than being on top of a public relations wave. People will probably differ about whether that’s good or bad. But I think he challenges the media and their silence and lack of response to the questions he raised says a great deal. No one disagrees that the sexual “filth” as then-Cardinal Ratzinger called it, is a deep problem in the church and the culture. But I think some people are beginning to question the manner in which the media can assert its power to destroy reputations, organizations and lives with the publication of a few stories, editorials and

cartoons. That is a story that the normally navel-gazing media would do well to consider. Anyway, the New York Times story by Rachel Donadio is heavy on analysis but also on news and context. Her take on the remarks was that Benedict had been undercut by underlings who hurt the Vatican’s public relations efforts. But also, I guess, that he was changing his tune: Benedict’s remarks on Tuesday appeared to show that the pope himself would now be dictating the message. “Today we see in a really terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the church does not come from the enemies outside, but is born from the sin in the church,” the pope said. “The church has a profound need to relearn penance, to accept purification, to learn on the one hand forgiveness but also the necessity of justice,” he added. The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, characteristically played down the idea that the pope’s remarks on sexual abuse represented a change in his thinking. “I would insist on the fact that the pope didn’t change gears,” Father Lombardi said at a news conference late Tuesday. He said that the pope had expressed his thoughts more deeply in his letter to Irish Catholics, but acknowledged

that on Tuesday the pope expressed himself with more “density and clarity” than he had in recent days. The pope, he said, was “more clear and explicit in the way in which he lives and sees the spiritual meaning of this situation of the church with the scandal of pedophilia.” Maybe Lombardi is “characteristically” playing down the idea that the pope’s remarks on sexual abuse represented a change because he’s a lying spin machine. Or maybe he’s “characteristically” doing that because, in fact, Benedict’s remarks to do not represent a change of thinking. I wrote a post last week that included comments from quite a few people who suggest that Benedict did undergo a change — but many years ago, not a few weeks ago. As in, back when he was given the task of rooting out pedophile priests and realized how big a problem it was. And they say that he’s been their best advocate in working to make systemic changes to how the Vatican handles problem priests. In other words, perhaps it would be better to avoid the use of such words to describe Lombardi’s views. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK MEDIUM page 76

Religion/

E-reader News Edition

Those generic attackers (chanting ‘Allahu akbar’) tmatt (GetReligion)

this early report were drawn from interviews, most likely by Submitted at 5/12/2010 9:24:01 AM telephone, with Vilks, a Uppsala The following information is University spokesperson and sad, but true. It is very common police (plus material from a for mainstream journalists, Swedish news agency). Having especially wire-service reporters done several hundred columns in foreign bureaus, to have to and stories under these kinds of write about events that they do circumstances, I know that it is not have the time or money to crucial that the reporter keep cover in person. pressing these sources for The telltale sign of this practical details in order to get syndrome can be seen in the some kind of mental picture of s e c o n d p a r a g r a p h o f t h e what happened. following Associated Press In this case, we end up with report from Stockholm, which in this: an early version ran under the Vilks said a group of about 15 oh-so-ironic headline, “Swedish people had been shouting and artist attacked during free- trying to interrupt the lecture speech lecture.” before the incident at Uppsala A Swedish artist who angered University. Many of them Muslims by depicting the stormed the front of the room Prophet Muhammad as a dog after the attack and clashed with was assaulted Tuesday while security guards as Vilks was giving a university lecture about pulled away into a separate the limits of artistic freedom. room, he said, describing the Lars Vilks told The Associated scene as “complete chaos.” … Press a man in the front row ran University officials said there up to him and head-butted him h a d b e e n a p e a c e f u l during a lecture, breaking his demonstration by Muslims g l a s s e s b u t l e a v i n g h i m outside the university before uninjured. It wasn’t immediately Vilks started to speak, and that clear what happened to the about 250 people attended his a t t a c k e r . V i l k s h a s f a c e d lecture. Bjork said the university numerous threats over his had been in contact with police c o n t r o v e r s i a l d r a w i n g o f and security guards before Muhammad with a dog’s body, Vilks’ lecture to ensure his but Tuesday’s incident was the safety. first time he has been physically So, here are the crucial assaulted. questions: Who attacked Vilks? In other words, the contents of D i d h e t e l l A P w h a t t h e

attackers were shouting? Did the reporter ask? The implication is that the attack was inspired by scandalous material that the cartoonist was showing to the audience. We are told that peaceful Muslims were protesting outside. So who attacked him? Did this scene include any practical details that might offer clues? Well, in this day and age, the odds are always good that someone will be present who is using a cellphone camera or another video device. Thus, we can consult the YouTube video that is featured at the top of this post. It doesn’t take a graduate degree in world religions to figure out that the Arabic phrase being screamed by the attackers and their supporters (a large number of the voices sound female) is “Allahu akbar (God is great).” That might be a clue as to the identity of the attackers. You think? The Associated Press eventually caught this detail. Thus, a later version of the report was tweaked to say that a video obtained by a Swedish newspaper, “showed police using pepper spray and batons to hold off an angry crowd shouting “God is great” in Arabic after Vilks was escorted out of the lecture hall.” The following information was

added about the Iranian film that was Vilks was showing at the time of the attacks: “It was about when Muslims and Muhammad are represented in homosexual situations,” said Anders Montelius, a 23-year-old student who attended the lecture. “Some people started shouting, things happened really fast. About 10 to 15 seconds later it erupts. A guy from the front row gets up and sets upon Vilks. Several others followed this man. There was commotion and police pepper-sprayed a couple of people,” Montelius told AP. “When the university person responsible for the lecture announced that the lecture was discontinued, there were cheers and chants in Arabic,” he said. So here is my question: What version of this story, if any, ran in your newspaper today? Does it include the crucial “Allahu akbar” detail? Or, did your newspaper or website of choice stay with the early version and generic attackers? Did it run anything about this event? God is, literally, in the details. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

MEDIUM continued from page 75

General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Big flood (yawn) in flyover country Bobby (GetReligion) Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:30:16 AM

Talk about bad timing. And bad location. Someone could write a good country song — or even a bad one — about the great Nashville, Tenn., flood of 2010. I’m sure you heard about it, assuming you didn’t take a quick restroom break and miss the full report on the news. If you somehow didn’t hear about it, the latest issue of Time carries an in-depth oneparagraph report. In a nutshell, a major American city suffered a tremendous natural disaster:$1.5 billion or more in damages, thousands of homes destroyed, two dozen or more lives lost. But Music City chose the same weekend as a major oil spill and a failed terrorist attack to endure this fate. Call it bad timing. Worse, the city sometimes referred to as the buckle of the Bible Belt staged its disaster in BIG page 77

E-reader News Edition

BIG continued from page 76

flyover country. Call it bad location. However, there’s another major, perhaps bigger factor involved here. Politics. More precisely, the lack of politics to drive the story and media interest. Newsweek weighed in with this analysis of why the media ignored Nashville. A friend of mine, Brent High, wrote this. Local blogger Patten Fuqua penned this. And here is what The Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz said in response to a question earlier this week: Q. There’s a lot of anger in Nashville from people who are convinced that the national media ignored that city’s flood and much of west Tennessee. What about it — do they have a valid point? A. They have a completely valid point. With a few exceptions — CNN’s Anderson Cooper went there late last week — the devastating Nashville flooding was a blip on the national radar. It was, to be sure, overshadowed by the Times

Square attempted bombing and the Gulf oil spill. But I also believe that because there was no political component, no one to blame, it didn’t interest the pundits much because there was nothing to argue about. Nashville also seems to have hurt itself (in terms of media coverage) by not screwing up the disaster response. Besides the city government, Red Cross and community groups, the relief effort involves thousands of volunteers organized by churches. Bob Smietana, GetReligion reader and Tennessean religion writer extraordinaire, shares these insights: There’s a real sense of neighbors helping neighbors and a can-do spirit. A lot of the work has been organized by Twitter and Facebook and other social media. Also — unless you are here, you can’t appreciate scope of the flood. So far 18,000 people have applied for FEMA relief to repair their homes — a striking number. It’s all over Nashville — from the wealthy Bellevue

community to the impoverished Bordeaux community north of downtown to immigrant communities in Antioch to rural Hickman County. Unless you get your feet on the ground and into neighborhoods, you don’t get a feel for the enormity of the disaster. The flood happened unexpectedly as well — we were supposed to get a few inches of rain and got 20 in two days. But there was no dramatic buildup — like during Katrina, or during floods in the Midwest, where the rivers rose slowly and there was time to repair. It’s a massive disaster that came literally from nowhere. The Tennessean, Nashville’s daily newspaper, has been all over this story, of course. And as you’d expect, it’s dripping with religion angles (see here, here, here, here and here for a start). But what the story lacks is a real news peg. No, flooded homes won’t work. Neither will a herculean relief effort. What we need here are some Nashville leaders willing to step

up and argue. Loudly. On TV. Give the media something worth reporting. If the Southern Baptist Convention can’t stage a madefor-prime-time debate between fundamentalists and liberals, perhaps native son Al Gore could step in and blame the flooding on global warming — or better yet, find a reason to criticize Washington’s role in the disaster response. As a last resort, maybe Sarah Palin could bring a Flood-the-Town-withTea-Party event to Nashville to raise awareness and drum up media interest. Whatever it takes. Because right now, the only story here is a devastated community and thousands of lives forever changed. Yawn. Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Social Media/

Would New Law Hamper Startup Fundraising? Jolie O'Dell (Mashable!)

investor who wanted to help out in that regard — would have to conform to the regulations of The U.S.’s proposed Financial individual states. This might Reform bill could place some make deals between parties in pretty tough constraints on angel different states more investors, possibly upsetting the complicated, and it would balance of early-stage venture definitely introduce another capital for tech startups. level of bureaucracy to the A report today got into the nitty true, the pool of potential angel process. Most troubling of all, it -gritty details of the massive bill i n v e s t o r s w i l l s h r i n k would potentially worsen the and uncovered some stipulations c o n s i d e r a b l y , l e a v i n g a uneven playing field already felt that would definitely affect the proportional number of startups b y s t a r t u p s i n l e s s early-stage investment market, out in the financial cold to entrepreneurial-minded states. possibly making raising funds bootstrap and/or beg from For example, one might suppose for web-based and technology friends and family to get off the that California’s investment startups a whole lot more ground before seeing a Series A. legislation would favor startups, 2. Startups will undergo a 4- angels and VCs, as a significant difficult. Three main points have been month SEC review. portion of that state’s economy identified as applying to angel With SEC registration and is the tech sector. Other state investors, who are typically review required at the outset — legislation might not be so among the first to find and fund before any funds are raised — favorable, though. very early-stage tech companies: many startups will die before Do these measures in the 1. Investors will have to be they’re born. Anything having Finance Reform bill give you to do with securities law is pause, or do you think they worth more money. T h e b i l l p r o p o s e s t h a t going to rack up a small or might lead to good things? Let “ a c c r e d i t e d i n v e s t o r s ” b e seeming fortune in legal fees, a us know your opinions in the defined as persons with a small fortune that would be comments. minimum net worth of $2.3 better spent on engineering and [img credit: misserion. hat million or annual income of marketing, at least from an tip:@ozsultan.] $450,000. This represents an entrepreneur’s point of view. For more business coverage, increase of $1.3 million and It’s ironic to note that, at that follow Mashable Business on $200,000, respectively, for each point, the startup would have to Twitter or become a fan on criterion. This means that some pay money in order to raise Facebook successful-by-any-definition money. 3. Angel investments Reviews: Facebook, Twitter folks will not be eligible to will be under state control. Tags: angel investors, angels, invest even small amounts in Finally, any startup that wanted business, startups, vc startups. If that turns out to be to get funding — and any angel Submitted at 5/12/2010 11:51:57 PM

E-reader News Edition

Fotolia Goes Global and HD with Microsoft Office Plugin Jolie O'Dell (Mashable!) Submitted at 5/13/2010 1:51:01 AM

Fotolia, a social marketplace for royalty-free stock images, will be giving Microsoft Office 2010 users a lot of room to play with their documents and other creations. The company is expanding its Office plugin to include global language support, HD videos, free image downloads and more. Fotolia’s plugin is called a “ribbon,” and it allows users to integrate free images and other media with their Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint presentations. The ribbon also lets users download HD videos and subscription images to integrate with their Office creations. Users get 15 free images per day. The ribbon is backwards compatible with Office 2007, as well. Several years ago, Fotolia began giving Microsoft Office users free access to their stock images — at the time, the number of images available started at a paltry 500. Now, the service covers 8 million images

and support for 12 languages in 10 countries and regions. Once the Fotolia plugin is installed, users can see search results in line with their documents and presentations. The ribbon will also display custom galleries, libraries of downloaded images, a selection of free images each day and lightbox and download features. Fotolia focuses on “microstock,” which is kind of like micropayments for stock photography. Their non-free images can cost as little as $0.75 For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: fotolia, microsoft, Office 2010, stock photography