Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Review: Google Chrome lacks polish under the hood
Sep 3, 12:26 AM (ET)
By PETER SVENSSON
NEW YORK (AP) - Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG)'s new Web browser, called Chrome, does much of what a browser needs to do these days: It presents a sleek appearance, groups pages into easy-to-manage "tabs" and offers several ways for people to control their Internet privacy settings.
Yet my initial tests reveal that this "beta," or preliminary release, falls short of Google's goals, and is outdone in an important measure by the latest version of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) (MSFT)'s Internet Explorer.
Chrome is a challenge to Microsoft's browser, used by about three-quarters of Web surfers. But it could equally be called a challenge to Microsoft's Office software suite, because what Google really wants to do is to make the browser a stable and flexible platform that can do practically everything we want to do with a computer, from word processing and e-mail to photo editing.
To strengthen that effort, Chrome was designed to improve on the way other browsers handle JavaScript, one of the technologies used to make Web pages more interactive and more like desktop software applications. Google's online word processing and spreadsheet programs use this technology, but it's also very widely deployed on Web pages to do less sophisticated things, like drop-down menus.
At first blush, Google's focus on JavaScript makes sense. JavaScript can eat up computer processor power, and if poorly used by a Web site, can bring down the browser. One of the things Chrome promises is that if one browser tab crashes, it won't take down the whole program.
Chrome also has some cosmetic differences from Internet Explorer and Firefox, like putting the tabs at the very top of the window. That's a nice move, but it's the browser's performance that really matters to me. And this is where Chrome's attention to JavaScript might miss the point.
At work, I often have 40 or 50 tabs open in Firefox, grouped in different windows depending on which topic they pertain to. Frequently, Firefox would slow down all the other applications on my computer, then seize up completely.
At first I thought JavaScript was to blame, and blocked it from running. But that made many sites unusable, and it didn't help: The browser still froze.
It turns out the culprit is not JavaScript but another technology used to make Web pages more interactive: Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE)'s Flash plug-in. It's the program-within-a-program that plays YouTube videos and those annoying "splash" pages that some sites employ to dazzle you with animations before letting you do anything useful on the site.
Flash is a tremendous resource hog in Firefox, eating up processor time to the point where there is nothing left for other programs. It does this even if you're not actively doing anything. Merely having a YouTube page open on your screen will suck power from your computer's central processing unit, or CPU. This is outrageous behavior for a browser. It's my CPU and I want it back.
Luckily, there's a small add-on program for Firefox that lets the user prevent Flash files from running automatically when a page loads, and it turns Firefox into a stable, efficient browser.
What does this mean on Chrome? Well, it has the same problem. It lets sites running Flash take over your computer's resources. It doesn't hog the CPU quite as bad as with Firefox, but in a way, it's more serious, because unlike with Firefox, there's no way to stop Flash from running. Chrome's controls are quite bare-bones, perhaps because it's still in "beta."
On the plus side, Chrome allows you to diagnose problems with runaway plug-ins easily, because it tells you exactly which pages are consuming which resources. Had I been able to do this with Firefox, it would have saved me from months of browser troubles.
So which one comes out smelling like roses? The beta of Internet Explorer 8, released just last week.
When playing a YouTube video, Firefox 3 took up 95 percent of the CPU time on a three-year old laptop running Windows XP.
Chrome came in at 60 percent - still too much. Especially since Google owns YouTube! You'd think it could make its browser work well with that site in particular.
Internet Explorer barely broke a sweat, taking up just a few percent.
When I told each browser to load eight pages, some of which were heavy with Flash and graphics, Firefox took 17 seconds and ended with a continuous CPU load of 50 percent. That means it took up half of my available processing power, even if I wasn't looking at any of the pages.
Chrome loaded them the fastest, at 12 seconds, and ended with a CPU load of about 40 percent.
Internet Explorer 8 took 13 seconds to load, but ended with no CPU load at all.
So while Chrome's performance is a little better than that of Firefox, in practical terms, it is far less useful, because it lacks the broad array of third-party add-ons programs like Flashblock that make Firefox so customizable. With time, it might catch up, but in the meantime, I'd recommend giving the new Internet Explorer a spin.
By PETER SVENSSON
NEW YORK (AP) - Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG)'s new Web browser, called Chrome, does much of what a browser needs to do these days: It presents a sleek appearance, groups pages into easy-to-manage "tabs" and offers several ways for people to control their Internet privacy settings.
Yet my initial tests reveal that this "beta," or preliminary release, falls short of Google's goals, and is outdone in an important measure by the latest version of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) (MSFT)'s Internet Explorer.
Chrome is a challenge to Microsoft's browser, used by about three-quarters of Web surfers. But it could equally be called a challenge to Microsoft's Office software suite, because what Google really wants to do is to make the browser a stable and flexible platform that can do practically everything we want to do with a computer, from word processing and e-mail to photo editing.
To strengthen that effort, Chrome was designed to improve on the way other browsers handle JavaScript, one of the technologies used to make Web pages more interactive and more like desktop software applications. Google's online word processing and spreadsheet programs use this technology, but it's also very widely deployed on Web pages to do less sophisticated things, like drop-down menus.
At first blush, Google's focus on JavaScript makes sense. JavaScript can eat up computer processor power, and if poorly used by a Web site, can bring down the browser. One of the things Chrome promises is that if one browser tab crashes, it won't take down the whole program.
Chrome also has some cosmetic differences from Internet Explorer and Firefox, like putting the tabs at the very top of the window. That's a nice move, but it's the browser's performance that really matters to me. And this is where Chrome's attention to JavaScript might miss the point.
At work, I often have 40 or 50 tabs open in Firefox, grouped in different windows depending on which topic they pertain to. Frequently, Firefox would slow down all the other applications on my computer, then seize up completely.
At first I thought JavaScript was to blame, and blocked it from running. But that made many sites unusable, and it didn't help: The browser still froze.
It turns out the culprit is not JavaScript but another technology used to make Web pages more interactive: Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE)'s Flash plug-in. It's the program-within-a-program that plays YouTube videos and those annoying "splash" pages that some sites employ to dazzle you with animations before letting you do anything useful on the site.
Flash is a tremendous resource hog in Firefox, eating up processor time to the point where there is nothing left for other programs. It does this even if you're not actively doing anything. Merely having a YouTube page open on your screen will suck power from your computer's central processing unit, or CPU. This is outrageous behavior for a browser. It's my CPU and I want it back.
Luckily, there's a small add-on program for Firefox that lets the user prevent Flash files from running automatically when a page loads, and it turns Firefox into a stable, efficient browser.
What does this mean on Chrome? Well, it has the same problem. It lets sites running Flash take over your computer's resources. It doesn't hog the CPU quite as bad as with Firefox, but in a way, it's more serious, because unlike with Firefox, there's no way to stop Flash from running. Chrome's controls are quite bare-bones, perhaps because it's still in "beta."
On the plus side, Chrome allows you to diagnose problems with runaway plug-ins easily, because it tells you exactly which pages are consuming which resources. Had I been able to do this with Firefox, it would have saved me from months of browser troubles.
So which one comes out smelling like roses? The beta of Internet Explorer 8, released just last week.
When playing a YouTube video, Firefox 3 took up 95 percent of the CPU time on a three-year old laptop running Windows XP.
Chrome came in at 60 percent - still too much. Especially since Google owns YouTube! You'd think it could make its browser work well with that site in particular.
Internet Explorer barely broke a sweat, taking up just a few percent.
When I told each browser to load eight pages, some of which were heavy with Flash and graphics, Firefox took 17 seconds and ended with a continuous CPU load of 50 percent. That means it took up half of my available processing power, even if I wasn't looking at any of the pages.
Chrome loaded them the fastest, at 12 seconds, and ended with a CPU load of about 40 percent.
Internet Explorer 8 took 13 seconds to load, but ended with no CPU load at all.
So while Chrome's performance is a little better than that of Firefox, in practical terms, it is far less useful, because it lacks the broad array of third-party add-ons programs like Flashblock that make Firefox so customizable. With time, it might catch up, but in the meantime, I'd recommend giving the new Internet Explorer a spin.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Beijing Olympics' winners and losers
Beijing Olympics’ winners and losers
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 24, 9:44 am EDT
BEIJING – After nearly 1,000 medals were handed out here, someone needed to provide a Cliffs Notes version on the real winners (and losers) of the 2008 Summer Olympics. We’re here to oblige, and yes, readers from around the world, this is an American-centric list. Deal with it.
WINNER – Michael Phelps
With eight gold medals, seven world records, a possible $100 million in endorsements – and reports he’s hanging out with Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice – Phelps has redefined Olympic success.
Perhaps most impressive, he made Americans care about swimming. His race was appointment television at night and coffee-shop talk in the morning. The likelihood the Baltimore native achieves the goal of making swimming “more than a once-every-four-year sport” remains a long shot, although who wants to bet against him now?
LOSER – NBC
Because I was in China, I didn’t watch NBC’s coverage. I can only say from the flood of angry emails it hasn’t improved since the last time I was home for the games. Tape-delayed races, plausibly live coverage and covering up Chinese special effects for the Opening Ceremony, NBC is like the China Daily – a state-run propaganda newspaper – of American television.
If only everyone could get the feed for the Canadian Broadcast Company, which anyone in select American markets can attest does an exponentially better job of television coverage of the Olympics.
WINNER – Kobe Bryant
The two biggest surprises to come out of the redemption men’s basketball team was 1) the ease in which the U.S. dominated the competition to win gold and 2) the immense popularity of Kobe in China. Everywhere he went, he found adoring crowds, huge ovations and general rock-star treatment that not only dwarfed his teammates but also was at least the equal of national hero Yao Ming.
Not even in Los Angeles is Bryant this well received. Said Carmelo Anthony: “He ought to move here.”
LOSER – Liu Xiang
The Chinese hero was under enormous pressure to repeat gold in the 110-meter hurdles, an event he no longer dominates. He never even competed, pulling out due to injury before the preliminaries in an announcement that caused television reporters to cry on the air.
It was a devastating turn for Liu, whose likeness adorns advertisements across the country. While sympathetic Chinese journalists felt for Liu’s injury, many skeptical western ones questioned if it was just a face-saving measure. While only Liu knows for sure, it’s one of those clear cultural divisions in the world. Either way, the Olympics of Liu’s dreams turned into a nightmare.
WINNER – Hope Solo
A year ago, after she was benched in a Women’s World Cup game against Brazil, the U.S. goalkeeper ripped the decision, a move that tore apart her team and caused her temporarily to be separated from it. At the Olympics, she let her play do the talking, making a number of critical saves in a shutout of Brazil for the gold medal.
The entire U.S. women’s soccer team looked like it had entered a new era under positive coach Pia Sundhage. Solo is just the most obvious example.
LOSER – Ronaldinho
Soccer fans here were excited by the inclusion of the veteran superstar on the Brazilian men’s team, which, per Olympic rules, is mostly under 23. Once considered the best player in the world, Ronaldinho showed just how out of shape he is and looked a shell of his former self in a sad vision of how far and fast he has fallen. Very disappointing.
WINNER – Alicia Sacramone
Yes, she famously fell off the beam in the women’s gymnastics team finals and failed to medal in her only individual event final, the vault. She wasn’t too happy leaving Beijing.
However, the 20-year-old Brown University sophomore may wind up one of the breakout stars of the games. Even more than gold medalist teammates Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. At least among male fans who help make her one of the most searched athletes of the Olympics.
Or as Deadspin.com put it: “Is Alicia Sacramone the New Anna Kournikova?”
Anna never won, either. She made a lot of money anyway.
LOSER – Softball
In losing the gold to Japan, the U.S. may have made the best case for softball to be saved from elimination from future Olympics. That’s an awfully big price to pay for something that may not even be enough.
WINNER – Usain Bolt
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt became the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics.
Track seemed all but dead a couple weeks ago. Then along came this flamboyant speedster out of Jamaica.
He won three gold medals and set three world records, all while electrifying fans around the globe. He wasn’t just fast; he was flashy, a personality, a 6-foot-5 game changer who simply gobbled up track with each stride.
There hadn’t been anything in track like him in years, and coming off an era of extreme doping, he couldn’t have come at a better time.
LOSER – Jacques Rogge
If you wonder why everyone calls the International Olympic Committee out of touch, consider that while most of the world was celebrating Bolt, the organization’s president decided he should use his considerable bully pulpit to rip him for supposed showboating.
Rogge is a classic stiff-collared bureaucrat. His organization has made billions off athletes such as Bolt for years, yet he has to find someone to pick on.
He’s deathly frightened of criticizing any major nation – such as China, which broke a hundred promises to him in staging these games. He wouldn’t dare mention any of the dozens of athletes from big countries whose celebrations were just as bold.
A single sprinter from a small, impoverished, powerless island nation? Sure, hammer away.
Fortunately, Bolt came back and didn’t change his act at all in winning his third gold in the 4x100 relay. Rogge will soon fade into obscurity for a while.
LOSER – Smog
Smog was thick around the Bird’s Nest during the Beijing Games.
In a beat down worse than the one the U.S. laid on Germany in men’s hoops, the Chinese government all but eliminated smog from Beijing during the games. Trees were planted, factories shuttered, construction sites quieted and cars removed from the streets in an effort to produce blue skies.
It was a slow start to the process. Early on, the clouds of pollution were almost incomprehensible. The Chinese originally tried to claim it wasn’t smog but that it was just “mist.” Only the China Daily, and perhaps NBC, would believe this.
“We got absolutely snuffed out,” said a spokesperson for the Smog Olympic Committee. “It was a tough games for us. We just couldn’t get the carbons together to form a cancerous cloud, trap heat and sear eyeballs.”
WINNER – Smog
Guess what, it’s coming back. How depressing will it be to a Beijing resident the next couple of weeks? The smoke stacks will be relit, the coal plants fired up, the cars will return. Slowly, the reverse of the above picture will occur.
One older Beijing resident claimed the city hadn’t looked this good in a decade. Newer arrivals remarked the town was actually pretty. Yeah, not for long.
China has claimed it will curb the problem, but how? And Western corporations, all too pleased to take advantage of lax environmental laws, are part of the problem, too.
China gets routinely and deservedly hammered for its human rights issues in Tibet and Darfur. The biggest human rights issue may be the cancer in the air that its own citizens must breathe.
WINNERS – USA Volleyball and USA Water Polo
Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor won their second consecutive gold medal in beach volleyball.
On the beach, the Americans swept the men’s and women’s competitions. Indoor, the men won gold and the women won silver. Both did so while dealing with some level of tragedy from the stabbings of Todd and Barbara Bachman, the parents of former women’s player Elisabeth Bachman and the in-laws of men’s coach Hugh McCutcheon.
In the pool, the men surprisingly took silver and the women also won silver in a last-second loss.
WINNER – Cigarette smoke
Veteran readers of this column will note past criticism of Greek and Italian smokers, two medal contenders in the worldwide tobacco competition. At dinner, the Greeks smoke between bites. The Italians just never take it out of their mouths. (Smoking would be one of the more intriguing Summer Games events, although not as good as Russian Roulette, where gold really is the only option. Then there’s haggling at the Beijing silk market, where I’d have a shot to medal.)
Anyway, the Chinese appear to be far behind on cigarettes. It was mostly clean breathing (so to speak) around here.
LOSER – Chinese coffee
Good tea here. Coffee, not so much. I’m dying for a Dunkin’ Donuts large black. Not four ounces of warm, darkened water. The Big One.
WINNER – Ara Abrahamian
Yes, sportsmanship and all declares that protesting a scoring decision by throwing your bronze medal down and storming off isn’t good form. Then again, who hasn’t wished they could do the same on occasion. The Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler inspired every take-this-job-and-shove-it wannabe around the world.
That’s a winner enough for us. And that was before an arbitration court ruled in his favor.
LOSER – Angel Matos
The Cuban taekwondo athlete was so angered at his disqualification from a bronze medal match, he deliberately booted the referee in the face. Yeah, that’s a little much. Matos and his coach were banned for life. Not sure how there could be an appeal.
WINNER – Beijing organization
Considering the ability of the government to relocate people, build whatever infrastructure was necessary and control everything from private industry to dinner menus to traffic, there will probably never be a better tactically run games than these.
As long as you didn’t consider how it got done, working in Beijing was a breeze. The venues were modern and close, and the organization was sophisticated and smart. On this point, London and everyone else has its work cut out for it.
WINNER – Living in Beijing
Once the smog cleared, Beijing was tremendous. One of the best parts of covering an Olympics is you don’t see the host city as a tourist. You come here to live and work for a month, and while you’re obviously never a real local, you tend to get a little deeper into the place.
You learn how the subway works. You figure out a bus route. You have regular restaurants. We lived at Beijing Normal University, on the near northwest side of town, between Second and Third Ring Roads. It is surrounded by a real neighborhood, and over the course of nearly a month we met store owners, waiters, bartenders, cooks, security guards and local residents. We’d see them on the street and stop and chat.
The food was incredible and beyond cheap. The service was impeccable. And this neighborhood near “Bay-Shoe-Dah” was a tremendous place to live for a stretch.
WINNER – Chinese People
Nowhere in the world have I encountered friendlier people. Nowhere. Perhaps it was Olympic pride. Perhaps I was just an easily identifiable American with a press badge. It didn’t matter. The Chinese people wanted me to think well of them and their emerging country, and it is quite clear that this nation’s greatest resource is its citizens.
From the woman in the earthquake refugee camp who, despite having nothing, offered me a small, simple glass of water as a sign of hospitality. To the army of volunteers, forever smiling even when given the lowest of tasks such as sorting garbage in the cafeteria. The lasting memory for me from these games will be the Chinese people.
Their government has issues (as do all governments). It didn’t live up to what it said it would here. There is a great fear of China in the western world because people here will work for wages unlivable anywhere else and because of a natural suspicion of the Communist party.
No doubt, the challenges here are immense. If allowed, the Chinese people might be good enough to solve them.
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 24, 9:44 am EDT
BEIJING – After nearly 1,000 medals were handed out here, someone needed to provide a Cliffs Notes version on the real winners (and losers) of the 2008 Summer Olympics. We’re here to oblige, and yes, readers from around the world, this is an American-centric list. Deal with it.
WINNER – Michael Phelps
With eight gold medals, seven world records, a possible $100 million in endorsements – and reports he’s hanging out with Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice – Phelps has redefined Olympic success.
Perhaps most impressive, he made Americans care about swimming. His race was appointment television at night and coffee-shop talk in the morning. The likelihood the Baltimore native achieves the goal of making swimming “more than a once-every-four-year sport” remains a long shot, although who wants to bet against him now?
LOSER – NBC
Because I was in China, I didn’t watch NBC’s coverage. I can only say from the flood of angry emails it hasn’t improved since the last time I was home for the games. Tape-delayed races, plausibly live coverage and covering up Chinese special effects for the Opening Ceremony, NBC is like the China Daily – a state-run propaganda newspaper – of American television.
If only everyone could get the feed for the Canadian Broadcast Company, which anyone in select American markets can attest does an exponentially better job of television coverage of the Olympics.
WINNER – Kobe Bryant
The two biggest surprises to come out of the redemption men’s basketball team was 1) the ease in which the U.S. dominated the competition to win gold and 2) the immense popularity of Kobe in China. Everywhere he went, he found adoring crowds, huge ovations and general rock-star treatment that not only dwarfed his teammates but also was at least the equal of national hero Yao Ming.
Not even in Los Angeles is Bryant this well received. Said Carmelo Anthony: “He ought to move here.”
LOSER – Liu Xiang
The Chinese hero was under enormous pressure to repeat gold in the 110-meter hurdles, an event he no longer dominates. He never even competed, pulling out due to injury before the preliminaries in an announcement that caused television reporters to cry on the air.
It was a devastating turn for Liu, whose likeness adorns advertisements across the country. While sympathetic Chinese journalists felt for Liu’s injury, many skeptical western ones questioned if it was just a face-saving measure. While only Liu knows for sure, it’s one of those clear cultural divisions in the world. Either way, the Olympics of Liu’s dreams turned into a nightmare.
WINNER – Hope Solo
A year ago, after she was benched in a Women’s World Cup game against Brazil, the U.S. goalkeeper ripped the decision, a move that tore apart her team and caused her temporarily to be separated from it. At the Olympics, she let her play do the talking, making a number of critical saves in a shutout of Brazil for the gold medal.
The entire U.S. women’s soccer team looked like it had entered a new era under positive coach Pia Sundhage. Solo is just the most obvious example.
LOSER – Ronaldinho
Soccer fans here were excited by the inclusion of the veteran superstar on the Brazilian men’s team, which, per Olympic rules, is mostly under 23. Once considered the best player in the world, Ronaldinho showed just how out of shape he is and looked a shell of his former self in a sad vision of how far and fast he has fallen. Very disappointing.
WINNER – Alicia Sacramone
Yes, she famously fell off the beam in the women’s gymnastics team finals and failed to medal in her only individual event final, the vault. She wasn’t too happy leaving Beijing.
However, the 20-year-old Brown University sophomore may wind up one of the breakout stars of the games. Even more than gold medalist teammates Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. At least among male fans who help make her one of the most searched athletes of the Olympics.
Or as Deadspin.com put it: “Is Alicia Sacramone the New Anna Kournikova?”
Anna never won, either. She made a lot of money anyway.
LOSER – Softball
In losing the gold to Japan, the U.S. may have made the best case for softball to be saved from elimination from future Olympics. That’s an awfully big price to pay for something that may not even be enough.
WINNER – Usain Bolt
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt became the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics.
Track seemed all but dead a couple weeks ago. Then along came this flamboyant speedster out of Jamaica.
He won three gold medals and set three world records, all while electrifying fans around the globe. He wasn’t just fast; he was flashy, a personality, a 6-foot-5 game changer who simply gobbled up track with each stride.
There hadn’t been anything in track like him in years, and coming off an era of extreme doping, he couldn’t have come at a better time.
LOSER – Jacques Rogge
If you wonder why everyone calls the International Olympic Committee out of touch, consider that while most of the world was celebrating Bolt, the organization’s president decided he should use his considerable bully pulpit to rip him for supposed showboating.
Rogge is a classic stiff-collared bureaucrat. His organization has made billions off athletes such as Bolt for years, yet he has to find someone to pick on.
He’s deathly frightened of criticizing any major nation – such as China, which broke a hundred promises to him in staging these games. He wouldn’t dare mention any of the dozens of athletes from big countries whose celebrations were just as bold.
A single sprinter from a small, impoverished, powerless island nation? Sure, hammer away.
Fortunately, Bolt came back and didn’t change his act at all in winning his third gold in the 4x100 relay. Rogge will soon fade into obscurity for a while.
LOSER – Smog
Smog was thick around the Bird’s Nest during the Beijing Games.
In a beat down worse than the one the U.S. laid on Germany in men’s hoops, the Chinese government all but eliminated smog from Beijing during the games. Trees were planted, factories shuttered, construction sites quieted and cars removed from the streets in an effort to produce blue skies.
It was a slow start to the process. Early on, the clouds of pollution were almost incomprehensible. The Chinese originally tried to claim it wasn’t smog but that it was just “mist.” Only the China Daily, and perhaps NBC, would believe this.
“We got absolutely snuffed out,” said a spokesperson for the Smog Olympic Committee. “It was a tough games for us. We just couldn’t get the carbons together to form a cancerous cloud, trap heat and sear eyeballs.”
WINNER – Smog
Guess what, it’s coming back. How depressing will it be to a Beijing resident the next couple of weeks? The smoke stacks will be relit, the coal plants fired up, the cars will return. Slowly, the reverse of the above picture will occur.
One older Beijing resident claimed the city hadn’t looked this good in a decade. Newer arrivals remarked the town was actually pretty. Yeah, not for long.
China has claimed it will curb the problem, but how? And Western corporations, all too pleased to take advantage of lax environmental laws, are part of the problem, too.
China gets routinely and deservedly hammered for its human rights issues in Tibet and Darfur. The biggest human rights issue may be the cancer in the air that its own citizens must breathe.
WINNERS – USA Volleyball and USA Water Polo
Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor won their second consecutive gold medal in beach volleyball.
On the beach, the Americans swept the men’s and women’s competitions. Indoor, the men won gold and the women won silver. Both did so while dealing with some level of tragedy from the stabbings of Todd and Barbara Bachman, the parents of former women’s player Elisabeth Bachman and the in-laws of men’s coach Hugh McCutcheon.
In the pool, the men surprisingly took silver and the women also won silver in a last-second loss.
WINNER – Cigarette smoke
Veteran readers of this column will note past criticism of Greek and Italian smokers, two medal contenders in the worldwide tobacco competition. At dinner, the Greeks smoke between bites. The Italians just never take it out of their mouths. (Smoking would be one of the more intriguing Summer Games events, although not as good as Russian Roulette, where gold really is the only option. Then there’s haggling at the Beijing silk market, where I’d have a shot to medal.)
Anyway, the Chinese appear to be far behind on cigarettes. It was mostly clean breathing (so to speak) around here.
LOSER – Chinese coffee
Good tea here. Coffee, not so much. I’m dying for a Dunkin’ Donuts large black. Not four ounces of warm, darkened water. The Big One.
WINNER – Ara Abrahamian
Yes, sportsmanship and all declares that protesting a scoring decision by throwing your bronze medal down and storming off isn’t good form. Then again, who hasn’t wished they could do the same on occasion. The Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler inspired every take-this-job-and-shove-it wannabe around the world.
That’s a winner enough for us. And that was before an arbitration court ruled in his favor.
LOSER – Angel Matos
The Cuban taekwondo athlete was so angered at his disqualification from a bronze medal match, he deliberately booted the referee in the face. Yeah, that’s a little much. Matos and his coach were banned for life. Not sure how there could be an appeal.
WINNER – Beijing organization
Considering the ability of the government to relocate people, build whatever infrastructure was necessary and control everything from private industry to dinner menus to traffic, there will probably never be a better tactically run games than these.
As long as you didn’t consider how it got done, working in Beijing was a breeze. The venues were modern and close, and the organization was sophisticated and smart. On this point, London and everyone else has its work cut out for it.
WINNER – Living in Beijing
Once the smog cleared, Beijing was tremendous. One of the best parts of covering an Olympics is you don’t see the host city as a tourist. You come here to live and work for a month, and while you’re obviously never a real local, you tend to get a little deeper into the place.
You learn how the subway works. You figure out a bus route. You have regular restaurants. We lived at Beijing Normal University, on the near northwest side of town, between Second and Third Ring Roads. It is surrounded by a real neighborhood, and over the course of nearly a month we met store owners, waiters, bartenders, cooks, security guards and local residents. We’d see them on the street and stop and chat.
The food was incredible and beyond cheap. The service was impeccable. And this neighborhood near “Bay-Shoe-Dah” was a tremendous place to live for a stretch.
WINNER – Chinese People
Nowhere in the world have I encountered friendlier people. Nowhere. Perhaps it was Olympic pride. Perhaps I was just an easily identifiable American with a press badge. It didn’t matter. The Chinese people wanted me to think well of them and their emerging country, and it is quite clear that this nation’s greatest resource is its citizens.
From the woman in the earthquake refugee camp who, despite having nothing, offered me a small, simple glass of water as a sign of hospitality. To the army of volunteers, forever smiling even when given the lowest of tasks such as sorting garbage in the cafeteria. The lasting memory for me from these games will be the Chinese people.
Their government has issues (as do all governments). It didn’t live up to what it said it would here. There is a great fear of China in the western world because people here will work for wages unlivable anywhere else and because of a natural suspicion of the Communist party.
No doubt, the challenges here are immense. If allowed, the Chinese people might be good enough to solve them.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Yimou: "Diritti umani? Inutili"
Occidente soffre di troppa democrazia"
I diritti umani? Rendono l'Occidente inefficiente e non gli consentono di raggiungere gli elevati standard organizzativi e artistici di cui sono capaci i cinesi. Parola di Zhang Yimou, autore di pellicole famosissime come "Lanterne rosse" e "Hero", oltrechรฉ regista della cerimonia di apertura delle Olimpiadi di Pechino. Secondo lui, solo con il senso dell'ordine e l'ubbidienza si possono realizzare elevate prestazioni artistiche.
Le incredibili affermazioni sono state fatte nel corso di un'intervista al quotidiano cinese "Weekend al sud". Zhang Yimou ha espresso la sua incondizionata ammirazione per le manifestazioni politico-culturali dei nordcoreani e spiega che "questo tipo di uniformitร produce bellezza", di cui "siamo capaci anche noi cinesi". Per esemplificare il suo pensiero il regista cita la scena ammirata in tutto il mondo della cerimonia di apertura, in cui sul terreno dello stadio blocchi argentei con i caratteri di stampa cinesi si sollevavano ed abbassavano come in una macchina da scrivere, risultato ottenibile solo perchรฉ "gli esecutori obbediscono agli ordini e sono in grado di farlo come un computer, รจ questo lo spirito cinese".
Insomma, obbedienza e cieca e nessuno spazio al libero arbitrio delle persone. Cosa che non riuscirebbe cosรฌ bene agli occidentali, troppo abituati a quella strana cosa chiamata "libertร ". Gli occidentali "non sono in grado" di fare lo stesso, non fosse altro che per "il loro rispetto dei diritti umani" dice Yimou. Il regista spiega che proprio le rigide norme sul lavoro e la tutela sindacale incontrate nei Paesi europei gli hanno finora impedito di realizzare regie operistiche, poichรฉ "gli interpreti occidentali lavorano solo quattro giorni e mezzo alla settimana, fanno due pause al giorno per il caffรฉ, ma poi non sono nemmeno in grado di stare bene allineati". Come se non bastasse, attori e cantanti occidentali "hanno anche a disposizione organizzazioni di ogni tipo e i sindacati". Secondo il regista, grazie alla loro cultura "i cinesi riescono a realizzare in una settimana quello che gli europei fanno in un mese". La Cina รจ davvero vicina?
I diritti umani? Rendono l'Occidente inefficiente e non gli consentono di raggiungere gli elevati standard organizzativi e artistici di cui sono capaci i cinesi. Parola di Zhang Yimou, autore di pellicole famosissime come "Lanterne rosse" e "Hero", oltrechรฉ regista della cerimonia di apertura delle Olimpiadi di Pechino. Secondo lui, solo con il senso dell'ordine e l'ubbidienza si possono realizzare elevate prestazioni artistiche.
Le incredibili affermazioni sono state fatte nel corso di un'intervista al quotidiano cinese "Weekend al sud". Zhang Yimou ha espresso la sua incondizionata ammirazione per le manifestazioni politico-culturali dei nordcoreani e spiega che "questo tipo di uniformitร produce bellezza", di cui "siamo capaci anche noi cinesi". Per esemplificare il suo pensiero il regista cita la scena ammirata in tutto il mondo della cerimonia di apertura, in cui sul terreno dello stadio blocchi argentei con i caratteri di stampa cinesi si sollevavano ed abbassavano come in una macchina da scrivere, risultato ottenibile solo perchรฉ "gli esecutori obbediscono agli ordini e sono in grado di farlo come un computer, รจ questo lo spirito cinese".
Insomma, obbedienza e cieca e nessuno spazio al libero arbitrio delle persone. Cosa che non riuscirebbe cosรฌ bene agli occidentali, troppo abituati a quella strana cosa chiamata "libertร ". Gli occidentali "non sono in grado" di fare lo stesso, non fosse altro che per "il loro rispetto dei diritti umani" dice Yimou. Il regista spiega che proprio le rigide norme sul lavoro e la tutela sindacale incontrate nei Paesi europei gli hanno finora impedito di realizzare regie operistiche, poichรฉ "gli interpreti occidentali lavorano solo quattro giorni e mezzo alla settimana, fanno due pause al giorno per il caffรฉ, ma poi non sono nemmeno in grado di stare bene allineati". Come se non bastasse, attori e cantanti occidentali "hanno anche a disposizione organizzazioni di ogni tipo e i sindacati". Secondo il regista, grazie alla loro cultura "i cinesi riescono a realizzare in una settimana quello che gli europei fanno in un mese". La Cina รจ davvero vicina?
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Liu Xiang, dolore e rabbia
Liu Xiang, dolore e rabbia. E se fosse tutta una farsa?
L'eroe nazionale non poteva perdere. E il video prima della gara sarebbe stato girato per ottenere i 13 milioni dell'assicurazione
PECHINO, 19 agosto 2008 - Una conferenza stampa organizzata in pochi minuti (mai accaduto in Cina); il capo dell’atletica cinese, Feng Shuyong, notoriamente scarso in lingua inglese, che miracolosamente comincia a parlarla benissimo e a usare termini scientifici; un telegramma (anche questo mai accaduto prima) del vicepresidente della Repubblica popolare, Xi Jinping, al Ministero dello sport, per definire Liu Xiang "Un eroe", appena 5 minuti dopo l’infortunio (nemmeno per la ginnasta Sang Lan, rimasta paralizzata nel ’98 era stato fatto altrettanto); una frase non tradotta, un video non trasmesso in Cina. E il dramma di un nazione e di un popolo rischia di diventare uno scherzo cinese, il meno divertente, il piรน sconcertante e irritante.
I DUBBI - Quando รจ annunciata la conferenza stampa, subito dopo il ritiro di Liu Xiang, per i giornalisti stranieri รจ tutto normale. Per quelli cinesi, invece, รจ incredibile. E quando sentono Feng Shuyong spiegare con termini tecnici l’infortunio si guardano tra loro, straniti, perchรฉ la sensazione รจ di una lezione imparata a memoria, in ottimo inglese. E cominciano i dubbi, che aumentano quando Sun Haiping, l’allenatore personale di Liu Xiang, dice che tre medici hanno tentato di farlo guarire, ma che "Persino il ghiaccio e le preghiere non sono serviti". La frase non รจ tradotta per gli stranieri. Le preghiere? Tre medici che pregano? Molti giornalisti cinesi non credono piรน a una parola. La conferenza stampa, sospettano, รจ stata preparata in precedenza. I tecnici si sono accorti che Liu Xiang non ha recuperato dall’infortunio e se ne sono inventati uno nuovo. La sconfitta in pista sarebbe intollerabile, meglio far cadere l’eroe nazionale sotto un destino avverso.
I SOLDI - E si pensa che anche il video girato prima della gara, e non mandato in onda in Cina, abbia due scopi: dimostrare che Liu Xiang ha avuto un nuovo infortunio e costituire una conferma per l’assicurazione, che dovrร dare 13 milioni di dollari. Il paradosso รจ che Liu Xiang "rischia" di avere un vantaggio economico da questa storia. Ci sono diverse stime di quanto guadagni, secondo la rivista Forbes 16 milioni di euro l’anno, ma una piรน realistica dovrebbe essere sui 10 milioni di euro, garantiti da Nike, Coca Cola, Shanshan (abbigliamento), Konka (produzioni Tv), Baisha (sigarette), China mobile (telefonia), Wili (latte) e Longxin (moto). L’agente di Liu Xiang non tratta mai per meno di un milione di euro. Ma ora, con la fama di "eroe" che si รจ inchinato solo a un dolore insopportabile, dopo aver comunque tentato di andare in pista "per amore del popolo", le cifre potrebbero aumentare. Lo scherzo cinese funziona cosรฌ.
L'eroe nazionale non poteva perdere. E il video prima della gara sarebbe stato girato per ottenere i 13 milioni dell'assicurazione
PECHINO, 19 agosto 2008 - Una conferenza stampa organizzata in pochi minuti (mai accaduto in Cina); il capo dell’atletica cinese, Feng Shuyong, notoriamente scarso in lingua inglese, che miracolosamente comincia a parlarla benissimo e a usare termini scientifici; un telegramma (anche questo mai accaduto prima) del vicepresidente della Repubblica popolare, Xi Jinping, al Ministero dello sport, per definire Liu Xiang "Un eroe", appena 5 minuti dopo l’infortunio (nemmeno per la ginnasta Sang Lan, rimasta paralizzata nel ’98 era stato fatto altrettanto); una frase non tradotta, un video non trasmesso in Cina. E il dramma di un nazione e di un popolo rischia di diventare uno scherzo cinese, il meno divertente, il piรน sconcertante e irritante.
I DUBBI - Quando รจ annunciata la conferenza stampa, subito dopo il ritiro di Liu Xiang, per i giornalisti stranieri รจ tutto normale. Per quelli cinesi, invece, รจ incredibile. E quando sentono Feng Shuyong spiegare con termini tecnici l’infortunio si guardano tra loro, straniti, perchรฉ la sensazione รจ di una lezione imparata a memoria, in ottimo inglese. E cominciano i dubbi, che aumentano quando Sun Haiping, l’allenatore personale di Liu Xiang, dice che tre medici hanno tentato di farlo guarire, ma che "Persino il ghiaccio e le preghiere non sono serviti". La frase non รจ tradotta per gli stranieri. Le preghiere? Tre medici che pregano? Molti giornalisti cinesi non credono piรน a una parola. La conferenza stampa, sospettano, รจ stata preparata in precedenza. I tecnici si sono accorti che Liu Xiang non ha recuperato dall’infortunio e se ne sono inventati uno nuovo. La sconfitta in pista sarebbe intollerabile, meglio far cadere l’eroe nazionale sotto un destino avverso.
I SOLDI - E si pensa che anche il video girato prima della gara, e non mandato in onda in Cina, abbia due scopi: dimostrare che Liu Xiang ha avuto un nuovo infortunio e costituire una conferma per l’assicurazione, che dovrร dare 13 milioni di dollari. Il paradosso รจ che Liu Xiang "rischia" di avere un vantaggio economico da questa storia. Ci sono diverse stime di quanto guadagni, secondo la rivista Forbes 16 milioni di euro l’anno, ma una piรน realistica dovrebbe essere sui 10 milioni di euro, garantiti da Nike, Coca Cola, Shanshan (abbigliamento), Konka (produzioni Tv), Baisha (sigarette), China mobile (telefonia), Wili (latte) e Longxin (moto). L’agente di Liu Xiang non tratta mai per meno di un milione di euro. Ma ora, con la fama di "eroe" che si รจ inchinato solo a un dolore insopportabile, dopo aver comunque tentato di andare in pista "per amore del popolo", le cifre potrebbero aumentare. Lo scherzo cinese funziona cosรฌ.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Time Magazine article: "Making an Arguement for Misspelling"
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008
Making an Arguement for Misspelling
By Laura Fitzpatrick
Most teachers expect to correct their students' spelling mistakes once in a while. But Ken Smith has had enough. The senior lecturer in criminology at Bucks New University in Buckinghamshire, England, sees so many misspellings in papers submitted by first-year students that he says we'd be better off letting the perpetrators off the hook and doing away with certain spelling rules altogether.
Good spellers, Smith says, should be able to go on writing as usual; those who find the current rules of English too hard to learn should have their spelling labeled variant, not wrong. Smith zeroes in on 10 candidates for variant spellings, culled from his students' most commonly misspelled (or mispelled, as Smith suggests) words. Among them are Febuary instead of February, twelth instead of twelfth and truely instead of truly — all words, he says, that involve confusion over silent letters. When students would ask why there's no e in truly, Smith didn't really have an answer. "I'd say, 'Well, I don't know. ... You've just got to drop it because people do,' " he says. Smith adds that when teachers correct spelling, they waste valuable time they could be spending on bigger ideas.
Word nerds aren't the only ones with a stake in the proposal. People who have trouble with spelling are punished when it comes to applying for jobs or even filling out forms, even though their mistakes are far from unusual, says Jack Bovill, chairman of the British-based Spelling Society, an international organization that has advocated simplified spellings since 1908. A 2007 Spelling Society survey of 1,000 British adults found that more than half could not spell embarrassed or millennium correctly and more than a quarter struggled with definitely, accidentally and separate.
Smith and Bovill are part of a long and illustrious line of spelling malcontents. Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, Teddy Roosevelt and even Noah Webster, father of American lexicography, all lobbied for spelling reform, their reasons ranging from traumatic childhood spelling experiences to the hope that easier communication would promote peace. In 1906, Mark Twain lobbied the Associated Press to use phonetic spelling. "The heart of our trouble is with our foolish alphabet," he once wrote. "It doesn't know how to spell, and can't be taught."
Non-English-speaking countries have been simplifying their spelling for centuries: Spain, France, Germany, Russia, Norway, Ireland, Indonesia and Japan, among others, have all instituted such reforms; Portugal in May amended its spelling to follow the simpler Brazilian rules. Since 1755, when the English language was standardized in Samuel Johnson's aptly named Dictionary of the English Language, many variant spellings have become widely accepted on both sides of the pond. In 1864, for instance, the U.S. government officially changed the spelling of words like centre and timbre to end in the variant -er; more recently, at the beginning of the 20th century, fantasy became an accepted variant of phantasy.
But some language purists insist that there is value to the top-down rules of English. "People who spell a lot of words incorrectly either aren't paying attention or don't care," says Barbara Wallraff, who writes the Wordcourt column on language and writing problems for the Atlantic and King Features Syndicate. "Why are we changing our language to accommodate — with two m's — them?"
Joe Pickett, executive editor of the American Heritage Dictionary, says that changes to dictionary entries are always on the table, but he and his seven fellow editors are a tough crowd. They keep an eye on print publications to see whether a variant usage has started to become mainstream. Any word that seems to be a good candidate for an update undergoes rigorous scrutiny as the editors seek input from a panel of some 200 orthographic and lexicographic whizzes. Even among this writerly crowd, 13% admitted in 1996 to combining a lot into a single word. But 93% still considered it an error and corrected it in their own writing — leading the editors not to change the entry. Variants are added to the dictionary, Pickett says, "only when we're really convinced that even people like us don't notice [the misspelling] much."
Smith, for his part, insists that he is advocating only for minor changes. "I'm not saying to people who have actually gone to all the trouble to learn all the exceptions to the rule that they should unlearn it. I'm just saying, let's have a few more variant spellings," he says. And if that doesn't catch on, he has another idea. "In the 21st century, why learn by heart rote spelling when you can just type it into a computer and spell-check?" he asks.
Making an Arguement for Misspelling
By Laura Fitzpatrick
Most teachers expect to correct their students' spelling mistakes once in a while. But Ken Smith has had enough. The senior lecturer in criminology at Bucks New University in Buckinghamshire, England, sees so many misspellings in papers submitted by first-year students that he says we'd be better off letting the perpetrators off the hook and doing away with certain spelling rules altogether.
Good spellers, Smith says, should be able to go on writing as usual; those who find the current rules of English too hard to learn should have their spelling labeled variant, not wrong. Smith zeroes in on 10 candidates for variant spellings, culled from his students' most commonly misspelled (or mispelled, as Smith suggests) words. Among them are Febuary instead of February, twelth instead of twelfth and truely instead of truly — all words, he says, that involve confusion over silent letters. When students would ask why there's no e in truly, Smith didn't really have an answer. "I'd say, 'Well, I don't know. ... You've just got to drop it because people do,' " he says. Smith adds that when teachers correct spelling, they waste valuable time they could be spending on bigger ideas.
Word nerds aren't the only ones with a stake in the proposal. People who have trouble with spelling are punished when it comes to applying for jobs or even filling out forms, even though their mistakes are far from unusual, says Jack Bovill, chairman of the British-based Spelling Society, an international organization that has advocated simplified spellings since 1908. A 2007 Spelling Society survey of 1,000 British adults found that more than half could not spell embarrassed or millennium correctly and more than a quarter struggled with definitely, accidentally and separate.
Smith and Bovill are part of a long and illustrious line of spelling malcontents. Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, Teddy Roosevelt and even Noah Webster, father of American lexicography, all lobbied for spelling reform, their reasons ranging from traumatic childhood spelling experiences to the hope that easier communication would promote peace. In 1906, Mark Twain lobbied the Associated Press to use phonetic spelling. "The heart of our trouble is with our foolish alphabet," he once wrote. "It doesn't know how to spell, and can't be taught."
Non-English-speaking countries have been simplifying their spelling for centuries: Spain, France, Germany, Russia, Norway, Ireland, Indonesia and Japan, among others, have all instituted such reforms; Portugal in May amended its spelling to follow the simpler Brazilian rules. Since 1755, when the English language was standardized in Samuel Johnson's aptly named Dictionary of the English Language, many variant spellings have become widely accepted on both sides of the pond. In 1864, for instance, the U.S. government officially changed the spelling of words like centre and timbre to end in the variant -er; more recently, at the beginning of the 20th century, fantasy became an accepted variant of phantasy.
But some language purists insist that there is value to the top-down rules of English. "People who spell a lot of words incorrectly either aren't paying attention or don't care," says Barbara Wallraff, who writes the Wordcourt column on language and writing problems for the Atlantic and King Features Syndicate. "Why are we changing our language to accommodate — with two m's — them?"
Joe Pickett, executive editor of the American Heritage Dictionary, says that changes to dictionary entries are always on the table, but he and his seven fellow editors are a tough crowd. They keep an eye on print publications to see whether a variant usage has started to become mainstream. Any word that seems to be a good candidate for an update undergoes rigorous scrutiny as the editors seek input from a panel of some 200 orthographic and lexicographic whizzes. Even among this writerly crowd, 13% admitted in 1996 to combining a lot into a single word. But 93% still considered it an error and corrected it in their own writing — leading the editors not to change the entry. Variants are added to the dictionary, Pickett says, "only when we're really convinced that even people like us don't notice [the misspelling] much."
Smith, for his part, insists that he is advocating only for minor changes. "I'm not saying to people who have actually gone to all the trouble to learn all the exceptions to the rule that they should unlearn it. I'm just saying, let's have a few more variant spellings," he says. And if that doesn't catch on, he has another idea. "In the 21st century, why learn by heart rote spelling when you can just type it into a computer and spell-check?" he asks.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Schiaffo a Berlusconi dalla NBC «ร troppo anziano per andare a Pechino»
Toni da sfottรฒ dei presentatori della tv Usa durante la cerimonia dei giochi
Non sono stati risparmiati neanche gli atleti italiani: mostrati per pochi secondi come quelli del Mali e Gabon
NEW YORK – Italia che conta poco, Italia da barzelletta. E’ questa l’immagine che milioni di americani hanno ricevuto venerdรฌ sera nel guardare la cerimonia d'apertura dei Giochi di Pechino, trasmessa durante il prime time, - con una differita di ben 12 ore - dalla NBC. Che ha sborsato 894 milioni di dollari per ottenere i diritti in esclusiva per gli Stati Uniti. Quando, verso la fine dello show, i riflettori sono toccati all’Italia, il tono dei due presentatori Bob Costas e Matt Lauer รจ passato dal serio al faceto. «Il primo ministro italiano Silvio Berlusconi ha rinunciato ad essere qui stasera insieme agli oltre 80 capi di stato», hanno spiegato ridacchiando i due mezzibusti della NBC, «Perchรฉ a Pechino fa caldo. Troppo caldo per lui». Dopo aver ironizzato sull’immensa fortuna di Berlusconi («il piรน ricco magnate italiano dei media che รจ anche primo ministro del Paese»), e sulla sua etร («a 72 anni รจ troppo anziano per un viaggio del genere»), i due presentatori hanno concluso spiegando ai telespettatori che «se sei ricco e potente come lui, puoi permetterti di startene a casa a guardare la cerimonia. Comodamente seduto davanti alla tv».
Il tono da sfottรฒ nei confronti del leader italiano era in netto contrasto con quello, serio e rispettoso, riservato agli altri leader presenti sul palco dei Vip – dal presidente francese Sarkozy a quello americano George W. Bush. Ma lo schiaffo in faccia all’Italia non ha risparmiato neppure gli atleti italiani, che sono stati mostrati per pochi secondi, alla stregua delle mini-delegazioni di paesi in via di sviluppo come Mali e Gabon, e al contrario di quelle di altri paesi europei quali Spagna, Germania, Inghilterra e Francia, cui Lauer e Costas hanno dedicato dettagliati ritratti, in elogio ai passati record dei loro atleti. Perchรฉ questo doppio binario? Perchรฉ umiliare cosรฌ l’Italia? Che cosa hanno pensato milioni di italo-americani che hanno seguito la cerimonia da casa? Non รจ la prima volta che la NBC finisce nel mirino durante l’olimpiade. Due anni fa il network era stato criticato dal quotidiano Usa Today perchรฉ, durante le dirette da Torino per le Olimpiadi invernali, si era rifiutato di menzionare la storia della Sacra Sindone, finita su tutti i giornali Usa. «Vogliamo tenere la religione fuori dai giochi», si era giustificato allora un portavoce.
Non sono stati risparmiati neanche gli atleti italiani: mostrati per pochi secondi come quelli del Mali e Gabon
NEW YORK – Italia che conta poco, Italia da barzelletta. E’ questa l’immagine che milioni di americani hanno ricevuto venerdรฌ sera nel guardare la cerimonia d'apertura dei Giochi di Pechino, trasmessa durante il prime time, - con una differita di ben 12 ore - dalla NBC. Che ha sborsato 894 milioni di dollari per ottenere i diritti in esclusiva per gli Stati Uniti. Quando, verso la fine dello show, i riflettori sono toccati all’Italia, il tono dei due presentatori Bob Costas e Matt Lauer รจ passato dal serio al faceto. «Il primo ministro italiano Silvio Berlusconi ha rinunciato ad essere qui stasera insieme agli oltre 80 capi di stato», hanno spiegato ridacchiando i due mezzibusti della NBC, «Perchรฉ a Pechino fa caldo. Troppo caldo per lui». Dopo aver ironizzato sull’immensa fortuna di Berlusconi («il piรน ricco magnate italiano dei media che รจ anche primo ministro del Paese»), e sulla sua etร («a 72 anni รจ troppo anziano per un viaggio del genere»), i due presentatori hanno concluso spiegando ai telespettatori che «se sei ricco e potente come lui, puoi permetterti di startene a casa a guardare la cerimonia. Comodamente seduto davanti alla tv».
Il tono da sfottรฒ nei confronti del leader italiano era in netto contrasto con quello, serio e rispettoso, riservato agli altri leader presenti sul palco dei Vip – dal presidente francese Sarkozy a quello americano George W. Bush. Ma lo schiaffo in faccia all’Italia non ha risparmiato neppure gli atleti italiani, che sono stati mostrati per pochi secondi, alla stregua delle mini-delegazioni di paesi in via di sviluppo come Mali e Gabon, e al contrario di quelle di altri paesi europei quali Spagna, Germania, Inghilterra e Francia, cui Lauer e Costas hanno dedicato dettagliati ritratti, in elogio ai passati record dei loro atleti. Perchรฉ questo doppio binario? Perchรฉ umiliare cosรฌ l’Italia? Che cosa hanno pensato milioni di italo-americani che hanno seguito la cerimonia da casa? Non รจ la prima volta che la NBC finisce nel mirino durante l’olimpiade. Due anni fa il network era stato criticato dal quotidiano Usa Today perchรฉ, durante le dirette da Torino per le Olimpiadi invernali, si era rifiutato di menzionare la storia della Sacra Sindone, finita su tutti i giornali Usa. «Vogliamo tenere la religione fuori dai giochi», si era giustificato allora un portavoce.
NBC withholding live Olympic events from west coast viewers
By Chris Chase
NBC went to a lot of trouble in order to get major Olympic events like swimming and gymnastics on the air live in primetime in the United States. Now, after getting their wish, the Peacock Network is inexplicably showing those events on tape delay on the west coast.
Because the time difference from Beijing to the United States wouldn't allow NBC to air live coverage of events from China, swimming and gymnastics finals were moved to the morning in Beijing. The network paid $894 million to broadcast these Olympics and didn't want a redo of 2000, when every major event in Sydney was shown on tape delay (it's no coincidence that the ratings for those Games were the lowest in history).
But after enduring months of tough negotiations with the IOC to get the events moved, NBC is doing exactly what they tried to avoid: showing events on tape. Tonight's swimming finals with Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Katie Hoff were not shown live in the Mountain or Pacific time zones, nor will they be shown for the entirety of the competition. NBC will instead ran the east coast feed three hours later; at 8:00 p.m. PT. So, at the moment (midnight on the east coast), viewers on the other side of the country still haven't seen Phelps shatter his own world record in the 400-meter individual medley.
This is a baffling decision by NBC. It's hard to recall any other time when a sporting event has been shown live in one half of the country, but not the other. It's unheard of. Sure, some sporting events start at weird times on the west coast, but that's the norm and people adapt. Like earthquakes, wildfires and actors-turned-governors, it's just how things are. That's why bars have breakfast buffets and bloody mary bars during football season for 10:00 a.m. kickoffs. If live mid-day weekend telecasts are good enough for the NFL and college football, why not the Olympics?
If the network plans on continuing the delay of the west coast feed, they're subjecting themselves to viewer backlash, poor ratings and upset advertisers. Essentially, NBC strong-armed the IOC into changing around a bulk of the Olympic schedule in order to broadcast live events in two time zones. Great business decision, guys. Why not just push Jay Leno out the door too while you're at it. (Oh, wait.)
NBC went to a lot of trouble in order to get major Olympic events like swimming and gymnastics on the air live in primetime in the United States. Now, after getting their wish, the Peacock Network is inexplicably showing those events on tape delay on the west coast.
Because the time difference from Beijing to the United States wouldn't allow NBC to air live coverage of events from China, swimming and gymnastics finals were moved to the morning in Beijing. The network paid $894 million to broadcast these Olympics and didn't want a redo of 2000, when every major event in Sydney was shown on tape delay (it's no coincidence that the ratings for those Games were the lowest in history).
But after enduring months of tough negotiations with the IOC to get the events moved, NBC is doing exactly what they tried to avoid: showing events on tape. Tonight's swimming finals with Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Katie Hoff were not shown live in the Mountain or Pacific time zones, nor will they be shown for the entirety of the competition. NBC will instead ran the east coast feed three hours later; at 8:00 p.m. PT. So, at the moment (midnight on the east coast), viewers on the other side of the country still haven't seen Phelps shatter his own world record in the 400-meter individual medley.
This is a baffling decision by NBC. It's hard to recall any other time when a sporting event has been shown live in one half of the country, but not the other. It's unheard of. Sure, some sporting events start at weird times on the west coast, but that's the norm and people adapt. Like earthquakes, wildfires and actors-turned-governors, it's just how things are. That's why bars have breakfast buffets and bloody mary bars during football season for 10:00 a.m. kickoffs. If live mid-day weekend telecasts are good enough for the NFL and college football, why not the Olympics?
If the network plans on continuing the delay of the west coast feed, they're subjecting themselves to viewer backlash, poor ratings and upset advertisers. Essentially, NBC strong-armed the IOC into changing around a bulk of the Olympic schedule in order to broadcast live events in two time zones. Great business decision, guys. Why not just push Jay Leno out the door too while you're at it. (Oh, wait.)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Revo Uninstaller
Revo Uninstaller helps you to uninstall and remove unwanted programs installed on your computer even if you have problems uninstalling and cannot uninstall them from "Windows Add or Remove Programs" control panel applet.
Revo Uninstaller is a much faster and more powerful alternative to "Windows Add or Remove Programs" applet!
With its advanced and fast algorithm, Revo Uninstaller analyzes an application's data before uninstall and scans after you uninstall an application. After the program's regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over on your computer. Even if you have a broken installation, Revo Uninstaller scans for an application's data on your hard disk drives and in the Windows registry and shows all found files, folders and registry keys so you can delete them.
With its unique "Hunter mode", Revo Uninstaller offers you some simple, easy to use, but effective and powerful approaches to manage (uninstall, stop, delete, disable from auto starting) and to get information about your installed and/or running programs.
Revo Uninstaller is a much faster and more powerful alternative to "Windows Add or Remove Programs" applet!
With its advanced and fast algorithm, Revo Uninstaller analyzes an application's data before uninstall and scans after you uninstall an application. After the program's regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over on your computer. Even if you have a broken installation, Revo Uninstaller scans for an application's data on your hard disk drives and in the Windows registry and shows all found files, folders and registry keys so you can delete them.
With its unique "Hunter mode", Revo Uninstaller offers you some simple, easy to use, but effective and powerful approaches to manage (uninstall, stop, delete, disable from auto starting) and to get information about your installed and/or running programs.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Disney creates Google Earth map of Disney World
Jun 5, 2:19 PM (ET)
BURBANK, Calif. (AP) - Tourists overwhelmed by the mind-boggling size of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., will now be able to plan their tour with the help of a 3D Google Earth map created by The Walt Disney Co.
The map of the four theme parks and 22 hotels at Disney World shows souvenir shacks, merry-go-round horses and even benches for resting.
Google Earth, an interactive 3D mapping program, allows to create travelogues by embedding photos, videos and commentary about locations they highlight.
Disney called its entry the largest corporate initiative on Google Earth.
About 100,000 shots from eight photographers went into 1,500 three-dimensional images of a variety of structures at Disney World, the company said Thursday.
Disney's Google Earth entry also contains links to blogs and YouTube videos and information on everything from the minimum rider height for certain attractions to menus at different restaurants.
Nearly nine in 10 park guests plan their vacations online, Disney said.
"Guests and travel planners can now explore our world with just a few clicks of a mouse, and they can book vacations while being immersed in what the destination has to offer," resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo said in a statement.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
WoW
Wedding Woes: The Dark Side of Warcraft
from Yahoo
Feb 13, 2008
from Yahoo
Feb 13, 2008
Although best-selling online role-playing game World of Warcraft boasts over ten million subscribers, it's also leaving in its wake an increasing list of casualties.
Even though she's never played the game, 28 year-old Jocelyn is one of the fallen. A well-spoken California resident, she divorced her husband of six years after he developed a crippling addiction to the smash online RPG.
"He would get home from work at 6:00, start playing at 6:30, and he'd play until three a.m. Weekends were worse -- it was from morning straight through until the middle of the night," she told Yahoo! Games in an interview. "It took away all of our time that we spent together. I ceased to exist in his life."
Jocelyn had been friends with her ex-husband Peter since the age of 13, but it took only nine months for her marriage to collapse.
"I bought the game for him for Christmas 2004, when it first came out. By May we had our first serious discussion about where our marriage was going, and by September I had moved out," she said.
Jocelyn recalled one particular incident that was typical of Peter's habits. "I had set aside 30 minutes for us to watch a television show together, and he couldn't. He was stuck on a raid, and completely failed to understand why I was upset," she said.
Peter's domestic duties also suffered. He stopped paying bills, she says, and refused to do his share of the housework.
Jocelyn doesn't hesitate to cite Warcraft as the main reason for her divorce and remains emotional about its impact on her marriage. "I'm real, and you're giving me up for a fantasy land. You're destroying your life, your six-year marriage, and you're giving it up for something that isn't even real."
Despite their differences, the couple remains friends, and although Peter still plays World of Warcraft, Jocelyn says he made an effort to cut down after their split.
A gamer herself, Jocelyn briefly worked for World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment, although not on the title that proved so damaging to her relationship. "I recognized that this was a game that would never end, and that's why I chose not to play it," she said.
"They build it in such a way that you have to keep putting more and more time into it to maintain your status. I remember thinking when I was married that it was downright exploitative to people who couldn't control themselves in that way. It's set up like a drug."
Asked if she would consider marrying another Warcraft player, Jocelyn laughed. "That's actually one of my primary criteria now -- I don't want to marry someone who is a gamer."
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Friday, February 08, 2008
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
SparkleXP
SparkleXP
SparkleXP is an application designed to tweak Windows XP and improve its performance. It helps freeing up computer resources resulting in a faster and responsive computer.
This tool creates a second Hardware Profile and a correlative new User to get a lightweight desktop. You can choose to boot into your regular or SparkleXP configuration at startup.
SparkleXP is an application designed to tweak Windows XP and improve its performance. It helps freeing up computer resources resulting in a faster and responsive computer.
This tool creates a second Hardware Profile and a correlative new User to get a lightweight desktop. You can choose to boot into your regular or SparkleXP configuration at startup.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Free FLV Converter 1.2.1
Free FLV Converter 1.2.1
This free software will let you search youTube and dailyMotion videos without opening your browser and you can even watch the videos using the built-in video player. Free FLV Converter allows you to easily grab and save desired video. This software can convert the videos to Avi (xvid), Ipod, iphone and psp format (MPEG4 and H.264). This software can also convert all your videos (divx, xvid, mpeg, dvd, avi) to FLV video (Flash video) with an automatic HTML page creation.
This free software will let you search youTube and dailyMotion videos without opening your browser and you can even watch the videos using the built-in video player. Free FLV Converter allows you to easily grab and save desired video. This software can convert the videos to Avi (xvid), Ipod, iphone and psp format (MPEG4 and H.264). This software can also convert all your videos (divx, xvid, mpeg, dvd, avi) to FLV video (Flash video) with an automatic HTML page creation.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Process Explorer v11.04
Process Explorer v11.04
Ever wondered which program has a particular file or directory open? Now you can find out. Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
The Process Explorer display consists of two sub-windows. The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'll see the handles that the process selected in the top window has opened; if Process Explorer is in DLL mode you'll see the DLLs and memory-mapped files that the process has loaded. Process Explorer also has a powerful search capability that will quickly show you which processes have particular handles opened or DLLs loaded.
The unique capabilities of Process Explorer make it useful for tracking down DLL-version problems or handle leaks, and provide insight into the way Windows and applications work.
Ever wondered which program has a particular file or directory open? Now you can find out. Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.
The Process Explorer display consists of two sub-windows. The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'll see the handles that the process selected in the top window has opened; if Process Explorer is in DLL mode you'll see the DLLs and memory-mapped files that the process has loaded. Process Explorer also has a powerful search capability that will quickly show you which processes have particular handles opened or DLLs loaded.
The unique capabilities of Process Explorer make it useful for tracking down DLL-version problems or handle leaks, and provide insight into the way Windows and applications work.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
FinePrint Software
FinePrint saves ink, paper, time and money by controlling and enhancing printed output.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
A blog from "mint.com"
Three Principles of Personal Finance: All You Need to Know for Financial Success
- Spend less than you earn
- Make the money you have work for you
- Be prepared for the unexpected
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Things to Never Say to a Dealer
by Bengt Halvorson
Monday, October 29, 2007
provided by ForbesAutos.com
The dealership experience can be extremely stressful, but it doesn't have to be. You could know everything there is to know about the cars you're considering, but that's only a fraction of the buying process. If you want that seductive new sedan at a good price, you're probably going to need to know what to say — and more importantly, what not to say.
Some people loathe the whole car-buying experience simply because they anticipate getting conned. A few hundred dollars isn't a big deal on the price of a luxury car, but it's the idea of smart shopping and that sense of getting a good deal that's especially important. For luxury car buyers — notoriously labeled the shrewd shoppers — a good deal is icing on the cake.
Ready, Set, Go!
1. "I'm ready to buy now."
This is an admission of weakness and an invitation for the dealer to throw out a price that's slightly below the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) to see if you'll take the bait. It shows that you're too eager and willing to consider an offer, and it also gives salespeople the advantage by allowing them to talk you up as opposed to you talking them down. But by adding some very precise parameters, you'll sound confident and strong from the start.
"Don't let them know that you're ready to buy without being very particular. If you're ready, say that you'll buy, but only under these particular conditions," says Gentile.
There are two schools on negotiating. Going into the process, Gentile reminds consumers to be wary of the dealer cost. Consumer Reports has something called wholesale price, which is the normal dealer invoice price minus all relevant rebates and incentives. Similarly, most longstanding price-information services advise buyers to research the dealer invoice, along with any relevant incentives, then make a lowball offer that's maybe just a few hundred dollars above invoice. The dealer will follow your figure with a counteroffer that then allows you to go back and forth until there is a compromise.
Conversely, a second school believes that making the first offer puts the buyer in a weak position. "When you make an offer on a car, you're digging yourself into a hole," says James "Spike" Bragg, a consumer advocate and founder of Fighting Chance, an information service for new-car buyers. "That offer will be as good as it gets. There's so much today in 'under the radar' sales incentives to dealers, you don't want to limit yourself."
According to Bragg, many of the dealer incentives today are awarded on a dealer-by-dealer basis, often handed out for meeting sales targets. Because of this, you can't pin down these incentives on a particular vehicle, and you never know which dealership might be able to provide the better price at a given time.
Bragg's method involves faxing quote requests from several different dealerships and asking them for their best bottom-line price on a particular model. His clients sometimes manage to negotiate prices well below invoice, even considering all published incentives. In this day of increased under-the-radar incentives, this method doesn't limit you to a bottom line and certainly has its merits if you're willing to put in the effort.
On ForbesAutos.com you can pursue both options. On each of our Reviews pages there is a link to detailed MSRP and invoice pricing. Also, if you go to our "Buy a Car" section, you can select a model, configure it how you like and then request a free dealer price quote.
Monthly Payment
2. "I can afford this much per month."
"Don't tell the dealer what you're willing to pay per month. This is the biggest mistake a shopper can make. Often the dealer will focus on a monthly payment scheme, insisting you are receiving a great deal, but at the end of the day you won't really know what you paid, advises Gentile.
If the dealer can get a number out of you, a common trick is to ask if you can squeeze out a slightly higher monthly payment, then raise the bottom-line price accordingly by hundreds or even thousands. Avoid this by insisting that you focus only on the purchase price. Walk away if the salesperson only wants to talk in monthly payments. Trade-in
Trade-in
3. "Yes, I have a trade-in."
Don't tell salespeople you have a trade-in until a final transaction price is set. If you do and the deal hasn't been made yet, they may try to distract you with the "great" deal they're giving you on your trade-in as they skimp on the real deal. And if you catch that, they may try writing your trade-up for less.
"You'll see games being played — they'll play one off on the other," Gentile says. Once you've decided on a sale price, then you can see what they'll give you for your old car.
Cash-Only Please
4. "I'm only buying the car with cash."
Car dealers make a significant chunk of added profit when they sell you financing. If you don't at least leave the dealer with the possibility that he or she might sell you financing, you simply won't be getting the best deal. Bragg recommends saying something like "I haven't really thought that through yet. Maybe we'll see what you have after we agree on a price."
But be truly noncommittal with financing, even though it's a good idea to line up tentative financing with your lender before you go car shopping.
Still Debating
5. "I'm not sure…which model do you think I need?"
If you're this undecided, you may end up driving away in a vehicle you neither wanted nor needed. Do the research in advance, and make your first shopping trip a short one. Use this opportunity to gather information and take your spec vehicle for a short test drive. If your uncertainty is apparent, you may end up buying the model with the most add-on equipment, the highest sticker price and, of course, the most profit for the dealer. Before you go shopping, narrow your choices down to three or four vehicles that fit your needs.
My Dream Car
6. "Oh, I've wanted one of these all my life."
As soon as you've lost yourself in the dreamy vision of that gleaming convertible, the salesperson has you hooked, and your chances of getting a great deal are over. "Don't get caught heavy breathing," says Bragg. "Certainly don't admit to your spouse — with the salesman listening in the backseat — that you're in love with the car." Here's where you need to have a communication plan. Try to sound objective and rational. Point out some pros and cons and be observant and calm. Just don't say that you have to have this car.
What Everyone Wants
7. "I'll take whatever the popular options are."
Don't ever ask for the "popular options" especially on a luxury model that already comes loaded. It's an open invitation for overpriced dealer add-ons such as interior protectant, window etching or undercoating. They're all things you can come back for later. Instead, go through the equipment list at home after your first visit to the dealership and then decide exactly what you need.
Lowest You Can Go
8. "What's the lowest price you can give me?"
Most likely, this question won't be taken seriously, and you will be met with a predictable performance. The salesperson will wince, maybe talk to the manager, fiddle with numbers and eventually come back with a price that probably isn't a very good deal for you. But there may be so much apparent effort in this performance that you'll be pressured into settling for that final number. Don't. To avoid this, make an informed and reasonable low offer, then wait for a counteroffer. Don't be afraid of silence. Conversely, don't be surprised if there's even a little drama.
Doing The Math
9. "Sure, I'll look at the numbers with you."
Perhaps quite early in your visit, the salesperson will most likely make an offer to "just go look at the numbers." Dealers do this when they sense you're undecided, but they want to be in the position of control. Getting you in the office makes it harder for you to back out. Wait until you can call the shots of what you want at what price.
The Haggle Factor
10. "I think you can do a lot better than that."
Never scold or accuse the salespeople. Be polite. Compliment them, and show respect. You'll never get the best price if you talk down to them. At least for the moment, you want them to be your friends. Let the scene play out, but leave when the deal's not good enough by quietly suggesting that the competition across town might be more willing to work with you.
Monday, October 29, 2007
provided by ForbesAutos.com
The dealership experience can be extremely stressful, but it doesn't have to be. You could know everything there is to know about the cars you're considering, but that's only a fraction of the buying process. If you want that seductive new sedan at a good price, you're probably going to need to know what to say — and more importantly, what not to say.
Some people loathe the whole car-buying experience simply because they anticipate getting conned. A few hundred dollars isn't a big deal on the price of a luxury car, but it's the idea of smart shopping and that sense of getting a good deal that's especially important. For luxury car buyers — notoriously labeled the shrewd shoppers — a good deal is icing on the cake.
Ready, Set, Go!
1. "I'm ready to buy now."
This is an admission of weakness and an invitation for the dealer to throw out a price that's slightly below the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) to see if you'll take the bait. It shows that you're too eager and willing to consider an offer, and it also gives salespeople the advantage by allowing them to talk you up as opposed to you talking them down. But by adding some very precise parameters, you'll sound confident and strong from the start.
"Don't let them know that you're ready to buy without being very particular. If you're ready, say that you'll buy, but only under these particular conditions," says Gentile.
There are two schools on negotiating. Going into the process, Gentile reminds consumers to be wary of the dealer cost. Consumer Reports has something called wholesale price, which is the normal dealer invoice price minus all relevant rebates and incentives. Similarly, most longstanding price-information services advise buyers to research the dealer invoice, along with any relevant incentives, then make a lowball offer that's maybe just a few hundred dollars above invoice. The dealer will follow your figure with a counteroffer that then allows you to go back and forth until there is a compromise.
Conversely, a second school believes that making the first offer puts the buyer in a weak position. "When you make an offer on a car, you're digging yourself into a hole," says James "Spike" Bragg, a consumer advocate and founder of Fighting Chance, an information service for new-car buyers. "That offer will be as good as it gets. There's so much today in 'under the radar' sales incentives to dealers, you don't want to limit yourself."
According to Bragg, many of the dealer incentives today are awarded on a dealer-by-dealer basis, often handed out for meeting sales targets. Because of this, you can't pin down these incentives on a particular vehicle, and you never know which dealership might be able to provide the better price at a given time.
Bragg's method involves faxing quote requests from several different dealerships and asking them for their best bottom-line price on a particular model. His clients sometimes manage to negotiate prices well below invoice, even considering all published incentives. In this day of increased under-the-radar incentives, this method doesn't limit you to a bottom line and certainly has its merits if you're willing to put in the effort.
On ForbesAutos.com you can pursue both options. On each of our Reviews pages there is a link to detailed MSRP and invoice pricing. Also, if you go to our "Buy a Car" section, you can select a model, configure it how you like and then request a free dealer price quote.
Monthly Payment
2. "I can afford this much per month."
"Don't tell the dealer what you're willing to pay per month. This is the biggest mistake a shopper can make. Often the dealer will focus on a monthly payment scheme, insisting you are receiving a great deal, but at the end of the day you won't really know what you paid, advises Gentile.
If the dealer can get a number out of you, a common trick is to ask if you can squeeze out a slightly higher monthly payment, then raise the bottom-line price accordingly by hundreds or even thousands. Avoid this by insisting that you focus only on the purchase price. Walk away if the salesperson only wants to talk in monthly payments. Trade-in
Trade-in
3. "Yes, I have a trade-in."
Don't tell salespeople you have a trade-in until a final transaction price is set. If you do and the deal hasn't been made yet, they may try to distract you with the "great" deal they're giving you on your trade-in as they skimp on the real deal. And if you catch that, they may try writing your trade-up for less.
"You'll see games being played — they'll play one off on the other," Gentile says. Once you've decided on a sale price, then you can see what they'll give you for your old car.
Cash-Only Please
4. "I'm only buying the car with cash."
Car dealers make a significant chunk of added profit when they sell you financing. If you don't at least leave the dealer with the possibility that he or she might sell you financing, you simply won't be getting the best deal. Bragg recommends saying something like "I haven't really thought that through yet. Maybe we'll see what you have after we agree on a price."
But be truly noncommittal with financing, even though it's a good idea to line up tentative financing with your lender before you go car shopping.
Still Debating
5. "I'm not sure…which model do you think I need?"
If you're this undecided, you may end up driving away in a vehicle you neither wanted nor needed. Do the research in advance, and make your first shopping trip a short one. Use this opportunity to gather information and take your spec vehicle for a short test drive. If your uncertainty is apparent, you may end up buying the model with the most add-on equipment, the highest sticker price and, of course, the most profit for the dealer. Before you go shopping, narrow your choices down to three or four vehicles that fit your needs.
My Dream Car
6. "Oh, I've wanted one of these all my life."
As soon as you've lost yourself in the dreamy vision of that gleaming convertible, the salesperson has you hooked, and your chances of getting a great deal are over. "Don't get caught heavy breathing," says Bragg. "Certainly don't admit to your spouse — with the salesman listening in the backseat — that you're in love with the car." Here's where you need to have a communication plan. Try to sound objective and rational. Point out some pros and cons and be observant and calm. Just don't say that you have to have this car.
What Everyone Wants
7. "I'll take whatever the popular options are."
Don't ever ask for the "popular options" especially on a luxury model that already comes loaded. It's an open invitation for overpriced dealer add-ons such as interior protectant, window etching or undercoating. They're all things you can come back for later. Instead, go through the equipment list at home after your first visit to the dealership and then decide exactly what you need.
Lowest You Can Go
8. "What's the lowest price you can give me?"
Most likely, this question won't be taken seriously, and you will be met with a predictable performance. The salesperson will wince, maybe talk to the manager, fiddle with numbers and eventually come back with a price that probably isn't a very good deal for you. But there may be so much apparent effort in this performance that you'll be pressured into settling for that final number. Don't. To avoid this, make an informed and reasonable low offer, then wait for a counteroffer. Don't be afraid of silence. Conversely, don't be surprised if there's even a little drama.
Doing The Math
9. "Sure, I'll look at the numbers with you."
Perhaps quite early in your visit, the salesperson will most likely make an offer to "just go look at the numbers." Dealers do this when they sense you're undecided, but they want to be in the position of control. Getting you in the office makes it harder for you to back out. Wait until you can call the shots of what you want at what price.
The Haggle Factor
10. "I think you can do a lot better than that."
Never scold or accuse the salespeople. Be polite. Compliment them, and show respect. You'll never get the best price if you talk down to them. At least for the moment, you want them to be your friends. Let the scene play out, but leave when the deal's not good enough by quietly suggesting that the competition across town might be more willing to work with you.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Did not check this stuff yet, but it looks pretty cool...
klipfolio4 personal dashboard
"With KlipFolio you don't have to give up your desktop to stay on top of what matters to you. And with over 4000 Klips available for download---all small, resizable, customizable and skinnable---you're sure to find exactly what you need to stay ahead of, well, everyone."
~~
Vista Visual Styles Pack 6.0
"Vista Visual Styles Pack description
Free Vista theme for Windows XP
Change your old Windows XP theme to look like Vista using MSStyles! Plus you don't need to download any software to do it either (so your computer won't get messed up!). You can do it all by yourself and when you are done it is surely going to look like Windows Vista and move like Windows XP ;)"
klipfolio4 personal dashboard
"With KlipFolio you don't have to give up your desktop to stay on top of what matters to you. And with over 4000 Klips available for download---all small, resizable, customizable and skinnable---you're sure to find exactly what you need to stay ahead of, well, everyone."
~~
Vista Visual Styles Pack 6.0
"Vista Visual Styles Pack description
Free Vista theme for Windows XP
Change your old Windows XP theme to look like Vista using MSStyles! Plus you don't need to download any software to do it either (so your computer won't get messed up!). You can do it all by yourself and when you are done it is surely going to look like Windows Vista and move like Windows XP ;)"
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