Tag Archives: over-the-course

Billionare George Soros profiting off controversial new TSA porno scanners

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Billionare George Soros profiting off controversial new TSA porno scanners

Be sure and read Tim Carney’s Examiner column today on the politically-connected lobby for the controversial new TSA scanners that are upsetting airline employees and travelers everywhere. Carney notes that a company called Rapiscan got a $165 million contract for the new body image scanners four days after the underwear-bomber incident this past Christmas. Not surprisingly, Rapiscan is politically connected, observes Carney: Rapiscan got the other naked-scanner contract from the TSA, worth $173 million. Rapiscan’s lobbyists include Susan Carr, a former senior legislative aide to Rep. David Price, D-N.C., chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee. When Defense Daily reported on Price’s appropriations bill last winter, the publication noted “Price likes the budget for its emphasis on filling gaps in aviation security, in particular the whole body imaging systems.” Then this morning Carney also noted that former Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff was flacking for Rapiscan. As for the company’s other political connections, it also appears that none other than George Soros, the billionaire owns 11,300 shares of OSI Systems Inc., the company that owns Rapiscan. Not surprisingly, OSI’s stock has appreciated considerably over the course of the year. Soros certainly is a savvy investor. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/george-soro… added by: Dagum

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The 5 Films Likeliest to Ignite a Toronto 2010 Bidding War

Posted on September 9, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Greetings from Toronto! Movieline’s Canadian HQ is up and running for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, that annual ritual of 300 films and just about as many brutally tough viewing decisions over the course of a week. (It helps that our fine, discriminating critics Stephanie Zacahrek and Michelle Orange are checking in soon as well.) But if festgoers have tough decisions, imagine being a distributor faced with dozens of buzzy titles and a checkbook to pick up only one or two. You’ve got to make it count — and here’s where they’re likeliest to fight to the death to do so.

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The 5 Films Likeliest to Ignite a Toronto 2010 Bidding War

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Lauryn Hill Lands On Billboard Charts For First Time In 10 Years

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Former Fugee hits #94 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with leaked song ‘Repercussions.’ By Jayson Rodriguez Lauryn Hill Photo: Getty Images Lauryn Hill snuck back onto the Billboard charts for the first time in 10 years this week as the former Fugees singer’s “Repercussions” landed at #94 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song leaked online last month and it’s unclear if it’s a future release or an unfinished track from previous efforts. “Now it’s a difficult process, a matter of perception/ When I look in the mirror, what is it that I see?/ Is it my reflection?” she sings during the first verse. The chorus continues, “See, repercussion, talking about the things we do/ You need to know repercussions/ Things can come right back to you/ Repercussions, what goes around comes back around.” The last time Hill was featured on the Billboard charts was back in 1999 when her “Turn Your Lights Down Low” notched the #49 position. In June, the reclusive singer granted a rare interview to NPR and said she was excited about performing again. She appeared at a New Zealand music festival in January of this year, and this weekend, Hill is slated to perform during the “Rock the Bells” concert in Los Angeles. “There were things about myself, personal-growth things, that I had to go through in order to feel like it was worth it,” Hill told NPR News. “In fact, as musicians and artists, it’s important we have an environment — and I guess when I say environment, I really mean the [music] industry that really nurtures these gifts. Oftentimes, the machine can overlook the need to take care of the people who produce the sounds that have a lot to do with the health and well-being of society, or at least some aspect of society. And it’s important that people be given the time that they need to go through, to grow, so that the consciousness level of the general public is properly affected. Oftentimes, I think people are forced to make decisions prematurely.” What do you think of Lauryn Hill’s new song? Let us know in the comments. Related Artists Lauryn Hill

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Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour Will Gross Nearly $200 Million

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Tour kicked off in November 2009 and will run at least through April 2011. By James Montgomery Lady Gaga Photo: Peter Wafzig/Getty Images There’s a reason Lady Gaga doesn’t ever seem to want to wrap up her globe-trotting Monster Ball Tour: It’s a moneymaking machine. Billboard is reporting that, by the time the curtain finally falls on the Ball — which kicked off in November 2009 and is scheduled to run until at least April 2011 — it will have grossed nearly $200 million worldwide. It’s a huge number, to be sure, and it’s more proof that Gaga has ascended to the upper echelon of touring acts. In 2009, U2’s 360 Tour was the year’s top-grossing jaunt, raking in more than $300 million, according to Billboard. Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour was at #2, with receipts of more than $220 million. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band landed at #3, grossing more than $156 million. In the nearly 10 months it’s been on the road, Gaga’s Monster Ball has made stops in North America, Europe, the U.K., Scandinavia, Asia and Australia. And a spokesperson for Live Nation Entertainment, which produced U2’s and Madonna’s tours — and also serves as the producer on the Monster Ball — told Billboard that Gaga’s tremendous touring success only serves as further proof that she’s arrived on the scene and has seized the public’s consciousness. “It’s an opportunity,” Live Nation global touring chairman Arthur Fogel said. “As an artist with that kind of talent and vision emerges, it creates a lot of excitement, and ticket sales worldwide demonstrate that people are really excited to see the show. “Over the course of the next many months, we’re trying to play to as many people in as many places as possible,” he added. “It’s an across-the-board home run.” Have you caught the Monster Ball yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments! Related Photos Lady Gaga Performs At Staples Center Lady Gaga’s Homecoming Show At Madison Square Garden Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Mud-Eating Miracle Fish Holds Together Ecosystem in Southwest Africa

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Photo via Wikipedia The coastal waters off southwest Africa is going through troubling times, becoming effectively a dead zone with fish populations collapsing, jellyfish populations booming, and oxygen levels dropping. But one tiny fish, the bearded goby, seems to be perfectly adapted to these otherwise dead-end conditions, and is helping hold together and entire ecosystem by acting as an integral link in the food chain. As anchovies and sardine populations are wiped o… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Should We Rename the BP Gulf Oil Spill?

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Photo via the US Coast Guard It’s a question that’s been raised repeatedly over the course of the 3-month ordeal in the Gulf of Mexico — what do we call it? Though most publications and journalists (this one included) have leaned towards variations on ” the BP spill ” or ” the Gulf spill ” many have been dissatisfied with this terminology from the start. This isn’t merely a “spill” after all, it’s the biggest environmental disaster in US history, with oil continuously pumped into the Gulf for months… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Police probe attempted murders at ‘T in the Park’

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The Independent reports on a incident which happened during the T in the Park festival which put two men in hospital with serious injuries and is now being investigated as a attempted murder by detectives. “Two 20-year-old men were found with serious abdominal injuries on a walkway between the main arena and the campsite at around 11.50pm last night. “I would urge anyone who witnessed these incidents take place, or anyone who may have photographs or footage of the incident, to get in touch with us.”-Independent The paper also reports on separate incidents at the festival which are appealing for witnesses like the assault of a women near the bus area on Saturday. “Last night, police had arrested 56 people over the course of the event, with the number of people detained 10% down on last year.”-Independent added by: Mcellie

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LeBronomics: Could High Taxes Influence James’ Team Decision?

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

While sports reporters have sought agents and teammates for the inside scoop on where NBA superstar free agent LeBron James will sign, there’s another person who may know The King’s next move: his accountant. In a  July 1 blog post , the New York Post warned that “dysfunctional lawmakers in Albany” could cost the state a chance to bring the coveted athlete to New York. “If  LeBron James  goes to the Miami Heat instead of the [New York] Knicks, blame our dysfunctional lawmakers in Albany, who have saddled top-earning New Yorkers with the highest state and city income taxes in the nation, soon to be 12.85 percent on top of the IRS bite,” the Post said. The tax savings for James in Miami over New York City would be staggering, according to the Post’s analysis. “On a five-year contract worth $96 million — what he’d get from the Knicks or the Heat — LeBron would pay $12.34 million in New York taxes.” Florida has no state income tax. New Jersey and Ohio, the other reported frontrunners to attract James, also have state income taxes, but they are not as his as in New York. Based on a $96 million contract, James would pay  $5.69 million in state taxes  if he re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. If he signed with the New Jersey Nets, James would pay $ 10.32 million in state taxes . The New York Post isn’t the only media outlet using “LeBronomics.” In her  July 8 EconWatch  post, CBSNews.com’s Jill Schlesinger dubbed yesterday’s market rally “The LeBron James rally.” Robert Schoenberger and Teresa Dixon Murray of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer estimated that downtown Cleveland businesses will lose $48 million  over the course of the NBA season without James. Like this article?   Sign up  for “The Balance Sheet,” BMI’s weekly e-mail newsletter.

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LeBronomics: Could High Taxes Influence James’ Team Decision?

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Computer simulations show oil reaching up the Atlantic coastline and toward Europe

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

“The possible spread of the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig over the course of one year was studied in a series of computer simulations by a team of researchers from the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The simulations suggest that the coastlines near the Carolinas, Georgia, and Northern Florida could see the effects of the oil spill as early as October 2010, while the main branch of the subtropical gyre is likely to transport the oil film towards Europe, although strongly diluted. Eight million buoyant particles were released continuously from April 20 to September 17, 2010, at the location of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The release occurred in ocean flow data from simulations conducted with the high-resolution Ocean General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator (OFES). “The paths of the particles were calculated in 8 typical OFES years over 360 days from the beginning of the spill,” says Fabian Schloesser, a PhD student from the Department of Oceanography in SOEST, who worked on these simulations with Axel Timmermann and Oliver Elison Timm from the International Pacific Research Center, also in SOEST. “From these 8 typical years, 5 were selected to create an animation for which the calculated extent of the spill best matches current observational estimates.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103408.htm added by: DeliaTheArtist

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‘Real World: Boston’ Alum Sean Duffy Running For Congress

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Duffy, who is a district attorney in Wisconsin, is backed by former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. By Josh Wigler Sean Duffy Photo: MTV News Former “Real World: Boston” castmember Sean Duffy is looking to move from reality-television star to congressman. Duffy, a conservative district attorney, is considered a strong contender to win the Republican primary in Wisconsin’s Seventh Congressional District, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. The position is currently held by outgoing democrat David Obey. Duffy was thought of as a long shot to win, since Obey has maintained the position since his election in 1969, but the incumbent congressman announced his decision not to seek re-election in early May. Duffy’s campaign website includes the politician’s stance on key issues like the economy, health care, education, national defense and agriculture. He has received endorsements from notable GOP figures including onetime vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. When Obey was still a candidate for Congress, Palin likened Duffy’s campaign as an example of the “many daring Davids [taking] on entrenched Goliaths” across the United States political landscape. “We’ve had 2,100 online contributions over the course of our campaign, which means we’ve had great support not just here in Wisconsin, but great national support,” Duffy said in a video message posted to his website June 21. The Times reports that Duffy has raised $600,000 during his campaign. Duffy has served as Ashland County’s district attorney since 2002. Outside of politics, he is best known as a veteran of MTV’s “The Real World: Boston.” His wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, is also a “Real World” alumnus; she appeared during the show’s San Francisco-set third season, and the two met during “Road Rules: All Stars” in 1998. Would you vote for a “Real World” castmember for Congress? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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‘Real World: Boston’ Alum Sean Duffy Running For Congress

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