Sunday, October 18, 2009

“Putin On The Hits - POLLSTAR” plus 4 more

“Putin On The Hits - POLLSTAR” plus 4 more

Putin On The Hits - POLLSTAR

Posted: 18 Oct 2009 06:15 AM PDT

"Uzbekistan Idol" perhaps? Or maybe "Tajikistan's Got Talent."

Europe has been holding such a competition for decades, called the Eurovision Song Contest. Known for campy and glitzy performers, the annual showcase for singers and musicians from across the continent typically attracts 100 million viewers or more from around the world on TV and the Internet.

After regional competition, the overall winners are chosen by a panel of judges and telephone or text voting by participating countries, similar to "American Idol," although fans cannot vote for their own nation's entry. The most famous winners of the contest include ABBA in 1974 and Celine Dion in 1988.

Russia won the competition in 2008 with heartthrob Dima Bilan's song, "Believe."

Moscow is still beaming after hosting Eurovision in May, watched by 125 million Europeans.

Some contestants tried to inject politics into the event, with the pop group Stephane and 3G from Georgia vowing to perform "We Don't Wanna Put In" — a thinly veiled jab at the Russian prime minister stemming from the war between Russia and Georgia in 2008. The group pulled out when organizers warned that politically charged songs would not be permitted.

Putin has tried to bring the world's top events to Russia to showcase it as a prosperous, modern nation. He personally campaigned successfully to bring the 2014 Olympics to the Black Sea resort of Sochi, and he met Thursday with Sepp Blatter, the head of soccer's governing body, to push Russia's bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

Putin first suggested creating a Eurasian version of the contest this week in China, dubbing it "Intervision," to take place among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – a regional economic and political pact designed in part to counter NATO.

The idea of a Eurasian contest fits with Putin's geopolitical strategy of casting Russia as a country whose political sway and cultural influence transcends the immense geographical span of its borders.

Eurovision's organizers sounded flattered by the proposal Friday, but also reminded the former KGB officer that he can't create a televised pan-regional songfest without buying the intellectual property rights from them.

"We own the rights to an international song contest. We would be happy to sell the format to Prime Minister Putin," said Bjoern Erichsen, a director with the European Broadcasting Union.

Sietse Bakker, an EBU spokesman, told The Associated Press: "In the world of television, if you come up with an idea of a TV show, you cannot just imitate the format and take it over in exactly the same way with minor changes."

Bakker said the EBU has not approached the Russian government directly yet. "I'm sure they will read the news," he said.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down the prime minister's role, saying the idea was "an initiative of the SCO nations."

"There's no talk about copying Eurovision and, as a consequence, anybody's copyright," Peskov added.

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Circle of employment: As Kodak cuts jobs, nearby Windsor businesses ... - Coloradoan

Posted: 18 Oct 2009 06:10 PM PDT

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While Hexcel is fully staffed now, once it expands production early next year, it will be looking to add 70 to 100 more employees.

The common denominator companies such as Hexcel and Vestas have in common is renewable energy. With railroad access that connects to the rest of the country, renewable energy manufacturing companies are drawn to the area.

Kevin Cory, director of people and culture for Vestas America's Blades Manufacturing Division, said roughly 10 percent of Vestas' Windsor plant's work force also comes from Kodak.

Currently, the plant employs more than 500 workers. Of the 50 or so who are former Kodak employees, Cory said a majority work in production, but they reach to every department in Vestas' 400,000-square-foot facility.

Currently, Vestas is waiting for construction to be completed on its factory before it hires more workers. Cory predicted the company will hire an additional 150 to 200 employees early next year, and could hire more ex-Kodak employees at that time.
While Cory spoke highly of the former Kodak employees, he noted despite their experience in manufacturing, there is still a learning curve with Vestas.

"Nobody has actually built what we build. It's not just plug-and-play," he said.
Kristie Martin, communications specialist with Owens-Illinois, said of its 210 employees, only one is from Kodak.

Kathy Dinkel, financial manager with Front Range Energy, said that they have not hired any of Kodak's laid-off workers.

Upon total build out, the Great Western Industrial Park is projecting it will create about 10,000 jobs with a total investment of $2 billion.

Larry Burkhardt of Upstate Colorado Economic Development said the phenomenon of companies closing while others open is nothing new, however, the industrial park has the capacity to sustain large industry regardless of the sector.

"The employment that park has brought to bear in the last five to six years… is extremely significant, not only direct employment but the indirect employment the business-to-business activity generated throughout the economy," said Burkhardt, who estimated if the park has provided more than 1,000 jobs, its impact reaches throughout Northern Colorado, not just Windsor or Weld County.

He noted the access to rail is a large draw for the production companies that manufacture products for the renewable energy sector.

While unable to go into specifics, Burkhardt said there is ongoing interest in the industrial park.

Rich Montgomery, vice president of the Great Western Development Co., said a key reason for the industrial park's growth is it is shovel ready, meaning the land is annexed, zoned and infrastructure is in place for prospective manufactures.

He also said the Great Western Railroad offers competitive pricing advantages for customers.

Montgomery acknowledged there is ongoing interest in the park, but would not specify what companies are eyeing the Northern Colorado location.

"Our primary goal at the park is economic development, bringing new industry, creating investment and new jobs in the community, and anytime that can offset a declining industry that is excellent benefit to the community," Montgomery said.

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Comments (pop-up) (47) - RealClimate

Posted: 18 Oct 2009 06:03 PM PDT

Alternatively, we can install motion-detectors that turn the lights out if there is no-one around. The cost of these detectors is much lower than cost of the electricity saved and no-one has to consciously worry about the issue any more. No-brainer, right?

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What a Pest - Foreign Policy

Posted: 18 Oct 2009 06:46 PM PDT

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Pretty Boy's death lives in pop culture - Tulsa World

Posted: 18 Oct 2009 07:29 PM PDT

Related Stories

Family plot

All sorts joined mayhem of Floyd's funeral

Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd dies again this week.

The first time it happened, on Oct. 22, 1934, a posse's bullets caught up with the outlaw in the scrabble of an Ohio cornfield.

In the ensuing 75 years, Pretty Boy's life and death have been depicted countless times in movies, detective magazines, novels, crime comics and re-enactments.

Most recently, his death was shown in the 2009 movie, "Public Enemies," where the bank robber (portrayed by Channing Tatum) is gunned down while racing through an orchard.

Next weekend, Pretty Boy's last hours will be relived in an open house in East Liverpool, Ohio. A former funeral home, The Sturgis House, is now a bed and breakfast where guests are reminded by photographs and memorabilia that they are standing in the very rooms where the outlaw was embalmed, photographed and put on public display.

Pretty Boy's enduring place in pop culture does not surprise Pretty Boy biographer Michael Wallis of Tulsa.

"He was without question the quintessential

social bandit," Wallis said.

Oklahoma folk legend Woody Guthrie boosted the outlaw's legacy in 1939 with his ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd and its reminder that "some will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen."

While historically corrupt, its protest against Wall Street and "monied men" has resonated into the 21st century and has been recorded by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez and others. In his memoirs, Dylan said Pretty Boy was more appealing because he was not a big-city mob boss.

Pretty Boy's name, long-suffering wife, doting son, big-city girlfriends, social-bandit persona, shootouts, and daring escapes — even jumping from a moving train to avoid prison — made him a logical Hollywood subject. Being killed by a posse led by No. 1 G-man Melvin Purvis made it a screenwriter's dream.

As a result, the son of a Sequoyah County sharecropper and bootlegger has been portrayed in more movies than any other Oklahoman, starting with "Guns Don't Argue" in 1957. Jon Ericson, Martin Sheen, Robert Conrad, Steve Kanaly and Fabian have been among those taking on the role.

Some cinema death scenes have been comical. In "Pretty Boy Floyd" in 1960, the outlaw fends off amorous moves of the widow who served him his last meal. In the 1974 made-for-TV release, his last words are, "Will you tell my mama, tell her I'm coming home. Tell 'em all, I'm sorry."

Oklahoma crime writer R.D. Morgan of Haskell, author of "Taming the Sooner State," said Pretty Boy's dramatic last minutes, rather than facing an execution or a life sentence in prison, added to his appeal.

"He's like a movie star who dies young. When they live to an old age, it usually dims their legacy," Morgan said.

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