Solar Thermal captures heat from the sun to create power. The heat can also be stored and used later. R&D now is focusing on computer-controlled reflector mirrors and more efficient ways to store the heat.

More from Ecogeek.

This article originally posted at: Politics in the Zeros

The report by New Orleans Inspector General E.R. Quatrevaux said the flawed contract with MWH Americas Inc. has hurt the city's recovery, placing blame on both the company and city officials. The city's slow rebuilding process continues to anger residents, and the uneven recovery was a major issue in the campaign leading up to last month's mayoral election.

Quatrevaux advised scrapping the deal with the Broomfield, Colo.-based firm in the report, first made public Thursday by The Times-Picayune. The company's work previously had not garnered much criticism.

"The city has blindly paid MWH's expenses," the report said, including "a markup of approximately 23 percent" without knowing if that was appropriate.

The report also said city employees and elected officials may have violated ethics laws by accepting gifts or meals from MWH.

MWH was hired in December 2007 by Mayor Ray Nagin's administration to manage the massive rebuilding of city infrastructure after the 2005 storm flooded fire and police stations, parks, community centers and roads. As of February, MWH had been paid $29 million for its work and billed the city for $36 million, the report said.

The probe said the city was paying the firm too much considering the amount of progress made, and that the contract, and its escalating costs, "will have profound consequences for the recovery program."

Hours after Quatrevaux's criticism was made public, one neighborhood leader lamented the recovery.

"It's moving at a snail's pace," said Dennis Scott, the vice president of the Lakewood East Homeowners Association in eastern New Orleans.

"We have a temporary trailer as a library. We still have a police facility that is a temporary building, and a fire station that is still in a trailer. And there's definitely no hospital."

MWH said in a statement it had helped the city complete several challenging projects including a performing arts center. It also said about 600 projects are underway.

"We take our work and the work of our subcontractors very seriously," the company said.

It added that its fees, which are paid on top of rebuilding costs, would "not reduce money available to the city to build projects."

The inspector general's report did not specify an overbilling amount. But it noted that under the contract, MWH could reap 8 percent of the total design and construction costs. Because the city and MWH projected costs as high as $600 million, the contract allowed MWH to bill as much as $48 million.

But the inspector general said those numbers were "unrealistically high" because by late 2007 city officials were only expecting to receive about $315 million in rebuilding funds, from sources that included FEMA and bond sales. Eight percent of $315 million would be about $25 million, or about $11 million less than what MWH has billed the city.

Quatrevaux also said MWH has sought reimbursement for a number of questionable expenses, including $93,289 for telecommunications services; gifts for city employees such as flowers, theater tickers and Christmas presents; a flight from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas "with no apparent connection to New Orleans"; rental of a corporate apartment and MWH business cards and membership in professional organizations.

MWH said some expenses had been incorrectly billed and the city was not charged for other expenses, according to the report. The company reimbursed the city $3,646 for gift and meal expenses, the report said.

Quatrevaux's report also criticized the city's process of selecting MWH, saying it didn't give other firms a fair shot and gave the company excessively favorable contract terms.

City officials did not return messages seeking comment. Nagin, who is term-limited, leaves office in May.

Gary Clark, a professor of politics at Dillard University in New Orleans, said the MWH contract was new evidence of profiteering in the wake of Katrina.

"There is a whole area called disaster capitalism: There are entire groups that accrue wealth through natural disasters. It's taking place in Haiti, it's taking place in Chile, and it took place here," he said.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

While the two nuclear-armed neighbors have taken slow steps toward restarting peace talks, they also have a history of using weapons tests as a form of diplomatic saber-rattling.

The tests occurred in the Arabian Sea and employed various aircraft, submarines and ships. It was not immediately clear if the missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Both countries regularly test their missile systems, and usually notify each other ahead of such launches in keeping with a diplomatic agreement.

But Friday's launches were followed by a navy statement saying: "These successful tests are a clear message to forces having nefarious designs."

Such statements have been rare in recent years, as the two nations have struggled to keep their peace process limping along. Late last month, India and Pakistan held their first official talks since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, which India blamed on the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

It was not clear whether the statement was an intentional attempt to stir the diplomatic waters, but similar wording has been used in the past to send warnings to New Delhi.

Other Pakistani officials refused to expand on the navy statement.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain in 1947.

The two sides began talks aimed at resolving their differences over the Himalayan region of Kashmir and other disputes in 2004. India put the peace process on hold soon after the Mumbai attacks.

Indian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Another stunning day unveiled itself in the French Alps for the second full day of competition at the first European XGAMES.

Last month, Breckenridge resident Eric Willett took home a silver medal from Snowboard Slopestyle at Winter X Games 14 in Aspen. Today in the men's final in Tignes, France, Willett upgraded and will bring gold back to his hometown in Colorado.

"I wasn't really landing my tricks in practice, but somehow it all clicked and came together for me in the final," Willett said about his win. After his second run put him in the lead, he said, "I had no idea what I was going to do, and I'm so stoked right now. The course is perfect and the riding level is insane."

Willett threw down a solid second run that put him in the lead for the gold medal with his mixed tricks of backside 720, frontside double cork 1080 and switch backside 900. USA's Sage Kotsenburg followed close behind to win silver. Marko Grilc of Slovakia took the bronze.

"Winter X Games Europe has lived up to my expectations," said Grilc. "It is so great to see the biggest event in action sports come to Europe."

There were four previous Winter X Games medalists in the final field: Travis Rice, Iouri Podladtchikov, Eric Willet and Chas Guldemond with seven medals among them. Podladtchikov and Christian Haller of Switzerland competed at the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

To cap off the days festivities, world renowned techno DJ David Guetta brought out over 20,000 fans in the 0' night air for a outdoor rave concert. Something the quaint little town of Tignes will not soon forget.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

The settlement was announced Thursday evening by the WTC Captive Insurance Co., a special entity established to indemnify the city and its contractors against potential legal action as they moved to clean up the site after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The deal, which still must be approved by a judge and the workers themselves, would make the city and other companies represented by the insurer liable for a minimum of $575 million, with more money available to the sick if certain conditions are met.

Most if not all of the money would come out of a $1 billion grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the settlement "a fair and reasonable resolution to a complex set of circumstances."

"The resolution of the World Trade Center litigation will allow the first responders and workers to be compensated for injuries suffered following their work at Ground Zero," he said in a statement.

Marc Bern, a senior partner with the law firm Worby, Groner, Edelman & Napoli, Bern LLP, which negotiated the deal, said it was "a good settlement."

"We are gratified that these heroic men and women who performed their duties without consideration of the health implications will finally receive just compensation for their pain and suffering, lost wages, medical and other expenses, as the U.S. Congress intended when it appropriated this money," he said in a statement.

Workers who wish to participate in the settlement would need to prove they had been at the World Trade Center site or other facilities that handled debris. They also would have to turn over medical records and provide other information aimed at weeding out fraudulent or dubious claims.

For the settlement to be enforced, 95 percent of the workers would need to agree to be bound by its terms.

The agreement comes with just two months to go until the first trials are to begin in the case. Thousands of police officers, firefighters and construction workers who put in time at the 16-acre site in lower Manhattan had filed lawsuits against the city, claiming it sent them to ground zero without proper protective equipment.

Many of those workers now claim to have fallen ill. A majority complained of a respiratory problem similar to asthma, but the suits also sought damages for hundreds of other types of ailments, including cancer.

Carpenter James Nolan, of Yonkers, said he helped recover bodies and build ramps for firehoses at the site and then developed lung and leg problems, for which he takes six medications. He said the city knew the air was dirty so he sued six years ago and now he's happy the case is ending.

"We've had to fight for what we deserve," said Nolan, 45. "I'm glad it's coming to an end where I can feel a little comfortable if I pass away my wife and kids can get something."

Lawyers for the city claimed it did its best to get respiratory equipment to everyone who needed it. They also had challenged some of the claims as based on the thinnest of medical evidence, noting that thousands of the people suing suffered from conditions common in the general population or from no illness at all.

Under the settlement, the task of deciding what each worker will be paid will fall to a neutral third party, to be picked by the two sides. Lawyers for the plaintiffs have previously said they favor Kenneth Feinberg, the special master who determined payouts from the federal fund set up to compensate victims of the terror attacks.

Payments will be based on a system that ranks each illness by severity and factors in potential exposure to the dust.

Some workers are likely to receive payments of only a few thousand dollars. Others could be in line to get more than $1 million, depending on their injuries.

A special insurance fund will be set up to cover workers who develop cancer in the future.

Lawyer Andrew Carboy, who represented a group of firefighters in the case, said he would urge them to accept the deal.

"The proposed settlement demonstrates that the justice system can tackle such a factually complicated and emotionally charged situation," he said. "The settlement, most importantly, will treat each worker as an individual. And their settlement will be based on the merits of their case."

Both sides were scheduled to appear Friday afternoon before the federal judge handling the litigation, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who previously had said he favored a settlement but planned to analyze it carefully to make sure it was fair.

The settlement would mean a postponement or cancellation of the trials tentatively scheduled to begin in May. Some of the cases scheduled to be heard first included that of a firefighter who died of throat cancer and another who needed a lung transplant, as well as workers with less serious ailments, including a Consolidated Edison utility company employee with limited exposure to the debris pile and no current serious illness.

The $1 billion fund created by Congress to help insure the city has been depleted somewhat by the long legal battle in the case, with the bill so far running to more than $200 million.

The Worby, Groner, Edelman & Napoli, Bern law partnership, which represents 9,000 of the plaintiffs, is expected to take as much as a third or more of the total settlement in legal fees, based on contingency agreements it signed with each client.

___

Associated Press writer Tom McElroy contributed to this report.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

@jendotu says, "All I wanna do is go home, poop and pack for #sxsw."

Get it all out, @jendotu.

Unlike a lot of people, I'm not against this type of Tweet. I'm against this type of Tweet: "umm hello. Justin beiber. You are quite adorable. Just wanted you to know that. First love at 13? cant get any cuter then that" I hate it for the same reason you do - then vs than.

Let's search CUTER and THEN together, together.

@Alohawazza "Somedays my weiner is cuter then usual." That actually would work if she meant to have a comma after "cuter." I would Tweet that, if I weren't writing this. Life is about priorities. I would also make the obvious allusion to the Weiner thing. And then I'd think twice about that. I'm thinking twice right now. Back to packing. Or writing about packing.

I'm an over-the-shoulder guy. Rollers are for stewardesses and pilots. That's not a Tweet. Could be, but I don't like to assume that any thought I have under 140 characters is automatically a Tweet. That's egotistical.

@pennykim Tweets, "OH (overheard): 'Hold on, I'm talking to my dogs on speakerphone.' #sxsw"

This is the problem. It's not that @pennykim is abusing the hashtag principle. She is, in fact, at SXSW, I'm sure. But what she overheard doesn't help me know what to expect while I'm out there. It's an insanely amusing little story, one that I want to remember. (yes, I favorited it). But this "river of popular culture," - I'm positive somebody has referred to Twitter as a river at some time, but two pages into Google results and I can't find the attribution, and two pages is my limit - is no place for a raft of one.

What I want is what everyone wants - a guide. No, an opinion. Not of tacos, but an opinion of what to do at SXSW that matches my opinion of what to do at SXSW if I was informed enough to have one. And tacos. And I'd be happy to give attribution, too. There's plenty of what not to do. There's a panel tomorrow called "How Not To Be A Douchebag At SXSW." I don't know how you can look yourself in the face if you're either on the panel or in the audience for that one. But what about a thoughtful and considered opinion about which panels and which events and which sideshow attractions? Where are the people just like me, trying to make the same decisions I'm making? Everything is worth seeing, I'm sure. But puppies have to be slain. Who will slay the puppies? Not @Alohawazza. Not @pennykim. I'm over at a Ning group right now, called "SXSW Insider's Guide." Sounds promising. But it's mostly a lot of people with questions. There are no answers. At least, not yet. I think that's the point of it all. If I'm dipping my cup into the river - it was The New Yorker!!! George Packer and an article called "Stop The World." What a relief. - If I'm dipping my cup into the river right at this very instant, it's just a girl listening to her dogs on speakerphone.

Time to go pack, for real. Sleep well, tomorrow the dogs go hungry.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

While agreeing with Maddow that Rep. Bart Stupak is wrong, there is no language in either health care reform bill that would allow federally funded abortions, Pelosi told Maddow that she believes the Michigan Democrat wants health care reform and that he wold vote for the final legislation. "Bart Stupak wants health care reform. This is something he understands. He's on the committee of jurisdiction for it. I don't think that he's part... that he himself would be one to say that 'I'm taking down health care reform because of it.' But I think others who are part of that, who have stronger connections to the Republican party do want to bring down the bill."

Pelosi told Maddow "I cannot let the good intentions of some be hijacked by those who do not want health care reform."

Watch: Pelosi on the plan for health care reform, Bart Stupak

Watch: Pelosi talks about Eric Massa's resignation

Watch: Pelosi talks about Republican obstructionism in the Senate

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

TOP 12

(in order of announcing on the show)

1. Didi Benami
2. Siobhan Magnus
3. Paige Miles
4. Casey James
5. Tim Urban
6. Lee Dewyze
7. Crystal Bowersox
8. Michael Lynche
9. Lacey Brown
10. Aaron Kelly
11. Andrew Garcia
12. Katie Stevens

I had a pretty good night prediction-wise: I predicted the bottom four of the women perfectly,but thought Katie Stevens would go home instead of Lilly Scott. I only predicted three of the four men in the bottom four (I thought Aaron would be in it, rather than Lee) and again only nailed one of the men going home, since I thought Andrew would go home instead of Alex.

The night began with another godawful lip-sync, this time of a Michael Buble song. Then we were told "breaking news" -- the theme of the Top 12 performance night will be the music of the Rolling Stones. (I immediately started wondering what song would be good for Crystal.) Even better, they're going to make the playlists of songs that the contestants choose from available on iTunes. This gives the fans a lot more to think about. iTunes lists 50 songs that the Top 12 can choose from. Assuming these are the only songs they get to select from, we have a much better insight into the options they're given and how smart they are in their choice.

Then the Top 12 was slowly announced. Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly faced off, with a resigned Katelyn going home and Paige heaving a huge sigh of relief (as I predicted). Todrick Hall and Lee Dewyze faced off, with Todrick still sporting the fingerless gloves that probably spelled his doom. (Todrick also gave a strong goodbye performance; he just needs a stylist.) Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia faced off and Alex was devastated by being sent home. He was genuinely heartbroken, frustrated that he didn't have the confidence to show his talent to the fullest. That was followed by a dueling pianos rendition of Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It" (one of my favorite songs of his) by last season's Scott McIntyre and Matt Giraud. After it was over, I wondered which one would be going home. (My pick would have been Scott.) Finally Katie and Lilly faced off and Lilly was sent home, to the astonishment of everyone.

So now we know the Top 12 and the playlist of 50 Rolling Stones songs they get to choose from. Here's your chance to help your favorites on the show. Which song would you recommend they sing (and how, if you think they need to give it a new arrangement).

ROLLING STONE PLAYLIST

Angie
As Tears Go By
Beast of Burden
Black Limousine
Brown Sugar
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Country Honk
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
Emotional Rescue
Fool to Cry
Get Off My Cloud
Gimme Shelter
Happy
Hang Fire
Heart of Stone
Honky Tonk Women
Hot Stuff
It's All Over Now
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Lady Jane
The Last Time
Let It Bleed
Live With Me
Love In Vain
Midnight Rambler
Miss You
Mother's Little Helper
19th Nervous Breakdown
No Expectations
Paint It, Black
Play With Fire
Ruby Tuesday
Salt of the Earth
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Shattered
She Was Hot
She's a Rainbow
She's So Cold
Shine a Light
Start Me Up
Street Fighting Man
Sympathy for the Devil
Time Is On My Side
Too Tough
Tumbling Dice
Under My Thumb
Waiting On a Friend
Wild Horses
You Can't Always Get What You Want

Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox. Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

The league's first collective bargaining agreement, a five-year deal, originally was set to run out Jan. 31 but was extended twice while negotiations continued. It expired Feb. 25 after the MLS Players Union refused another extension.

"Recent comments from players simply reflect the fact that the players are unified and, per the results of our strike vote, will not begin the new season if a new agreement with the league is not reached," union executive director Bob Foose said in a statement Thursday.

The union did not detail the strike authorization vote.

Negotiators for management and players met Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, D.C., in talks convened by George H. Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Earlier Thursday, Toronto defender Nick Garcia was quoted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. as saying: "We're anticipating not having the season starting. ... As of now, for us, we're very far apart, even with the mediator there in D.C."

Unhappy with the single-entity structure that has seen the league negotiate all contracts since play began in 1996, players want greater free-agent rights and a higher percentage of guaranteed deals.

Player income averaged $147,945 at the start of last season, according to the union. But the median – the point at which an equal amount make above and below – was $88,000 for 323 players listed.

"We have an understanding with the union and the mediator that we will not publicly discuss what takes place during these bargaining sessions, so we were disappointed when we saw comment from a number of players that both characterized the status of the negotiations and discussed the possibility of a strike," MLS president Mark Abbott said before Foose's announcement.

"The meetings this week were productive and we scheduled a number of additional meetings," Abbott said. "The players' comments do not accurately reflect the proposals that we've made to address their concerns or the productive nature of the discussions we've had between MLS and the union."

MLS declined comment after Foote's statement, league spokesman Dan Courtemanche said.

"This is not a change in position by the union and should not be read to reflect in any way upon what has, or has not, occurred this week in the meetings with the mediator and the league," Foote said.

The threat of a strike comes as the Philadelphia Union, the league's 16th team, is set to start play at Seattle in the league opener. While Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., is to open with an exhibition between New York and Brazil's Santos on March 20, a strike would postpone the first league match at the $200 million soccer-specific stadium, against Chicago on March 27.

Abbott said MLS ticket sales have not been hurt by the lack of an agreement.

"The league continues to function business as usual," he said.

Galaxy captain Landon Donovan, whose loan to Everton is scheduled to end after Saturday's game at Birmingham, may be able to extend his stay in the English Premier League if there's a strike.

"There's not a strike, so there's nothing to address at the moment. Landon is going to be returning after this game this weekend," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "We're proceeding ahead like we do a couple of weeks before any season."

Galaxy midfielder David Beckham already is on loan to AC Milan through the end of the Serie A season in May.

It is not clear whether players signed to contracts with MLS would have the ability during a strike to sign with clubs in other countries without MLS approval. MLS players under consideration for the U.S. World Cup roster could be sent to foreign clubs for training.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

But you aren't there, are you? Me, neither.

So I invite you to a much open accessible event, open on Twitter right now -- #FakeSXSW. It's the third year in a row I've attended. And it's fakeAwesome!

In the world of #fakeSXSW you're invited to tweet about it just like you were actually there -- because you are, because it's fake! You can host a panel, attend parties, throw up on Willie Nelson's bodyguard -- all the things you might hope to do at the 'real' SXSW if you weren't just wandering around with your ears ringing. And best of all, you won't be accosted on 6th Street by some hippie with a southern drawl trying to sell you Kind Bud.

So, what are y'all waiting for? Grab some virtual brisket and a six pack of cyber Shiner Bock and join in the #fakeSXSW festivities, where the only hash you need to bring has a tag.Here's a few of my tweets so far...

My cab driver doesn't have GPS - he has a map of Austin tattooed on his arm! And it's interactive! #fakeSXSW

Looking for a friend at the #FakeGoogle open bar. At the door, they gave me swag AND violated my privacy! Nice! #fakeSXSW

#FakeGoogle chairmain Eric Schmidt chose an interesting venue for the party - a place called Foxxies Firehouse. Huh. #FakeSXSW

At #FakeSXSW about to host a panel on "How To Host A Panel" based on last year's "Host A Panel Next Year"

About to head out to the Mashable Masher party being held at an adult bookstore right under the I-35 #fakeSXSW

Looking forward to the panel @AplusK is giving tomorrow "How To Attract Twitter Followers". Wonder what his secret is? #fakeSXSW

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

OBAMA'S REVENGE: A POLITICAL PARODY

There were saddened hearts in D.C. for a week or even more;
There were muttered oaths and curses--every Liberal in town was sore.
"Just think," said Rachel Maddow, "how soft it looked with Obama at the bat,
And then to think he'd go and spring a Chi-town trick like that!"

All his past fame was forgotten--Beck dubbed him a hopeless "shine."*
Fox called him "Strike-Out Obama," from O'Reilly down the line;
And as he came to bat each day his bosom heaved a sigh,
While a look of hopeless fury shone in mighty Obama's eye.

He pondered in the days gone by that he had been their king,
That when he strolled up to the plate he made the blue states ring;
But now his nerve had vanished, for when he heard Republicans hoot
He "fanned" or "popped out" daily, like some state legislative recruit.

He soon began to sulk and loaf, his political eye went lame;
No home runs in either house were chalked against his name;
The fans without exception gave Howard Dean no peace,
Even Olbermann kept clamoring for Obama's quick release.

The Liberal squad began to slump, the team was in the air;
Their playing went from bad to worse--with not a vote to spare.
"Back to the woods with Obama!" was the cry from the Chris Matthews show.
"Get someone with left field power, and let that moderate go!"

The lane is long, Hartman has said, that never turns again,
And Fate, though fickle, often gives another chance to men;
And Obama smiled; his rugged face no longer wore a frown--
The pitcher, Screwball Sarah, was coming back to town.

All Congress had assembled--ten thousand fans had come
To see the crazy twirler who had put Obama on the bum;
And when he stepped into the box, the multitude went wild;
Palin doffed her cap in proud disdain, but Obama only smiled.

"Play ball!" Alito's voice rang out, and then the game began.
But in that throng of thousands there was not a single fan
Who thought that the Liberals had a chance, and with the setting sun
Their hopes sank low--Limbaugh & Co. were leading "four to one."

The last half of the ninth came round, with health-care reform on the floor;
But when Joltin' Joe Biden hit safe, the crowd began to roar;
The din increased, the echo of ten thousand shouts was heard
When Palin hit Pelosi and gave "four balls" to Rahm the Nerd.

Three runners--nobody out--three runs to tie the game!
A triple meant the highest niche in the Liberals' hall of fame;
But here the rally ended and the gloom was deep as night,
When Barney "fouled to catcher" and Reid "flew out to right."

A dismal groan in chorus came; a scowl was on each face
When Obama walked up, bat in hand, and slowly took his place;
His bloodshot eyes in fury gleamed, his teeth were clenched in hate;
He gave his White Sox cap a vicious hook and pounded on the plate.

But fame is fleeting, as the wind and glory fades away;
There were no wild and woolly cheers, no glad acclaim this day;
Anne Coulter hissed and groaned and clamored: "Strike him out!"
But Obama gave no outward sign that he had heard her shout.

Palin snarled and cut one loose--across the plate it sped;
Another hiss, another groan. "Strike one!" Alito said.
Zip! Like a shot the second curve broke just below the knee.
"Strike two!" Alito roared aloud; but Obama made no plea.

No roasting for Alito now-- his was an easy lot;
But here Screwball Sarah whirled again--was that a Wasilla rifle shot?
A whack, a crack, and out through the space the leather pellet flew,
A blot against the distant sky, a speck against the blue.

Above the fence in deep left field in rapid whirling flight
The sphere sailed on--the blot grew dim and then was lost to sight.
Ten thousand hats were thrown in air, Roger Ailes threw a fit,
But no one ever found the ball that mighty Barack Obama hit.

O, somewhere in this favored land dark clouds may hide the sun,
And somewhere bands no longer play and children have no fun!
And somewhere over blighted lives there hangs a heavy pall,
But Liberal hearts are happy now, for Obama hit the ball.

------------
*Yes, sports fans, that's precisely how it appears in the original.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Living in these United States, there comes a point at which you throw your hands up in exasperation and despair and ask a fundamental question or two: how much excess profit does corporate America really need? How much bigger do executive salaries and bonuses have to be, how many houses or jets or artworks can be crammed into a life?

After all, as billionaire movie director Steven Spielberg is reported to have said, when all is said and done, "How much better can lunch get?"

But since greed is not self-governing, hardly anyone raking in the dough ever stops to say, "That's it. Enough's enough! How do we prevent it from sweeping up everything in its path, including us?"

Look at the health care industry saying to hell with consumers and then hiking premiums -- by as much as 39% in the case of Anthem Blue Cross in California. According to congressional investigators, over a two-year period Anthem's parent company WellPoint spent more than $27 million dollars for executive retreats at luxury resorts. And in 2008, WellPoint paid 39 of its executives more than a million dollars each. Profit before patients.

This week, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the health insurance industry's lobby, announced they'd be spending more than a million dollars on new television ads justifying their costs.

Speaking at their annual policy meeting in Washington -- and without a trace of irony -- AHIP's president and CEO Karen Ignagni declared, "The current debate about rising premiums has demonstrated that, in fact, we have a health care cost crisis in this country. Unfortunately, the path that has been followed is one of vilification rather than problem solving."

Beg pardon? You're lamenting a health care cost crisis and raising your premiums? Isn't that like the guy complaining there's an obesity epidemic in America while ordering a double Big Mac with extra fries?

Of course, a million is a mere bagatelle in the shadow of the $544 million that was spent on lobbying by the health sector last year, plus more than $200 million in advocacy ads. And a million's just the curtain raiser to what will be spent in these final weeks of health care reform debate.

Two weeks ago, The Washington Post reported, "Washington interest groups have burst back into action in hopes of bolstering or defeating a new Democratic push on health-care reform legislation, sparking another wave of rallies, lobbying efforts and costly advertising campaigns.'

This in spite of the projection that over ten years the Obama plan would plop an additional $336 billion into the insurance companies' pockets -- in the form of subsidies given to those who can't afford to buy health insurance on their own.

Okay, this is getting weird: We're going to help the poor by enriching their exploiters?

But apparently even that won't satisfy big business' voracious appetite for more. On Tuesday, Employers for a Healthy Economy, a coalition of 248 business groups, led by the U.S Chamber of Commerce, and including construction and manufacturing interests, as well as health insurance companies, said that over ten days they will spend up to $10 million on ads aimed at putting the screws on members of Congress to vote against health care reform.

Goodness knows, it isn't just because their profit margins may dwindle. No, according to Neil Trautwein, vice president of the National Retail Federation, one of the trade associations involved, "These bills are job killers. Retail simply cannot afford any higher benefit costs or burdensome mandates." (Never mind that extrapolating from baseline forecasts made by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Projections Program, the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, projects that health care reform possibly could create an average of as many as 400,000 new jobs a year.)

But beyond the health care fight, and perhaps far more significant in the long run, this effort is just one more example of life, Pandora-style. The Company has arrived, only it's called the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and it's got its sights on anything that moves, damn the natives, full speed ahead.

During 2008, 86% of contributions from the chamber's political action committee went to GOP candidates. The conservatives have found their Avatar, AKA Frankenstein.

Of course there is not actually a Chamber of Commerce, at least the way we might imagine it. This is no confederation of congenial, small town business groups that pass out maps of Main Street and souvenir key rings. The chamber in question is a front group. Yes, yes, it reports a membership of three million businesses, but tax records indicate that in 2008 a third of its contributions came from 19 companies paying between $1 million and $15.3 million. Don't hold your breath: the chamber is not required to reveal who those 19 are.

The March 8 edition of the Los Angeles Times reports that "internal documents suggest the organization's treasury is filled in substantial part by contributions from a couple dozen major corporations most affected by Washington policymakers."

Got it? Predators who prey together stick together.

With all that cash, the Times notes, "The chamber spent more than $144 million on lobbying and grass-roots organizing last year, a 60% increase over 2008, and well beyond the spending of individual labor unions or the Democratic or Republican national committees. The chamber is expected to substantially exceed that spending level in 2010."

This elite organization of oligarchs has been emboldened by the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, which now allows corporations to spend freely on political campaigns right up until Election Day, and by the chamber's recent success contributing a million dollars for ads supporting Republican Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts.

What's more, writes the Los Angeles Times, "Using trade associations such as the chamber as the vehicle for spending corporate money on politics has an extra appeal: These groups can take large contributions from companies and wealthy individuals in ways that will probably avoid public disclosure requirements."

So with the spring comes anonymous greed run rampant. "In the past a lot of companies and wealthy individuals stood on the sidelines" of politics, a corporate lawyer at Washington's influential law firm Covington & Burling told the Times.

"That cloud has been lifted," he said.

As the sun sets on democracy.

No wonder demonstrators outside that health insurance meeting in Washington this week surrounded the hotel with yellow crime scene tape. The entire country is being mugged.

#########

Bill Moyers is managing editor and Michael Winship is senior writer of the weekly public affairs program Bill Moyers Journal, which airs Friday night on PBS. Check local airtimes or comment at The Moyers Blog at www.pbs.org/moyers.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Emphasis added. This is a bombshell. Obama needs to fire Geithner or be assumed culpable himself.

Indeed, it was such common knowledge in the Lehman flailing about period that Lehman’s accounts were sus that Hank Paulson’s recent book mentions repeatedly that Lehman’s valuations were phony as if it were no big deal.

Well. it is folks, as a newly-released examiner’s report [pdf] by Anton Valukas in connection with the Lehman bankruptcy makes clear. The unraveling isn’t merely implicating Fuld and his recent succession of CFOs, or its accounting firm, Arthur Young, as might be expected. It also emerges that the NY Fed, and thus Timothy Geithner, were at a minimum massively derelict in the performance of their duties, and may well be culpable in aiding and abetting Lehman in accounting fraud and Sarbox violations.

This article originally posted at: Politics in the Zeros

Vodaphone HTC smartphones have been shipped with malware. The report comes after Panda Security found the code inside the Android-based smartphone. The virus on the phone spread to PCs the phone
was connected to and may have aided in some cases of identity theft.

Barnes & Noble is developing an eReader application for the iPad. The app, which will mimic Barnes & Noble's Nook tablet, is expected to be available for the near the launch. The free application "designed specifically" for the iPad may help make the iPad a more attractive option than the Kindle. Or maybe not.

Apple is readying the 4th incarnation of its iPhone operating system. The new system may feature multi-tasking, an option that many iPhone users have been waiting patiently for. The iPhone 4.0 OS will reportedly allow users to run more than one app at the same time, giving them more control over their iPhone than ever before.

Today's Video -- The Barnes & Noble Nook

If you are having trouble viewing our video player, view on YouTube.

Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV. Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net For information about Get Digital Classes, visit www.shellypalmer.com/seminars

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

We’ve now been at war with, or in, Iraq for almost 20 years, and intermittently at war in Afghanistan for 30 years.  Think of it as nearly half a century of experience, all bad.  And what is it that Washington seems to have concluded?  In Afghanistan, where one disaster after another has occurred, that we Americans can finally do more of the same, somewhat differently calibrated, and so much better.  In Iraq, where we had, it seemed, decided that enough was enough and we should simply depart, the calls from a familiar crew for us to stay are growing louder by the week.    

The Iraqis, so the argument goes, need us.  After all, who would leave them alone, trusting them not to do what they’ve done best in recent years: cut one another’s throats?    

Modesty in Washington?  Humility?  The ability to draw new lessons from long-term experience?  None of the above is evidently appropriate for "the indispensable nation," as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once called the United States, and to whose leaders she attributed the ability to "see further into the future."  None of the above is part of the American arsenal, not when Washington’s weapon of choice, repeatedly consigned to the scrapheap of history and repeatedly rescued, remains a deep conviction that nothing is going to go anything but truly, deeply, madly badly without us, even if, as in Iraq, things have for years gone truly, deeply, madly badly with us.

An expanding crew of Washington-based opiners are now calling for the Obama administration to alter its plans, negotiated in the last months of the Bush administration, for the departure of all American troops from Iraq by the end of 2011.  They seem to have taken Albright’s belief in American foresight -- even prophesy -- to heart and so are basing their arguments on their ability to divine the future.

The problem, it seems, is that, whatever may be happening in the present, Iraq’s future prospects are terrifying, making leaving, if not inconceivable, then as massively irresponsible (as former Washington Post correspondent and bestselling author Tom Ricks wrote recently in a New York Times op-ed) as invading in the first place.  Without the U.S. military on hand, we’re told, the Iraqis will almost certainly deep-six democracy, while devolving into major civil violence and ethnic bloodletting, possibly of the sort that convulsed their country in 2005-2006 when, by the way, the U.S. military was present in force. ...

In Iraq, only one thing is really known: after our invasion and with U.S. and allied troops occupying the country in significant numbers, the Iraqis did descend into the charnel house of history, into a monumental bloodbath.  It happened in our presence, on our watch, and in significant part thanks to us.

But why should the historical record -- the only thing we can, in part, rely on -- be taken into account when our pundits and strategists have such privileged access to an otherwise unknown future?  In the year to come, based on what we’re seeing now, such arguments may intensify.  Terrible prophesies about Iraq’s future without us may multiply.  And make no mistake, terrible things could indeed happen in Iraq.  They could happen while we are there.  They could happen with us gone.  But history delivers its surprises more regularly than we imagine -- even in Iraq.

In the meantime, it’s worth keeping in mind that not even Americans can occupy the future.  It belongs to no one.

• • • • •

At Daily Kos on this date in 2006:

Until recently, Claude Allen was the Assistant to the President of the United States for Domestic Policy. Allen is, or was, one of the darlings of the religious right led by the likes of James Dobson and his Focus on the Family. Allen was a big abstinence only crusader and led several assaults on AIDS service organizations as well. This paragon of moral values was recruited by Karl Rove. A couple of days ago, Claude Allen was arrested in connection with a massive shoplifter and refund operation.

This article originally posted at: Daily Kos

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

The nomination is pending completion of vetting by the Obama administration, one person said. The vice chairman gets a four-year term, subject to Senate approval, and a separate term on the Fed Board of Governors. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the selection hasn't yet been announced.

This article originally posted at: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

This article originally posted at: The Reaction

Glaad reports that sponsors have “refused to allow” American figure skater Johnny Weir to join the Stars on Ice Tour because they deemed him “not family friendly.” While Weir — a three-time national champion — has never “officially announced his sexual orientation, he has garnered a significant amount of LGBT fans” and is also known for his flashy costumes. Weir won an online poll that asked fans who they wanted to see in the tour, but Stars on Ice seems to have barred him because of his “perceived sexual orientation”.

And as is so often the case, bigoted homophobes wouldn't know family-friendly if it bit them on the ass:

To say that Weir is “not family friendly” would be a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation. Weir is extremely involved with his family. He is putting his younger brother through college, and supports the family financially because his father’s disability prohibits him from working. Weir’s dedication to his family can be clearly documented in the Sundance series, Be Good Johnny Weir, which follows him and his family and friends through his life and career as a championship skater.

This article originally posted at: Daily Kos