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William F. Buckley, Jr., RIP
By James Joyner (Outside The
Beltway | OTB)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:32:55 AM
Kathryn Jean Lopez has the sad news that
“William F. Buckley Jr., died overnight in
his study in Stamford, Connecticut. After
year of illness, he died while at work.”
Sad news, indeed.
More from AP:
Author and conservative commentator
William F. Buckley Jr. has died at age 82.
His assistant Linda Bridges says Buckley
died Wednesday morning at his home in
Stamford, Conn. She says he had been ill
with emphysema and was found dead by
his cook.
Buckley became famous for his intellectual
political writings in his magazine, the
National Review, and his frequent
television appearances, including on his
own long-running “Firing Line.”
I grew up on “Firing Line” and read
National Review for years until finally
tiring of the magazine’s stilted style and
assumption that I was an old money
Catholic who spoke Latin fluently. I even
read and enjoyed Buckley’s Blackford
Oakes spy novels. His recent
autobiography, Miles Gone By: A Literary
Autobiography, was also well worth a read.
Buckley’s intellectual leadership, judgment,
and tone were cornerstones in building the
modern conservative movement. His good
OTB Radio - Tonight at 7 Eastern
By James Joyner (Outside The
Beltway | OTB)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 1:00:38 PM
The next episode of OTB Radio, our
BlogTalkRadio program, will record and
air live tonight from 7-8 Eastern.
Dave Schuler and Chris Lawrence will join
sense in denouncing the John Birchers and
distancing himself from the excesses of Pat
Buchanan and others earned him respect on
both sides of the aisle.
UPDATE: The New York Times, which
presumably keeps obits ready in
circumstances like these, has the first long
form report I’ve seen.
William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled
polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched
eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind
to elevate conservatism to the center of
American political discourse, died
Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn.
Mr Buckley, 82, suffered from diabetes and
emphysema, his son Christopher said,
although the exact cause of death was not
immediately known. He was found at his
desk in the study of his home, his son said.
“He might have been working on a
column,” Mr. Buckley said.
Mr. Buckley’s winningly capricious
personality, replete with ten-dollar words
and a darting tongue writers loved to
compare with an anteater’s, hosted one of
television’s longest-running programs,
“Firing Line,” and founded and shepherded
the influential conservative magazine,
National Review. He also found time to
write more than 45 books, ranging from
sailing odysseys to spy novels to
celebrations of his own dashing daily life,
and edit five more. The more than 4.5
me to talk about the latest twists and turns
in Campaign 2008, the war in Iraq, and
whatever else we can think of in a
relatively slow news week.
Please join us. We’ll also be taking your
calls at (646) 716-7030.
You can play the show, subscribe to its
feed, or share it with your friends via the
27/02/08 - 27/02/08
million words of his 5,600 biweekly
newspaper columns, “On the Right,” would
fill 45 more medium-sized books.
Mr. Buckley’s greatest achievement was
making conservatism — not just electoral
Republicanism, but conservatism as a
system of ideas — respectable in liberal
post-World War II America. He mobilized
the young enthusiasts who helped nominate
Barry Goldwater in 1964, and saw his
dreams fulfilled when Reagan and the
Bushes captured the Oval Office. To Mr.
Buckley’s enormous delight, Arthur M.
Schlesinger, Jr., the historian, termed him
“the scourge of liberalism.”
In remarks at National Review’s 30th
anniversary in 1985, President Reagan
joked that he picked up his first issue of the
magazine in a plain brown wrapper and still
anxiously awaited his biweekly edition —
“without the wrapper.” “You didn’t just
part the Red Sea — you rolled it back,
dried it up and left exposed, for all the
world to see, the naked desert that is
statism,” Mr. Reagan said. “And then, as if
that weren’t enough,” the president
continued, “you gave the world something
different, something in its weariness it
desperately needed, the sound of laughter
and the sight of the rich, green uplands of
freedom.”
Much more at the link.
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LibertyNewsprint.
Iraqi Army Trading AK-47
for M-16
By James Joyner (Outside The
Beltway | OTB)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:15:24 AM
The Iraqi military is trading in its AK-47s
for shiny new M-16s.
In a move that could be the most enduring
imprint of U.S. influence in the Arab world,
American military officials in Baghdad
have begun a crash program to outfit the
entire Iraqi army with M-16 rifles. The
initiative marks a sharp break for a culture
steeped in the traditions of the Soviet-era
AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, a symbol
of revolutionary zeal and third-world
simplicity that is ubiquitous among the
militaries of the Middle East.
“We in the U.S. know that the M-16 is
superior to the AK … it’s more durable,”
said Army Col. Stephen Scott, who’s in
charge of helping the Iraqi army get all the
equipment it needs to outfit its forces. “The
Iraqis have embraced that … and the fact
that it is U.S. manufactured and supplied.
They are very big on U.S.-produced
[foreign military sales] materials,” he said
in an interview with military bloggers this
month.
So far, the U.S. military has helped the
Iraqi army purchase 43,000 rifles - a mix of
full-stock M-16A2s and compact M-4
carbines. Another 50,000 rifles are
currently on order, and the objective is to
outfit the entire Iraqi army with 165,000
American rifles in a one-for-one
replacement of the AK-47. “Our goal is to
give every Iraqi soldier an M-16A2 or an M
-4,” Scott said. “And as the Iraqi army
grows, we will adjust.”
Scott added the mass of AK-47s from
various manufacturers floating through the
Iraqi army’s inventory could cause
maintenance and reliability problems.
Getting both U.S. and Iraqi forces on the
same page when it comes to basic
weaponry is part of the argument for M-16
outfitting. “I’m also a fan of AKs,” Scott
said. “But keep in mind most of these AKs
have been sitting around in bunkers or
whatnot for 30 or 40 years [and] are in
various stages of disrepair.”
[…]
“Most of the soldiers think they will be just
like the Americans, and that is making
them very happy,” said Capt. Rafaat Mejal
Ahmed, the Iraqi 1st Division weapons and
ammunition officer, in a Marine Corps
release. “They think the modern technology
will make them more powerful.”
Interesting. There’s not much doubt that the
M-16 is a more accurate weapon, especially
compared to decades-old AKs. On the other
hand, it’s incredibly hard to keep clean in a
desert environment — and much less
forgiving of being dirty than that Soviet
counterpart.
The cultural thing works both ways. On the
one hand, it could be seen as a symbol of
American imperialism. On the other, it’s
also a symbol of a transformation into a
more modern military force and a break
with the bad old days of Saddam.
via Defense Tech
UPDATE:Matt Sanchez describes the AK
as “a rattling weapon that is inaccurate and
clunky” and got mixed reaction when he
discussed the change with soldiers in Anbar
province.
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2 Politics
Poll Shows Ray of Light for McCain
By Tommy Christopher (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 3:00:00 AM
Filed under: Republicans, John McCain,
2008 President, PollsAccording to the LA
Times, a new poll indicates some surprising
advantages for John McCain over the
Democratic candidates with regard to
public opinion. The LA Times/Bloomberg
poll shows McCain with advantages on
"leadership", handling Iraq, and the
economy. Some choice cuts from the story:
The findings underscore the difficulties
ahead for Democrats as they hope to retake
the White House during a time of war, with
voters giving McCain far higher marks
when it comes to experience, fighting
terrorism and dealing with the situation in
Iraq.
In head-to-head contests, the poll found,
McCain leads Clinton by 6 percentage
points (46% to 40%) and Obama by 2
points (44% to 42%). Neither lead is
commanding given that the survey,
conducted Feb. 21-25, has a margin of error
of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Even though McCain has joked about his
lack of expertise on economic issues, voters
picked him over Obama, 42% to 34%, as
being best able to handle the economy.
However, Clinton led McCain on that issue,
43% to 34%.
The story also has McCain winning the
Fear vote. Literally. Bob Fear is going to
vote for him: "I just think he's older, he's
more experienced, and he's got the
betterment of the country in mind," said
Robert Fear, 79, a registered Democrat
from Newton, Ill., who said he planned to
support McCain in November.How good is
this news for McCain, and conversely, how
bad for the Democrats? Brief analysis to
follow.
There's a lot of cognitive dissonance in this
poll, and McCain needs to figure out how
to innoculate his advantages against that.
On Iraq, for instance, he polls ahead of the
Democrats, despite overwhelming public
opposition to the war. Within the poll, he
has a sizeable margin over the Dems on the
"strongest leader" question, yet trails badly
when it comes to having the ability to make
changes in Washington. On the economy,
as the story states, McCain will be
campaigning against himself. His head-to-
head margin against Obama is very slim,
within the margin of error. With the
Democrats still settling on a nominee, they
haven't begun to campaign against McCain
in earnest, so now is the time to address
these issues.
The war in Iraq is a key vulnerability for
McCain, but a shift to a more flexible
outlook by McCain would help him a lot.
He needs to figure out a way to step back
from the "100 years" statement, while
maintaining message integrity. He needs to
show a light at the end of the tunnel.
On the economy, his best strategy is to
surround himself with credible, preferably
bipartisan, advisers. McCain will be
battling for independent and conservative
Democratic votes, and a lot of his appeal
with them has to do with the perception,
real or not, that he puts principles over
party.
Maintaining his lead over Obama will be
difficult, as negative campaigning hasn't
seemed to work on him. His biggest
advantage is in the "strongest leader"
category, so he needs to buttress that, while
avoiding the temptation to trash Obama on
that count. The two are in a near-total
deadlock in favorability, at 61% each, with
bipartisan support about equal. The same is
true of "honesty and integrity." With these
two candidates going after the same voters,
who like both of them, a negative campaign
seems like a really bad idea.
A great way around this is the "apolattack",
showcased in yesterday's denunciation by
McCain of comments by a radio host at a
McCain event. Whether deliberate or not,
McCain gets a powerful double-dip here. In
apologizing, he gets to repeat the charge, or
get the media to, and he looks like a good
guy for "taking responsibility", a phrase
that used to mean you would accept some
sort of consequence. Hillary Clinton has
used this to lesser effect, but McCain is
more believable. He can only go to this
well a few times, though, so he should use
this judiciously.
What he should not do is take Mark
Halperin's advice: (sorry, analysis):
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Things McCain can do when running
against Obama that Clinton has been unable
to do well or at all:
1. Play the national security card without
hesitation.
2. Talk about the Iraq War without
apologies or perceived contradiction.
3. Go at Obama unambiguously from the
right.
4. Encourage interest groups, bloggers, and
right-leaning media to explore Obama's
past.
5. Make an issue of Obama's acknowledged
drug use.
6. Allow some supporters to risk being
accused of using the race card when
criticizing Obama.
7. Exploit Michelle Obama's mistakes and
address her controversial remarks with
unrestricted censure.
8. Play dirty without alienating his party.
9. Dismiss Obama's brief national tenure
from his own lofty platform of decades in
the Senate - there will be no ambiguity
about who has more experience as
conventionally defined.
10. Use his sterling war record to reinforce
his image of patriotism and valor - and
contrast it with his opponent's.
11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama's
unusual name and exotic background
through a Manchurian Candidate prism.
12. Employ third party groups like the
NRA to hit Obama on issues that might
turn off general election voters. Perhaps an
ad such as this will run in Ohio: "So, what
do you really know about Barack Obama?
Did you know he supports meeting with the
head of terrorist states? Do you know he
wants to get rid of your right to own a
handgun? Do you know he is calling for the
repeal of the law preventing gay marriage?
Do you know he is for a trillion-dollar tax
increase? What do you really know about
POLL page 3
Your Click and Print Newspaper
NYT Dishes it Out, Can't Take it
By Tommy Christopher (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:14:00 AM
Filed under: Hillary Clinton, Democrats,
Featured Stories, 2008 President, MediaThe
New York Times is in hot water again for
its use of anonymous sources, this time
from the Clinton campaign. The Times
published an article that painted Hillary's
campaign as going into surrender mode,but
relied heavily on unnamed sources for that
characterization, while named sources
provided analysis of the campaign without
the characterization.
The Clinton campaign responded to the
Times story with a letter to the editor,
which the Times rejected: Armed with
hundreds of signatures from campaign
staffers and volunteers, the campaign
attempted to respond with a letter to the
editor in the Times, but says it was rejected
on the grounds that they hold "valuable
space" for "ordinary readers."
A Clinton aide pointed out that "This letter
is a mere 218 words, and signed by 503
people - thirty three times as many people
as the story cites, and all of them by name."
Clinton staffers and volunteers also
submitted individual letters, which the
Times has yet to accept.A Times editor
later revised the paper's position, stating
that the rejection was based on the letter
being a "thinly disguised press release."
That may be true, but the letter makes a
legitimate point that deserves a response: In
regards to Patrick Healy's story on Sun, Feb
24, 2008, "Somber Clinton Soldiers On as
the Horizon Darkens" The unnamed
advisers and aides the story relies on speak
for nobody but themselves. The rest of us -
thousands of her supporters, friends,
members of her staff and volunteers - are
POLL
continued from page 2
Barack Obama?"
13. Face an electorate less consumed with
"change change change" (the main priority
for Democratic voters) and keenly
interested in "ready from day one" as an
equally important ideal.
working tirelessly each and every day and
night, because we believe in Hillary.
Meanwhile, the Times did take "valuable
space" to publish an 8 page defense of their
McCain story. After the jump, a quick
analysis of the inherent hypocrisy.
First of all, you have to understand that in
journalism, a story can be absolutely true,
and yet still unprintable by journalistic
standards. In my view, neither story meets
the Times' standards, and in the case of the
McCain story, barely meets Matt Drudge's
standards.
In the Hillary story, the headline, and the
"sizzle" in the story, is that Hillary Clinton
is resigned to defeat. Now, the offers of fact
made by the named sources are all
14. Link biography (experience/courage)
and leadership (straight talk) to a vision
animated by detail - accentuating Obama's
relative lack of specificity.
15. Give Obama his first real race against a
credible Republican. (Clinton has always
asserted that Obama would wilt before a
consistent with that interpretation, but are
not proof of it. The unnamed sources
provide the entire impetus for the story.
That alone just makes it a thin story, and I
would quibble that the Times followed its
sourcing policy with regard to negotiating
with the sources and describing them
adequately. What makes this reek,
however, is that the Clinton campaign's
letter is not just a press release. Because it
is signed by Hillary's staff and advisers, it
constitutes a factual dispute and deserves to
be published.
Couple that with the fact that they used 8
pages of "valuable space" to rebut public
criticism of themselves, while still not
addressing the central journalistic problem
with their McCain story (e.g. that the
fierce Republican assault.) 16. Confront
Obama with a united, focused campaign
absent of second-guessing, which hits the
same themes and message every day.
Note: This is analysis, not advice.
anonymous sources made no offer of fact to
support their conclusion), makes this seem
all the more unfair.
The New York Times holds itself up as the
"paper of record." While their journalistic
standards may be higher than others' even
on a bad day, lapses such as these give fuel
to those who would attack the paper's
credibility. Check back with me on Friday
for a more detailed analysis of these stories
and the issue of anonymous sourcing.
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One final thought: Obama needs to think
seriously about choosing Hillary as his
running mate. While gender has not proven
to be a positive in making up voters' minds,
a perception of "history denied", coupled
with McCain's high approval with women,
could be a strong negative for Obama.
Anything less than the so-called "Dream
Politics Business 3
ABCs of Texas
Primary
By Faye Anderson (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:16:00 AM
Filed under: DemocratsLast night's
Democratic debate in Cleveland probably
changed few Ohioans' minds about Barack
Obama or Hillary Clinton. And it probably
didn't change any minds in Texas whose
primary is also next week.
But unlike Ohio, the Texas primary is open
to independents and Republicans who made
up their minds about Clinton, say, circa
1992. So, some reportedly are champing at
the bit to cast an ABC vote: Anybody but
Clinton.
Well, they say an elephant never forgets.
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iPhone Software Kit
Coming March 6
By The Huffington Post News Team
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:43:26 PM
Better late than never! Apple (AAPL) will
hold a media briefing on March 6 at its HQ
to focus on "the iPhone software roadmap,"
Barrons' Eric Savitz reports.
On tap: Information about the iPhone
software developers kit, originally
scheduled to launch this month, "and some
exciting new enterprise features."
Ticket" could end up being a nightmare for
the Democrats.
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4 Politics Business Gossip
William F. Buckley, RIP
By Eric Schulzke (Political Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 4:31:00 AM
Filed under: ObitsOne of my heroes died
today. When I was ten, if you asked me
what I wanted to be when I grew up, I
would say "a syndicated columnist." This
blog is, I guess, a dabbling in a fantasy first
spurred by Buckley. When I was a kid, I
religiously read Buckley's magazine,
National Review. I met the man once, at a
PBS fund raiser in Sacramento, where I had
him sign a ragged copy of God and Man at
Yale. One of the most memorable moments
of my youth was in 1978 when, at the age
of 12, I watched two of my heroes --
Buckley and Reagan -- debate the Panama
Canal Treaties, with Buckley defending
them. At the time, I forgave Buckley's
"error" on the canal. With hindsight, I see
he was right there as well.
What made Buckley so potent? For me, it
was an odd combination of substance and
style. His opponents chaffed at his patrician
demeanor and condescending sneer. But for
Everyone’s a Beltway Insider Now
By James Joyner (Outside The
Beltway | OTB)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 10:00:41 AM
Lee Gomes argues that the Internet has
turned garden variety political junkies into
virtual Beltway insiders.
While all good reporters have their own
sources, they also share the same daily
reading list. Most start with the big national
papers, though you can skip those and head
right for a site like Mr. Klein’s “the Note”
at ABCNews.com and “First Read,” via
MSNBC. NationalJournal.com is an
obligatory stop by news junkies, and
newsflashes are available at CNN’s
Political Ticker. RealClearPolitics.com
shows a list of what its editors consider to
be the leading stories. You can also link
there to the latest polls, or flip to similar
information at pollster.com. Another
aggregator of political news,
memeorandum.com, uses a Google-style
Janet Jackson MTV “Total Request Live” Video “Feedback” Performance
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
our side it was a revelation at a time when
the inexorable advance of the welfare state
was presumed and those who opposed it
were glibly dismissed as yahoos. Buckley
had the guts, the brains, the style -- and yes,
the cash -- to stand athwart the stampede
until we could all catch our balance as a
people and realize that Chesterton was right
about the genius of tradition, and Adam
Smith was right about the genius of the
markets.
My favorite Buckley quotation was a
tribute to the common sense of the masses
set against the hubris of the learned class. "I
would rather be governed by the first 2000
names in the Boston telephone book," he
wrote, "than by the faculty of Harvard."
Jonah Golberg, writing, appropriately, at
National Review, puts it well:
He will be greatly missed. But we should
also remember this was not a life cut
tragically short (no matter how much we
wish he were still with us). His
accomplishments were almost incalculable.
algorithm to determine the big political
story of the hour.
There’s a lot to this. Indeed, there’s so
many valuable sources these days that even
the most obsessed can’t keep up with them
all.
Gomes argues that there’s a big down side
to all this: homogeneity.
For one, these sites are all devoted
exclusively to the horse race; look
elsewhere if you want to know what the
candidates might do about the trade
imbalance with China. Second, they tend to
do to political conversation what chain
restaurants do for food, making everyone,
everywhere talk about things the same way.
Jonathan Martin of politico.com, another
site visited many times a day by insiders,
says that political opinions have indeed
been “nationalized,” though he gives equal
credit/blame to the political discussion
panels on cable TV.
Finally, the sites make it easy to lose
Janet Jackson performed “Feedback” on
MTV’s Total Request Live on Tuesday.
As George Will once said, "before there
was Ronald Reagan there was Barry
Goldwater, before there was Goldwater
there was National Review, and before
there was National Review there was
William F. Buckley." As conservatives -
and as Americans - we are all standing on
his shoulders.
Moreover, William F. Buckley's life was
marked by enormous joy. He had a lust for
life as well as for letters and debate. He
raised a wonderful and accomplished son,
loved and was loved by a formidable and
beautiful wife, had more friends than he
could count - or, in a sense, even know -
and will be remembered for generations to
come. Sadness is to be expected at times
like this, and I certainly feel it. But let's
leave room for, if not a celebration, then at
least grateful appreciation, of a singularly
remarkable life.
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perspective. Seeing a story sweep through a
site like memeorandum.com, it might be
difficult to resist joining the herd and its
conventional wisdom. Indeed, some Web
authors say they shut down their computers
to give themselves a chance to think.
“There is a value in crafting your post
without having read what the cognoscenti
have already written about it,” said Marc
Ambinder, who is blogging the election for
the Atlantic.
No doubt. On the other hand, getting
multiple perspectives makes it easy to
avoid leaping to wild conclusions based on
the limited filters of one’s own experience.
Image via Beltway Blogroll
UPDATE:Kevin Drum takes the contrarian
view: “[I]f everybody else is already
writing about something, what’s the
marginal value of one more opinion?
Unless I have something genuinely new to
say, pretty small.”
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Why Farrakhan Matters
By Greg McNeilly (Political Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:48:00 AM
Filed under: Barack Obama, 2008
PresidentAlready, the Obama-can-do-no-
wrong crowd is attacking NBC journalist
Tim Russert for asking Barack Obama
questions about Louis Farrakhan's support.
They contend this was off limits. Most of
these objectors, of course, are silent when
Republicans get scrutinized for the support
of people like Pat Robertson or the former
Jerry Falwell.
These whiney snarksters even suggest this
line of questioning is Russert's lowest
career-point. Oh really? Let's discuss!
Here's the clip from last night's MSNBC
debate:
So why does Farrakhan matter? Or, more
importantly if you're a dyed-in-the-wool
Obama supporter - why should it not
matter?
Frankly, Obama's denouncing answer was
good. Hillary Clinton's rejection answer
was better. They both answered in a
manner that put some distance between
themselves and widely acknowledged hate-
mongers.
Bill Gates networks on LinkedIn
By Tom Taulli (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:09:00 AM
Filed under: Microsoft (MSFT)
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) loves social
networking. No doubt, the company thinks
there's a potential goldmine there.
Hey, the firm recently invested $240
million in Facebook -- at a whopping $15
billion valuation. In fact, Bill Gates even
setup a public profile on the social network.
But there was a problem; that is, too many
people wanted to be his friend. Bill was
actually getting about 8,000 requests per
day.
As a result, he shut down his profile.
Well, Bill hasn't given up. He's now going
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But I suspect the stronger objection to the
Farrakhan question is the content about
Barack Obama's current spiritual leader -
from whom he took the title of his book,
"Audacity of Hope." That is, his current,
ongoing, chosen connections to a spiritual
leader with questionable judgment in
associations.
All of this a bit awkward; it defies fashion
to say we don't care about personal faith or
what a person's believes in the realm of the
supernatural. But the reality is, we really
do.
We may care less so, when it comes to
politicians who are Leftists because we
generally assume that the impact of their
faith is less. Obama is already on record, in
this regard, about a varoety of social issues.
He holds certain positions specifically
because of his religious allegiances. So I
guess it really does matter.
Since Obama normally walks on water
while giving prepared speeches, clearly he
can put this whole set of issues behind him
with some hyped "faith" speech like Mitt
Romney did. Americans are often very
compliant in being shamed into not caring
about such gauche topics.
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to go on LinkedIn and answer questions
regarding his philanthropic efforts (this is
according to a story in C/NET).
To me, LinkedIn's Q&A feature is great
(I've even used it to get sources for my
stories). Although, as for Bill, I'm sure
there will be a flood of questions. Keep in
mind that LinkedIn has 19 million
registered users.
Tom Taulli is the author of various books,
including The Complete M&A Handbook
and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding
Financial Statements. He also operates
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Your Click and Print Newspaper
Obama Tag Teamed on
Farrakhan
By James Joyner (Outside The
Beltway | OTB)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 4:21:15 AM
Last night’s Democratic debate featured
seven minutes of discussion of Louis
Farrakhan’s endorsement of Barack
Obama. Despite Obama forthrightly
rejecting, denouncing, and otherwise
disassociating himself from Farrakhan
within the first paragraph of his answer,
moderator Tim Russert continued to
hammer him with Farrakhan quotes and
then allowed Hillary Clinton a couple of
minutes to bash Obama with the need to
use a word stronger than “renounce.”
Here’s the video:
Josh Marshall is absolutely right on this
one: the introduction of the issue itself was
“borderline” and devoting this much time
to it was “disgusting.”
I’d differ slightly with Josh, though, in
reserving all the criticism for Russert.
Clinton should not have played along with
this charade and could have won some big-
time brownie points for dismissing it as a
non-issue and saying that, of course,
Obama isn’t a Farrakhan minion.
Contrast that with John McCain’s swift and
direct denunciation of a supporter’s
“Barack Hussein Obama” crack. To be
sure, McCain hasn’t always covered
John Lewis Switches to Obama
By David Knowles (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:51:00 AM
Filed under: Endorsements, Democrats,
Barack Obama, Breaking News, 2008
PresidentGeorgia Representative and Civil
Rights icon John Lewis formally made the
switch today. He's now officially backing
Barack Obama. A Super Delegate and
former supporter of Hillary Clinton's,
Lewis described his change of heart in the
following terms:
"Something's happening in America,
himself in glory on that score in private
gatherings with supporters; but he’s been
scrupulous about respecting opponents in
public forums.
Politics ain’t beanbag, they say, and
candidates are sometimes going to make
unfair criticisms of their opponents for
fundraising, inspiring their supporters,
humor, or other reasons. But it’s stupid and
counterproductive to try to make hay of
controversies that are so obviously off
target as the Farrakhan endorsement or
Obama’s ‘Muslim clothes,’ or the fact that
his middle name happens to be “Hussein.”
It amazes me when seasoned politicians
don’t seize the high ground even when it
comes at no cost and will likely redound to
their credit.
UPDATE: Both Andrew Sullivan and
Daniel Drezner’s Official Wife thought
Obama’s rejection of Farrakhan was too
tepid, with Sully terming it “reminiscent of
Dukakis.” I’m hardly an Obama fanboy but
I just don’t see it. What more was he
supposed to say? “I hate that son of a bitch
and hope he rots in hell?”
Dan Drezner himself agrees.
Correction: The original update lumped Dr.
and Mrs. Drezner’s reactions together when
they were in fact distinct.
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something some of us did not see coming.
Barack Obama has tapped into something
that is extraordinary."
Last week there had been some confusion
about whether or not Lewis would actually
make this move. The New York Times
reported he was considering it. Then Lewis'
own office went mum on the subject.
Maybe last night's debate sealed the deal.
Word of another prominent Super jumping
ship is not what Clinton wants to hear. The
news comes amidst reports of yet another
change in strategy by Team Hillary. As
Thomas Edsall reports:
Mayor Loses Job Over MySpace Pics
By Brandon Barker (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:26:00 AM
Filed under: Scandal, HumorOn Tuesday,
voters in Arlington, Oregon voted 142-139
to recall Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist
for the following reasons:
1. Faulty handling of water and sewer
problems
2. Closing the town's municipal golf course
3. Poor management of City Council
Meetings
4. Posing half-naked on a fire truck
According to The Oregonian, Mayor
Kontur-Gronquist garnered "international
attention" when she posted a photo of
herself in a black bra and panties sitting on
a fire truck.
Ms. Kontor-Gronquist, a former personal
trainer (red flag), moved to the Arlington
area 16 years ago and managed the books
for the fire department (red flag). She also
lifeguarded at the community pool
(red.flag). In 2005, she became Mayor of
Arlington's 481 citizens. She had 10
For weeks, the Barack Obama campaign
has warned that Hillary Clinton would try
months remaining on her term.
"This community has become divided over
this thing," said Alice Courtney, a city
councilor who supported the recall. "Some
wounds will heal real quickly, and there
will be others who will nurse this wound
for a long, long time."
I don't know about you all, but that hits me
right here.
What's next for Ms. Kontur-Gronquist?
to use her ties to the Democratic
establishment to muscle "super delegates"
into backing her presidential bid, overriding
a popular vote majority and Obama's
plurality of pledged delegates elected in
primaries and caucuses.
Now, however, as Obama has gained
steadily in the polls, the Clinton campaign
has reversed field. Top Clinton aides are
pleading with uncommitted super delegates
to hold off making any commitments,
fearful that any commitments they make
would be to back Obama, not Clinton.
Politics 5
Well, she'll be selling signed copies of her
notorious photo on eBay, with a portion of
proceeds going to the Arlington Volunteer
Ambulance Service (red flag). And I'm fine
with that, as long as she doesn't get
abducted by Satanists.
B. Brandon Barker is the author of the
novel Operation EMU.
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I guess her advisers were right. On the
other hand, they maybe have been wrong
about whether a Super Delegate and Texas
icon Ann Richards would have endorsed
Hillary were she still alive. Read here. You
know things are bad when you're bragging
about the hypothetical support of the dead.
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6 Politics Business
Clinton to Superdelegates:
Stop Endorsing People!
By Alex Knapp (Outside The Beltway
| OTB)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:24:31 AM
Tom Edsall notes today that the Clinton
Administration is now begging
superdelegates to not commit themselves to
a candidate:
In language that could have been lifted
from the Obama playbook just a few weeks
ago, the email says Clinton backers should
make the case to super delegates that: “If
House, Senate and DNC members try to
end this process now, it would be very
damaging to those institutions, the
Democratic Party and our chances in
November.”
The entire DNC, members of Congress,
governors, labor leaders and other key
interest group leaders make up the 842
“automatic” or “super” delegates to the
convention who are free to cast ballots for
the candidate of their choice, regardless of
how their state voted. To win, a Democratic
candidate must have the support of at least
2025 delegates out of a total of 4048; 20.8
percent of the delegates are super delegates.
[…]
More recently, however, the trend among
Soaring Gas Prices Threaten Family
Budgets
By The Huffington Post News Team
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:50:44 PM
Gasoline prices, which for months lagged
behind the big run-up in the price of oil, are
suddenly rising quickly, with some experts
saying they could approach $4 a gallon by
spring. Diesel is hitting new records daily,
and oil settled at a record high of $100.88 a
barrel on Tuesday.
The increases could not come at a worse
time for the economy. With growth
slowing, energy increases that were once
super delegates making endorsements has
been decidedly in Obama’s favor; he has
picked up the support of 35, including three
who switched from Clinton. The Clinton
campaign did not respond to queries as to
how many super delegate endorsements she
has picked up in recent weeks. The most
recent super delegate count on
RealClearPolitics shows her lead among
super delegates dropping to 59, 241-182.
This is an obvious plea for the Clinton
campaign to make, but it just underscores
the desperation the campaign is having as
the Ohio and Texas primaries are looming.
Given that Clinton’s lead in Ohio keeps
dropping, and Texas is now a virtual tie, it
seems to be virtually impossible that
Clinton could pull ahead in delegates even
if she could win both states (an outcome
that is, at the time of this writing, pretty
dubious). Given that strong lobbying of
superdelegates has been a staple of
Clinton’s campaign since Iowa, this is yet
another indication of how dire her
prospects are–even from the point of view
of her own campaign.
(link via Instapundit)
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easily absorbed by consumers are now
more likely to act as a drag on household
budgets, leaving people with less money to
spend elsewhere. These costs could worsen
the nation's economic woes, piling a fresh
energy shock on top of the turmoil in credit
and housing.
"The effect of high oil prices today could
be the difference between having a
recession and not having a recession," said
Kenneth S. Rogoff, a Harvard economist.
Keep Reading
PETA: Kill People But
Please Don’t Scare the
Animals
By James Joyner (Outside The
Beltway | OTB)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:31:02 AM
PETA is apparently more concerned about
some frightened animals than thousands of
dead human beings.
An international animal rights group called
on Sri Lanka’s separatist Tamil Tigers to
“leave animals out” of the armed conflict,
two weeks after a grenade attack blamed on
rebels at the island’s main zoo. People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or
PETA, said in a letter dated Feb. 15 to
Velupillai Prabhakaran, the reclusive rebel
leader, that “the explosive device that was
set off near the zoo’s bird enclosures
terrified many animals at the zoo.”
[…]
The Feb. 3 grenade explosion at the
Dehiwala zoo on the outskirts of the capital
of Colombo wounded at least four people,
the government said. Attacks including
bomb explosions blamed on Tamil rebels
have killed about 90 civilians so far this
year, according to the military.
[…]
Tamil Tiger rebels have fought the
government since 1983 to create a separate
homeland for the country’s ethnic minority
Tamils. More than 70,000 people have been
killed in the conflict.
Bruce McQuain wins Headline of the Day
honors for his piece on this, “PETA pleads
with rebels to stick with murdering
humans.”
Granted, PETA is in the animal rights
business, not the concern for humans
business. But you’d think they’d at least put
in an offhand disclaimer that, of course,
some frightened zoo animals aren’t a bigger
tragedy than four wounded innocents and
70,000 human dead.
Photo credit: zappowbang
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Henry Blodget: When
Clemens Gets Out of Jail,
He Should Sue His Lawyers
By Henry Blodget
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:01:55 PM
Congress has now referred the Roger
Clemens matter to the Justice Department.
If the Justice Department watched the same
Congressional testimony I watched, it will
probably charge Roger Clemens with
perjury. If a jury is shown the same
Congressional testimony I watched, they
will probably convict Roger Clemens of
perjury. At which point Roger Clemens
will probably go to jail.
Which is a bummer--because the whole
thing could have been avoided. How?
Through a cooler-headed response to the
Mitchell Report...and better legal
representation.
Do I mean that Clemens' lawyers should
have jumped out of their chairs even more
often at the hearing, to protest the
Committee's pulverization of their client?
No, that absurd behavior just made
Clemens look even more guilty. What I
mean is that Clemens's lawyers--Rusty
Hardin, et al--should have sat him down
before the hearing and said:
"Roger, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let
you testify. I understand how painful this
must be for you, having your reputation
ruined by a pipsqueak trainer, but based on
the evidence I've seen, the Committee is
going to be able to make you look guilty. If
you testify, there is a good chance you'll be
charged with perjury, and as your attorney,
I simply can't let you walk into that. If you
insist on testifying, therefore, I'm going to
have to resign."
Based on the convictions of Martha Stewart
(whose trial I covered for Slate) and other
superstars for whom "the coverup is always
worse than the crime," too many lawyers
bend to the will of their arrogant clients--
and, in doing so, help their clients get
convicted of crimes.
Roger Clemens never should have testified
at the hearing--because his lawyers never
should have let him. If Roger Clemens
insisted on testifying over his lawyers'
protests, they should have resigned. It's one
thing to fail to get your client exonerated.
It's another to help him or her get charged
with a crime.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Obama's Church Gets an Audit
By Justin Paulette (Political Machine)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 2:11:00 AM
Filed under: Barack Obama, Religion
The IRS is apparently nosing around
Obama's church - not because the pastor
under-declared the coins in their coffers,
but because a speech by the Democratic
candidate delivered at the pulpit may have
violated federal law. Churches, considered
non-profit organizations under federal tax
codes, are not permitted to endorse or
support political candidates at the risk of
fine or lose of tax-exempt status.
Obama's church apparently attempted to
jump through hoops in order to avoid this
very occurrence - lawyers were consulted,
disclaimers were announced, leaflets were
prohibited. And yet, a church-member
Number of critics of Take-Two pay package increases
By Douglas McIntyre
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:38:00 AM
Filed under: SEC filings, Deals,
Management, Electronic Arts (ERTS)
It appears that just after Electronic Arts Inc.
speaking in his own church about his views
on politics has invoked the wrath of the
state.
This is a scenario that should never arise in
a nation which loves religious liberty. In
1819, John Marshall recognized, "The
power to tax involved the power to
destroy." Religious institutions should not
be curtailed in their freedom of expression
by secular speech-codes threatening
financial ruin. What interest has the
government in censoring what a pastor may
say to his congregation? The use of taxation
as a weapon by which to silence religious
opinion is both shameful and tyrannical.
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(NASDAQ: ERTS) made a bid for Take-
Two (NASDAQ: TTWO) that the board of
the smaller company granted management
an extraordinary pay package. A number of
media are now "going negative" on that
deal.
According toThe New York Times, "Just
Fed Ready to Cut Interest Rates Again
By The Huffington Post News Team
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:30:18 PM
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve is
ready to lower interest rates again to brace
the wobbly economy even as zooming oil
prices spread inflation, Chairman Ben
Bernanke signaled to Congress on
Wednesday.
He is fighting to keep the economy afloat
after mighty blows from the housing and
credit crises, while trying to contain
inflation.
For now, the priority is shoring up the
economy, Bernanke suggested in an
appearance before the House Financial
Services Committee. He pledged anew to
slice a key interest rate and help the
economy, which many fear is on the verge
of a recession, if not already in one.
"The economic situation has become
distinctly less favorable" since the summer,
the Fed chief told lawmakers.
Since that time, the housing slump has
worsened, credit problems have intensified
and the job market has deteriorated.
Bernanke said that combination of bad
news has made people and businesses more
cautious about spending and investing _
further weakening the economy.
The country should prepare for "sluggish
economic activity in the near term,"
Bernanke said. Concern is growing about
the possible return of stagflation, when
stagnant growth is combined with rising
inflation, for the first time since the 1970s.
Were energy prices to continue to rise at a
sharp clip _ something the Fed does not
anticipate _ it would "create a very difficult
problem" for the economy, Bernanke said.
Inflation would spread and growth would
be further restrained, he said. If that
happened, it would be a "very tough
situation," he added.
The Fed is prepared to lower rates again to
days after Take Two Interactive, the
troubled video game maker, received a
buyout offer from a rival, Electronic Arts,
the board of Take-Two approved a measure
that significantly increased the
compensation that management would
receive in a merger or takeover, according
bolster economic growth, Bernanke said.
The Fed "will act in a timely manner as
needed to support growth and to provide
adequate insurance against downside risks,"
he said, sticking closely to assurances he
offered earlier this month.
The central bank started lowering a key
interest rate in September. Over just eight
days in January, the Fed shaved 1.25
percentage points, the biggest one-month
reduction in a quarter-century. Economists
and Wall Street investors predict the Fed
will cut rates again at its next meeting,
March 18. Some analysts believe rates will
drop again in April.
Brian Bethune, economist at Global Insight,
said Bernanke's remarks "keeps the door
wide open for further rate cuts."
Bernanke said at some point this year, the
Fed will need to "assess whether the stance
of monetary policy is properly calibrated"
to foster the Fed's objectives of price
stability "in an environment of downside
risks to growth."
He was hopeful that previous rate
reductions and the $168 billion economic
aid plan of tax rebates for people and tax
breaks for business would energize the
economy in the second half of 2008.
As the Fed chief began his first day of back
-to-back appearances on Capitol Hill to
discuss the economy, there was more bad
news on the housing and manufacturing
fronts. Sales of new homes fell in January
for a third straight month. Orders to
factories for big-ticket manufactured goods
dropped in January by the largest amount in
five months.
Bernanke has come under some criticism
for not acting sooner in cutting rates. But
Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus, the
committee's top Republican, expressed
sympathy. "There is perhaps no other
public figure in American who has been
subjected to as much Monday morning
to regulatory filings." The Wall Street
Journal and MarketWatch have raised
similar concerns.
Among other things the monthly
management fees paid to ZelnickMedia,
which employs the Take-Two CEO and
Chairman, went from $208,333 a month up
Politics Business 7
quarterbacking as you have over the past
six months," Bachus said.
The committee chairman, Rep. Barney
Frank, D-Mass., suggested the economy is
not suffering through a garden-variety
slowdown.
"I don't want to appeal to you to use the
word recession because I'm not going to be
responsible for the nervous people at the
stock market who overreact when you
twitch your nose," Frank told Bernanke.
"But the problems we now have are
different."
Many of those woes are linked to the
housing meltdown. Bernake was asked
when he thought the housing market might
stabilize. It possible, he said, that by "later
this year it will stop being such a big drag
directly" on the economy. But home prices
probably will decline into next year, he
added.
"It is very difficult to know, and we've been
wrong before," Bernanke said.
Even as the Fed tries to shore up the
economy, it must remain mindful of
inflationary pressures, Bernanke said.
Oil prices, which have set records, briefly
shot past $102 a barrel on Wednesday;
prices eased, but still remain above $100 a
barrel.
"Should high rates of overall inflation
persist," Bernanke said, "the possibility also
exists that inflation expectations could
become less well-anchored." If people think
inflation is escalating, they will act in ways
that could make things even worse, a sort
of self-fulfilling prophecy. Bernanke said
that could complicate the Fed's job of
trying to nurture growth while also keeping
inflation under control.
If oil prices continue to skyrocket this year,
it would be "hard to maintain low
inflation," Bernanke acknowledged.
from $62,500. In the case of a takeover the
management company would receive
780,000 shares.
Continue reading Number of critics of Take
-Two pay package increasesRead |
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8 Business
Hale "Bonddad" Stewart: Republican Ideology Has
Broken the Economy
By Hale "Bonddad" Stewart
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:53:10 PM
There will always be a debate about the
need and extent of regulation. This debate
is healthy; it should prevent one side from
pushing too far against the other.
However, as the financial system continues
to experience a high amount of turmoil, it is
clear that deregulation has exceeded the
"too much of a burden on business"
argument. Instead, too little regulation has
broken the economy.
From the NY Times:Edward M. Gramlich,
a Federal Reserve governor who died in
September, warned nearly seven years ago
that a fast-growing new breed of lenders
was luring many people into risky
mortgages they could not afford.
But when Mr. Gramlich privately urged
Fed examiners to investigate mortgage
lenders affiliated with national banks, he
was rebuffed by Alan Greenspan, the Fed
chairman.
That's right -- too much regulation will get
in the way. We know how to manage risks
now, so we don't need to stinkin rules.In
2001, a senior Treasury official, Sheila C.
Bair, tried to persuade subprime lenders to
adopt a code of "best practices" and to let
outside monitors verify their compliance.
None of the lenders would agree to the
monitors, and many rejected the code itself.
Even those who did adopt those practices,
Ms. Bair recalled recently, soon let them
slip.
Wow -- a code of practices. That sounds
like a good idea, doesn't it?
Nevermind.....And leaders of a housing
Option update: Northrop Grumman volatility low into Pentagon decision on aerial
tankers
By Paul Foster (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:24:00 AM
Filed under: Boeing Co (BA), Options,
Northrop Grumman (NOC)
Northrop Grumman (NASDAQ: NOC) is
advocacy group in California, meeting with
Mr. Greenspan in 2004, warned that
deception was increasing and unscrupulous
practices were spreading.
John C. Gamboa and Robert L. Gnaizda of
the Greenlining Institute implored Mr.
Greenspan to use his bully pulpit and press
for a voluntary code of conduct.
"He never gave us a good reason, but he
didn't want to do it," Mr. Gnaizda said last
week. "He just wasn't interested."
Lenders were lying to people. LYING.
They were MISREPRESENTING THINGS
to people. But, yawn, so what.
The end result?An examination of
regulatory decisions shows that the Federal
Reserve and other agencies waited until it
was too late before trying to tame the
industry's excesses. Both the Fed and the
Bush administration placed a higher
priority on promoting "financial
innovation" and what President Bush has
called the "ownership society."
But wait -- there's more:Several years ago,
state attorneys general and others involved
in consumer protection began to notice a
marked increase in a range of predatory
lending practices by mortgage lenders.
Some were misrepresenting the terms of
loans, making loans without regard to
consumers' ability to repay, making loans
with deceptive "teaser" rates that later
ballooned astronomically, packing loans
with undisclosed charges and fees, or even
paying illegal kickbacks. These and other
practices, we noticed, were having a
devastating effect on home buyers. In
addition, the widespread nature of these
practices, if left unchecked, threatened our
financial markets.
recently up 72 cents to $80.16.
The Pentagon is expected to announce a
deal valued up to $40 billion to replace 179
planes in its fleet of aerial refueling tankers
on February 28 or 29. Cowen says,
"Boeing's (NYSE: BA) 767 tanker is apt to
....
What did the Bush administration do in
response? Did it reverse course and decide
to take action to halt this burgeoning
scourge? As Americans are now painfully
aware, with hundreds of thousands of
homeowners facing foreclosure and our
markets reeling, the answer is a resounding
no.
Not only did the Bush administration do
nothing to protect consumers, it embarked
on an aggressive and unprecedented
campaign to prevent states from protecting
their residents from the very problems to
which the federal government was turning a
blind eye.
Let me explain: The administration
accomplished this feat through an obscure
federal agency called the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The
OCC has been in existence since the Civil
War. Its mission is to ensure the fiscal
soundness of national banks. For 140 years,
the OCC examined the books of national
banks to make sure they were balanced, an
important but uncontroversial function. But
a few years ago, for the first time in its
history, the OCC was used as a tool against
consumers.
In 2003, during the height of the predatory
lending crisis, the OCC invoked a clause
from the 1863 National Bank Act to issue
formal opinions preempting all state
predatory lending laws, thereby rendering
them inoperative. The OCC also
promulgated new rules that prevented states
from enforcing any of their own consumer
protection laws against national banks. The
federal government's actions were so
egregious and so unprecedented that all 50
state attorneys general, and all 50 state
banking superintendents, actively fought
be politically favored over the NOC/EADS
A330." NOC March option implied
volatility of 21 is below its 26-week
average of 23 according to Track Data,
suggesting decreasing price risk.
Option Update is provided by Stock
the new rules.
But the unanimous opposition of the 50
states did not deter, or even slow, the Bush
administration in its goal of protecting the
banks. In fact, when my office opened an
investigation of possible discrimination in
mortgage lending by a number of banks,
the OCC filed a federal lawsuit to stop the
investigation.
Let's not even worry about predatory
lending. That's not going to happen.
But when you give them what they want --
less regulation -- they screw up and come
to the government hat in hand.Over the last
two decades, few industries have lobbied
more ferociously or effectively than banks
to get the government out of its business
and to obtain freer rein for "financial
innovation."
But as losses from bad mortgages and
mortgage-backed securities climb past $200
billion, talk among banking executives for
an epic government rescue plan is suddenly
coming into fashion.
A confidential proposal that Bank of
America circulated to members of Congress
this month provides a stunning glimpse of
how quickly the industry has reversed its
laissez-faire disdain for second-guessing by
the government -- now that it is in trouble.
Here's what bugs me to no end. I'm a
capitalist through and through. I love
buying and selling stuff. And frankly, I
think most people do to.
But here's the problem. You have to have
rules. Unchecked capitalism is a bad idea.
That's what we've had. And it has failed.
Specialist Paul Foster of
theflyonthewall.com.Permalink | Email this
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Wells chasing
Chase for
WaMu -- Act II
By Sheldon Liber (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:27:00 AM
Filed under: Deals, Rumors, Management,
Rants and raves, Competitive strategy,
JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Washington
Mutual (WM), Wells Fargo (WFC)
Yesterday, wearing my investor hat,
developer hat, architect's hat, business
owner's hat and strategic thinking cap, I
wrote about the various scenarios that
might make sense for either J. P. Morgan
Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) or Wells Fargo
& Company (NYSE: WFC) to acquire
Washington Mutual, Inc. (NYSE: WM).
Giving this further thought and drawing on
some of how this could play out from
yesterday's post I am wondering why this
possible deal is not turning to frenzy.
Perhaps all the parties are just playing hard
to get. Maybe JPM and WFC have proved
to be better navigators than most other large
financial companies and that they fear
being ship wrecked on the rocks of a
Washington Mutual.
If I am Chase management, this deal makes
too much sense to let pass. Adding WaMu's
west coast footprint advances Chase goals
in a fraction of the time it would take to
build out a comparable branch network and
at great savings. Add in the customers base
and service operations minus all the
overlapping departments and this is a
winner. All that needs to be done is get to
the bottom line and do the deal. Bankers
should understand the time value of money
and get on with it.
The opportunity for Chase is very clear.
Wells on the other hand may feel that more
organic growth and more methodical steps
is the prudent path to continued success.
That is perfectly understandable, but might
be overly cautious in a very competitive
environment. You either move forward or
backward, you cannot stay in the same
place.
Continue reading Wells chasing Chase for
WaMu -- Act IIPermalink | Email this |
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Fannie Mae Posts Nearly $3.6B Loss in
4Q
By The Huffington Post News Team
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:30:31 PM
WASHINGTON — Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac will be allowed to expand
their roles in the turbulent mortgage market
even as worsening conditions in the
housing sector punish the two companies.
Fannie, the largest buyer and backer of U.S.
home loans, said Wednesday it lost nearly
$3.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007
amid mounting home-loan delinquencies
and soured bets on interest rates. Freddie is
expected Thursday to report a $1.5 billion
fourth-quarter loss, according to Wall
Street estimates.
Under a previous agreement with federal
regulators, the timely filing of Fannie's and
Freddie's financial results triggers the
removal of an investment-portfolio cap
placed in the aftermath of multibillion-
dollar accounting scandals at the
government-sponsored companies.
Analysts said the impact will be limited,
however, because of the large cash cushion
Fannie and No. 2 mortgage financer
Freddie must maintain as a reserve against
risk. Tightness in credit markets makes it
expensive for Fannie and Freddie to
marshal additional funds.
Fannie, which gave a pessimistic housing
outlook for 2008, said close to 90 percent
of its fourth-quarter losses stemmed from
investments it made based on the
assumption that falling interest rates would
cause mortgage values to appreciate.
Shares of Washington-based Fannie, the
largest U.S. buyer and backer of home
loans, swung widely after the report was
released, initially falling by more than 5
percent and later rising by roughly 15
percent. Shares of Fannie climbed 30 cents,
or 1.1 percent, to close at $27.27. Shares of
Readybot cleans your kitchen, might be single best thing ever invented
By Nilay Patel (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:50:00 AM
Filed under: Household, Robots
We want one. Scratch that: We need one.
Check out this ridiculously awesome
kitchen-cleaning robot called the Readybot
Freddie fell 12 cents to $25.09.
Fannie's $3.56 billion quarterly loss
contrasts with a profit of $604 million in
the same period a year earlier. The loss was
equivalent to $3.80 a share, far steeper than
the $1.24-per-share loss forecast by
analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.
"The housing conditions are serious and
they've gotten worse," the company's
president and CEO, Daniel Mudd, said in a
conference call with analysts. "This is an
extraordinarily uncertain market."
Mudd called 2008 "another tough year."
A silver lining for Fannie, executives said,
will be the anticipated wave of refinancing
activity as borrowers with adjustable loans
resetting at higher rates secure more
affordable, fixed-rate mortgages. Plans put
in place by the Bush administration and
Congress are intended to prime the
mortgage-market pump, though the effects
so far have been limited.
An additional spark to the mortgage market
could come following Wednesday's
announcement by the Office of Federal
Housing Enterprise Oversight, which said
that on March 1 it will remove the
combined $1.5 trillion cap on Fannie's and
Freddie's mortgage holdings.
However, a bigger constraint on the
companies' ability to buy mortgages has
been a government mandate that requires
Fannie and Freddie to keep 30 percent more
capital in reserve than the minimum legal
requirement, analysts said. That restriction,
which the government is considering
decreasing gradually, means Fannie and
Freddie would have to boost their reserves
by billions more to be able to make more
loan purchases.
"The question becomes do they have the
capital to maintain a larger portfolio?" said
Bert Ely, a banking consultant based in
-- if this is what the future of robot
enslavement looks like, sign us up. The
creators, part of a homebrew group called
the Readybot Robot Challenge, are
dedicated to finding a breakthrough
application for consumer robotics, and team
leader Tom Benson says the answer is
simple: "We think people want a robot that
Alexandria, Va.
Because of the required 30 percent cushion,
the companies have been forced to sell
special stock to raise a total $13 billion in
capital in 2007 and have cut dividends.
"Our No. 1 priority is capital," Mudd said
in the conference call.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. called the
decision to eliminate the portfolio limits
"long overdue" and also said the capital
requirement should be lifted immediately.
The government "clearly is responding to
pressure to open up Fannie and Freddie's
ability to buy loans," said Bob Walters,
chief economist with Quicken Loans, a
mortgage company based in Livonia, Mich.
Fannie attributed $3.2 billion of its losses to
the revaluing of complex financial
instruments it uses to hedge against swings
in interest rates.
Through these investments, known as
"interest rate swaps," Fannie tries to hedge
against the risks of rising or falling interest
rates. The mortgages on the company's
books tend to rise in value when interest
rates drop, and vice versa. But that bet
hasn't worked out of late, as interest rates
fell in the fourth quarter and the value of
mortgages held on the company's books has
fallen as well.
Fannie said Wednesday it expects U.S.
home prices to fall by 5 percent to 7 percent
this year. It earlier forecast a decline of 4
percent to 5 percent. Fannie Mae said it
expects to lose money this year on 11 to 15
of every 1,000 mortgages held on its $2.4
trillion book, up from its earlier expectation
of eight to 10 and a steep increase from
four to six in 2007.
___
AP Business Writer Alan Zibel in
Washington contributed to this report.
can clean the kitchen." Uh, yeah. The
dishwasher sized Readybot prototype can
Business Tech Gossip
Zale Corp Closes Stores,
Slashes 20 Percent Of
Workforce
By The Huffington Post News Team
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:33:32 PM
Zale Corp., the biggest U.S. jewelry chain,
eliminated 20 percent of the positions at its
headquarters, or 225 jobs, and will close
more stores to save $65 million annually.
The shares rose the most in six weeks.
The move to cut 140 jobs and 85 open
positions at headquarters in Irving, Texas,
will reduce labor costs there by $15
million, or 20 percent, Zale said in a
statement. The retailer will shutter an
additional 23 underperforming stores,
bringing the total to 105 this year.
Zale had losses in four of the past seven
quarters as mall traffic slowed and Kay
Jewelers Inc. gained market share. Higher
energy and food prices have prompted
consumers to scale back on non-essential
purchases such as for jewelry. Zale will
reduce inventory by $100 million and
almost cut in half capital spending to $45
million in 2009 from this year.
Courteney Cox Looks and Talks Abby Normal
By Hollywood Grind
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:18:16 PM
Courteney Cox was on the Today show, but
her face looked plastic, and she even talked
like she had cotton mouth.
© Copyright HollywoodGrind.com 2006-
2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
• Jennifer Aniston and Jason Lewis Are
Dating
currently do a little less than half of your
common kitchen chores, but Benson says
it'll eventually get to 80 percent -- which is
about 100 percent more than we're
currently doing. Fall in love with the video
after the break.
Continue reading Readybot cleans your
kitchen, might be single best thing ever
9
Keep Reading
- OR -
Read about Zale Corp's financial woes over
the past few years.
As the Wall Street Journal reports: Zale's
has struggled in recent years, going through
several CEOs. Betsy Burton, a board
member at Zale since 2003, took the helm
two years ago amid weakening profits and
a push to go more upscale, a decision that
alienated customers and resulted in the
resignation of Mary Forte. Burton departed
in December and was replaced by Neal
Goldberg, who was formerly at Children's
Place Retail Stores Inc.
Last month former Securities and Exchange
Commission Chairman Richard Breeden
raised his stake in Zale to 18% and said
there were "major opportunities for Zale to
strengthen its profitability." He was named
to the company's board last month.
• Britney Spears Starts a Firestorm
• Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox Still
Together
• Poor Unfortunate Jennifer Aniston,
Angelina Jolie Feels So Lucky to Have
Brad Pitt
• Courteney Cox and David Arquette at
Trippers Premiere
invented
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
10 Business
Stocks Finish Mixed in Choppy Session
By The Huffington Post News Team
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:40:25 PM
NEW YORK — Wall Street finished mixed
in another seesaw session Wednesday after
regulators allowed Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac to buy more mortgages and Federal
Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the
central bank will remain vigilant about the
weakened economy.
Investors pared the market's gains after
both developments had initially boosted
confidence amid increasing signs of a
slowing economy. Wall Street has in recent
months grappled with concerns about rising
prices, a weaker dollar and continued
turmoil in the credit markets.
Bernanke indicated the Fed is more
concerned about the sagging economy then
the immediate risks of inflation. In
testimony on Capitol Hill, he told
lawmakers the Fed will "act in a timely
manner as needed to support growth and to
provide adequate insurance against
downside risks."
The remarks came as the dollar plunged to
a record low against the 15-nation euro.
That sent already inflated oil and gold
prices further into record high territory, and
raised the prospect of accelerating inflation.
Meanwhile, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac _
the biggest sources of financing for U.S.
home loans _ helped give the market some
ballast after the government removed
restrictions on the size of their portfolios.
That offered a chance for an easing of the
extremely tight mortgage market that has
been battered by the subprime loan crisis.
"The government is trying to do their part,"
said Todd Leone, managing director of
equity trading at Cowen & Co. "Together,
this helps put a little more faith in the
economy."
As home foreclosures rise, some in Congress eye FHA refinance plan
By Joseph Lazzaro (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:40:00 AM
Filed under: Politics, Housing, Federal
ReserveWith home foreclosures expected
to increase in 2008 as the second wave of
variable interest rate mortgages reset, an
influential member of Congress is expected
Major indexes initially moved higher
before investors cash in profits, following a
pattern set in recent weeks. According to
preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones
industrial average _ now up four straight
sessions _ rose 9.36, or 0.07 percent, to
12,694.28.
Broader indexes were narrowly mixed. The
Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 1.27, or
0.09 percent, to 1,380.02, and the Nasdaq
composite index rose 8.79, or 0.37 percent,
to 2,353.78.
Stocks were somewhat under pressure after
the euro climbed to a record high of
$1.5057 as sentiment increased that the Fed
would continue its rate cut campaign. The
U.S. currency was mixed against other
major currencies.
The dollar's continued slide drove more
money into commodities _ especially into
oil and gold.
Oil prices broke through a new intraday
high of $102 a barrel in overnight trading,
then fell $1.24 to settle at $99.64 a barrel
on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Meanwhile, gold futures set a new high of
$961.30 an ounce.
Bond prices rose slightly. The yield on the
benchmark 10-year note, which moves
opposite its price, fell to 3.85 percent from
3.86 percent late Tuesday.
The moves followed a government report
showing business investment in durable
goods weakened more than forecast at the
start of the year, playing into the
nervousness about economic slowing. The
Commerce Department reported durable
goods orders dropped 5.3 percent in
January, exceeding forecasts.
There was more bad news about the
housing slump. The Commerce Department
reported that new home sales fell in January
for a third straight month, pushing activity
to introduce legislation that would enable
the Federal Housing Administration to buy
at-risk loans, enabling them to be
refinanced and preventing homeowners
from being foreclosed upon, The Financial
Times reported Wednesday.
U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, D-
down to the slowest pace in nearly 13
years.
Investors have been monitoring economic
data to get a better idea about inflation,
which could cause the Fed to stop lowering
rates. The Fed, widely expected to make a
half-point cut in interest rates, will meet
again March 18.
Harry Clark, president of Clark Capital
Management in Philadelphia, said a
slowdown in the economy that avoids
recession could create a moderate drop in
demand and help ease pressure from rising
prices.
"If the economy goes down the drain with
rising prices, that's stagflation," he said.
"Rising prices aren't a big deal if everyone
is employed and the economy is growing."
The notion of some easing in the weakened
mortgage sector pleased investors. Fannie
Mae shares rose 30 cents to $27.27, while
Freddie Mac shares fell 12 cents to $25.09.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller
companies fell 0.88, or 0.12 percent, to
716.44.
Declining issues outpaced advancers by a 5
to 4 margin on the New York Stock
Exchange, where volume came to 1.46
billion shares.
Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average
closed 1.49 percent higher. Britain's FTSE
100 fell 0.18 percent, Germany's DAX
index rose 0.17 percent, and France's CAC-
40 fell 0.09 percent.
_____
On the Net:
New York Stock Exchange:
http://www.nyse.com
Nasdaq Stock Market:
http://www.nasdaq.com
Massachusetts and chairman of the House
Financial Services Committee, is floating a
$15 billion initiative that would authorize
the FHA to buy as many as 1 million at-risk
mortgages, The FT reported. Some loans,
such as those for investment properties and
vacation homes, would not be eligible for
the program.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
At all costs: Avoid these
insurance policies
By Brandon Barker (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:52:00 AM
Filed under: Insurance, Ripoffs and Scams
With all the insurance plans available
(including insurance policies for insurance
policies), you might want to take a moment
to really think: Do I need "Inconvenience
Insurance?"
If you have a fear of being inconvenienced,
maybe. But, for most people, it's probably a
lot more helpful to know which plans just
don't make fiscal sense.
AOL Money & Finance has a new feature
that clears the air (and dishes the dirt) on
the insurance policies you must absolutely
avoid. Or, at least think over carefully
before acquiring. For example:
Identity Theft Insurance: Don't bother, says
Consumer Reports. Just check your credit
report regularly. On the subject of insurance, however, you
might take some advice from WalletPop's
Tracy Coenen, who says liability insurance
Extended Warranties: If you total your car,
it won't make a lick of difference, since is worth it, especially for consultants (legal,
technical, etc.). Why? Because everybody
insurance companies will only give you the
Blue Book value. makes mistakes.
B. Brandon Barker is the author of the
Inconvenience Insurance: Yep, you heard it
right. If it rains on your vacation or you novel Operation EMU.Permalink | Email
this | Comments
lose your iPod, you could strike it rich. Or,
something like that. Avoid it.
poor credit.
The overlooked FHA
Continue reading As home foreclosures
Overlooked during the "Roaring 1990s" rise, some in Congress eye FHA refinance
economic expansion and this decade's planPermalink | Email this | Comments
housing boom, the Federal Housing
Administration is a Depression-era agency
that insures loans made to borrowers with
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Ben Bernanke: Staying afloat or Abundance And Scarcity In The Insight
floundering around? Market
By Gary E. Sattler (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:55:00 AM
Filed under: Bad news, Consumer
experience, Rants and raves, Money and
Finance Today, Personal finance, Federal
Reserve, RecessionFederal reserve
chairman Ben Bernanke continues to float
his raft of economic strategies upon a wad
of fake money. His song and dance has
provided us with no real relief. Someone at
some point must have convinced him that
lowering interest rates is fun and exciting.
He believed those lies and now it's his
hobby. Has it provided any positive benefit
of any real consequence in terms of the
long term picture? I think not.
BMW to slash 8,100 jobs to
boost profitability
By Eliza Popescu (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:12:00 AM
Filed under: International markets,
Management, Competitive strategyLuxury
car maker BMW AG revealed today its
plans to slash another 5,600 jobs by the end
of 2008 as part of a restructuring effort
aimed at boosting company's profits. Its
decision is expected to bring annual savings
of 500 million euros ($752 million) starting
in 2009.
According to a BMW spokesman, part-time
workers would take the hardest hit, with
5,000 fewer posts. Half of them had already
been eliminated last year and the rest are
set to be cut by the end of 2008. The
restructuring plan also involves more than
3,000 full-time jobs, including 2,500 in
Germany, and 600 other positions in other
regions. Thus, the restructuring plan comes
with a total number of 8,100 jobs cuts. This
is 7.5% of BMW's work force, which totals
almost 108,000 workers.
Ernst Baumann, the company's head of
Today and tomorrow, the Federal Reserve
Chairman shall be addressing congress.
He's expected to tell them about how he has
our economy under control. The fact is that
it's near completely out of his hands. The
one possible exception is that he's handily
turned our dollars into wads of toilet paper.
His major concern seems to be avoiding
recession, which is an admirable goal, but
someone forgot to wake the dear man to tell
him recession is already here, aided by the
fake dollars Bernanke keeps spewing upon
the ground.
Continue reading Ben Bernanke: Staying
afloat or floundering around?Permalink |
Email this | Comments
personnel, said BMW may make more cuts
if the dollar continues to decline. Baumann
did not specify the total costs that the
restructuring plan would bring, but he
believes expenses will result in the "three-
digit million" euro range.
Continue reading BMW to slash 8,100 jobs
to boost profitabilityPermalink | Email this |
Comments
By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 3:46:03 AM
Last week, after I wrote about some of the
theory behind the Insight Community and
the Smart Dossiers offering (which is a
subset of the Insight Community), someone
asked how my writings on economics fit
into the equation. It's rather
straightforward: In any market there are
likely to be various scarcities and various
abundances. You should always look at the
scarcities as problems that need to be
solved and the abundances as the resources
you can use to solve those problems.
So, as we were building out Techdirt's
business, working with various Fortune 500
companies to better understand various
technology trends, we again began to notice
an interesting set of scarcities and
abundances. On the scarcity side,
companies were really hungry for useful
and actionable insight about their biggest
challenges. At best, they could hire a big
analyst firm or a big consulting firm, which
would be excessively expensive, and often
wouldn't give particularly useful
information. In fact, it was a huge risk,
since they would only receive a single
answer, as if handed down from a wise man
on the mountain, with no idea if it was
accurate or not. At worst, they could have
internal people try to do the analysis, often
passing it off to a junior person to handle
the work. Again, this would result in a
single opinion (often from someone not
very experienced) providing an important
analysis that was also biased by coming
Should Internet Censorship Be Considered A Trade Barrier?
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 12:55:00 AM
I'm generally wary of attempts to use
international trade agreements to bludgeon
through other policies. For example,
Hollywood has used that system for ages to
force through bad copyright laws on other
from inside the company, rather than with
an outsider's perspective.
At the same time, we were discovering an
immense abundance in the ability to find
and communicate with smart,
knowledgeable passionate experts, many of
whom we got to know via their
participation on Techdirt itself, or via their
own websites and blogs. At first we began
to tap that group informally, to help us with
the work we were doing with existing
clients -- but we realized it was better to
formalize the system, which is how we
came up with the Insight Community,
helping to eliminate the middle man and
solve the scarcity (relevant, timely insight)
with the abundance (lots of knowledgeable
folks). The trick was coming up with a
system that allowed the best, most useful
insights to bubble to the top. In other
words, figuring out not just how to connect
companies to smart people, but to make
sure that those companies could get the
best, most relevant and insightful analysis
out of the most qualified folks in that group
of experts. To do that, we put in place a
competitive system, that allowed experts in
the community to compete to show they
could provide the best insight. The end
result has worked quite well, making it
incredibly easy for companies, both big and
small, to tap into this network of experts in
order to get the best, most relevant insights
into the challenges they face, gaining
multiple expert opinions -- and doing so at
a price the company gets to set.
nations. So, consider me a bit skeptical to
hear that the EU is now looking to claim
that internet censorship should be
considered a trade barrier. I certainly
respect the reasoning, that internet
censorship is bad, and it's not a good idea to
encourage such policies. However, tying it
to trade agreements is likely to open a
Business Tech 11
Of course, while the "name your own
price" model works well in some cases, it
doesn't work for all. It can sometimes be an
impediment for a company that knows they
want something specific and isn't sure how
much to bid for it. So, to help with those
situations, we wanted to focus on common
types of cases that the Insight Community
was being used for and start to launch more
packaged solutions -- the first of which is
Smart Dossiers. Many of the customers
using the Insight Community, had used it to
get a straight analysis of a company.
Sometimes of themselves (to get a quick
snapshot of multiple outsider expert
viewpoints), but more often of other
companies they were dealing with:
customers, competitors, partners,
investments and investors. For example, we
had one company use the Insight
Community to create detailed "dossiers" on
the company's top customer targets, so that
its sales people could be better informed
while calling on them. Another firm needed
a competitive landscape of a new market it
was about to enter, and was able to get a
bunch of experts to all weigh in on the
competitors in just over a week.
So, yes, we are putting into practice the
economics that get discussed here all the
time. It's all about taking an abundance and
helping them "solve" a scarcity that
companies desperately are looking for help
solving.
Permalink | Comments | Email This Story
potentially dangerous can of worms, while
probably having little to no impact on
getting censoring countries to change their
policies.
Permalink | Comments | Email This Story
12 Tech
The Global Race Among Social Networks Heats Up. Keep an Eye on
Hi5, Friendster, and Imeem
By Erick Schonfeld (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 10:56:03 AM
In the global race to be the top social
network, MySpace and Facebook are neck
and neck. In January, 2008, MySpace was
still the biggest social network worldwide
with 109 million unique visitors, according
to comScore. But Facebook was close on
its heels with 101 million. (Meanwhile, the
data in the U.S. for Facebook at least shows
a possible slowdown in growth).
While MySpace and Facebook are fighting
it out for the top spot, back in the second
pack some interesting sprints and scuffles
are going on that are worth keeping an eye
on. Everyone in that second pack (Hi5,
Freindster, Orkut, Bebo, Imeem) are about
a third to a quarter the size of the leaders in
terms of worldwide unique visitors, so I’ve
isolated their performance in the chart
NBC Direct To Get a Reboot With Help
From Pando
By Paul Glazowski (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 11:33:04 AM
NBC has its nifty IPTV thing with Hulu, a
joint venture with Fox. And, oh yes, it’s got
its own IPTV thing, too. It’s called NBC
Direct. Heard of it? Maybe you have,
maybe you haven’t.
If not, there may be good reason for your
remaining unawares of the The Peacock’s
personal Web video project: it’s not very
good. Things are just…well…not going as
well as Zucker & Co had initially hoped.
All may not be lost for the company’s
Direct initiative, however. Earlier today,
NBC announced plans to distribute its
shows the way IPTV fans most prefer
consuming such content: by download. And
that’s not the half of it. NBC’s going to do
the new Direct up P2P style. How? One
word. Pando.
As reported by Neal at Media Bistro, NBC
and Pando have chosen to team up to
above (it is harder to see if you include
Nos. 1 and 2, MySpace and Facebook).
In January, both Hi5 (No. 3, in red) and
Friendster (No. 4, in blue), made moves to
pull away from Google’s Orkut (No. 5, in
green) and Bebo (No. 6, in yellow). The
latter two maintained a more steady pace.
Coming on strong from behind is Imeem
(No. 7, in purple), which surpassed
Multiply (No. 8, not shown). The chart
below has most of the stats, except for the
last two—Imeem had 17.8 million global
visitors in January, 2008, a 477 percent
annual growth rate (Multiply had 17.6
million, a healthy 203 percent rise from the
year before).
For Hi5 and Friendster, global growth is a
major part of their game plan. Friendster,
for instance, which dropped off the radar
for most of us in the U.S., is now the single
largest social network in Asia. It’s top five
present - in the not too distant future - a
revamped NBC Direct website, complete
with the option to enjoy (with
superfantastic 90% greater efficiency,
according to Pando.com site copy) “free
DVD-quality downloads of (users’) favorite
shows.” Neal proffered a convenient
comment in response to the news, too: “If
you were wondering why NBC content was
pulled from iTunes….”
Yes, it appears NBC is pretty intent on
making its presence on the Web as self-
brandedly (not a real word, but I’ll argue
for its momentary legitimacy nonetheless)
as possible. Apparently Pando has proven
itself quite capable of delivering relatively
reliable service as compared to other
channels and distributors, having already
countries are the Philippines, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the United States (legacy
members who never left, plus new growth
among Asians here), and Singapore.
Friendster has kept its growth going by
launching fan profile pages for Asian pop
signed deals with Viacom’s Comedy
Central, ESPN, and both MLB and NBA.
Curious to know how exactly Pando gets
the job done? A mixture of “intelligent P2P
QoS management techniques, seamless
HTTP and P2P blending algorithms and
consumer desktop ‘politeness’ features.”
Which is all good and well, ‘cause it means
viewers will get shows like “The Office”
and “Heroes” off the Web and onto their
PCs, where high-quality video can be seen
unperturbed by server activity. As opposed
to pixelated streams sent straight outta the
cloud to the end user’s screen. Which
doesn’t always look so nice if you’ve ever
taken things like Hulu for a spin.
Note to Mac and Linux users. If luck
strikes, you’ll be downloading off the new
NBC Direct with the rest of ‘em when this
partnership has its official launch.
ShareThis
singers, launching four new languages
since September (Chinese, Japanese,
Korean, and Spanish), and letting
developers create apps for its site.
So does that mean that Friendster and Hi5
are worth more than the $1 billion Bebo is
Opera-Google Partnership
Expands to Include Mobile
By Paul Glazowski (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:10:30 AM
Google Search has its share of high profile
relations with third parties. Mozilla, for
one, has Google as its default search field
inside the Firefox browser. Google also
makes sure users of Apple’s Safari browser
see its search tool above all others upon
first boot. That goes for Mac and iPhone
and iPod touch owners alike.
Now Opera’s mobile development team can
call themselves official bandwagoneers (the
word makes you wince, doesn’t it?), too.
Both Opera Mobile (built for Symbian and
Windows Mobile) and Opera Mini (built
for everything else) are giving Google
some good, quality strategic treatment
where mobile Web search is concerned.
Not to mention potentially very lucrative.
This news may have been long foreseen by
those aware of Opera’s existing partnership
with Google on the PC side of its business.
According to Opera CEO Jon von
Tetzchner, both entities have maintained “a
valuable relation ship…(for) years.” In fact,
Your Click and Print Newspaper
rumored to have sold itself for? Not
necessarily. It depends on the actual
composition of their members, click-
through rates, and other financial factors.
Generally speaking, advertisers like to
target their campaigns by geography, and
pay less for ads that target populations with
lower per-capita spending power than in the
U.S., Japan, or Europe. So not all members
are worth the same to advertisers, and thus
to potential acquirers. But as social
networks become saturated here in the U.S.,
everyone will have to look overseas to keep
growing.
C r u n c h B a s e
InformationMySpaceFacebookHi5Friendst
erImeemInformation provided by
CrunchBase
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool over
the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.
seven years and counting. But anyone privy
to the growth in mobile Web use knows
that pocket-sized browsers are where a
whole lot of big money is soon to be seen.
And it makes sense for both Opera and
Google to expand on their union with that
prognosis in mind.
Mr Tetzchner claims Opera’s reach in the
mobile arena is currently closing in on 100
million people - 100 million phones
installed with Opera Mobile shipped; 35
million “cumulative users” for Opera Mini.
An impressive figure, for sure. If one is to
account for some generous overlap, 100
million sounds like a fairly solid estimate.
Considering the relative youth of the
mobile software space, the early push for
Opera to garner a significant market share
works rather well for the company. And as
you know, Opera’s mobile fortunes give
Google reason to smile as well. Having the
opportunity to quickly amass a base of so
many millions of users certainly works in
Google’s favor.
ShareThis
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Slate Discovers The Power Film On Facbook Brings
Law New Entertainment Focus
By Timothy Lee (Techdirt)
to Light
Submitted at 2/27/2008 2:31:00 AM
Last week Slate ran a story that breathlessly
reported that Wikipedia isn't as democratic
as its boosters claim because most of the
edits are made by the most active editors.
We learn that "a small segment of highly
active users author the majority of the site's
content." But as Mathew Ingram points out,
the real question is why anyone found this
surprising. It's true that a small fraction of
Wikipedia users author a big chunk of the
content. But it's quite a leap to go from that
rather obvious point to deriding "fairy tales
about the participatory culture of Web 2.0."
In fact, Wikipedia is fundamentally
different from older reference works like
Britannica, and not just because it has an
order of magnitude more content. In the
first place, as Ingram points out, even if 1
percent of Wikipedia user base have an
outsized influence on the encyclopedia's
direction, that still amounts to tens of
thousands of people. No commercial
encyclopedia could possibly afford to have
that many employees.
The distribution of edits on Wikipedia is
what's known as a power law, and power
Free Coffee: A Beta You Definitely
Want To Be a Part Of
By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:40:42 AM
Like a lot of bloggers, we drink a ton of
coffee at Mashable. An unhealthy amount
perhaps. Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
knows this, and has created a brilliant
(albeit probably financially reckless)
marketing campaign targeting bloggers.
They are inviting up to 10,000 bloggers to
“beta test” their latest flavored coffee:
“Jamaican Me Crazy.” By “beta test,” they
mean send you free coffee in the mail,
which, sounds like a good deal to us.
Additionally, they are throwing everyone
law distributions are ubiquitous in human
societies. You can find power laws in the
distribution of income, website traffic,
book and CD sales, city populations, and
dozens of other phenomena. Indeed,
democracy itself is subject to power laws;
the most politically active voters contribute
the vast majority of volunteers and
campaign contributions. The fact that
Wikipedians' contributions follow a power
law distribution doesn't mean that
Wikipedians are telling "fairy tales about
the participatory culture of Web 2.0." What
makes Wikipedia different from traditional
encyclopedias isn't a more "democratic"
distribution of contributions, but the vastly
increased number of people who are able to
contribute when the encyclopedia is
organized in an open fashion. This has
produced an encyclopedia that is far more
comprehensive than any commercial
company could hope to produce.
Timothy Lee is an expert at the Techdirt
Insight Community. To get insight and
analysis from Timothy Lee and other
experts on challenges your company faces,
click here.
Permalink | Comments | Email This Story
that signs up some linkage from their site,
where you can see 100 or so bloggers have
already signed up. Smart marketing
strategy: give thousands of caffeine fueled,
link hungry individuals free coffee and
traffic, and hope they’ll return the favor
with a review.
I’m waiting for my coffee to show up, so I
can’t guarantee you’ll enjoy it, but a little
free coffee sounds pretty good right around
this time of day and figured I’d pass the
word
ShareThis
By Kristen Nicole (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 10:31:56 AM
Facebook revealed its profile page
makeover to the world yesterday, but let’s
not forget that this ever-popular social
network still has a ways to go in order to
catch MySpace. Many of the changes
we’ve seen Facebook undergo in recent
weeks have been the rolling out of new
features that appeal to the media-centric
professions that may want to look to
Facebook for promotional purposes.
To this end, Facebook has enabled Flash
for Facebook Pages creation, and today the
social network has unveiled a new app
called Film On Facebook. According to a
report on VentureBeat, existing Facebook
employee Jacobson has been assigned the
task of head of market development in
entertainment. Looks like Facebook is
really ramping up efforts to better connect
the entertainment industry with users,
through the ultimate communication
powers that Facebook possesses. Hopefully
this will incur more attention than
Facebook’s previous documentary project.
The new Film On app is designed
specifically for those in the film industry,
and provides tools for making promotional
pages that dive right into the depths of
Facebook’s own social network. This is
clearly another way Facebook is
determined to encroach on a MySpace
stronghold. Surely you’ve noticed that
MySpace’s recent efforts have been
pouring resources into the promotion and
distribution of film and television content,
and doing so pretty darn well.
One thing MySpace definitely has over
Facebook is a direct distribution offering,
Rihanna Is No Mariah Carey
By Hollywood Grind
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:59:28 PM
Rihanna was at a school where she decided
to be brave and sing Mariah Carey’s song
Hero. It starts out okay, but by the end
Rihanna’s voice just can’t hold up to the
allowing consumers to take action
immediately. This means that, for some
content, you can see the promotion of a
new show or film, and then watch it right
there on MySpace. This isn’t the case with
new releases (of course), but it’s still an
area that Facebook doesn’t seem like it
wants to dabble in–at least not yet.
On the existing Film pages already
available through the new Film On app,
you’ll see some interactive options for
Facebook users, like mobile wallpapers.
One thing Facebook has managed to do
much better than most web-based social
utilities is disperse information. So any
updates a promotional film page has on
Facebook, they’ll at least know that the
majority of users are pretty much always in
the know.
ShareThis
great Mariah. She was probably trying to
impress her new boyfriend Chris Brown.
© Copyright HollywoodGrind.com 2006-
2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
• No related posts.
Tech Gossip 13
Microsoft Picks Up Israeli
Ad-Targetting Software
Startup YaData for a
Reported $20 Million to $30
Million
By Erick Schonfeld (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:02:10 AM
In other Microsoft news, the company
bought an Israeli startup today called
YaData, which makes analytic software for
marketers to help them micro-segment
consumers. (Redmond is not going to let a
little thing like a $1.4 billion fine slow it
down). The purchase price was
undisclosed, but Israeli newspaper The
Globes is reporting that the price is between
$20 million and $30 million.
YaData will be folded into Microsoft’s
Israeli R&D center in Herzliya, Israel and
its product will be sold through Microsoft’s
Advertiser and Publisher Solutions group.
Maybe this will help Microsoft do some of
that mysterious “engagement mapping” it’s
been talking about. From the press release:
YaData’s technology will enable Microsoft
to provide its advertisers with richer
targeting capabilities so they can connect
with their audience in more efficient and
engaging ways, at the same time providing
its customers more relevant and focused
ads.
YaData’s technology will be integrated into
Microsoft’s Advertiser and Publisher
Solutions group and will add advanced
behavioral targeting tools and capabilities
to Microsoft’s online advertising platform.
The addition of YaData’s technology will
help Microsoft’s efforts to improve
advertisers’ ROI and to provide more
focused and relevant advertising, tailored to
specific client needs.
The company, which was founded in 2005,
raised a $4 million series A financing from
Giza Venture Capital and Ofer Hi-tech.
And back in 2006—you’ve got to love
this—it raised a seed round from Oracle.
Larry Ellison, the check from Microsoft is
in the mail.CrunchBase
InformationYaDataInformation provided
by CrunchBase
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool over
the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.
14 Tech
Jaanix is Pandora +
Del.icio.us
By Kristen Nicole (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:14:21 AM
Jaanix is a new social bookmarking tool
that offers you personalized
recommendations based on your interaction
with the site. It’s kind of like Pandora’s
preference system being applied to a
del.icio.us bookmarking service. What you
get is a real-time look at the bookmarks in
jaanix, according to your personal
preferences.
You can add your own items, vote others’
items up or down, tag and save items, and
also leave comments. Individual users’
bookmarks can be viewed, as well as those
that have been recommended to you, based
on your site activity. There are sliders that
appear along the right-hand side of the site
that let you change the filters for the current
page in real time.
The top three sliders let you filter by recent
and popular submissions, as well as by
comments. The rest of the sliders let you
filter by topic, so if you’re looking at my
submissions, you can narrow them down by
various topics like art, math, funny,
YouTube, or programming, to name a few.
Sony exec sees Eee-like PCs as having potentially
negative impact on industry
By Ryan Block (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:19:00 AM
Filed under: LaptopsSo at Sony's Open
House we were having lunch with Mike
Abary, Sony's US SVP of Information
Technology Products Division, who
oversees Vaio computers (among numerous
other things). Of course, the inevitable
question came up about the Eee PC's
success thus far, and what that means to
computer companies on the higher end of
the spectrum, like Sony. Mike's response
was a little surprising, but certainly sensible
enough: if consumer expectations begins to
While the sliders let you filter through the
existing content on a particular page, these
do not affect your actual preferences for the
overall recommendations that are coming in
through the jaanix site. RSS subscriptions
are also available for any given page, which
is kind of like creating your own feeds
based on keywords, but Jaanix itself isn’t a
feed reader and these specialized feeds are
based on preferences, not exactly
keywords.
I think Jaanix might do better to add a
personalized feed organizer and
consumption tool, because that would fit
nicely with the site’s preference-based
bookmarking service. This would also give
users additional features to engage in.
The biggest worry I have with jaanix’s
current set up is the ability for any existing
bookmarking tool to easily incorporate
such filtering tools for a more preference-
based system. Sites like StumbleUpon
already have some features that aim to
provide very personalized capabilities for
end users.
ShareThis
weigh too heavily toward the $300 end of
PCs, he believes that kind of consumer
adoption would have a profoundly negative
impact on the industry, referring to its
effect as "a race to the bottom."
We know there are a lot of Eee fans in the
house, but the man makes sense. Sony isn't
trashing ultra-cheap machines so much as
recognizing that it's hard to push things
forward when your primary objective
becomes making the very cheapest possible
machine you can (and not very best).
Innovation is hard enough to subsidize, but
when your already thin margins flatten
Pownce to Release More
Complete API this Friday
By Mark Hendrickson (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 1:49:09 PM
Leah Culver, the lead programmer of
Pownce, has informed us that the
messaging/social networking service will
release a more complete API this Friday,
one with substantial improvements over the
first version released late last October.
This second version will include the ability
to post notes and replies, fetch private and
friends-only notes (in addition to public
messages and user information), and upload
and download files. OAuth support will
also be rolled out, allowing users to protect
their Pownce data when using API-based
services. Services built on the API will be
publishable in a Pownce directory where
users can find them more easily.
Culver says that API 2.0 is powerful
enough that developers could recreate the
official Pownce AIR client if they were so
inclined. Pownce is already speaking with
several partners who have shown an
interest in using the new API, including
Flock who plans to integrate Pownce into
its people sidebar so you can see friends’
messages and post messages while
even further in trying to sell ultra-cheap
machines, it's easy to see the economics
working against tech companies. (Asus has
browsing.
SocialThing! and Mahalo also plan to use
Pownce’s new API. SocialThing!, a social
activity aggregator launching this March,
will feature the ability to send messages to
friends on Pownce in addition to other sites
such as Flickr, Facebook, Twitter,
del.icio.us, and YouTube. Mahalo currently
relies on a hack to allow website sharing to
Pownce through its Share Firefox toolbar;
access to this new API will replace that
hack.
Culver will be at FOWA Miami this Friday
to officially launch the new API. She’ll be
speaking there about websites as services
and the importance of solid
A P I s . C r u n c h B a s e
InformationPownceInformation provided
by CrunchBase
Crunch Network: MobileCrunchMobile
Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.
less to worry about here because its primary
business is making PCs for other
companies.) Of course, the reality is that
ultra-cheap machines probably won't soon
envelop the lion's share of computer sales
and threaten what most think of as "real"
PCs, so we probably don't have to worry
about the industry bottoming out because of
the Eee. False advertising and abusive
trialware, however, are different stories
entirely.
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Your Click and Print Newspaper
Great Firewall Of
Japan? Japan Proposes
Regulating The Internet
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 4:58:00 AM
It appears that the Japanese government is
growing a bit jealous of China's ability to
censor anything the government doesn't
like online. The Japanese government has
proposed new internet regulations that
would effectively do the same thing --
requiring Japanese ISPs to filter content
that is considered "harmful." As the article
notes, this stems from a long-time
regulatory relationship between the
government and existing news media in
Japan -- which has apparently helped keep
the same ruling party in power for decades.
The internet has now allowed for more
open dissent, which the government is
hoping to reign in. Of course, the
government insists there's nothing nefarious
going on here at all. It says the proposal
specifically says it's not about censorship
(which should set off alarm bells that it
clearly is about censorship). Instead, they
say they just want to protect citizens against
harmful materials. That's the type of
soundbite that sounds good, but it's not
supported by the actual proposal. If the
government is upset about "harmful"
information, then that information itself
should be outlawed and those responsible
for producing the harmful content should
be prosecuted for it. Yet, that's not what
this proposal is about. It's telling ISPs to
determine what's harmful and to block it.
And, as many in Japan are pointing out,
mobile operators in the country recently
started a "voluntary" effort to filter out
harmful info, and it's blocking lots of
perfectly legitimate info to be on the safe
side. This proposal may not be quite as
extreme as China's Great Firewall, but it's
clearly a step in that direction.
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Your Click and Print Newspaper
The Daily Poll: Is Microsoft
Still Evil?
By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:45:06 AM
The European Union has fined Microsoft
an additional $1.3 billion for what the
organization is calling “clear disregard of
its legal obligations” (their full statement
can be found here). As Stan noted this
morning, this brings total EU penalties
against Microsoft to more than $2 billion.
The latest fine relates specifically to
Microsoft providing documentation at an
“unreasonable price for workgroup
servers.”
Personally, I can’t speak to Microsoft’s anti
-competitive practices in the workgroup
server market, but, I do know that Firefox
now has 20-30% market share in web
browsers, and that there are dozens of
easily accessible choices for media players.
This tells me that at least some of the
original anti-competitive rulings against
Microsoft have been remedied, although,
Leona Lewis “Footprints In
The Sand” Music Video
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 1:28:40 PM
Leona Lewis “Footprints in the Sand”
Music Video
Zoho Writer Gets An Update—More Than
One Million Documents Served
By Erick Schonfeld (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:40:37 AM
Web-based word processors keep closing
the gap with Microsoft Office. Since its
launch, Zoho now has 650,000 users, a 30
percent increase from just last November,
the company tells us. It is doing 2 million
user sessions per month. And its users have
created more than one million documents
on Zoho Writer (1.6 million, if you include
its online presentation and spreadsheet
products, Zoho Show and Zoho Sheets).
whether or not that is due to the company
changing its business practices is up for
debate.
Of course, we also have Microsoft’s
announcement last week about their change
to more open business practices and their
embrace of interoperability. But is
Microsoft really changing its philosophies,
or is it simply trying to remain relevant in
the Web era? Today’s poll:
Is Microsoft Still Evil?
• Yes
• No
• It Never Was!
View Results
ShareThis
Today, Zoho released an update to Zoho
Writer that includes:
Docx Suppor—the ability to export
documents in the new docx Word file
format (this is in addition to existing
support for doc, txt, html, pdf, odf, sxw, rtf
files).
Thesaurus—a thesaurus in ten languages
(English, Czech, German, Greek, French,
Irish, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Slovak).
Groups—Now you can save emails
forgroups instead of re-entering each one
every time you want to share a document.
Proposed law would require
carriers to sell contract-free
phones
By Nilay Patel (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:43:00 AM
Filed under: CellphonesWe don't usually
take much stock in proposed legislation --
Schoolhouse Rock left out the part where
lobbyists gut all the good bits -- but we're
willing to root for the Wireless Consumer
Protection and Community Broadband
Empowerment Act, currently on the floor
in the House and Senate. The bill,
sponsored by Massachusetts Rep. Ed
Markey, would require carriers to sell
contract-free phones, provide rate plan
information in a "clear, plain, and
conspicuous manner," disclose any phone
subsidies hidden in the plan's price, and
offer price-comparable plans with no
subsidy or early termination fee. That
means you'd finally know exactly how
much a plan would bill you every month
including taxes and fees, it'd be easier to
see how much devices like the iPhone are
marked up, and most importantly, it'd be
way easier to switch carriers to get better
deals. The House Subcommittee on
Telecommunications and the Internet, of
which Markey is the chairman, held a
hearing on the bill this morning with reps
from both the wireless industry and
Enhanced support for Endnotes/Footnotes,
Headers/Footers—Formatting is now
maintained when a document is exported,
as are manual page breaks.
Zoho still has along way to go to catch up
to Microsoft Word, and it trails Google
Docs in usage, but it is making steady
p r o g r e s s . C r u n c h B a s e
InformationZohoInformation provided by
CrunchBase
Crunch Network: CrunchBoardbecause it’s
time for you to find a new Job2.0
consumer groups present, so progress is
being made -- we'll see how things go.
[Via CNET]
Read - Markey's statement to open the
hearings
Read - Proposed bill [PDF]
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Mark Ronson “Lily Allen And Friends” Video
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 12:39:06 PM
Record producer Mark Ronson
Tech Gossip 15
Indistr Lets You
Choose the Price
for Buying Music
By Kristen Nicole (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:41:35 AM
Indistr is taking the Amie St approach to
digital music’s long tail. In an effort to
create a true market where supply and
demand meet in an ideal environment,
Indistr’s newest feature is hoping to
provide the perfect price point for online
music sales. The new feature lets the buyers
name their own price for the content they
sell through Indistr’s site.
Taking a cue from Radiohead’s successful
venture of putting out the virtual tip jar,
fans get to put out bids for how much an
album should cost. The minimum bid is
$1.00, and the bids cannot exceed $20.00.
Once you enter your bid for the price
you’re willing to pay for an artist’s album,
Indistr will then tell you how much of that
will go directly to the artist. So far, this new
feature is only being applied to entire
albums, and it’s an opt-in feature available
to artists that would like to make particular
albums available for sale in this manner.
The transparency involved with this format
is particularly appealing, because it enables
the consumer to make a pretty educated
decision on how their actions affect an
artist, as well as the Indistr service itself.
Combine this new feature with Indistr’s
existing tailored options for artists who
want to sell their content directly to fans,
and you’ve got a good system with a great
deal of potential. How long until the major
record labels adopt such a model?
ShareThis
performance and interview on Lily Allen’s
BBC series Lily Allen And Friends on
Tuesday.
16 Tech
"Silicone womb" enters human
testing in the UK
By Nilay Patel (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:18:00 AM
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
In-vitro fertilization may soon become
much more effective, if a new device
dubbed the "silicone womb" comes out of
testing successfully. Currently test-tube
embryos are developed in an incubator, but
the .2-inch long silicone womb, produced
by Anecova, allows them to be implanted
inside the mother for up to four days,
during which time they're exposed to the
uterus through 360 40-micron holes. The
goal is to develop stronger, more resilient
embryos for eventual pregnancy, but a
Google Lands Default Search Position In Opera Mobile
By Duncan Riley (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 11:50:06 AM
The mobile phone versions of the Opera
browser will now come with Google as the
default search engine.
The new deal applies to Opera Mini and
Opera Mobile; the desktop version of
Opera already offers Google as the default
small test in Belgium has so far proven
inconclusive as to the device's effectiveness
-- and some researchers doubt it'll work at
all, since the embryos will be located in the
uterus rather than the fallopian tubes where
they would naturally develop. Still, there's
hope that the environment inside the uterus
will be an effective substitute -- to quote
one researcher, "it's a lot closer to a
fallopian tube than a plastic tray." 40
women are signed up for testing starting
today, but results aren't expected for some
time.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
search engine. Opera’s mobile versions
currently have an install base of 35million
users.
The financial details of the deal were not
disclosed, but it would be fair to guess that
Google just paid its way into Opera’s
mobile user base at the expense of Yahoo,
the previous paying provider.
The deal is effective March 1 and applies
About.com CEO Scott Meyer to
Leave Post March 6
By Paul Glazowski (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:13:35 AM
Scott Meyer, CEO of About.com, has eight
days left in the captain’s chair. According
to Rafat Ali at PaidContent, Meyer expects
to leave his role as chief executive of the
company, which he first stepped into in
2005, by March 6. His official replacement
has yet to be announced. At the moment,
Martin Nisenholtz, Senior Vice President of
Digital Operations at The New York Times
Company, About’s parent corp, will be
filling the void.
Meyer’s departure isn’t one to be translated
negatively by onlookers, said the soon-to-
be ex-CEO. His parting with About should
be seen as “completely amicable,” Ali
Bluetrek's Bizz Bluetooth headset improves your
memory
By Joshua Topolsky (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:33:00 AM
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals,
Wearables
Finally someone has combined the two
things we love most -- Bluetooth headsets
and microSD storage -- into one, sweet
package. Enter the Bluetrek Bizz, a
marriage of seemingly disparate products
that actually kind of makes sense. On the
headset side, you get up to seven hours of
talk time, ten days on standby, and a
customizable color panel. When you crack
everywhere except within the borders of the
former Soviet Union.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
notes.
How this news plays for About will likely
be undramatic on the whole. About.com
has for the most part been a relatively
uneventful location on the Web as of late.
What was formerly a well-regarded and
very active resource for all kinds of
information, has taken the shape of a kind
of has-been. Now it sits as mostly docile
asset in NYTCo’s possession. Thus a
changing of the executive guard might not
arouse much attention when Meyer
relinquishes his post late next week.
ShareThis
thus making your efforts to keep it at the
ready a little bit easier. The headset weighs
around 10 grams, and is slated in sell for
around £40 (or roughly $80). Check out the
totally jazzed-up video after the break to
see what it's all about.
[Via Mobility Site]
Continue reading Bluetrek's Bizz Bluetooth
headset improves your memory
it open, you've got direct USB 2.0
connectivity, as well as a slot for a Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
microSD card up to 8GB. You can charge
the headset directly from any USB port,
Note that Google is also a partial owner of
the Maxthon browser, via a 2007
investment.CrunchBase InformationOpera
SoftwareInformation provided by
CrunchBase
Crunch Network: CrunchBoardbecause it’s
time for you to find a new Job2.0
Your Click and Print Newspaper
MoFuse Instantly Converts Sites
for the iPhone
By Mark Hendrickson (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 9:00:56 AM
MoFuse is a service that will take your
website and instantly create a mobile
version of it, sparing you the development
costs of doing so by hand. Today the
company is announcing that it will now
automatically create iPhone versions of
sites in addition to the standard versions for
dumbed down mobile browsers.
Starting immediately, when iPhone users
browse to the MoFuse mobile version of a
site, which can be placed at a subdomain,
they will be presented a nicely formatted
version for their swank handheld device.
While anyone who wants to create a
modestly advanced iPhone version of their
site will still need to do so manually, many
site owners - and particularly bloggers I
imagine - will be content with allowing
EU To Microsoft: Not Open
Enough. Imposes $1.4 Billion Fine
By Erick Schonfeld (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:59:14 AM
Microsoft’s sudden conversion to openness
and interoperability last week did not
impress the European Commission. Today,
the antitrust-enforcing arm of the European
Union imposed a $1.35 billion fine (899
million Euros) on Microsoft for failing to
comply with a 2004 order to supply
interoperability data for its products to its
competitors. That brings the total fine to
$2.5 billion.
At a press conference EC commissioner
March 6th Date Set for Apple’s “iPhone Software Roadmap” Event
By Mark Hendrickson (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 12:33:35 PM
Apple has sent out an email to the media
announcing a March 6th event for laying
out an “iPhone Software Roadmap” that
will focus on the SDK as well as “new
enterprise features”.
MoFuse to take care of the work.
Click on the iPhone simulated shot on the
right to see what a MoFuse mobile site for
the iPhone might look like.
Crunch Network: MobileCrunchMobile
Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.
Neelie Kroes said of Microsoft’s last-
minute overture last week: “We don’t want
talk, we want compliance. If you cheat the
rules, you will be caught.” She also noted
that was Microsoft’s fifth announcement
about improving interoperability.
One thing is for sure, if Microsoft does not
start acting sincerely in its interoperability
efforts, the EC will just keep on zinging it
with fines.
Crunch Network: MobileCrunchMobile
Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.
It’s not clear whether the SDK will actually
be released on that date, or whether it will
just be detailed. In either case, Apple has
failed to fulfill its promise to release the
SDK this February as anticipated.
The event will be invite-only and will take
place at Apple headquarters in Cupertino,
starting at 10am.
Brookstone converts Sharper Image
gift cards into practically worthless
discount
By Darren Murph (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:27:00 AM
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
What's worse than being forced to hang
with your "pals" as they peruse the aisles of
Sharper Image? Why, perusing the aisle at
Brookstone, of course! In an admittedly
ridiculous ploy to solicit business from now
-shafted Sharper Image gift card holders,
Brookstone is attempting to do the world
some giant favor by converting any Sharper
Image gift cards or gift certificate into a 25-
While nothing has been said about which
percent off discount for its stores.
Unfortunately, the individual with a $1 gift
card and a $20,000 gift card get the same
lame-o discount, and better still, the deal
isn't valid on the few things in there worth a
darn Sony, Celestron, Bose, Panasonic and
Tempur-Pedic items. Thanks for nothing,
Brookstone.
[Image courtesy of OrlandoAirports]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
enterprise features will exactly be
discussed, business users are obviously
hoping that they will include some sort of
Microsoft Exchange support.CrunchBase
InformationAppleInformation provided by
CrunchBase
Crunch Network: CrunchBoardbecause it’s
time for you to find a new Job2.0
Tech 17
N-Tune adds a tuner
to your guitar's
volume knob
By Darren Murph (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:45:00 AM
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Although Gibson's self-tuning Robot Guitar
is mighty snazzy, buying an entirely new
instrument in order to ease your tuning
woes isn't exactly practical. Truth be told,
the N-Tune won't do the tuning for you, but
it does make adjusting those flats and
sharps a lot more interesting. Essentially,
the chromatic tuner replaces the volume
control on your electric axe and can be
retrofitted in most every guitar / bass out
there. Once installed, users simply pull the
knob up to mute the volume and turn the
tuner on simultaneously, and then you can
check out the on-knob LEDs to gauge how
accurately your strings are tuned. Best of
all, this thing is slated to ship within the
next month for just $100, but alas, it's
recommended that you pay a professional
to actually rig it up.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
18 Tech TV Gossip
Razer teases CeBIT-bound Speed of (The)
Light mouse
By Darren Murph (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:14:00 AM
Filed under: Peripherals
With CeBIT opening its doors in Germany
in just a matter of days, it seems that Razer
is already getting us antsy by rolling out a
new teaser for an upcoming mouse.
Granted, it's not like the firm hasn't pulled
something similar before, but considering
Yup, ABC and FOX are interested in Leno
By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:25:00 AM
Filed under: Late Night, Industry,
Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show
Bill Carter over at The New York Times is
reportingthat ABC and FOX (as well as
Sony Pictures Television) have indeed
started their campaign to lure Jay Leno over
to their networks once Conan O'Brien takes
over for Leno at NBC's Tonight Show next
year.
Now, the two networks can't "legally" try to
Spencer Pratt Calf Implants Report Denied
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 12:13:51 PM
Spencer Pratt has denied a Star Magazine
that it specifically notes March 4th as the
date to check back for more details, it's not
exactly being secretive about where the
launch will take place. T-minus six days
until the Speed of (The) Light is revealed --
we're tense with anticipation.
[Thanks, Defiler]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
get Leno right now, but senior executives at
the companies have been getting word to
Leno through other sources that they are
report claiming that he is planning to
undergo cosmetic surgery to obtain calf
implants.
“It is so incredibly not true,” the twenty-
What's On Tonight: Big Brother,
Back To You, Ballroom Challenge
By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:05:00 AM
Filed under: Programming, What To Watch
Tonight
• At 8, FOX has a new American Idol, then
a new Back To You.
• CBS has a new Big Brother at 8.
• ABC has a new Wife Swap at 8, followed
by new episodes of Supernanny and Men in
Trees.
• PBS has new episodes of America's
Ballroom Challenge and American Masters.
• NBC has a new Deal Or No Deal at 8.
• There's a new America's Next Top Model
at 8 on The CW.
• Also at 8: TCM has On The Beach,
followed by High Noon.
• At 9, CNBC has a new American Greed.
• HGTV has a new Deserving Design at 9,
then a new Design on a Dime.
• At 9:30, HBO has a new In Treatment.
• At 10, NBC has a new Law and Order.
• Bravo has a new Project Runway at 10.
interested in doing business with him in
some way. NBC wants to keep Leno at
their network as well, perhaps as host of
another show, prime time specials, or
maybe as host of a late night infomercial
about non-stick pans. Leno's contract runs
though the end of 2009, though he probably
won't actually be on the air the last half.
Continue reading Yup, ABC and FOX are
interested in Leno
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
four year old said in a statement on
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Reese Witherspoon “Ellen”
February 28th
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 1:55:14 PM
Reese Witherspoon will appear on Ellen
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a
newReno 911. tomorrow (Thursday, Feb 13th). The Oscar
winner used the opportunity to tell Ellen all
about her obsession with trash. (more…)
Check your local TV listings for more.
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
quarterlife: Quarterlife (series
premiere)
By Paul Goebel (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:35:00 AM
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Episode
Reviews
(S01E01) Generally, when I watch a new
show, I try to give it the benefit of the
doubt before I make a decision. First
episodes of new shows are often full of bad
choices. Poor casting, too much exposition,
bad hair styles. all of which are usually
remedied by the second episode. With that
in mind, i have to say that I found the first
ten minutes of quarterlife incredibly their twenties, trying to make their mark.
Continue reading quarterlife: Quarterlife
irritating. First of all, the title and premise
of the show is insulting to me. I assume (series premiere)
since Zwick and Herskovitz already did
thirtysomething, they were hesitant to call Permalink | Email this | | Comments
this show twentysomething. Unfortunately,
that's all the show is, a bunch of friends in
Wednesday.
Your Click and Print Newspaper TV 19
ABC might bring back According To Jim
for yet another season
By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:42:00 AM

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows,

Industry, Programming, Pickups and
Renewals
I have a confession to make: I don't hate
According To Jim.
Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for home-
based sitcoms or maybe it's because I've
had a huge crush on Courtney Thorne-
Smith since the 80s (Day By Day!), but the
few episodes I've seen were cute, amusing,
and harmless.
Of course, that doesn't mean I necessarily
Continue reading ABC might bring back
According To Jim for yet another season Women's Murder
welcome this news, that ABC is in talks
with ABC Studios to bring the show back Permalink | Email this | | Comments Club creators find
for an eighth season.
new gig
Heroes to start shooting in June ... By Allison Waldman (TV Squad)
TV Obits: Buckley, Tilley, Smith, Levin without Kristen Bell? Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:42:00 AM

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Industry,

By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:05:00 AM
Filed under: Celebrities, Obituaries
A roundup of TV people from in front of
the camera and behind the scenes who have
passed away.
• William F. Buckley, Jr.: He was
conservative commentator and host of the
long-running political show Firing Line,
which started on WOR-TV and then went
to public television, lasting 23 years. He
was also the editor of National Review, the
author of several books, and even ran for
mayor of New York City once. Buckley
was found dead in his home in Stamford,
CT. He was 82.
Continue reading TV Obits: Buckley,
Tilley, Smith, Levin
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:04:00 AM
Filed under: Programming, Heroes
Cool news for fans of NBC's Heroes: it
looks like the show is going to start filming
a lot earlier than it usually does.
Shows usually start filming in July/August
for the fall season, but according to Heroes
star James Kyson Lee (Ando), the writers
strike means that the show will start filming
in June, and maybe as early as May. He
says that NBC plans to really push the
show this year, using the Olympics to hype
the show.
That's the good news. The (possible) bad
news is that TV Guide's Michael Ausiello
is reporting that Kristen Bell isn't signed for
the new season yet.
Continue reading Heroes to start shooting
in June ... without Kristen Bell?
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
Pickups and RenewalsJust last week, TV
Squad reported that the creators and
executive producers of the ABC drama
Women's Murder Club, Sarah Fain and
Elizabeth Craft, were replaced by Robert
Nathan. Before you could say "Holy
homicide, Batman," the two writers were
quickly offered jobs from their old boss,
Joss "Firefly" Whedon. Whedon has a
development deal with Fox for a project
called Dollhouse. He contacted Fain and
Craft because he knew their work from
Angel where they were co-story editors.
Continue reading Women's Murder Club
creators find new gig
Permalink | Email this | | Comments

CSI: Magic Mountain - it's true

By Allison Waldman (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:01:00 AM
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, 24, CSI,
NCISIt doesn't take a rocket scientist, let
alone a forensic specialist, to detect that the
CSI franchise is hot. CBS currently boasts
three shows with CSI in the title --
CSI,CSI: Miami,CSI: New York -- four if
you include the non-Jerry Bruckheimer
produced military procedural NCIS. So,
then, it shouldn't come as a surprise that
CSI is expanding. No, there's not a new CSI
TV show happening, but there is an
amusement park variation on CSI coming
to life at Magic Mountain, the Valencia,
California tourist attraction. (By the way,
isn't it nice that Valencia didn't get nuked
for real like it did on 24 last season?)
Continue reading CSI: Magic Mountain -
it's true
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
20 Movies
Discuss: When Online Get Ready for 'Step Up 3-
Movie Marketing Goes Too D!'
Far
By Erik Davis (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:02:00 AM
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy,
Fandom, Newsstand, Movie Marketing
Though the film Untraceable debuted in the
states last month, it arrives in the UK this
week and a new online marketing campaign
was launched not long ago to help promote
the overseas release. Great. Super. Not
quite. Apparently, the interactive company
Picture Production Company set up a
Facebook page called "Kill With Me," and
we're being told (via the Guardian) that said
page "has been gradually revealing more
and more of a visceral torture scene from
the Untraceable movie to Facebook
members." That's not all -- here's a copy of
the text that was also featured on the page:
"This guy is going to die. You want to see
his stinking flesh burn and bleed and
blacken? Until he's some twisted dead
thing? This is what you want. And I've
filmed it especially for you. The more fans
I get, the more I'll show ..."
A similar marketing tactic for the same
movie was used on the video community
Seesmic, where "an actor planted on the
service briefly disappeared, and was then
filmed by a video camera being bound,
gagged and seemingly executed." The dude
in charge of PPC knew both pages would
be pulled, but wanted to "push the
Films of the Same Name: 'Shelter'
By Monika Bartyzel (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:32:00 AM
Filed under: Drama, Gay & Lesbian,
Independent, Romance, Sports, Cinematical
Indie, Trailers and ClipsYesterday, I wrote
about the upcoming movie Shelter, which
will star Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys
Meyers. But did you know that there's
almost twenty "Shelter" films listed over on
IMDb? Some are foreign, a couple were on
television, and the rest all just have the
same name. (I guess no one checks their
title on that wonderfully handy database.)
boundaries of what is acceptable in an
online community with the Untraceable
marketing campaign." I don't know about
you, but tricking people into believing
they're watching someone being murdered
is taking it a bit too far. I understand the
need to consistently up the ante with
regards to marketing campaigns (especially
for horror/thriller flicks), but where do you
draw the line.
If you came across a campaign like this,
would it make you want to see the film? Or
is this taking it too far? Additionally, where
do you draw the line these days? Sound off
below ...Permalink | Email this | Comments
While one gears up to get bloody, another
is going into limited release this April.
I was alerted to this other project by a
certain Mr. W, who was reading
Cinematical and was so excited to see that I
was writing about Shelter. Then he saw that
my Shelter wasn't his Shelter. This other
movie, all wrapped up and waiting for the
big screen, is a romantic sports drama
written and directed by Jonah Markowitz,
and it's just as worthy of a post.
The story: Although he has dreams of
By Jessica Barnes (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:32:00 AM
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Romance,
Deals, Disney, Remakes and SequelsI
admit that cheesy dance flicks are a guilty
pleasure of mine -- everything from Fast
Forward to You Got Served; I've seen them
all. But even I'm not so sure about this one.
Varietyreports that Disney is planning a
third installment in their dance franchise,
Step Up, but with the added bonus of 3-D.
Its no surprise that there is going to be
another flick, especially with box office
totals equaling $28.7 million on President's
Day weekend alone. Not to mention the
sequel only cost about $20 million to make
-- once they cash in on DVD sales, it is
going to make a tidy profit for the mouse.
Throw in the spectacle of 3-D, and Disney
is banking big that the current dance movie
craze holds long enough to get them
another good return on their investment.
Producing partners Adam Shankman and
Jennifer Gibgot will also produce the third
film and Jon Chu is expected to return to
direct. Since it is still early days for the
flick, a script has yet to be written, so there
is no word on whether the third film will be
a stand-alone (like the first two) or a
continuation of the sequel. Although, let's
going to art school, a young surfer named
Zach works in a crappy job and helps take
care of his sister's son. When his best
be honest: it's going to be some variation of
the same old theme. Either a girl, or boy,
from different sides of the proverbial
tracks, somebody learns to dance 'street',
and so on and so forth. I don't want to
belittle the work of the writers, but the story
line for these flicks always takes a back
seat to the choreography ... so does it even
really matter? The film is still in
development with Disney, but will
probably arrive in theaters sometime next
year.Read | Permalink | Email this |
Comments
friend's older brother Shaun comes home
and the two fall for each other, Zach is
caught between his own passions and his
family's needs. It looks like a great film,
and it's already won a bunch of awards at
Gay & Lesbian fests -- from Best Film and
Best Cinematography to Favorite Feature.
But don't just take my word for it, or the
word of all the people behind the films 6
awards, check out the trailer after the jump.
Continue reading Films of the Same Name:
'Shelter'Permalink | Email this | Comments
Your Click and Print Newspaper
'Starship
Troopers 3'
Trailer!
By Erik Davis (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:02:00 AM
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy,
Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie
Marketing, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers
and Clips
Now with MORE Johnny Rico! Oh yes,
those bug-killing troopers are back for a
third time in the direct-to-DVD title
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, and the first
trailer for the film can be seen above. What
can you say? They really do attempt to
bring in some of the cheese from the first
film, but the smaller budget really shows.
In the original, those bugs were dark, nasty
and scary. Now, they're, well, kinda cute
and funny. Or maybe it's just me -- by all
means, watch the trailer yourself and tell
me I'm dead wrong. Please. I want to be
wrong here. Unfortunately, I know our
readers, and I know you folks will probably
feel the same way.
Good news is that Johnny Rico (Casper
Van Dien) is back reprising his role from
the first film, which is sad and quite
hilarious (who knew Casper Van Dien
would be such a selling point) at the same
time. Also starring are Jolene Blalock (as
Lola Beck) and Boris Kodjoe (as Dix
Hauzer). I do give them credit for the
names; those always fit the mood of the
films. In this third installment, Johnny Rico
is now a general and total bad ass, and he
apparently leads a group of troops back into
battle against the bugs. Isn't that what all
the films are about? Look for it to hit DVD
shelves later this year.Permalink | Email
this | Comments
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Mark Wahlberg and
Leonardo DiCaprio are
'Cocaine Cowboys'
By Monika Bartyzel (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:02:00 AM
Filed under: Action, Drama, Casting,
RumorMonger, Remakes and SequelsMid-
strike, filmmaker Peter Berg and Mark
Wahlberg signed on for Cocaine Cowboys,
a feature adaptation of that cocaine
trafficking documentary that came out back
in 2006. Mr. Wahlberg was set to play Jon
Roberts, a Miami drug dealer who
distributed billions of dollars worth of
cocaine. Now Page Six says that he'll be
joined by Departed co-star Leonardo
DiCaprio for all of the retro drug
shenanigans.
A movie insider told the site that this film
"will blow Blow out of the water," and that
Leo "is excited about the opportunity to
play the airplane pilot who travels with
Mark's character to obtain kilos of cocaine
from Pablo Escobar." Correct me if I'm
wrong, but I assume that means Leo will be
Mickey Munday? (Get more info on the
story through the above doc link, or in an
old interview here.)
Considering how schnazzy the
documentary about Roberts is, I would
Oscars in Rewind: Buffalo News Team
Botches Broadcast
By Erik Davis (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:32:00 AM
Filed under: Awards, Celebrities and
Controversy, Newsstand, Oscar Watch
Thanks to the local ABC affiliate in
Buffalo, NY, we now have a great quote to
put on the DVD box of No Country for Old
Men: "The guy with no expression who
keeps blowing up everything." There it is!
That's the best movie of the year in a
hope that this isn't just a straight-out drama,
but something with a Basketball Diaries
sort of life to it -- the film that first brought
Marky Mark and Leo together. I like Leo
best when he gets to be a little crazy -- a
poetic, struggling Jim Carroll, or a wacky
Howard Hughes, and would love to see him
with a little flair in this. But what do you
think? Are you ready for Leo and Marky
Part 3?Read | Permalink | Email this |
Comments
nutshell. Anyway, in case you haven't seen
this yet, a technical snafu up in Buffalo
accidentally turned on the newsroom mics
in the middle of the Oscar broadcast -- right
as they were announcing the best director
award for Joel and Ethan Coen. Watch the
video above, and listen to the part where
the feed cuts out and these folks start
talking about the film. One guy goes, "I
don't believe in this Oscar bullsh*t, but this
was the best movie of the year." Then the
female news anchor goes, "What's it
about?" And I swear it sounds like someone
Paul Rust Gets to Woo
Hayden Panettiere
By Monika Bartyzel (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 8:32:00 AM
Filed under: Comedy, CastingMaybe
someone should tell newcomer Paul Rust
that Hayden Panettiere is into older men --
the power-sucking sort that are 12 years her
teen senior. But, well, geekboys can dream.
However, in the upcoming comedy I Love
You, Beth Cooper, the dude does a little
more than just dreaming. Also, mimicking
reality, Hayden plays a gal with an older
guy.
Erik blogged about the movie last month
when Chris Columbus was in talks to
direct, and the whale saver was looking into
starring. With their deals now set, Variety
reports that they've cast Rust as the guy
who gets to long for Beth Cooper. He'll
play Denis Cooverman, the geeky
valedictorian who decides that it will be a
good idea to profess his love for Beth
during his speech. Oh yes, there's nothing
more romantic than the smart geek
professing his love in front of the whole
graduating senior class, their parents, the
girl, and her parents. He might be book
smart, but it seems like he's missing some
responds to her question with an answer
that goes something like, "It's men. It's
about old men." No idea. But it's definitely
one of the funnier Oscar goof-ups I've seen
in some time. My vote is for the Buffalo
news team to host the awards next year.
Here's more on the story, including the
names of those involved, from the local
Buffalo press.
[via Defamer]Permalink | Email this |
Comments
rational smarts. Still, Erik said some great
things about it, so maybe this could be fun.
That is, if they don't make HP be too love-
gushy at any point. Man, I hated her
romantic scenes with West in Heroes. Ick.
Anyway, according to his blog, Rust heads
for Vancouver next Monday to shoot the
film through the end of May.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Brad Pitt Caught
in Katrina
Scandal
Brad Pitt pledged $5 million to build
environmentally
BRADfriendly
page 22 homes for
Movies Gossip 21
Saudi Arabia's Getting a
Film Fest ... Even Though
Movie Theaters Are Banned
There
By Eric D. Snider (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 7:02:00 AM
Filed under: Documentary, Foreign
Language, Shorts, Other Festivals,
Cinematical IndieIn accordance with its
Dark Ages policies aimed at controlling its
citizens, Saudi Arabia has banned movie
theaters since the early 1980s. But that
doesn't mean they can't have a film festival!
(Actually, OK, it should mean that. But
here we are anyway.) Variety reported last
week that an as-yet-untitled fest will begin
on May 20 in Riyadh, with a program of
shorts and documentaries from Arab
countries filling out the schedule. A prize
called the Palm will go to the best ones.
The Saudi Society of Arts and Culture and
the Dammam Literary Group are the
organizers; the latter group, which is
government-sponsored, has recently held
small, private film screenings (with the
audiences segregated by gender, of course),
leading many to speculate that the ban on
movies is slowly lifting. The film festival
may be another step in that process. (That's
S.A.'s King Abdullah in the pic, by the
way. Whassup, Abdullah!)
Continue reading Saudi Arabia's Getting a
Film Fest ... Even Though Movie Theaters
Are Banned TherePermalink | Email this |
Comments
22 Gossip
Ali Lohan Wants to be Like Her Big
Sis
By Hollywood Grind
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:58:21 PM
Ali Lohan wants to be just like her big
sister Lindsay Lohan, and she’s only 14
years old. Ali tells Teen Vogue that she
wants fame and all its trappings "really bad,
so bad … So bad you don’t even know."
She says that "it’s so cool when people look
up to you" and that she has already been
asked for an autograph "and it’s just a
really good feeling to have."
Ali knows people aren’t looking up to her,
they are looking down on her white
trashiness, but she doesn’t care, just as long
as she gets the attention that mommy never
gives her. My hope is no one gives Ali the
chance to be a drug addicted rich whore.
It’s for her own good.
© Copyright HollywoodGrind.com 2006-
2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
• Lindsay Lohan So Drunk She Falls Down
- Video
• Lindsay Lohan Wins Eight Razzies
• Lindsay Lohan Settles Lawsuit
• Lindsay Lohan Has Mom Support
• Lindsay Lohan Without Clothes on for
New York Mag
BRAD
continued from page 21
Hurricane Katrina victims, but now he’s
discovered that someone he tried to help
was actually defrauding the government.
The New Orleans disaster has caused on
unprecedented amount of corruption and
fraud among politicians, residents, and
former residents. Those scams have cost all
of us tax payers billions of dollars, and we
are still being asked to give even more. It’s
too bad we can’t be sure the money isn’t
going to criminals, like Robert Green
pictured above with Brad.
Dayanara Torres To Tell All about Marc Anthony
By Hollywood Grind
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:48:16 PM
Dayanara Torres plans to write a tell-all
book about the short and tumultuous
marriage to Marc Anthony, reports The
Post’s Sandra Guzman. The former Miss
Universe is writing Married to Me: How
Committing to Myself Led to Triumph
After Divorce, which will chronicle how
she got over her painful union with
Anthony, who left her for Jennifer Lopez,
Angelina Jolie Raising Her Baby in France
By Hollywood Grind
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:26:39 PM
Angelina Jolie is now saying she will have
and raise her baby in France to honor her
dead mother. Uh huh. Just another excuse
to have her baby in a country other than
America. Don’t bite the hand that feeds
you.
Adam From Big Brother Gets Fired
By Hollywood Grind
Submitted at 2/27/2008 6:10:56 PM
The "Big Brother" contestant, Adam, who
referred to autistic children as "retards,"
even though he works with them at his job,
has gotten axed from that job, reports the
New York Post, though he doesn’t know it
Miley Cyrus Lindsay Lohan Ban: Miley Cyrus Banned From Lindsay Lohan Friendship
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 11:42:07 AM
Miley Cyrus, who recently admitted that
Your Click and Print Newspaper
© Copyright HollywoodGrind.com 2006-
2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
• Angelina Jolie Pregnant First Picture
• Brad Pitt Protects Zahara from the
Paparazzi
• Angelina Jolie to Sell Baby
Announcement
• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Make-Out at
SAG
• Angelina Jolie is Pregnant with Twins
lawyers don’t stop her the way JLo’s
lawyers stopped her former hubby.
© Copyright HollywoodGrind.com 2006-
2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
• Jennifer Lopez Gives Birth to Twins
• Jennifer Lopez Six Million Dollar Baby
• Jennifer Lopez to Give Birth This Month
• Jennifer Lopez is Carrying Twins
to find true happiness. Torres book will be • Jennifer Lopez in New York Shopping
published by Penguin Book’s new Latin
author line, Celebra, that is if Anthony’s
• Angelina Jolie Pregnant First Picture
• Angelina Jolie is in Iraq - Video
• Angelina Jolie to Sell Baby
Announcement
• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Make-Out at
SAG
© Copyright HollywoodGrind.com 2006-
2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
• Angelina Jolie is Pregnant with Twins
appear to be one of his strengths.
© Copyright HollywoodGrind.com 2006-
2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
• Chanelle Hayes is Not Exactly Pregnant
yet. Adam was working as a Public
Relations Manger for The United Autism
Foundation, but public relations doesn’t
been banned from hanging out with
Lindsay Lohan, because they fear the two-
time rehabber is a bad influence. (more…)
she would like to have more friends, has
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Britney Spears Can Stay in State Hands
By Hollywood Grind
Submitted at 2/27/2008 5:51:38 PM
A federal judge said the conservatorship
can remain in State court. He further added
the attorney who had asked for Britney
Spears case to be moved to Federal court,
was not her lawyer, and had no right to
even file the request. Report that guy to his
local state bar association. There’s always
some nut telling everyone to leave Britney
alone so they can get a slice of her money
Gossip 23
Nicole Richie Harlow
Winter Kate Madden
Photo People Magazine
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 12:33:24 PM
Two weeks after taking us behind-the-
scenes with Christina Aguilera and her
newborn son, People Magazine presents the
first photo of Nicole Richie’s lovechild
with Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden:
Christiane Plante Hulk
Introducing Harlow Winter Kate Madden. Hogan Cheating Scandal:
People reportedly paid Nicole $1 million Hulk Hogan Affair With
for the exclusive rights to Harlow’s first
photo. (more…) Brooke Hogan Friend
By Castina (Pop Crunch)
Submitted at 2/27/2008 12:00:38 PM
Hulk Hogan, who is divorcing Linda Bollea
after nearly twenty-five years of marriage,
cheated on his wife with a female friend of
his teen daughter Brooke, according to a
pie. She looks better than ever thanks to tabloid report. (more…)
pappa Jamie Spears.
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2008. All Rights Reserved.Related posts:
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