M3 V8 sans top

First Drive: 2008 BMW M3 Convertible

By Paul Horrell

Blazing toward 8400 rpm in sixth gear on an autobahn in a BMW M3 is already intense. Doing it in the brand-new Convertible -- roof down with a more direct sonic route from eight open throttles and four fat tailpipes to your ears -- is more intense still. Doing it with the brand-new M DCT double-clutch transmission, the shift lights blinking, just a finger-tap from an instantaneous (and we mean instantaneous) shift to seventh? Well, that's probably all the intensity most of us will ever need.

The new $2700 M DCT transmission doesn't just pack seven gears, it also has a science-lab's worth of electronic know-how and is the first such tranny that can cope with supercar levels of power and torque. Audi might promote DCTs, but its top-line R8 automated manual is still a rather clunky single-clutch mechanism.

BMW guys say their new DCT will even cope with the M5's 500 horses, but won't say whether a business case exists to replace the single-clutch SMG in the current M5 generation.

To make things easier for drivers who owned the previous-gen M3 with SMG, the interface of the DCT is exactly the same. You get a stubby "gearlever" (actually just a giant switch) with R and N on one plane, N in the middle, and +/- to the right. As in competition-car practice, it's forward for down, back for up. There are also steering-wheel paddles, nice firm metal jobs, with - on the left and + on the right.

Finally, a Drivelogic button controls the degree of aggression of the shifts and, in auto mode, the actual shift strategy. It runs from 1 to 5, plus a position 6 for launch control. So you get plenty of choice as to how the thing operates.

In D mode and set at level 1, upshifts are smooth and early. It's far preferable to the nodding-head effect of a conventional single-clutch AMT in this mode. Interestingly, though, it has not been set to creep in traffic -- you need to touch the throttle to get the car to move.

At the other extreme in manual mode and set to level 5, you actually get shift shock, as this harnesses the rotational inertia of the engine as it sheds revs, propelling you forward and helping make a 0-62-mph time of 5.1 seconds. That's 0.2 quicker than the six-speed manual. During downshifts in levels 4 and 5, it blips the throttle explosively and addictively.

Oh, and having seven ratios also marginally helps the DCT's fuel-consumption numbers by about two mpg compared with the manual.

But is this the optimum M3? Trouble is the Convertible weighs 510 pounds more than the Coupe, and so with the same transmission gives away a half second in the 0-to-62 sprint. Sure you get an enhanced feeling of speed with the roof down, but then there are body-rigidity issues. Handling is still fabulous, but feel through the steering is lost.

Sure you can drive with the roof up, in which case refinement and rigidity pretty much rise to coupe levels, but you're still carrying the extra mass and so you are dulling that most precious M3 asset, the blinding punch.

For the ultimate driver's 3 Series, go for an M3 Coupe or sedan with DCT, we say.

Interesting tidbit on Nissan GTR

Widely speculated to be underrated at 480hp, Nissan engineer clears up mistaken assumption on drivetrain losses.

Nissan engineers insist the GT-R really does only have 480 hp. Motohiro Matsumura, president of Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. in Farmington Hills, Michigan, says our dyno test story, which revealed the GT-R develops 430 hp at the wheels, is basically right. But he insists our estimate of a minimum 15-percent friction losses -- which suggests the GT-R is making 507 hp -- is wrong. Matsumura-san says ultra-low friction bearings in the wheel hubs and transmission, plus the careful alignment of the all-wheel-drive system's propshafts, mean friction losses are reduced to an unprecedented 10 percent or so. We're going to get a GT-R back and conduct some coast-down tests to see if he's right.

2009 Porsche 911 Updates

Models Available

• 911 Carrera Coupé / Cabriolet
• 911 Carrera S Coupé / Cabriolet
• 911 Carrera 4 Coupé / Cabriolet
• 911 Carrera 4S Coupé / Cabriolet
• 911 Targa 4
• 911 Targa 4S

• New engine generation with direct fuel injection (DFI):
- 3.6-l boxer engine with 345 hp (+20 hp), 390 Nm (+20 Nm)
- 3.8-l boxer engine with 385 hp (+30 hp), 420 Nm (+20 Nm)
Increased performance with significant reduction in fuel consumption and
CO2 emissions; all engines comply with stringent EU5 regulations (see Appendix 2)

• Optimised manual gearbox, upshift indicator in instrument cluster for economical
driving (standard for manual gearbox)
• Self-adjusting clutch now also on 3.6-l models
• Drive-off assist (standard for manual gearbox and PDK)
• Porsche Traction Management (PTM, standard for C4 / Targa 4 models)
• Mechanical limited-slip rear differential (standard for C4 / Targa 4 models)
• Enhanced Porsche Stability Management (PSM) now also with additional functions
for C2 models

• New braking system for 3.6-l models: closed-top calipers, brake disc diameters:
330 mm front (+12 mm), 330 mm rear (+31 mm), thicker brake discs at rear
(+4 mm)
• Standard wheels with new design: 18-inch Carrera IV wheel, 19-inch Carrera S II
wheel
• Larger wheel width and offset at rear for 18-inch Carrera IV wheels on C2 models
(10.5J x 18 ET 60)

• Bi-Xenon headlights with cleaning system now also standard on 3.6-l models
• LED daytime running lights and side lights, conventional foglights discontinued
• LED taillights with new design

• New Porsche Communication Management (PCM):
Central multimedia system including:
- 6.5-inch TFT colour display (touchscreen)
- Radio with RDS twin tuner and scan/phase diversity for optimum reception
- CD/DVD drive, MP3-compatible, supports audio output from audio/video DVDs
• Restyled front bumper with larger air intakes
• Restyled and separate auxiliary front light units above air intakes
• New rear bumper
• New, semi-integrated stainless steel tailpipes
• Larger exterior mirrors with new design
• Additional differentiation on all-wheel drive models: rear light-strip (coloured in red), black trim at base of rear bumper, titanium paint finish on front air intake surrounds and horizontal grilles
• Optimised hood system on Cabriolet models

• New colour range:
- Porsche Racing Green Metallic (metallic colour) replaces Forest Green Metallic
- Aqua Blue Metallic (metallic colour) replaces Cobalt Blue Metallic
- Nordic Gold Metallic (special colour) replaces Dark Olive Metallic
- Cream White (special colour) replaces Slate Grey Metallic
• Front centre console with new styling, black paint finish, modified air-conditioning
controls, fewer switches
• All standard steering wheels with rim in smooth-finish leather, machine-sewn seam
and airbag module with soft-touch paint finish
• New controls for hood/roof (Cabriolet, Targa / worldwide) and window lifts (NAFTA markets
only)

• Uprated vehicle key
• 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) (250) incl. new 3-spoke sports steering
wheel for PDK and new, specially designed gear selector
• Sport Chrono Package Plus in conj. w. PDK: new functions - launch control, racetrack
gearshift strategy and additional ‘Sport Plus’ button (640)
• Mechanical limited-slip rear differential (only for C2 models, standard for C4 /
Targa 4 models) (220)
• PASM sports suspension (incl. 20 mm lowering) and mechanical limited-slip rear differential, also offered for USA (P17) (only for Coupé models, limited-slip differential for allwheel drive models as standard)

• Uprated Tyre Pressure Monitoring (TPM) with faster tyre pressure display (482)
• Dynamic cornering lights (603)
• Seat ventilation for standard and comfort seats (541)
• Steering wheel heating, only in conj. w. seat heating and PDK (345)
- Navigation module with hard-disc drive (672)
- Voice control with whole-word input (671)
- GSM quad-band telephone module (Bluetooth® SAP) (666)
- Cordless active handset for telephone module (669)
- Mobile-phone preparation with console (Bluetooth® HFP) (618)
- Mobile-phone preparation (Bluetooth® HFP) (619)
- Integrated CD/DVD autochanger (6-disc), MP3-compatible (693)
- Universal audio interface for connecting external audio devices, e.g., Apple iPod® or USB stick in centre console storage compartment (AUX, USB and iPod® ports).
iPod® and USB stick operated via PCM (870)
- BOSE® Surround Sound System, 385 Watts, supports 5.1 discrete surround sound
format (680
- TV tuner (analogue & digital reception DVB-T) (676)
• New multifunction steering wheels for PDK in smooth-finish leather (844), macassar
(847), carbon (845) and Aluminium Look (XPU)
• Airbag module in smooth-finish leather as additional feature in optional leather
interior
• Sycamore wood options discontinued
• Optional external antenna relocated to front right-hand wing on all models (461)

• PCNA: XM satellite radio (SDARS) (686)
• PJ: Extended factory-fitted sat-nav preparation (Japan) plus Clarion aftermarket
navigation system from VPC (standard)
• PGCN: Factory-fitted sat-nav preparation (China) plus Panasonic aftermarket
navigation system in PCM from Porsche dealer (optional, from week 45/08 )

Philippines' dancing jail; everyone wants to go inside

The central Philippine island of Cebu is renowned as a holiday destination but these days it's the provincial jail not the balmy beaches that's drawing in the visitors.Inmates at the prison shot to fame last year when a video clip of them gyrating in synch to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as part of their exercise regime became a You Tube hit.

read more | digg story

Ochone! Japanese whisky is voted the best in world

Stuart MacDonald and Shota Ushio

Like English wine, it has suffered from the taint of inauthenticity and has been the butt of condescending jokes. Now Japanese whisky has finally scotched all criticism by being voted the best in the world, ahead of its Highland rivals.

Yoichi 20 years old, distilled on the shores of the Sea of Japan, has become the first variety produced outside Scotland to win the coveted single malt award in an international competition run by Whisky Magazine, the main industry publication.

The whisky, distilled near the city of Sapporo on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, beat dozens of other varieties, including last year’s winner, Talisker 18 years old, produced on the Isle of Skye.

Suntory Hibiki, the brand advertised by the washed-up actor played by Bill Murray in the film Lost in Translation, scooped the award for the world’s best blended whisky. The historic double for Japanese whiskies has provoked consternation in Scotland, where whisky is as integral to a certain strand of national identity as bagpipes, haggis and the kilt.

Related Links

• Whisky war looms as high taxes price Scotch out of Indian market

Yoichi 20 years old, which sells for £150 a bottle, was praised by the judges for its “amazing mix of big smoke and sweet blackcurrant”, “explosive aroma” and “big, long and sweet finish”.

The decision to give the top prize to Yoichi followed a blind tasting of more than 200 of the world’s finest varieties by a panel of 16 of the world’s leading whisky experts.

The judges said Japanese distillers had succeeded in producing top Scotch thanks to the variable climate in Japan, which assists maturation and creates a purer whisky with a heightened aroma.

Traditional distilling apparatus such as coal-fired pot stills, used widely in Japan but rarely seen in Scotland, was also praised for producing a superior dram.

“Japanese whiskies performed magnificently and they are really starting to make waves,” said Rob Allanson, editor of Whisky Magazine.

Nikka, the company that produces Yoichi, and Suntory, the biggest spirits company in Japan, are making inroads into the British whisky market.

Tetsuji Hisamitsu, chief blender at the Yoichi distillery, said he was “very moved” by the award.

Unmotivational Posters (some NSFW)

A selected collection of a twist on those motivational posters, with a focus on the ladies...(although the emo kid raging in mom's minivan is precious)

read more | digg story

Sesame Street uses virtualization to save a Monster amount

April 02, 2008 — CIO — Noah Broadwater, VP of information services for Sesame Workshop , likes using open source virtualization tools for several good reasons—starting with green ones that have nothing to do with Oscar the Grouch.

Broadwater recently faced a budget crunch at the same time he needed new Web servers and was physically running out of room in his data center. His solution: new HP blade servers based on Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise server software, which builds in Xen's virtualization software (Xen is the leading open source alternative to VMware's offering.)

"We said let's try it," says Broadwater, who leads the non-profit company's IT staff of about 20 people. "It saved us from buying new servers." Happy with the results from virtualizing the Web servers, Broadwater planned a substantial virtualization project to make over his other servers, starting with his test and development boxes, beginning about one year ago.

The Vendor Road Less Taken

Sesame Workshop had been spending approximately $250,000 every three years on hardware and support for its Sun Solaris servers, Broadwater says. The new approach combined 25 virtual machines onto 4 physical servers within a blade center and reduced that cost to $24,000 every 3 years, he says. Broadwater's team also consolidated 10 servers including application, image and log servers onto 4 physical boxes. When done with its virtualization effort, the company will reclaim 2 racks worth of space in its already cramped data center, and reduce power consumption by 15 percent, Broadwater estimates.

Broadwater's desire to save is not unique: Many IT leaders now tap into the consolidation benefits of virtualization. But his choice of vendor is relatively unusual. Today, the overwhelming majority of enterprise shops use VMware's tools.

Do many enterprise leaders even think Novell when they're considering virtualization options? "On the technology side, Novell has made significant headway; however I think they need to up their marketing efforts to further build brand recognition for their virtualization offerings," says Burton Group research analyst Chris Wolf. "That is also crucial in building a strong partner ecosystem." VMware and Citirx have rounded up more partners to date than Novell, to offer complementary products to IT managers.

With Microsoft entering the virtualization market with its Hyper-V hypervisor (expected to ship in August) and a virtualization management suite, Novell will face even more competition. But that's not a death knell for Novell, Wolf says. "The virtualization market is more than large enough for Novell to carve out its own sizable chunk," Wolf says.

Out With Relics, In With Open Source

So with VMware commanding the enterprise virtualization market, why didn't Broadwater use the leader? "First, obviously, cost," Broadwater says. "VMware has a great solution, it's just very expensive. Second, we're a firm believer in and use a lot of open source. Not just because of cost but because of philosophy. We actually work on open source projects and give code back." Broadwater has been using open source tools such as the Apache Web server software for years.

As for why he went with Novell SUSE Linux, comfort played a part here. "We've had Novell in the data center a long time  nothing against Red Hat [and its Linux products,]" Broadwater says. "With Novell, I knew what my support was, I knew how to work that system."

"The plan is, within the next three years, to be off Solaris completely," moving over to as much Linux as possible on servers, Broadwater says. "I looked around at what I saw with my engineers. I told my engineers 'Every one of you knows Linux. If there's a problem with the base OS, if it's Linux, any one of you can fix it.' Today my Solaris guy can't fix Windows problems," he says. "It [virtualizing on Linux] also makes our disaster recovery a lot simpler."

What about the internal IT group politics of making such a broad change in OS strategy? Respondents to our recent survey, Your Virtualized State in 2008, ranked IT organization politics issues as their second toughest management challenge around virtualization, second only to balancing server workloads.

"We've always had a heterogeneous environment," Broadwater says. "They all knew Linux. We've had, obviously, some fear. Our Unix administrator has been supporting Solaris for 18 years. His job isn't going away; he's getting certified on Linux," Broadwater says. The small size of his IT group helps minimize the political battles, he adds.

As for what's next: By June 2009, Sesame Workshop also plans to virtualize its 10 non-critical, low utilization servers, some of which are running Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Some of these are one-application, one-server relics, a problem that many CIOs know all too well.

One example: "Our conference room scheduler has its own server," Broadwater says. "It's taking up space in my data center. It uses maybe 7 percent of the processor [in the server] and none of the memory."

One reason this resource-waster has hung around: The scheduling application requires Microsoft's IIS (Internet Information Sevices) web server, Broadwater says. "Everything else we run runs on Apache [web server]," Broadwater says. Thanks to virtualization, application servers like this one will soon be a thing of the past for Sesame Workshop.

Why it sucks to be a younger brother

Thank go I was the Eldest.

With pain comes buying opportunities- foreclosures spike 112%

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Foreclosure filings in the first three months of 2008 rose more than 112% over last year, according to a study released Tuesday.

Real estate information firm RealtyTrac reported that nearly 650,000 foreclosure filings - which include notices of default, auction sales and bank repossessions - were issued in the first quarter. That represents 1 of every 194 households and marks a 23% increase from the last quarter of 2007.

Housing bust: Tell us your story

So far this year 156,463 families have lost their homes to repossessions.

"Foreclosure activity hasn't slowed down yet," said Rick Sharga, spokesman for RealtyTrac. "But I was a little surprised that foreclosure filings more than doubled since last year."

Foreclosures increased in 46 states and in 90 of the nation's 100 largest metro areas. Some regions that had been only marginally hurt by the mortgage meltdown recorded large increases in filings. In Connecticut, for instance, filings tripled compared with the first three months of 2007. Massachusetts recorded a 260% increase.

Nevada: Hardest hit

The worst hit states are still clustered in the Southwest; Nevada, California and Arizona lead the nation in foreclosure filings. Prices ran up rapidly in these areas during the bubble years as speculators snapped up single-family homes and condos as investments.

In the first quarter, 1 of every 54 homes in Nevada received some type of foreclosure filing - more than any other state. Its largest city, Las Vegas, had 1 out of every 44 homes go into foreclosure.

Stockton, Calif., had the highest foreclosure rate out of any U.S. metro area, with 1 out of every 30 homes receiving a notice - nearly seven times higher than the national average. The Riverside/San Bernardino region had the second highest rate in the quarter, with one of every 38 homes in default.

Only two metro areas in the ranks of the 20 hardest hit were outside the Sunbelt - Detroit, which ranked sixth in the nation with 1 in every 68 households in default, and Cleveland which saw 1 in every 105 homes go into foreclosure.

The news comes despite increased foreclosure prevention efforts by lenders and community organizations. Hope Now, the coalition of mortgage lenders, servicers investors and community groups, announced Monday that it helped over a half a million home owners avoid foreclosure during the first three months of the year.

And some local governments have stepped up their programs to help borrowers, according to RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio.

"For example, in late March Philadelphia issued a temporary moratorium on all foreclosure auctions for April," he said. "The city has since adopted a program that will delay foreclosure proceedings on owner-occupied properties until the owners have met face-to-face with lenders to attempt to create a loan workout plan that would prevent foreclosure."

More trouble ahead

Additionally, lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are at work on several plans that would deliver foreclosure relief to distressed borrowers.

All of these foreclosure prevention efforts may not be able to stand up to the tsunami of foreclosures on the way. Sharga says that a record number of hybrid adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) - worth $362 billion - will reset in 2008.

These so-called "exploding ARMs" usually have low introductory interest rates that reset much higher after two or three years, and then re-adjust as often as every six months after that. Unless these loans can be reworked, many will fail.

"We expect to see another foreclosure peak in the late third or fourth quarter of the year," said Sharga, "because of the record number of resets coming."

Tuesday Tunes with the Pig Roaster

For my third installment, a little change. Instead of focusing on one artist, we'll instead take a look at one song: Jimi Hendrix' "Little Wing"

Easily one of his best, if a bit overlooked, tunes - the guitar playing is sublime and a prime example of why the man is so revered. It's been covered more than a few times by some prominent bands - so lets take a listen to some.

First, the original - live from 1969 (horrible video - great audio):


Not too long after the original, and falling quickly on the heels of Hendrix' death, the song was interpreted and performed by Clapton's group Derek and the Dominos (featuring one of my all time favorite guitarists, Duane Allman, on slide guitar). This version seizes upon the emotional heart wrenching and longing that was the overall theme of the Dominos "Layla" album.
(Note - I couldn't find an embeddable version of the original Dominos version, so here's Clapton and his current band from last year - featuring my hands-down favorite player (and Duane Allman heir) Derek Trucks on slide):


Going in the other direction - leaving behind the pining and longing (and the lyrics) and focusing on the sheer beauty is this version - perhaps my favorite - from one Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughn:


Finally, here's a version that before today I had no idea existed - and now wish I could forget. Skid Row covering Little Wing. It is not good. You have been warned:

Police: Dad confesses to holding daughter captive 24 years

---

Police: Dad confesses to holding daughter captive 24 years

By VERONIKA OLEKSYN and WILLIAM J. KOLE, Associated Press Writers 1 hour, 7 minutes ago

AMSTETTEN, Austria - A man has confessed to imprisoning his daughter for 24 years in a windowless cell with a soundproofed door and fathering seven children with her including three who "never saw sunlight," police said Monday.

Josef Fritzl, now 73, also told investigators that he tossed the body of one of the children in an incinerator when the infant died shortly after birth, said Franz Polzer, head of the Lower Austrian Bureau of Criminal Affairs.

"We are being confronted with an unfathomable crime," Interior Minister Guenther Platter said.

The daughter, who is now 42, had been missing since 1984 and was found by police in the town of Amstetten on Saturday evening after police received a tip. She and the children have been placed under psychiatric care in an undisclosed location.

Authorities on Monday released several photos showing parts of the cramped basement cell, with a small bathroom and a narrow passageway leading to a tiny bedroom. Investigators said an electronic keyless-entry system apparently kept the daughter from escaping from the cell, which was made of solid reinforced concrete.

After initially withholding Friztl's full name, police released it along with a photograph at a news conference Monday. Fritzl's identity was widely reported by media in Austria and elsewhere in Europe. He briefly appeared in court Monday in the city of St. Poelten, where he was to be held in pre-trial detention.

"He admitted that he locked his daughter, who was 18 at the time, in the cellar, that he repeatedly had sex with her, and that he is the father of her seven children," Polzer told The Associated Press.

Three of the surviving children lived with the grandparents and were registered with authorities. The other three — aged 19, 18 and 5 — were confined during their entire lives to the darkness of their cell, Polzer said.

Hans-Heinz Lenze, a senior local official, said the suspect's wife apparently had "no idea" of what went on and was devastated.

"You have to imagine that this woman's world fell apart," he said.

Austrians — still scandalized by a 2006 case involving a young woman who was kidnapped and imprisoned in a basement cell outside Vienna for more than eight years — expressed disbelief at the latest case.

"The entire nation must ask itself just what is fundamentally going wrong," the newspaper Der Standard said Monday in a commentary.

Guenter Pramreiter, who owns a bakery just down the street, told The Associated Press that the suspect and his wife would regularly buy bread and rolls, though never in large quantities.

"They appeared normal, just like any other family," Pramreiter said. "I'm totally shocked, this was next door. It's terrible."

The case unfolded after a gravely ill teenager was found unconscious on April 19 in the building where her grandparents live, and taken to a hospital in the town of Amstetten, about 75 miles west of Vienna. Authorities publicly appealed for the child's mother to come forward to help diagnose the young woman's condition.

After receiving a tip, police picked up the 42-year-old woman — whom authorities identified as Elisabeth F. — and her father on Saturday close to the hospital.

Police said she appeared "greatly disturbed" during questioning. She agreed to talk only after authorities assured her she would no longer have to have contact with her father and that her children would be cared for.

On Sunday evening, police said investigators had found the area where Elisabeth and three of the children were held captive. Investigators said the rooms were at most 5 feet 6 inches feet high. The area had a TV and small hot plates for cooking.

In a chronology of events outlined in a police statement, authorities said Elisabeth told them her father began sexually abusing her when she was 11. She told police that some years later in 1984, he sedated her, handcuffed her and locked her in the cellar.

Police said a letter written by Elisabeth had apparently surfaced a month after her disappearance, asking her parents not to search for her.

The Austria Press Agency reported that the surviving children are three boys and three girls. DNA tests were expected to determine whether Fritzl is the father.

Sunday's developments recalled another case that shocked Austrians in the summer of 2006, when a young woman escaped after being largely confined to a tiny underground dungeon in a quiet Vienna suburb for more than eight years.

Natascha Kampusch was 10 years old when she was kidnapped in Vienna on her way to school in March 1998. Her abductor, Wolfgang Priklopil, threw himself in front of a train just hours after her dramatic escape.

Kampusch, now 20, issued a statement Monday saying she wanted to contact Elisabeth to offer emotional and financial help.

---

Share Large Files Using Gmail and Box.Net

The Digital Inspiration blog points out a feature of Box.net's free web storage service that makes sending large files through email links super-easy. If you're signed up and already have your free 1 GB of space, simply enable the Gmail or Outlook services (the latter will also work with Mozilla Thunderbird), and right-clicking on files or folders will set up a message that shares the files with any recipients. As Digital Inspiration puts it, it's similar to the RapidShare sharing method, but a lot less painful for the recipients.

Email Large Files Quickly with Gmail and Box.net [Digital Inspiration]

Never Play Truth or Dare...with a Maniac

CollegeHumor's Patrick Cassels is a maniac. Never play truth or dare with someone like him. (from CollegeHumor)

New Dark Knight Posters of Plenty! 6 New Ones!

Next up are five international posters from the fine folks at Omelete.com.br. These all look pretty damn real to me, but you never know. There is one for each of Batman, The Joker and Harvey Dent, as well as one that includes all three stars:

Kubrick

Everybody knows the Shining, Clockwork Orange, 2001, and probably even Dr. Strangelove - and for good reason - they're all fantastic.

The Pig Roaster, however, will put out a recommendation for Paths of Glory for both Kubrick and Kirk Douglas at their best.

BMW M1 Concept

Sneak Peek! BMW M1 Concept at Villa d'Este


UPDATE: The BMW M1 Homage has now been officially unveiled!

This year's Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este has its public day tomorrow, which is when the world will presumably get its first look at the new BMW M1 concept, a stunning, modern take on Munich's original supercar that is part of Bimmer's 30th anniversary celebration of the classic machine. The private exhibition took place today, however, and the guys at Asphalte.ch -- they were the first with live shots of the Lamborghini LP560-4 earlier this year -- have once again scored a coup, snapping the new, copper-colored M1 concept in all its glory, both alone and alongside its forebears. We expect to have a lot more on this car tomorrow (assuming a press kit will be released sometime overnight), but for now, head to Asphalte.ch to see more shots of the car under the lights. Hey BMW, just pull the trigger and greenlight a production version already, because this thing is awesome.

Click here to see high res pictures.

Record-Breaking Mentos And Coke Explosions

Around 1,500 students kitted out in waterproof ponchos have created the world’s largest Coke and mentos explosions.

The students, from Belgium, tried to out-fizz the previous record for so-called Mentos fountains by simultaneously putting Mentos mints into bottles of the soft drink.

The resultant chemical reaction shot hundreds of streams of carbonated soda into the air.

The explosive record-breaking event was held in Ladeuzeplein square in Leuven, Belgium.

[Source]

Luxury Dog Houses

" The Ultimate in Luxury Dog House Design"

Sullivan Construction has been building custom homes for more than 16 years. Due to the increasing request from our customers, we have now expanded out to offer your furry family member their own Luxury Dream Home. You may want to have a mini version of your own home, or you can choose from one of our unique designs. The options are virtually unlimited!

Your new ultimate dog house will be built with the same caliber of materials that you would expect to be used in your own home. We have considered how to make the dream homes owner friendly. The interior walls and flooring will be constructed out of materials that will be easy to keep clean. The exterior of your choice can be constructed of materials that are essentially maintenance free.

Dogs always love their family's companionship so you may want to consider having satellite or cable installed. Then you can just send Dad and the boys to "the dog house" to watch those football games. Have your own "Bed and Biscuit" play area where all of your pooch's playmates can come and visit.

You can eliminate boarding expenses or in-home sitters if your k-9 has his/her own place. Decorative Doggy Doors are one of the options so if there is an enclosed area for them to go in and out freely, you will only need to have a pet sitter stop by to check in on them. No more guilt feelings for not being able to take them along! They will be in the comfort of their own environment while you are away.

Your pets safety is one of our top considerations when designing their Custom Dog House. All homes are climate controlled and well insulated. Each house is dog proofed as it is being built. Call or e-mail so we can get started on your new Doggy Dream Home today!

Draft Analysis: Trader Bill gets his man

By Paul Perillo, Patriots Football Weekly

Bill Belichick loves to trade on draft day and having a top-10 pick didn't prevent him from doing so again. By swapping picks with New Orleans at No. 10, the Patriots were able to pick up linebacker Jerod Mayo and filled a huge need in the process.

Everyone knew the Patriots would probably trade down from their spot at No. 7. Nobody knew it would be for linebacker Jerod Mayo.

But that’s exactly what the Patriots did when faced with their first top-10 pick in seven years, and once again Bill Belichick came away with the value he was looking for.

The Patriots could have used their No. 7 pick in a variety of ways. Sedrick Ellis, a talented defensive tackle out of USC, was available and based on talks the Pats braintrust had with New Orleans the night before they knew the Saints were interested. Taking Ellis themselves wouldn’t have been a terrible move, but rather than pay another defensive lineman big bucks, the Patriots chose to move down a few spots.

The savings won’t be huge, but swapping with New Orleans and moving to 10 did put a few bucks back in the team’s pockets while also adding another third-round pick (No. 78) while only surrendering a fifth-rounder (No. 154). By doing so, they were able to select a player they felt was good value while also filling a much bigger need. And they added to that by taking Terrence Wheatley, a cornerback out of Colorado, with their second-round pick, filling their two biggest positional needs.

New England also could have moved up, which was a possibility according to some. Various reports indicated the Jets at six and the Patriots were interested in trading with Kansas City to move up to five. The Chiefs sat tight and took LSU’s mammoth defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, a player some felt was as talented as any in this draft. Also, outside linebacker Vernon Gholston, who ultimately went to the Jets at six, could have been the object of their affection.

Those scenarios all would have cost the team more – both in money and picks – than the direction they chose. Time will tell if the 6-1, 242-pound Mayo, an athletic linebacker out of Tennessee, manages to provide the youth and speed the New England defense sorely lacks. But there’s no denying that Belichick needed to make an attempt to fill that void, and he did.

“He has some versatility and he played against a very high level of competition,” Belichick said shortly after making the pick. “He’s one of the better linebackers we’ve seen in a while.”

That’s what makes this move so pleasing. Mayo represents a lot of things the Patriots defense has lacked over the past couple of seasons. For all the success the team has achieved – and they’ve been a whisker away from winning back-to-back Super Bowls – they’ve done it with an aging defense that ultimately has failed to get the job done at the biggest junctures of the season.

Two years ago the season came to an end in Indy when the defense was powerless to keep the Colts out of the end zone with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Last year in the Super Bowl, despite a subpar game from the record-setting offense, the Patriots were one stop away from their fourth title. The Giants needed a touchdown and had to go the length of the field to get it. They were playing against an 18-0 team looking to make history, and one that had an air of invincibility that seemed to be worth as much in intimidation as their actual talent.

Despite all those factors the defense couldn’t get the job done, and the main reason for that was an increasingly slow core group of players that needed to be invigorated with talent.

Enter Mayo and his 4.6 speed and versatility to play a variety of spots.

Mayo was the heart of Vols defense playing in the dynamic Southeastern Conference, considered to be the deepest and most athletic conference in college football. Facing the likes of Florida, Georgia, Auburn and LSU on a weekly basis, Mayo stood out as a playmaker in a playmaking conference.

Athletically he’ll be able to fit in immediately inside with Tedy Bruschi and free agent newcomer Victor Hobson. Depending on the rookie’s learning curve, which could be considerable in Belichick’s complicated 3-4 sets, Mayo could see significant time right away in a three-man rotation.

Belichick said Mayo was an extremely bright player who made all the calls for the Vols defense and had a high aptitude for the game. If that proves correct, it might make Junior Seau’s decision on whether to return much easier. And if the ageless chooses to return, Belichick will suddenly have some depth a position that has sorely lacked it in the recent past.

GLASSBOOTH: an interesting way to pick your Presidential Candidate

GLASSBOOTH

About Us

Glassbooth is a nonprofit organization that is creating innovative ways to access political information. An informed and interested democracy is a powerful thing. As an organization acting in the public’s interest, we are very serious about our core principles:
Integrity

All information used in the Glassbooth process is of the highest accuracy and integrity. No process is perfect though. Please get involved and shoot us an email if you want to add or comment on any of our content.
Nonbias

We believe Glassbooth’s success is contingent on nonbias in our process. We have worked closely with partners and experts to insure our language is in no way misleading. Again, feel free to email us with suggestions as to how we can improve.
Nonpartisan

Glassbooth does not affiliate with any political party, political organization, or ideology…we can’t and we won’t.
Transparency

All information used by Glassbooth will be available for the public to view and scrutinize. We are not Google…we want you to know why your results are delivered the way they are.
Insight

Glassbooth is always learning and adapting to how people are using media and interacting with information. We are constantly adding new features to the site so check back often.

We are deeply committed to improving democracy and education in the United States and begin this process with glassbooth.org. Innovation and access are the cornerstones of our development, we are always thinking of the next great improvement to democracy in the United States. Please stay posted for future tools and initiatives.

Open Computers: these pc will install Windows / Mac OSX / LINUX

A Peek at the Open Computers

Wednesday, 23 April 2008 16:16

We've put together a little video to show everyone what Open Computers are all about. Open Computing is about having choices and we allow for Open Computers to be purchased with pretty much every major consumer operating system. Both Windows XP and Windows Vista cover most of the market segment while Ubuntu Server and Desktop represent the Linux crowd. We're bringing powerful and economic computers to a new market segment as well: the group that uses OS X.

Fast and the Furious 4 - video from on the set.

Fed to lower rates again to 2%

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Battling risky economic crosscurrents, the Federal Reserve is ready to bump down a key interest rate again to brace the wobbly economy. That rate cut could turn out to be the last one for a while as zooming energy and food prices heighten inflation concerns.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues are walking a tightrope. They are trying to shore up economic growth and at the same time they are mindful that they can't let inflation get out of hand. It's a bit of an economic dilemma: The very rate reductions the Fed depends on to energize the economy can also sow the seeds of inflation down the road.

"It's a very challenging environment," said John Silvia, chief economist at Wachovia.

In a nod to those conflicting forces, the Fed probably will opt for a moderate-sized rate reduction of one-quarter percentage point this week, Silvia and other economists predict.

At its previous meeting on March 18, the Fed slashed rates by a hefty three-quarters point. The action, however, drew opposition from two Fed members who favored a smaller reduction because of concerns about a potential inflation flare-up. It was a crack in the mostly unified front the Fed often shows the public.

The Fed, which has been cutting rates since last September, turned more forceful in January and March, when housing, credit and financial problems took a turn for the worse, threatening to plunge the country into a deep recession. The Fed's rate cuts in January and March alone marked the most aggressive Fed intervention in a quarter-century.

This time around, though, the Fed is likely to go with a smaller rate cut at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday.

A quarter-point reduction would drop the Fed's key rate for influencing national economic activity to 2%. This rate, called the federal funds rate, is what banks charge each other on overnight loans and affects a wide range of interest rates charged to people and businesses.

In turn, the prime lending rate for millions of consumers and businesses would fall by a corresponding amount, to 5%. The prime rate applies to certain credit cards, home equity lines of credit and other loans. Both rates would be the lowest since late 2004.

Economists think the Fed may be inclined to leave rates at such low levels possibly through the rest of this year and maybe into next year - as long as the country is not hit with another blow to economic growth.

"We are entering the stage where it is time for the Fed to wind down and move to the sidelines," said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com. "A quarter-point reduction is a nice segue to that transition. Short-term interest rates could stay low longer than many currently expect," he added.

The Fed's rate cuts - which take months to work their way through the economy and affect activity - along with the government's $168 billion stimulus package of tax rebates for people and tax breaks for businesses - should help strengthen the economy in the second half of this year, Fed officials said.

It's the first half of this year where damage from the housing, credit and financial debacles could be the worst. The economy may grow little, if at all, during this period and could actually shrink, Bernanke told Congress earlier this month. A recession, he said, was possible. It was Bernanke's first public acknowledgment of such a scenario.

A growing number of economists now believe the economy probably will contract in the current April-to-June quarter. Many analysts also now think the economy will manage to eke out a barely noticeable 0.4% growth rate during the first three months of this year as opposed to falling into negative territory as some had previously thought. The government reports on the first quarter's performance on Wednesday - the same day the Fed's decides its next move on interest rates.

Even if the economy heals in the second half of this year and into 2009, the unemployment rate, now at 5.1%, is likely to rise, perhaps reaching close to 6% early next year, analysts said. Job losses for the first three months of this year neared the staggering quarter-million mark.

The Fed's rate cuts ordered thus far would help to cushion the fallout.

On inflation, Bernanke said rising prices are a source of concern and must be monitored closely. Still, he is hopeful inflation will moderate in coming quarters.

Gasoline prices have shot up to record highs in recent days and could hit $4 a gallon this summer. Food prices are up 5.3% on an annualized basis in the first three months of this year, outpacing the 3.1% rise in overall inflation.

If the Fed does drop its key rate to 2% and holds it there for some time, that would still be low enough to provide relief to stressed homeowners facing a rate reset to their adjustable-rate mortgages, McBride said.

Trying to get the economy back to full throttle after its last recession in 2001, the Fed ratcheted down its key rate to 1% - the lowest in more than four decades. Then-chairman Alan Greenspan held the rate at that super-low level for a year, before the Fed began to bump it up. That action has since fueled criticism that Greenspan helped to create the very housing boom that has now gone bust, wreaking havoc on the economy. Foreclosures have surged to record highs, financial companies have wracked up multibillion losses and all the fallout has sent the economy reeling.

Candy Consolidation- Mars/Buffett to buy Wrigley for 22 Billion

Mars Inc. and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., were close to a deal to acquire the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company for more than $22 billion, according to media reports, a takeover with the potential to transform the confectionary industry worldwide.

The buyout could be announced as early as Monday, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported.

Wrigley shares soared 26.5 percent, or $16.55, to $79 in premarket trading.

The Times' sources cautioned that the deal could still fall apart. Neither newspaper identified the people providing the information.

Mars and Wrigley had no immediate comment. Calls to Berkshire Hathaway were not immediately returned.

The merger of Mars, maker of M&Ms, Snickers bars and other candy, and Wrigley, which produces such gums as Extra, Eclipse, and Orbit, could hasten a market consolidation.

All major chocolate makers have been questioned recently about price fixing, both in the U.S. and in Europe.

Buffett, who already owns Sees Candies, is helping Mars finance the transaction, the newspapers said.

Representatives of the companies and Berkshire Hathaway declined to comment.

Buffett has a history of investments in iconic brands.

The sale price would represent a sizable premium above Wrigley's stock market value, which was about $17.3 billion Friday.

Wrigley, based in Chicago, sells candy in nearly 200 countries. Founded in 1891, the company has been led by four generations of the Wrigley family.

The company is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings results Monday.

Mars is a family owned company based in McLean, Va., and has global sales of about $22 billion each year. It was founded in 1911.

It is already the world's largest chocolate seller and an acquisition of Wrigley could put more pressure on other major players, such as Switzerland's Nestle, Britain's Cadbury Schweppes, and Hershey Co., of Pennsylvania, to consolidate.

Revealed: The amazing pictures of Britain in colour for the very first time

By CLAIRE COHEN - More by this author » Last updated at 01:06am on 27th April 2008

Seeing the world captured in colour is something most of us take for granted.

But at the start of the 20th century, the art of photography was rather more limited - to black and white images, with various shades of grey in between.

It was not until 1907 that autochrome - the process through which colour photographs were first produced - was invented in Paris.

Scroll down for more ...

Returning heroes: The Union Jack and the French Tricolour flutter above the lines of troops marching through Kinghtsbridge during the World War One victory parade in 1919

Read all about it: A snapshot of London's Fleet Street, home of the British press in 1924

Sweeping change: An early photograph taken in 1913 of a London residential street

For the first time, vivid pictures of a world still largely unexplored were revealed to a mesmerised public.

And it was all thanks to the humble potato.

It was by using microscopic grains of potato starch that brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere revolutionised photography.

They spread four million of them - dyed in shades of red, green and violet - over a glass plate, compressing them with a roller.

Scroll down for more ...

Say cottage cheese: Locals pose in front of a dilapidated cottage in 1913 Cornwall

Party time: A crowd gathers near Big Ben during the 1919 victory celebrations

Monumental moment: After the 1919 victory parade, London's Piccadilly Circus is eerily deserted

When the plate was exposed to light, the potato grains acted as filters and yielded a startling colour image.

French millionaire and philanthropist Albert Kahn was among the first to see the possibilities of autochrome.

He poured his entire fortune into hiring a team of photographers, which he dispatched to more than 50 countries.

His aim was to make a record of all the people of the world.

In Britain they captured, in fascinating detail, a nation on the brink of historical change and which in a few short years would be irrevocably altered by the events of World War One.

Kahn, one of the richest men in Europe, was forced to abandon his work in 1931, after losing everything in the Wall Street Crash.

However, his legacy of more than 72,000 autochromes - the best of which are published in a new book - give an invaluable glimpse of the world at the beginning of the 20th century.

Scroll down for more ...

Village life: Children play on the cobbled streets of St Ives

Picturesque: With Oxford University in the background, students punt along the Cherwell

East Industry: Merchant ships are berthed on the bank of the Thames

Egypt's Pyramids Packed With Seashells

Many of Egypt's most famous monuments, such as the Sphinx and Cheops, contain hundreds of thousands of marine fossils, most of which are fully intact and preserved in the walls of the structures, according to a new study.

read more | digg story

H.R.5843 Act to Remove Federal Penalties Marijuana Use

H.R. 5843 would eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use.

read more | digg story

The Cozy Suite - Building a Better Airplane Seat

Some refer to it as economy class syndrome. To others it's know as a coach class clot. But whatever you call it, sitting squeezed into an airplane seat until you develop deep vein thrombosis is no way to die. And that's why this strange new seat is worth checking out.

read more | digg story