... Finally Friday ... 5-16-2008

Slide 2: Wind ($23.37) v. Gas (25 Cents) May 12, 2008 Congress seems ready to spend billions on a new \"Manhattan Project\" for green energy, or at least the political class really, really likes talking about one. But maybe we should look at what our energy subsidy dollars are buying now. Some clarity comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), an independent federal agency that tried to quantify government spending on energy production in 2007. The agency reports that the total taxpayer bill was $16.6 billion in direct subsidies, tax breaks, loan guarantees and the like. That's double in real dollars from eight years earlier, as you'd expect given all the money Congress is throwing at \"renewables.\" Even more subsidies are set to pass this year. An even better way to tell the story is by how much taxpayer money is dispensed per unit of energy, so the costs are standardized. For electricity generation, the EIA concludes that solar energy is subsidized to the tune of $24.34 per megawatt hour, wind $23.37 and \"clean coal\" $29.81. By contrast, normal coal receives 44 cents, natural gas a mere quarter, hydroelectric about 67 cents and nuclear power $1.59. The wind and solar lobbies are currently moaning that they don't get their fair share of the subsidy pie. They also argue that subsidies per unit of energy are always higher at an early stage of development, before innovation makes large-scale production possible. But wind and solar have been on the subsidy take for years, and they still account for less than 1% of total net electricity generation. Would it make any difference if the federal subsidy for wind were $50 per megawatt hour, or even $100? Almost certainly not without a technological breakthrough. By contrast, nuclear power provides 20% of U.S. base electricity production, yet it is subsidized about 15 times less than wind. We prefer an energy policy that lets markets determine which energy source dominates. But if you believe in subsidies, then nuclear power gets a lot more power for the buck than other \"alternatives.\" The same study also looked at federal subsidies for non-electrical energy production, such as for fuel. It found that ethanol and biofuels receive $5.72 per British thermal unit of energy produced. That compares to $2.82 for solar and $1.35 for refined coal, but only three cents per BTU for natural gas and other petroleum liquids. All of this shows that there is a reason fossil fuels continue to dominate American energy production: They are extremely cost-effective. That's a reality to keep in mind the next time you hear a politician talk about creating millions of \"green jobs.\" Those jobs won't come cheap, and you'll be paying for them. The Wall Street Journal

Slide 3: Convicted felon spent $3.2 million in 3 months JEFFERSON COUNTY - Investigators are still shaking their heads over how 39-year old James Hartman spent $ 3.2 million on vehicles, cars and land in three months. Hartman did it by using a photocopy of someone else's driver's license and a matching Social Security number, according to police. In June of 2006, James Hartman bought five vehicles from Christopher's Dodge World. On June 5, he bought a pickup truck for $48,000. On June 10, he bought another pickup truck for $49,000. On June 14, Hartman bought two Dodge Durangos for $77,000. And on June 24, he bought a Dodge Viper for $94,000. In his May, June and July 2006 spending spree, Hartman signed agreements to buy five vehicles, two ATVs, a toyhauler, two houses and mountain property, all totalling $3.2 million. \"Did I go overboard in buying a few vehicles. Probably did,\" Hartman told 9Wants to Know from the Jefferson County Jail. \"But it wasn't identity theft. My brother approved of all of it. I didn't have the credit. He did. So we used his driver's license and Social Security number to make the purchases.\" James' brother, Ed says he didn't know about any of the purchases until he got a call from Jessicca McKeown of Xtreme Performance Center in Longmont. Hartman had tried to buy $20,000 worth of ATVs there and McKeown told him a \"copy\" of the driver's license wouldn't do. She wanted the original. When James didn't produce it, McKeown made the call from the real address and real name on the photo-copied driver's license and reported her suspicions to the Weld County Sheriff's Department. Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey says it's a bad idea for business people to accept a photocopy of a driver's license. \"If part of their credit application process is to verify identity through a driver's license and they have an out-of-state photocopy of a driver's license, that's probably not the wisest thing to do and they're not doing their due diligence,\" said Storey.

Slide 4: Lucian Freud Painting Sets Auction Record Associated Press May 13, 2008 11:30 p.m. NEW YORK -- A Christie's auction house spokeswoman says a painting by British artist Lucian Freud has broken a global record for living artists by fetching more than $33 million at a New York sale. Spokeswoman Sara Fox says an anonymous buyer won Tuesday's bidding for Mr. Freud's \"Benefits Supervisor Sleeping.\" The life-size 1995 portrait depicts a nude woman sleeping on a worn-out sofa. At more than $33.6 million, the price easily topped the $23.6 million record for living artists. It was set in November by Jeff Koons' \"Hanging Heart\" sculpture. The 85-year-old Freud is the grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Tuesday's sale also included \"Studies for Self Portrait,\" by British artist Francis Bacon. Ms. Fox says it sold for more than $28 million. The prices include the auction house's commission, known as the buyer's premium.

Slide 5: Commander tried to suppress film of naked shooting 12 May 08 11:56 CET Lars-Olof Corneliusson, the former commander of a Swedish amphibious military unit based near Stockholm, is accused of trying to cover up an incident in which new conscripts fired shoulder mounted artillery cannons while in the nude. The leader of the exercise, which took place in 2004 and involved soldiers from the Amf 1 amphibious unit based in Vaxholm outside of Stockholm, was told by Corneliusson to destroy a film of the shooting, according to the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper. When the film was shown by Svergies Television’s investigative news program Uppdrag Granskning in May of 2006, it generated a great deal of controversy. The film shows a group of conscripts from Amf 1 shooting a shoulder-fired mortar wearing only helmets, and generated concern about a lack of security within the unit. According to DN, Corneliusson had requested that the leader of the exercise destroy the film during a discussion between the two following the incident. He also failed to report the shooting as a workplace incident, according to the newspaper, which reviewed reports from the unit. Commander Christer Olofsson, who conducted the military’s own investigation into the naked artillery firing, was critical of the unit’s leadership for not reacting immediately following the incident. The Local Sweden's News in English

Slide 6: Police: 3 Suspects Used Corpse Skull to Make Bong 08 May 2008, 4:49 PM CDT . HOUSTON -- Police have charged three suspects accused of using the skull of a corpse buried in a Kingwood cemetery to make a bong. Kevin Wade Jones, 17, Matthew Richard Gonzalez, 17, and a 16-year-old boy were all charged with one count of desecrating a corpse. The suspects are accused of digging up the skull of an 11-year-old boy buried in a cemetery for African American war veterans and using it to smoke marijuana. The suspects allegedly used a shovel to lop off the skull and then cut off the jaw and used electrical tape to create the bong. Houston Police Department officials are not releasing the name of the deceased corpse because they are still trying to contact family members. But FOX 26 reports that the boy died Sept. 11, 1921. His skull has not been recovered.   FOX 26 News

Slide 7: Robber stashed cash up bum The Southland Times | Friday, 09 May 2008 The man who robbed the BNZ Cromwell branch bank on April 3 was found with the cash hidden up his anus, Judge Alistair Garland heard in the Alexandra District Court yesterday. Michael Geoffrey Linn, 36, unemployed, yesterday admitted robbing the bank of around $2000. Police prosecutor Sergeant Tom Scoullar said Linn had pressed the buzzer to gain entry to the bank and pulled a green hand-knitted balaclava over his face. After a staff member had filled a bag with what money she had, Linn had apologized, saying: \"I'm sorry miss, I didn't mean to frighten you but I'm very, very desperate.\" Linn drove to the lakefront, removed his clothes and set them alight using petrol and paper from his car, Mr Scoullar said. The fire was noticed by members of the public and firefighters were called. Construction workers nearby got there first and, using shovels, rescued the clothing and papers, some of which had Linn's name and address on them. When he was taken to the Queenstown police station, he said he had given the money to an associate. Police noticed some rustling sounds from Linn's bottom area and on closer inspection a roll of cash was found protruding from Linn's anus, the full amount of cash taken in the robbery. The money will be destroyed. Linn was remanded in custody until June 5 for sentence.

Slide 8: Powerball winner kept working after winning huge jackpot May 9, 2008 We now know a 73-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman are the holders of the $97 million Powerball ticket sold in Metairie in January. \"Fortunately I was in the right place at the right time,\" Carl Hunter said. The winning ticket was a quick pick he grabbed as an after thought. \"I stopped by to pick up a gallon of milk, and had some change. One dollar was used to buy this ticket.\" As for why it took so long to claim the prize, the lifelong contractor who lost two homes to Katrina, says he had some jobs he was doing and didn't want to retire until he finished the work. \"I had quite a few contracts that I needed to complete and it took a while to finish up the work,\" he told reporters. Hunter says now he is going to retire. After losing the houses during Katrina, the Hunters had moved to Metairie and bought the ticket at a store near their new home. It is a gas station on West Metairie Avenue and Elise. The Hunters chose to take the cash all at once. After taxes they get nearly $34 million. How will they spend it? \"We don't even know what we are going to do,\" Dianne Hunter said. Her husband added, \"I don't think about buying elaborate cars and elaborate homes and things like that. We'll just try to keep our lives as normal as we have in the past.\"

Slide 9: Ever wonder who America's sexiest newscaster is? Didn't think so, but the folks at FHM thought it was a very interesting question to ask. And what do you know, Elita Loresca from the Philippines took the crown! Earlier this year, FHM invited readers to vote online for America’s sexiest newscaster; when the polls closed, we had a clear winner. Since joining Miami’s Fox affiliate WSVN in 2004, Elita has done more than Ace Ventura to protect South Florida. And she has also done it with a better figure than Al Roker. “People in Miami embrace curves,” says the 29- year-old Philippines-born beauty. “Here, I can wear a cute sweater and still be professional.” Now the former obituary writer for The Orange  County Register—honest—rewards her fans with a sultry FHM debut. And there’s not a cloud in sight.

Slide 10: \"Snake man\" slithers out of prison cell May 12, 08 VIENNA (Reuters) - A man has escaped from his Austrian jail cell by squeezing through a food hatch in the door, police said on Wednesday. The 19-year old Kosovan, who weighed less than 121 pounds, was being held at the prison in Linz for entering the country illegally, police spokesman Alexander Niederwimmer told APA news agency. How he got through two further doors or possibly over the prison wall is being investigated, said Niederwimmer, calling the escapee \"a snake man.\"

Slide 11: Marijuana Can Raise Heart Attack, Stroke Risk Tuesday, May 13, 2008 9:28 AM Heavy marijuana use can boost blood levels of a particular protein, perhaps raising a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke, U.S. government researchers said on Tuesday. Dr. Jean Lud Cadet of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, said the findings point to another example of long-term harm from marijuana. But marijuana activists expressed doubt about the findings. Cadet said a lot of previous research has focused on the effects of marijuana on the brain. His team looked elsewhere in the body, measuring blood protein levels in 18 long-term, heavy marijuana users and 24 other people who did not use the drug. Levels of a protein called apolipoprotein C-III were found to be 30 percent higher in the marijuana users compared to the others. This protein is involved in the body's metabolism of triglycerides -- a type of fat found in the blood -- and higher levels cause increased levels of triglycerides, Cadet added. High levels of triglycerides can contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, raising the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. The study did not look at whether the heavy marijuana users actually had heart disease. The marijuana users in the study averaged smoking 78 to 350 marijuana cigarettes per week, based on self-reported drug history, the researchers said. \"I think the low end was 78 joints a week. That's 10 or 11 joints a day,\" Mirken said in a telephone interview. \"We're talking about people who are stoned all the time. We're talking about the marijuana equivalent of the guy in the alley clutching a bottle of cheap wine. If you do anything to that level of excess, it might well have some untoward effects, whether it's marijuana or wine or broccoli,\" Mirken added. Cadet's team said the findings suggest long-term harm from marijuana beyond issues such as impaired learning, poor memory retention and retrieval and perceptual abnormalities. But Mirken said: \"Even if you take this finding at face value, it's not at all clear that it has any relevance to the real world because there is still no data showing higher rates of mortality among marijuana smokers. If this was a significant cause of cardiovascular disease, where are the bodies?“ Reuters

Slide 12: School food laced with ecstasy 5/12 8:53 am Police in Russia are investigating after pupils stripped off their clothes, climbed walls or lay on the floor laughing after their school dinners were spiked with drugs. The teenaged students were given ecstasy in their soup and drinks at their school in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in eastern Russia. Doctors who were called in said the students showed signs of intoxication and prosecutors later found traces of ecstasy. The students ranged in age from 13 to 15-years-old. 13WHAM

Slide 13: Tue May 13, 12:21 PM ET An excerpt from an unrecorded letter from Albert Einstein, written in German a year before he died in which he wrote of his religious beliefs. In the letter, to be auctioned in London this week, Einstein described belief in God as \"childish superstition\" and said Jews were not the chosen people.

Slide 14: Wing Men On the eve of the world championship of remote-control flight, an American financier, a three-star general, a jet engineer and the Air Force’s most powerful civilian have come together in Thailand to build the perfect fighting plane—at 1:5 scale If a sodden rice paddy feels soft and forgiving underfoot, it is not a merciful place to set down an airplane at 200 mph. And that’s only one of Mike Selby’s reasons to look nervous as he watches his A-10 Warthog—a 10-foot-wide, 65-pound, hand-built model— begin its maiden takeoff roll down a rough asphalt runway near Bangkok, Thailand. Selby, who spent over $12,000 and the better part of a year fabricating and building this radio-controlled jet, stands runwayside with his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans, trying to look relaxed as he draws on a Cuban cigar.

Slide 15: Hospital Worker Admits Having Sex With Corpse May 13, 2008 HACKENSACK, N.J. -- A lab technician admits sexually abusing the corpse of a 92-year- old woman at a Teaneck hospital morgue. Anthony Merino faces up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to desecration of human remains. But under a plea deal, the 25-year-old could be placed on probation after nearly a year behind bars. Authorities said a security guard last year saw Merino engaging in sexual activity with the body in the Holy Name Hospital morgue. Merino has agreed to undergo a psychological evaluation and will be prohibited from working at a hospital morgue. Associated Press

Slide 16: Amazing pictures: The lightning storm that engulfed an erupting volcano 7th May 2008 Few sights in nature can compare to the sheer magnificence of a volcano erupting in full flow. But while scenes of molten lava are relatively commonplace, this otherworldly picture of Chaiten Volcano in southern Chile shows a truly spectacular, and devastating, volcanic phenomenon. As clouds of toxic ash and dust tower into the sky, they ionise the air, generating an explosive electrical storm. Colossal forks of lightning spark around the noxious plume as it spews from the volcano's crater, creating an image of raw, terrifying energy - as if the air itself were ablaze.

Slide 18: World's Most Expensive Homes Inside The World's First Billion-Dollar Home While visiting New York in 2005, Nita Ambani was in the spa at the Mandarin Oriental New York, overlooking Central Park. The contemporary Asian interiors struck her just so, and prompted her to inquire about the designer. Nita Ambani was no ordinary tourist. She is married to Mukesh Ambani, head of Mumbai, India-based petrochemical giant Reliance Industries, and the fifth richest man in the world. ( Lakshmi Mittal, ranked fourth, is an Indian citizen, but a resident of the U.K.) Forbes estimated Ambani's net worth at $43 billion in March. Reliance Industries was founded by Mukesh's father, Dhirubhai Ambani, in 1966, and is India's most valuable firm by market capitalization. The couple, who have three children, currently live in a 22-story Mumbai tower that the family has spent years remodeling to meet its needs. Like many families with the means to do so, the Ambanis wanted to build a custom home. They consulted with architecture firms Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates, the designers behind the Mandarin Oriental, based in Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively. Plans were then drawn up for what will be the world's largest and most expensive home: a 27-story skyscraper in downtown Mumbai with a cost nearing $2 billion, says Thomas Johnson, director of marketing at Hirsch Bedner Associates. The architects and designers are creating as they go, altering floor plans, design elements and concepts as the building is constructed. …………… Photo’s of home follow

Slide 19: The only remotely comparable high-rise property currently on the market is the $70 million triplex penthouse at the Pierre Hotel in New York, designed to resemble a French chateau, and climbing 525 feet in the air. When the Ambani residence is finished in January, completing a four-year process, it will be 550 feet high with 400,000 square feet of interior space. The home will cost more than a hotel or high-rise of similar size because of its custom measurements and fittings: A hotel or condominium has a common layout, replicated on every floor, and uses the same materials throughout the building (such as door handles, floors, lamps and window treatments). The Ambani home, called Antilla, differs in that no two floors are alike in either plans or materials used. At the request of Nita Ambani, say the designers, if a metal, wood or crystal is part of the ninth-floor design, it shouldn't be used on the eleventh floor, for example. The idea is to blend styles and architectural elements so spaces give the feel of consistency, but without repetition. Antilla's shape is based on Vaastu, an Indian tradition much like Feng Shui that is said to move energy beneficially through the building by strategically placing materials, rooms and objects. Atop six stories of parking lots, Antilla's living quarters begin at a lobby with nine elevators, as well as several storage rooms and lounges. Down dual stairways with silver-covered railings is a large ballroom with 80% of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers. It features a retractable showcase for pieces of art, a mount of LCD monitors and embedded speakers, as well as stages for entertainment. The hall opens to an indoor/outdoor bar, green rooms, powder rooms and allows access to a nearby \"entourage room\" for security guards and assistants to relax. Ambani plans to occasionally use the residence for corporate entertainment, and the family wants the look and feel of the home's interior to be distinctly Indian; 85% of the materials and labor will come from …………..outside the U.S., most from India. …………..the following slides show what the house will look like:

Slide 20: Exterior Antilla, the partially completed home of Mumbai-based petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries head Mukesh Ambani, will stand 27 stories high and is expected to cost $2 billion. Ambani, the fifth richest man in the world, his wife and three children currently live in a 22-story Mumbai tower the family has spent years remodeling and refashioning to meet its needs.

Slide 21: Lobby Nine elevators dot the lobby floor: Two are designated for parking areas, three for guest quarters, two for the Ambani family residences and two for service. The lobby opens to numerous lounges, reception areas and powder rooms. Dual stairways lead from the lobby floor down to the ballroom, which is designed in an open layout with a two-story roof.

Slide 22: Ballroom The most striking features of the Antilla ballroom are the crystal chandeliers that will take up approximately 80% of the ceiling. The silver stairways lead to a central landing, behind which two retractable doors can open to display works of art. There is also a stage for entertainment or speeches, with a projection screen behind it. A kitchen, about the same size as the ballroom itself, can service hundreds of guests.

Slide 23: Bathroom One of Antilla's key design themes is the mix of lavish features seen in worldwide homes and elements that are distinctly Indian. The Gingko-leaf sink designs are a good example. Native to India, the leaves in the sinks are shaped in such a way that their stems guide water into the bowl created by the basket of the leaf.

Slide 24: Traditional Lounge Ambani's home features countless lounges, offering Reliance Industries guests a quiet escape. Chandeliers and mirrors are a common feature of these rooms, as are finely woven Indian area rugs.

Slide 25: Entertainment Level It's very common in large homes to have a theater or screening room, but usually they're just large projection screens with a few nice seats. The Ambani's theater is more like those seen in George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch or Frank Pritt's Portabello Estate--a full-fledged theater, indistinguishable from a cinema. A wine room, snack bar and entertaining space, including couches and tables, fill out the room.

Slide 26: Health Level The indoor/outdoor health level features a lap pool and Jacuzzi that take in views of the city skyline, as well as lounge chairs shaded by trees. Yoga and dance studios, changing rooms for men and women, gyms and a solarium with a juice bar fill out the interior space. There are plans to include an ice room in the center space, where the Ambanis could sit on a hot Mumbai day to cool off in a man-made snow flurry. This is a detail from a floor plan rendering.

Slide 27: Garage The first six floors of the residence will be dedicated to parking for the Ambani family, guests and employees. Hanging vertical gardens dot the exterior. While they make for good decoration, their key function has to do with energy efficiency: The hydroponic plants, grown in liquid nutrient solutions instead of soil, lower the energy footprint of the home by absorbing heat and sunlight and providing shade that helps keep it cool.

Slide 28: Roof The top floor features a covered, outdoor entertaining space with panoramic views of the Mumbai skyline as well as the Arabian Sea. On those days when it's too hot, or cold, an interior space with floor- to-ceiling windows provides the same luxury.

Slide 29: M a n b a b ie s

Slide 40: Rachel Bilson Date of Birth: August 25, 1981, Los Angeles, California Occupation: Actress Height: 5' 1¾\"

Slide 61: Http://www.SideShare.net