| A Case of 'American' Excess
Last December, a collector's edition of his "Blade Runner" was released, delivering no fewer than four versions of the sci-fi classic. The director's most recent project, "American Gangster," follows a similar pattern, arriving today in a two-disc extended edition ($19.98) that includes the original theatrical release, already at a hefty running time of two hours and 38 minutes, and a longer version with 19 more minutes of movie added. (If that's not enough, another version with three discs worth of material also releases today.) Add in some sizeable extras, including a one-hour-and-18-minute documentary that covers the making of this story of drug mogul Frank Lucas's rise and fall, and one starts to wonder who has the appetite to digest so much Denzel Washington. Allow me to simplify.
Yahoo, MSN Brands Could Both Survive A Microsoft Buyout
Microsoft would be better off continuing to offer both Yahoo and MSN sites to maximize traffic and ad dollars, says Jonathan Hurd, director of Altman Vilandrie & Co., a business consulting firm. "This deal is really about advertising and monetizing eyeballs," he said. "You want to see both of these brands continuing, so they don't lose any of these users." Combining Yahoo and MSN services such as finance, real estate, video, travel, e-mail and instant messaging would be a tough but potentially rewarding process, says Shahid Khan, a partner for IBB Consulting Group. "There would be a lot of redundancy there," he said. "It would take two to three years to get it done." Yahoo ranked as the Web's top property in the U.S. in December, with more than 183 million visitors to its sites, according to comScore Networks.
Murray stuns Federer
Andy Murray claimed a remarkable three-set victory over world number one Roger Federer to progress to the second round of the Dubai Open. The British number one narrowly lost the first set 8-6 on a tie break but clinically took the first break point in the second set to break Federer's serve in the sixth game. Murray then broke Federer in the fifth game of the third set before he served out for a 6-7 (6/8) 6-3 6-4 win, his second straight victory over the Swiss having defeated him in Cincinnati in August 2006. Both players held serve in an entertaining first set but the world number one was able to break Murray twice during the tie break to win it 8-6. In the second set Murray led 3-2 and, after over an hour of the match, he was given his first opportunity to break the defending champion's serve at 30-40.
Another Professor Denied Entry
Also, how do you square the fact that various parts of the PA have been found unconstitutional and unenforceable? Does this mean that there is now less tarnishing? As an academic, I am sure that you have specific answers and actually read the Patriot Act. Larry, at 2:00 pm EDT on September 25, 2007 .
Bring home your own multimedia studio with Dell XPS 420
The XPS 420 offers cutting-edge performance and professional-grade options designed to help achieve creative mastery. This high-style system features world-first options like an integrated LCD screen and an integrated media accelerator to help slice, dice and manhandle media like a true virtuoso.
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Steve Jobs vs. Teachers' Unions
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unloads on teachers' unions: AUSTIN — Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs lambasted teacher unions today, claiming no amount of technology in the classroom would improve public schools until principals could fire bad teachers. ... If Jobs is a Democrat,** he's a New Democrat! ...P.S.: In response, Dell CEO and founder Michael Dell--who sells mainly non-Apple Windows-based machines--defended the unions. ... Windows, kludgy Old Dem! Apple, New Dem! Just what you would have thought. ... P.P.S.: Jobs might have added "no amount of well-meaning educational donations from the Gates Foundation would improve public schools nearly as much as allowing principals to fire bad teachers." ... **--which he seems to be. Update: Joe Klein (not swooning yet!) says Barack Obama, at an Iowa town meeting, "told a teachers' union member that he supported higher pay for teachers but also--the union's anathema--greater accountability." I'd be interested in the transcript: Praising "accountability" is one thing--a good thing, but vague.
Deregulation and the Financial Crisis
There were good reasons for the Fed Policy, but that did not mean the Fed was helpless to prevent the housing bubble. As economists Dean Baker and Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research insisted at the time, Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan simply by identifying the bubble — and adjusting public perception of the future of the housing market — could have prevented or at least contained the bubble. He declined, and even denied the existence of a bubble. Regulatory Failure Number Three: Financial Deregulation and Unchecked Financial "Innovation." A key reason that mortgages were made available so widely and with such little review of recipients' qualifications was a shift in which institutions hold the mortgages. Traditionally, banks made mortgages and held them.
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