Jessica Simpson,INC,could surpass 1 billion dollars.

.JESSICA SIMPSON,INC,could Supasses 1 billion dollars.




"Want my autograph -- or my bank account?"
Kevin Mazur/WireImage When you think "Jessica Simpson," do you think "billionaire businesswoman"?

No, not immediately.

Truth be told, Simpson is far more famous for who she's dating -- and what she's cooking for Thanksgiving -- than for her amazing business acumen. But alas, wipe those smirks away! Because Jessica Simpson, Inc. (not her real brand) is poised to break the $1 billion mark.

Crazy, right? From shoes to bags to jeans to perfume, Simpson-branded products are a massive commercial success. And the star herself is said to be worth $100 million, according to WWD.com.

You heard that: $100 MILLION. Not bad for the recipient of John Mayer's most infamous diss. It's almost like her ho-hum singing and acting careers are go-nowhere, just-for-fun side projects; her new holiday album "Happy Christmas" is a dismal No. 123 on the Billboard 200 chart. And her last film that had a theatrical release, "Blonde Ambition," grossed just $6,422.

[See also: Kim Kardashian out-earned Kate Gosselin by millions in 2010]

But with her lucrative entrepreneurial endeavours, Simpson could retire TODAY if she so desired. Surprisingly, the Texas native's celebrity brand when it comes to fashion and fragrance is more powerful than we gave her credit for -- and the numbers talk. Camuto Group, the company that makes Simpson's wildly popular footwear line, has licensed her name on other merch, which amassed a combined grand total of $750 million in retail sales this year. Simpson's moniker has even outlasted and outperformed product ventures by Jennifer Lopez and similarly glammed-up celebs, WWD.com said.

[Photos: Jessica Simpson's airport romance]

"She is the girl next door and has great product that surrounds her," exec Vince Camuto told the fashion-news outlet. "People like her. People look at her as a style icon."

Cue the arrival of Jessica Simpson Sportswear, hitting stores in Fall 2011. The line will be sold in junior's departments, and includes jackets, knits and dresses -- all under $150. It will likely sell like hotcakes.

"Her celebrity has created a brand that is more sustainable than many others," said Jack Gross, CEO of jeanswear for The Jones Group, which licenses Simpson's denim collection.

Simpson's fiance Eric Johnson is very, very lucky. No wonder her dad-ager wanted a pre-nup

Kanya West says Taylor Swifts 2009's VMA win was Disrespectful,Claims 'Today' exploited him.

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Music Blogs > Hip-Hop Media Training > Kanye West Says Taylor Swift's 2009 VMA Win Was Disrespectful, Claims 'Today' Exploited Him
Kanye West Says Taylor Swift's 2009 VMA Win Was Disrespectful, Claims 'Today' Exploited Him
Posted Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:03pm PST by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training

In September, Kanye West apologized to Taylor Swift via Twitter.

"She had nothing to do with my issues with award shows," the "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" artist wrote. "She deserves the apology more than anyone."

West uttered a retraction of sorts Wednesday during a 1 a.m. performance at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. He stopped the concert for 10-minutes to rant about the media's scrutiny of his career.

West said he does not regret interrupting Swift's first Video Music Award win speech to champion Beyonce instead.

"When you do things like what happened last year, it's disrespectful to everyone who's creative," West said about MTV's decision to give Swift the honor. "It's a slap in the face to everyone who tries to do something real."

West implied that Swift and the VMA producers are lucky his disruption was brief.

"If I wasn't drunk, I would have been on stage longer," he said.

West compared the aftermath of the VMA incident to that of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina telethon in which he accused President Bush of not caring about black people.

West said he felt bad when people thanked him for dissing the president. "The whole time, I'm thinking, ‘That's not exactly what I wanted to say. I was emotional,'" he said. But he never set the record straight.

West said Swift handled the VMA fallout the same way. "Just as Taylor never came to my defense in any interview and rode the wave, and rode it, rode it, that's the way I rode the wave for the Bush comment," he said.

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/hiphopmediatraining__4/hiphopmediatraining-690313370-1253303071.jpg?ymgcX6BDWZabLRKpFor the record, Swift did come to West's defense on the song "Innocent," which she performed on the 2010 VMAs and also appears on her "Speak Now" album. In the song, Swift lets West know that he has been forgiven. She sings, "Your string of lights is still bright to me."

During West's tirade, he also said he and Bush were exploited by "Today." The NBC program's assertion that Bush referred to West's comment as his lowest moment of his presidency is not true, Kanye argued.

"That's not what he said," West commented. "He said it's one of his lowest moments."

West accuses "Today" of purposefully taking Bush's comment out of context to boost ratings. "Because of the popularity of me they exploited that to make you watch the interview," he said, "and make you feel that he was stupider than ever to think that a rapper's comments could be his lowest moment."

West said his fifth studio album, the critically acclaimed "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," released Monday, sold 100,000 digital copies on the first day of release.

Ten Best Tech Deal For Black Friday.

We've been obsessively poring over early Black Friday ads for several weeks now. While we've found many deals to share with you, our electronics team thought these particular bargains might just make it worthwhile to wake up far too early and brave the consumer crowds on the day after Thanksgiving.

More from ConsumerReports.org:

• Best Electronics Gifts for the Holidays

• Holiday Shopping Guide

• Best LCD and Plasma TVs for the Buck

[Click here to check savings products and rates in your area.]

Laptops

In a doorbuster deal, Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News) is selling a Sony (NYSE: SNE - News) laptop with a Blu-ray drive for $500. It includes a Blu-ray video, a subscription to a security software package, and a laptop bag. To take advantage of this early-bird deal, you need to pick up a ticket at Best Buy (they'll be doled out starting at 3 a.m. Friday morning), and quantities are limited to 10 per store.

Desktops

Best Buy will also have the HP (NYSE: HPQ - News) Pavilion p6624y with a quad-core AMD processor, 8GB of memory, and a 1TB hard drive. It comes with a 23-inch monitor and a wireless printer. The Black Friday price will be $600; it's currently on the Best Buy site for $700, without the monitor and printer.

E-book Readers

The best deal will demand an early morning. Early-birds at Best Buy can save about $50 on the Nook Wi-Fi , which is selling at $99.99 rather than its usual price of $150.

[See 7 Black Friday Deals Worth Buying Now]

32-Inch LCD TVs

There are a number of deals on 32-inch LCDs. So far, the cheapest we've seen is the Emerson 720p set at Walmart (NYSE: WMT - News) (model LC320EM1) priced at $198.

50-Inch or Larger TVs

Walmart will be also breaking the $500 barrier for a 50-inch plasma with a $498 price on a Sanyo 720p set (DP50740); its regular retail price is $650.

SLR Cameras

Best Buy is offering a package that bundles our highly Rated Canon EOS Rebel T2i with two lenses (18-55mm and 55-250mm zooms) and accessories (an 8GB SDHC memory card and camera bag), for just under $1000. The bundled lenses are a plus: With an SLR generally, the more lenses you have, the better.

Point-and-Shoot Cameras

If you're shopping for a child or teen, Staples (NasdaqGS: SPLS - News) is selling the rugged Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 for $150 (originally $210). Since it's waterproof and shockproof, it should be able to withstand some common mishaps.

[See For the Kids: Hot Holiday Toys 2010]

Camcorders

Among pocket models, Best Buy has a Flip Video UltraHD "package", which includes a few accessories along with the cam, such as an extra battery pack and bag, for $120 (originally around $200, without any accessories). And Best Buy has an HD model on sale: Sony Handycam HDR-C150 for $400 (originally $500).

Printers

For an all-in-one printer that can scan, copy and fax, the HP OfficeJet 6500 Wireless is reasonably fast, quite economical and one of just a handful of inkjets that printed excellent-quality text when we tested it. Staples has it on sale for $79.98 (regular price: $199.98).

Digital Photo Frames

Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD - News) has our Recommended Pandigital PAN7000DW 6.9-inch frame on sale for $39.99, regularly $59.99. The frame has a gigabyte of memory, and an optional Wi-Fi adapter lets you get photos from your computer and specific photo-sharing sites.

___

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brennanyama
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brennanyama 1 minute ago Report Abuse

am i the only one thinking that none of these are good deals...? cept for that t2i perhaps, but seriously, buying an dSLR is a stupid waste of money unless you are REALLY serious about photography (which about 1% of SLR users are, the other 99% of them just bought them cuz they thought it would make them look cool).

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princefee
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princefee 2 minutes ago Report Abuse

720P is HD and if the set isnt 46 inches and up 720P and 1080P is unrecognizable! I have a 720P Panasonic Plasma and the picture is Amazing and hundreds cheaper than 1080P. Dont waste your money under 46inches

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Paul P
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Paul P 3 minutes ago Report Abuse

Jason...you don't know what you're talking about...720p IS HiDef...there is NO broadcaster that airs any programming at 1080p...takes up too much bandwidth...1080p is for bluray and computer inputs...know what you're talking about b4 you flap your gums

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karen
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karen 3 minutes ago Report Abuse

Sorry, wouldn't be rude, pushy and obnoxious at any price. Used to do black friday with my mom, then my daughter. Now people are too obnoxious. Will stay home and pay a few dollars more later.

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Elizabeth
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Elizabeth 4 minutes ago Report Abuse

I don't know if people are aware of the lousy return policy Best Buy has. There is a 15% restocking fee and if the item is over $200.00 they won't give you cash back on the spot - they have to mail you a check. Just thought I'd throw that one out there. Better options would be Costco, Wal-Mart, and Target.

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SharonM
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SharonM 4 minutes ago Report Abuse

To each their own, happy thanksgiving and have a merry Christmas to all, Jesus is the reason for the season.

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GenEric
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GenEric 4 minutes ago Report Abuse

this is not cheap. when you lose your job and give this stuff away, then we are talking cheap.
40" 720p television for $500... give me a break, it should be $100.
Wait until they find out no one bought it.

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Jason Pierce
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Jason Pierce 8 minutes ago Report Abuse

the tv's that are soooo cheap are cheap for a reason - 720p is NOT hd

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Karen
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Karen 9 minutes ago Report Abuse

I brought my 8 inch Android Tablet 2.2 from vairtech. It works great. The prices are great all year around.

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GreenMan
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GreenMan 10 minutes ago Report Abuse

Folks I know do you that have been around a while don't really expect hundreds of door busters available ?
The thing is that with so many teenagers not working by choice they live w/ Mom or Dad they can camp out in tents so Door-busters are limited to a handfull not 50 or 100 per store that gave people of varied ages a chance.
Figure the lazy spoiled adult children in their mid to high twenties can afford the toys they probably don't pay rent. And have been doing so from way before the recession caused any job shortage heck they are pros at i

AMERICA'S MOST AFFORDABLE CITIES.


Oklahoma may be best known for wind sweepin' down the plain and corn that's as high as an elephant's eye. But there's a lot more going on in the Sooner State than Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals would lead you to believe.


Oklahoma City

Just consider the state capital, Oklahoma City: It's got good schools and universities, friendly residents and an unemployment rate well below the national average--6.3% compared with the nationwide 9.5%. Thanks to good jobs and low cost of living, the Oklahoma City metro area ranks as America's Most Affordable City.

In compiling our list, we searched for cities that had a balance of cheap living and economic prosperity--places with solid job markets, but where costs aren't prohibitive.

In Pictures: America's Most Affordable Cities

Buffalo

Just because you can get by on the cheap doesn't mean these places are backwaters. Fifth-ranked Nashville, Tenn., is a cultural and entertainment capital at the center of its state economy; Austin, Texas, (No. 10) is one of the nation's hottest cities for high-tech jobs. All 10 of the cities on the list boast relatively low unemployment rates, inexpensive groceries, health care, transportation and housing. In short, they're desirable destinations all around.



"State capitals and university towns have vibrancy because of their job base, the stability of jobs and cultural diversification," says James P. Gaines, a research economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

Behind the Numbers

Rochester

To find the most affordable cities in the country, we looked at all Metropolitan Statistical Areas with populations of at least 100,000. We ranked each metro on the cost of a basket of goods and services, including groceries, health care and transportation, as of the second quarter of 2010, as measured by the Counsel for Community and Economic Research. We also measured the monthly cost of housing as a percentage of household income, using 2009 data from the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent American Community Survey--a mini-Census done annually with a representative sample of the population.



To exclude cities that were affordable only because of a depressed economy, we also factored in the unemployment rate (the lower, the better). We averaged the rankings on all measures to arrive at a final score for each city. Two large cities that were unlikely to be in the top 10--Indianapolis, Ind., and Milwaukee, Wis., were excluded from the ranking because complete data were not available.

Post-Industrial Successes

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pa., Buffalo, N.Y., and Rochester, N.Y., take second, third and fourth places, respectively. These Northeastern cities have a lot in common, emerging from long slumps after being deserted by their manufacturing economies. They still have a long way to go, but the combination of a newly diversified economy and a history of sustained low costs makes them affordable.



"They didn't see much of a boom, so prices never got out of whack," says Kermit Baker, senior research fellow at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, of these cities. "The economy is good, but not great. It didn't go through all the turbulence the rest of the country did."

Southern Belles

Nashville

Several standouts on the list are Southern cities, including Nashville, Louisville, Ky., (No. 8), and Birmingham, Ala. (No. 9).

Texas cities take three spots, with San Antonio coming in at No. 6, Houston at No. 7 and Austin claiming the final spot. The Lone Star State has long enjoyed the benefits of a business-friendly tax climate, rich natural resources and a stable housing economy. As a result, jobs are available, but costs low enough that Texans can stretch the fruits of their labor further. That combination is enticing to Americans seeking to relocate.

"The state [as a whole], and Houston and San Antonio [in particular] are deriving significant income from domestic in-migration. People are moving to Texas because of job availability and because of the cost of housing being so low," says Gaines. But, he adds, the number of people seeking to cash in on the cities' bounty hasn't driven up prices. "Texas has always been a wide-open, laissez-faire, low-control, low-regulation place, but it doesn't add to costs."

Affordability means more than just the ability to buy a cheap box of cereal. No matter how low prices are, it doesn't matter much if your wallet is empty and your next paycheck is only hypothetical. In these cities, costs have stayed down but residents have held onto steady incomes and decent jobs, making them a true bargain.

Top 5 Most Affordable Cities
1. Oklahoma City, Okla.
Metropolitan Statistical Area: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Cost-of-living rank: 12
Unemployment rank: 4
Housing-costs rank: 2

2. Pittsburgh, Pa.

Metropolitan Statistical Area: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Cost-of-living rank: 6
Unemployment rank: 15
Housing-costs rank: 1

3. Buffalo, N.Y.

Metropolitan Statistical Area: Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Cost-of-living rank: 16
Unemployment rank: 9
Housing-costs rank: 3

4. Rochester, N.Y.

Metropolitan Statistical Area: Rochester, N.Y.
Cost-of-living rank: 25
Unemployment rank: 1
Housing-costs rank: 8

5. Nashville, Tenn

Metropolitan Statistical Area: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn.
Cost-of-living rank: 3
Unemployment rank: 23
Housing-costs rank: 11

Click here to see the full list of America's Most Affordable Cities Shareretweet
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WHITE iPHONE 4 DELAYED,YET AGAIN,UNTILL 2011



Earlier this week, white iPhone 4 holdouts were given a glimmer of hope when the elusive phone appeared in Apple’s store app. Although it wasn’t available for purchase, it was a good sign that it just might be soon. Just hours later, Apple made a familiar announcement: “We’re sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone again.” We are now told not to expect the pale-colored iPhone 4 until sometime during the spring of 2011.

If you’re keeping score at home, this is the third time the white iPhone 4’s launch has been pushed back by Apple. The phone had originally been announced as being available in late July of this year. It wasn’t long until Apple amended that release date to simply “later in the year.”

No reason was given for the latest postponement, but that’s in keeping with Apple’s pattern of behavior — the company has never directly addressed reasons for the delays. Speculation has run from problems with mismatching colors on the phone’s exterior to issues involving the phone’s back-lighting to a reluctance to release a new product until the “antennae gate” glitch is resolved. Whatever the problem may be, it’s safe to say that it’s ongoing.

Apple is probably not suffering too much from the white phone’s absence on the market. It seems the company is doing just fine hawking regular black iPhones. The company moved 14.1 million iPhone’s in the last quarter, a cool 91 percent increase over the prior year’s total. IPhone sales accounted for a whopping $8.6 billion of Apple’s revenue during the quarter.

It may be possible that the latest delay may signal the white iPhone’s death knell. It’s hard to imagine Apple following through with a release so close to its yearly iPhone upgrade announcement, which traditionally comes in early summer. And more importantly, it’s even more difficult to imagine anyone actually buying one so close to a new iPhone release.


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SONY PLAYSTATION PHONE TO JOIN CROWED FIELD




A Sony PlayStation phone -- long talked about, but late to the mobile party -- may be coming after all.

Engadget shared photos of a prototype PlayStation phone it said may be out this year, although 2011 is "looking much more realistic."

Sony Ericsson, contacted by msnbc.com, says it "does not comment on rumours, speculation or unannounced products," which leaves the issue fairly muddled.

With the iPhone (and iPod Touch) a heavy player in the mobile games market, and Android growing quickly as well, the notion of a PlayStation phone seems almost ... quaint, something that might have made sense several years ago, but is outdated now.

Not necessarily so, says Avi Greengart, research director for consumer devices at Current Analysis.

While the PlayStation phone is "only a rumor at this point ... mobile gaming on phones is a large and growing trend."

Sony Ericsson's phones are not as high-profile or alluring as iPhones, Android devices or BlackBerrys. And Microsoft, with its new Windows Phone 7 integrating Xbox Live, looks to finally have real life. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

But it's all those threats that make a PlayStation phone's chances good, says Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for The NPD Group research firm.

"Games have been among the most popular apps for smart phones, and Apple has been able to leverage developer interest in the iPhone to make the iPod Touch a more direct competitor to handheld consoles," he said.

Sony Ericsson could use a win here. The company's overall cell phone shipment ranking fell to sixth place in the second quarter, down from fourth in the first quarter, according to a recent report from iSuppli research.

That "marked the first time in at least three years that Sony Ericsson didn’t rank among the Top 5 global cell phone brands."

But, notes iSuppli, Sony Ericsson also "achieved a 15.4 percent increase in smart phone shipments during the second quarter. This made Sony Ericsson the fourth fastest growing smart phone brand during the second quarter."

With its "shift" from "volume to value-add" -- and a PlayStation phone would be that -- the company is "positioning itself to cash in on the fastest growing and most profitable segment of the global wireless market,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst for wireless communications at iSuppli.

The PlayStation phone, according to Engadget, would use Google's increasingly popular Android operating system, and Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg recently said that the company's goal is to "become the global No. 1 handset provider on the Android platform."

Engadget says the PlayStation phone will use Android and Sony's "Marketplace, which will allow you to purchase and download games designed for the new platform ... The device ... is sporting a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 ... 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen is in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches."

Gaming website NowGamer, based in Britain, thinks the phone is fake. A "closer look at the top screen in particular reveals a number of telltale signs, such as a large amount of dirt collecting around the screen, as well as mention of 'A' and 'B' buttons on the interface."

Whether the prototype is real or not, a PlayStation phone stands a good chance, says Rubin, who makes a good point.

"A handset that has close ties to a home console has an opportunity to be a more casual companion since gamers need to carry phones anyway."
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FAST TRAIN,BIG DAM SHOW CHINA'S ENGINEERING MIGHT.


HANGZHOU, China –

China rolled out its fastest train yet on Tuesday and announced that the Three Gorges Dam, the world's biggest hydroelectric project, is now generating electricity at maximum capacity — engineering triumphs that signal the nation's growing ambitions as its economy booms.

The successes demonstrate how, after decades of acquiring technology from the west, Beijing has begun to push the limits of its new capabilities, setting the bar higher on mega-projects as it seeks to promote the image of a powerful, modern China. But many of these initiatives have come at great human and environmental cost, and some have questioned whether the country fosters a sufficiently innovative spirit to compete on the next level.

Click image to see photos of the new high-speed railway

AP/Eugene Hoshiko

Still in the works: more nuclear power plants, a gargantuan project to pump river water from the fertile south to the arid north, and a $32.5 billion, 820-mile (1,300-kilometer) Beijing-to-Shanghai high-speed railway that is scheduled to open in 2012.

"We are now much faster," Railway Ministry spokesman Wang Yongping said at Tuesday's inauguration of the super-fast line from Shanghai's western suburb of Hongqiao to the resort city of Hangzhou. "Now other countries are hoping to cooperate with us."

The train will cruise at a top speed of 220 mph (350 kph), making the 125-mile (200-kilometer) trip in 45 minutes.

China already has the world's longest high-speed rail network and aims to more than double its length to 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) by 2020.

Click image to see photos of the Three Gorges dam

AP/Cheng Min


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Chinese companies are also vying for projects overseas, including in the U.S., which leads the world in freight railway technology but has almost no high-speed rail expertise. That's a mark of how well and quickly the technology has been adopted by Chinese companies, who have traditionally only been able to compete on price in bidding for railway and other basic infrastructure projects in the developing world.

The Three Gorges Dam has been more controversial, though the government has relentlessly touted the $23 billion project as the best way to end centuries of floods along the mighty Yangtze and provide energy to fuel the country's economic boom.

The water level in the vast reservoir behind it hit its peak height of 574 feet (175 meters) at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, according to project operator, the China Three Gorges Project Corp. The previous record was 567 feet (172.8 meters), set in 2008, the year the generators began operating.

In the future, the water level will be adjusted depending on flood-control needs but kept within 100 feet (30 meters) of the maximum.

While raising the water level increases the electricity production of the dam, some geologists have warned that damming up too much water in the reservoir carries a heightened risk of landslides, earthquakes and prolonged damage to the river's ecology. As officials attempted to raise water levels in the reservoir last fall, at least one town had to evacuate dozens of residents after a hairline crack appeared on the slopes above homes.

In addition, millions have been displaced and great swaths of productive farmland sacrificed for dam and projects like it.

[Photos: Swiss celebrate digging world’s longest tunnel through Alps ]

Company chairman Cao Guangjing called Tuesday's feat a "historical milestone." He said annual power generation will reach 84.7 billion kilowatt hours, enabling "the project to fulfill its functions of flood control, power generation, navigation and water diversion to the full."

Average economic growth rates of more than 9 percent per year over the past two decades have laid the foundation for rapid progress in a growing number of fields, including launching three manned space flights since 2003 and building a railway across the Tibetan plateau from Beijing to Lhasa. The 2008 Beijing Olympics and this year's mammoth Shanghai World Expo have demonstrated a growing managerial sophistication as well as ability to build infrastructure on an enormous scale.

But while the tremendous growth has enabled China to build big, some wonder if it can build smart — and become a source of true innovation.

Science and technology research in the country tends to be heavily topdown, laden with a stifling government bureaucracy. Many of China's best scholars and scientists depart for greener pastures abroad, while other top minds are pushed into administrative roles, leaving them little time for research.

Although China holds the patents on the technology, design and equipment used by the CRH380 train, some in the industry question the degree to which China is justified in claiming the latest technology as its own.

"Everybody knows that a lot of the core technology is European," Michael Clausecker, director general of Unife, the Association of the European Rail Industry, said in a recent interview.

And despite the obvious benefits high-speed railways bring, the replacement of slower lines with more expensive high-speed trains has prompted complaints from passengers reluctant to pay higher fares, especially on shorter routes.

___

Associated Press writer Tini Tran contributed to this report from Beijing.

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Photo: The Three Gorges Dam is seen on the Yangtze River in Yichang
Photo: Paramilitary policemen patrol the reservoir … the Three Gorges Dam

JAY-Z'Can't Believe'Some of the Lyrics He's Written


In Jay-Z's upcoming book, "Decoded," the superstar MC examines his career via a close analysis of his most famous lyrics. That, of course, required that his lyrics be written out -- something Jay hasn't actually done since 1996, when he scratched out the words to "Can I Live" for his debut "Reasonable Doubt." Jay-Z, who has described his creative process as "no paper, no pen, just listen to the music," appeared in Miami earlier this week. He was there to celebrate the launch of his partnership with search engine Bing -- which involved an internet-driven, international scavenger hunt to locate pages from the memoir -- where the lyrics to his 2000 hit "Big Pimpin' " were revealed in dramatic fashion, printed in giant type on the floor of the Delano hotel's pool.
Ironically, that's the one song Jay admits he had a hard time revisiting.
[Photos: See more of rap legend Jay-Z]
"Some [lyrics] become really profound when you see them in writing. Not 'Big Pimpin.' That's the exception," he told the Wall Street Journal in a candid new interview. "It was like, I can't believe I said that. And kept saying it. What kind of animal would say this sort of thing? Reading it is really harsh."
The lyrics to "Big Pimpin' " describe Jay-Z's troubled relationship with women (in short: He wants them to look good, stay away from his money, and be available when he needs them), a subject he has abandoned since marrying Beyonce in 2008. In fact, Jay says all hip-hop needs now is love.
"We have to find our way back to true emotion. This is going to sound so sappy, but love is the only thing that stands the test of time," he told the WSJ, name-checking two of the most iconic hip-hop records of the past 15 years. "'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' was all about love. Andre 3000, 'The Love Below.' Even N.W.A, at its core -- that was about love for a neighborhood."
[Photos: Jay-Z steps out with gorgeous wife Beyonce]
Jay-Z said he'd like to hear more about the real challenges facing people today -- like the housing crisis and unemployment -- in other rappers' lyrics. This idea hearkens back to Public Enemy MC Chuck D's oft-paraphrased observation that rap is CNN for black people. Jay-Z cites hip-hop's efforts to help Barack Obama get elected as proof the community can help foster social change.
"Whether he does a great job or not is almost secondary to what it did for the dreams and the hopes of an entire race," he said. "Just based on that alone, it's a success -- the biggest we've had. ... It's Martin Luther King's dream realized. Tangible. In the flesh. You can shake his hand."
Hip-hop "saved a generation," argues Jay-Z, which is why it's important to preserve its legacy and continue pushing it ahead. Every time he steps into the booth, he has to believe he's going to make "the best album of all time."
"You always fail," he added, "But every time I go up to bat, I'm thinking how can I make an album better than "Thriller."
Decoded, which was co-authored by writer-filmmaker Dream Hampton, will be released on November 16.

HOW TO BE A MILLIONAIRE BY AGE 25



Wish you were as wealthy as this guy?

zuckerberg200.jpg
Credit: Associated Press

He's Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, and his super-geek-to-billionaire story is the basis of the hit movie The Social Network. "Young people are just smarter," he told a Stanford University audience in 2007. He started Facebook from his Harvard dorm in 2004 as a sophomore. Now he's a 26-year-old philanthropist, recently donating $100 million to the Newark, N.J., school district.

More from Kiplinger.com:

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Zuckerberg's youthful fame and fortune makes for a riveting tale. But across America every year, plenty of entrepreneurs make their first million under the age of 25, some in high school. It takes vision, smarts, determination and a little luck. Here are five of them, along with their advice for achieving prosperity.

MICHEAL JORDAN'S $450,000 MERCEDES MCLAREN FOR SALE


Michael Jordan bought a 2007 Mercedes McLaren SLR 722? That's one of the best cars ever made. Nice move, M.J.

Wait, he's selling it after only driving it 962 miles? Seriously? You give me hope, Michael, and then you take it all away.

So, the McLaren can be yours for $430,000, which is a little dear for that brand even if the wheels were spun for fewer than a thousand miles (considering it cost around $475,000 new). The sellers are clearly factoring in the whole "Michael Jordan owned this car" addition.

The specs? Even three years later, this is one of the fastest things in the world. It has a 5 1/2-liter V8, it'll go from zero to just over 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, it runs with 640 horsepower and it will reach 209 miles an hour; and the rear-wheel driven monster is loaded with all sorts of carbon fiber bits so it's light as a feather in comparison to other supercars.

Also, Michael Jordan drove it. For a few hundred miles, at least.

For more pictures of the car -- which for most of us will be as close as we can get -- click the jump.

The front fascia:

END OF THE EARTH POSTPONED




It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.

A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)

The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.

Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.

"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."

But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.

"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."

Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes.

* 10 Failed Doomsday Predictions
* Earth in the Balance: 7 Crucial Tipping Points
* Top 10 Ways to Destroy Earth

* Original Story: End of the Earth Postponed

LiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.

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WHAT IS A SUPER TYPHOON?

What is a ‘super typhoon’?
By Brett Michael Dykes

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By Brett Michael Dykes brett Michael Dykes – Mon Oct 18, 1:31 pm ET

With Super Typhoon Megi ravaging the Philippines on Monday, many have probably wondered, "Just what is a super typhoon?" Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:

What's the difference between a "super typhoon" and a regular typhoon? A super typhoon is the equivalent of a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, meaning it has maximum sustained winds of 150mph or more. It's basically a really intense typhoon, with the ability to produce high storm surges and torrential downpours, in addition to powerful winds.

[Rewind: Bizarre fire tornado caught on camera]

How does a typhoon form? Much like hurricanes, typhoons develop over large bodies of warm water, which act as energy sources for tropical storm systems. Typhoons pose the biggest threat to coastal areas, since such storms typically lose strength as they move over land.

What's the difference between a hurricane, a cyclone and a typhoon? Essentially none, apart from the question of where they tend to hit. All three form over warm water and feature a circular "eye" in their center. A typhoon is a storm that develops in the Pacific Ocean north of equator, most typically in the northwest Pacific region.

Click image to see Typhoon Megi damage photos

Reuters

How frequent are typhoons? Unlike Atlantic hurricanes -- which form between June 1 and Nov. 30 -- typhoons take shape year-round, though they form most frequently when the water is warmest, August to October. The most active season was in 1997, when a number of typhoons intensified to super typhoon status. Super Typhoon Tip in 1979 was the most intense such storm on record, stretching out to cover just under 1,400 miles, with winds reaching 190 mph.

[Photos: Rare waterspout captured off the coast of Japan]

What countries are most affected by typhoons? Typhoons turn up most commonly in countries in East Asia, such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and China. U.S. territories in the region, such as Hawaii and Guam, also frequently suffer typhoon damage.

How do typhoons get their names? The nations around the western Pacific region began using a new system for naming typhoons in 2000 that include personal names, names of animals and flowers, and even astrological signs.

(Photo: Getty)

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NATO OFFICIAL:BIN LADIN LIVING COMFORTABLY IN PAKISTAN.

NATO official: Bin Laden living comfortably in Pakistan
By Zachary Roth

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By Zachary Roth zachary Roth – Mon Oct 18, 12:03 pm ET

Osama Bin LadenOsama bin Laden is living comfortably in northwest Pakistan, protected by local tribespeople and some members of the country's intelligence service, a NATO official has told CNN. The news undercuts the U.S. government's depiction of the al-Qaida leader as on the run, one terror expert tells The Upshot.

U.S. intelligence officials have long believed that bin Laden is living in the remote tribal region of northwest Pakistan. But at times, the government has also claimed that the al-Qaida leader has had to move frequently from one safehouse to another, impairing his ability to plot attacks.

The NATO official's comments undermine that claim, Michael Scheuer, a former special adviser to the chief of the CIA's bin Laden unit, told The Upshot. "It exposes the lie that Bush and Obama have been telling us since 9/11, that he was running from rock to rock and cave to cave," Scheuer said.

[Photos: More images of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden]

"Nobody in al-Qaida is living in a cave," said the unnamed official.
Scheuer, who has been an outspoken critic of the U.S. approach to fighting al-Qaida, said it's unlikely that the comments reflect any valuable new piece of information. "If this were genuine intel, they would not go public with it," he said. "They would try to kill him." Instead, he said, the NATO official's goal is probably to put pressure on Pakistan to move its army into North Waziristan as part of the fight against the Taliban -- something NATO has been urging the Pakistani government to do for weeks now.

Brian Catulis, a national security expert at the Center for American Progress, also downplayed the comments. "There's always been a sharp focus on how do we close the chapter by capturing or killing bin Laden," Catulis told The Upshot. "I don't know that [the NATO official's comments] are based on anything new or real."

[Related: Officials report 'homegrown terrorist' problem]

Earlier this month, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed optimism that bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, would eventually be caught. But according to Scheuer, the evidence that bin Laden is living in relative comfort and stability cuts against that expectation. "We're just facing reality at last," Scheuer said. "Bin Laden lives among people who: a) regard him as an Islamic hero; and b) whose tribal mores require them to protect a guest with their own lives."

Scheuer continued: "Despite what our leaders are saying, a guy who's not moving around is not vulnerable to attack."

Pakistan's interior minister, Rehman Malik, denied to CNN that bin Laden and al-Zawahiri are in Pakistan.

(File photo of bin Laden: AP)

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PEPPERDINE GUARD KEION BELL DUNK OVER SEVEN PEOPLE


The Dagger - NCAAB
The Dagger

Mon Oct 18 06:30am PDT
Pepperdine guard Keion Bell dunks over seven people

By Jeff Eisenberg

Of all the memorable entrances, crazy costumes and well-choreographed dance numbers from this year's lineup of Midnight Madness events, the most jaw-dropping moment may have taken place at seldom-seen Pepperdine.

Six-foot-3 junior guard Keion Bell positioned three teammates and four others from tallest to shortest between the free-throw line and the rim, strolled out to mid-court and then took a running start at the basket. Amazingly, he cleared all seven with only the help of a slight push-off, finishing with a one-handed slam to the delight of the crowd at Pepperdine's Firestone Fieldhouse.


Pepperdine's Keion Bell Dunks Over Seven People @ Yahoo! Video

There was a lot of pressure on Bell to finish that dunk considering how high he raised the bar a year ago at Pepperdine's Midnight Madness event. Bell dunked over five of his teammates that day, a video that was widely viewed on YouTube and made SportsCenter's top plays.

[Video: 50 best dunks in college basketball history]

Bell averaged 18.5 points per game as a sophomore at Pepperdine last season, but he received little notoriety for anything besides his dunking prowess since the Waves struggled to a 7-24 record. With five starters and 13 players returning from last season's team, Pepperdine is hoping to give fans a reason to pay attention to Bell's exploits after Midnight Madness this season.

[Video: College basketball star catapults off brother for incredible dunk]

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515 Comments
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1 - 25 of 515

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1.
MOSScomeBACK2vikes
1. Posted by MOSScomeBACK2vikes Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:29 am EDT

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I was expecting a tower of seven people...
2.
Todd Mlo
2. Posted by Todd Mlo Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:19 am EDT

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The dunk over the people was the least impressive dunk of them all.
3.
Nathan K
3. Posted by Nathan K Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:00 pm EDT

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Glad they can celebrate something...because once the season starts there won't be much to cheer about...especially when the Zags roll them again!
4.
Husker
4. Posted by Husker Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:41 pm EDT

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dunking is overrated..... can he play basketball?????
5.
sickofit
5. Posted by sickofit Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:54 pm EDT

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Sounds like a real team player.
6.
amp
6. Posted by amp Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:54 pm EDT

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I liked the rest of the dunks better.
7.
Heisenberg
7. Posted by Heisenberg Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:55 pm EDT

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what is jaw-dropping about it?
8.
Argyle
8. Posted by Argyle Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:56 pm EDT

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Wow! who would have thought, a black athlete that can jump really high. Now show me a fat black lady that can sing and I would have officially have seen everything!
9.
PierreC
9. Posted by PierreC Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:56 pm EDT

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I was expecting him to dunk naked
10.
Evan
10. Posted by Evan Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:57 pm EDT

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^
Can Nebraska?
11.
Corsair
11. Posted by Corsair Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:57 pm EDT

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Had he fallen short, he'd have come down on the head of that kid, causing who knows what injury. Who thought that setup was a good idea?
12.
Lance
12. Posted by Lance Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:58 pm EDT

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wtf was that crap? basketball is brutal. thank god it's going downhill
13.
Phil O'Sefer
13. Posted by Phil O'Sefer Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:58 pm EDT

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Okay, but can he make 3 out of 4 free throws on a consistent basis?
14.
Bushy1
14. Posted by Bushy1 Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:59 pm EDT

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ehhhhhh, not that great.
15.
Greg
15. Posted by Greg Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:59 pm EDT

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He pushed off and up on the first players head for additional lift.
Some of his other dunks were better.
That post dunk celebration was idiotic.
16.
nuevavida...
16. Posted by nuevavida... Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:00 pm EDT

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then what?? will he be able to have a job later on??
17.
Wayne
17. Posted by Wayne Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:01 pm EDT

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Well id like to see you guys jump over seven people, let alone finish it with a dunk
18.
nuevavida...
18. Posted by nuevavida... Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:01 pm EDT

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enough of this type of adoration..are we going to there as well when this is over?
19.
topwhop45
19. Posted by topwhop45 Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:03 pm EDT

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I thought he was pretty good. What's him having to be white or black. got to do with this? He made the job dunking over people look easy which isn't that easy to do.
He has a high point average in every game. which makes him a very valueable player to the rest of the team players.
And he's about winning and for the team.
20.
Steve B
20. Posted by Steve B Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:03 pm EDT

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everyone saying that the last dunk was least impressive... i guess you guys cant see that he dunked a step or two from the free throw line... pft tards
21.
cody
21. Posted by cody Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:04 pm EDT

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Yeah the dunk over the people wasn't even the best dunk, some of the others were pretty impressive.
22.
Lawgeezy
22. Posted by Lawgeezy Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:04 pm EDT

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All you people are fools, damn give the guy his due wtf !!!
23.
jenp
23. Posted by jenp Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:04 pm EDT

Report