Google Editions - A better e-book model

By the end of 2010, e-book lovers can have a new reason to be happy: Google Editions. Google planned to have its ebook retailing operations ready by summer 2010, however technical and legal barriers stood in the way, accounts the Wall Street Journal. But such is no longer the case, and a winter launch of Google Editions can make large waves in the e-book industry, particularly with Google’s "read anywhere" format. Article source – Google Editions to debut read anywhere e-books by Money Blog Newz.

Combining Google Editions and independent booksellers together

Independent booksellers tend to group up with Google Editions which will start appearing within the United States before New Year's Day and throughout the whole world by the end of the first quarter. Several publishers have admitted to "exchanging files" with Google, said Scott Dougal, a Google product management director. These signs just show how close Google Editions is. It might launch very soon.

E-books are not the one thing

The electronic book Google Editions uses is very different from the competition. This is important since 65 percent of the e-book sector is held by Amazon.com. It does not matter where a consumer buys Google Editions. It will still tie to a person's Google account after being bought. Customers are able to access electronic books with a web browser whether it is with a laptop, tablet, smartphone or desktop.

While Amazon.com gives readers the flexibility to read their e-books on any system that runs Kindle software, the books generally must be purchased from the Amazon.com store. There are outside sources that make free titles accessible.

Not yet determined what independent booksellers can get

It is not known what Google will be offering in revenue percentage which is bad since independent booksellers will likely only participate in Google Editions if compensation is supplied. The corporations participating in Google Editions has yet to be released, reports the Wall Street Journal. The American Booksellers Association explained though that over 200 impartial booksellers are planning to participate within the U.S. With participation for Google Editions from major players, Google may get ahead. Businesses like Barnes & Noble would have to participate though.

Articles cited

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704369304575632602305759466.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

Various car of the year honors leaning to green vehicles

The numerous Automobile of the year honors that several journals, organizations, and agencies are prestigious awards to receive. The factors for what makes an automobile truly a vehicle of the year varies, of course. However, this year’s honors seem to have a particular slant. More Auto of the year awards will green cars.

Volt may be the car of the year

Most are excited to see the green automobiles as they have gotten the Automobile of the year honor. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are these vehicles. The Volt won Automobile of the year at the LA Auto Show, according to Wired. General Motors was excited to win this award. The Car of the year Honor was given to the Chevy Volt too. This time it came from Motor Trend and Automobiles magazines. The judging panel at the LA Auto Show included Jay Leno and performance guru and automotive legend Carroll Shelby. The Leaf is totally electric while the Volt is a plug-in hybrid. This is who the Nissan Motors Leaf and Chevy Volt differ even though they are both green automobiles.

Car of the year granted to the Leaf too

The Nissan Leaf was named the 2011 European Automobile of the year, according to The Telegraph. The European Auto of the year is selected by a voting panel from several European automotive journals. From 23 nations, 58 judges showed up. Most American Automobile of the year votes either went to the Nissan Motors Leaf or Chevy Volt while it is the first all-electric vehicle manufactured on a large scale, besides golf carts. The 2 automobiles may have an epic showdown at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

Next year car of the world

Right now the votes are being put together for which one is the World Automobile of the year. In spring or 2011, this will finally be announced. Though severe authorities are weighing in on the best vehicles of 2010, it seems the best car of a year shouldn’t be picked until years later. The automobiles that get the honor ought to be the makes and models that last a while.

Articles cited

Wired

wired.com/autopia/2010/11/chevy-volt-wins-green-car-of-the-year/

The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8167962/Nissan-Leaf-wins-Car-of-the-Year.html

Federal court to rule on swastika-branding as hate crime

Race relations between Anglos and the Navajo in Farmington, N.M., is in a rugged place again, and a horrifying swastika-branding incident is to blame. 3 young white men attacked a 22-year-old Navajo man who is mentally disabled, reports the Associated Press. They shaped a coat hanger into a swastika, warmed it on a stove and branded the symbol into the Navajo man’s arm. This may give authorities the 1st opportunity to test the nation’s broadened hate crime legislations.

Damage other than Swastika-branding happening

According to Farmington authorities, the horrific swastika-branding wasn’t all that the 3 men did to their victim. Marker was used to draw a picture of a penis on the Navajo man's body. They also wrote "KKK" and "White Power" on his body. Evidently the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act didn't stop the 3 men from offending. If convicted, the offenders could go to prison for 10 years. If kidnapping could be proved to have been involved in the swastika-branding incident by the govt then the sentence could possibly be life.

All because hate crime law changes took place

In its original form, United States legislations regarding hate crimes required the victim to be taking part in a federally protected activity for instance voting or attending school in order for hate crime charges to apply. There were adjustments in the law due to the Matthew Shepard Act, or the long version as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. In fact, since then, there have been no other crimes apart from this Farmington swastika-branding incident. The legislations now protects civil rights for instance gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Placing a relationships pact to the examination

Just this month, Farmington leaders and elders of the Navajo Nation met at Farmington City Hall to sign a historic pledge in which both sides promise to work toward bettering ethnic background relationships. The predominantly white city of Farmington has a decades-old history of conflict using the Navajo.

Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission Chairman Duane "Chili" Yazzie recognized that only through education will violence be quelled. Farmington Mayor Tommy Roberts said that while "there will always be people who just do not get it," the overall climate of ethnic background relations can change over time.

Info from

Star Tribune

startribune.com/nation/110996299.html?elr=KArks:DCiUMEaPc:UiacyKUzyaP37D_ncyD_2yckUr

Media coverage when the swastika-branding first occurred

youtube.com/watch?v=MSrML53oY9w

Extraterrestrial life topic of December two NASA press conference

A NASA press conference was announced Tuesday with the teaser that the subject is about the search for extraterrestrial existence. Taking a page out of Apple’s playbook, NASA has announced an event on the web which is creating a storm of speculation. Based on the list of scientists involved in the press conference, the statement could be about an astrobiology finding that hints at the possibility of existence on nearby worlds.

Astrobiology found by NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration press conference can be releasing really interesting details on an astrobiology discovery. It will "impact the hunt for extraterrestrial existence," supposedly. No other info is offered except for a list of scientists participating in the press conference. Scientists working on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration astrobiology program consist of a geologist, an oceanographer, an ecologist and a biologist. A panel discussion will be done by them. At 2 p.m. EST the National Aeronautics and Space Administration press conference will begin. In Washington D.C., where the headquarters are, the conference will be held.

Is there life on Titan?

Amid all the speculation about the NASA press conference, an idea has emerged that NASA may have discovered proof of life on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. The group of scientists in attendance includes Pamela Conrad, an expert on geology as proof of life on Mars. Felisa Wolfe-Simon is an oceanographer who has written about photosynthesis and arsenic, an element known to exist on Titan. Titan's environment resembling earths is one thing Stephen Benner has written about as a NASA Biologist. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s astrobiology program has James Elser as an ecologist. He knows all about environments and the chemistry that life needs to be sustained.

Extraterrestrial existence something National Aeronautics and Space Administration wants to find

There have been a ton of discoveries within the extraterrestrial life search that NASA's press conference is following. The planet Gliese 581g was found in September within the Goldilocks Zone which is a place where liquid water could possibly be found on the planet. National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced the finding of a planet on Nov 20th. Besides the stars in our solar system, the 500th planet orbiting other stars was discovered. There was a huge discovery made by the Kepler Mission earlier this year. It found 156,00 stars with a possible 700 alien worlds in a small section of space.

Articles cited

Space.com

space.com/news/nasa-astrobiology-discovery-announcement-101130.html

Kottke.org

kottke.org/10/11/has-nasa-discovered-extraterrestrial-life

CBS News

cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20024158-501465.html

Food Network says so long to Ace of Cakes

After the coming year, 35-year-old celebrity baker Duff Goldman from the reality TV show "Ace of Cakes" will no longer grace the Food Network station with his presence. In January, the program will begin airing its 10th and last season.

Food Network – ‘Ace of Cakes’ terminated

The Associated Press reports the 10th season of "Ace of Cakes" will be its last which was announced by the Food Network in a statement on Sunday. The cameras won't be there without Food Network promoting it, although Goldman and his crew at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, M.D., can be continuing business. Goldman also confirmed the show’s closing chapter in a statement on the Charm City Cakes website :

It’s true: All good things must come to an end. Ace of Cakes’ 10th season, set to air in January, will be our last.

About three weeks ago, we completed filming and wished a tearful goodbye to our beloved crew from Authentic Entertainment (and threw a rager of a wrap party).

There are, of course, lots of mixed feelings about this news …

'Ace of Cakes’ with Duff Goldman at Charm City Cakes

Becoming famous for Jeffrey Adam "Duff" Goldman was a matter of business with cakes. The cakes were very unusual. In 2000, the Michigan-born cake expert opened his own business called Charm City Cakes. Business grew, and so did the need to hire more employees. But instead of employing experienced culinary pastry chefs, Goldman instead took on a handful of sculptors, painters and architects.

Also, all the Goldman cakes are created in Charm City Cakes which is a bakery with a ton of torches, drills and grinders.

The conclusion of Ace of Cakes

The Food Network station was wise to get Ace of Cakes on there, thinking about it had some of the best ratings for prime-time showing ever. But as Goldman said, all good things must come to an end. The majority are hoping some of "Ace of Cakes" ends up on other Food Network programs thinking about the cakes are so weird and beautiful.

Info from

Yahoo

finance.yahoo.com/news/Food-Network-cancels-Ace-of-apf-3381503237.html?x=0&.v=1

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duff_Goldman

More shoppers utilized immediate money than charge cards on Black Friday

Few individuals went with credit cards over instant money this year on Black Friday. Fewer people want to get buried in financial debt and preferred to use their own money. In fact, use of fast money increased by 50 percent.

Cash used more than charge cards

Credit cards are used like crazy on Black Friday. Several stay away from the malls and other stores on Black Friday. This is because individuals are attempting to get discounts that are great. You will find less people that want the burden of charge cards though making them pay with money. The new iPod could wait a week or 2 for some. They decided that VISA, MasterCard or Discover would only leave them with a cash advance in January that needed paying. Reuter's accounts that Americans are starting to leave the cards alone while being aware. A study by America’s Research Group and UBS estimated that only 16.3 percent of Black Friday consumers utilized credit cards on Black Friday 2010, whereas 30.9 percent did in 2009.

A more responsible way to make buys

Not only did fewer people send themselves running for payday loans and hurtling down the road to needing financial debt relief from charge cards, they also cut back on how much they spent. This year, the average amount paid per purchase — with the rise in use of money, checks and debit cards — was about $41 per purchase, compared to $87 per transaction with charge cards. It seems like responsible spending has helped make consumer spending go up.

Poor debt

It is not ever a good idea to get financial debt. The majority of avoid it. More people seem to be getting acutely aware of this idea. More individuals appear to be getting less private loans from card businesses. It’s good that more are starting to conserve up for all of the large buys being made.

Data from

Reuters

reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AT43S20101130

What did Harry Potter discover at Hogwarts?

Did Harry Potter get a quality schooling at Hogwarts? Journalists with nothing better to do want answers. According to Arbesman.net, the high quality of education is low, as Hogwarts’ curriculum is too specialized. This got the Washington Post’s knickers in a twist, as one writer felt the creative range of Hogwarts’ offerings were more than enough to generate well-rounded individuals. Yes, anything to promote "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

Is Hogwarts a quality education at all?

As outlined by the Huffington Post, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" has come out. That means that it is a good time to talk all about the journey Harry has gone through. It appears to be a popular thing for pupils at Hogwarts to give the school a record card after Harry is leaving Hogwarts. A failing grade was given by Samuel Arbesman:

As near as I can tell, if you grow up in the magical world (as opposed to be Muggle-born, for example), you do not go to school at all until the age of eleven. In fact, it’s entirely unclear to me how the children of the wizarding world learn to read and write. There is a reason Hermione seems much more intelligent than Ron Weasley. It's because Ron is very likely completely uneducated.

Harry Potter is just one of numerous that are likely to have to go to the Muggle world for any more schooling. They have to go to college and graduate schools there. According to Arbesman, magic won't help Harry very much. The "real" world needs more than this. There aren't any wants, spells, flying brooms or Quiddich in the Muggle world. That means knowing about Muggles and having critical thinking can be the best things to have.

Hogwarts defended by the Washington Post

Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post argues that Muggle (American) public schools have much to learn from the Hogwarts model:

The array of Hogwarts courses — required and elective — has a creative breadth not seen in many a school here in the No Child Left Behind era, in which curriculum has been so drastically narrowed that a lot of kids don’t get much history, science or physical education.

You will find numerous classes offered at Hogwarts. Some consist of things like Charms, Defense Against the Dar Arts, Transfiguration, Ghoul Studies and Herbology. It is extremely significant to have critical thinking. The only way to get away from the dark Lord Voldemort is to do this.

Information from

Arbesman.net

arbesman.net/blog/2010/11/07/no-wizard-left-behind/

Wiki Harry Potter

harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hogwarts_subjectshttp://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hogwarts_subjects

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/19/harry-potter-hogwarts-education_n_786055.html

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/was-harry-potters-education-an.html

The quality education at Hogwarts includes sing-along

youtube.com/watch?v=7I6cJnQQsWc