The Fortune God

Videogum.com recounts one beach bum's reaction:

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 05:54 PM PST

It used to be that Hollywood could sell a movie with a simple trailer, a movie poster, and some billboards. Those days are gone.

Click here to see some of the most outside-the-box campaigns >>

As DVRs continue to undermine television commercials, people spend more time online, and young people become more jaded toward traditional advertising media, studios needed to find another way to grab the attention of the movie going public.

Overwhelmingly, their solution to the problem has gone something like this: reach fans online or in the real world and present them with something that causes them to question it's validity.

The Blair Witch Project, on its shoe-string budget, was one of the first to employ such tactics. Since then, studios seem to raise the stakes each year, creating bigger and more involved stunts. This year, the ad agency for the movie Chronicle constructed a set of motorized gliders that made it appear as if three people were flying over New York.

Campaigns need to be outrageous enough to make people stop and stare (and send it to their friends via Facebook), but can't be so over-the-top that it's obvious it's an ad.

Chronicle

At the end of January, hundreds of New Yorkers were fooled into believing that three people were flying over their city's most beloved landmarks.In fact, what they were seeing were people-shaped air crafts flying around the city to promote the movie Chronicle.

Thinkmodo, the agency who created the stunt, was inspired by the three main characters in the film whom all have the ability to fly.

While only a small number of people saw the actual stunt, videos quickly started circling the web and the film was first at the box office its opening weekend.

Zombieland

"What do you want? Brains. When do you want them? Now." The cry could be heard as a crowd of the undead walked the streets during Comic Con 2009.

While not out of the ordinary these days, especially with the success of "The Walking Dead", zombie walks were unique when Sony sponsored this one to promote their comedy Zombieland.

What started as a stunt at ComicCon, spread across the country, as Sony offered free advanced screenings of the movie in select cities. There was no cost for the screening, but viewers were asked to dress in their zombie best and participate in the zombie walk up to the theater.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

During 4th of July weekend in 2009, beach goers at the Jersey Shore had a guest drop in, literally. Instead of using the traditional airplane-pulled banner to market the film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Joe actually rode in on a helicopter.

"It was very cool as it felt like GI Joe had come to life for me and [it was] effective as EVERYONE I ran into on the Jersey Shore was talking about it."

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 05:46 PM PST

If ever you needed an illustration of the absurdity of the U.S. patent system, just check out the four things Apple just sued Samsung for.

They're all smartphone-related.

Samsung has just come out with a phone called the "Galaxy Nexus" that some people think is better than the iPhone.

And Apple is claiming that the Galaxy Nexus not only poses a huge threat to Apple but ripped off several patented aspects of the iPhone. So Apple is demanding a "preliminary injunction" to stop Samsung from selling the phone.

(It won't get one, but when you have unlimited millions to pay lawyers to harass competitors, you might as well ask for the kitchen sink.)

Anyway, per Ian Sherr and Jessica Vascellaro in the WSJ, here are the things Apple says Samsung ripped off:

The "slide-to-unlock" feature in which you unlock your touch-screen phone by sliding your finger across the screen.
Searching multiple sources of information at once, which is something that Apple's Siri gimmick does when it's trying to provide information to you
Detecting phone numbers in emails so you can just tap the number to call someone (a highly useful feature).
A built-in spell-check that suggests alternatives when you misspell something.

Now, did Samsung rip these features off?

Assuming Apple was the first to use them in a smartphone, almost certainly. (The search-multiple-sources and auto-suggest have obviously been used on the web and in word-processing programs for years, but perhaps our patent system is ridiculous enough to confine a patent to mobile use. The slide-to-unlock and auto-detect features may be new).

Competitors rip each other's features off all the time, of course, and they don't sue each other for patent violations.

Apple, however, appears to try patent every tiny little feature it thinks up, and, our patent system appears to be absurd enough to have granted Apple patents on all of these tiny little features. And once you've paid lawyers all that money to get you the patent, you might as well pay lawyers a bunch more money to sue people for violating the patent, even if the feature never should have been patent-able in the first place.

Where this latest Apple-Samsung lawsuit lead? The same place the other(s) have led.

Assuming Apple really does have patents on these features, the lawsuit will probably lead to millions of dollars in legal fees on both sides followed by Samsung paying Apple a bunch of money in a settlement in a few years. And because Samsung will no doubt be suing Apple for something at the same time, there will be more millions in legal fees and settlements going the other way.

Meanwhile, consumers will keep buying Apple and Samsung smartphones, which, thankfully, will quickly copy the best features of one another.

(Should some things be patent-able? Of course. Should a mobile auto-suggest spell-checker be patentable in 2012? Absolutely not.)

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 05:39 PM PST

Following the financial crisis, there's been an upsurge in people calling for a return to a gold-backed currency.

It's now become a popular idea in mainstream political circles.

In a new post, economist James Hamilton nicely lays out the case against gold, specifically aiming at folks like Newt Gingrich and Jim Grant.

First, he shows this chart of short-term commercial paper in the years 1857-1937.

Up until 1933 the US was on a gold standard, and well... if you think that this was an era of financial market stability, you're clearly wrong. The volatility was wild, and the period was dominated by panics, recessions, and financial crises.

Then Hamilton walks through the real, practical problem of a gold-based currency.

One of the problems with the gold standard is that when the real value of gold changes (as it does all the time) and the dollar price of an ounce of gold is fixed (as it must be by definition under a gold standard), that means dollar prices have to adjust in response to anything that happens to the gold market. With the economic and financial turbulence of the late 1920s and early 1930s, there was a big increase in the relative price of gold.

For example, to get an ounce of gold in 1929, a farmer would need to deliver a little over a hundred pounds of cotton. By 1932, it would take more than three times as much cotton to get that same ounce of gold. Whereas 18 bushels of wheat would be enough to buy an ounce of gold in 1929, you would have needed more than twice as much wheat to get gold in 1932. And since the price of gold in terms of dollars was fixed between 1929 and 1932, that means you'd need to produce about three times as many pounds of cotton or two times as many bushels of wheat in order to earn one dollar in 1932 as you would have needed to earn one dollar in 1929.

And thus the problem..

And those changes in the dollar valuation of the real goods that people produced meant an extra burden on farmers who owed debts denominated in dollars and added pressure to reduce the dollar wages paid to workers, all of which contributed to the magnitude of the downturn.

So the bottom line is that gold fails on all accounts. It's not good for financial stability, and it's not good for the real economy.

Read Hamilton's full post here.

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 05:07 PM PST

Whitney Houston wasn't just the best-selling R&B artist of the 20th Century.

She also used her compelling screen presence for a string of TV commercials for brands such as AT&T, Diet Coke and Sanyo.

At a very early stage of her career, before she was famous, she appeared in a 1983 campaign for Canada Dry.

And like a lot of American stars who need money but who don't want to damage their artistic credibility in the West, she made a couple of Japanese commercials that weren't seen in the U.S.

This, then, is her commercial back catalog.

Canada Dry - 1983

Diet Coke - 1986

Sanyo - 1990

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 04:07 PM PST

With a hurdle cleared in Greece, markets are heading higher.

S&P futures are up modestly, as is the Aussie market, which is up 0.2%.

Nothing special, really, but at the moment anyway, the nerves of Friday seem to be calmed.

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 04:04 PM PST

Monday opens a busy, albeit slower, earnings week, with companies like Regal Entertainment reporting. It will be a light data day as well, with Asia and Europe fueling news. There are no major economic announcements scheduled in the U.S.

Here's what you need to know.

Japan starts the day off early with a preliminary reading of fourth quarter GDP at 6:50 p.m. EST on Sunday evening. Economists predict a contraction in the country of 0.3 percent during the quarter.
Australia continues the Pacific announcements at 7:30 p.m. EST, with new home loans, which are forecast to gain 1.8 percent during the month. That's an acceleration from November's 1.4 rise.
Economic announcements go quiet until 2:00 a.m. EST on Monday, when Germany reports wholesale prices. The index last showed a no increase in December.
Romanian and Slovak January consumer prices follow at 3:00 a.m. EST, with forecasts for a 0.6 percent and 0.9 percent increase, respectively. The two countries both saw small rises in December.
Swiss producer and import prices are seen increasing by 0.2 percent in January, which would still be 2.2 percent below year-ago levels. The release is scheduled for 3:15 a.m. EST.
At 8:00 a.m. EST, Polish exports and imports will be announced. Consensus from 14 economists polled by Bloomberg expect both to slow from November, with exports at €10.7 billion and imports at €11.6 billion. However, those figures both represent gains on year ago movements.
Attention shifts to Mexico at 9:00 a.m. EST for industrial production. Economists forecast that manufacturing will gain 0.5 percent in December from November.

Below, a roundup of tomorrow's big announcers.

Regal Entertainment Group (RGC): $0.04
Masco (MAS): -$0.02
Rackspace Hosting (RAX): $0.15
Lender Processing Services (LPS): $0.58
Health Management Associates (HMA): $0.20

Consensus estimates provided by Bloomberg.

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 03:46 PM PST

The Greek parliament just passed its latest austerity vote, but not without significant internal disagreement.

As such, the main parties have just culled several MPs from their ranks.

Here are a few tweets from Ekathimerini editor Nick Malkoutzis.

This is why these votes pass in the end: The parties have a lot of whipping power over their members, much moreso than in, say, the US.

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 03:04 PM PST

An incredible photo of Athens on fire, as Greek citizens protest austerity. (Via @_cb01).

The latest reform bill was just passed overwhelmingly.

And a few more from the AP:

Now see who gets clobbered if Greece defaults >

Please follow Europe on Twitter and Facebook.

Hard-to-Find Travel Destinations

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 03:04 PM PST

This post originally appeared at Departures.

Art and food have always had a harmonious relationship—just look at Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper. Indeed, Pablo Picasso, Norman Rockwell and Pierre Auguste Renoir all created artworks about breaking bread and, in fact, Picasso and Henri Matisse were both known to paint for their dinners.

So it comes as no surprise that a big trend in art today has to do with eating: Fine-dining establishments are morphing into art galleries.

At first, world-class restaurants simply started popping up in museums. In 2005, the Museum of Modern Art debuted The Modern, in which restaurateur Danny Meyer elevated institutionalized museum fare to a Michelin-starred level in a setting overlooking works by Alexander Calder, Auguste Rodin and more in MoMa's Sculpture Garden. Wolfgang Puck has been dabbling in the museum restaurant arena for years as well, setting up shop in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington; the view from his 20.21 restaurant at Minneapolis's Walker Art Center (now a new bôite called Gather) was the cherry on top (literally—diners had a view of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's iconic sculpture Spoonbridge and Cherry).

These days, though, you don't have to eat at a museum to see excellent art. Restaurants around the world are attracting patrons with their own art collections and rotating exhibitions. In Zurich, Kronenhalle's original owner, Hulda Zumsteg, and her son, Gustav, spent decades amassing a personal art collection, filling the restaurant with art by German and Swiss painter Paul Klee, Russian Abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky, Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler and others. The furniture is also priceless: The tables in the bar area are by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti. On the Strip in Las Vegas, the Bellagio's Picasso restaurant has originals by the namesake. Even Puck has gotten in on the craze with his steak house Cut, at London's 45 Park Lane Hotel, where Damien Hirst's Pslamsseries is on view.

Similar to gallery owners who champion the work of emerging artists, restaurateurs are doing so too. Mr. Chow is perhaps the modern pioneer: he traded noodles for artwork n the height of the 1980s art craze; now his restaurants have shown works by artists ranging from Andy Warhol to Keith Haring. Meanwhile, the Santa Monica outpost of New York power-lunching hub Michael's has an upstairs gallery with rotating exhibitions with work by local artists. And the Michelin-starred Number One, at the Balmoral in Edinburgh, displays work by graduates of the Royal College of Art in London.

With restaurants becoming the world's best galleries, here are eight spots worth the art and food. Grab a glass of wine, a comfortable chair and a delicious excuse to sit and stare at the walls for an hour or two.

More From Departures:

The Rise of Asian Art

The World of Assouline

Vintage Jewelry Shopping in Los Angeles

World's Top Steaks

Casa Lever, New York

For the Eyes: At this Midtown power-lunch spot, nearly 20 giant Andy Warhol portraits from real-estate tycoon Aby Rosen's Lever House Art Collection line the dining room. While the art has been known to rotate, silkscreened icons who have livened up the walls include Aretha Franklin, Alfred Hitchcock and Giorgio Armani. Ask for a booth in order to get the best view.

For the Palate: The restaurant serves Milanese-inspired fare with some hearty New York twists: spaghetti with sea urchin, a much-beloved vitello tonnato and an inches-thick New York strip steak. This past summer the restaurant opened an outdoor dining terrace and lounge on the patio (which has played host to outdoor installations such as Tom Sachs's Hello Kitty), where diners can order a full meal or stick to the new, small-plates lounge menu.390 Park Avenue; casalever.com.

Source: Departures

Maxim's, Paris

For the Eyes: Walking into Maxim's is a bit like traveling back in time. The restaurant is an Art Nouveau gem, brimming with original murals, oil paintings, stained glass, ornate carvings and architectural details from the period. The museum upstairs, furnished from the personal collection of the restaurant's owner, Pierre Cardin, holds more than 550 works from the Belle Epoch, with art from American Art Nouveau decorative artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, French glass artist Émile Gallé, French iridescent potter Clément Massier and others.

For the Palate: The menu—like the décor—is classic French. While Wolfgang Puck no longer occupies the kitchen (he worked there as a young chef), the roasted scallops from Normandie, lobster cocotte and beef filet are worth the visit. 3, Rue Royale; maxims-de-paris.com.

Source: Departures

Tru, Chicago

For the Eyes: It's no surprise that Tru, which is situated within a space that looks like an art gallery—stark white walls, high ceilings and pin-spot lighting—houses works by some of the 20th-century's biggest names in art. The collection includes one of Warhol's iconicMarilyn (Reversal Series) silkscreens and a Yves Klein sculpture coated in the famous International Klein Blue alongside pieces by German visual artist Gerhard Richter, American geometric painter Peter Halley, Brazilian visual artist Vik Muniz and others.

For the Palate: Tru champions progressive French cuisine, and its chef, Anthony Martin, is known for crafting visually arresting dishes. Diners who choose a tasting menu (of six or nine courses) could experience dishes like coral caviar, duroc pork belly with black truffle and Australian wagyu beef. 676 North St. Clair Street; trurestaurant.com.

Source: Departures

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 02:28 PM PST

Cristiano Ronaldo scored one of the best goals of the season today with a blistering shot from outside against Levante.

His shot steamed toward goal then dipped violently into the top corner.

Here's the video (via 101 Great Goals):

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

GREEK PARLIAMENT PASSES AUSTERITY PLAN

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 02:29 PM PST

Despite widespread protests and skepticism among many members of parliament, the Greek parliament has passed the latest austerity/reform bill.

The Papademos government has secured 199 yes votes, easily more than the 151 needed to get a majority.

Greece still has a long way to go. It still needs to hammer down its restructuring deal with creditors. And it still needs its counterparties to disburse more money.

The euro is ticking up a little on the news, but mostly Monday is off to a muted start in financial markets.

Australia had been up 0.4 percent, but is now up just 0.1 percent.

Meanwhile, Athens looks like this.

-----

ORIGINAL POST: The vote in the Greek parliament has just begun.

We'll have updates and totals here as we can get them.

You can watch the proceedings here, although they're in Greek.

Meanwhile, outside Athens is ablaze due to anarchists and protests.

The roll call is happening right now. Apparently the only surprise is that some right-wing members are voting YES, which is a good sign of passage.

UPDATE 5:41: According to Dow Jones FX Trader, the vote stands at 100 YES, 39 NO.

UPDATE 5:46: CNBC reports that Greece has the votes to pass the bill.

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 02:17 PM PST

Warren Buffett recently wrote an article in Fortune (a cut from his forthcoming shareholder letter) which explains why he prefers owning businesses (either outright or through the stock market) than owning currency based investments (bonds, cash) or gold.

Buffett's writing and thinking is a model of clarity. Kid Dynamite's highlighting and analysis is a worthy follow-up.

Buffett does not like bonds or cash as investments because they are (in his view) unlikely to retain their real value over the medium to long term. In God we Trust - but the hand that activates the printing press is human. Buffett defines investment return in real goods and services - investment is putting away some spending power now in the expectation of having more spending power later. Bonds and cash make nominal returns. Buffett thinks real returns are unlikely and disastrous outcomes are possible: "[currency based investments] are among the most dangerous of assets. Their beta may be zero, but their risk is huge".

Quoting Shelby Davis he notes that at current yields currency based investments offer return free risk.

Though unstated you can tell Buffett does not predict a Japanese outcome. Twenty years of deflation would make bonds a fantastic investment by Buffett's criteria. That is a possibility he does not even entertain...

Buffett is not fond of gold either - waxing lyrical on its uselessness. The world gold stock if melded together would fit in what he views as a useless 68 foot cube. Think of it as sitting comfortably in a baseball infield.

And he notes the extraordinary value of that cube. At current prices that cube would buy all the agricultural land in the United States, sixteen companies as valuable as Exxon and leave you a trillion dollars in walking-around money. He cannot imagine why you would prefer own the cube than the alternative assets. Similarly he can't imagine why you would want to own a bit of that cube than an equivalent bit of the alternative assets.

Over the next century 16 companies as valuable as Exxon will have thrown of trillions in dividends - and the agricultural land will have thrown off huge quantities of wheat, corn, beef and other valuable commodities.

The gold will just sit there.

The best line in the article is one of Buffett's sexual zingers: you can fondle the cube, but it will not respond.

He is right of course. Some people think that gold is a good investment because it has retained its value (measured in agricultural land) for centuries. That is all the proof you need that the investment is stupid. The agricultural land had a yield all that time. The gold probably got stolen - and had no yield.

Buffett's prescription: own productive assets.

And that is good advice if you pick productive assets with competence. If you don't I think the Buffett prescription can be a recipe for disaster.

You see the gold does not have free-will - or any will for that matter. Fondle it and it does not respond.

Stocks and businesses however have people running them - and people range from clever to inanely stupid. Integrity levels cover the spectrum from someone you would hope would marry your daughter to Bernie Madoff.

Willie Sutton robbed banks because that is where the money was. Now the money is on Wall Street. If Willie Sutton was reincarnated he would come back as some Wall Street scumbag (or an investment banker). And on Wall Street he would almost certainly not be prosecuted. People who rob banks get prosecuted. People who steal via the stock market not so much.

Because the scumbags go where the money is Wall Street is particularly thick with scumbags. Wall Street has tens of thousands of Willie Suttons.

Fondling stocks can be very profitable if you know what you are doing - especially over very long time periods. But the proviso is there ... if you know what you are doing.

Previously Warren Buffett observed that risk comes from not knowing what you are doing.

And gold is pretty easy to understand. It just sits there. People however are difficult to understand and sometimes dangerous - and people and the stock market are intertwined. And you are more likely to find a scumbag in the stock market than internet dating (the scumbags have Willie Sutton motives).

If you do not know what you are doing fondling stocks can be either as much fun or as dangerous as fondling people. Some may respond by being nice back. Some will spike your drink, lift you wallet and sodomize you on the way out.

Mr Buffett makes it seem simple. I love reading him - but sometimes I think he is dangerous because he makes it seem so easy that it lulls people into a false sense of security...

John

PS. Positions: no gold. Long companies with high levels of management integrity and decent valuations. Short scumbags, slimeballs and villains. Names can be left out of this piece.

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ATHENS IS ON FIRE

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:44 PM PST

The Greek parliament is getting closer to voting on reform measures, which will be key in order to get more aid and avert a messy default.

Meanwhile, riots are happening around Athens, are buildings are set on fire.

The front page of Greek newspaper Ekathimerini (below) tells it all.

Some tweets from people insider Parliament are revealing.

Dow Jones reporter Matina Stevis: Debate in Greek parliament continues ahead of vote, we are told we are not allowed to leave building for own safety. #Greece #Athens.

And from Yannis Koutsomitis: Τook a short break at Parliament's Café. Everyone's devastated on destruction & rioting in Athens. Most sold item among MPs: Straight whisky.

We're covering the voting live here.

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:36 PM PST

Fast Co.Exist recently featured an innovative project that will change the way you think about storing fresh food.

Arguing we give modern technology—i.e., refrigerators—too much power over our groceries, designer Jihyun Ryou suggests we store them out in the open instead.

On her blog, she provides some innovative ways to keep basic goodies fresh with the hope of cutting energy and reducing waste.

For example, Ryou advises leaving eggs, which have millions of holes on their shell, on a shelf with a glass of water then determining whether they're fresh by placing them in a glass. If it sinks, it's fresh. If not, it should be tossed out.

Another cool trick Ryou mentions is keeping apples and potatoes together, as apple's spoiling effect on other produce does exactly the opposite to potatoes.

Finally, because refrigerators tend to dry up produce more quickly, Ryou suggests keeping fruits like zucchini and cucumbers on a shelf with a tray of water beneath them.

Check out savefoodfromthefridge.com to see more of Ryou's cool money-saving ideas.

Now see 10 grocery foods to skip if you're trying to slim down >

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:22 PM PST

This post originally appeared at American Express OpenForum.

Whether it's Gap officials determining how many sweaters to stock on their shelves or a local diner making waitstaff decisions, businesses large and small rely on forecasting methods every day.

And experts say these forecasts can play a major role in driving company success, or failure, since accurate forecasting can help keep prices low by minimizing business losses.

"One of the ways you can be better than your competitor is not just by offering a better product," says Notre Dame Professor Barry Keating, an expert in business forecasting. "It's by forecasting better than your competitor does."

So you know how important forecasting is. But what are the best ways to go about it?

"When firms ask, what's the best forecasting technique? The answer is, it depends. Businesses don't like to hear that, but it does depend," Keating says. "It depends on how much data you have, on what you've done in the past, and it depends on the kind of thing you're forecasting and its importance."

There are two major categories of forecasting methods: qualitative, which typically uses expert opinions, and quantitative, which relies on historical or "time-series" data.

While it's not a perfect science, there are some factors that can help you determine which forecasting method is best for your business. Here are eight questions to ask yourself to help you make that decision:

1. Do you have historical data available?

While most major businesses use quantitative "time-series" methods for forecasting, according to Keating, these methods can be used only if you have the data to draw from. So if you don't have historical data to use, you're likely going to want to turn to a qualitative method.

2. How much time and money are you willing to spend on your forecast?

This is another important question to ask yourself before you start diving into various forecasting methods, according to University of Pennsylvania Professor J. Scott Armstrong, since forecasting methods can range from those run on simple Excel plug-ins to the pricey assembling of industry experts.

3. Is your product or service a new offering?

One of the most common times that you won't have historical data is if you're trying to open a new business or launch a new product. If you're in these situations, there are a few strategies you can take, according to the experts.

If you're starting a new business, Armstrong recommends that you consider using the Delphi technique, a qualitative method which makes projections based on a structured survey of experts.

"You can draw a variety of expertise and have them all answer specific questions," says Armstrong, who teaches business forecasting at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "That's a useful method."

On the other hand, if you're an established business that's offering a new product or service, you might still be able to use a time-series method, Keating says, by using data from a similar product to make your projections.

4. What kind of product or service do you sell?

This question is especially important when trying to narrow down which kind of time-series method you should use. If you're a retailer that needs to take into account any sort of seasonal differences or other trends in your forecast, you should look into using the exponential smoothing model, a relatively simple technique.

"It breaks down the data into different patterns, and then it allows you to forecast that into the future," Keating says. "Does it work? Yeah, it works really well. It is definitely one of the most-used forecasting techniques."

The exponential smoothing model is especially useful for firms that need to make forecasts for lots of different stock units, he adds.

Businesses that offer only one or two main products, such as a utility company, should likely employ a more complex and time-consuming technique, such as one that uses a statistical regression.

5. Is your company being affected by the current economic downturn?

Unfortunately, a lot of traditional forecasting methods go out the window when the economy tanks.

"The Federal Reserve bank did a study last year of businesses forecasting. It turns out when an economy goes into the recession, like we just did, that forecasting errors of firms quadruple," Keating says. "The error increases 400 percent from what it normally is."

So what's a business to do? If your company has seen its business affected by the recession, Keating suggests the use of time series decomposition, a method that adjusts for trend and seasonality, but also for business cycles.

"If you use that method you can reduce your errors back down to a normal range," he says.

6. How many years of data do you have available?

The exponential smoothing method is relatively simple and accurate, but it also requires roughly three years of data. If you have less historical information, such as when attempting to forecast sales for a recently launched product, you can turn to a logistics model, which needs fewer data points, Keating says.

7. How far out are you attempting to forecast?

While time-series methods are often the most accurate, they are most effective for forecasting relatively near into the future. If you're attempting to forecast years or even decades out, you're probably better off relying on experts as opposed to statistics.

This is best illustrated by thinking of a hypothetical current attempt to forecast the percentage of students who will use electronic textbooks in ten years. "If I extrapolated out from the current data, I would tell you that it would be 6 or 7 percent," Keating says. "Now I'm pretty sure that's wrong."

In such a situation, Keating recommends using a survey of expert opinions.

8. How important is your forecast?

All forecasts are important, but some are likely more make-or-break than others.

If you are making a major investment or taking a big risk based on a forecast, you will want it to be as accurate as possible. In those cases, Armstrong says that using multiple methods and taking the average result can help improve accuracy.

"You can hardly ever make things worse," Armstrong says. "You can only improve things. You can always reduce your risk."

Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook.

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 12:00 AM PST

10 Pinterest 'Pinboards' You Absolutely Need To Follow

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST

Pinterest is the fastest growing website of all time, having amassed ten million users in just nine months.

So why has Pinterest been such a success?

Pinterest is all about creating a category like "cool houses" and filling it with relevant images.

It's a simple formula, but it works. Unlike other blogging tools like Tumblr, Pinterest is more of a posting board for ideas to inspire others.

Here are our favorite "pinboards" on Pinterest, with links to each one at the bottom of each slide.

Maia McDonald's "Nature" pinboard is filled with gorgeous and exotic flora and fauna.

http://pinterest.com/maia_mcdonald/nature/

This pinboard is filled with the coolest tree houses we've ever seen. See below the image for a link to this pinboard.

http://pinterest.com/alanaaliff/tree-houses/

This pinboard features some of the fanciest cars, jets, and boats.

http://pinterest.com/joewood1/rides/

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:41 PM PST

The U.S. Interstates as a Subway Map infographic is a subway-style map of America's interstate highways, and it's pretty handy for quickly planning a cross-country trip. You can see at a glance how the highways connect and the major cities along the way.

Although the map's lines aren't geographically precise, for planning a trip, this design by Cameron Booth may work even better than traditional maps' more accurate road representations. For example, if you're driving from Teaneck, NJ to San Francisco, CA you already know you're going west so all you need to find is that straight red line for I-80 cutting across the map.

Also really useful are the map's circles representing the cities along the way—"stops," if you will, and "transfers" for other highways.

Here's the full map. Click to expand or right-click to save to disk. Update: High-res posters (36 inches by 24 inches) are available for purchase for $39 plus $10 shipping on Cameron's site.

This post originally appeared at Lifehacker.

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The 10 Best Cities For Single People

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST

The best cities for singles are not merely those that have the most single people. Money matters.

With that in mind, finance advice and business forecast website Kiplinger has put together a list of the ten best cities for singles, factoring in income and living costs, along with unmarried households and what they call a date-night tab (the cost of two movie tickets and a bottle of wine).

They were nice enough to share their research with us (and you can see more data on the cities at their website). You'd be surprised to see which cities made the list.

#10 Iowa City, Iowa

Metro population: 148,620

Unmarried households: 54.4 % (avg.=49.4%)

Date-night tab: $24.32

Because Iowa City is located in the Midwest, Kiplinger notes that the area is relatively cheap.

Source: Kiplinger

#9 Durham, N.C.

Metro population: 488,508

Unmarried households: 53.0%

Date-night tab: $27.71

Another relatively cheap Southern city, Durham's living costs are 10% below average.

Source: Kiplinger

#8 New York

Metro population: 18,700,715

Unmarried households: 53.0%

Date-night tab: $34.82

New York City doesn't only mean Manhattan. Fort Greene and Astoria are affordable and hip neighborhoods Kiplinger recommends you check out.

Source: Kiplinger

Mitt Romney 'Wins' The Maine Caucuses, Unless Ron Paul Actually Won Them

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Mitt Romney 'Wins' The Maine Caucuses, Unless Ron Paul Actually Won Them

2012-02-11T19:20:00.001-08:00

Mitt Romney 'Wins' The Maine Caucuses, Unless Ron Paul Actually Won Them

Mitt Romney 'Wins' The Maine Caucuses, Unless Ron Paul Actually Won Them
Whitney Houston Dead At 48
These 16 Countries Are Leading European Innovation
The 10 Most Romantic Hotels In The U.S.
3 Things You Should Do With Your Extra Money
Single On Valentines Day? Try And Score A Date With One Of The Most Eligible Bachelors In Sports
MAULDIN: The Truth Is It Doesn't Matter Who's President -- We'd Be Screwed Regardless
6 Benefits To Boosting Your Credit Limit
RIM BOARD MEMBER: Our Critics Are Idiots -- We Had No Choice But To Run The Company Into The Ground
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WATCH: Suarez Inflames Racially Charged Situation; Sir Alex Wants Suarez Banned Permanently
11 Amazing Thank You Notes From Famous People
Meet the Cast Of The Much-Hyped 'Hunger Games'
WINNING CAPTION: 'OK. You Might Want To Explain To Her Again How Pinterest Works'
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DEAR TWITTER: Don't Mean To Be Rude, But Maybe It's Time To Hire A Full-Time Product Guy?
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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 06:02 PM PST

Maine's Republican Party reported the results of their state caucus tonight, even though not all of Maine has finished voting, and not all the votes have really been counted.

The results?

Mitt Romney won 39% with 2,190 total votes.

Ron Paul came in second at 36% with 1,996 votes.

Rick Santorum cam in third 18%; 989 votes.

Newt Gingrich was fourth with 6%; 349 votes).

But of course the Caucus results are non-binding, and there may be more votes coming in.

If the outstanding votes tip for Ron Paul (and they might, since the outstanding votes are mostly from rural areas), Mitt Romney may be dealing with a replay of the Iowa Caucuses where he is declared a winner the night after voting stops, but then has the victory snatched away later.

So what are the takeaways?

1) Mitt Romney avoided more bad news. A win for Romney in Maine is nothing to brag about, but this 'victory' isn't a shame either. An outright defeat by Paul would have sent the media into talk of Romney going 0-4 in February.

2) Ron Paul still slightly underperforms when the votes come in. In part it could be that some of his supporters have been so disillusioned with politics for so long that they are more difficult to get to the polls or to make participate in caucuses.

3) No one in the media has any idea how many delegates Ron Paul is actually amassing in these contests. Is it a lot, or is this just talk from the Paul campaign. Everyone seems to be aware that his campaign is training people to volunteer to be delegates. But there is no way to really count them until the convention at Tampa.

4) These results aren't really final.

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Whitney Houston Dead At 48

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 06:03 PM PST

Whitney Houston, six-time Grammy winner, has died at age 48 on the eve of the Grammy Awards.

From the Associated Press:

"Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown."

According to TMZ, Houston passed away Saturday afternoon at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, where paramedics reportedly found the singer unresponsive in her hotel room.

"According to our sources, paramedics performed CPR but it did not work and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM," TMZ reported. "Our sources say there were to signs of foul play. We're told she was ID'ed by family and friends."

Houston was set to attend close friend Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party tonight, which was just cancelled.

"He's not having it anymore," Davis' label confirmed to JustJared.com. "It's been canceled. Very unfortunate."

Another source tells Just Jared, "There will instead be a close friends and family gathering/grieving tonight."

Houston had one child, Bobbi Kristina, with husband Bobby Brown and had won six Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards and 22 American Music Awards thoughout her career.

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 03:13 PM PST

Europe may still be in the grips of a financial crisis, but that hasn't stopped a number of countries investing in innovation and research and development.

An annual study by the European Commission, titled the Innovation Union Scoreboard (IUS) shows that in 2011, while some nations are lagging in their "innovation performance" (the state of R&D and innovation), 16 of the 34 European countries surveyed performed as well as or better than the EU average.

Monitoring 25 indicators, from human resources and investments, to entrepreneurship and intellectual assets, the index is meant to help monitor the implementation of the Europe 2020 Innovation Union flagship adopted in 2010.

Using the most recent statistics from Eurostat and other sources, the index calculates relative scores by country, which have then been made into composite scores after factoring in the nation's growth rate.

According to this methodology, the countries have been grouped into four categories: those performing better than the EU average are 'innovation leaders', those performing as well as the EU are 'innovation followers', those performing slightly below average are 'moderate innovators', and those much below the EU average are 'modest innovators'.

Estonia

Innovation performance group: Innovation Followers

Strengths: Human resources, Finance and support, Firm investments, Linkages and entrepreneurship, and Innovators.

Weaknesses: [lack of] Open, excellent, and attractive research systems, Intellectual assets, and Economic effects.

Cyprus

Innovation performance group: Innovation Followers

Strengths: Human resources, Linkages and entrepreneurship, and Innovators.

Weaknesses: [lack of] Open, excellent and attractive research systems, Finance and support, and Intellectual assets.

Slovenia

Innovation performance group: Innovation Followers

Strengths: Human resources, and Linkages and entrepreneurship.

Weaknesses: Intellectual assets, and Innovators.

The 10 Most Romantic Hotels In The U.S.

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:56 PM PST

This post originally appeared at Travel + Leisure.

Imagine you and your better half cuddling fireside as the sun dips behind the distant mountains. The only sounds are from the wild; the only sights are canyons and the stark desert. No, you're not in the Sahara. You're at Utah's ultra-romantic Amangiri resort.

With Valentine's Day looming and no end to winter in sight, who doesn't dream of stealing away on vacation? But you don't need to travel to the ends of the earth (or beloved spots like Paris or the Caribbean) to find that spark-kindling setting. From seaside New England to Washington State's wine country, we've uncovered dreamy properties certain to get you in the mood—whatever your idea of romance and your price range.

You can take your love to literal new heights at Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn, a cliff-top hotel whose treehouses and cottages perch a thousand feet above the Pacific. The policy of no clocks or televisions encourages couples to reconnect, while perks like a gratis convertible inspire drives along scenic Highway 1 with impromptu picnics on any of the breathtaking beaches.

Of course, romance doesn't require endless water views; cozying up in a country bed-and-breakfast has its own appeal. Hillside Victorian cottages with a white picket fence and fairy-tale-like setting draw couples year round to Landrum, SC, where they check into the affordable Red Horse Inn. Blame its high occupancy rate on the waterfalls, rocking chairs, and in-room candlelit dinners.

Great country inns know just how to take care of their guests, and indeed many of our favorite romantic hotels are a quick jaunt but worlds away from major cities. It's about a two-hour drive from Phoenix to an enchanting resort of adobe suites with kiva fireplaces set among the red-rock canyons of Sedona, while 2 1/2 hours gets you from Atlanta to a Blue Ridge Mountains retreat.

And sometimes, romance is just a subway ride away. Lovebirds who want to fall in love with their hometown all over again—or flock to a hotel with urban sophistication—can look no further than actor Robert De Niro's Greenwich Hotel in New York City.

Read on to find the perfect romantic hotel for you two and make that daydreamed getaway a reality.

More from Travel + Leisure

Best Romantic Winter Getaways

World's Most Romantic All-Inclusive Resorts

America's Most Romantic Restaurants

World's Most Romantic Hotels

Most Over-the-Top Honeymoon Suites

Willows Lodge, Woodinville, WA

Bordering the Sammamish River, this rustic-meets-luxe lodge occupies five lush acres in Western Washington's wine country. The 84 rooms are subtly done in salvaged timber and antique slate with Frette linens and giant Jacuzzis for two. Couples can bliss-out with massages, leisurely walks through the impeccably manicured gardens, or bike rides along the beautiful Burke-Gilman Trail. At the end of the day, the nearby Herbfarm restaurant beckons with nine courses and wines to match.

Price Tag: From approximately $120 per night, includes daily breakfast.

Source: Travel + Leisure

Enchantment Resort, Sedona, AZ

The red rocks of Arizona's Boynton Canyon tower over Enchantment's adobe suites outfitted with kiva fireplaces, Native American accents, log-beamed ceilings, and oversize soaking tubs. Several pools, six tennis courts, pitch-and-putt golf, and complimentary guided hikes along the surrounding scenic trails round out the resort's activities. But you don't have to venture far to enjoy some of the area's most awe-inspiring views—seen from the vantage point of the spa's pool.

Price Tag: From approximately $295 per night.

Source: Travel + Leisure

Hamilton Turner Inn, Savannah, GA

Amid magnolias and moss-draped oaks, this elegant 19th-century bed-and-breakfast oozes with old-time southern charm (it even got a mention in John Berendt'sMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). Soaring ceilings, four-poster canopy beds, cozy fireplaces, and double whirlpool spas compliment the park views. Couples can start the day with a gourmet breakfast, enjoy a horse-drawn carriage through downtown, and savor complimentary home-baked cookies fireside before bed.

Price Tag: From approximately $189 per night, includes daily breakfast.

Source: Travel + Leisure

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 01:31 PM PST

Most common money questions revolve around saving more, but what if you have money sitting around in a checking or savings account?

What should you do with it?

Tom from Mountain View, CA, asks:

"I've been really good about keeping my expenses down, finding multiple sources of income and building a 12-month emergency fund.

Through all of this, I've saved up quite a bit of extra money which is currently in a high yield savings account. I feel like I should be doing some more with this money, but I'm not quite sure what the best thing would be."

Obviously, this depends on your age and financial goals, but here are some specific recommendations you can use today.

Invest so your money grows for you.

Counterintuitively, putting money in a savings account is not enough. With interest rates so low, you're actually losing money thanks to inflation. The real gains come from investing your money so it grows for you.

A great starting investment is a low-cost target-date retirement fund, which automatically diversifies and rebalances your investments based on your age — for very low fees. Vanguard is a great company with low-cost target-date funds. Also consider T.Rowe Price or TIAA-CREF.

If you have "extra" money, use the 10 Year Savings Strategy. If you have extra money, use the 10 Year Savings Strategy to save for predictable expenses in the next 10 years (wedding, kids, house, etc). Set up specific sub-savings accounts for each of these items.

(Interesting sidenote: I surveyed people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, asking them what they wish they'd saved for 10 years ago. Here are the actual results, but in short: People in their 20s wish they'd saved for travel. People in their 30s wish they'd saved for buying a house. And people in their 40s wish they'd saved for retirement.)

The big goal: Automate your money.

Saving and investing alone are great, but you want to be strategic with your money.

Build a bulletproof personal-finance system to help you automatically take a percentage of every dollar you earn and funnel it towards the right goals — including investing, saving, and guilt-free spending.

This post originally appeared on Lifehacker.

Now see 15 smart things you can do with $100 >

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:28 PM PST

It's great to be a professional athlete. It's even better to be on top of your game, making a lot of money, and single.

Whether it's because they are still looking for love, recently broken up, or just enjoying the life, none of these guys have a ring.

We're guessing most of them don't have Valentine's Day dates either...

Note: we thought it would be wrong to include Tiger Woods...

#20 Alex Ovechkin

Sport: Hockey

Age: 26

Annual Income: $9 million

Pros and Cons: A colorful player, and one of the best hockey players in the world. But it is not clear how many of his teeth are real.

#19 Aaron Rodgers

Sport: Football

Age: 28

Annual Income: $10 million

Pros and Cons: Maybe the best player in the NFL right now. But he lives in Green Bay most of the year.

#18 Mark Sanchez

Sport: Football

Age: 25

Annual Income: $14 million

Pros and Cons: Considered by some to be the best looking player in the NFL. But others think he spends too much time worrying about his looks than his game.

*NOTE: He's recently been linked to 19-year-old model Kate Upton

6 Benefits To Boosting Your Credit Limit

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:52 AM PST

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 11:06 AM PST

Increasing your credit limit just means giving yourself the opportunity to spend beyond your means, right? Not necessarily. Increasing your credit limit can have a number of upsides if you manage your credit wisely.

SEE: Check Your Credit Report

Lowers Your Credit Utilization and Increases Your Credit Score
The FICO credit scoring model will ding your credit score if the amount of credit you've used is close to the total amount of credit available to you. That's because it considers you to be at risk of maxing out your cards and having trouble making future payments. You might know that these risks don't actually apply to you, but that's how the scoring model works.

If you have a $2,000 credit limit and you regularly end up with a monthly bill of around $1,800, you're using 90% of your available credit. Raising your credit limit will reduce that percentage and should improve your credit score.

Cheaper and Easier to Get Loans and Additional Credit
When you're not using nearly all of your available credit, you appear to be financially responsible to the credit bureaus and your credit score should increase. If your credit score is higher, you will have a better chance of getting approved for a credit card, car loan or mortgage in the future. You'll also have a better chance of getting a lower interest rate, since your credit score determines whether you'll be offered the best available rate or a higher, risk-adjusted rate. (For additional reading, check out How To Dispute Errors On Your Credit Report.)

Helps in an Emergency
Having a credit limit well in excess of your usual spending amount gives you a resource if you have a genuine emergency that you can't pay for with cash. Say you're traveling and you need to change your plans and return back home immediately - it probably won't be cheap to change your plane ticket, and it's easier to pay for a plane ticket with a credit card.

Increases Your Rewards
If you consistently pay off your balance in full and on time but you're not putting all of your expenses on your credit card, it might be time to start. Having a higher credit limit can help you do that. The conventional wisdom says that you shouldn't charge everyday expenses like groceries and gas to your credit card, but that advice only applies if you're carrying a balance - it's designed to help you avoid making a bad problem worse.

If you never carry a credit card balance, paying for recurring expenses on your credit cards won't cost you anything and can help you earn more rewards. Those rewards can actually reduce your spending in other areas by helping you pay for vacations, gifts, clothes and nights out. (To learn more, read Rewards Credit Cards That Give Back The Most.)

Lets You Make Large Purchases Efficiently
You already know that using your credit card to pay for large purchases is convenient and can help you rack up rewards. What you might not know is that your credit card likely includes a number of consumer protections that can come to your rescue if there is a problem with your purchase. For example, MasterCard's protections include extended warranties, price protection and coverage for damaged or stolen items. American Express offers similar benefits. Check your credit card agreement to see what protections apply to your cards.

Helps You Avoid Credit Score Dings
One way to get access to more credit is to get another credit card, but increasing your limit on an existing card might be a better option. According to FICO, opening a new credit card can ding your score. When you open a new account, it shortens the length of your credit history, and a longer history often means a better score. The age of your oldest account, the age of your newest account and the average age of all your accounts are factored into the length of your credit history, and this metric affects around 15% of your score.

The Bottom Line
If you know you're likely to spend up to your credit limit no matter how high it is, that major drawback will outweigh these benefits of increasing your credit limit. Otherwise, consider requesting an increase. It's usually as simple as sending an email to customer service. (For more information, read How Many Credit Cards Should You Have?)

This post originally appeared at Investopedia.

7 Reasons You Might Not Want To Put A Ring On It >

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 10:59 AM PST

A board member of Research in Motion offers an interesting new take on the company's implosion.

There was no way to avoid disaster, the board member says, because the two co-CEOs who flew RIM into a mountain were absolutely the best people for the job.

The Globe and Mail:

Today, the 55-year-old [board member Roger Martin, dean of business at the U of Toronto] is part of a RIM board under fire, facing criticism from investors and analysts who say it failed to take the dramatic steps needed to stem the decline of the Waterloo, Ont., maker of the BlackBerry smartphone.

The combative Mr. Martin forcefully rejects that view, challenging the notion that last month's resignations of the embattled Mr. Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis as co-CEOs and chairmen was a case of too little, too late.

"I laugh at the vast majority of critics when they say 'Oh, you should have made this CEO transition, like, four years ago.' Yeah, right – like, to who?" Mr. Martin scoffs over lunch at Mideastro, a favourite restaurant in Toronto's Yorkville.

Read the whole thing >

So, basically, in the view of RIM's board, RIM's critics are fools who don't understand that there was absolutely no way to save the company.

And maybe that's true.

But it's too bad RIM's co-CEOs didn't realize that! They could have saved employees and shareholders a lot of heartache, frustration, and losses.

(via Paul Kedrosky)

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Links for 2012-02-10 [del.icio.us]

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:00 AM PST

Here Are This Week's Winners And Losers In Sports

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST

We spent most of the week slowly recovering from another classic Giants-Pats Super Bowl.

Tom Brady's supermodel wife blasted his teammates. The Patriots' most notorious player got his dancing shoes on after losing the Super Bowl. And one TV personality lost a bet and had to wear a bikini in Times Square.

Outside of football, the sports world was dominated by the NBA's newest, most pun-friendly star.

WINNER: Maria Menounos

Maria is a HUGE Pats fan. She bet one of her EXTRA colleagues that the Pats would win, and lost.

So Maria stuck to her bet and wore a bikini in Times Square.

WINNER: Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin. If you don't know who he is, you've really been detached from the sports world this week.

Lin has started in the Knicks past three games and is averaging 25 points. Not bad.

WINNER: Austin Rivers

River sank a buzzer beater to win against his biggest rival: UNC.

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:47 AM PST

Earlier this season, Luis Suarez of Liverpool F.C. was suspended for eight games after he used racist language against Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. Those two teams met again today, and Suarez managed to make a bad situation worse.

During the pre-game handshake, Suarez refused to shake Evra's hand. Evra was noticeably upset and the match referee had to settle him down.

After the match, Evra could be seen taunting Suarez by celebrating Man U's 2-1 victory in front of Suarez and cheering the crowd as Suarez walked off the pitch. There was also a report that the two players had to be separated in the tunnel at halftime.

The pre-game snub led Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, to issue a very strong rebuke of Suarez...

"He's a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club. That certain player should not be allowed to play for Liverpool again...I was really disappointed in that guy. It was terrible what he did."

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:44 AM PST

This post originally appeared at Mental Floss.

Letters of Note is one of our favorite places to hang out. Since 2009 the site has curated hundreds of interesting letters, telegrams, memos and faxes, from famous people, regular people, and even fictional people. We took advantage of their hard work and rounded up these 11 thank you (and one thanks-for-nothing) letters from their archives.

1. Roald Dahl: Thank You for the Dream You Sent Me

Once upon a time (1989), a little girl named Amy sent a bottle of colored water, oil and glitter to Roald Dahl, who knew right away that this was a dream in a bottle inspired by his book, The BFG. In response, the author penned this short note to his 7-year-old fan

Dear Amy,

I must write a special letter and thank you for the dream in the bottle. You are the first person in the world who has sent me one of these and it intrigued me very much. I also liked the dream. Tonight I shall go down to the village and blow it through the bedroom window of some sleeping child and see if it works.

With love from,
(Signed)
Roald Dahl

2. Neil Armstrong: Thank You for Keeping Me Safe on the Moon

When your job involves leaving the planet to walk on the nearest rocky body, it's important that the people who build your equipment do things the right way. The enormity of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit engineering team's task—that is, building a spacesuit that kept a man safe and alive on the moon—was not lost on Neil Armstrong, who wrote this letter for the 25th anniversary of the lunar landing.

To the EMU gang:

I remember noting a quarter century or so ago that an emu was a 6 foot Australian flightless bird. I thought that got most of it right.

It turned out to be one of the most widely photographed spacecraft in history. That was no doubt due to the fact that it was so photogenic. Equally responsible for its success was its characteristic of hiding from view its ugly occupant.

Its true beauty, however, was that it worked. It was tough, reliable and almost cuddly.

To all of you who made it all that it was, I send a quarter century's worth of thanks and congratulations.

Sincerely,

(Signed) Neil A. Armstrong

3. Conan O'Brien: Thank You for Asking Me to Your Prom

Remember prom? Nikki Simmons probably won't forget hers, even though the guy she asked had to politely decline. Seems he'd just gotten married and, honestly, he was probably busy.

Dear Nikki –

Thanks for your very flattering offer. It's great to know I have such a devoted fan out there, and I'm sure you would make a great prom date (I didn't go to mine – it's a very sad story).

Unfortunately, I got married recently and my wife doesn't allow me to go to proms anymore with cute 16 year old girls. Still, it was very cool of you to ask me. Thanks and have a great evening.

Your Friend,

Conan

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:36 AM PST

The buzz around "The Hunger Games" has been building for months. The film isn't due out until March 23; however, with tickets going on sale in less than two weeks, we think its as good a time as any to become familiar with the cast of Hollywood's next big money maker.

The film, based on the best-selling series by Suzanne Collins, takes place in a future utopia split into twelve districts where each year two children between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen to participate in a fight to the death.

(Imagine the dystopian future featured in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" meshed together with the television-based killing competition of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 film "The Running Man.")

Although you may have heard Jennifer Lawrence plays the lead, we doubt you know the entire cast. Not only does the film feature a handful of Oscar nominees, but many familiar faces are all grown up and hidden under their costumed characters.

The three lead characters dyed their hair for the film, Elizabeth Banks is covered in pale, white makeup, Stanley Tucci wigs out and a one girl is all grown up from a recent horror flick.

Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdene)

If you find Jennifer Lawrence unrecognizable as a brunette, you're not the only one.

Lawrence turned down the lead in "Savages" for "The Hunger Games," winning the lead role over the likes of Shailene Woodley, Emma Roberts and Abigail Breslin. Not surprising considering Lawrence is no stranger to kicking tail.

In 2010, she made a huge splash with her Oscar nominated performance as the Ozark mountain girl Ree, who hunts down her father in "Winter's Bone."

Lawrence was also in last year's hit "X-Men: First Class" where she played the young Mystique.

Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark)

Josh Hutcherson was featured in another 2010 Oscar nominated flick: "The Kids Are All Right."

Mostly, Hutcherson is known for his kid flicks, including "Bridge to Terabithia" and the "Journey to the Center of the Earth" franchise.

In "The Hunger Games," he'll play the male tribute from District 12 alongside Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss.

Alexander Ludwig (Cato)

Alexander Ludwig is known for another film featuring "The Rock." The 19 year old was featured in Disney's 2009 "Race to Witch Mountain."

Yes, that's the same guy. Alexander Ludwig grew up a lot in the past three years. Currently, he's a student at USC.

He'll play one of Katniss' foes, Cato, in "The Hunger Games."

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:34 AM PST

Last week, we asked Business Insider readers to supply us with their wittiest captions for the HP Printers ad to the right.

After going through almost 100 submissions—lots of invocations of the E*Trade baby—we were able to narrow the captions to a top five, and again implored BI readers to vote on their favorite caption.

Well, the people have spoken, and one lucky winner will be rewarded the high honor of being dubbed BI's wittiest reader of the week. Oh yeah, and get a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com.

Who were our winners? Click below to find out!

Advertisers: If you would like to sponsor the caption contest please email sales@businessinsider.com.

FIRST PLACE: "Ok, you might want to explain to her again how Pinterest works."

Ernesto Lotitto

Runner Up: "The E-Trade kid gets a crib and a dog; I get Velcroed to the wall. I'm changing brokerages!"

Paul Dicker; Coordinator at Employee Corporate Benefits Program; Portland, Oregon

Second Runner Up: "The interns seem younger every year."

Gil Pomeranz; Canton, MI

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:35 AM PST

Whether you go weak in the knees for all things heart-shaped and bursting with cupid confetti or would rather see hearts broken than budgets blown on Valentine's Day, there really is no escaping it.

Americans are set to spend more than ever on treating their lovers to a special night out this year, bringing the average spent on the big day to $196, according to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker.

And nearly half (46%) plan on dining out at their favorite restaurant–up from 41% last year.

Love is beautiful and all that, but when it comes to covering the bill for your fancy feast, that's when things can get a little awkward – especially for newly dating couples. (See 7 ways to score affordable V-day gifts.)

Men and women are split on the issue, it seems. Nearly 60 percent of men in the AmEx report said they'd cover the check on V-day, but only 40 percent of women felt the same.

For advice on who should take the hit to their wallet, we turned to a man who knows a thing or two about the dating scene: Thomas Edwards, a/k/a The Professional Wingman.

Edward's makes his living helping clients find their way to lasting relationships and he's been in the game for more than three years.

"My rule of thumb is whoever asks for the date, pays for it," Edwards says. "By that rule, the guy typically pays."

That goes for blind and online dates, too.

But it doesn't mean ladies are completely off the hook. It's a nice gesture to at least offer to contribute to the bill (14% in the AMEX survey said they'd split it).

"Nine times out of ten that offer will be denied but it's important for the other person to know you're willing to contribute – a positive trait for long-term relationship potential," Edwards says.

Still, that doesn't mean you've got to shell out $200 bucks with the rest of those crazy love birds out there. See these 8 ideas for ways to save on traditional V-day gestures.

DON'T MISS: 10 online dating scams that'll break your heart and your wallet >

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Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:27 AM PST

It's hard to find anyone anywhere who has anything less-than-glowing to say about Jack Dorsey, the entrepreneur who invented Twitter and another red-hot company called Square and is now Twitter's product guru.

Jack Dorsey, everyone agrees these days, is "the next Steve Jobs."

And it is Jack's obvious brilliance, work ethic, and product-design chops that are always cited whenever anyone asks why a company like Twitter, with nearly 1,000 employees, a ~$10 billion valuation, and all the cash in the world has to settle for having a part-time product guy.

Because that, of course, is what Jack is at Twitter--a part-time product guy.

Jack's other job, CEO of Square, commands at least half of his work attention. Jack, legendarily, lives right between Twitter and Square, and he spends one shift at Twitter and the next shift at Square.

And of course Jack works 80 hours a week minimum, this story goes, so it's not really like Twitter is having to settle for having a part-time product guy. It's more like Twitter and Square both have absolutely amazing full-time product guys.

Well, it's time we at least put that last bit of spin to bed.

If Jack didn't have two jobs, he'd still have his legendary design and product chops and work ethic... and he'd be giving those 80 hours a week to one company, not 40 each to two.

And it seems safe to say that either Twitter or Square would be getting twice as much out of their product chief if Jack were only working one job--if not more.

Why?

Well, because if there's one thing that just about everyone who has ever accomplished anything amazing in life agrees upon, it's that obsessive focus is key to success.

Splitting your time between two completely different companies is the opposite of focus, no matter how talented you are. And pretending that you can do each of these jobs as well as you would if you only had one of them is not just dreamy--it's delusional.

Now, it's possible that Jack is such an amazing product genius that his half-time effort is better than anyone else's full-time effort, but this seems unlikely. There are a lot of smart, talented product people out there.

And it is very much worth noting that, even if Jack IS the next Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs did not split his time between two companies, at least not for long. When Steve got canned from Apple, he went off and founded NEXT. Then, later, for a brief period, he bought Pixar and ran that while also running NEXT. But soon after he rejoined Apple, he focused on one thing... Apple.

And if Steve hadn't done that--if, instead, Steve had spent half his week at Pixar and half at Apple--I'd bet good money that Apple wouldn't be anywhere near where it is today.

In any event, the proof is in the pudding. Jack has now been doing his two part-time jobs for more than a year. So we can look at Twitter's product and success and see how he's doing.

So, how's Jack doing?

Well, officially, everyone raves about the amazing leadership and influence Jack has had at Twitter, and everyone gushed all over some of the recent product innovations Twitter announced under Jack's leadership.

But I have to say this.

As a massively heavy Twitter user, the recent changes that Twitter has made to my Twitter-app--TweetDeck--have been all for the worse.

My old TweetDeck for iPhone stopped working, so I had to upgrade to the new one. Yes, it's buggy and crash-prone, but the old version had that problem, too. But it's the "improvements" to the new version of the TweetDeck app that bug me the most. I won't chronicle them here, but suffice it to say that I don't like them. The new version of TweetDeck is now less-intuitive and harder to use than the old one. And I'm holding Jack responsible for that.

And then there's the steady stream of Twitter complaints I see on Twitter about the new Twitter.com. I don't use Twitter.com myself much, so I'm no authority there, but aside from the usual hosannahs from the usual techo-chamber sycophants, I don't see a lot of folks who are thrilled with it.

And, lastly, there's Twitter's new vision.

I saw Jack speak in Germany recently. He was as articulate and charming and suave as always, and, thankfully, he doesn't appear to have let the whole "next Steve Jobs" thing go to his head. (It's not Jack's fault that people have beatified him.) But the new vision Jack laid out for Twitter just wasn't very coherent.

Per Jack's speech, Twitter seems to have given up on the idea that normal people are going to Tweet. And that's fine. Normal people probably aren't going to Tweet. So the new Twitter vision, Jack says, is that normal people are going to check in on Twitter all day to see "what's going on."

And I have no doubt that some normal people might do that. But, anecdotally at least, that does not, in fact, seem to be the way normal people are using Twitter.

The way normal people are using Twitter, it seems, is to follow celebrities and yak together about things that are being shown right then on TV (like the Super Bowl). And that's very different than turning to Twitter as a news source, which seems to be part of the new Twitter vision.

In support of this, check out this chart from a recent Pew study on where folks get news about the Presidential campaign. Only 2% of people turn to Twitter for news. That's not a whole lot of people for a company with 50 million daily users that is staking at least part of its future vision on news.

And check out this other chart below, which we pulled together for our Social Commerce Summit last week.

This chart shows the average time the average social network user spends using the service each month.

Facebook, obviously, is rocking the house. People live on Facebook.

And Tumblr's doing pretty well, too. Tumblr's success really is astounding.

And Pinterest's explosion on the the scene is startling. People already spend a lot of time on Pinterest.

But people hardly spend any time on Twitter.

Yes, I understand that lots of people use Twitter via apps, but not everyone. And Twitter has put a lot of effort into redesigning its Twitter.com page, which I doubt Twitter would have done if only a tiny fraction of its users ever used it.

So I still think this low monthly usage of Twitter is startling. And concerning.

And it leads me back to the point I was making at the beginning.

Twitter's product direction is confusing to me. In many ways, it seems to be getting worse, not better.

And Twitter's vision of itself is also confusing to me. It's vague, and it doesn't seem to line up with how normal people are actually using the service.

And I can't help but wonder if part of the reason why Twitter's product and vision seem confusing is that Twitter's product guy is only working part-time.

So might it not finally be time for Twitter to consider hiring a full-time product guy?

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:15 AM PST

We've put together a list of the best iPhone and iPad apps you might've missed this week.

We have an app to make cool GIF animations on your iPhone, the best Twitter app for iPad, a voice activated GPS app, and much more.

Vonage's new iPhone app lets you make calls for free.

Vonage's new iPhone app lets you call and text other Vonage app users for free, worldwide.

It works by using your phone's data connection (so you don't use any minutes), and even works over 3G if you don't have Wi-Fi.

If someone you want to call doesn't have the Vonage app, you can always

Price: free

Tweetbot for iPad is a must-buy.

Tweetbot for iPad is the first truly excellent Twitter client for iPad, combining powerful gestures for navigating tweets, convenient support for multiple accounts, and a streamlined and attractive interface.

Tweetbot for iPhone also hit version 2.0 this week, bringing some cool new features like in-line photo viewing, more legible text, and much more.

Price: $2.99 (iPad), $2.99 (iPhone)

Remarks is the Swiss army knife of annotating tools for iPad.

Remarks makes it simple to annotate PDFs and documents using a variety of pens, colors, shapes, and more.

This app is also useful for sketching out ideas and brain maps, which you can in turn upload to your Dropbox or Box.net account.

Price: $4.99

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:01 PM PST

Ever wonder how much the flower and chocolate industries make off of your attempts to impress that smoldering co-worker across the hall?

Now the U.S. Census Bureau has the answers.

They've put together a fact sheet on the love industry in the U.S. in honor of Valentine's Day.

$12.6 Billion

Value of the domestic chocolate industry in 2009. The industry employs 34,252 people.

Source: U.S. Census

24.7 lbs.

Amount of chocolate eaten by Americans in 2010.

Source: U.S. Census

$17 million

The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2010 for all operations with $100,000 or more in sales.

Source: U.S. Census via USDA

Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 09:15 AM PST

We've put together a list of the best iPhone and iPad apps you might've missed this week.

We have an app to make cool GIF animations on your iPhone, the best Twitter app for iPad, a voice activated GPS app, and much more.

Vonage's new iPhone app lets you make calls for free.

Vonage's new iPhone app lets you call and text other Vonage app users for free, worldwide.

It works by using your phone's data connection (so you don't use any minutes), and even works over 3G if you don't have Wi-Fi.

If someone you want to call doesn't have the Vonage app, you can always

Price: free

Tweetbot for iPad is a must-buy.

Tweetbot for iPhone also hit version 2.0 this week, bringing some cool new features like in-line photo viewing, more legible text, and much more.

Price: $2.99 (iPad), $2.99 (iPhone)

Remarks is the Swiss army knife of annotating tools for iPad.

Remarks makes it simple to annotate PDFs and documents using a variety of pens, colors, shapes, and more.

This app is also useful for sketching out ideas and brain maps, which you can in turn upload to your Dropbox or Box.net account.

Price: $4.99

The Verge Is Losing A Founding Member To ABC News

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

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The Verge Is Losing A Founding Member To ABC News

2012-02-10T19:42:00.001-08:00

The Verge Is Losing A Founding Member To ABC News

The Verge Is Losing A Founding Member To ABC News
Why The Chicago Bulls Prove That You Have To Be Bad To Be Good In The NBA
Google Has Not Insured Itself Against The Loss Of Larry Page (GOOG)
Breakthrough.com Lets You Talk To A Shrink Over The Web
After Years Of Extracting Money, Patent Troll Gets Slapped Down
Here's What Nicolas Cage Has To Say About Those Rumors That He's A Vampire
Newt Gingrich Just Totally KILLED It At CPAC
Top Celebrity Tweets O' The Week
A Brooklyn Sewage Plant Offers An Unconventional Valentine's Day Spot
PHOTOS: Here's What You Missed During The First 2 Days Of New York Fashion Week
Follow These 5 Steps To Beat Your Opponent During A Negotiation
SPOTTED: There Are Only 77 Of These Aston Martins In The World
OOPS: Kazakhstan (Accidentally) Sent Radioactive Coal To Kyrgyzstan Orphans
Kickstarter Is Helping People Raise Serious Cash For Their Projects
Watch The Evolution Of The Quaker Man (PEP)
WATCH: Erin Andrews Asks Brooklyn Decker To Play Her In The ESPN Movie
17 Facts About Those Tiny Falkland Islands That Argentina And The UK Are Fighting Over
Boeing Just Drew Its Own Logo With A 787 Flight Path
Greek Cabinet Approves Austerity Plan
Indianapolis May Have Hosted Its Way Into The Regular Super Bowl Rotation

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:12 PM PST

Joanna Stern, technology editor for The Verge, will be leaving the site to join ABC News, Verge editor Joshua Topolsky announced tonight.

At ABC, Stern will lead technology coverage and do broadcast work.

Stern was part of the Engadget crew that left en masse to start The Verge.

Prior to Engadget, she worked at Gizmodo.

Please follow SAI: Media on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 04:30 PM PST

Chicagoans are ecstatic about their Bulls now that Derrick Rose has put them back on the map, reminding fans of the Michael Jordan-Phil Jackson era.

Although it may seem like those six NBA titles happened just a few years ago, the decade between Rose's arrival and MJ's retirement was a tumultuous one for the Bulls.

Multiple coaches, poor management decisions, bad draft picks, and a few lucky breaks in between got them to where they are today.

Michael Jordan and his 6 titles ruled the NBA during the 90s

Chicago was officially known as "Title Town." Not only did the Bulls own the NBA, led by Michael Jordan they owned all of sports too.

The year after MJ was AWFUL, with Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, and head coach Phil Jackson ALL leaving too.

New head coach Tim Floyd only had scraps like Brent Barry and Dicky Simpkins to throw out there en route to an Eastern Conference worst 13-37 record during the 1999 lockout-shortened season.

Their terrible 1999 record garnered the Bulls the first overall pick of that year's draft, taking Elton Brand. The team also selected Ron Artest in the first round.

Brand would go on to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game on his way to Rookie of the Year honors, but Chicago still struggled, only winning 17 games.

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 04:07 PM PST

If Larry Page bites the dust, Google doesn't have life insurance on him. Same goes for Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt.

That's not so unusual. Giant corporations don't always take out policies on their top brass. Seriously, how big a policy would Google need for them, anyway? A billion dollars? Apiece?

It's just that Google wants you to know. In its 10-K filing it makes a point to say so:

Our future success depends in a large part upon the continued service of key members of our senior management team. In particular, Larry Page and Sergey Brin are critical to the overall management of Google and the development of our technology. Along with our Executive Chairman Eric E. Schmidt, they also play a key role in maintaining our culture and setting our strategic direction. All of our executive officers and key employees are at-will employees, and we do not maintain any key-person life insurance policies. The loss of key personnel could seriously harm our business." [Emphasis ours.]

Just for fun we checked with Apple's and Microsoft's 10-K. They don't feel the need to discuss it.

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:32 PM PST

Forget sitting on a couch at your shrink's office.

Now you can book an appointment online and get psychiatric help right from your couch.

Using web cams and the Internet, Breakthrough CEO Mark Goldenson wants to make it easier for people to get therapy.

Yesterday at the demo day for StartX, an accelerator for companies run by Stanford students and recent grads, Goldensen explained why therapy over the Web makes sense.

"It's expensive for people. It costs $1,800 for a therapy and medication course," Goldenson explained.

"It's hard for people to find a good provider, particularly in rural areas. It's stigmatizing where people don't want to admit they have a mental health condition or ask for a provider recommendation. And it's really hard for people to find a good provider because so many providers don't have websites."

On the site, people can look through the directory of providers, book appointment, pay a co-pay, and have a session.

Goldenson is a serial entrepreneur, including a stint as product manager at PayPal. After 14 years working in web startups, he spent four years as a psychology researcher at Stanford.

Breakthrough is raising its first round of funding, and is about to sign a deal with a national insurer that will cover 2 million people, market it, and cover the cost of care.

Here's what the demo looked like:

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:21 PM PST

Here's a great example of how broken the patent system is.

Yesterday, a jury in the Eastern District of Texas ruled against a company called Eolas Technologies, saying that Eolas' two patents were invalid.

Most people have never heard of Eolas, but it's a familiar -- and little-loved -- name in the tech industry.

Eolas is a non-practicing entity. It makes no products. Its business model is getting companies to pay it for patents, and suing them if they refuse.

The impolite name for such entities is "patent troll."

Eolas was founded by Michael Doyle. He did some research for the University of California in the early 1990s. Some of that research related to technology that was later used in Web browsers. In 1998, he got a patent -- #5838906 -- for one of these inventions. That patent got assigned to Eolas.

In 1999, Eolas sued Microsoft for patent infringement in Internet Explorer.

Microsoft got experts to testify on its behalf, including a man named Pei-Yuan Lee, who invented an early browser called Viola. One of the inventors of the Internet, Tim Berners-Lee, wrote a letter on behalf of the W3C (a Web standards body) in Microsoft's favor.

But in 2003, Eolas won. Microsoft had to make changes to Internet Explorer and was fined more than $500 million.

(For a moment, it looked like Microsoft would have to make big changes to IE that would break millions of Web pages unless developers changed them, but the eventual changes were less dramatic.)

The huge fine was eventually thrown out on appeal, but Microsoft ended up settling with Eolas in 2007 and paying some unknown sum -- probably tens of millions -- to make it go away.

Eolas then got another patent, #7599985, in 2009. This wasn't for some new invention. It was a second patent on the work that Doyle had done back in the early 1990s.

Over the years, Eolas sued a bunch of other tech companies, including Apple, Amazon, Google, and Yahoo, and non-tech companies, like Citigroup, over these two patents.

Some, like JP Morgan Stanley, Oracle, and Texas Instruments, and licensed the patents. The rest fought.

That fight is now over. Not only did the jury invalidate the two patents, but three upcoming damages trials were canceled. Eolas will have to start all over again if it wants to pursue these lawsuits.

Thousands of hours of court time and lawyers' time. Tens of millions of dollars. All for what?

Tim O'Reilly, who worked with Pei back in 1992 and 1993, celebrated the verdict on a Google+ post, and added this warning:

The current patent system is a terrible tax on invention, as it requires real inventors to spend time in court rather than focusing on making real things happen. We must remember that the patent system was supposed to "promote the progress of science and the useful arts," not to enrich people who know how to work the legal system.

Amen to that.

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:14 PM PST

While promoting his new film, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," on "The Late Show with David Letterman," Nicolas Cage addressed rumors (and photographic evidence) that claim he is a vampire.

Letterman showed Cage a photo that surfaced on eBay a few weeks ago of a Tennessee man from the 1870s that bore an extremely strong resemblance to the action star.

The man selling the photo had this to say on the website:

"Original c.1870 carte de visite showing a man who looks exactly like Nic Cage. Personally, I believe it's him and that he is some sort of walking undead / vampire, et cetera, who quickens / reinvents himself once every 75 years or so. 150 years from now, he might be a politician, the leader of a cult, or a talk show host."

Watch Cage defend his humanity in the video below.

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:06 PM PST

WASHINGTON — Newt Gingrich was on fire at CPAC this afternoon, proving once again that the former House Speaker is political Teflon.

Apparently recovered after his epic meltdown in Nevada, Gingrich revved up the crowd at CPAC with an impassioned version of his stump speech that hit all the conservative high notes (Obamacare, taxes, war on religion, et. al.) In short, Gingrich managed to give the audience the "red meat" that his main rival Mitt Romney failed to deliver earlier this afternoon.

The speech actually got off to a relatively inauspicious start. He faced a serious uphill battle at CPAC, in the wake of his collapse last week, and for a few moments it looked as though he was going to run back his horrible Las Vegas press conference.

Callista Gingrich, making a rare public speaking appearance, introduced her husband, and it was immediately clear why she never gives speeches. Informing the audience about "things they probably didn't know about Newt," the best she could come up with was that he "loves to read" and "an enthusiastic and committed golfer."

"Newt plays golf like he does most things in his life," Callista said. Gingrich subsequently informed the crowd that he is a "very bad golfer."

He proceeded to spend the first few minutes of his speech railing against the Republican Establishment, rhetoric that did not appear to resonate with the group at CPAC. But then he started to pick up steam, and by the end of the speech the audience was eating Newt's anti-Establishment message out of his hand.

The best part of the new Newt rollout, however, was definitely the introduction of his "Conservative Dream Team" — eight "fearless" Gingrich endorsers who are "rallying around" the candidate "as he takes on the Saul Alinsky radicalism of the Obama administration."

Here is the badass picture of the team, featuring (from left) Chuck Norris, evangelical leader and former Congressman J.C. Watts, GOP strategist Kellyanne Conway, Fred Thompson, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michael Reagan, and Iowa State Rep. Linda Upmeyer. Todd Palin is apparently an honorary member.

Please follow Politics on Twitter and Facebook.

Top Celebrity Tweets O' The Week

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:56 PM PST

Celebs tweet the Super Bowl: Britney loves Madonna, Katy Perry goes H.A.M. and Ochocinco deals with the Patriots' loss.

Plus, Chelsea Handler's an "angel" and Rihanna still looks good as a blonde.

Yep. It's that time of the week again—from Jimmy Fallon to Jordin Sparks, check out this week's roundup of best celebrity tweets.

Aziz Ansari unknowingly revealed Christopher Nolan's perfect plan to get everyone to watch his film after a football game.

Plenty were freaking out about the last minutes of the game...

...while Britney was raving about Madonna's halftime performance.

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:50 PM PST

If you value a meaningful experience over material gifts, consider a romantic tour of the Newton Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Brooklyn this Valentine's Day.

Erin Durkin of The New York Daily News reports that New York City's Department of Environmental Protection is offering a morning tour of the 53-acre plant, which provides "stunning views of New York City and the nearby industrial landscape," according to the center's official website.

Plant superintendent Jim Pynn told The Daily News that guests will get to walk through the facility's digester eggs, giant stainless steel spheres that are responsible for breaking down the city's sewage into 1.5 million gallons of sludge every day.

As an extra incentive, visitors will also receive a Hershey kiss. How sweet!

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:54 PM PST

We were on the front lines when Victor Cruz, of the New York Giants, cut the ribbon officially starting Mercedes Benz Fashion Week fall 2012, and Lincoln Center has been booming ever since.

On Day 1, we we explored the tents and took in the Chadwick Bell show. We haven't spotted any major celebrities yet, but we have been enjoying the street fashion.

On Day 2, we had a Gossip Girl moment and went across the street from Lincoln Center to Ed's Chowder House at The Empire Hotel, where the appropriately-themed Nautica men's presentation took place. The music was fun and the place was packed. Understandably so, because head designer Chris Cox was there explaining the looks, and booze were flowing everywhere. There were even some lobsters.

Here's a quick look at what happened during the first two days of Fashion Week.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012 is in full swing at Lincoln Center

We got invited to Chadwick Bell's show. It was his first time showing at Lincoln Center.

Naturally, inside the tents at Mercedes Benz Fashion week, there are some Mercedes.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:38 PM PST

Negotiation skills are crucial in the workplace. You'll have to negotiate for the rest of your life, so it's best to learn now how to do it right.

According to Kevin Dutton in his book Split-Second Persuasion: The Ancient Art and New Science of Changing Minds (via Psychology Today), there are five simple tactics that can help you conquer your opponent, which he calls S.P.I.C.E:

Simplicity: In order to convince someone what you're saying is a fact, communicate it in a very simple manner. For example, "The way you set up that meeting yesterday was ineffective." Whatever you do, don't draw out your argument or your opponent will start losing track of what you're saying.

Perceived self-interest: Dutton says the trick to convincing others that your argument is better is to "focus on the benefits of the person whose mind you want to change, rather than emphasizing your own wants and wishes." For example, don't say "I would like you to do this..." but rather say, "You'll be glad if you do this..."

Incongruity: Throw your opponent off track by using information in a way that isn't consistent with how they are used to hearing it. For example, tell them something costs 400 cents instead of four dollars.

Confidence: The most obvious strategy, but a very crucial one if you want to win. Confidence goes hand-in-hand with being aggressive but you need both if you want other people to think you're right.

Empathy: The trick is to look people right in the eye, nod when they nod and conduct other characteristics that make them trust you. People feel connected to people who are similar to them, so use those similarities to your advantage.

Beyond these simple strategic rules to abide by, there are still a couple of things you should consider when trying to convince someone that what you're saying actually makes more sense than their argument, writes Farouk Radwan in his blog Pick the Brain.

When you're negotiating your position, make sure you listen carefully to what your opponent is saying and keep a mental list of everything they say in its exact order. You will need to confront what they're saying one-by-one and in the order that they bring it up during the conversation. This tactic will make the negotiation more effective for you.

Also, keep in mind that you shouldn't try to attack everything they're saying all at once. In other words, "don't try and bring the castle down all in one; chip away, soldier by soldier, until you start to make a big dent."

You will know that you're winning if your opponent starts making new arguments instead of sticking to their original ones. At this point, continue to repeat your reasoning and arguments and as soon as they say, "I don't know," end the conversation: You've successfully won your negotiation.

Please follow Careers on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:30 PM PST

In the realm of Aston Martin, none of the cars could be considered very common. Even the car we lust after day and night, the V12 Zagato, will have just 150 total copies distributed around the world.

But this is not the rarest current Aston. That honor goes to the $1.7 million One-77. As you may have guessed, the name refers to the fact that each car is one of 77. You will not be seeing these on every corner like you would a V12 Zagato.

Our friend Christopher Queitsch of carstalker.com spotted one of the rarest rides a lot of money can buy.

Where did he make the find? In the global hotbed for exotic cars: Dubai.

The One-77 looks to be an amazing ride. We are jealous he got to see one, if just for a brief second.

Have you spotted a rare or unusual car/plane/train/boat/industry person in your travels? Did you take a photo? Do you like sharing?

If you answered yes to these questions, please send the picture to tokulski@businessinsider.com along with where you spotted it to be considered for our Photo of the Day.

Take a peek at yesterday's Photo of the Day >

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:22 PM PST

Kyrgyzstan has arrested seven government officials for allowing imported radioactive coal to be delivered to several schools, an orphanage, and a nursing home in the country, The Telegraph reports.

The coal is from the Kulan mine in neighboring Kazakhstan and was bought by a Kyrgyz state energy company.

The Prosecutor General's office has begun criminal proceedings against the head of the Kyrgyz company which shipped the coal, and charged him with ecocide, according to Ria Novosti. Criminal cases were also opened against the health and sanitary officials who authorized the dangerous 9,000 ton-shipment.

While the amount of radiation in the coal is not lethal, it's still higher than normal, government scientists say. However, nobody has fallen ill from the coal, and it is unclear why the coal has a higher than normal radioactive reading.

Prosecutors began investigating the consignment from the Kulan mine in November after activists discovered it was radioactive.

The case has caused an uproar in the Kyrgyz parliament, with opposition politicians calling for the government to resign and rival MPs accusing each other of receiving kickbacks from the coal shipment, the AP reports.

Kazakhstan has agreed to take back the coal after negotiations between the two nations' energy suppliers.

Please follow Europe on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:18 PM PST

Crowd sourced funding site Kickstarter has been kicking ass for would-be entrepreneurs.

So far in 2012, two projects have raised over $1 million. Several others have surpassed $250,000.

A project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. That way creators don't get locked into developing a project if they don't have enough money and contributors don't get stuck paying for crummy ideas.

Project owners have to promise something of value in exchange to those that contribute, but not the typical financial incentives such as ownership, a share of profits, or repayment. Instead the so-called "Kickstarter economy" is based on other types of rewards like copies of the work, limited editions or just plain fun experiences (such as dinner with a famous person).

Here are the 8 biggest awards for tech products so far...

8. Daniel Chin raised $262,351 to turn thumb drives into file servers.

Who: Daniel Chin founder of Apple accessory maker Sanho, in Fremont, CA.

How much: Chin got backers to contribute $262,351 when the project closed on January 6. This was fortunate as he was asking for more than the typical Kickstart project, $100,000.

For what: CloudFTP will turn any USB storage into a device that can wirelessly share files with the iPad and iPhone. Chin offered backers free products and also promised those that pledged $500 to include them in the ads placed he would place in a couple of popular Mac magazines.

7. Justin Jensen snags $486,518 for putting an iPhone camera on wheels

Who: Justin Jensen a mechanical engineer from Austin, TX and photo/film buff and his firm Cinetics.

How much: He asked for $20,000 and got $486,518 when the project closed in October.

For what: CineSkates are a set of three wheels that quickly attach to a tripod and enable fluid, rolling video. They require a GorillaPod Focus tripod. He set a retail price of $200 and Jensen gave backers at the $150 level a set of CineSkates. For bigger backers he threw in the GorillaPod, too.

6. David Carr and John Kestner got $556,541 to connect objects to the Internet.

Who: Designer-engineers David Carr and John Kestner and their firm Supermechanical.

How much: They asked for $35,000 and got $556,541 when the project closed on January 3.

For what: Twine is a device that lets you add Internet connectivity and apps to any object at all, without any geek skills. The designers say it can do things like let you get a tweet when your laundry's done, or get an email if the basement floods while you're on vacation.

For those pledging $100 or they not only offered two free Twines, but also a t-shirt and a card that let people give Twine as gifts -- and batteries were included.

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:19 PM PST

At the beginning of the year, without so much as a press release, Quaker Oats gave the Quaker Man a makeover.

Did the PepsiCo-owned company actually think it could get away with this logo redesign unnoticed?

The Quaker Man was born in 1877 and has undergone many instances of reconstructive surgery. In the last year, alone, Quaker has introduced two new logos—some designs attempting to emote a svelter and "lighter" image.

The birth of the Quaker Man in 1877.

The Quaker Man head shot was drawn by Jim Nash in 1956.

Harold Sundblond, best known for his Santa Claus illustrations for Coca-Cola, colored in the Quaker Man in 1957.

Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:24 PM PST

By now you are well aware of the grandiose event the Super Bowl has become. So much so, that all the crazy celebrity parties each have their own red carpet entrances.

One party in particular this year, GQ's, featured a giggly set of famous blondes having an absolutely wonderful time.

Watch as everyone's favorite sideline girl, Erin Andrews, calls SI Swimsuit cover girl Brooklyn Decker "my goddess" and "my life" (from Busted Coverage via Outside the Boxscore).

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:08 PM PST

The Argentinian-UK spat over the Falkland Islands seems to show no signs of abating, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon today calling on both nations to avoid "escalation", the BBC reports.

So what's so special about the Falkland Islands that has made both countries enter a war of words just 30 years after an actual war?

The islands are about 4,700 square miles big.

That's around 1,000 square miles smaller than Connecticut.

The last census recorded only 2,955 people on the island.

Most of these people are Falkland Islanders (known as "kelpers"), who of British descent.

90% of the island claims British birth or descent.

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:07 PM PST

In one of the most creative stunts we have seen in a while, Boeing just drew its own logo with GPS signals from planes.

They flew a 787 across the Northwest and Midwest in pretty exact ways to write out 787 and draw the distinctive Boeing logo.

We think this is incredibly cool.

Check it out below (via FlightAware):

Now take a look at some other cool planes >

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Greek Cabinet Approves Austerity Plan

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 02:03 PM PST

After a day of worrisome headlines, Bloomberg reports that the Greek cabinet has approved a package of austerity measures necessary to receive troika loans.

This comes despite numerous cabinet resignations and amid growing pressure from both Greek citizens to curtail economic reforms.

Even so, the two biggest hurdles for the plan as well as PM Lucas Papademos are still ahead. First, the Greek Parliament will vote on this agreement Sunday or Monday.

Second, Greeks will have to win approval for the agreement from EU leaders, who thought the deal fell short of the goals they had set for Greece and are demanding stiffer reforms before they give out more bailout funds.

But even if this were all to work out, Greece wouldn't be out of the woods yet. The Greek government and its private sector creditors are still locked in negotiations over a deal for the latter to take losses on holdings of government bonds. The numbers being bandied about right now are 70-75 percent, and it is extremely likely that all these creditors will agree to participate in a "voluntary" debt swap plan. This could lead to a credit event and potentially provoke a disorderly default.

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Posted: 10 Feb 2012 01:57 PM PST

In the aftermath of last weekend's Super Bowl, one of the common reactions to the entire experience is just how great Indianapolis was as a Super Bowl venue.

Here is one example from Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly...

..."super," in fact, is the best way to describe Indianapolis' effort in putting on its first Super Bowl. If you'd like a grade, let's give it an A-minus. There is very little I can imagine that could have been done better.

Arkush says his grade was not influenced by the weather. But the unseasonably warm temperatures couldn't have hurt.

It is generally accepted that there are five cities in the Super Bowl rotation, including Miami, New Orleans, Tampa, San Diego, and Phoenix (Glendale). Other cities, like Indianapolis this year and Dallas last year, will receive single Super Bowls as a reward for building a new stadium.

But based on all of the positive reviews from Super Bowl 46, it would not be a surprise if Indy finds itself as part of the regular rotation.

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