Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I for one wish that more UVA students hit the road...
The New York Times
July 27, 2008
Towns They Don’t Want to Leave
By RACHEL AVIV
AFTER graduating from Brown in May, David Noriega, a 21-year-old comparative literature major from Binghamton, N.Y., moved a few miles away from campus and began reading the books he didn’t have time for in college. While most of his classmates have started jobs in new cities, he is paying cheap rent, playing in a noise band, working on translating two Mexican novels — a voluntary extension of his thesis — and looking for a day job that’s “probably not motivating or career-furthering.”
“The graduation ceremony is this giant, expensive gesture telling you that you are done here,” says Mr. Noriega. “And yet I’m still wandering around the same spaces, passing the desolate main green, wondering what exactly it is that I’m doing.”
Mr. Noriega, faced with the pressure of graduation, is not alone in his decision to, more or less, ignore it. Come commencement, many linger for months or years, prolonging the intermediate stage between college and the rest of their lives.
“This generation doesn’t know what to do with its own freedom,” says Ethan Watters, author of “Urban Tribes: A Generation Redefines Friendship, Family and Commitment.” “As the average age of marriage continues to rise, the length of time that college graduates live alone before starting a family is unprecedented. People now have 10, even 15 years where nothing much is expected of them.” Parents who help cover health insurance, and sometimes rent, unwittingly encourage a few extra years of idealism.
The economy during this graduation cycle does not offer much impetus either. The unemployment rate rose to 5.5 percent in May, the largest one-month surge in more than two decades, and remained at that level in June. The National Association of Colleges and Employers predicts an 8 percent increase in hiring of new graduates, but that represents a significant drop from the double-digit increases of the previous four years.
If a disproportionate number of stay-behind graduates seem to be artists who work more than one job, live with multiple friends and play a string instrument, it’s not necessarily a coincidence. College towns cultivate creative types. Providence, R.I., (Brown) and Charlottesville (University of Virginia) are known for their visual arts scenes; Iowa City (University of Iowa) and Missoula (University of Montana) have strong literary communities, while Davis (University of California) and Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina) have their aging activists. Cities like Austin, Tex.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Fargo, N.D., have developed thriving economies in part because software and research companies gravitate toward places with a large concentration of graduates.
College towns have cosmopolitan amenities (lectures, music, ethnic restaurants, libraries) but also an almost surreal degree of cultural cohesion — “ideologically inbred” communities where residents read, watch and vote for the same things, in the view of Bill Bishop, author of “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart,” published in May.
Blake Gumprecht, an assistant geography professor at the University of New Hampshire, calls them “small towns without the small-minded people.” In “The American College Town,” to be published in November, he compares the “academic archipelago” to mining or ski towns, where a single institution dominates the character of the entire community. (Providence, then, is “a city that is merely home to a college.”)
“There are very few other places like this where you can maintain the creativity and idealism you enjoyed in college,” Mr. Gumprecht says. He calls the college town “paradise for misfits.”
Graduates seem to find the following five towns difficult to leave.
DAVIS (pop. 60,964)
(UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS)
The Davis City Council has declared the town hate- and nuclear-free and a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. Street-lamp shields prevent glare, for better views of the stars, and the city built a $13,000 tunnel under a highway because endangered toads were being run over.
“The place gets you stuck like flypaper, and there are plenty of flies,” says Rob Roy, a 27-year-old substitute teacher from Sacramento who graduated from U.C. Davis in 2007 with a degree in English. He doubts there’s another place where he would feel as ideologically at home.
So Mr. Roy still lives near campus, in a 10-foot-by-12-foot room, and rides his bicycle to college house parties. (Drunken riders get B.U.I.’s — “biking under the influence” tickets.) He plays in a band that “sounds like Tom Waits if he tried to make pop music” and considers becoming a teacher, politician or writer.
“I guess if I knew there was gold in the hills outside of Davis, I might be more willing to hop out and enter the work force,” he says. “But I figure our economy is crumbling; I might as well just stay cool and not worry about it.”
PROVIDENCE (pop. 175,255)
(BROWN; RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN)
Freshly minted graduates support themselves (and their art projects) with part-time jobs like milling soap, making cheese or working as nannies for professors’ children.
They share cavernous spaces in converted 19th-century textile mills in working-class neighborhoods rapidly rising in value, often to the dismay of longtime residents.
“Providence used to be a place where graduates left immediately, but now it’s gotten to the point where people not affiliated with either university are moving here just to be near a young, creative community,” says Megan Hall, 26, a public radio reporter who graduated from Brown in 2004 and initially lived in a partially converted potato warehouse, where sacks of potatoes were routinely delivered to the building by forklift. “A lot of us can experiment with this really simple lifestyle. We’re not afraid of being poor.”
Ms. Hall still thinks about returning home to Portland, Ore. Most of her friends, she says, talk about leaving but never do. Last year, she and a friend made a radio documentary, “The Break Up Project Performance,” about the city’s incestuous dating pool, which begins with a teary-voiced woman complaining about all the times she runs into her former boyfriend.
“I go to get my morning coffee, and you’re there,” the woman says, sighing. “I see you in line at the grocery store, at the post office, bookstore, the record shop, on the opposite side of the street. Your friends, your flyers, your stupid [expletive] band. It’s all here, and everywhere, and it feels like I’m suffocating.”
ATHENS (pop. 111,580)
(UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA)
The success of former Athens bands like R.E.M., the B-52’s, Pylon and Neutral Milk Hotel has buoyed the dreams of a contingent of U.Ga. graduates who perform in one another’s living rooms and basements.
Mercer West, a 2004 graduate from suburban Atlanta, calls Athens a “creative neverland” and says most of his friends hung around so they could live cheaply and keep their bands together. Mr. West plays in five and has turned the bottom floor of his home, a converted warehouse, into a performance space and screen-printing shop, run by three other U.Ga. graduates. He describes Athens as a “little bohemian enclave where the line between college and the rest of your life becomes blurred.”
“I’m not one of those people who’s always talking about leaving,” says Mr. West, 26. “I realize there’s this whole stigma around the word ‘townie,’ even as I quickly turn into one.”
Athens is a difficult place to start a career; options are generally limited to waiting tables, teaching or working for the university. Mr. West says many of his friends “know they can fall back on their parents if anything bad happens.”
David Specht, 26, who rents Mr. West’s top floor, graduated from U.Ga. in 2003 with a degree in West African cinema and literature (“That’s pretty much saying: no jobs ever”). He managed an art-moving company in Brooklyn before moving back to Athens. Now a woodworker, he is learning to play the violin. In Brooklyn, he didn’t feel the same “creative electrical sparks.”
FARGO (pop. 90,056)
(NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY)
Over the last five years, the number of people employed here has grown by 13 percent, more than twice the national rate; 31 percent of the class of 2006 stayed in Fargo, where temperatures drop to 40 below. Many graduates are enticed by high-paying jobs at biotech and software companies, including a huge division of Microsoft.
“We’re in a golden era,” says Erin Ahneman, a St. Paul native who graduated from North Dakota State in 2001. “The university and the companies that employ its graduates are growing together.” When her husband, also a graduate, got a job in Fargo, she was reluctant to commit to her college town. Its hick-town reputation lingers (thanks, Coen brothers). The local newspaper reported on a graduation speaker at a Virgin-ia high school who called Fargo “the physical and spiritual symbol of what happens to you when you die inside.”
“Talk about someone basically spitting on your life,” says Mrs. Ahneman, 29, a sales representative at Microsoft. She likes the area so much now that “unless something very crazy happens, we’ll be here for the rest of our lives.”
The city has redeveloped its low-slung downtown, which is intersected by two Interstates and dotted with parking lots. Recent years have seen the construction of previously unheard-of amenities like sake bars, art galleries and a “bar mall” of theme saloons for barhopping without stepping outside.
CHAPEL HILL (pop. 49,919)
(UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA)
Graduates make money, get married and develop a taste for designer bedding and organic food. Diners begin charging $8 for a plate of eggs. House prices rise. The compact, leafy town that grew around U.N.C. has become one of the most expensive places to live in the state. Most of the university staff commutes.
“Sometimes we’re cursed by our own success,” says Mark Chilton, a 1993 graduate who stayed behind and is now mayor of Carrboro, about a mile from U.N.C. Living in a college town has gained “a new level of social acceptability,” he says.
“If you look at old graduation speeches, you find evidence of the traditional mentality that if you want to make it big, you have to go off and find work in the big city and move to the top of the ladder,” he adds. “My generation may be known for its slackers, but we’ve stopped accepting that as the correct definition of success.”
Tom Jensen, a 24-year-old Michigan native who graduated in 2006, wanted to live in Chapel Hill so badly that he commutes three hours a day to Raleigh for his job at a polling company. He pays $875 for a one-bedroom apartment and doesn’t consider Chapel Hill too upscale. “Anyone who’s been here longer than five years is locked into this idealized notion of what the town used to be,” he says, “and that’s probably just whatever it was like when they were seniors in college. Obviously, that’s when it was really perfect.”
Rachel Aviv teaches freshman writing at Columbia.
July 27, 2008
Towns They Don’t Want to Leave
By RACHEL AVIV
AFTER graduating from Brown in May, David Noriega, a 21-year-old comparative literature major from Binghamton, N.Y., moved a few miles away from campus and began reading the books he didn’t have time for in college. While most of his classmates have started jobs in new cities, he is paying cheap rent, playing in a noise band, working on translating two Mexican novels — a voluntary extension of his thesis — and looking for a day job that’s “probably not motivating or career-furthering.”
“The graduation ceremony is this giant, expensive gesture telling you that you are done here,” says Mr. Noriega. “And yet I’m still wandering around the same spaces, passing the desolate main green, wondering what exactly it is that I’m doing.”
Mr. Noriega, faced with the pressure of graduation, is not alone in his decision to, more or less, ignore it. Come commencement, many linger for months or years, prolonging the intermediate stage between college and the rest of their lives.
“This generation doesn’t know what to do with its own freedom,” says Ethan Watters, author of “Urban Tribes: A Generation Redefines Friendship, Family and Commitment.” “As the average age of marriage continues to rise, the length of time that college graduates live alone before starting a family is unprecedented. People now have 10, even 15 years where nothing much is expected of them.” Parents who help cover health insurance, and sometimes rent, unwittingly encourage a few extra years of idealism.
The economy during this graduation cycle does not offer much impetus either. The unemployment rate rose to 5.5 percent in May, the largest one-month surge in more than two decades, and remained at that level in June. The National Association of Colleges and Employers predicts an 8 percent increase in hiring of new graduates, but that represents a significant drop from the double-digit increases of the previous four years.
If a disproportionate number of stay-behind graduates seem to be artists who work more than one job, live with multiple friends and play a string instrument, it’s not necessarily a coincidence. College towns cultivate creative types. Providence, R.I., (Brown) and Charlottesville (University of Virginia) are known for their visual arts scenes; Iowa City (University of Iowa) and Missoula (University of Montana) have strong literary communities, while Davis (University of California) and Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina) have their aging activists. Cities like Austin, Tex.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Fargo, N.D., have developed thriving economies in part because software and research companies gravitate toward places with a large concentration of graduates.
College towns have cosmopolitan amenities (lectures, music, ethnic restaurants, libraries) but also an almost surreal degree of cultural cohesion — “ideologically inbred” communities where residents read, watch and vote for the same things, in the view of Bill Bishop, author of “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart,” published in May.
Blake Gumprecht, an assistant geography professor at the University of New Hampshire, calls them “small towns without the small-minded people.” In “The American College Town,” to be published in November, he compares the “academic archipelago” to mining or ski towns, where a single institution dominates the character of the entire community. (Providence, then, is “a city that is merely home to a college.”)
“There are very few other places like this where you can maintain the creativity and idealism you enjoyed in college,” Mr. Gumprecht says. He calls the college town “paradise for misfits.”
Graduates seem to find the following five towns difficult to leave.
DAVIS (pop. 60,964)
(UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS)
The Davis City Council has declared the town hate- and nuclear-free and a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. Street-lamp shields prevent glare, for better views of the stars, and the city built a $13,000 tunnel under a highway because endangered toads were being run over.
“The place gets you stuck like flypaper, and there are plenty of flies,” says Rob Roy, a 27-year-old substitute teacher from Sacramento who graduated from U.C. Davis in 2007 with a degree in English. He doubts there’s another place where he would feel as ideologically at home.
So Mr. Roy still lives near campus, in a 10-foot-by-12-foot room, and rides his bicycle to college house parties. (Drunken riders get B.U.I.’s — “biking under the influence” tickets.) He plays in a band that “sounds like Tom Waits if he tried to make pop music” and considers becoming a teacher, politician or writer.
“I guess if I knew there was gold in the hills outside of Davis, I might be more willing to hop out and enter the work force,” he says. “But I figure our economy is crumbling; I might as well just stay cool and not worry about it.”
PROVIDENCE (pop. 175,255)
(BROWN; RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN)
Freshly minted graduates support themselves (and their art projects) with part-time jobs like milling soap, making cheese or working as nannies for professors’ children.
They share cavernous spaces in converted 19th-century textile mills in working-class neighborhoods rapidly rising in value, often to the dismay of longtime residents.
“Providence used to be a place where graduates left immediately, but now it’s gotten to the point where people not affiliated with either university are moving here just to be near a young, creative community,” says Megan Hall, 26, a public radio reporter who graduated from Brown in 2004 and initially lived in a partially converted potato warehouse, where sacks of potatoes were routinely delivered to the building by forklift. “A lot of us can experiment with this really simple lifestyle. We’re not afraid of being poor.”
Ms. Hall still thinks about returning home to Portland, Ore. Most of her friends, she says, talk about leaving but never do. Last year, she and a friend made a radio documentary, “The Break Up Project Performance,” about the city’s incestuous dating pool, which begins with a teary-voiced woman complaining about all the times she runs into her former boyfriend.
“I go to get my morning coffee, and you’re there,” the woman says, sighing. “I see you in line at the grocery store, at the post office, bookstore, the record shop, on the opposite side of the street. Your friends, your flyers, your stupid [expletive] band. It’s all here, and everywhere, and it feels like I’m suffocating.”
ATHENS (pop. 111,580)
(UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA)
The success of former Athens bands like R.E.M., the B-52’s, Pylon and Neutral Milk Hotel has buoyed the dreams of a contingent of U.Ga. graduates who perform in one another’s living rooms and basements.
Mercer West, a 2004 graduate from suburban Atlanta, calls Athens a “creative neverland” and says most of his friends hung around so they could live cheaply and keep their bands together. Mr. West plays in five and has turned the bottom floor of his home, a converted warehouse, into a performance space and screen-printing shop, run by three other U.Ga. graduates. He describes Athens as a “little bohemian enclave where the line between college and the rest of your life becomes blurred.”
“I’m not one of those people who’s always talking about leaving,” says Mr. West, 26. “I realize there’s this whole stigma around the word ‘townie,’ even as I quickly turn into one.”
Athens is a difficult place to start a career; options are generally limited to waiting tables, teaching or working for the university. Mr. West says many of his friends “know they can fall back on their parents if anything bad happens.”
David Specht, 26, who rents Mr. West’s top floor, graduated from U.Ga. in 2003 with a degree in West African cinema and literature (“That’s pretty much saying: no jobs ever”). He managed an art-moving company in Brooklyn before moving back to Athens. Now a woodworker, he is learning to play the violin. In Brooklyn, he didn’t feel the same “creative electrical sparks.”
FARGO (pop. 90,056)
(NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY)
Over the last five years, the number of people employed here has grown by 13 percent, more than twice the national rate; 31 percent of the class of 2006 stayed in Fargo, where temperatures drop to 40 below. Many graduates are enticed by high-paying jobs at biotech and software companies, including a huge division of Microsoft.
“We’re in a golden era,” says Erin Ahneman, a St. Paul native who graduated from North Dakota State in 2001. “The university and the companies that employ its graduates are growing together.” When her husband, also a graduate, got a job in Fargo, she was reluctant to commit to her college town. Its hick-town reputation lingers (thanks, Coen brothers). The local newspaper reported on a graduation speaker at a Virgin-ia high school who called Fargo “the physical and spiritual symbol of what happens to you when you die inside.”
“Talk about someone basically spitting on your life,” says Mrs. Ahneman, 29, a sales representative at Microsoft. She likes the area so much now that “unless something very crazy happens, we’ll be here for the rest of our lives.”
The city has redeveloped its low-slung downtown, which is intersected by two Interstates and dotted with parking lots. Recent years have seen the construction of previously unheard-of amenities like sake bars, art galleries and a “bar mall” of theme saloons for barhopping without stepping outside.
CHAPEL HILL (pop. 49,919)
(UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA)
Graduates make money, get married and develop a taste for designer bedding and organic food. Diners begin charging $8 for a plate of eggs. House prices rise. The compact, leafy town that grew around U.N.C. has become one of the most expensive places to live in the state. Most of the university staff commutes.
“Sometimes we’re cursed by our own success,” says Mark Chilton, a 1993 graduate who stayed behind and is now mayor of Carrboro, about a mile from U.N.C. Living in a college town has gained “a new level of social acceptability,” he says.
“If you look at old graduation speeches, you find evidence of the traditional mentality that if you want to make it big, you have to go off and find work in the big city and move to the top of the ladder,” he adds. “My generation may be known for its slackers, but we’ve stopped accepting that as the correct definition of success.”
Tom Jensen, a 24-year-old Michigan native who graduated in 2006, wanted to live in Chapel Hill so badly that he commutes three hours a day to Raleigh for his job at a polling company. He pays $875 for a one-bedroom apartment and doesn’t consider Chapel Hill too upscale. “Anyone who’s been here longer than five years is locked into this idealized notion of what the town used to be,” he says, “and that’s probably just whatever it was like when they were seniors in college. Obviously, that’s when it was really perfect.”
Rachel Aviv teaches freshman writing at Columbia.
Does this mean that I will get the Grateful Dead station on XM?
Merged satellite broadcasters adopt Sirius XM name
Washington Business Journal - by Jeff Clabaugh Staff Reporter
Nearly a year and a half after first announcing plans to merge, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellie Radio Inc. have officially completed their merger.
The newly-formed company will change its corporate name to Sirius XM Inc., which will be led by Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin. XM Chairman Gary Parsons will serve as chairman of the new company.
Sirius XM will be headquartered in New York, where Sirius is based. XM Satellite will now be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sirius and will keep its Washington broadcasting headquarters, Sirius XM said in a statement.
XM shareholders will receive 4.6 shares of Sirius common stock for each share of XM. XM shares no longer trade on the Nasdaq National Market.
The value of the all-stock merger has declined from more than $4.6 billion when it was first announced to just $2.76 billion at closing, following the declining value of both companies’ stock.
"We have worked diligently to close this transaction and we look forward to integrating our best-in-class management teams and operations so we can begin delivering on our promise of more choices and lower prices for subscribers," said Karmazin in a statement.
Sirius XM says existing customers of either service will be able to retain their current service and existing radio receivers will continue to work. Subscribers will also now have the option to pick from different packages of channels, known as a la carte programming.
Sirius XM reiterated its forecast of an expected $400 million in savings next year because of the merger.
Its stock (NASDAQ: SIRI) was down 23 cents to $1.65 in afternoon trading.
Washington Business Journal - by Jeff Clabaugh Staff Reporter
Nearly a year and a half after first announcing plans to merge, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellie Radio Inc. have officially completed their merger.
The newly-formed company will change its corporate name to Sirius XM Inc., which will be led by Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin. XM Chairman Gary Parsons will serve as chairman of the new company.
Sirius XM will be headquartered in New York, where Sirius is based. XM Satellite will now be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sirius and will keep its Washington broadcasting headquarters, Sirius XM said in a statement.
XM shareholders will receive 4.6 shares of Sirius common stock for each share of XM. XM shares no longer trade on the Nasdaq National Market.
The value of the all-stock merger has declined from more than $4.6 billion when it was first announced to just $2.76 billion at closing, following the declining value of both companies’ stock.
"We have worked diligently to close this transaction and we look forward to integrating our best-in-class management teams and operations so we can begin delivering on our promise of more choices and lower prices for subscribers," said Karmazin in a statement.
Sirius XM says existing customers of either service will be able to retain their current service and existing radio receivers will continue to work. Subscribers will also now have the option to pick from different packages of channels, known as a la carte programming.
Sirius XM reiterated its forecast of an expected $400 million in savings next year because of the merger.
Its stock (NASDAQ: SIRI) was down 23 cents to $1.65 in afternoon trading.
Google is one of the best run businesses in America
That being said so was Microsoft, Standard Oil, IBM and General Motors and Ford. Anyone can go down if you mismanage things.
Cuil vs. Google: Can David Beat Goliath?
Analysts Say It's Too Early to Predict Search Startup's Future
By ASHLEY PHILLIPS
July 29, 2008 —
Marred by page errors and intermittant outages when it launched on Monday, a new search engine billing itself as a wider-reaching, more intuitive Google may have trouble competing with established Silicon Valley search goliaths, analysts said.
Co-founded by Anna Patterson, an engineer who architected the latest version of Google's search engine in 2006, Cuil.com (cuil is pronounced "cool") claims it is superior in several ways.
First and foremost, the site claims to search nearly three times more Web pages -- about 121 billion, according to the site -- than Google. Google spokeswoman Katie Watson told the Associated Press that Google still believes its index is the largest.
Funded by $30 million from investors, the site also boasts a more "magazine-style" index -- instead of one-line listings, there are descriptive chunks of text with photos with options to explore by categories automatically generated based on the search data, as well as tabs that "guess" more specifics about the user's search.
Notably -- and on the heels of complaints about most search engines' practice of saving search history -- Cuil promises total search privacy; no saved history -- no big brother (or big advertising agency) watching.
But, despite the fact that the Cuil staff, many of whom are former Google employees, have openly thrown down the gauntlet to the search engine giant, analysts call the comparison to Google not only unwarranted, but maybe even unfair.
"Obviously, there's a lot of interest in any stealth startup that's going to be a search engine. ... Everyone wants to know, 'Who's the next Google?'" said Erick Schonfeld, co-editor of Silicon Valley tech blog TechCrunch. "There's no way any startup in the world can outperform Google. The question really is whether or not Cuil can produce better results than Google can."
After a day of searching on Cuil and comparing those results to Google, Google wins out every time, returning more results and more relevant results.
On Google, a search for giraffe brought up a Wikipedia entry for giraffes, a link to the San Diego Zoo and the Giraffe Heroes Project. On Cuil, a search for giraffe -- which took quite a long time to surface -- brought up a Wikipedia entry to the video game "Space Giraffe," and categories like "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency" and "Children's Book by Roald Dahl."
A search for movie times (no quotes) on Google brings up Fandango, movies.msn.com and movies.aol.com. On Cuil, a search brings up those listings, but also a Times of London story about Stephen Hawking appearing in a movie.
"There's a very strong team there. They do have some technological advantages," Schonfeld said. "As far as we can tell, right now it's not having an effect on relevance of results. ... Google beats Cuil hands down."
Early during the day of its launch, Cuil also experienced several bugs. A search for giraffe on Cuil early in the day produced no results. Many parts of the site gave error messages when clicked. For first-time users, especially those who aren't search geeks intrigued by the idea of a new competitor for Google and Yahoo, this bugginess is a huge problem, according to Schonfeld.
"Out of the gate, people aren't going to be dropping Google for Cuil. Really, they have to prove over time that they can produce some better results," he said. "If I can't even get to it the first time, I'm not going to bother going back there."
But technology forecaster Paul Saffo says comparing a startup to an established leader like Google is unfair.
"Everyone's doing what you expect and trying Cuil and comparing it to searches they've found on Google, and it sort of misses the point," Saffo said. "You don't get $33 million to compete against Google. That's a suicide mission. You get $33 million to create a search experience that's different from Google."
Saffo maintains that Cuil isn't a search engine -- at least, not in the traditional sense, but instead, a new kind of search experience for people who might be intimidated by Google's one-line entries.
The privacy that Cuil promises is also a boon for the "search experience," according to Saffo.
"Increasingly, people are going to become very worried about the tracks they leave in cyberspace. So, absolutely, this is a good thing," he said. "Privacy is an increasingly scarce resource on the Web, and it's going to be something that people will value more and more."
But whether that will be a huge selling point for a majority of consumers remains to be seen, according to Allen Weiner, a research analyst at Gartner, an information technology research company. "I don't know how good of a job they've done in selling that to people, but I think, certainly, them bringing it to the public's attention doesn't hurt," he said.
Cuil also faces another barrier, according to Weiner: being solely a search engine.
"Does Cuil really pose a challenge to Google? As of what I can see at this point, the answer is no. I think being able to index a huge number of Web pages is only part of a solution," he said.
Google, Yahoo and their ilk are not just places people go to search for information, but, rather, online destinations where they can search Web pages, video and images, as well as keep e-mail accounts and check out news portals.
"Consumers have been used to going to search engines to do more than search," Weiner said. "They like to search by content type: news and pictures and video. At least at this point, none of that is available [on Cuil]. ... The next generation of search is not about searching more stuff on the Web, but doing a better job of searching video and images, to allowing people to create and share content."
All the experts interviewed say it's too early to predict Cuil's future. In the end, according to Schonfeld, users (not reporters like me or bloggers like him) will ultimately determine whether Cuil sinks or swims.
"People have to keep hearing about it, not just from the media, but from their friends," he said. "They want people to say it's really cool. But it's not -- yet."
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures
T.T
Cuil vs. Google: Can David Beat Goliath?
Analysts Say It's Too Early to Predict Search Startup's Future
By ASHLEY PHILLIPS
July 29, 2008 —
Marred by page errors and intermittant outages when it launched on Monday, a new search engine billing itself as a wider-reaching, more intuitive Google may have trouble competing with established Silicon Valley search goliaths, analysts said.
Co-founded by Anna Patterson, an engineer who architected the latest version of Google's search engine in 2006, Cuil.com (cuil is pronounced "cool") claims it is superior in several ways.
First and foremost, the site claims to search nearly three times more Web pages -- about 121 billion, according to the site -- than Google. Google spokeswoman Katie Watson told the Associated Press that Google still believes its index is the largest.
Funded by $30 million from investors, the site also boasts a more "magazine-style" index -- instead of one-line listings, there are descriptive chunks of text with photos with options to explore by categories automatically generated based on the search data, as well as tabs that "guess" more specifics about the user's search.
Notably -- and on the heels of complaints about most search engines' practice of saving search history -- Cuil promises total search privacy; no saved history -- no big brother (or big advertising agency) watching.
But, despite the fact that the Cuil staff, many of whom are former Google employees, have openly thrown down the gauntlet to the search engine giant, analysts call the comparison to Google not only unwarranted, but maybe even unfair.
"Obviously, there's a lot of interest in any stealth startup that's going to be a search engine. ... Everyone wants to know, 'Who's the next Google?'" said Erick Schonfeld, co-editor of Silicon Valley tech blog TechCrunch. "There's no way any startup in the world can outperform Google. The question really is whether or not Cuil can produce better results than Google can."
After a day of searching on Cuil and comparing those results to Google, Google wins out every time, returning more results and more relevant results.
On Google, a search for giraffe brought up a Wikipedia entry for giraffes, a link to the San Diego Zoo and the Giraffe Heroes Project. On Cuil, a search for giraffe -- which took quite a long time to surface -- brought up a Wikipedia entry to the video game "Space Giraffe," and categories like "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency" and "Children's Book by Roald Dahl."
A search for movie times (no quotes) on Google brings up Fandango, movies.msn.com and movies.aol.com. On Cuil, a search brings up those listings, but also a Times of London story about Stephen Hawking appearing in a movie.
"There's a very strong team there. They do have some technological advantages," Schonfeld said. "As far as we can tell, right now it's not having an effect on relevance of results. ... Google beats Cuil hands down."
Early during the day of its launch, Cuil also experienced several bugs. A search for giraffe on Cuil early in the day produced no results. Many parts of the site gave error messages when clicked. For first-time users, especially those who aren't search geeks intrigued by the idea of a new competitor for Google and Yahoo, this bugginess is a huge problem, according to Schonfeld.
"Out of the gate, people aren't going to be dropping Google for Cuil. Really, they have to prove over time that they can produce some better results," he said. "If I can't even get to it the first time, I'm not going to bother going back there."
But technology forecaster Paul Saffo says comparing a startup to an established leader like Google is unfair.
"Everyone's doing what you expect and trying Cuil and comparing it to searches they've found on Google, and it sort of misses the point," Saffo said. "You don't get $33 million to compete against Google. That's a suicide mission. You get $33 million to create a search experience that's different from Google."
Saffo maintains that Cuil isn't a search engine -- at least, not in the traditional sense, but instead, a new kind of search experience for people who might be intimidated by Google's one-line entries.
The privacy that Cuil promises is also a boon for the "search experience," according to Saffo.
"Increasingly, people are going to become very worried about the tracks they leave in cyberspace. So, absolutely, this is a good thing," he said. "Privacy is an increasingly scarce resource on the Web, and it's going to be something that people will value more and more."
But whether that will be a huge selling point for a majority of consumers remains to be seen, according to Allen Weiner, a research analyst at Gartner, an information technology research company. "I don't know how good of a job they've done in selling that to people, but I think, certainly, them bringing it to the public's attention doesn't hurt," he said.
Cuil also faces another barrier, according to Weiner: being solely a search engine.
"Does Cuil really pose a challenge to Google? As of what I can see at this point, the answer is no. I think being able to index a huge number of Web pages is only part of a solution," he said.
Google, Yahoo and their ilk are not just places people go to search for information, but, rather, online destinations where they can search Web pages, video and images, as well as keep e-mail accounts and check out news portals.
"Consumers have been used to going to search engines to do more than search," Weiner said. "They like to search by content type: news and pictures and video. At least at this point, none of that is available [on Cuil]. ... The next generation of search is not about searching more stuff on the Web, but doing a better job of searching video and images, to allowing people to create and share content."
All the experts interviewed say it's too early to predict Cuil's future. In the end, according to Schonfeld, users (not reporters like me or bloggers like him) will ultimately determine whether Cuil sinks or swims.
"People have to keep hearing about it, not just from the media, but from their friends," he said. "They want people to say it's really cool. But it's not -- yet."
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures
T.T
Nice
Angry man shoots lawn mower for not starting
Fri Jul 25, 11:41 PM ET
A Milwaukee man was accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn't start. Keith Walendowski, 56, was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.
According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning. He told police quote, "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want."
A woman who lives at Walendowski's house reported the incident. She said he was intoxicated.
Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.
A call to Walendowski's home went unanswered Friday morning.
Fri Jul 25, 11:41 PM ET
A Milwaukee man was accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn't start. Keith Walendowski, 56, was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.
According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning. He told police quote, "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want."
A woman who lives at Walendowski's house reported the incident. She said he was intoxicated.
Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.
A call to Walendowski's home went unanswered Friday morning.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Dude, I would freak out!
Delta passengers spent several hours stranded on tarmac at JFK
NEW YORK (AP) — Passengers aboard a Las Vegas-bound Delta Air Lines jet reported waiting nearly seven hours before their flight was ultimately canceled after thundershowers delayed more than 130 flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said of 913 flights in and out of Kennedy on Sunday, 136 experienced delays, including 97 departures. He had no information on the number of canceled flights and had no details on the length of any particular delay.
Delta Air Lines Inc. spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the Las Vegas-bound flight was delayed five hours. She conceded passengers may have included the time it took them to board and then disembark at the gate, which was not included in her calculations.
TODAY IN THE SKY: Continuing coverage of Delta Air Lines
Talton confirmed that the 184 passengers aboard Flight 621 were offered refunds or other travel arrangements after they reported being stuck on a grounded airplane for up to seven hours.
She said when the plane left the gate, it was No. 15 of 60 planes waiting to depart. Then, she said, air traffic controllers stopped all scheduled flights because of severe weather.
"The crew waited for the opportunity for the departure lanes to reopen so we could get customers to their destination; however, they ultimately made the decision to return to the terminal around 3 p.m., when the crew could not project a definitive departure time," Talton said.
She said because of congestion on the airport tarmac, the return to the terminal took another 90 minutes.
Patricia Johnson, of Putnam Valley, told the New York Daily News she was aboard the Delta flight that eventually was canceled.
"Everybody seems pretty calm, they just want to get off the plane," she said in Monday's editions. Passengers were not fed, but were provided water and warm soft drinks.
The issue of airline passenger rights has been growing in intensity in recent years as delays and cancellations have become routine for travelers.
Earlier this year, a federal appeals court struck down a New York state law requiring airlines to provide basic services to passengers cooped up for hours on tarmacs.
New York lawmakers passed the bill — the first of its kind in the nation — after a series of delays at Kennedy in the winter of 2007 left some passengers stranded for more than 10 hours with no food or water, overflowing toilets and no air conditioning.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law interferes with federal law governing the price, route or service of an air carrier. Congress is now considering federal legislation.
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said the Delta delay was "unacceptable and kind of unconscionable."
"The common thread seems to be extreme weather," he said. "When these things occur they should have a system worked out to extricate passengers."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEW YORK (AP) — Passengers aboard a Las Vegas-bound Delta Air Lines jet reported waiting nearly seven hours before their flight was ultimately canceled after thundershowers delayed more than 130 flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said of 913 flights in and out of Kennedy on Sunday, 136 experienced delays, including 97 departures. He had no information on the number of canceled flights and had no details on the length of any particular delay.
Delta Air Lines Inc. spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the Las Vegas-bound flight was delayed five hours. She conceded passengers may have included the time it took them to board and then disembark at the gate, which was not included in her calculations.
TODAY IN THE SKY: Continuing coverage of Delta Air Lines
Talton confirmed that the 184 passengers aboard Flight 621 were offered refunds or other travel arrangements after they reported being stuck on a grounded airplane for up to seven hours.
She said when the plane left the gate, it was No. 15 of 60 planes waiting to depart. Then, she said, air traffic controllers stopped all scheduled flights because of severe weather.
"The crew waited for the opportunity for the departure lanes to reopen so we could get customers to their destination; however, they ultimately made the decision to return to the terminal around 3 p.m., when the crew could not project a definitive departure time," Talton said.
She said because of congestion on the airport tarmac, the return to the terminal took another 90 minutes.
Patricia Johnson, of Putnam Valley, told the New York Daily News she was aboard the Delta flight that eventually was canceled.
"Everybody seems pretty calm, they just want to get off the plane," she said in Monday's editions. Passengers were not fed, but were provided water and warm soft drinks.
The issue of airline passenger rights has been growing in intensity in recent years as delays and cancellations have become routine for travelers.
Earlier this year, a federal appeals court struck down a New York state law requiring airlines to provide basic services to passengers cooped up for hours on tarmacs.
New York lawmakers passed the bill — the first of its kind in the nation — after a series of delays at Kennedy in the winter of 2007 left some passengers stranded for more than 10 hours with no food or water, overflowing toilets and no air conditioning.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law interferes with federal law governing the price, route or service of an air carrier. Congress is now considering federal legislation.
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said the Delta delay was "unacceptable and kind of unconscionable."
"The common thread seems to be extreme weather," he said. "When these things occur they should have a system worked out to extricate passengers."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The beter not let people make cheap phone calls on Airplanes!
Airlines get ready to test fledging Wi-Fi in flight
E-mail, IM, Web browsing to be offered, but no voice for now
Matt Hamblen
July 16, 2008 (Computerworld) In-flight Wi-Fi will eventually take off for passengers aboard some U.S. airlines, but it won't happen before months of testing and slow rollouts of the wireless service.
American Airlines will have one of the largest deployments, with a formal test expected to start "in the coming weeks," a spokeswoman said. The test will be performed on 15 jets and will run for as long as six months. Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Jet Blue also have limited tests or projects underway.
Some airlines have already announced that pricing will be roughly in line with what it might cost to connect to a Wi-Fi network in an airport for a day -- about $10 to $12. American has stated that its wireless service will cost $12.95 for flights that are three hours or longer.
None of the U.S. carriers investing in Wi-Fi expects to offer voice service. They cite federal regulations prohibiting phone calls during flights -- not to mention negative public opinion about the idea of fellow passengers talking on the phone aboard planes. However, some analysts say that if data services for e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing are a big hit, then carriers might want to add voice service as well.
A big unknown is the performance of the technology itself, including the connection speeds a user will get on a Wi-Fi-capable laptop or handheld device. That's because early test results aren't being made public. However, the airlines say the performance a user sees will be on par with Wi-Fi access inside a coffee shop.
The Wi-Fi signal carried throughout a plane will connect to the Internet via either satellites or antennas on the ground. Some analysts say a satellite connection, such as that offered by Row 44 Inc. in Westlake Village, Calif., will provide the greatest coverage. However, American said it has seen success using a ground-to-air system connected to 92 cellular antennas erected nationwide by Aircell LLC, which has offices in Denver and Itasca, Ill.
Adding in-flight Wi-Fi could be an important distinguishing service in today's airline industry, as carriers cut back on amenities and charge for extra baggage as they struggle with soaring fuel costs, several analysts noted.
"Airlines are doing what they can to steal customers, " said Robert McAdoo, a financial analyst at Avondale Partners LLC in Nashville, who tracks 19 airlines. "But the airlines have to be realistic as to how many customers will pay for Wi-Fi. There will clearly be some users ... [but] there's a question of whether Wi-Fi is going to be big on planes or not."
Here's a rundown on the status of Wi-Fi at several carriers, based on recent interviews and statements:
American Airlines
American ran a free "dress rehearsal" of Wi-Fi service on June 24 aboard a Boeing 767-200 during a regularly scheduled round trip between New York's JFK International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.
American and Aircell both said they were studying the results of the test and refused to give details, although an Aircell spokeswoman said "customers were excited" about the service.
The most information on the American Wi-Fi offering so far has come from Walt Mossberg, a reviewer for the Wall Street Journal, who wrote about American's service on June 19 based on his own in-flight test on a small jet. Mossberg said he could browse the Web, send e-mail and conduct text chats wirelessly, using two laptops and three kinds of handhelds.
Mossberg said the service he received operated at "respectable" speeds comparable to those of a slow home DSL line, with download speeds averaging 500Kbit/sec. to 600Kbit/sec, and uploads at 250Kbit/sec. to 300 Kbit/sec., he said. There was a two-minute disruption in the service when the plane had to cross through a zone where wireless service wasn't available via ground antennas, he said.
Mossberg said the service, called GoGo, will launch on three American routes, probably in July, on 15 Boeing 767s that fly between New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.
While Mossberg said the service will probably start in July, an American spokeswoman would only say that plans about a launch date would be made available in "coming weeks."
American's "launch" is really a three-to-six-month formal test of the service. After the test, American will decide whether to expand the service to other aircraft and other routes, the spokeswoman said. American has more than 500 planes in all.
"After the trial is completed, [American] will thoroughly evaluate whether this service is of value to our customers," the spokeswoman said in an e-mail. "If the connectivity solution is deemed successful on the B767-200 aircraft, it will be [added to] additional domestic fleet."
Virgin America
Virgin America is also planning to begin testing Wi-Fi service using the Aircell technology in the fall, with its fleet of about 20 aircraft converted to Wi-Fi by the start of 2009, a spokeswoman said. The price will probably be similar to what is charged at an airport hot spot.
Virgin will run the wireless service inside the plane in conjunction with its Red in-flight entertainment system, which features a functioning PC in every seat. Launched in 2007, the Red system, which runs on Linux servers, is already used by flight attendants on Virgin to take food orders wirelessly.
"We [already] have a low-cost platform for delivering new [wireless] services," the spokeswoman said, noting that offering more and higher-quality entertainment services to customers is "even more critical" if passengers spend more time on an aircraft.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest, working with Row 44, said earlier in the year that it had hoped to begin testing Wi-Fi in midsummer. But in a recent update, it said it will begin testing on four aircraft in late summer. A charge for the service is under consideration "but nothing is solidified," a spokeswoman said, noting that Southwest still allows passengers to check two bags for free, unlike some competitors.
A Row 44 spokeswoman said the slight delay in the start of the Southwest testing is insignificant and there have been "no major complications" with the technology. She said the signal delivered from the satellite to each plane will move at 30Mbit/sec. ultimately offering faster service to end users than the Aircell service.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska plans to start testing its Row 44 technology on one aircraft in August, a spokeswoman said. The test will be conducted along one of the airline's typical routes, although which one has not been determined. The airline also plans to test various prices, as well as the system's performance and customer acceptance.
Alaska had hoped to roll out the technology earlier, with testing starting in the spring, but gaining various approvals took longer than expected, she added. If the trial works well, all 114 aircraft Alaska operates could be equipped with the technology.
JetBlue
JetBlue offered free wireless service as a test aboard one of its A320 jets last December. The service runs over a network called Kiteline, provided by LiveTV, which is also used to provide free in-flight television, a spokeswoman said. With the service, users can send e-mail and text messages through a variety of platforms, including Microsoft Exchange. JetBlue also has a contract with Amazon.com that enables passengers to make purchases from the online retail site via the wireless service.
So far, the spokeswoman said, JetBlue testing aboard the single aircraft has been "very successful," and the airline plans to use feedback from the test to develop a plan for a fleetwide rollout.
Both AirCell and Row 44 said they are working with other airlines considering in-flight Wi-Fi service, although they declined to name any.
A big draw or a pricey risk?
While the airlines and equipment providers are publicly optimistic about their rollout plans, analysts said questions remain about the market for the service as well as the capability of the technology.
Jack Gold, an analyst at J.Gold Associates LLC in Northboro, Mass., said the airlines are probably taking time to weigh the costs of the new equipment against the number of passengers they expect to be willing to pay for it. "Can the airlines make this affordable and offer enough performance so that I will want to use the service?" Gold asked.
Many factors will come into play, including whether the shared Wi-Fi bandwidth will be sufficient to support performance that meets the needs of all of the users on a crowded business flight, Gold said.
The signal that AirCell is sending to planes works on an EV-DO Rev A cellular standard in an exclusive, licensed 800 MHz channel. With this arrangement, Gold said the signal in the Wi-Fi zone aboard a plane could be less than what users normally get with Wi-Fi.
"We are all are used to fast Wi-Fi now, and people can be very unforgiving of bad service," he said.
However, AirCell's chief technology officer, Joe Cruz, said the "effective user experience" will equal up to 12.4 Mbit/sec. because Aircell uses network optimization and acceleration technology.
Gold also questioned what would happen if a plane leaves its normal pathway to avoid a storm or air traffic, and he wondered how quickly a disrupted signal could be restored. Addressing those concerns, Cruz said that Aircell will have "blanket" coverage to prevent outages, and plans to expand its current 92 cell sites to nearly 500 in the next 18 months.
Gold also noted that Wi-Fi saps device batteries, meaning airlines will need to install power at every seat for long trips. (American said it already has many power outlets.)
Those concerns aside, there are still questions regarding cost and financing. AirCell and Row 44 presumably have developed technology that's more affordable than an older, discontinued wireless service called Connexion by Boeing, which was installed on Lufthansa and ANA planes, and was reported to cost more than $1 million per plane, Gold said. None of the airlines interviewed would comment on the cost of installing the technology.
Gartner Inc. analyst Ken Dulaney said the Connexion service was "very stable" and had minimal power needs, based on his experience. It failed, ultimately, because it was often available only on night flights when people weren't interested in using it, Dulaney said. Carriers will need to offer the service on the right routes, including daytime business routes with busy laptop users, he added.
The way the airlines finance of the service -- not just the performance of the technology -- will be the key to the success of in-flight Wi-Fi, Dulaney added. "If it required a capital outlay, domestically, I don't think the airlines could afford it," he said, referring to the tight economics that airlines have been facing for years.
McAdoo said he is unsure how popular Wi-Fi on planes will be, but he said it is clear that there will be some users, just as there are Wi-Fi users at airports. It's also possible that a renegade airline such as Southwest will find it so potentially popular that it sells monthly subscriptions to regular passengers, he said.
Wendy Campanella, director of business development at Row 44, said internal market studies have shown that Wi-Fi demand on planes will go beyond business travelers to younger leisure travelers who are accustomed to going online for entertainment and other needs.
"We do believe absolutely that broadband is coming to air travel and in the end will be a must-have service for airlines," Campanella said.
If Wi-Fi on planes proves popular, airlines would have to move fast to roll out the technology on hundreds of planes, McAdoo said. American and Southwest each have more than 500 planes, and even if two planes could be converted each week, it could take years to equip a majority of them.
"It's a slow spool up," McAdoo said. But Campanella disagreed, saying it could be a fast turnaround. Row 44 antennas and other equipment could be installed on a plane over the course of two nights during routine maintenance.
Wi-Fi service is the kind of offering that could excite airlines like Southwest that are willing to try new approaches, McAdoo noted. Even though all five airlines interviewed for this story said they don't believe their customers would want voice-over-Wi-Fi service, McAdoo predicted that the anti-phone-use attitude could change, meaning the airlines would need to lobby the Federal Communications Commission to change its current restrictions.
Noting that Ireland's Ryanair Ltd. is rolling out wireless technology to support both data and voice aboard its planes serving Europe this summer, McAdoo said the experience there could influence U.S.-based carriers.
"Ryanair is the Southwest Airlines of Europe, very successful and a little bit renegade," McAdoo said. "It will be interesting to see how voice does. Companies change for competition. They're always saying, 'What's next?'"
E-mail, IM, Web browsing to be offered, but no voice for now
Matt Hamblen
July 16, 2008 (Computerworld) In-flight Wi-Fi will eventually take off for passengers aboard some U.S. airlines, but it won't happen before months of testing and slow rollouts of the wireless service.
American Airlines will have one of the largest deployments, with a formal test expected to start "in the coming weeks," a spokeswoman said. The test will be performed on 15 jets and will run for as long as six months. Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Jet Blue also have limited tests or projects underway.
Some airlines have already announced that pricing will be roughly in line with what it might cost to connect to a Wi-Fi network in an airport for a day -- about $10 to $12. American has stated that its wireless service will cost $12.95 for flights that are three hours or longer.
None of the U.S. carriers investing in Wi-Fi expects to offer voice service. They cite federal regulations prohibiting phone calls during flights -- not to mention negative public opinion about the idea of fellow passengers talking on the phone aboard planes. However, some analysts say that if data services for e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing are a big hit, then carriers might want to add voice service as well.
A big unknown is the performance of the technology itself, including the connection speeds a user will get on a Wi-Fi-capable laptop or handheld device. That's because early test results aren't being made public. However, the airlines say the performance a user sees will be on par with Wi-Fi access inside a coffee shop.
The Wi-Fi signal carried throughout a plane will connect to the Internet via either satellites or antennas on the ground. Some analysts say a satellite connection, such as that offered by Row 44 Inc. in Westlake Village, Calif., will provide the greatest coverage. However, American said it has seen success using a ground-to-air system connected to 92 cellular antennas erected nationwide by Aircell LLC, which has offices in Denver and Itasca, Ill.
Adding in-flight Wi-Fi could be an important distinguishing service in today's airline industry, as carriers cut back on amenities and charge for extra baggage as they struggle with soaring fuel costs, several analysts noted.
"Airlines are doing what they can to steal customers, " said Robert McAdoo, a financial analyst at Avondale Partners LLC in Nashville, who tracks 19 airlines. "But the airlines have to be realistic as to how many customers will pay for Wi-Fi. There will clearly be some users ... [but] there's a question of whether Wi-Fi is going to be big on planes or not."
Here's a rundown on the status of Wi-Fi at several carriers, based on recent interviews and statements:
American Airlines
American ran a free "dress rehearsal" of Wi-Fi service on June 24 aboard a Boeing 767-200 during a regularly scheduled round trip between New York's JFK International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.
American and Aircell both said they were studying the results of the test and refused to give details, although an Aircell spokeswoman said "customers were excited" about the service.
The most information on the American Wi-Fi offering so far has come from Walt Mossberg, a reviewer for the Wall Street Journal, who wrote about American's service on June 19 based on his own in-flight test on a small jet. Mossberg said he could browse the Web, send e-mail and conduct text chats wirelessly, using two laptops and three kinds of handhelds.
Mossberg said the service he received operated at "respectable" speeds comparable to those of a slow home DSL line, with download speeds averaging 500Kbit/sec. to 600Kbit/sec, and uploads at 250Kbit/sec. to 300 Kbit/sec., he said. There was a two-minute disruption in the service when the plane had to cross through a zone where wireless service wasn't available via ground antennas, he said.
Mossberg said the service, called GoGo, will launch on three American routes, probably in July, on 15 Boeing 767s that fly between New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.
While Mossberg said the service will probably start in July, an American spokeswoman would only say that plans about a launch date would be made available in "coming weeks."
American's "launch" is really a three-to-six-month formal test of the service. After the test, American will decide whether to expand the service to other aircraft and other routes, the spokeswoman said. American has more than 500 planes in all.
"After the trial is completed, [American] will thoroughly evaluate whether this service is of value to our customers," the spokeswoman said in an e-mail. "If the connectivity solution is deemed successful on the B767-200 aircraft, it will be [added to] additional domestic fleet."
Virgin America
Virgin America is also planning to begin testing Wi-Fi service using the Aircell technology in the fall, with its fleet of about 20 aircraft converted to Wi-Fi by the start of 2009, a spokeswoman said. The price will probably be similar to what is charged at an airport hot spot.
Virgin will run the wireless service inside the plane in conjunction with its Red in-flight entertainment system, which features a functioning PC in every seat. Launched in 2007, the Red system, which runs on Linux servers, is already used by flight attendants on Virgin to take food orders wirelessly.
"We [already] have a low-cost platform for delivering new [wireless] services," the spokeswoman said, noting that offering more and higher-quality entertainment services to customers is "even more critical" if passengers spend more time on an aircraft.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest, working with Row 44, said earlier in the year that it had hoped to begin testing Wi-Fi in midsummer. But in a recent update, it said it will begin testing on four aircraft in late summer. A charge for the service is under consideration "but nothing is solidified," a spokeswoman said, noting that Southwest still allows passengers to check two bags for free, unlike some competitors.
A Row 44 spokeswoman said the slight delay in the start of the Southwest testing is insignificant and there have been "no major complications" with the technology. She said the signal delivered from the satellite to each plane will move at 30Mbit/sec. ultimately offering faster service to end users than the Aircell service.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska plans to start testing its Row 44 technology on one aircraft in August, a spokeswoman said. The test will be conducted along one of the airline's typical routes, although which one has not been determined. The airline also plans to test various prices, as well as the system's performance and customer acceptance.
Alaska had hoped to roll out the technology earlier, with testing starting in the spring, but gaining various approvals took longer than expected, she added. If the trial works well, all 114 aircraft Alaska operates could be equipped with the technology.
JetBlue
JetBlue offered free wireless service as a test aboard one of its A320 jets last December. The service runs over a network called Kiteline, provided by LiveTV, which is also used to provide free in-flight television, a spokeswoman said. With the service, users can send e-mail and text messages through a variety of platforms, including Microsoft Exchange. JetBlue also has a contract with Amazon.com that enables passengers to make purchases from the online retail site via the wireless service.
So far, the spokeswoman said, JetBlue testing aboard the single aircraft has been "very successful," and the airline plans to use feedback from the test to develop a plan for a fleetwide rollout.
Both AirCell and Row 44 said they are working with other airlines considering in-flight Wi-Fi service, although they declined to name any.
A big draw or a pricey risk?
While the airlines and equipment providers are publicly optimistic about their rollout plans, analysts said questions remain about the market for the service as well as the capability of the technology.
Jack Gold, an analyst at J.Gold Associates LLC in Northboro, Mass., said the airlines are probably taking time to weigh the costs of the new equipment against the number of passengers they expect to be willing to pay for it. "Can the airlines make this affordable and offer enough performance so that I will want to use the service?" Gold asked.
Many factors will come into play, including whether the shared Wi-Fi bandwidth will be sufficient to support performance that meets the needs of all of the users on a crowded business flight, Gold said.
The signal that AirCell is sending to planes works on an EV-DO Rev A cellular standard in an exclusive, licensed 800 MHz channel. With this arrangement, Gold said the signal in the Wi-Fi zone aboard a plane could be less than what users normally get with Wi-Fi.
"We are all are used to fast Wi-Fi now, and people can be very unforgiving of bad service," he said.
However, AirCell's chief technology officer, Joe Cruz, said the "effective user experience" will equal up to 12.4 Mbit/sec. because Aircell uses network optimization and acceleration technology.
Gold also questioned what would happen if a plane leaves its normal pathway to avoid a storm or air traffic, and he wondered how quickly a disrupted signal could be restored. Addressing those concerns, Cruz said that Aircell will have "blanket" coverage to prevent outages, and plans to expand its current 92 cell sites to nearly 500 in the next 18 months.
Gold also noted that Wi-Fi saps device batteries, meaning airlines will need to install power at every seat for long trips. (American said it already has many power outlets.)
Those concerns aside, there are still questions regarding cost and financing. AirCell and Row 44 presumably have developed technology that's more affordable than an older, discontinued wireless service called Connexion by Boeing, which was installed on Lufthansa and ANA planes, and was reported to cost more than $1 million per plane, Gold said. None of the airlines interviewed would comment on the cost of installing the technology.
Gartner Inc. analyst Ken Dulaney said the Connexion service was "very stable" and had minimal power needs, based on his experience. It failed, ultimately, because it was often available only on night flights when people weren't interested in using it, Dulaney said. Carriers will need to offer the service on the right routes, including daytime business routes with busy laptop users, he added.
The way the airlines finance of the service -- not just the performance of the technology -- will be the key to the success of in-flight Wi-Fi, Dulaney added. "If it required a capital outlay, domestically, I don't think the airlines could afford it," he said, referring to the tight economics that airlines have been facing for years.
McAdoo said he is unsure how popular Wi-Fi on planes will be, but he said it is clear that there will be some users, just as there are Wi-Fi users at airports. It's also possible that a renegade airline such as Southwest will find it so potentially popular that it sells monthly subscriptions to regular passengers, he said.
Wendy Campanella, director of business development at Row 44, said internal market studies have shown that Wi-Fi demand on planes will go beyond business travelers to younger leisure travelers who are accustomed to going online for entertainment and other needs.
"We do believe absolutely that broadband is coming to air travel and in the end will be a must-have service for airlines," Campanella said.
If Wi-Fi on planes proves popular, airlines would have to move fast to roll out the technology on hundreds of planes, McAdoo said. American and Southwest each have more than 500 planes, and even if two planes could be converted each week, it could take years to equip a majority of them.
"It's a slow spool up," McAdoo said. But Campanella disagreed, saying it could be a fast turnaround. Row 44 antennas and other equipment could be installed on a plane over the course of two nights during routine maintenance.
Wi-Fi service is the kind of offering that could excite airlines like Southwest that are willing to try new approaches, McAdoo noted. Even though all five airlines interviewed for this story said they don't believe their customers would want voice-over-Wi-Fi service, McAdoo predicted that the anti-phone-use attitude could change, meaning the airlines would need to lobby the Federal Communications Commission to change its current restrictions.
Noting that Ireland's Ryanair Ltd. is rolling out wireless technology to support both data and voice aboard its planes serving Europe this summer, McAdoo said the experience there could influence U.S.-based carriers.
"Ryanair is the Southwest Airlines of Europe, very successful and a little bit renegade," McAdoo said. "It will be interesting to see how voice does. Companies change for competition. They're always saying, 'What's next?'"
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Fat Fuck Pro Football Nose Tackle Can't Run!
Overweight Hampton sidelined after failed run test
Associated Press
LATROBE, Pa. -- Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton was placed on the physically unable to perform list Sunday after reporting to training camp overweight and failing to complete the Pittsburgh Steelers' annual run test.
Training camp
Location: St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa.
Dates: July 27-Aug. 17
Official Site: www.steelers.com
For more: Training camp dates
2008 preseason schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 8 Philadelphia 7:30 p.m. ET
Aug. 14 at Buffalo 7:30 p.m. ET
Aug. 23 at Minnesota 8 p.m. ET
Aug. 28 Carolina 7:30 p.m. ET
Hampton, listed at 325 pounds but apparently much heavier, lagged 30 yards behind defensive end Brett Keisel during one of eight 100-yard sprints. Hampton completed only five.
"He's overweight and he's not conditioned enough to participate at this point," coach Mike Tomlin said.
There was no Kendrell Bell to bail Hampton out this time, either.
When a similarly out-of-shape Hampton couldn't complete several of the 14 40-yard sprints the Steelers ran when Bill Cowher was coach, Bell jumped in and ran two sprints for him in 2003. Hampton recovered to make the final run that summer, though Cowher was visibly displeased and held Hampton out of practice until he was in better shape.
Hampton won't be allowed to practice in this camp until he drops weight, and Tomlin suggested that will take more than a few days.
Hampton, starting his eighth NFL season, skipped the Steelers' optional team practices last spring to work out on his own. He explained Sunday that his absence was to take care of personal business and not because he had any issue with the team.
"I wasn't trying to make any statement," Hampton said.
Tomlin didn't like the one he made during the running test as Hampton was the only player who couldn't finish. Some players who attended a certain number of voluntary team workouts were allowed to skip the tests as a reward for their attendance.
"It's not about (missing the voluntary practices)," Tomlin said of Hampton. "It's about coming to camp ready to play football."
Star safety Troy Polamalu (hamstring) and left guard Chris Kemoeatu (triceps) also were placed on the physically unable to perform list, yet Polamalu still completed the running test. Polamalu was injured while working out on his own, and Kemoeatu -- All-Pro guard Alan Faneca's apparent replacement -- was hurt lifting weights in advance of camp. Neither injury is believed to be serious.
Hampton has had an ongoing battle with his weight since being a first-round draft pick in 2001, yet has made the last three Pro Bowls and has played in the NFL's annual all-star game in four of the last five seasons. Hampton also was chosen as the team's co-most valuable player in 2005.
Hampton's ability to stop the run is one of the keys to the Steelers' 3-4 defense.
Asked when Hampton will be in good enough shape to practice, Tomlin said, "I'll determine that."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
More Scary Airplane News
Oxygen bottles 'key focus' of Qantas jet probe: official
SYDNEY (AFP) — Investigators probing what punched a gaping hole mid-air in an Australian jumbo jet are focusing on whether it was caused by exploding emergency oxygen bottles, a civil aviation official said Sunday.
If proven, the finding would have implications for other 747 planes around the world, Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson told AFP in Sydney.
The Qantas Boeing 747 was flying to Melbourne on Friday when an explosive bang led to a sudden loss of air pressure in the cabin.
The plane plunged 6,000 metres (20,000 feet) before stabilising and then making an emergency landing in the Philippines capital Manila, where stunned passengers saw a three-metre rip in the fuselage next to the right wing.
"There are two cylinders located pretty much exactly where that hole appeared," Gibson said. "Clearly that is one key focus of the investigation.
"We cannot just say that is the cause, but clearly the fact that two oxygen bottles are in that location, and clearly this was damage caused by some sort of outward pressure, obviously that means that is a key aspect of the investigation.
"It is emergency oxygen for the flight deck."
If confirmed, Gibson said, it would have implications for all of Qantas's 747s and probably for many others around the world.
"Not every 747 is going to have these exact oxygen bottles on them," Gibson added.
Asked if there would be major implications, he added: "It could have. It will affect probably all of Australia's (747s) and there would be others out there."
As the incident was in international air space, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is leading the probe. The US Federal Aviation Administration is also involved, along with the plane's manufacturer Boeing.
Gibson discounted a report that corrosion was to blame for the incident, saying that although minor rust had been found in the plane during a routine check a few months ago, it was in a totally different part of the aircraft.
Investigators, however, would examine the issue of corrosion in general, he added.
A preliminary report is expected in about 30 days.
SYDNEY (AFP) — Investigators probing what punched a gaping hole mid-air in an Australian jumbo jet are focusing on whether it was caused by exploding emergency oxygen bottles, a civil aviation official said Sunday.
If proven, the finding would have implications for other 747 planes around the world, Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson told AFP in Sydney.
The Qantas Boeing 747 was flying to Melbourne on Friday when an explosive bang led to a sudden loss of air pressure in the cabin.
The plane plunged 6,000 metres (20,000 feet) before stabilising and then making an emergency landing in the Philippines capital Manila, where stunned passengers saw a three-metre rip in the fuselage next to the right wing.
"There are two cylinders located pretty much exactly where that hole appeared," Gibson said. "Clearly that is one key focus of the investigation.
"We cannot just say that is the cause, but clearly the fact that two oxygen bottles are in that location, and clearly this was damage caused by some sort of outward pressure, obviously that means that is a key aspect of the investigation.
"It is emergency oxygen for the flight deck."
If confirmed, Gibson said, it would have implications for all of Qantas's 747s and probably for many others around the world.
"Not every 747 is going to have these exact oxygen bottles on them," Gibson added.
Asked if there would be major implications, he added: "It could have. It will affect probably all of Australia's (747s) and there would be others out there."
As the incident was in international air space, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is leading the probe. The US Federal Aviation Administration is also involved, along with the plane's manufacturer Boeing.
Gibson discounted a report that corrosion was to blame for the incident, saying that although minor rust had been found in the plane during a routine check a few months ago, it was in a totally different part of the aircraft.
Investigators, however, would examine the issue of corrosion in general, he added.
A preliminary report is expected in about 30 days.
The NFL Signings
Roundup: Kansas City's Dorsey among rookie signings
Story Highlights
The Jets' Gholston was the No. 6 pick of the draft
Mendenhall will compete with Willie Parker for playing time
The Cowboys signed RB Felix Jones late Friday
RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) -- Glenn Dorsey walked up and shook hands with the man who'd just made him rich.
"I promise I'll work hard," said the big defensive tackle, towering over Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.
"I know you will," Hunt said. "It's great to have you with us."
After a brief contract holdout that essentially cost him only one practice, Dorsey signed a five-year, $51 million deal Saturday morning that includes an option year and more than $22 million in guaranteed money. The 300-pound All-American from LSU, the fifth player taken overall last April, will be the cornerstone of a line that's being rebuilt to make up for the loss of Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen.
After getting word about 4:30 a.m. that a deal was agreed upon, Dorsey hopped a flight out of Baton Rouge, La., and arrived at the Chiefs' offices on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus just in time for meetings. Greeting him were a throng of media and Hunt, who stood in the back smiling as Dorsey and general manager Carl Peterson conducted a short news conference.
"He is going to be a very good player for us," Hunt said. "He's got all the tools."
The rebuilding Chiefs, who will be one of the youngest teams in the NFL this season, have agreed to terms with all but one of their 12 draft picks. They've opted to delay signing tight end Michael Merritt, a seventh-round selection out of Central Florida, until he recovers from injury.
"I'm just excited to be here, to stand before you all and get to work with my teammates and my coaches," Dorsey told the media. "My agent did a great job. The Chiefs did a great job. It was a great agreement."
Joel Segal, Dorsey's agent, said he was glad to get his client in camp almost on time. Since Friday's opening workouts were both forced indoors by rain, he really missed only one workout, on Saturday morning. He was expected to be on the field for Saturday's afternoon practice.
"Glenn is a very disciplined guy who loves football," Segal said. "He was anxious to get to camp. He indicated to me that he's excited now to help the Chiefs win."
Dorsey will be handed a starting job on the inside while Tamba Hali moves from left defensive end to right, replacing Allen. After leading the NFL with 151/2 sacks, Allen became disgruntled and was traded to Minnesota.
The Chiefs, coming off a 4-12 year, will need an immediate impact from Dorsey to ease the loss of Allen.
The newcomer declined to make any predictions on what might happen his rookie season in the NFL.
"It's a totally different world now, playing against everybody who's one of the best at what they do," he said. "I can't really tell you right now. I have to go through camp and see how it goes.
"I'm just going to have fun. I like to have fun when I play."
The money, he said, wasn't anything he'd thought much about yet.
"That's down the line," he said. "That's going to be way down the line. It's time to get down to business. I look forward to taking care of my family. But now it's time to get down to business."
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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- Vernon Gholston's holdout lasted one day and two practices.
The New York Jets signed the No. 6 overall pick to a multiyear deal Friday, in time for the defensive end to be on the field with his teammates for the start of practice on the second day of training camp.
"Vernon is in the building," coach Eric Mangini said. "He signed, he'll practice, so that process -- which was long -- is through and now he can move forward and we can get him on the field and really start the intense teaching."
The hulking Gholston, who set an Ohio State record with 14 sacks last season, is expected to immediately improve the Jets' pass rush.
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PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin agreed to a five-year contract with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, the first-round draft pick's agent told The Associated Press.
"He's agreed to terms and now we're working out the final details," agent Hadley Engelhard said. The deal was agreed to two days into Bills training camp, and after McKelvin missed four practices, including two on Saturday.
Travel arrangements weren't finalized, but it's expected McKelvin will report to camp in suburban Rochester by Sunday, when the Bills are scheduled to have team meetings and an afternoon walk-through. Selected 11th overall out of Troy University, McKelvin was the first defensive back selected in the draft, and is expected to compete with Jabari Greer for a starting job opposite Terrence McGee this season.
Monetary terms were not immediately available, but McKelvin is expected to get a contract that falls in-between the deals signed Friday by the two players drafted immediately before and after he was selected.
Linebacker Jerod Mayo, the No. 10 pick, signed a five-year, $18.9 million ($13.8 million guaranteed) contract with New England. Offensive lineman Ryan Clady, the No. 12 pick, signed a five-year $17.5 million ($11.5 million guaranteed) with Denver.
McKelvin had been only one of four first-round draft picks yet to sign with their respective teams.
The Bills could not immediately confirm that a deal has been agreed to.
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers signed running back Rashard Mendenhall on Friday, agreeing to a five-year contract with their first-round draft pick two days before training camp opens.
The Steelers announced Mendenhall's signing in a news release. Neither the team nor Mendenhall was immediately available for comment.
The 5-foot-10, 225-pound Mendenhall, the 23rd overall pick out of Illinois, is expected to discuss his contract when he arrives for training camp this weekend.
Limas Sweed, a wide receiver out of Texas and the Steelers' second-round pick, is the team's only unsigned draft pick, but coach Mike Tomlin and director of football operations Kevin Colbert have said they expect him to be signed in time for the start of training camp Sunday at St. Vincent College, near Latrobe.
Mendenhall's contract is reportedly worth nearly $12.6 million, with $7.125 million guaranteed.
"Both Rashard and I are thrilled," said Mendenhall's agent, Mike McCartney of Priority Sports in Chicago. "It's always an anxious time before training camp for players. He can now put the business side behind him. ... and work on helping the team win. That's what he wants to focus on."
Mendenhall is expected to return kicks and spell Willie Parker, whose 2007 season was cut short by a broken leg.
Parker, an undrafted free agent, has rushed for more than 1,202 yards in all three NFL seasons he has started, and carried the ball more than 650 times the last two seasons. Parker had 337 carries in 2006 and 321 last season, despite missing most of the final two games.
Mendenhall is the first running back drafted in the first round by the Steelers since Georgia's Tim Worley in 1989.
Mendenhall was last season's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, setting school records for rushing yards (1,681) and touchdowns (17) as a senior.
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OXNARD, Calif. (AP) -- First-round draft picks Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins signed deals late Friday night, putting all of the Dallas Cowboys' selections under contract.
Jones, a running back from Arkansas, and Jenkins, a cornerback from South Florida, have the same agent and each missed the first day of practice. Terms of their deals were not released.
The Cowboys selected Jones with the 22nd overall pick, impressed by his 1,162 yards and 11 touchdowns backing up Darren McFadden last season for the Razorbacks. The last time the team used a first-round pick on a running back was for Emmitt Smith in 1990.
Jenkins, the 25th overall pick, intercepted three passes last season for South Florida and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against Cincinnati.
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos on Friday signed first-round draft pick Ryan Clady, who is projected to start at left tackle.
The deal is believed to be worth $20 million over six years and was completed in time for the Boise State star to join the team's first workout.
Clady, selected 12th overall, was the last of the Broncos' nine draft picks to sign.
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HOUSTON (AP) -- The Houston Texans signed first-round draft pick Duane Brown, an offensive lineman from Virginia Tech who is expected to start this season.
Brown took the practice field Friday nearly an hour after the rest of the team on the first day of camp. The left tackle was selected 26th in the April draft.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Chiefs have signed tackle Branden Albert, the second of the team's two first-round draft picks, the team announced Thursday.
Financial details of the five-year agreement were not released.
The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Albert -- the Chiefs' 15th overall pick -- started all 37 games he appeared in at Virginia.
Also unsigned is tight end Michael Merritt, a seventh-round pick out of Central Florida.
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SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Chargers first-round draft pick Antoine Cason signed a five-year contract worth slightly more than $12 million Thursday night, assuring he will be in camp when the team holds its first full-squad practice.
Cason was the team's final draft pick to agree to terms. He missed three days of rookie camp while the two sides finalized a deal that includes a signing bonus of roughly $6 million.
"It's time to play football. I'm just getting ready to go play," Cason said after signing the deal.
"The Chargers were great to work with and Antoine is excited to get going," said his agent, Ron Slavin.
"It's a big relief," said Cason, who will be on the field Friday morning when the Chargers hold their first full-squad practice. "Of course I was concerned but I had faith that it would get done. All I could do was work out and control the things I was able to control and that was that. I didn't worry about it too much because I knew it would get done, so I did the things I could control."
Chargers general manager A.J. Smith didn't immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Cason will compete for the nickel back spot.
"I definitely think I did have a good offseason and worked hard to put myself in a position to be here," Cason said. "I just want to get out there and play well and do the things I know I am capable of doing and also learn this game a little bit more. I'm new and just want to get in and learn."
As a senior at Arizona, Cason won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. He intercepted five passes and returned two punts for touchdowns last season.
Cason spoke with his father, Wendell, soon after the contract was finalized. The elder Cason spent three years with the Atlanta Falcons.
"He told me congratulations and we talked a little bit," the younger Cason said. "But we've been talking about football all summer. It doesn't matter what I call about, it always comes back to football."
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- The San Francisco 49ers have signed defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer, getting their first-round draft pick into training camp a few hours before the team's first meeting.
Balmer, a late-blooming star at North Carolina, was the 29th overall pick in April. He is the last of the 49ers' six draft picks to sign, agreeing to a five-year contract Thursday.
Balmer will be among the prospective replacements for Bryant Young, who retired last winter after 14 seasons with San Francisco. Young was at the 49ers' training complex Thursday as the players assembled for an evening team meeting, but Young has no plans to renounce his retirement.
The 49ers will hold their first practice Friday in Santa Clara.
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MEQUON, Wis. (AP) -- Second-round pick Donnie Avery signed with the St. Louis Rams on Saturday. The wide receiver was expected on the field for the day's second practice.
Avery, from Houston, was the first wide receiver taken in the draft, and the Rams believed that fact contributed to the brief holdout. He was the last of the Rams' draft picks to sign, with first-rounder Chris Long agreeing to terms a week ago.
Coach Scott Linehan said the contract was completed during the morning workout. Avery was nearby during negotiations, allowing him to make it to camp quickly.
"He'll be here this afternoon, catching up," Linehan said. "Maybe get him a few extra reps, so it's good to get that one out of the way."
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KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -- John Carlson and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms of a multiyear contract Saturday, putting the rookie tight on the practice field for the second day of training camp.
Seattle traded up in April to take Carlson in the second round out of Notre Dame. The Seahawks expect him to start this season.
Coach Mike Holmgren said during the first day of camp on Friday that it was important for Carlson get in immediately to learn the offense.
He was the final Seahawk to report. The team is expected to make a corresponding roster move Saturday to get to the training camp limit of 80 players.
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OXNARD, Calif. (AP) -- Three more draft picks signed with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, leaving only veteran receiver Terry Glenn and the team's two first-round picks unsigned as they reported to California for training camp.
Glenn has refused to sign an injury waiver that would reduce his salary from $1.74 million to $500,000 if he hurt his right knee again and was unable to play. The 34-year-old receiver wasn't scheduled to be on the team's charter flight from Texas on Thursday.
The Cowboys also haven't come to terms with running back Felix Jones from Arkansas or cornerback Mike Jenkins from South Florida.
Second-round pick Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M was among those who signed Thursday. Also signing were fourth-round pick Tashard Choice, a running back from Georgia Tech, and sixth-round pick Erik Walden from Middle Tennessee State.
Cornerback Orlando Scandrick signed a four-year contract Wednesday, making the fifth-round pick from Boise State the first of the Cowboys' draft selections to sign.
Glenn didn't play until the regular season finale last season, when he got a $5 million roster bonus, after having two operations on this right knee.
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PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Buffalo Bills second-round pick James Hardy became the third and most significant rookie to sign with the team Thursday, the day before training camp opens in suburban Rochester.
Besides Hardy, a receiver who was selected 41st overall out of Indiana, the Bills also signed third-round pick, defensive end Chris Ellis, and sixth-round pick, running back Xavier Omon, both to four-year contracts. That leaves Buffalo first-round pick Leodis McKelvin, a cornerback, as the one unsigned player before the team's first practice Friday morning.
The Bills were negotiating with McKelvin late Thursday evening. Earlier in the day, Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon expressed confidence that the first-round pick would be signed in time for the start of camp.
Hardy has the chance to make an immediate impact on what had been a popgun offense. The Bills are counting on the 6-foot-5 receiver to compete for the No. 2 spot to take the pressure off starter Lee Evans this season. Hardy is the tallest receiver ever drafted by the Bills, and provides their offense a tall and speedy target it has lacked since trading Eric Moulds to Houston prior to the 2006 season.
Hardy finished his college career with 191 catches for 2,740 yards and 36 touchdowns in 36 games, including 26 starts. As a senior he had a school record 79 receptions for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Ellis, selected 72nd overall out of Virginia Tech, was an all-Atlantic Coast Conference defensive end last season. He had 8 1/2 sacks as a senior and 22 for his career.
His contract includes $800,000 that's guaranteed and is potentially worth $3.2 million if he meets all incentive clauses.
Ellis is expected to compete for a backup spot behind starters Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay and on a revamped defensive line that will be anchored by newly acquired tackle Marcus Stroud.
Omon, selected 179th out of Division II Northwest Missouri, became only the second college player to have 1,500 yards rushing in each of his four seasons. He finished with 7,073 yards rushing and scored 98 touchdowns.
Omon is expected to compete with Dwayne Wright for the third-string job behind starter Marshawn Lynch and backup Fred Jackson.
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a six-year contract with cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, their top draft pick.
Terms were not disclosed.
Rodgers-Cromartie, the 16th overall pick in last spring's draft, is expected to join the club at its Northern Arizona University training camp on Saturday.
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers signed tackle Jeff Otah on Friday, leaving only fellow first-round pick Jonathan Stewart without a deal as training camp gets underway.
Otah was the 19th overall pick. He was en route to Wofford College on Friday night and was expected be on the field for the first practice Saturday. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.
General manager Marty Hurney was negotiating with Stewart's agent Friday night. Coach John Fox said earlier in the day they were "fairly close" with both players.
Otah is expected to start at right tackle for Carolina, while Stewart will compete with DeAngelo Williams for the starting running back job.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Police seize 400 pot plants in Nelson County
STOPPED
Tuesday’s flyover is part of an annual three-month statewide effort to eliminate marijuana-growing operations, Nelson Sheriff David Brooks said.
BY CARRIE J. SIDENER
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: July 23, 2008
While a helicopter hovered above a patch of woods in Nelson County, officers pulled up and jumped out of their vehicles, machetes drawn.
Spotters above had marked a patch of iridescent green — an unmistakable sign of marijuana plants. A dozen deputies and state agents headed that way.
The scene was repeated a few times on Tuesday, as law enforcement trolled for pot in the foothills, woods and fields of Nelson County.
They were looking for marijuana plants and they found them — 401 plants by the time the day was over.
Nelson Sheriff David Brooks said the county has a larger problem than most others in Virginia with illegal marijuana-growing operations.
He’s not sure why, but thinks it may be because Nelson County is largely rural, yet centrally located between Charlottesville and Lynchburg.
Tuesday’s flyover is part of an annual three-month statewide effort to eliminate marijuana-growing operations, Brooks said.
“You’ll never eradicate it but we have to chip away at it,” Brooks said. “The more we can get off the streets is less that we have to deal with getting in the hands of kids.”
The National Guard helicopter crew spotted the bright green from the sky. The plant sticks out from the natural foliage, making it easily spotted even in clusters as small as a few plants, Brooks said.
Almost 200 plants were found hidden in pots and planted in the ground off a narrow path just wide enough for a vehicle.
Brooks said the pots make the plants easily movable; growers think spreading out the plants make them less visible from the air. That’s not the case, he said.
While authorities trekked through the brush to pull the plants from behind several houses on Hunting Lodge Road near Shipman, the man they believe had been tending the plants showed up.
Tony Hanie, 37, was arrested and charged with manufacturing and distribution of marijuana and possession of a firearm while in possession of more than a pound of marijuana.
The other large bust of the day happened just across the street and came not during the scheduled eradication but during a report of a domestic dispute. The man ran from deputies and the chase led them to a marijuana-growing operation.
The day began with Nelson County Sheriff’s deputies and special agents with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Drug Enforcement Agency gathering in a field on the sheriff’s property awaiting the helicopter and discussing the best paths to fly to observe the most land and use the least fuel.
Brooks said it takes months of planning to carry off one eradication mission. Spotters have to be trained and the helicopter time has to be scheduled.
The helicopter serves two missions — to spot the plants and make sure there are no traps or people in the area that could pose a threat to the men who trudge through the woods in search of the plants, Brooks said.
“This lets the community know that we are trying, we are doing what they pay us to do,” said Capt. Ron Robertson of the Nelson Sheriff’s Department.
STOPPED
Tuesday’s flyover is part of an annual three-month statewide effort to eliminate marijuana-growing operations, Nelson Sheriff David Brooks said.
BY CARRIE J. SIDENER
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: July 23, 2008
While a helicopter hovered above a patch of woods in Nelson County, officers pulled up and jumped out of their vehicles, machetes drawn.
Spotters above had marked a patch of iridescent green — an unmistakable sign of marijuana plants. A dozen deputies and state agents headed that way.
The scene was repeated a few times on Tuesday, as law enforcement trolled for pot in the foothills, woods and fields of Nelson County.
They were looking for marijuana plants and they found them — 401 plants by the time the day was over.
Nelson Sheriff David Brooks said the county has a larger problem than most others in Virginia with illegal marijuana-growing operations.
He’s not sure why, but thinks it may be because Nelson County is largely rural, yet centrally located between Charlottesville and Lynchburg.
Tuesday’s flyover is part of an annual three-month statewide effort to eliminate marijuana-growing operations, Brooks said.
“You’ll never eradicate it but we have to chip away at it,” Brooks said. “The more we can get off the streets is less that we have to deal with getting in the hands of kids.”
The National Guard helicopter crew spotted the bright green from the sky. The plant sticks out from the natural foliage, making it easily spotted even in clusters as small as a few plants, Brooks said.
Almost 200 plants were found hidden in pots and planted in the ground off a narrow path just wide enough for a vehicle.
Brooks said the pots make the plants easily movable; growers think spreading out the plants make them less visible from the air. That’s not the case, he said.
While authorities trekked through the brush to pull the plants from behind several houses on Hunting Lodge Road near Shipman, the man they believe had been tending the plants showed up.
Tony Hanie, 37, was arrested and charged with manufacturing and distribution of marijuana and possession of a firearm while in possession of more than a pound of marijuana.
The other large bust of the day happened just across the street and came not during the scheduled eradication but during a report of a domestic dispute. The man ran from deputies and the chase led them to a marijuana-growing operation.
The day began with Nelson County Sheriff’s deputies and special agents with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Drug Enforcement Agency gathering in a field on the sheriff’s property awaiting the helicopter and discussing the best paths to fly to observe the most land and use the least fuel.
Brooks said it takes months of planning to carry off one eradication mission. Spotters have to be trained and the helicopter time has to be scheduled.
The helicopter serves two missions — to spot the plants and make sure there are no traps or people in the area that could pose a threat to the men who trudge through the woods in search of the plants, Brooks said.
“This lets the community know that we are trying, we are doing what they pay us to do,” said Capt. Ron Robertson of the Nelson Sheriff’s Department.
Showtime is Carmela Soprano's new boss
TCA: Showtime Picks Up Edie Falco Series
Pay network also developing spinoff of The L Word.
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/18/2008 8:26:00 PM
Beverly Hills -- Showtime announced that it ordered to series a pilot starring Edie Falco at the 2008 Television Critics Association press tour here.
The show, tentatively titled Nurse Jackie, will follow Falco's day-to-day life as a nurse with a drug problem. The series will begin production in the fall for a spring/early summer 2009 debut.
"Conceptually, it isn't the most high-concept idea, but I don't think you have ever quite seen a nurse like this," Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt said. "It is not going to be case-driven. It's a half-hour as opposed to an hour."
The network also said it is developing a spinoff of The L Word, which is entering its final season. The spinoff, being developed by L Word creator Ilene Chaikin, will star a character from the current series, though it has not yet been determined who it will be.
In an unusual move, the series finale will feature a cliffhanger plotline that will continue to an online spinoff of the series "to keep the L Word experience going," Greenblatt said. If the pilot goes to series, the plot would continue on the new program.
The network also ordered an additional two seasons of Weeds, totaling 26 episodes.
“Much more illicit drugs to come on that show,” Greenblatt said.
As reported by B&C, the network also ordered six episodes of documentary series Lock 'N Load and a seventh season of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, the longest-running series on the channel.
F
Pay network also developing spinoff of The L Word.
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/18/2008 8:26:00 PM
Beverly Hills -- Showtime announced that it ordered to series a pilot starring Edie Falco at the 2008 Television Critics Association press tour here.
The show, tentatively titled Nurse Jackie, will follow Falco's day-to-day life as a nurse with a drug problem. The series will begin production in the fall for a spring/early summer 2009 debut.
"Conceptually, it isn't the most high-concept idea, but I don't think you have ever quite seen a nurse like this," Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt said. "It is not going to be case-driven. It's a half-hour as opposed to an hour."
The network also said it is developing a spinoff of The L Word, which is entering its final season. The spinoff, being developed by L Word creator Ilene Chaikin, will star a character from the current series, though it has not yet been determined who it will be.
In an unusual move, the series finale will feature a cliffhanger plotline that will continue to an online spinoff of the series "to keep the L Word experience going," Greenblatt said. If the pilot goes to series, the plot would continue on the new program.
The network also ordered an additional two seasons of Weeds, totaling 26 episodes.
“Much more illicit drugs to come on that show,” Greenblatt said.
As reported by B&C, the network also ordered six episodes of documentary series Lock 'N Load and a seventh season of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, the longest-running series on the channel.
F
You'd think that this douch might take a day off smoking crack to have his twins born???
Times Columnist Uncovers His Darkest Story
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 21, 2008; C01
David Carr's latest subject is a pathetic human being, a thug, a manipulative jerk who uses people and puts his own kids in danger.
The New York Times media columnist is writing about himself.
He is unsparing as he rips the protective bark off his life, baring his past addictions to crack and alcohol and the utter depths to which he sank. He is selling a memoir -- "The Night of the Gun" -- built on self-flagellation, heaping abuse on himself and his weaknesses.
The former editor of Washington City Paper admits he is an unreliable narrator as he investigates the wreckage he left behind. Carr says he and his girlfriend Anna were smoking crack the day she gave birth to the premature twins he would raise for years on his own; she disputes that. He comes to doubt his own memory as past pals contradict the narrative in his head.
Why share this with the world? Carr, 51, isn't quite sure. "I ask myself that all the time," he says in an interview. "I still feel uneasy about it. It may well be a mistake."
Carr was fired from a series of jobs in Minneapolis as his life became consumed by coke snorting and dealing (not to mention dropping acid) while he checked in and out of rehab centers and kept getting arrested. His personal life was nothing to brag about, and he doesn't: "My duplicity around women was towering and chronic. I conned and manipulated myself into their beds and then treated them as human jewelry, something to be worn for effect."
But recounting exactly what happened is another story, which is why he uses the approach of interviewing people from his dark past, many from the mid-1980s. Carr recognizes that "the meme of abasement followed by salvation is a durable device in literature," but life is invariably more complicated. "Can I tell you a true story about the worst day of my life? No," he writes.
On that day, he recalls, his friend Donald, during a drug-induced argument, pulled a gun on him. Except that he tracked down Donald, who swears it was Carr who brandished the .38 special, and another friend who knew where Carr kept the weapon stashed. If Carr was wrong about that, he wonders, what else was he wrong about?
The story keeps getting worse: Carr beating up Anna, breaking one of her ribs and throwing her off a dock. Carr smacking around his other girlfriend, Doolie -- the two women didn't know about each other -- who called the police after he slapped her in the face: "I tortured her, mentally, verbally and, eventually, physically."
Friends and relatives warned him that detailing such repulsive behavior could damage his career, Carr concedes. "I just thought if I tried to sandpaper some corners, the whole thing would fall apart," he told me.
He wrote the book, he says, to help pay for his daughters' college tuition, and he videotaped the interviews for a companion Web site. While reporting the book "was more embarrassing than painful," Carr says, "parts of it were really uncomfortable. I hadn't seen the girls' mom in 10 years. It was scary to pull up to her place."
Now that he's written the book, he says, Anna "feels I threw her under the bus. I said: 'I'm right there with you. How did I get treated any better than you? I'm complicit in everything that happens.' " A few people wouldn't talk, including Carr's first wife, Kim, whom he married (and cheated on) before his drug use spun out of control: "Not only did she push me out of her life, she was happy to leave it that way."
Several months after Anna gave birth to their twins in 1988, Carr went into detox and then a six-month stint in rehab while the girls were placed in foster care. He emerged, won custody of the kids and tried to pull his life together, only to be sidelined by cancer of the immune system. But he beat the disease and started freelancing.
Somehow, Carr landed a job as editor of the Twin Cities Reader, where his management skills included complimenting a female staffer on her "nice rack." When he became editor of Washington City Paper in 1995, Carr, having grown up in "a land of white people who eat white food," says he found "Chocolate City" a mystery. He quickly stirred controversy with such headlines as "Black Hole: Why Isn't the Black Community Producing Leaders Worth Following?"
Carr married again, had another baby, moved to New York and, in 2002, began working at the Times, where his journalistic duties include covering the Oscars hoopla each year. At this point, the reader expects the memoir to sprint to a how-I-overcame-it-all finish. But that doesn't happen. After 14 years of sobriety, Carr starts drinking again, and occasionally doing coke.
"I decided I was going to be a nice suburban alcoholic, that I could be normal like other guys and go out for a pop after work," he says. "That didn't work out too well for me. I had to quit pretending I was normal."
One day, while sloshed, he drove his daughters to his weekend cabin in the Adirondacks and almost hit an oncoming car, saved only by their shouts. His wife, Jill Rooney Carr, begged him not to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and, as she feared, he drank his way through New Orleans. Carr suffered alcohol withdrawal, told a Times editor about his addiction and checked back into rehab.
The relapse strained relations with his wife and kids, as Carr acknowledges in the book. But Jill Carr says she's comfortable with his literary soul-baring.
"I married the man with that story and I knew 99 percent of it," she says. "We were very clear from the outset that this was something we'd have to live with. I'm not nervous. There are people who'll love it. Others will find it despicable. My true friends and family will always be there for us."
But some wounds are not so easily healed. Daughter Erin, now 20, is still angry at her dad for the near-accident in the car, "the most irresponsible thing you could ever do." The other, Meagan, tells him: "I knew you were going to screw up . . . but I never pictured you throwing your life away."
Times Executive Editor Bill Keller says the book only increased his respect for Carr. "Unlike so many memoirists who have been caught making things up, Dave went out and reported on his own life," he says. "A guy who pulls himself out of the swamp, keeps his demons in check, turns his career around and raises a loving family has demonstrated a kind of character that is in short supply these days."
Carr has been sober for nearly three years, though he's battling an addiction to cigarettes, but still considers himself one drink away from disaster. He has made plans to attend group counseling meetings while he is on book tour and covering the political conventions.
His past travails have not entirely escaped notice. Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Channel, for instance, has called Carr a "far-left zealot" and "former crack addict." Carr says that some sources, unhappy with his reporting, try to use his sordid history as leverage. And that, he says, is one more reason to publish the book.
"There is value in taking custody of the information," Carr says. "I am who I am and everyone knows it."
News You Can't Use
The incredible shrinking newspaper is starting to lose some of its old-fashioned foundations.
Nearly two-thirds of the papers surveyed by the Project for Excellence in Journalism have cut back on space for foreign news at a time when America is fighting two wars. Nearly half say they are devoting fewer resources to covering such stories; the Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer and Baltimore Sun have closed their remaining overseas bureaus in the past three years. A mere 10 percent say foreign news is "essential."
National news hasn't fared much better, with 57 percent of newspapers saying they have cut the space devoted to such issues. More than a third have reduced business coverage. Science and arts reporting is also shriveling. All this, says the project, "reduces the marketplace of ideas."
On the rise: a 62 percent jump in community news and a 49 percent rise in state and local news -- especially in education -- where papers are arguably the most indispensable. Ninety-seven percent of editors at the 259 papers surveyed called local news "very essential" to their product.
With the business being squeezed by declining revenue and circulation, six in 10 papers reported that they cut full-time staff in the past three years -- a figure that rises to 85 percent at newspapers with daily sales over 100,000.
And how are readers reacting to these leaner publications?
Diane McFarlin, publisher of the Sarasota, Fla., Herald-Tribune, told the group she has gotten no letters of complaint about less local news or fewer investigative pieces. "What I get is hate mail about taking the TV listings, cutting the size of the crossword or moving the comics around. That's what enrages people."
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 21, 2008; C01
David Carr's latest subject is a pathetic human being, a thug, a manipulative jerk who uses people and puts his own kids in danger.
The New York Times media columnist is writing about himself.
He is unsparing as he rips the protective bark off his life, baring his past addictions to crack and alcohol and the utter depths to which he sank. He is selling a memoir -- "The Night of the Gun" -- built on self-flagellation, heaping abuse on himself and his weaknesses.
The former editor of Washington City Paper admits he is an unreliable narrator as he investigates the wreckage he left behind. Carr says he and his girlfriend Anna were smoking crack the day she gave birth to the premature twins he would raise for years on his own; she disputes that. He comes to doubt his own memory as past pals contradict the narrative in his head.
Why share this with the world? Carr, 51, isn't quite sure. "I ask myself that all the time," he says in an interview. "I still feel uneasy about it. It may well be a mistake."
Carr was fired from a series of jobs in Minneapolis as his life became consumed by coke snorting and dealing (not to mention dropping acid) while he checked in and out of rehab centers and kept getting arrested. His personal life was nothing to brag about, and he doesn't: "My duplicity around women was towering and chronic. I conned and manipulated myself into their beds and then treated them as human jewelry, something to be worn for effect."
But recounting exactly what happened is another story, which is why he uses the approach of interviewing people from his dark past, many from the mid-1980s. Carr recognizes that "the meme of abasement followed by salvation is a durable device in literature," but life is invariably more complicated. "Can I tell you a true story about the worst day of my life? No," he writes.
On that day, he recalls, his friend Donald, during a drug-induced argument, pulled a gun on him. Except that he tracked down Donald, who swears it was Carr who brandished the .38 special, and another friend who knew where Carr kept the weapon stashed. If Carr was wrong about that, he wonders, what else was he wrong about?
The story keeps getting worse: Carr beating up Anna, breaking one of her ribs and throwing her off a dock. Carr smacking around his other girlfriend, Doolie -- the two women didn't know about each other -- who called the police after he slapped her in the face: "I tortured her, mentally, verbally and, eventually, physically."
Friends and relatives warned him that detailing such repulsive behavior could damage his career, Carr concedes. "I just thought if I tried to sandpaper some corners, the whole thing would fall apart," he told me.
He wrote the book, he says, to help pay for his daughters' college tuition, and he videotaped the interviews for a companion Web site. While reporting the book "was more embarrassing than painful," Carr says, "parts of it were really uncomfortable. I hadn't seen the girls' mom in 10 years. It was scary to pull up to her place."
Now that he's written the book, he says, Anna "feels I threw her under the bus. I said: 'I'm right there with you. How did I get treated any better than you? I'm complicit in everything that happens.' " A few people wouldn't talk, including Carr's first wife, Kim, whom he married (and cheated on) before his drug use spun out of control: "Not only did she push me out of her life, she was happy to leave it that way."
Several months after Anna gave birth to their twins in 1988, Carr went into detox and then a six-month stint in rehab while the girls were placed in foster care. He emerged, won custody of the kids and tried to pull his life together, only to be sidelined by cancer of the immune system. But he beat the disease and started freelancing.
Somehow, Carr landed a job as editor of the Twin Cities Reader, where his management skills included complimenting a female staffer on her "nice rack." When he became editor of Washington City Paper in 1995, Carr, having grown up in "a land of white people who eat white food," says he found "Chocolate City" a mystery. He quickly stirred controversy with such headlines as "Black Hole: Why Isn't the Black Community Producing Leaders Worth Following?"
Carr married again, had another baby, moved to New York and, in 2002, began working at the Times, where his journalistic duties include covering the Oscars hoopla each year. At this point, the reader expects the memoir to sprint to a how-I-overcame-it-all finish. But that doesn't happen. After 14 years of sobriety, Carr starts drinking again, and occasionally doing coke.
"I decided I was going to be a nice suburban alcoholic, that I could be normal like other guys and go out for a pop after work," he says. "That didn't work out too well for me. I had to quit pretending I was normal."
One day, while sloshed, he drove his daughters to his weekend cabin in the Adirondacks and almost hit an oncoming car, saved only by their shouts. His wife, Jill Rooney Carr, begged him not to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and, as she feared, he drank his way through New Orleans. Carr suffered alcohol withdrawal, told a Times editor about his addiction and checked back into rehab.
The relapse strained relations with his wife and kids, as Carr acknowledges in the book. But Jill Carr says she's comfortable with his literary soul-baring.
"I married the man with that story and I knew 99 percent of it," she says. "We were very clear from the outset that this was something we'd have to live with. I'm not nervous. There are people who'll love it. Others will find it despicable. My true friends and family will always be there for us."
But some wounds are not so easily healed. Daughter Erin, now 20, is still angry at her dad for the near-accident in the car, "the most irresponsible thing you could ever do." The other, Meagan, tells him: "I knew you were going to screw up . . . but I never pictured you throwing your life away."
Times Executive Editor Bill Keller says the book only increased his respect for Carr. "Unlike so many memoirists who have been caught making things up, Dave went out and reported on his own life," he says. "A guy who pulls himself out of the swamp, keeps his demons in check, turns his career around and raises a loving family has demonstrated a kind of character that is in short supply these days."
Carr has been sober for nearly three years, though he's battling an addiction to cigarettes, but still considers himself one drink away from disaster. He has made plans to attend group counseling meetings while he is on book tour and covering the political conventions.
His past travails have not entirely escaped notice. Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Channel, for instance, has called Carr a "far-left zealot" and "former crack addict." Carr says that some sources, unhappy with his reporting, try to use his sordid history as leverage. And that, he says, is one more reason to publish the book.
"There is value in taking custody of the information," Carr says. "I am who I am and everyone knows it."
News You Can't Use
The incredible shrinking newspaper is starting to lose some of its old-fashioned foundations.
Nearly two-thirds of the papers surveyed by the Project for Excellence in Journalism have cut back on space for foreign news at a time when America is fighting two wars. Nearly half say they are devoting fewer resources to covering such stories; the Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer and Baltimore Sun have closed their remaining overseas bureaus in the past three years. A mere 10 percent say foreign news is "essential."
National news hasn't fared much better, with 57 percent of newspapers saying they have cut the space devoted to such issues. More than a third have reduced business coverage. Science and arts reporting is also shriveling. All this, says the project, "reduces the marketplace of ideas."
On the rise: a 62 percent jump in community news and a 49 percent rise in state and local news -- especially in education -- where papers are arguably the most indispensable. Ninety-seven percent of editors at the 259 papers surveyed called local news "very essential" to their product.
With the business being squeezed by declining revenue and circulation, six in 10 papers reported that they cut full-time staff in the past three years -- a figure that rises to 85 percent at newspapers with daily sales over 100,000.
And how are readers reacting to these leaner publications?
Diane McFarlin, publisher of the Sarasota, Fla., Herald-Tribune, told the group she has gotten no letters of complaint about less local news or fewer investigative pieces. "What I get is hate mail about taking the TV listings, cutting the size of the crossword or moving the comics around. That's what enrages people."
Damn there are alot of fucking rich people in Manhattan
Trends Will Be Trends
Five new story ideas for NYT Style reporter Guy Trebay
By Justin Peters
Wed 16 Jul 2008 12:16 PM
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Comments
Single page
I really hope that New York Times reporter Guy Trebay is working on a follow-up to his Sunday Styles piece (“Hey, Big Spender, Flying My Way?”) about the new breed of hitchhikers: wealthy people who sometimes fly on private airplanes owned by their wealthy friends. Kerouac this ain’t:
Leonard Tallerine, the independent oil and gas producer, and his wife, Janet, routinely extend their hospitality to pals on their frequent “short hops” between their houses in Houston, East Hampton and New Orleans.
“Our attitude is, ‘We’re going, there’s room, so come,’ ” Mr. Tallerine said.
Rich people who own airplanes sometimes let their friends travel with them on those planes—who woulda thunk it? Anyway, if Trebay is looking for more hot trends to spotlight, I’ve got some suggestions:
Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?: An increasing number of Upper West Siders, when they sit down for their evening meal, are inviting friends to come and eat with them as “dinner guests.” Often these events turn into “dinner parties” that can feed twenty guests at a time—none of whom are paying for a thing! “Our attitude is, ‘We’ve got extra placemats and plenty of bacon-wrapped dates, so come,’” said Samuel Lane, a hedge fund manager and dinner enthusiast.
Stay With Me: These days, people who own weekend houses in the Hamptons often invite people to come and stay with them in those houses. What’s the catch? To wangle an invite, you have to know the owner. It’s “the new squatting,” says Harry Lehr, an experienced house guest. But there are boundaries to this generosity: “Try not to walk around like you own the place,” said Lehr. “Unless you’re playing charades, in which case anything goes.”
Knick Knack, Paddy Whack, Give A Dog A Skybox Seat: Many people who own skyboxes at Madison Square Garden are inviting their friends and business associates to come and watch the Knicks with them—for free! “They’re all looking to see the game, of course, but they’re also looking for the quote unquote free pizza buffet,” said one social observer, referring to the warm elation skybox guests feel when they learn that food is gratis. But don’t eat all the pizza before your hosts get a chance to chow, or else you might be bounced down to the 300 level with the rest of Knicks Nation. “Come hungry, but not too hungry,” is one veteran game-goer’s advice. “And stay away from the nachos after halftime.”
Pool Party: The wet set—those fortunate Manhattanites who have access to a private pool—are, more and more often, inviting their friends to come over and dive right in. “Our attitude is, ‘There’s plenty of water, we’ve got kickboards, so come,’” said Cookie Myers, insurance heiress and pool owner. But you’d better observe the rules of the game: “It’s sort of implicit that you should bring your own towel,” said one inveterate guest swimmer. “So I always bring a towel. Sometimes, I bring two.”
Put It On His Tab: Everybody loves a free drink, especially those New Yorkers who are the lucky participants in this summer’s latest trend—going to a tavern and letting a buddy buy your booze. “Our attitude is, ‘It’s happy hour, and I just got my tax rebate, so come,’” said Mark Faraday, tax refund recipient and alcohol liker. But careful not to overindulge: “Well drinks and domestics only. The imports are off limits,” said Faraday. “And, for Christ’s sake, don’t invite Kevin.”
CJR
Five new story ideas for NYT Style reporter Guy Trebay
By Justin Peters
Wed 16 Jul 2008 12:16 PM
Comments
Single page
I really hope that New York Times reporter Guy Trebay is working on a follow-up to his Sunday Styles piece (“Hey, Big Spender, Flying My Way?”) about the new breed of hitchhikers: wealthy people who sometimes fly on private airplanes owned by their wealthy friends. Kerouac this ain’t:
Leonard Tallerine, the independent oil and gas producer, and his wife, Janet, routinely extend their hospitality to pals on their frequent “short hops” between their houses in Houston, East Hampton and New Orleans.
“Our attitude is, ‘We’re going, there’s room, so come,’ ” Mr. Tallerine said.
Rich people who own airplanes sometimes let their friends travel with them on those planes—who woulda thunk it? Anyway, if Trebay is looking for more hot trends to spotlight, I’ve got some suggestions:
Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?: An increasing number of Upper West Siders, when they sit down for their evening meal, are inviting friends to come and eat with them as “dinner guests.” Often these events turn into “dinner parties” that can feed twenty guests at a time—none of whom are paying for a thing! “Our attitude is, ‘We’ve got extra placemats and plenty of bacon-wrapped dates, so come,’” said Samuel Lane, a hedge fund manager and dinner enthusiast.
Stay With Me: These days, people who own weekend houses in the Hamptons often invite people to come and stay with them in those houses. What’s the catch? To wangle an invite, you have to know the owner. It’s “the new squatting,” says Harry Lehr, an experienced house guest. But there are boundaries to this generosity: “Try not to walk around like you own the place,” said Lehr. “Unless you’re playing charades, in which case anything goes.”
Knick Knack, Paddy Whack, Give A Dog A Skybox Seat: Many people who own skyboxes at Madison Square Garden are inviting their friends and business associates to come and watch the Knicks with them—for free! “They’re all looking to see the game, of course, but they’re also looking for the quote unquote free pizza buffet,” said one social observer, referring to the warm elation skybox guests feel when they learn that food is gratis. But don’t eat all the pizza before your hosts get a chance to chow, or else you might be bounced down to the 300 level with the rest of Knicks Nation. “Come hungry, but not too hungry,” is one veteran game-goer’s advice. “And stay away from the nachos after halftime.”
Pool Party: The wet set—those fortunate Manhattanites who have access to a private pool—are, more and more often, inviting their friends to come over and dive right in. “Our attitude is, ‘There’s plenty of water, we’ve got kickboards, so come,’” said Cookie Myers, insurance heiress and pool owner. But you’d better observe the rules of the game: “It’s sort of implicit that you should bring your own towel,” said one inveterate guest swimmer. “So I always bring a towel. Sometimes, I bring two.”
Put It On His Tab: Everybody loves a free drink, especially those New Yorkers who are the lucky participants in this summer’s latest trend—going to a tavern and letting a buddy buy your booze. “Our attitude is, ‘It’s happy hour, and I just got my tax rebate, so come,’” said Mark Faraday, tax refund recipient and alcohol liker. But careful not to overindulge: “Well drinks and domestics only. The imports are off limits,” said Faraday. “And, for Christ’s sake, don’t invite Kevin.”
CJR
George O'Leary is a punk
College football Media day moments
UCF Coach George O'Leary still won't speak to Orlando Sentinel
Iliana Limon
Sentinel Staff Writer
July 21, 2008
UCF Coach George O'Leary declined to answer questions from the Orlando Sentinel and barred his players from granting interviews with the newspaper during Conference USA media day on Sunday.
He also refused to speak with other reporters if a representative from the Sentinel was present at the UCF table during the only session for print reporters at media day.
O'Leary said last week he would not speak with the Sentinel until the newspaper corrected errors in its coverage of Ereck Plancher's death.
The newspaper has asked UCF officials to outline the mistakes, but the school has declined to discuss the errors in detail.
Conference USA officials and Ryan Powell, the media relations representative for the UCF football team, attempted to mediate the situation and allow a reporter to sit at the UCF table without asking questions, but O'Leary would not change his stance.
"We are sensitive to the needs of the Orlando Sentinel to cover the University of Central Florida, and we're also sensitive to the passion Coach O'Leary brings to his job," Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said. "It's our hope that this issue can be resolved so that Central Florida fans can enjoy coverage of their team throughout the football season."
Crossfire
Conference USA has developed a reputation as being a high-powered offensive league.
Marshall Coach Mark Snyder said a lot of the schools could go through a major makeover, shifting the emphasis to defense.
"The league lost a lot of talented offensive players last year, and it seems like a lot of schools have a lot more depth on defense," he said. "There are some exceptions, but I think you're going to see a lot more good defensive teams."
Tulane Coach Bob Toledo, however, said offense still dictates the pace of Conference USA.
"In this league, No. 1, you'd better score a lot of points and, No. 2, you'd better have a good pass defense because there's some really strong passing offenses out there," he said.
Roster report
Southern Mississippi got a huge boost Friday when the NCAA Clearinghouse approved the academic credentials of WR DeAndre Brown, who was the No. 13-ranked player nationally by Scout.com and a Parade All-American. Brown was recruited by Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and LSU before the Mississippi product opted to stick close to home. . . . UTEP Coach Mike Price was the only coach who didn't attend the media day. Price had eye surgery earlier this month and was not allowed to fly for three weeks.
Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel
UCF Coach George O'Leary still won't speak to Orlando Sentinel
Iliana Limon
Sentinel Staff Writer
July 21, 2008
UCF Coach George O'Leary declined to answer questions from the Orlando Sentinel and barred his players from granting interviews with the newspaper during Conference USA media day on Sunday.
He also refused to speak with other reporters if a representative from the Sentinel was present at the UCF table during the only session for print reporters at media day.
O'Leary said last week he would not speak with the Sentinel until the newspaper corrected errors in its coverage of Ereck Plancher's death.
The newspaper has asked UCF officials to outline the mistakes, but the school has declined to discuss the errors in detail.
Conference USA officials and Ryan Powell, the media relations representative for the UCF football team, attempted to mediate the situation and allow a reporter to sit at the UCF table without asking questions, but O'Leary would not change his stance.
"We are sensitive to the needs of the Orlando Sentinel to cover the University of Central Florida, and we're also sensitive to the passion Coach O'Leary brings to his job," Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said. "It's our hope that this issue can be resolved so that Central Florida fans can enjoy coverage of their team throughout the football season."
Crossfire
Conference USA has developed a reputation as being a high-powered offensive league.
Marshall Coach Mark Snyder said a lot of the schools could go through a major makeover, shifting the emphasis to defense.
"The league lost a lot of talented offensive players last year, and it seems like a lot of schools have a lot more depth on defense," he said. "There are some exceptions, but I think you're going to see a lot more good defensive teams."
Tulane Coach Bob Toledo, however, said offense still dictates the pace of Conference USA.
"In this league, No. 1, you'd better score a lot of points and, No. 2, you'd better have a good pass defense because there's some really strong passing offenses out there," he said.
Roster report
Southern Mississippi got a huge boost Friday when the NCAA Clearinghouse approved the academic credentials of WR DeAndre Brown, who was the No. 13-ranked player nationally by Scout.com and a Parade All-American. Brown was recruited by Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and LSU before the Mississippi product opted to stick close to home. . . . UTEP Coach Mike Price was the only coach who didn't attend the media day. Price had eye surgery earlier this month and was not allowed to fly for three weeks.
Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Army Grad told he cannot go to the NFL and must serve active duty
Army grad won't get shot with Lions after change in military policy
Story Highlights
West Point graduate was Lions' seventh-round pick
Original policy would have allowed Campbell to serve as recruiter
Lions president received letter from military informing of change
DETROIT (AP) -- Caleb Campbell will not get a chance to play for the Detroit Lions because of a change in military policy.
Campbell was a seventh-round draft pick for the Lions in April. At the time, Army policy would have allowed the West Point graduate to serve as a recruiter if he made the team.
But a subsequent Department of Defense policy has superseded the 2005 Army policy.
In a letter to Lions president Matt Millen dated Wednesday, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jonathan P. Liba wrote that Campbell has been ordered to give up professional football for "full-time traditional military duties."
Liba wrote that 2nd Lt. Campbell may ask to be released from his active duty obligations in May 2010.
Liba said Campbell was allowed to enter the draft "in good faith."
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Story Highlights
West Point graduate was Lions' seventh-round pick
Original policy would have allowed Campbell to serve as recruiter
Lions president received letter from military informing of change
DETROIT (AP) -- Caleb Campbell will not get a chance to play for the Detroit Lions because of a change in military policy.
Campbell was a seventh-round draft pick for the Lions in April. At the time, Army policy would have allowed the West Point graduate to serve as a recruiter if he made the team.
But a subsequent Department of Defense policy has superseded the 2005 Army policy.
In a letter to Lions president Matt Millen dated Wednesday, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jonathan P. Liba wrote that Campbell has been ordered to give up professional football for "full-time traditional military duties."
Liba wrote that 2nd Lt. Campbell may ask to be released from his active duty obligations in May 2010.
Liba said Campbell was allowed to enter the draft "in good faith."
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
McCain's Op-ed rejected for The NYT
From the Los Angeles Times
RED PEN, SILVER LINING
N.Y. Times rejects McCain opinion piece
The essay, about Iraq, was supposed to counter one by Obama.
July 22, 2008
John McCain has felt the sting of rejection for what he no doubt considered a finely wrought piece of prose (we know the feeling). But it appears that for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee (and perhaps one of his ghost writers), all's well that ends well.
As first reported on the Drudge Report, the New York Times rejected an opinion piece submitted by McCain that sought to counter an essay on Iraq by Barack Obama that appeared -- prominently -- on the paper's Op-Ed page July 14.
"I'm not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written," a Times editor, David Shipley, informed the McCain campaign, according to Drudge.
Shipley, in requesting a rewrite from the McCain camp, elaborated that Obama's offering "worked for me because it offered new information; . . . while Sen. Obama discussed Sen. McCain, he also went into detail about his own plans." For a parallel piece to pass his muster, Shipley added, it "would have to articulate, in concrete terms, how Sen. McCain defines victory in Iraq."
In a written statement Monday, the New York Times also said that it "is standard procedure on our Op-Ed page, and that of other newspapers, to go back and forth with an author on his or her submission."
"We look forward to publishing Sen. McCain's views in our paper just as we have in the past," the statement added, noting that the newspaper has published "at least seven Op-Ed pieces by Sen. McCain since 1996."
Shipley may have been on slippery ground in touting the "new information" that Obama had provided; little leaps out in a rereading. Indeed, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee introduced several of his specifics with the phrases "As I've said many times" and "As I have often said."
The Drudge post asserts that the rebuff "has ignited explosive charges of media bias in top Republican circles."
It's possible that top Republicans are delighted to have a fresh reason to flog a newspaper that is a tried-and-true target for conservatives. And the flap probably has called far more attention to the McCain article -- run in its entirety by Drudge -- than would have been the case had it cropped up, without fanfare, inside the Times.
--
Don Frederick
Frederick is one of the writers of The Times' political blog, Top of the Ticket, at latimes.com/topoftheticket.
RED PEN, SILVER LINING
N.Y. Times rejects McCain opinion piece
The essay, about Iraq, was supposed to counter one by Obama.
July 22, 2008
John McCain has felt the sting of rejection for what he no doubt considered a finely wrought piece of prose (we know the feeling). But it appears that for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee (and perhaps one of his ghost writers), all's well that ends well.
As first reported on the Drudge Report, the New York Times rejected an opinion piece submitted by McCain that sought to counter an essay on Iraq by Barack Obama that appeared -- prominently -- on the paper's Op-Ed page July 14.
"I'm not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written," a Times editor, David Shipley, informed the McCain campaign, according to Drudge.
Shipley, in requesting a rewrite from the McCain camp, elaborated that Obama's offering "worked for me because it offered new information; . . . while Sen. Obama discussed Sen. McCain, he also went into detail about his own plans." For a parallel piece to pass his muster, Shipley added, it "would have to articulate, in concrete terms, how Sen. McCain defines victory in Iraq."
In a written statement Monday, the New York Times also said that it "is standard procedure on our Op-Ed page, and that of other newspapers, to go back and forth with an author on his or her submission."
"We look forward to publishing Sen. McCain's views in our paper just as we have in the past," the statement added, noting that the newspaper has published "at least seven Op-Ed pieces by Sen. McCain since 1996."
Shipley may have been on slippery ground in touting the "new information" that Obama had provided; little leaps out in a rereading. Indeed, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee introduced several of his specifics with the phrases "As I've said many times" and "As I have often said."
The Drudge post asserts that the rebuff "has ignited explosive charges of media bias in top Republican circles."
It's possible that top Republicans are delighted to have a fresh reason to flog a newspaper that is a tried-and-true target for conservatives. And the flap probably has called far more attention to the McCain article -- run in its entirety by Drudge -- than would have been the case had it cropped up, without fanfare, inside the Times.
--
Don Frederick
Frederick is one of the writers of The Times' political blog, Top of the Ticket, at latimes.com/topoftheticket.
UVA Tackle Brandon Albert Signs his Deal
Features
Chiefs Agree to Terms with T Branden Albert
Kansas City Chiefs President Carl Peterson announced on Thursday that the club has agreed to terms of a five-year contract with T Branden Albert. As per Chiefs policy, no other terms of the agreement were made available.
The Chiefs have now agreed to terms with 10 of their 12 draft picks from the 2008 draft class. Albert joins second-round pick CB Brandon Flowers (35th overall), third-round selections RB Jamaal Charles (73rd overall), TE Brad Cottam (76th overall) and S DaJuan Morgan (82nd overall), fourth-round pick WR Will Franklin (105th overall), fifth-round selection CB Brandon Carr (140th overall), sixth-round picks T Barry Richardson (170th overall) and WR Kevin Robinson (182nd overall) and seventh-round pick DE Brian Johnston (210th overall) as Chiefs signees.
Albert (6-5, 316) joined the Chiefs as the club’s second of two first-round selections (15th overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft. He started all 37 games he appeared in at Virginia. He registered 94 knockdowns and 21 key blocks in touchdown resulting drives in his final two seasons. Albert became the fourth freshman offensive lineman in school history to start a bowl game, earning third-team freshman All-American honors.
Albert started all 13 contests for the Cavaliers in 2007, logging 54 knockdowns and key blocks on twelve touchdown resulting drives. During his junior campaign, he graded out at 83.54 blocking consistency, while serving as a team captain. He earned first-team All-Alantic Coast Conference honors and was named third-team All-America by The NFL Draft Report and Associated Press.
The Glenn Burnie, Maryland native was a first-team All-Metro selection by the Baltimore Sun at Glenn Burnie High School. Albert was a two-way starter, producing 65 tackles as a senior.
Chiefs Agree to Terms with T Branden Albert
Kansas City Chiefs President Carl Peterson announced on Thursday that the club has agreed to terms of a five-year contract with T Branden Albert. As per Chiefs policy, no other terms of the agreement were made available.
The Chiefs have now agreed to terms with 10 of their 12 draft picks from the 2008 draft class. Albert joins second-round pick CB Brandon Flowers (35th overall), third-round selections RB Jamaal Charles (73rd overall), TE Brad Cottam (76th overall) and S DaJuan Morgan (82nd overall), fourth-round pick WR Will Franklin (105th overall), fifth-round selection CB Brandon Carr (140th overall), sixth-round picks T Barry Richardson (170th overall) and WR Kevin Robinson (182nd overall) and seventh-round pick DE Brian Johnston (210th overall) as Chiefs signees.
Albert (6-5, 316) joined the Chiefs as the club’s second of two first-round selections (15th overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft. He started all 37 games he appeared in at Virginia. He registered 94 knockdowns and 21 key blocks in touchdown resulting drives in his final two seasons. Albert became the fourth freshman offensive lineman in school history to start a bowl game, earning third-team freshman All-American honors.
Albert started all 13 contests for the Cavaliers in 2007, logging 54 knockdowns and key blocks on twelve touchdown resulting drives. During his junior campaign, he graded out at 83.54 blocking consistency, while serving as a team captain. He earned first-team All-Alantic Coast Conference honors and was named third-team All-America by The NFL Draft Report and Associated Press.
The Glenn Burnie, Maryland native was a first-team All-Metro selection by the Baltimore Sun at Glenn Burnie High School. Albert was a two-way starter, producing 65 tackles as a senior.
Airlines suck ass...
Practical Traveler | Frequent Flier Programs
The Miles Pile Up; Their Value Declines
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
ARE frequent-flier programs worth it anymore? That’s the question travelers are asking these days in light of the new charges for award tickets that were recently announced by major airlines.
Starting Aug. 15, Delta frequent fliers trying to use those hard-earned miles for award seats will have to pay a $25 fuel surcharge for travel between the 50 states and Canada and $50 for award tickets to international destinations including the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia. US Airways will levy similar booking charges for award tickets issued on or after Aug. 6. And last month, American Airlines began charging $5 just to make an online award reservation.
The charges are among the latest in a long litany of fees airlines have added in recent weeks as they struggle to break even amid rising fuel costs and other financial pressures. In a June statement, Delta Air Lines suggested that its new frequent-flier fees were temporary and could be rescinded should fuel prices subside. US Airways’ and American’s frequent-flier fees, however, were positioned as ticketing fees that, like the new checked-bag charges, are expected to remain in place for the long haul. (For a printable list of airline fees go to www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel, and click on “Airline fees: The ultimate guide.”)
Airlines have already been tweaking their loyalty programs in recent years, making miles harder to redeem, imposing shorter expiration periods and raising the number of miles required for certain awards.
But until now, frequent-flier award tickets were perhaps the one remaining perk in air travel that had few strings attached.
“Free ticket, free vacation, getaway for free. These programs have historically been marketed — and marketed aggressively — in exactly those terms, and this pulls the rug out from under that,” said Tim Winship, an editor for SmarterTravel.com and the publisher of FrequentFlier.com.
Indeed, now that airlines are charging outright for the so-called free tickets, some avid mile-collectors are questioning whether it even makes sense to remain in a loyalty program.
FlyerTalk.com, a Web site where travelers share tips about getting the most out of loyalty programs, has been buzzing about the new charges. “...wondering if it’s just me,” posted a FlyerTalk member who goes by the screen name newguy44890, it “seems earning miles is no longer worth it. with the email today from delta saying they are going to charge a fuel surcharge on reward tickets???? it takes me around 3 years to earn enough miles for a ticket and usually i have to use 50k for a reward ticket, on top of the no meals, and all the fees. ...”
Another member, biggestbopper, chimed in, “While I have around a million miles on various airlines, I am not making much effort to get many more.” The flier now collects hotel points using a Starwood American Express card so “at least I can still book a hotel room with the points,” and noted how difficult it was to secure a couple of business-class award tickets to Europe this summer: “it was quite a struggle, and I had to be so flexible I felt as though I were a contortionist.”
Despite the fees, elite frequent fliers still see value in loyalty programs, as brendog suggested on FlyerTalk’s forum: “Personally, the free tix mean next to nothing for me. I want upgrades, lounge access, and all of the other perks of status. On the other hand, I generally earn at least 2 or 3 free tix a year on each of the 3 main alliances, so I’m not particularly affected by the degradation in value. Anyhow, paying $100 for a flight on a free ticket is waaaay better than paying $1000 for purchasing the ticket. ...”
The math changes for people who earn miles primarily through mileage-based credit cards rather than frequent trips. The US Airways Dividend Miles Preferred card, for example, charges a $50 annual fee and offers one mile per $1 spent. A coveted “saver” award costs 25,000 miles for travel within and between the continental United States and Canada. If it takes you four years of spending to rack up enough miles for a free ticket ($6,250 a year), you will have paid $200 in annual fees just to earn those miles. Add in US Airways’ new award booking fees of $25 for domestic tickets, $35 for travel to Mexico or the Caribbean and $50 for Hawaii and international flights, and you will have effectively paid $225 to $250 in fees for the award ticket. Not bad if that trip to Las Vegas is priced at $350 on the open market.
But say you aren’t able to find a 25,000 award ticket for the dates you want to travel. You will need 50,000 miles for a premium coach award seat to Vegas. For that award, it will take you eight years of credit-card spending at the same rate of return to earn enough miles for the ticket and cost $425 to $450 in fees.
One alternative is to use a card that earns hotel points that can also be converted to miles. The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card, for example, lets you transfer hotel points to more than 30 major airlines on mostly a one-to-one basis. And for every 20,000 points you transfer to miles you get a 5,000 bonus.
Another option: Consider signing up for a credit card that offers cash back instead of miles. That way you can use that kickback to buy the ticket you actually want.
The Miles Pile Up; Their Value Declines
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
ARE frequent-flier programs worth it anymore? That’s the question travelers are asking these days in light of the new charges for award tickets that were recently announced by major airlines.
Starting Aug. 15, Delta frequent fliers trying to use those hard-earned miles for award seats will have to pay a $25 fuel surcharge for travel between the 50 states and Canada and $50 for award tickets to international destinations including the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia. US Airways will levy similar booking charges for award tickets issued on or after Aug. 6. And last month, American Airlines began charging $5 just to make an online award reservation.
The charges are among the latest in a long litany of fees airlines have added in recent weeks as they struggle to break even amid rising fuel costs and other financial pressures. In a June statement, Delta Air Lines suggested that its new frequent-flier fees were temporary and could be rescinded should fuel prices subside. US Airways’ and American’s frequent-flier fees, however, were positioned as ticketing fees that, like the new checked-bag charges, are expected to remain in place for the long haul. (For a printable list of airline fees go to www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel, and click on “Airline fees: The ultimate guide.”)
Airlines have already been tweaking their loyalty programs in recent years, making miles harder to redeem, imposing shorter expiration periods and raising the number of miles required for certain awards.
But until now, frequent-flier award tickets were perhaps the one remaining perk in air travel that had few strings attached.
“Free ticket, free vacation, getaway for free. These programs have historically been marketed — and marketed aggressively — in exactly those terms, and this pulls the rug out from under that,” said Tim Winship, an editor for SmarterTravel.com and the publisher of FrequentFlier.com.
Indeed, now that airlines are charging outright for the so-called free tickets, some avid mile-collectors are questioning whether it even makes sense to remain in a loyalty program.
FlyerTalk.com, a Web site where travelers share tips about getting the most out of loyalty programs, has been buzzing about the new charges. “...wondering if it’s just me,” posted a FlyerTalk member who goes by the screen name newguy44890, it “seems earning miles is no longer worth it. with the email today from delta saying they are going to charge a fuel surcharge on reward tickets???? it takes me around 3 years to earn enough miles for a ticket and usually i have to use 50k for a reward ticket, on top of the no meals, and all the fees. ...”
Another member, biggestbopper, chimed in, “While I have around a million miles on various airlines, I am not making much effort to get many more.” The flier now collects hotel points using a Starwood American Express card so “at least I can still book a hotel room with the points,” and noted how difficult it was to secure a couple of business-class award tickets to Europe this summer: “it was quite a struggle, and I had to be so flexible I felt as though I were a contortionist.”
Despite the fees, elite frequent fliers still see value in loyalty programs, as brendog suggested on FlyerTalk’s forum: “Personally, the free tix mean next to nothing for me. I want upgrades, lounge access, and all of the other perks of status. On the other hand, I generally earn at least 2 or 3 free tix a year on each of the 3 main alliances, so I’m not particularly affected by the degradation in value. Anyhow, paying $100 for a flight on a free ticket is waaaay better than paying $1000 for purchasing the ticket. ...”
The math changes for people who earn miles primarily through mileage-based credit cards rather than frequent trips. The US Airways Dividend Miles Preferred card, for example, charges a $50 annual fee and offers one mile per $1 spent. A coveted “saver” award costs 25,000 miles for travel within and between the continental United States and Canada. If it takes you four years of spending to rack up enough miles for a free ticket ($6,250 a year), you will have paid $200 in annual fees just to earn those miles. Add in US Airways’ new award booking fees of $25 for domestic tickets, $35 for travel to Mexico or the Caribbean and $50 for Hawaii and international flights, and you will have effectively paid $225 to $250 in fees for the award ticket. Not bad if that trip to Las Vegas is priced at $350 on the open market.
But say you aren’t able to find a 25,000 award ticket for the dates you want to travel. You will need 50,000 miles for a premium coach award seat to Vegas. For that award, it will take you eight years of credit-card spending at the same rate of return to earn enough miles for the ticket and cost $425 to $450 in fees.
One alternative is to use a card that earns hotel points that can also be converted to miles. The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card, for example, lets you transfer hotel points to more than 30 major airlines on mostly a one-to-one basis. And for every 20,000 points you transfer to miles you get a 5,000 bonus.
Another option: Consider signing up for a credit card that offers cash back instead of miles. That way you can use that kickback to buy the ticket you actually want.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
How can our oil not be sold to us? That's fucking criminal...
Breaking with an 18-year ban imposed by his father, President George W. Bush recently lifted an executive order prohibiting oil exploration in U.S. coastal waters. With that act, Bush said on July 15 at a Rose Garden news conference, "the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the U.S. Congress." Meanwhile, an organization led by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, American Solutions, is promoting a "Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less." campaign, collecting more than 1 million signatures to petition Congress to "act immediately to lower gasoline prices" by allowing exploration off America's coasts.
Told in political sound bites, the message is simple: Many people believe the U.S. has walled off a vast gold mine of oil in coastal areas that could be tapped to lower prices. "We have reserves that aren't being explored or developed, and this environment of high energy prices presents a great opportunity," says Charles Davidson, CEO of Houston-based Noble Energy (NBL), an oil and natural gas producer. He says it "would be a great win for the country" if Congress follows Bush's lead and lifts the ban.
The reality, as usual, is far more complicated. Drilling in the now-restricted areas would require years of extensive seismic research before a single rig could operate. Even then, companies would not embark on such massive projects unless the profitability were clear. What's more, the federal Energy Information Administration estimates that access to new U.S. deposits would not significantly affect overall domestic production for 22 years.
Still, the extreme crimp of high fuel prices has mobilized efforts to expand U.S. oil production. "If the ban is lifted, more studies can be done to find out where the best resources are," says Cathy Landry, a spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute. "Every day we wait is a day further from more oil production. We need to get started."
Enough to Make Us Energy-Independent?
How much oil and natural gas is there offshore? No one really knows. According to estimates from the Interior Dept.'s Minerals Management Service (MMS), the U.S. has roughly 18 billion undiscovered and technically recoverable bbl. of oil and 76 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Eric Potter, associate director of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin, says that if these areas are opened up now, by 2025, 1 million additional bbl. per day could potentially be added to the market. Using International Energy Agency demand forecasts, by 2030 this production would equal less than 5% of U.S. daily consumption, and less than 1% of global daily consumption. "It would certainly help," says Potter. "But it won't make us energy-independent."
Still, lifting the ban is politically popular among Americans desperate for action on soaring energy costs. Almost three-quarters of American adults "strongly" or "mildly" favored increased drilling for oil and natural gas in offshore water, according to a CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted on June 26-29, higher than in previous polling.
Potential Hot Spots
The oil-services industry is capitalizing on the political momentum, targeting several coveted areas where it wants the freedom to explore. One is the eastern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, where the MMS says about 3 billion bbl. of oil could be recovered. This area, which includes the natural gas-rich Destin Dome 30 miles from Pensacola, could prove most accessible because of existing equipment in other parts of the Gulf. In addition, there's the currently off-limits Atlantic coastline's estimated 3.8 billion recoverable bbl., and a potential 10 billion recoverable bbl. lie beneath currently off-limits Pacific waters.
The oil industry has been pressing lawmakers for access. The National Ocean Industries Assn. (NOIA), which represents 300 companies engaged in offshore oil and gas drilling, spent $200,000 in the first quarter, according to a disclosure form filed in the House. The group, whose members include drilling giants Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO) and Halliburton (HAL), used the money to press for lifting the offshore oil ban and on a variety of other issues. NOIA also includes companies that would more immediately benefit from more access: seismic exploration companies including CGGVeritas, WesternGeco, a subsidiary of oil-services firm Schlumberger PGS Geophysical.
Other industry groups eagerly support such a switch. "At today's [oil] price levels, there is lots of interest in offshore areas," says William Whitsitt, president of the American Exploration & Production Council, a trade group for independent oil companies including Devon Energy (DVN), Noble Energy, and Apache (APA). The American Petroleum Institute (API) also supports lifting the ban.
No Guarantee to Drill
But while companies and their lobbyists are gunning for access, there's no guarantee they'd ultimately produce more fossil fuels. First, seismic exploration data have not been updated for more than a quarter century, and extensive testing would be required before companies made decisions on capital allocations. And any oil that is recovered would go into the global marketplace—not directly into U.S. consumers' cars. (The API counters that new supplies anywhere would help to lower overall consumer prices.)
Democratic lawmakers are raising such arguments to oppose new production in coastal areas. They point to MMS data showing that 83% of the area now leased by energy companies in the Outer Continental Shelf is not producing energy. While there are 2,200 producing leases in that space, an additional 6,300 are nonproducing. Democrats have proposed the "Drill Act," which they say would spur exploration on already available lands in Alaska, the West, and the western Gulf of Mexico. "There may be good and sufficient reasons why the companies that lease this land are not producing oil from it, but I believe we need to ensure that there is diligent development of existing leases," Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), chair of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, told the Senate on July 16.
Noble Energy's Davidson disputes the notion that companies are intentionally not drilling on leased areas, citing the complexities of obtaining the proper government permits and seismic research. Also, wells selected for drilling may come up dry because of faulty data. "Energy companies are trying to pursue every idea we can," says Davidson. "I find the idea that leases are lying fallow a real stretch."
Conservative Companies
Meanwhile, some prominent politicians are beginning to support the idea of coastal drilling—or at least some aspects of it. Senator Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), for instance, says he supports more oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico but has not committed to domestic offshore drilling elsewhere. In June, Governor Charlie Crist (R-Fla.) reversed his long opposition to drilling off the state's coast, citing the financial pain high prices are inflicting.
With oil prices extremely volatile, companies are being conservative (BusinessWeek.com, 3/20/08) on their capital spending, fearful of an abrupt end to the bullish run. The uncertainty was highlighted the week of July 11-18, when crude oil futures tumbled (BusinessWeek.com, 7/17/08) more than 12%, to settle at $128.88 on July 18 from a July 11 record high above $147.
If the oil ever does flow from U.S. coastal areas, its ultimate destination offers another wrinkle to the issue. Crude oil sloshes around a vast global marketplace, where energy producers aim to secure the best price. That means U.S.-sourced crude could be sold anywhere a consumer is willing to pay more. Former Vice-President Al Gore, who opposes lifting the moratorium, raised that point at a July 17 news conference on energy policy. "You take an oil deposit right off the coast of California—that's more likely to be sold to China,— said Gore.
Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in New York.
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