Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:49:46 GMT

Get HOT FUZZ for the Fab Fun Film Experience.

If you saw Shaun of the Dead (film by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright), you are in for a treat and if you NEVER saw it, now you will want to because the entire team from the Shaun of the Dead flick, a UK "low profile" flick, released Hot Fuzz earlier in 2007 to theaters and now it's available on DVD starting July 31.



This is one hilarious film!! It's definitely got the UK bite, wit and comedy nailed down tight as well as providing a serious action component well threaded with a plot -- unlike most cop films. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright watched EVERY action film available (every single cop, shoot em up, action flick) to get their bead on that genre. Guess it worked because they have produced what I consider the penultimate cop flick (and I am a HUGE Dirty Harry fan.. I have seen just about every cop flick around. Yeah I know, I know.. Why would a girl do that? I have a bit of machisma in me. Go figure!)



This is a film to be shared with anyone- except little kids because it's rated R for some violence.. and the special effects are pretty graphic and the language gets a bit salty. The casting is perfection-- including Timothy Dalton as a cheesy, sleazy market owner.
Read more of "Get HOT FUZZ for the Fab Fun Film Experience." Posted by: Stevie Wilson      Read more     Source

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:15:16 GMT

Individual Emission Targets, Need of the Hour

UN climate change meet chief has urged all nations to set their individual cut off targets for the betterment of everyone in the wake of climate change disaster looming large over the globe.

Raising concerns over the impending climate change disaster, Yvo de Boer called for enactment of laws in their individual countries by all the nations, so that every individual participates in tackling it by paying national taxes. This way the war against global warming will be cumulatively and individually fought.

Giving credibility to his thoughts, Boer suggested,

What the business community is calling for at the moment is long-term certainty, clear emissions caps imposed by governments so that they know what kind of investment decisions they have to make.

With every nation excusing the proposed cut offs citing economic reasons, it is difficult to reach a consensus on the targets. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that every nation contributes individually to their capacity in tackling the catastrophe. Carbon trading can form an important weapon in this war, with the business houses failing to clear their emission cut off targets, buying their carbon credits from those who succeed in curbing their emission.

It is indeed very urgent for nations to cut off the current emissions by 50 per cent by 2050 if life is to sustain on earth.

But, is it really possible that countries will adopt even individual cut off targets? I very much doubt. The way the U.S., the largest polluter on earth cries for the need for emissions to sustain its economy, I dont think such proposals would succeed. But, every nation needs to understand that development will be of no use if the dragon of global warming resulting in severe flooding, incessant rains, parched earth, fast retreating glaciers drenching rivers, failed crops, devours life on earth.

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Via: Image2 Posted by: Amitmishra      Read more     Source

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:16:35 GMT

How Much Would You Pay For A Match?

At the opposite end of the spectrum from free dating sites, you'll find match making services that cater to people who aren't afraid to spend a few books to find "the one". One of those services is Enchanted Evenings which serves the New York tri-state area. Singles seeking each other out pay $100 just for their initial interview and then buy packages that start at $1250 and go all the way up to $30,000.

What do you get for this kind of money? Depending on the amount that you pay, you'll be introduced to 3 matches or more who might be your perfect someone. They're almost all college educated, often with advanced degrees, and they have professional, stable jobs. The service describes each party to the other and then exchanges phone numbers for them. The rest is up to you.

It apparently works for some people. Check out this Daily Record article for the tale of at least one couple that found marriage through their match. Posted by: Kathryn Vercillo      Read more     Source

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:17:07 GMT

Mud Volcano-created New Caribbean Island Posing Threats to Small Boats

Tourists, who are enchanted by the Caribbean islands, have yet another thrill to add to their touring list. Its another tiny island which is recently born by an ocean floor-fissure continuously spewing mud.

But, the island breaching a few inches above the ocean’s surface is becoming a thing of concern for small boats, endangering them. Stretching 500 feet long, it is located roughly five miles northeast of Trinidad.

Threatening the small boats of their losing buoyancy, led by the bubbling-up gas coming from the underwater fissure or that run aground in the mud.

Though, the danger seems to be short-lived, as large waves washing away the mud may fade away the fissure like the 1964 and 2001s short-lived islands off the Trinidad and Tobago coast an advisory has been issued for the small boats as a security.

True, such fault lines-lining islands’ birth by “mud volcanoes,” is no new for a scientist, but, surely earns the regions tourism industry some quick bucks good for a regions economy, if not for the fishermen.

Image Posted by: Irani      Read more     Source

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:09:10 GMT

New C-Class Drives Mercedes Profits

[Image Source: egmcartech]

Second quarter profit @ Mercedes-Benz has just about doubled to $1.95 Billion on sales of $17.26 Billion after the introduction of the all-new C-Class.

The entry-level luxury sedans are putting Benz back on the desirable map of respectability thanks to a successful marketing campaign that touted the model's trial by fire in the company's toughest-ever vehicle testing regimen and by placing historical emphasis on the latest C-Class' ties to the original "Baby Benz," the 190E.

DaimlerChrysler, AG (still together at present) stands as the world's second largest luxury car manufacturer.

[Source: Bloomberg News via Detroit News] Posted by: Gunnar Heinrich      Read more     Source

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:34:09 GMT

Al Gore's New Credit Card

Al Gore is the environmentalist's best friend these days, but a while back it came out that his mansion uses enough energy to cause brownouts throughout the whole eastern United States, and that even the sun occasionally goes a little dimmer thanks to him. Al waved it off by saying he buys carbon offsets to make up for his energy-hogging ways. Well, there's a new credit card Al might want in his wallet.

Yesterday GE Money Bank (yes, part of General Electric) introduced the Earth Rewards MasterCard, a credit card that rewards you with carbon offsets. Instead of you getting 1% cash back like many reward cards, this card saves up all that reward money and every year on Earth Day it will put it toward things that are likely to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and thus save the planet. These things might include planting trees, funding wind farms and other alternative energy sources, and, get this, harnessing methane given off by landfills and cows farting.

(I made up the cow fart part, but I'm pretty sure cow farts are a source of methane, and there are a lot of cows in the world. Can you imagine trying to capture their farts in order to offset people's greenhouse gas emissions each year?)

(Also, if you have lunch in a greenhouse and feel a little indigestion afterwards, could this be termed greenhouse gas?)

If you're not familiar with carbon offsets, it's basically a way to try to make up for the harm we do to the environment each day by our existence---our use of cars, heating, air conditioning, eating meat, etc. In theory, carbon offsets allow us to pay to have something environmentally positive done that will "offset" our "carbon footprint."

According to this Associated Press story, if you're like most people, GE says you could offset your Earth-killing ways by using its Earth Rewards credit card to buy $750 worth of stuff each month, given that this would generate $7.50 in earth-happy rewards dollars. Just don't drive your car to do the buying, and don't buy anything man-made that might have contributed to the buildup of greenhouse gases and global warming.

Hmmm.... that might be hard. We'll have to ask Al how he does it. Posted by: Justin McHenry      Read more     Source

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:14:53 GMT

Anyone Listening on Credit Scores?

This morning I was reading my not-favorite local newspaper columnist righteously taking to task parents who allow their children to do bad things and then have the audacity to blame the police or others in the community when their kids get in trouble. I was in agreement with everything she said--some parents need to understand their kid's a thug and it's nobody else's fault but their own. However, as I read, all I could think to myself was that everyone reading the article would be nodding righteously and saying to themselves, "That's right. I taught my kid to fly right. These other parents should be ashamed." And therein lies the problem. The only people reading the self-righteous column are the self-righteous people in complete agreement---this is known as "preaching to the choir." I'm almost positive that none of the column's readers have thug kids and said to themselves, "She's right. I need to parent with a stronger hand."

This of course leads me to the subject of credit scores.

What's that you say? How do we go from thug kids to credit scores? Let me explain.

I was reading this article from Kimberly Palmer in U.S. News & World Report today on credit scores. In it she quotes a study showing that 40% of people have never seen their credit score. The article is very helpful in discussing what a credit score is, why it's important to know it and keep it as high as possible, and how to raise it if it's low. Good stuff, right?

Yes, except.... How many of those 40% of people that have never seen their credit score are going to read that article and decide today's the day to lose their credit score virginity? How many are going to take the information they learned in that article and start working on improving their scores?

Or I might ask, and this gets back to my original thesis on the thug kids, how many of the people who read this article on credit scores, or one of the many other personal finance articles discussing credit scores, are people that are already well-versed on credit scores and are reading the article with a smug smile on their faces because their scores are impeccable and they never get turned down for a loan and always get the best rates? Is the credit score discussion just preaching to the choir?

Personal finance articles are often great sources of information for those who want the information---the problem is that the people who need them the most never read them, if they read anything. Whether it's credit scores or putting away 10% or taking advantage of a company's 401(k) or disciplining your children so they don't think the world owes them a kiss on the behind, you only use the information if you get it in the first place. And I see too much evidence, both in the financial world and the real world, that the people who need help the most are the least interested in getting it.

Thus ends my negative, cynical view of the world for today. I'll try to be more positive tomorrow. Posted by: Justin McHenry      Read more     Source

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:59:22 GMT

Solar Wind Energy Pavilion

The design turns architecture into a source of generating renewable energy, an idea, way beyond the wind turbine. This Wind Shaped Pavilion is a concept design form Michael Jantzen for California State University at Fullerton. The mind-boggling proposed design is for the everyday gathering place at the University, serving all purposes. The Solar Wind Pavilion is designed to accumulate and hoard energy from the natural environment for the University.


The pavilion has a wind turbine and solar panels on the roof that stands at about 150 feet, these wind turbines generate energy when the wind blows, the energy can be utilized or stored in the batteries built in the base of the Pavilion, random rotations also generate digital images that can be displayed on the cylindrical projection screens. Energy can be captured from the sun by the four massive photovoltaic cell rings. The idea seems brilliant, the concept could definitely take wind power to a new height.


[Source: Jetsongreen] Posted by: Bharat      Read more     Source

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:08:25 GMT

High Gas Prices Hurt Consumer Spending

Reuters reported that the record gas prices currently afflicting the U.S. (and world) consumer is having an impact on consumer spending. With the national average remaining at around $3 per gallon of unleaded, buyers are having to cutback on "personal consumption expenditures" like taking roadtrips or eating out.

"When gas prices spike, there seems to be a downturn in other discretionary spending, particularly retail spending," said AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom.

When will prices come down finally? No one, least of all the federal government knows for sure. But historical patterns point to September as the month when prices ease.

[Source: Reuters] Posted by: Gunnar Heinrich      Read more     Source

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:05:22 GMT

Pushing Texas Turtles to Extinction

It seems, the people in China are finding the Texas turtle meat delicacies more and more tastier and the sellers, even more lucrative never mind if one fine morning there are no more to be found!

The lucrative meat of the turtles in the Chinas food market is leading the global populations to risk. If you too want to be in the business, just what you need to have is a $50 dollar non-game permitjust enough to make you eligible to take as many of these endangered turtles as you want.

Avriett, who chairs the Piney Woods group of the Sierra Club ridicules this scenario.

Adding up to this is the meats much claimed health benefits, while enjoying the different yummy delicacies of it.

And the result!

Hundreds of thousands of the once sunning turtles on the banks of local rivers and lakes, now a rare view, are sold to dealers who ship the animals to Asia. Besides earning big bucks from the illegal food industry, some also fetch high prices around the world as pets.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department provides an astonishing estimation on average of 94,442 turtles per year, which are taken by dealers for export from the state.

The problem lies both at the roots and also the domination of the big guns, who are apparently responsible for their protection. When talk of the roots, it is all about the absence of stringent policies, in which no limits are imposed on the collection of unprotected varieties.

Something, very soon, need to be done to curb this growing acute problem in Texas, which is eventually pushing the global turtle populations to the brink of extinction.

Image Posted by: Irani      Read more     Source