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[Other] Obama Apologizes for Calling Reporter “Sweetie” (Bumpshack)

Bumpshack — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:32:31 GMT

Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama apologized on Monday to reporter Peggy Agar for calling her “sweetie” when she asked him a question at a campaign stop in Detroit. Reporter Peggy Agar, of the WXYZ television network in Michigan, had shouted a question as Mr Obama toured a Chrysler car plant in Detroit. Mr Obama said: “Hold [...]

Tangled Blog : Who do these people think they are - 2 ...
The Liberal Blog Network : Obama, Sweetie [The Republic of T.] ...

blogs : Bitten and Bound,Tangled Blog,a bloke's blog,The Liberal Blog Network,A Liberal Atheistic Vegblog...
(6 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 18:32)

[Other] Grandson of Nazi Enabler Decries Talking to Nazis (Firedoglake)

Firedoglake — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Maybe it's just negotiating with Nazis that's the problem--making tons of dough by serving as their banker? The Bush family doesn't appear to have any problem with that.

The Plank : An “unprecendented political attack on foreign soil" ...
feminist blogs : The Misogyny She Won't Miss, And The Racism She’s Already Missed ...

blogs : BlogXilla.com,Ta-Nehisi Coates,Nuke's news & views,The Width of a Circle,jambox...
(55 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 23:00)

[Other] A look at how portion sizes have changed in the... (kottke)

kottke — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:07:19 GMT

A look at how portion sizes have changed in the US over the years . We don't have to eat those extra 360 calories in the tub of popcorn, but that's easier said than (not) done. Studies indicate that when given food in larger containers, people will consume more. In a 1996 Cornell University study, people in a movie theater ate from either medium (120g) or large (240g) buckets of popcorn, then divided into two groups based on whether they liked the taste of the popcorn. The results: people with the large size ate more than those with the medium size, regardless of how participants rated the taste of the popcorn. ( link )

Luxurylaunches.com : Lucian Freud's painting sets world record sells for $33.6 million. ...
Connecting.the.Dots : Art News: No Freudian Slip ...

blogs : Luxurylaunches.com,Connecting.the.Dots,kottke,SEOCentro - SEO News,Shapely Prose...
(5 posts, last update: 16/05/2008 01:07)

[Other] The Fed finds religion (Macro Man)

Macro Man — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:01:00 GMT

Has the Federal Reserve found religion? Yesterday's verbal barrage from a host of Fed speakers, both voters and non-voters, suggested that the FOMC has started to notice that the cost of living is going up. A lot. It is probably through that prism that yesterday's strong US retail sales report should be viewed; it is hard to credit that spending growth has encompassed much beyond basic necessities. Such a conclusion, at least, is the least that can be reached on the basis of a chart posted on The Big Picture yesterday. Now, central banks are in a tough spot here. One might (and indeed, Macro Man would) argue that the Fed has found religion after the inflationary horse has already bolted. Still, perhaps it's better to see straight late than never; less clear is what to do about. An obvious starting point is to quit inviting financial markets to shag the dollar, and it is through that prism that the Treasury's recent volte face should be viewed. It seems as if US officials have connected the dots and realized that the dollar down bubble might have at least a little to do with import prices rising 15.4%, and moreover that this imported inflation is being passed through domestically. The Bank of England is in a similar boat. The macro data has deteriorated markedly; today saw the first rise in unemployment claims in more than eighteen months; meanwhile, the news from the housing market remains nothing short of execrable. Yet inflation remains persistently high; for an inflation targeting central banks, this makes aggressive easing on the back of weak activity data difficult, unless one assumes an endogenous disinflationary impact from lower growth. And throughout the history of inflation targeting, that's been a reasonable assumption. Yet one could plausibly argue that for the first time since the 1970's, global inflation is largely exogenous for most countries, a product of the three axioms and prior underinvestment. In such a case, it's unclear that high rates will do much to ease headline inflation. On the other hand, tight policy can , on the margin help prevent the second round effects that helped to endogenize the external inflationary shocks of the 1970's. Macro Man is starting to wonder if we're aren't seeing the beginning of the end of inflation targeting as we know it, much as the 1980's spelled the doom for monetarists. Targeting inflation is great in a world an endogenously-generated price rises when core and headline converge over time; in a world of exogenous inflation pressure and divergent core and headline, focusing on one inflation measure is likely to generate suboptimal policy. Macro Man wonders if we won't move towards a a world where central banks begin to target nominal GDP growth, rather than simply inflation. In a world of exogenous inflation, high frequency tradeoffs between growth and inflation are, to a degree, out of the central bank's control; if those shocks feed through into domestic prices, this will be reflected in nominal output growth. What's interesting is to look at a chart of nominal GDP growth in the US and three other inflation-targeting central banks. In New Zealand, nominal GDP growth is just north of 8% y/y...close to the level of the RBNZ's OCR. In the Eurozone, nominal GDP growth is just over 4% y/y....again, close to the ECB's refi rate. Interestingly, nominal GDP growth in both the UK and US are well above the respective central bank policy rates. Small wonder, then, that the dollar and sterling are two of the three worst performing G10 currencies this year (the third, the Canadian dollar, also has a central bank policy rate well below the level of nominal GDP growth.) So if central banks do find a new religion, it looks like the conversion may be easier for some than for others. ( And yes, I know that trailing y/y nominal GDP growth rates are not optimal policy targets; in an actual nominal GDP target regime, forward-looking indicators would be used.)

Global Economy Matters : Q1-08 Eurozone GDP - A Last Salute from Germany? ...
Alpha.Sources blog : Q1-08 Eurozone GDP - A Last Salute from Germany? ...

blogs : Global Economy Matters,Macro Man,Seeking Alpha,Alpha.Sources blog...
(4 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 22:01)

[Other] Anonymous Texts at Bus Stops - Big Brother's Creepy Bluetooth Campaign (Textually)

Textually — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:20:53 GMT

To promote popular reality show Big Brother 2008 on Channel TEN in Australia, advertising agency Marketforce in Perth came up with a unique bluetooth SMS campaign that really caught people by surprise. The ads embodied the Big Brother is watching slogan, which is the essence of the show. Trendhunter reports. "The campaign installed Blue-tooth transmitters in over 20 high-traffic bus shelters around town. The transmitters automatically sent two anonymous messages to any bluetooth enabled phones in the area. The first message was tailored specifically for the local location, with something along the lines of Im watching u. Ur at the (customized current location). The second message is received 30-40 seconds later with the big reveal, saying Big Brother is back. 7 PM weeknights on TEN.

TREND HUNTER Magazine : Anonymous Texts at Bus Stops - Big Brother's Creepy Bluetooth Campaign (GALLERY) ...
Cherryflava : Big Brother ad campaign makes Aussies feel threatened, for a change ...

blogs : Cherryflava,ac360blog,TREND HUNTER Magazine,Ypulse,Textually...
(5 posts, last update: 16/05/2008 04:20)

[Other] Lutz declares that first Volt mule is running 40 miles on battery power (Autoblog)

Autoblog — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:55:40 GMT

Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Chevrolet , GM According to Bob Lutz, the first Chevy Volt powertrain mule has just passed a major milestone. After several weeks of testing in the lab with a battery pack installed, the Malibu based pre-prototype has rolled out into the fresh air. In fact, according to Lutz, the car has even rolled passed past the security gates of the Milford Proving Ground to drive around on public roads. Even in this early, very rough, form, Lutz says the car is meeting and exceeding the goal of 40 miles of driving without running the engine. With this, the E-Flex engineers have demonstrated the performance viability of this concept. However, they still have a long way to go in validating the robustness of the system in different operating environments as well as the long-term durability of the powertrain as a whole. Perhaps the biggest issue to address is the cost of the system, particularly the battery pack. For GM to sell the Volt at an affordable price at launch, they will likely be taking a significant loss due to the cost of the batteries. When that cost comes down, GM will finally be able to crank up production. [Source: Edmunds Auto Observer ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

AutoblogGreen : Volt mules are meeting EV-only target range ...
http://www.driive.com/feed : GM Says Volt On-Street Testing Underway This Week, Extended-Range Car On Target for November 2010 ...

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(5 posts, last update: 16/05/2008 00:55)

[Other] The glass is half Manny (The Soxaholix)

The Soxaholix — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:25:49 GMT

Two guys walking, tall guy speaks: Bucholz on the 15-Day, Hansen and Delcarman can't get anyone out, Oki is not OK … Two guys walking, tall guy speaks: One horrendous pitching performance after anothah leading to losses in 6 of...

Planet Intertwingly : Your RDA of MLB Awesome ...
Kajagugu Poker : More baseball ...

blogs : Planet Intertwingly,whump.com | More Like This WebLog,The Soxaholix,Kajagugu Poker...
(4 posts, last update: 16/05/2008 02:25)

[Other] Pellicano and Codefendants Convicted in Wiretapping Trial (TalkLeft)

TalkLeft — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:00:24 GMT

"Private Eye to the Stars" Anthony Pellicano and his co-defendants, including a former LAPD officer, were convicted of multiple counts of racketeering and other crimes related to illegal wiretapping today. (Background on the charges is here .) The trial lasted 9 weeks. The jury began deliberating May 1. Pellicano, who had recently finished serving time on explosives charges when this case began, represented himself. He refused to provide information about his clients: Pellicano told the jury he was just a P.I. trying to get information. But he never revealed his secrets. After publicly toying with testifying, he told the judge he would never discuss his clients. "It's not going to happen ever, no matter what the consequence," he said. Back in 2003, when the probe started, he said : [More...] "[My clients] did nothing wrong," Pellicano said, referring to his clients and employers. "The government should leave them alone. And me, I'm going to take this punishment like a man. I will not participate in any way, shape or form with this investigation." You can read about his closing argument here . It must have been difficult for Pellicano to watch his clients come into court with grants of immunity and testify against him. Here's how the case started. Pellicano is 64 years old. His sentence won't be light. Hopefully, he'll accept a court-appointed lawyer for his appeal.

LAist : Extra Extra: Get Your Wedding On! ...
Law Blog - WSJ.com : Jury Finds PI Pellicano Guilty of Racketeering and Conspiracy ...

blogs : MediaBistro.com,TalkLeft,LA Biz Observed,LAist,Law Blog - WSJ.com...
(5 posts, last update: 16/05/2008 04:00)

[Other] UK: 'Undercover Mosque' documentary makers win court case (Islam in Europe)

Islam in Europe — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:40:50 GMT

West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have apologised for accusing the makers of a Channel 4 documentary of distortion. The apology and the promise of £100,000 were made at the High Court on Thursday. It follows comments made about a Dispatches programme, Undercover Mosque, which tackled claims of Islamic extremism in the West Midlands. The police statement said the force was wrong to make the allegations. A press release issued by the police and the CPS in August 2007 claimed the Dispatches programme, broadcast in January of that year, misrepresented the views of Muslim preachers and clerics with misleading editing. 'Damage and distress' One preacher was shown saying a homosexual should be thrown off a mountain, another that women were born deficient. Police also reported Channel 4 to television watchdog Ofcom for "heavily editing" the words of Islamic imams. But in November, Ofcom rejected the police and CPS claims, and Channel 4 said it was going to sue the CPS and police for libel. The statement, released to the media after the High Court hearing by West Midlands Police, said they accepted there had been no evidence that Channel 4 or the documentary makers had "misled the audience or that the programme was likely to encourage or incite criminal activity". It added that the Ofcom report showed the documentary had "accurately represented the material it had gathered and dealt with the subject matter responsibly and in context". The police statement concluded: "We accept, without reservation, the conclusions of Ofcom and apologise to the programme makers for the damage and distress caused by our original press release." Bigotry and extremism Kevin Sutcliffe, deputy head of current affairs at Channel 4, said the apology was a vindication of the programme team in exposing extreme views. "Channel 4 was fully aware of the sensitivities surrounding the subject matter but recognised the programme's findings were clearly a matter of important public inter

Of course, I could be wrong... : police regret trying to cover upundercover findings ...
Race Relations : Victory For Dispatches ...

blogs : Times Online,The anger of a Quiet Man,Dhimmi Watch,Fulham Reactionary,Of course, I could be wrong......
(10 posts, last update: 16/05/2008 01:40)

[Other] Is driving better than cycling? (Boing Boing)

Boing Boing — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:02:31 GMT

Tomorrow, May 15, is Bike To Work Day in the San Francisco Bay Area. A persistent rumor claims that riding a bike is actually less efficient than driving a car if you account for the energy that goes into producing the food/drink that "fuels" a cyclist. The Sierra Club's "Mr. Green" calls bullshit on that. (Photo of BB pal Jess Hemerly from aGreatNotion's Flickr stream.) From the Sierra Club: Even with pricier commodities like beef, the biker rides cheaper than the driver. A pound and a half of cheap, greasy hamburger, sans bun, could power the cruise in question, at a lower cost than gasoline. The ethanol "alternative"? Well, not really. Instead of burning ethanol in engines, from a transportation standpoint we're far better off ingesting the stuff. Driving 48 miles takes more than two gallons of ethanol, whereas only eight ounces of liquor, a mere half-pint of vodka, can fuel a cyclist for the same distance. Happy trails! Link (Thanks, Orli Cotel!) Previously on BB: • Sierra Club on Hummers vs. hybrids Link...

but she's a girl... : Bike rage ...
CommuterPageBlog : The Carbon Emissions of Biking vs. Driving ...

blogs : ScribeMedia,Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space,Boing Boing,but she's a girl...,CommuterPageBlog...
(5 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 19:02)

[Other] Option Key Closes Multiple Windows at Once [Mac Tip] (Lifehacker)

Lifehacker — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:34:00 GMT

Mac users with multiple Finder windows littering your desktop: hold down the Option key when you click on the close button on one to close them all in one shot. This works for any multi-window Mac app (though normally you'd just hit Cmd+Q to quit entirely). Here are a few more things you didn't know you can do on your Mac .

Dave Lucas : Around The Blogosphere 15 May 08 ...
Fosfor Gadgets : Top 10 things you forgot your Mac can do ...

blogs : Dave Lucas,mac.ro,Lifehacker,Fosfor Gadgets...
(4 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 23:34)

[Other] The Original ACME Catalog (Neatorama)

Neatorama — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:26:00 GMT

Long before internet shopping, Wile E. Coyote got all his products via mail order from the ACME Catalog. ACME sold just about anything you'd ever need! You can take a look at the catalog yourself. ACME is a worldwide leader of many manufactured goods. From its humble beginnings providing corks and flypaper to bug collectors (”Buddy's [...]

THANK GILLIGAN IT'S SAFE FOR WORK : A complete list of ACME products. ...
The Zen Of Steve : The original ACME Catalog ...

blogs : nanoscale views,The Zen Of Steve,Neatorama,THANK GILLIGAN IT'S SAFE FOR WORK...
(4 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 18:26)

[Other] Is Foie Gras Still Banned? (Chicagoist)

Chicagoist — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:33:00 GMT

From today's Tribune : Alderman Tom "Sticky Buns" Tunney, citing opposition from the restaurant industry (of which he's a member as owner of Ann Sather's) intends to force a vote on repealing the ridiculous-but-upheld-in-court foie gras ban. "We think we have the votes to (repeal) it," Tunney told the Trib. This puts Tunney square in the sights of 49th Ward Alderman Joe "Protector of Ducks" Moore, who lobbied to pass the ban nearly two years ago. Moore told the Tribune that "restaurants continue to survive and thrive" despite the ban and that he "can't think of one restaurant that has closed because of this." But one hot dog stand certainly got in hot water , didn't they? The reason no restaurants have closed is because the restaurants that would like to sell foie gras have found loopholes in the ban that allow them to still serve it, Mr. Moore. Whether it's through the semantics of wording (how is your duck liver terrine?), giving it away as a free side with a $30 salad, or just ignoring the ban altogether, foie gras is still prevalent in Chicago's more popular restaurants. The city Department of Public Health also has better things to do than cite a restaurant for carrying foie gras, like check for rodent infestations . Here's hoping this does come to vote and is repealed so we never have to hear - or write - about it again. UPDATE @ 2:30 p.m. : The foie gras ban has been repealed by a 37-6 vote . Again, REPEALED, BABY!!! We going to Hot Doug's in a week.

The World According to Nick : A Glimmer of Hope ...
Reason Magazine - Hit & Run : Chicago Reverses Foie Gras Ban ...

blogs : The World According to Nick,Reason Magazine - Hit & Run,Chicagoist...
(3 posts, last update: 14/05/2008 22:33)

[Other] victory for Union Hall (Brooklyn Vegan)

Brooklyn Vegan — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:32:08 GMT

Long story short, Brooklyn bar and music venue Union Hall won the battle yesterday. Union Hall is right down the block from Southpaw where I was last night for the Negative Approach show (May 14, 2008). That's when the...

Eater : The Un-Drying of NYC: In a victory for bar owners,... ...
The Gowanus Lounge : Bklink: Union Hall Wins ...

blogs : Curbed,Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn,The Gowanus Lounge,Eater,Brooklyn Vegan...
(5 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 18:32)

[Other] What cup size - Grande, Venti or double-D? (Lone Star Times)

Lone Star Times — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:57:06 GMT

Sometimes, I am convinced that a “news” story just has to be a joke. For example: A Christian group out of San Diego has found grounds for outrage over the new logo for Starbucks Coffee. The Resistance says the new image “has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute,” Mark Dice, founder [...]

Northwest Progressive Institute : In Brief - May 15, 2008 ...
The Two Malcontents : New bare-breasted Starbucks logo has Christian group screaming ‘Slutbucks!’ ...

blogs : The Two Malcontents,Northwest Progressive Institute,Lone Star Times...
(3 posts, last update: 15/05/2008 20:57)