LINK: Nora Ephron
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Nora Ephron, dead at 71
Nora Ephron, who gained a devoted following for her perceptive, deeply personal essays and parlayed that renown into a screenwriting career of wistful romantic comedies “When Harry Met Sally” and “You’ve Got Mail,” the marital exposé “Heartburn” and the whistleblower drama “Silkwood,” died June 26 at a hospital in New York. She was 71.
LINK: Nora Ephron
LINK: Nora Ephron
$1.36 to charge an iPad...for the year
According to a study by the Electric Power Research Institute, the annual cost of charging your iPad tablet -- based on fully charging it every other day -- is $1.36.
"The analysis shows that each model of the iPad consumes less than 12 kWh of electricity over the course of a year, based on a full charge every other day," EPRI said. "By comparison, a plasma 42" television consumes 358 kWh of electricity a year."
11,000+ evacuated due to Colorado fire
Raging through dry timber about 80 miles south of Denver, the Waldo Canyon fire had forced 11,000 people from their homes over the weekend, though residents from the town of Manitou Springs were allowed back on Sunday night.
LINK: Colorado fires
LINK: Colorado fires
British Muslims killed fighting with Islamic extremists in Yemen
Two men from a mosque in West London have been killed fighting alongside Islamic fundamentalists in Yemen.
3-year-old girl found alive in her dead mother’s arms after tornado
A 3-year-old girl was found alive in her dead mother’s arms after the two were thrown hundreds of feet from their Venus home during a tornado spawned by Tropical Storm Debby.
Heather Town, 32, died Sunday when her Highlands County home was lifted off its foundation and she and her daughter, Anne Marie, were thrown 200 feet into nearby woods, according to multiple reports. The mother was found clutching the child, who survived.
“I am so proud of my daughter,” Elmer Town, Heather’s father, told WGRZ-TV. “I can picture her holding that little girl of hers. She died for her.” Town added that his granddaughter suffered a broken pelvis and broken ribs.
LINK: a mother's last act
Heather Town, 32, died Sunday when her Highlands County home was lifted off its foundation and she and her daughter, Anne Marie, were thrown 200 feet into nearby woods, according to multiple reports. The mother was found clutching the child, who survived.
“I am so proud of my daughter,” Elmer Town, Heather’s father, told WGRZ-TV. “I can picture her holding that little girl of hers. She died for her.” Town added that his granddaughter suffered a broken pelvis and broken ribs.
LINK: a mother's last act
Mia Love for Congress
She is a black Republican, a 36-year-old mother of three, a fitness instructor and mayor of a growing town. Mia Love is now running for Congress against an incumbent opponent who has outpaced her in fundraising 10-1. I hope she wins--her presence in Washington would be refreshing.
LINK: Mia Love
LINK: Mia Love
Obama campaign needs a crash course in basic business jargon
Kevin D. Williamson writing at National Review:
Because the Obama campaign knows that one of its most important constituencies is economically illiterate yokels — a demographic to which the president himself apparently belongs — it is on the airwaves claiming “Romney’s never stood up to China — all he’s ever done is send them our jobs.’’...Could somebody please get Barack Obama to shut up about “outsourcing” until some undergraduate aide has explained to him what the word means? As it stands, the president is showing himself an ignorant rube on the subject, and that is to nobody’s advantage.
“Outsourcing” happens when a firm contracts out its non-core functions to other vendors, e.g., a hotel decides to hire a cleaning service rather than keep maids on the hotel payroll. To take an extreme but illustrative case, consider that the firms that provide car-driving services do not manufacture their own automobiles or stitch their drivers’ uniforms, even though doing so would “create jobs.” They outsource those tasks to GM or Ford and to whomever makes their uniforms. Likewise, their communication systems are outsourced to Apple or Motorola or RIM.
---------------------
What’s interesting about this controversy to me is the naked xenophobia of the Left on display alongside the amusing ignorance. Liberals love a good talk about the value of learning from other cultures and other peoples, so long as those foreigners don’t mind staying poor. If they want to sell goods and services, they are the enemy. Asians are allowed to be airy gurus and quaint villagers, but the day one of them wants to set up a factory, Democrats have a fit. Mohandas Gandhi good, Ratan Tata evil. You want collective, coordinated global cooperation to solve the world’s most pressing problems? That doesn’t look like a working-group meeting at the United Nations; it looks like what Bain does. You want a display of backward, ignorant chauvinism? Put Obama in front of a union hall.
LINK: Outsource Obama in November
Because the Obama campaign knows that one of its most important constituencies is economically illiterate yokels — a demographic to which the president himself apparently belongs — it is on the airwaves claiming “Romney’s never stood up to China — all he’s ever done is send them our jobs.’’...Could somebody please get Barack Obama to shut up about “outsourcing” until some undergraduate aide has explained to him what the word means? As it stands, the president is showing himself an ignorant rube on the subject, and that is to nobody’s advantage.
“Outsourcing” happens when a firm contracts out its non-core functions to other vendors, e.g., a hotel decides to hire a cleaning service rather than keep maids on the hotel payroll. To take an extreme but illustrative case, consider that the firms that provide car-driving services do not manufacture their own automobiles or stitch their drivers’ uniforms, even though doing so would “create jobs.” They outsource those tasks to GM or Ford and to whomever makes their uniforms. Likewise, their communication systems are outsourced to Apple or Motorola or RIM.
---------------------
What’s interesting about this controversy to me is the naked xenophobia of the Left on display alongside the amusing ignorance. Liberals love a good talk about the value of learning from other cultures and other peoples, so long as those foreigners don’t mind staying poor. If they want to sell goods and services, they are the enemy. Asians are allowed to be airy gurus and quaint villagers, but the day one of them wants to set up a factory, Democrats have a fit. Mohandas Gandhi good, Ratan Tata evil. You want collective, coordinated global cooperation to solve the world’s most pressing problems? That doesn’t look like a working-group meeting at the United Nations; it looks like what Bain does. You want a display of backward, ignorant chauvinism? Put Obama in front of a union hall.
LINK: Outsource Obama in November
Another Dem NOT attending the Democratic National Convention
Claire McCaskill will not be attending the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, a McCaskill aide confirmed to TPM Tuesday. McCaskill joins a list of vulnerable Democratic politicians whose home districts are hostile ground for President Obama and who will be steering clear of the convention.
LINK: McCaskill will not attend Democrat convention
LINK: McCaskill will not attend Democrat convention
$20 million created three jobs... Big Government doing what it does best.
Joel Gehrke reporting at the Washington Examiner:
Department of Energy officials gave a New Hampshire-based biofuel company access to $80 million for a Michigan project that has already fallen short of job creation expectations, despite receiving another $40 million in state and DOE subsidies.
“
In September 2008, Mascoma [Corp.] pledged 70 jobs at the plant by the end of 2012. On Feb. 29 of this year, Mascoma reported to the MEDC that only three jobs had been created by the grant,” the Capitol Confidential (Mich.) reports today.”The company has been given the full $20 million from the state.”
LINK: Three jobs, $20 million to create them
Department of Energy officials gave a New Hampshire-based biofuel company access to $80 million for a Michigan project that has already fallen short of job creation expectations, despite receiving another $40 million in state and DOE subsidies.
“
In September 2008, Mascoma [Corp.] pledged 70 jobs at the plant by the end of 2012. On Feb. 29 of this year, Mascoma reported to the MEDC that only three jobs had been created by the grant,” the Capitol Confidential (Mich.) reports today.”The company has been given the full $20 million from the state.”
LINK: Three jobs, $20 million to create them
Mazda ending 45 year production of rotary engines
Bloomberg
reports that Mazda built the last of its unique powerplants last Friday, ending a 45-year run.
The automaker announced last year that it would be discontinuing the engine, citing high costs, low sales and environmental concerns. It got a stay of execution earlier this year when Mazda extended production if the RX-8 sports car with a run of 1,000 special edition Spirit-R models celebrating the engine.
Although it delivers a large amount of power from a compact, lightweight unit compared to a piston engine, the rotary design is notorious for its low fuel economy and high oil consumption, both factors making it difficult to meet today’s strict emissions standards.
LINK: rotary engine, RIP
reports that Mazda built the last of its unique powerplants last Friday, ending a 45-year run.The automaker announced last year that it would be discontinuing the engine, citing high costs, low sales and environmental concerns. It got a stay of execution earlier this year when Mazda extended production if the RX-8 sports car with a run of 1,000 special edition Spirit-R models celebrating the engine.
Although it delivers a large amount of power from a compact, lightweight unit compared to a piston engine, the rotary design is notorious for its low fuel economy and high oil consumption, both factors making it difficult to meet today’s strict emissions standards.
LINK: rotary engine, RIP
Something stinks here, and this isn't Denmark
Mickey Kaus:
The left-leaning press should be all over this, no? Evil Big Drug Companies (PhRMA) funnel money to David Axelrod’s old ad firm (which is still paying him for his share) even as they are negotiating with the Obama administration? Hello? Josh Marshall? Arianna? You there? Someone explain to me why this isn’t a scandal. … P.S.: If you can’t rely on the WSJ editorial page to make the most of this because that would require blaming PhRMA, and you can’t rely on the left because it would make Axelrod and Obama look awful right before an election, that leaves …
David Axelrod
LINK: Mickey Kaus
The left-leaning press should be all over this, no? Evil Big Drug Companies (PhRMA) funnel money to David Axelrod’s old ad firm (which is still paying him for his share) even as they are negotiating with the Obama administration? Hello? Josh Marshall? Arianna? You there? Someone explain to me why this isn’t a scandal. … P.S.: If you can’t rely on the WSJ editorial page to make the most of this because that would require blaming PhRMA, and you can’t rely on the left because it would make Axelrod and Obama look awful right before an election, that leaves …
David Axelrod
LINK: Mickey Kaus
California city (pop. 292,000) about to declare bankruptcy
Stockton, California was poised on Tuesday to take a major step toward becoming the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy after talks with its creditors on Monday at midnight.
Negotiations aimed at averting bankruptcy may press on informally, the city's spokeswoman said, adding that city officials would next discuss any moves toward bankruptcy at the city council meeting on Tuesday evening.
The council's main order of business will be taking up and voting on a proposed budget to guide Stockton during bankruptcy, an option city officials have been considering since February.
City Manager Bob Deis, who the council has authorized to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, last week unveiled the budget proposal, also known as a pendency plan.
The plan assumed Stockton, a city of 292,000 people about 85 miles (about 135 km) east of San Francisco, would fail to win concessions from its 18 creditors to close its $26 million shortfall for the fiscal year beginning on July 1.
LINK: Stockton goes bankrupt
Negotiations aimed at averting bankruptcy may press on informally, the city's spokeswoman said, adding that city officials would next discuss any moves toward bankruptcy at the city council meeting on Tuesday evening.
The council's main order of business will be taking up and voting on a proposed budget to guide Stockton during bankruptcy, an option city officials have been considering since February.
City Manager Bob Deis, who the council has authorized to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, last week unveiled the budget proposal, also known as a pendency plan.
The plan assumed Stockton, a city of 292,000 people about 85 miles (about 135 km) east of San Francisco, would fail to win concessions from its 18 creditors to close its $26 million shortfall for the fiscal year beginning on July 1.
LINK: Stockton goes bankrupt
Cameron shooting three Avatar sequals at the same time
Sigourney Weaver confirmed tonight that James Cameron is shooting “Avatar” 2, 3, and 4 all at the same time, all with her, and starting this fall.
LINK: Avatar 2,3 and 4 being shot this fall
LINK: Avatar 2,3 and 4 being shot this fall
SCOTUS ruling may open door to suing 'sanctuary cities'
Mark Levin on the Supreme Court's AZ decision:
If this case stands for the point that only the federal government has power in the area of immigration, then let me suggest that sanctuary cities and sanctuary states are unconstitutional because they exist to defy federal immigration law,” Levin said. “That’s number one. So folks out there that have standing, sue your cities, sue your states if they have declared themselves to be sanctuary cities or states because they do not have the constitutional authority to declare butkus. So turn this law against them.”
LINK: sue sanctuary cities with SCOTUS decision
If this case stands for the point that only the federal government has power in the area of immigration, then let me suggest that sanctuary cities and sanctuary states are unconstitutional because they exist to defy federal immigration law,” Levin said. “That’s number one. So folks out there that have standing, sue your cities, sue your states if they have declared themselves to be sanctuary cities or states because they do not have the constitutional authority to declare butkus. So turn this law against them.”
LINK: sue sanctuary cities with SCOTUS decision
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