Radio 1 colleague Fearne Cotton’s promise to broadcast in swimsuit if target was reached saw late surge in donations For 23 years now Britons have been lying in baths of baked beans, shaving their heads and donning amusing outfits, all to raise cash for Comic Relief. But now they know the formula to hoover up £2.4m for the charity in a matter of hours: two dishevelled, baggy-eyed men and a blond woman in a tight swimsuit. The hefty sum was raised in the runup to Friday evening’s annual BBC1 Red Nose Day celeb-athon by the DJ Chris Moyles, with some important last-minute help from his Radio 1 colleague Fearne Cotton. Moyles, along with longstanding sidekick Dave Vitty, more popularly known as “Comedy Dave”, had pledged to collect money by staying on air for a continuous, world record-breaking 50 hours, beginning on Wednesday morning. The steady stream of donations became a flood after Cotton announced that she would broadcast part of her regular mid-morning show – which features a live webcam feed – in a swimming costume if the £2m mark was reached. And reached it was, while the Radio 1 website crashed under the weight of would-be gawpers. Moyles, who lasted 52 hours, later gave special thanks to “that last rush of dirty old men” in helping to beat the target as he was presented with a certificate marking the record. “The end result of this silly, silly show was Fearne Cotton in a swimsuit. Oh and Comic Relief got some money,” Moyles added. The long-established charity event raised more than £82m for charities in the UK and Africa last year. Attempting to beat the 2010 target, Friday’s BBC1 show featured special celebrity-studded editions of Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Outnumbered and MasterChef. Musical interludes included Take That along with a one-off tribute act, Fake That, comprising James Corden, John Bishop, David Walliams, Catherine Tate and Alan Carr. Chris Moyles Radio Radio 1 BBC Radio industry Television Comic Relief Charities Peter Walker guardian.co.uk
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Ashley Mitchell broke into Zynga’s mainframe, transferred chips from employees to himself and sold them through Facebook A British computer hacker who stole 400bn virtual gaming chips from an international gaming company has been jailed for two years. Ashley Mitchell, 29, broke into the Zynga mainframe, stole the identity of two employees and transferred chips said to be worth more than £7m to himself. Mitchell, of Paignton, Devon, sold the chips through Facebook to other gaming enthusiasts and used the money to fund his online gambling addiction. More than 50 million people a day play Zynga games , including Mafia Wars, in which players run a virtual mob business, and FarmVille, which allows users to create their dream farm. Players have to buy chips for their virtual worlds. A black market in cut-price chips has grown up on the internet. Mitchell, a former council accounts clerk, made £53,612 in two months after selling about a third of the chips. But James Taghdissian, prosecuting, told Exeter crown court that Zynga put its loss at $12m (£7m). “That is what they estimate they would have lost if all the chips were successfully sold on,” he said. He said the company became aware in August 2009 that large amounts of chips were vanishing and suspected the two employees whose identities Mitchell had adopted. However, investigators then realised the system had been hacked and narrowed the search to Paignton. Mitchell’s neighbours had their computers seized because he was “piggy-backing” on their unsecured Wi-Fi connections. Mitchell was eventually identified because he used his own Facebook profile during one of his attempts to hack into the system. Taghdissian said: “It was clear there had been a systematic approach adopted in probing and accessing Zynga. Checks on [Mitchell's] bank account showed at this time he bought items including a Rolex watch and was also spending money on online gambling.” “He made determined and repeated efforts to attack Zynga’s systems. He succeeded and transferred 400bn chips and sold them to realise a substantial profit.” Ben Darby, defending, said the loss to Zynga was impossible to quantify because the chips were virtual and the company could create as many as it wants. He said Mitchell had enjoyed little benefit and spent most of the proceeds on online gambling on other sites that use real money. He said: “Gambling had complete control of his life.” He said his client was now an internet entrepreneur with his own Facebook poker site called Gambino, which could earn him more than £100,000 a year. Mitchell admitted computer misuse and four counts of money laundering and asked for 41 similar cases to be considered. He was also sentenced to 30 weeks for breaching a 40-week suspended sentence imposed in 2008 for hacking into the computer system of Torbay council, where he once worked. Judge Philip Wassall told him: “The dishonesty in this case was substantial and protracted. Online security is a priority for everyone these days. “You deprived Zynga of income. It is quite clear you used a considerable degree of expertise and persistence to hack into the system. “It is a considerable aggravating feature that someone hacks into systems in this way when so much business and personal finance is done using electronic means. “From internet banking to major international transactions, people rely on the security of systems and anyone who comes before the courts who has gone through these security systems from their own ends can expect custody. “The sentence has to reflect the impact on public confidence in security systems and online business when someone breaches security in this way.” Hacking Games Facebook Crime Gambling Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
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A Wisconsin judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking the state’s new and contentious collective bargaining law from taking effect and creating a huge setback for Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to balance the budget. (March 18)
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President Barack Obama said Friday that the US will help its allies enforce a no-fly zone over parts of Libya if Moammar Gadhafi does not immediately cease military actions against rebels. (March 18)
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Click here to view this media Boy, am I glad Ed Schultz dealt with this. It’s been a Fox theme since yesterday, beginning on Megyn Kelly’s show and continuing on all the way through tonight’s O’Reilly Factor. It goes like this: Unlike here after Katrina, and the Haiti and Chile earthquakes (translate that to where black people and Hispanics live), there has been no looting in Japan . Glenn Beck took it out to an extreme on his show today and then came on O’Reilly to tell everyone how noble the Japanese are for not looting after a disaster. Of course, the whole idea of “looting” supposes that there is a) anything left after a disaster to take; and b) those who take are doing so with the motive of enriching themselves in some way, which makes no sense in areas where dire need supplants more banal motives. The areas most heavily affected by the earthquake were virtually destroyed by the tsunami. When ships sit on top of buildings and homes are reduced to rubble, there isn’t much left to “loot.” What’s left behind is need and desperation. But if you really want to understand why you’re not seeing a whole lot of stories about looting in Japan, Slate has an excellent article explaining Japanese culture and society that will enlighten you. There’s a race-related overtone that’s really insidious here, with Beck insinuating that the Japanese people are somehow superior to Americans, Haitians and Chileans, more noble. More good. It’s quite subtle, but Ed sees it too. He also completely unwraps the idea of “no looting” and indeed, the idea of looting at all. Ed points out there is looting going on in Japan. But is it looting when there’s deep, desperate need? As Ed points out, “What is looting, when you’re trying to survive?” It’s the framing that I noticed and also what Ed picked up on. See, it always comes back to Beck’s vision of America. With Barack Obama as President, America just isn’t what it should be. We don’t have respect for our fellow man, we don’t even have respect for where we live? Glenn Beck is using false information about looting in Japan to say America isn’t good enough? Let’s remind Beck about the volunteers who went to the Gulf Coast to help clean up the BP oil spill. We should also remind him about the people who helped rescue their fellow man from the flood waters of Katrina. And Beck, let’s not forget about the first responders who ran in to the twin towers back on September 11th, 2001. Let’s remind him that yes, there are looters in America and yes, there are looters in Japan, but no matter what country they’re from, people in crisis do their best to stick together, to help one another, and to survive. Survive. Also, what IS up with that fake Oval office set Beck’s pontificating from? Is this how Fox plans to rehabilitate him? Take away the chalkboard and put him in a big desk flanked with flags? It’s offensive. Tonight Bill O’Reilly referred to him as a “Fox News Analyst.” A Fox News analyst? Really?
Continue reading …Most readers here aren't aware that Associated Press reporters began withholding their bylines this week in support of their union's “quality journalism proposals.” Participating reporters are refusing to have their name placed on AP stories. It appears to apply to stories datelined in the U.S. and not overseas ( as seen here ). It is truly a wonder that the world has gone on while AP reporters refuse to tell us who wrote the wire service's U.S. stories (/sarc). The byline strike springs from the wire service's refusal, among other things, according to the News Media Guild , the union which represents AP newsroom personnel, to accept a “fixed-cost pension plan.” The AP wants a defined-contribution plan (i.e., something similar or identical to a 401(k)). Here are some economy, business, and political “gems” appearing at AP during the past few days which can't be traced to a specific reporter: March 18, 11:33 a.m. version , “Why inflation hurts more than it did 30 years ago” — the writer asserts that “Social Security recipients have gone two straight years with no increase in benefits.” Well, yeah. That's because they got a 5.8% increase late 2008 for 2009, because the calculations were based on Consumer Price Index values reflecting sky-high energy costs. The costs came down, but Social Security benefits didn't. They may not like hearing it, but beneficiaries got artificially high payments during 2009 (to a large extent) and 2010 (to a lesser extent). The jury is out on 2011, as the year has just begun, but in the past two years Social Security recipients and a large percentage of federal, state, and local government workers have been among the relatively few to get benefits and wage payments, respectively, exceeding inflation.
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General Mills Buying 50% Stake in Yoplait Morning Market Snapshot: March 18th, 2011 Spot90 – Pubblicità Kraft Yoplait Yogurt (1992) General Mills in talks to buy Yoplait | Chicago Breaking Business General Mills said Friday that it has entered into exclusive negotiations to buy a majority stake in French yogurt company Yoplait . General Mills, based in. NewsDaily: General Mills set for $1.1 billion Yoplait stake buy General Mills is set to pay 800 million euros ($1.12 billion) for half the Yoplait yoghurt brand, allowing the company to settle a management dispute and pursue emerging markets growth. DealBook: General Mills Poised to Buy Yoplait Stake for $1.1 … The owners of Yoplait said Friday they were in exclusive negotiations with the French yogurt maker’s longtime American partner, General Mills, to sell just over a 50 percent stake in the company for 800 million euros. General Mills In Exclusive Talks With Yoplait « CBS Minnesota General Mills said Friday that it has entered into exclusive negotiations to buy a majority stake in French yogurt company Yoplait . General Mills in exclusive talks with Yoplait | The Daily Blitz … NEW YORK The binding offer with PAI Partner and Sodiaal, the owners of Yoplait S.A.S., would beat out rivals bidding for the company. General Mills’ maxinity_ says: -: General Mills Likes Yoplait So Much It's Buying 50% of the Company http://bit.ly/fwmZ5l
Continue reading …Yemeni security forces firing from rooftops and houses shot at tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators, killing at least 31 as the protesters entered a downtown square in the capital to demand the ouster of their autocratic president. Today’s violence is the harshest response yet from President Ali Abdullah Saleh….
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Seven years after he was ousted in rebellion, former president arrives on election eve talking of Haitians’ plight Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the pastor-turned-president last seen in his native Haiti making a rapid, undignified exit seven years ago, has returned home to a rapturous welcome, injecting another variable into a febrile election atmosphere 48 hours before a drawn-out presidential race climaxes. Aristide, the only Haitian leader to have been forced from office twice, offered an exotic mix of poetry and gratitude to the hundreds of supporters who feted him at the airport – and took a sideswipe at the troubled electoral process. The atmosphere at the airport was charged. It was here after all that Aristide was bundled on to a plane in February 2004, leaving behind a rebellion in full cry and a power vacuum. Since then the country has endured landslides, political stasis and enduring poverty – all compounded by last year’s earthquake which killed more than 300,000 people. “Since the earthquake, the humiliation of the people under tents is the humiliation of all the Haitian people,” Aristide said. For many Haitians, the former populist president who helped oust the Duvalier regime is still admired as a champion of the poor. His repatriation in defiance of US efforts to keep him away until Sunday’s election has run its course is seen by many as a restitution of dignity. “President Aristide is a strong leader who doesn’t take orders from a superpower such as the United States,” said Johnny Mazart, 36, a carpenter. “That’s why they ousted him, because he listened to the Haitian people, not foreigners,” he told Reuters. Journalists trampled over barriers to reposition themselves to film the former president as he descended from a long-range private jet accompanied by his family and black rights activist Danny Glover. His wife, Mildred, had tears of joy in her eyes as her daughters buttressed her down the steps on to the Haitian tarmac. Outside the airport, hundreds of supporters gathered with rara bands and welcoming chants. “Modern-day slavery will have to end today,” said Aristide. “The greatest richness of Haiti is Haitians. Remedy for Haiti is love.” Aristide thanked the government of South Africa, which had hosted him, and the friends who helped him return. He switched between Haitian Creole, French, English, Zulu and Spanish, and onlookers cheered at his linguistic and geological references and metaphors about Haiti’s plight and his repatriation. “You can cut off our feet but not our roots that go all the way back to Africa … This country needs education with dignity without social exclusion … The exclusion of [his party] Lavalas is exclusion of the majority. The solution is inclusion.” In the Cité Soleil slum, crowds of people were reported to be chanting for the annulment of Sunday’s election, which pits the popular musician Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly and the former first lady Mirlande Manigat. In Solino, another neighbourhood where Aristide commanded much support, the streets were calm but people were unsure sure how to react to the arrival of such a divisive figure on the last day of campaigning. “He is not here to interrupt the elections,” said Wesly Desalan. “He is here to help Haitians get out of the current political crisis.” Later, attention turned to Aristide’s house in Tabarre where thousands had gathered and, as at the airport, disregarded the barriers to flood the yard. By contrast, the other towering figure who returned in January, Jean-Claude Duvalier, has been arrested and charged with corruption. Most people, even those who revile Aristide, think he has every right to be back, particularly as Duvalier’s return was tolerated. In front of the crumbled national palace everything was unusually quiet. Saturday is the last day of campaigning before Sunday’s run-off vote, and one of the candidates’ campaign managers said more than 50,000 people had gathered there on Friday night for a concert by Wyclef Jean, Busta Rhymes, Black Alex and Ti Vice, a group of Haitian musicians endorsing Martelly. Jean-Bertrand Aristide Haiti US foreign policy United States Isabeau Doucet guardian.co.uk
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