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I am 44. As a kid in the 1970s, the only “luxury” we had from that list was central air conditioning, though my parents refused to run it because of the electricity expense–this, despite the fact that we lived in central Florida. I used to joke we had a dishwasher–me!
Nowadays, I do have all of those luxuries in my home, but I sure do miss the smell of clothes dried on the line in the breeze. And I only watch 2 or 3 of the hundreds of channels available on my TV satellite dish. And I wish I had time to linger over baking insteading of nuking my supper. However, I am the only person ...
James McLurkin is interested in distributed algorithms for multi-agent systems—that is, software that produces complex group behaviors from the interactions of many simple individuals. While multi-robot systems have been called “the future of a futuristic field,” these ideas aren’t new. Ants and bees have been using th...
Join McLurkin as he makes the case for large populations of robots with a live 12-robot demo, and goes “under the hood” of the algorithms that make them work.
This lecture will air on Friday March 16th at 10 AM and 8 PM here on 88.3 FM KCPW.
About the same time that Rupert Murdoch was telling shareholders that his beloved News Corp. had become the world's most valuable media conglomerate, the company's worth was in the midst of sinking by $1.53 billion.
But Friday's massive stock market sell-off didn't alter Murdoch's message. By the end of Friday trading, News Corp. sported a market capitalization of $67.79 billion, larger than Time Warner, the former biggest media company in the world.
Friday's stock market swoon, which sent the Dow Jones industrial average down nearly 377 points, or 2.6%, coincided with the 20th anniversary of Black Monday, when the Dow dropped 23% in a day.
Media companies held up much better Friday than did the broader markets, with The Hollywood Reporter Showbiz 50 index falling a relatively scant 1.8%. Still, the media conglomerates took their lumps. Disney saw $1.9 billion in value disappear, Sony lost $1.59 billion, and Time Warner, like News Corp., dropped by $1.53 ...
When it was all said and done Friday, the list of the world's largest media conglomerates, based on market cap, looked like this: News Corp. was first at $67.79 billion, followed by Time Warner ($67.32 billion), Disney ($65.62 billion), Sony ($45.29 billion), Viacom ($26.98 billion) and CBS ($21.11 billion).
Throwing a wrinkle into that order is Google, which some might consider a "media" company and which sports a whopping $201.24 billion market cap. When most stocks were tumbling Friday, Google was rising. Most analysts, however, categorize Google — parent of YouTube and the world's premier online search destination — as...
Likewise, when cable TV company Comcast is thrown into the mix, it also outranks all the conglomerates, sporting a market cap of $72.5 billion.
Also clouding the issue of which company is biggest is the matter of "market cap" itself, which is basically the amount of money one would have to pay to acquire every share of stock in a particular company. Some on Wall Street, though, prefer to judge a company's size by its revenue.
In terms of revenue, Sony tops the list, but again, the issue is murky because some prefer to put Sony in the consumer goods category; because, while it is home to Sony Pictures and Sony BMG Music, it also makes the PlayStation and a slew of other consumer electronics devices.
After Sony and its $70.3 billion in annual revenue comes Times Warner ($43.7 billion), Disney ($34.29 billion), News Corp. ($28.66 billion), CBS ($14.32 billion) and Viacom ($11.47 billion).
NBC Universal's revenue in 2006 was $16.12 billion, making up just 10% of overall revenue for parent company General Electric.
Every year, Forbes magazine and others use their own formula for ranking the world's biggest companies. Forbes, using a combination of revenue, profit, assets and market cap, determined in March that Time Warner was the largest media company, followed by Disney, Comcast and News Corp.
That News Corp. now ranks No. 1 in market value is no surprise to some analysts who have been bullish on News Corp. all year, touting such well-performing assets as the Fox News Channel and the MySpace Internet property.
But before Murdoch toots his horn too loudly over News Corp.'s market-cap dominance, he should know that his victory has been less about his gains and more about the competition's losses. That's because News Corp. shares are up just 2.3% so far this year, while Time Warner shares have lost 16.8% and Disney shares are d...
Bellevue, NE – On September 11, 2001 some Nebraskans could not believe their eyes. Overhead was Air Force One, one of the few planes still allowed to fly that day, gliding in for a landing at Offutt Air Force Base.
NET News spoke to two men who experienced first-hand, the terse and unnerving day when the President found a safe haven in Nebraska. They have never shared their stories publicly before.
On September 11, 2001, two things highlighted the schedule of the Commander of the United States Strategic Command. First: greeting dignitaries on hand for an event with Warren Buffett. Second: monitor a major war game exercise in which America would fight a fictional nuclear war. That’s when Admiral Richard Meis got t...
Ironically, because of the war game under way, the Command Center was fully-operational even before the first plane hit. STRATCOM was already at battle stations.
“30 minutes … after the second airplane hit, it was just total chaos,” said Al Buckles, who worked as the Deputy Director for Operations and Logistics with the Strategic Command in 2001: the Commander’s top civilian advisor.
“And so it’s a just a real Wild West thing going on here for a couple of hours,” Buckles said.
As always, STRATCOM’s most important job was keeping the President in contact with his military.
The war game abruptly ended just before a third plane hit the Pentagon. Buckles and Admiral Meis monitored military communications and network news coverage as President Bush flew out of Florida. By midmorning, Air Force One was using the STRATCOM base in Louisiana to speak to the nation.
“Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward,” announced President Bush to a reeling country.
It was not long after that Admiral Meis got the call.
Stratcom 9/11: A Different Doomsday, an NET News documentary by Bill Kelly, will air for a special screening at Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, NE Sept. 8.
The next step was to implement the by-the-book plans to receive the commander in chief, according to Al Buckles.
STRATCOM’s computer and communications team moved quickly. Team member Chad Vann understood that never before was secrecy so critical.
Only military aircraft were authorized to be airborne over America when Air Force One glided over Bellevue, Nebraska that afternoon.
There is only about ten minutes of footage of the President’s stop at Offutt. It shows a grim George W. Bush stepping off Air Force One, saluting the guards. Admiral Meis, in his khaki battle flight suit, shakes hands. Bush pats him on the back. You can see the motorcade drive past the elaborate front entrance of STRAT...
The President was brought in the back door. Civilian advisor, Al Buckles was there.
President Bush spent about 15 minutes in the theater sized Command Center. From there he was taken to a super-secure Video Teleconference Room where he could see and talk to his National Security Team.
Of the half dozen photos released by the White House from that day, one shows the President in a sparse, white room flanked by his Chief of Staff and STRATCOM Commander Meis.
“It was interesting from my standpoint that most of the discussion focused on the importance of and the desire of the President to get back to Washington, to reassure the American people, re-instill confidence,” Meis said.
By the end of that phone call, the President got the Secret Service and his staff to agree to get him back to Washington.
Al Buckles, the civilian STRATCOM advisor, felt the Command did it’s job well that day.
STRATCOM provided one last essential service that afternoon. The Commands Airborne Command Post, a plane used in wartime emergencies that looks much like Air Force One, was for the first time ever deployed as a decoy.
The President’s plane took off a short time later, safely delivering him back to Washington, where to spoke to a still shocked and hurting nation.
To see photos and extended interviews, visit Stratcom 9:11 – A Different Doomsday, and watch the documentary on NET 1.
When Are the 2014 Grammys?
With Blake Shelton, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson all set to play the Grammys, country fans are anxiously awaiting music's biggest night. But ... when are the 2014 Grammy Awards?
The 2014 Grammys will air live via CBS on Jan. 26 at 8PM ET, and the stars' performance will be what they're calling an ultimate 'Grammy Moment.' Two-time Grammy winner Haggard, seven-time Grammy winner Nelson, three-time Grammy winner and 2014 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Kris Kristofferson a...
This is Haggard's very first time performing on the Grammy stage.
Pop sensations Lorde, Katy Perry and Daft Punk are confirmed to perform during the 56th annual awards show, as are country's own Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift.
The 2014 Grammy Awards will once again be hosted by LL Cool J, and many country stars are nominated for awards. Swift, Miranda Lambert and Musgraves are among some of the women nominated, while Tim McGraw, Lee Brice and Hunter Hayes could also leave with trophies.
The night following the Grammys will also be a special night as a salute to the Beatles is presented on CBS. John Mayer andUrban are teaming up to pay tribute to the group. More details on the show are here.
In 1997, the Labour Party ruled out any state regulations on encryption. Now the government ponders a new policy which could affect the privacy of everybody using e-mail and the Internet.
As the battle over encryption rages, most people still don't understand how it works. Find out here.
Civil liberties organisations say that encryption is the key to privacy and liberty in the information age.
The electronic age has made crime more sinister and harder to prevent. Without a strict encryption policy, law enforcement agencies say it is impossible to control.
Through May, South Florida trade with the world was down $2.23 billion to $45.47 billion, a decline of 4.67 percent from the same period in 2014. That’s the lowest level through the first five months since 2011. U.S. trade, meanwhile, is down a similar percentage — 4.44 percent — with overall trade down $71.66 billion ...
Second, the seismic changes in oil and gasoline trade continue to reverberate. For the first time in a decade, oil is not the leading import into the United States at this stage of the year. In addition, it is not likely to be by the end of the year for the first time in 20 years.
Oil imports into the United States are down $52.81 billion through May — a decline that is more than South Florida’s total trade with the world — and an astonishing 49.22 percent drop. The new No. 1 is the same No. 1 from this time in 2004: Motor vehicles.
Third, a change that offers some hope — and it’s not really a change at all. Los Angeles, which trailed New York City in the ranking of the nation’s leading Customs districts through the first four months of the year, passed it in May. That’s the change.
Here’s why it’s not a change: Los Angeles often starts the year trailing New York City but generally slips past it within the first four to five months. And here’s why it offers hope: When the United States is importing through Los Angeles, it is because Americans are buying. If Americans are buying, the economy is gen...
Fourth, as South Florida’s trade with China increases — it now ranks third behind No. 1 Brazil and No. 2 Colombia — the region’s long-standing reign as nation’s king of the trade surplus will likely come to an end. For every dollar of trade with China, seven cents is a South Florida export. For every dollar of South Fl...
Through the first five months of 2015, Seattle has a larger trade surplus than does South Florida. Seattle, home to the majority of Boeing’s manufacturing, has been the only Customs district to surpass South Florida over the course of the last two decades and only sporadically until recently. This year, however, Housto...
Fifth, South Florida imports in two categories suggest that we need not worry about the wealthy. Aircraft imports into South Florida — and these are smaller, regional aircraft or private-use jets rather than large commercial jets — are up 39.08 percent in value this year, when compared to last year. Aircraft imports ar...
The other import that suggests we need not worry about the wealthy, or at least the comfortable, is yachts and other pleasure craft. These imports have increased 128 percent from the same five-month period of 2014. In this category, South Florida leads the nation. Most of these boats have inboard motors and are at leas...
Sixth, South Florida remains the nation’s No. 12-ranked trade partner, about where it has found itself most of the last two decades, with nominal fluctuation. It did rank No. 10 at the bottom of the global recession, as it became a major hub for gold imports — largely from Mexico and Colombia at the time — and exports ...
Seventh, a troubling sign: South Florida exports to Brazil are down $949.25 million, or 18.19 percent, this year. That’s a steep decline and proof, if anyone needed it, that Brazil’s economy is challenged. South Florida is the nation’s No. 1 gateway for U.S.-Brazil trade.
Eighth, a less troubling big drop: South Florida imports from Costa Rica are off $1.25 billion. Overall South Florida imports are off less, $1.21 billion. The steep decline is, as previously discussed, due to imports from computer chips that decreased as Intel moved much of its manufacturing to Malaysia. Otherwise, Sou...
Ninth, France has jumped into South Florida’s top 10 behind the strength of aircraft and perfume imports.
And No. 10, Greece’s trade through May was at its highest since 2009, its rank up seven positions from 2014, to No. 79. Don’t expect that to last, given the turmoil in its economy.
A third down year for South Florida trade?
Andy Awford will this morning assess the fitness of Jack Whatmough before finalising his side for Northampton.
The teenager missed the weekend draw against Oxford with a knock, with Ben Chorley slotting in as his replacement.
The Blues went on to pick up a goalless draw against Michael Appleton’s side, with a fifth clean sheet in seven matches.
Whatmough is now battling to make it for tonight’s trip to Northampton (7.45pm), although Awford will run the rule over him in training this morning.
Yet, at present, the youngster is rated as 50/50.
‘Jack will go out there on the training ground this morning. If we can add him to the squad great, if we can’t we can’t,’ said Awford.
‘I would say Jack is bang on 50/50 and we will assess that this morning.
‘Defensively, we were solid again as a team on Saturday.
Wes Fogden is once again in the frame for the match-day 18 as he continues his return from injury.
James Dunne serves the second of his two-match ban, although Paul McCallum is available once again having served his seven-match suspension.
McCallum – who has recently spent time back at parent club West Ham United – is short of match fitness and Awford indicated the striker will not be considered for tonight’s fixture.
Meanwhile, Tom Craddock has still to return to training after being taken out for three weeks in his on-going comeback from a serious knee injury.
Awford added: ‘Tom is still in his rehabilitation.
‘He had a three-week lay off, which was always planned, and was back out there yesterday doing some work with the physios.
‘You would like to think he will go back into training sessions quite soon, but he’s still a little bit away yet.
‘They needed to give him that break because of the injury. He needed that pause to allow his body to recover and ensure he didn’t pick up anything else.
‘But he will be back out there soon, hopefully, joining in the training sessions and then off he goes again and we will take it from there.
‘We have plenty of reserve games coming up for him to play in, including two in one week sometime next month.
Signing off to join an Israel-led economic and military alliance in an area replete with conflict, is a terribly irresponsible move, even for politically inexperienced and opportunistic politicians.
Greece today is still reeling from its reckless financial decisions from decades earlier.
The people are forced to pay for the gambling losses and leveraged debts of the financial sector. We are witnessing the re-enserfment of Western peoples.
No country with assets inside the Western system can afford to have policy differences with Washington.
The agenda of the EU and the central bank is to terminate the fiscal independence of EU member states by turning tax and budget policy over to the EU itself.
If the Greek government had any sense, it would simply default.
If the Greek government has the sense to default to those who are determined to exploit and to destroy Greece, Italy and Spain will follow.
It would seem to be an urgent need for all of Europe to determine the facts and devise pan European policies to deal with the impending crisis.
The Greek Tragedy: Some things not to forget, which the new Greek leaders have not.
The fact that Syriza leaders, for some time, have made no secret of their affinity for Russia is reason enough to seal their fate.
The kind of austerity that is demanded of Greece and other European peoples is the kind that produces revolutions.
Like people throughout history, the American people are being turned into serfs and slaves because the fools believe the lies that are fed to them.
A U.S. Army major, his wife and sister were indicted on Wednesday in a suspected scheme to accept millions of dollars in bribes for Defense Department contracts in Iraq and Kuwait.

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