You've been hearing about the negative impacts of global warming for years. Sometimes your friends nervously joke about it — "Could land in the Rocky Mountains become beachfront property?" Other times you read with worry the news about forest fires, hurricanes, droughts and heat waves. And you wonder, "Is climate disaster already upon us?"
Scientists say the answer is "yes." We are now experiencing the effects of human-caused climate change and, even if we drastically alter our polluting behavior today, we'll continue to see changes over the next two to three decades. This change is irreversible, and researchers predict it may be worse than the depressing situation Al Gore foretold in "An Inconvenient Truth."
"What happens in the next 20 or 30 years is largely already determined." says Kevin Tranberth, ScD, head of the Climate Analysis Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). "Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have already increased by more than 35 percent since pre-industrial times, owing to human activities. Over half of that increase has occurred since 1970."
Although this prognosis seems dire, there is hope. While we can't change the polluting that has already occurred, we can make changes now that will leave a cleaner world for our children and grandchildren. "One important message to convey is we can very much affect what happens 90 years from now by the decisions we make today," says Jim Hurrell, PhD, a senior atmospheric scientist with NCAR. Tranberth agrees. "If we act now, the benefit comes about 30 to 40 years from now," he says. "We can still have a big impact on what happens in the second half of this century."
But what happens if we don't act now? Here is how your part of the United States could be affected in the year 2100 if we don't turn this around.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Acting Freddie Mac CFO found dead
David Kellermann, acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac, was found dead in his Hunter Mill Estates home Wednesday morning in what police say was an apparent suicide.
Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Mary Anne Jennings tells WTOP police responded to the Kellermann home after family members dialed 911 at 4:48 a.m.
Sources tell WTOP Kellermann hanged himself.
"We were called from inside the house to come investigate an apparent suicide," Jennings says.
"We're not going to give you details of the condition of the body, except to say it was an apparent suicide."
A medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Police on the scene tell WTOP Kellermann's body was found on the home's lower level.
The Kellermann home sits on the corner of Raleigh Hill Road and Brittenford Drive in picturesque Hunter Mill Estates, a neighborhood of single-family homes outside of Vienna, just over the border from Reston. According to Fairfax County tax records, Kellermann's home is assessed at $898,440.
Neighbors tell WTOP they are surprised to hear about Kellermann's suicide. They knew him, his wife and young daughter from neighborhood parties and the pool.
"I'm in total shock. This is a wonderful family. This is the last thing I would have ever expected," says Susan Unger, who lives across the street from Kellermann. "I'm saddened. It's awful."
Unger's husband Paul says Kellermann was a "terrific guy."
"We're just shocked beyond belief. This is just a wonderful family -- very family oriented," Paul Unger says.
Kellermann, 41, had been with Freddie Mac for more than 16 years.
He had been named acting chief financial officer in September 2008, taking over after Anthony "Buddy" Piszel resigned. Freddie Mac's CEO David Moffett resigned last month.
Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Mary Anne Jennings tells WTOP police responded to the Kellermann home after family members dialed 911 at 4:48 a.m.
Sources tell WTOP Kellermann hanged himself.
"We were called from inside the house to come investigate an apparent suicide," Jennings says.
"We're not going to give you details of the condition of the body, except to say it was an apparent suicide."
A medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Police on the scene tell WTOP Kellermann's body was found on the home's lower level.
The Kellermann home sits on the corner of Raleigh Hill Road and Brittenford Drive in picturesque Hunter Mill Estates, a neighborhood of single-family homes outside of Vienna, just over the border from Reston. According to Fairfax County tax records, Kellermann's home is assessed at $898,440.
Neighbors tell WTOP they are surprised to hear about Kellermann's suicide. They knew him, his wife and young daughter from neighborhood parties and the pool.
"I'm in total shock. This is a wonderful family. This is the last thing I would have ever expected," says Susan Unger, who lives across the street from Kellermann. "I'm saddened. It's awful."
Unger's husband Paul says Kellermann was a "terrific guy."
"We're just shocked beyond belief. This is just a wonderful family -- very family oriented," Paul Unger says.
Kellermann, 41, had been with Freddie Mac for more than 16 years.
He had been named acting chief financial officer in September 2008, taking over after Anthony "Buddy" Piszel resigned. Freddie Mac's CEO David Moffett resigned last month.
The border for dummies
Can someone please tell us how U. S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano got her job? She appears to be about as knowledgeable about border issues as a late-night radio call-in yahoo.
In an interview broadcast Monday on the CBC, Ms. Napolitano attempted to justify her call for stricter border security on the premise that "suspected or known terrorists" have entered the U. S. across the Canadian border, including the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack.
All the 9/11 terrorists, of course, entered the United States directly from overseas. The notion that some arrived via Canada is a myth that briefly popped up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and was then quickly debunked.
Informed of her error, Ms. Napolitano blustered: "I can't talk to that. I can talk about the future. And here's the future. The future is we have borders."
Just what does that mean, exactly?
Just a few weeks ago, Ms. Napolitano equated Canada's border to Mexico's, suggesting they deserved the same treatment. Mexico is engulfed in a drug war that left more than 5,000 dead last year, and which is spawning a spillover kidnapping epidemic in Arizona. So many Mexicans enter the United States illegally that a multi-billion-dollar barrier has been built from Texas to California to keep them out.
In Canada, on the other hand, the main problem is congestion resulting from cross-border trade. Not quite the same thing, is it?
In an interview broadcast Monday on the CBC, Ms. Napolitano attempted to justify her call for stricter border security on the premise that "suspected or known terrorists" have entered the U. S. across the Canadian border, including the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack.
All the 9/11 terrorists, of course, entered the United States directly from overseas. The notion that some arrived via Canada is a myth that briefly popped up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and was then quickly debunked.
Informed of her error, Ms. Napolitano blustered: "I can't talk to that. I can talk about the future. And here's the future. The future is we have borders."
Just what does that mean, exactly?
Just a few weeks ago, Ms. Napolitano equated Canada's border to Mexico's, suggesting they deserved the same treatment. Mexico is engulfed in a drug war that left more than 5,000 dead last year, and which is spawning a spillover kidnapping epidemic in Arizona. So many Mexicans enter the United States illegally that a multi-billion-dollar barrier has been built from Texas to California to keep them out.
In Canada, on the other hand, the main problem is congestion resulting from cross-border trade. Not quite the same thing, is it?
Fans of the Dead left a sea of trash in their wake
A parking lot near the Cobblestone District is getting a big cleanup today.
That it's happening on Earth Day is a coincidence, but one tinged with irony.
The Scott Street lot, near Michigan Avenue, was turned into a staging ground Tuesday for hundreds — perhaps thousands — of fans waiting to see a concert at HSBC Arena by The Dead, former members of the Grateful Dead minus the late Jerry Garcia.
But the crowd of young jam-band enthusiasts and aging hippies — thought to be particularly environmentally conscious — left behind a parking lot strewn with beer and wine bottles, cans, bags, pizza boxes and hundreds of balloons used to get high with nitrous oxide.
Noticeably absent were any trash cans that could have given people a place to throw things away.
Management of lot operator Pay to Park had no immediate comment.
msommer@buffnews.com
That it's happening on Earth Day is a coincidence, but one tinged with irony.
The Scott Street lot, near Michigan Avenue, was turned into a staging ground Tuesday for hundreds — perhaps thousands — of fans waiting to see a concert at HSBC Arena by The Dead, former members of the Grateful Dead minus the late Jerry Garcia.
But the crowd of young jam-band enthusiasts and aging hippies — thought to be particularly environmentally conscious — left behind a parking lot strewn with beer and wine bottles, cans, bags, pizza boxes and hundreds of balloons used to get high with nitrous oxide.
Noticeably absent were any trash cans that could have given people a place to throw things away.
Management of lot operator Pay to Park had no immediate comment.
msommer@buffnews.com
Goodell: Vick’s ticket back is “genuine remorse”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says Michael Vick has paid a significant price for doing an “egregious thing” and will have to show genuine remorse and that the experience has changed him in order to get a chance at resuming his career in the league.
Goodell appeared Tuesday night at Washington & Lee University, engaging in a panel discussion about leadership in sports and taking questions from the audience.
Afterward, Goodell said he has not kept up with Vick’s legal issues since suspending him from the league after his conviction in a federal dogfighting case. Vick is serving a 23-month prison term and has a team of lawyers trying to settle his finances in bankruptcy court.
A major component of the bankruptcy lawyers’ efforts to find a way for Vick to satisfy his creditors is based on his ability to again earn millions in pro football.
Goodell appeared Tuesday night at Washington & Lee University, engaging in a panel discussion about leadership in sports and taking questions from the audience.
Afterward, Goodell said he has not kept up with Vick’s legal issues since suspending him from the league after his conviction in a federal dogfighting case. Vick is serving a 23-month prison term and has a team of lawyers trying to settle his finances in bankruptcy court.
A major component of the bankruptcy lawyers’ efforts to find a way for Vick to satisfy his creditors is based on his ability to again earn millions in pro football.
Border comments spark diplomatic kerfuffle
Ottawa was rushing to defend its border security on Tuesday amid a diplomatic scuffle with the U.S., which erupted after Washington's homeland security chief suggested that the 9-11 terrorists entered the U.S. through Canada.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made the comments during a media interview earlier this week, much to the chagrin of Canadians on both sides of the border.
In recent years, Ottawa has invested a great deal of effort into dispelling perceptions among Americans that Canada's border is an easy entry point for terrorists planning attacks on U.S. soil.
"Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9-11 terrorists came from," said Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador in Washington.
"As the 9-11 commission reported in 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the United States from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued by the United States government and no 9-11 terrorists came from Canada."
Later, Napolitano's staff attempted to tamp down the controversy by blaming the comments on a simple misunderstanding, said Wilson, who was the keynote speaker at the Border Trade Alliance meeting in Washington Tuesday.
"Her comment from her people is that she misunderstood," Wilson said, adding that he was planning a personal meeting with Napolitano in the near future.
The furor began when Napolitano was asked to clarify statements she had made about equal treatment for the Mexican and Canadian borders, despite the fact that a flood of illegal immigrants and a massive drug war are two serious issues on the southern border.
"Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going on, it didn't have 6,000 homicides that were drug-related last year," she said.
"Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there."
When asked if she was referring to the 9-11 terrorists, Napolitano added: "Not just those but others as well."
However, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan downplayed the comments and said that Napolitano is well aware that Canada was not the source of the 9-11 terrorists.
"We spoke about it back in March, and we were sharing a chuckle at the fact that the urban myth does circulate," he told CTV's Power Play.
"Ms. Napolitano understood quite clearly, then and now, that none of the September 11 terrorists came through Canada, as the 9-11 Commission found."
Still, that positive outlook wasn't shared by other Canadian officials.
On Tuesday afternoon, RCMP Commissioner William Elliot expressed frustration with the comments during an interview on CTV's Power Play.
"I was somewhat surprised and disappointed," he said, adding he hopes the misconception has been cleared up.
"I understand and am happy to hear that she has issued a statement acknowledging that that didn't happen."
But Thomas d'Aquino, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, decried Napolitano's comments on Tuesday.
"I am a longstanding friend and ally of the United States, but sometimes failures in our two-way dialogue cause me to shake my head in sadness and dismay," he said in a press release.
"The claim that some of the 9/11 terrorists entered the United States from Canada is, quite simply, a myth - an urban legend that began with a handful of erroneous media reports in the days following the terrorist strikes."
With files from The Canadian Press
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made the comments during a media interview earlier this week, much to the chagrin of Canadians on both sides of the border.
In recent years, Ottawa has invested a great deal of effort into dispelling perceptions among Americans that Canada's border is an easy entry point for terrorists planning attacks on U.S. soil.
"Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9-11 terrorists came from," said Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador in Washington.
"As the 9-11 commission reported in 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the United States from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued by the United States government and no 9-11 terrorists came from Canada."
Later, Napolitano's staff attempted to tamp down the controversy by blaming the comments on a simple misunderstanding, said Wilson, who was the keynote speaker at the Border Trade Alliance meeting in Washington Tuesday.
"Her comment from her people is that she misunderstood," Wilson said, adding that he was planning a personal meeting with Napolitano in the near future.
The furor began when Napolitano was asked to clarify statements she had made about equal treatment for the Mexican and Canadian borders, despite the fact that a flood of illegal immigrants and a massive drug war are two serious issues on the southern border.
"Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going on, it didn't have 6,000 homicides that were drug-related last year," she said.
"Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there."
When asked if she was referring to the 9-11 terrorists, Napolitano added: "Not just those but others as well."
However, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan downplayed the comments and said that Napolitano is well aware that Canada was not the source of the 9-11 terrorists.
"We spoke about it back in March, and we were sharing a chuckle at the fact that the urban myth does circulate," he told CTV's Power Play.
"Ms. Napolitano understood quite clearly, then and now, that none of the September 11 terrorists came through Canada, as the 9-11 Commission found."
Still, that positive outlook wasn't shared by other Canadian officials.
On Tuesday afternoon, RCMP Commissioner William Elliot expressed frustration with the comments during an interview on CTV's Power Play.
"I was somewhat surprised and disappointed," he said, adding he hopes the misconception has been cleared up.
"I understand and am happy to hear that she has issued a statement acknowledging that that didn't happen."
But Thomas d'Aquino, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, decried Napolitano's comments on Tuesday.
"I am a longstanding friend and ally of the United States, but sometimes failures in our two-way dialogue cause me to shake my head in sadness and dismay," he said in a press release.
"The claim that some of the 9/11 terrorists entered the United States from Canada is, quite simply, a myth - an urban legend that began with a handful of erroneous media reports in the days following the terrorist strikes."
With files from The Canadian Press
Freddie Mac official found dead in apparent suicide
David Kellermann, the acting chief financial officer of money-losing mortgage giant Freddie Mac, was found dead at his home early Wednesday in what police said was an apparent suicide.
The Fairfax County police responded to a 911-call at 4:48 a.m. at the suburban Virginia home Kellermann shared with his wife Donna and five-year-old daughter Grace. The police would not release the exact cause of death, but spokesman Eddy Azcarate said Kellermann's body was found in the basement.
Kellermann, 41, lived in Hunter Mill Estates, a well-off neighborhood of large single-family homes with manicured lawns. County records show Kellermann's home is worth about $900,000.
Paul Unger, who lives across the street from the Kellermanns, called the family a "solid, salt-of-the-earth kind of family" that hosted the neighborhood's Halloween party. "He was just a nice guy ... You cannot imagine what kind of pressures he must have been under," Unger said.
Some neighbors said Kellermann had lost a noticeable amount of weight under the strain of the job, and some said they suggested to him he should quit to avoid the stress. The neighbors did not want to be quoted by name because they didn't want to upset the family.
Kellermann, a University of Michigan graduate who went to business school at George Washington University, worked for Freddie Mac for the past 16 years and was named acting chief financial officer last September when the government seized control of the company and ousted top executives. Freddie Mac lost more than $50 billion last year, and the government has pumped in $45 billion to keep the company afloat.
Kellermann's death is the latest in a string of blows to Freddie Mac, which owns or guarantees about 13 million mortgages and us the No. 2 mortgage finance company after sibling Fannie Mae. The company has been criticized for financing risky mortgage loans that fueled the real estate bubble, and its first government-appointed CEO, David Moffett, resigned last month after six months on the job.
As the company's financial chief, Kellermann was working on the company's first quarter financial report, due at the end of May, with federal regulators closely overseeing the company's books and signing off on major decisions.
That relationship has been tense at times. Freddie Mac executives recently battled with federal regulators over whether to disclose potential losses on mortgage securities tied to the Obama administration's housing plan, said a person familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Federal prosecutors in Virginia have been investigating Freddie Mac's business practices. But two U.S. law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the Freddie Mac investigation, said Kellermann was neither a target nor a subject of the investigation and had not been under law enforcement scrutiny.
News of Kellermann's death came as a shock to employees of the McLean, Va.-based company, with those who knew Kellermann tearing up on Wednesday morning and a quiet mood prevailing. Senior executives at the company heard the news on local radio before going to work.
John Koskinen, the company's interim chief executive, said in a statement that Kellermann, "was a man of great talents .... His extraordinary work ethic and integrity inspired all who worked with him."
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement that "our deepest sympathies are with his family and his colleagues at Freddie Mac during this difficult time."
Freddie Mac and sibling company Fannie Mae have both come under fire from lawmakers as they plan to pay more than $210 million in bonuses through next year to give workers the incentive to stay in their jobs. Kellermann was in line to receive retention awards totaling $850,000 over the next year.
___
Associated Press Writers Matt Small, Devlin Barrett and Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.
The Fairfax County police responded to a 911-call at 4:48 a.m. at the suburban Virginia home Kellermann shared with his wife Donna and five-year-old daughter Grace. The police would not release the exact cause of death, but spokesman Eddy Azcarate said Kellermann's body was found in the basement.
Kellermann, 41, lived in Hunter Mill Estates, a well-off neighborhood of large single-family homes with manicured lawns. County records show Kellermann's home is worth about $900,000.
Paul Unger, who lives across the street from the Kellermanns, called the family a "solid, salt-of-the-earth kind of family" that hosted the neighborhood's Halloween party. "He was just a nice guy ... You cannot imagine what kind of pressures he must have been under," Unger said.
Some neighbors said Kellermann had lost a noticeable amount of weight under the strain of the job, and some said they suggested to him he should quit to avoid the stress. The neighbors did not want to be quoted by name because they didn't want to upset the family.
Kellermann, a University of Michigan graduate who went to business school at George Washington University, worked for Freddie Mac for the past 16 years and was named acting chief financial officer last September when the government seized control of the company and ousted top executives. Freddie Mac lost more than $50 billion last year, and the government has pumped in $45 billion to keep the company afloat.
Kellermann's death is the latest in a string of blows to Freddie Mac, which owns or guarantees about 13 million mortgages and us the No. 2 mortgage finance company after sibling Fannie Mae. The company has been criticized for financing risky mortgage loans that fueled the real estate bubble, and its first government-appointed CEO, David Moffett, resigned last month after six months on the job.
As the company's financial chief, Kellermann was working on the company's first quarter financial report, due at the end of May, with federal regulators closely overseeing the company's books and signing off on major decisions.
That relationship has been tense at times. Freddie Mac executives recently battled with federal regulators over whether to disclose potential losses on mortgage securities tied to the Obama administration's housing plan, said a person familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Federal prosecutors in Virginia have been investigating Freddie Mac's business practices. But two U.S. law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the Freddie Mac investigation, said Kellermann was neither a target nor a subject of the investigation and had not been under law enforcement scrutiny.
News of Kellermann's death came as a shock to employees of the McLean, Va.-based company, with those who knew Kellermann tearing up on Wednesday morning and a quiet mood prevailing. Senior executives at the company heard the news on local radio before going to work.
John Koskinen, the company's interim chief executive, said in a statement that Kellermann, "was a man of great talents .... His extraordinary work ethic and integrity inspired all who worked with him."
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement that "our deepest sympathies are with his family and his colleagues at Freddie Mac during this difficult time."
Freddie Mac and sibling company Fannie Mae have both come under fire from lawmakers as they plan to pay more than $210 million in bonuses through next year to give workers the incentive to stay in their jobs. Kellermann was in line to receive retention awards totaling $850,000 over the next year.
___
Associated Press Writers Matt Small, Devlin Barrett and Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.
Watt’s the big deal? ‘Vampire power’
Plasma TVs, video game systems, smart phones, iPods, digital video recorders and other gadgets are practically mainstream these days.
The devices get cheaper, sleeker and more powerful all the time.
But they rely on one very low-tech feature — an electrical cord.
Many of these gadgets are incredibly compact, but when they are running or recharging their batteries, they can suck up vast amounts of energy. Some estimates suggest that electronic devices account for 10 to 15 percent of all home electricity use.
A sizable piece of this energy use is known as “phantom power” or “vampire power” because it occurs while the devices are turned off or not in active use.
“It’s one of those things with electronics; it’s a couple watts here and a couple watts there, and pretty soon it adds up to a lot of watts — and real money,” said John T. Thompson, a Buffalo State College associate professor of computer information systems.
There has been a push, reflected in the well-publicized marking of Earth Day today, to make consumers more energy-conscious on everything from light bulbs to dishwashers.
But that’s not the case for electronic devices. Most Americans want the latest and most impressive gadgets, and energy use isn’t a factor for most consumers in deciding what to buy.
“These are the devices of the day that do amazing things for us,” said Douglas K. Johnson, senior director of technology policy for the Consumer Electronics Association.
Now environmental agencies and electronics manufacturers are working to make sure consumers keep energy efficiency in mind when buying a device — and to make sure they manage their power use after they’ve taken it home.
“One of the things we don’t do well is communicate how much energy these devices use,” said Thomas W. Reddoch, executive director of energy utilization for the Electric Power Research Institute.
To put this in perspective, the typical American home in 1980 had 2.8 consumer electronic devices, while today it has 24 such devices, according to the electronics association.
Steve Poland, a tech entrepreneur, owns an extensive list of electronic devices that includes a 50-inch plasma TV, two laptop computers, three external hard drives, two video game players, two MP3 players, a BlackBerry phone and a digital camera.
“I would say that’s marginally [more than] your average individual,” said Poland, a Buffalo resident whose latest start-up project, InSeconds, is meant to help Web sites make money.
When consumers make decisions about which devices to purchase, they typically consider cost, performance, brand and style but not energy efficiency.
“In my mind, there’s an abundance of power, even though I’m sure it’s not the case,” Poland said.
The electronics association calculates that consumer electronics make up 12 percent of residential energy use, a finding in line with the estimates made by other agencies.
Larger, high-definition TVs consume more energy than older- model TVs, and television watching in general is rising as people have more viewing options today, the Natural Resource Defense Council noted.
The council and Ecos Consulting calculated that TVs in America consumed 46 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity in 2004 and estimated that this would soar to 70 billion by 2009.
The energy used annually by two DVRs, for another example, is equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by the average refrigerator, said Mark M. Michalski, associate project manager for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA.
An unexpected energy hog is the digital picture frame, which is growing in popularity as people take more photos with their digital cameras and the price of the frames comes down.
The devices use a lot of juice because many people leave them on all day and all night.
If every home in America used one digital picture frame, we would need to build five new 250-megawatt power plants, according to the electric power institute.
“It is not a concern at the individual level, but if you multiply [energy use] by 300 million people, then it becomes a concern,” said Cemal Basaran, an engineering professor and director of the Electronic Packaging Laboratory at the University at Buffalo.
Even when they’re turned off, as long as the devices or their chargers are plugged in, they are using energy. And this “vampire power” can be a big electricity drain.
In the typical American household, 75 percent of the electricity used for electronic devices is consumed when the devices are shut off, the U. S. Department of Energy found.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average American household spends $100 per year to power devices when they’re not in use, Michalski said.
“Everybody can be doing more to reduce their draw on the grid, and to reduce their costs in the process,” Thompson said.
Experts say that it is time to take the same “green” campaign that promotes fluorescent light bulbs and efficient refrigerators and apply it to these devices. Gaming consoles, for example, use an estimated 16 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity each year, the NRDC and Ecos Consulting found, enough to power San Diego.
Incorporating better, user-friendly power-management features on these video game players could lower their energy use by 11 billion kilowatts per hour, the agencies found.
This would lower the nation’s electricity bill by $1 billion and cut emission of 7 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Manufacturers are working to voluntarily disclose how much energy these devices use, and to highlight the most energy- efficient devices within a product category, Johnson said.
Manufacturers are making a greater number of devices that are more energy efficient, though consumers must make energy use a priority. “The fact of the matter is, consumers are going to buy what they want to buy,” Michalski said.
In addition, consumers can be mindful of their energy use.
Making sure you completely turn off and unplug the devices when you’re done with them is a basic way to cut down on energy use. Also, unplug the charger when you’re done charging a cell phone or MP3 player.
If people don’t want to constantly unplug and plug in these devices, NYSERDA recommends getting an advanced power strip. The strip allows devices that need to stay on all the time, such as a DVR, to remain on while cutting off electricity to the ones that don’t.
Green-friendly organizations also are making it easier for people to keep track of their electricity use online.
Also, companies are selling gadgets such as the Kill A Watt, which measures how much electricity a device consumes.
Users plug a gadget into the Kill A Watt, then plug the Kill A Watt into a wall outlet to get an energy-use reading.
“It’s way better than getting a bill at the end of the month and wondering, where does all that energy go?” said UB graduate student Kevin Lim, a blogger who studies technology and social media.
Some tech-savvy environmentalists have altered a Kill A Watt to make it send the data to their Twitter accounts.
And a municipal utility in Sacramento, Calif., experimented with sending statements to customers that compared them with average customers and with their most energy-conscious neighbors. The most energy- efficient customers received smiley faces on their bills, and the heaviest users got frowning faces. “It made it competitive,” Lim said, “and bred even more awareness.”
swatson@buffnews.com
The devices get cheaper, sleeker and more powerful all the time.
But they rely on one very low-tech feature — an electrical cord.
Many of these gadgets are incredibly compact, but when they are running or recharging their batteries, they can suck up vast amounts of energy. Some estimates suggest that electronic devices account for 10 to 15 percent of all home electricity use.
A sizable piece of this energy use is known as “phantom power” or “vampire power” because it occurs while the devices are turned off or not in active use.
“It’s one of those things with electronics; it’s a couple watts here and a couple watts there, and pretty soon it adds up to a lot of watts — and real money,” said John T. Thompson, a Buffalo State College associate professor of computer information systems.
There has been a push, reflected in the well-publicized marking of Earth Day today, to make consumers more energy-conscious on everything from light bulbs to dishwashers.
But that’s not the case for electronic devices. Most Americans want the latest and most impressive gadgets, and energy use isn’t a factor for most consumers in deciding what to buy.
“These are the devices of the day that do amazing things for us,” said Douglas K. Johnson, senior director of technology policy for the Consumer Electronics Association.
Now environmental agencies and electronics manufacturers are working to make sure consumers keep energy efficiency in mind when buying a device — and to make sure they manage their power use after they’ve taken it home.
“One of the things we don’t do well is communicate how much energy these devices use,” said Thomas W. Reddoch, executive director of energy utilization for the Electric Power Research Institute.
To put this in perspective, the typical American home in 1980 had 2.8 consumer electronic devices, while today it has 24 such devices, according to the electronics association.
Steve Poland, a tech entrepreneur, owns an extensive list of electronic devices that includes a 50-inch plasma TV, two laptop computers, three external hard drives, two video game players, two MP3 players, a BlackBerry phone and a digital camera.
“I would say that’s marginally [more than] your average individual,” said Poland, a Buffalo resident whose latest start-up project, InSeconds, is meant to help Web sites make money.
When consumers make decisions about which devices to purchase, they typically consider cost, performance, brand and style but not energy efficiency.
“In my mind, there’s an abundance of power, even though I’m sure it’s not the case,” Poland said.
The electronics association calculates that consumer electronics make up 12 percent of residential energy use, a finding in line with the estimates made by other agencies.
Larger, high-definition TVs consume more energy than older- model TVs, and television watching in general is rising as people have more viewing options today, the Natural Resource Defense Council noted.
The council and Ecos Consulting calculated that TVs in America consumed 46 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity in 2004 and estimated that this would soar to 70 billion by 2009.
The energy used annually by two DVRs, for another example, is equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by the average refrigerator, said Mark M. Michalski, associate project manager for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA.
An unexpected energy hog is the digital picture frame, which is growing in popularity as people take more photos with their digital cameras and the price of the frames comes down.
The devices use a lot of juice because many people leave them on all day and all night.
If every home in America used one digital picture frame, we would need to build five new 250-megawatt power plants, according to the electric power institute.
“It is not a concern at the individual level, but if you multiply [energy use] by 300 million people, then it becomes a concern,” said Cemal Basaran, an engineering professor and director of the Electronic Packaging Laboratory at the University at Buffalo.
Even when they’re turned off, as long as the devices or their chargers are plugged in, they are using energy. And this “vampire power” can be a big electricity drain.
In the typical American household, 75 percent of the electricity used for electronic devices is consumed when the devices are shut off, the U. S. Department of Energy found.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average American household spends $100 per year to power devices when they’re not in use, Michalski said.
“Everybody can be doing more to reduce their draw on the grid, and to reduce their costs in the process,” Thompson said.
Experts say that it is time to take the same “green” campaign that promotes fluorescent light bulbs and efficient refrigerators and apply it to these devices. Gaming consoles, for example, use an estimated 16 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity each year, the NRDC and Ecos Consulting found, enough to power San Diego.
Incorporating better, user-friendly power-management features on these video game players could lower their energy use by 11 billion kilowatts per hour, the agencies found.
This would lower the nation’s electricity bill by $1 billion and cut emission of 7 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Manufacturers are working to voluntarily disclose how much energy these devices use, and to highlight the most energy- efficient devices within a product category, Johnson said.
Manufacturers are making a greater number of devices that are more energy efficient, though consumers must make energy use a priority. “The fact of the matter is, consumers are going to buy what they want to buy,” Michalski said.
In addition, consumers can be mindful of their energy use.
Making sure you completely turn off and unplug the devices when you’re done with them is a basic way to cut down on energy use. Also, unplug the charger when you’re done charging a cell phone or MP3 player.
If people don’t want to constantly unplug and plug in these devices, NYSERDA recommends getting an advanced power strip. The strip allows devices that need to stay on all the time, such as a DVR, to remain on while cutting off electricity to the ones that don’t.
Green-friendly organizations also are making it easier for people to keep track of their electricity use online.
Also, companies are selling gadgets such as the Kill A Watt, which measures how much electricity a device consumes.
Users plug a gadget into the Kill A Watt, then plug the Kill A Watt into a wall outlet to get an energy-use reading.
“It’s way better than getting a bill at the end of the month and wondering, where does all that energy go?” said UB graduate student Kevin Lim, a blogger who studies technology and social media.
Some tech-savvy environmentalists have altered a Kill A Watt to make it send the data to their Twitter accounts.
And a municipal utility in Sacramento, Calif., experimented with sending statements to customers that compared them with average customers and with their most energy-conscious neighbors. The most energy- efficient customers received smiley faces on their bills, and the heaviest users got frowning faces. “It made it competitive,” Lim said, “and bred even more awareness.”
swatson@buffnews.com
‘Refrigerator’ Perry hospitalized in SC
Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman William “The Refrigerator” Perry remains hospitalized in South Carolina.
Aiken Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Melissa Summer said Wednesday that Perry is in serious condition. The 46-year-old Perry has been hospitalized to deal with complications from Guillain-Barre (gee-LAN’ bah-RAY’) Syndrome, a chronic inflammation disorder of the peripheral nerves.
Perry’s nephew, Purnell Perry, said Tuesday that his uncle was admitted more than a week ago but was expected to recover. A man who answered the phone Wednesday at Purnell Perry’s home in Aiken said he couldn’t comment on the football player’s hospitalization.
The 300-pound plus defensive tackle played for the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl team, and helped lead Clemson to the 1981 national championship.
Aiken Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Melissa Summer said Wednesday that Perry is in serious condition. The 46-year-old Perry has been hospitalized to deal with complications from Guillain-Barre (gee-LAN’ bah-RAY’) Syndrome, a chronic inflammation disorder of the peripheral nerves.
Perry’s nephew, Purnell Perry, said Tuesday that his uncle was admitted more than a week ago but was expected to recover. A man who answered the phone Wednesday at Purnell Perry’s home in Aiken said he couldn’t comment on the football player’s hospitalization.
The 300-pound plus defensive tackle played for the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl team, and helped lead Clemson to the 1981 national championship.
Record attempt reaps 217K texts, $26K phone bill
Their thumbs sure must be sore. Two central Pennsylvania friends spent most of March in a text-messaging record attempt, exchanging a thumbs-flying total of 217,000. For one of the two, that meant an inches-thick itemized bill for $26,000.
Nick Andes, 29, and Doug Klinger, 30, were relying on their unlimited text messaging plans to get them through the escapade, so Andes didn't expect such a big bill.
"It came in a box that cost $27.55 to send to me," he said Tuesday. He said he "panicked" and called T-Mobile, which told The Associated Press it had credited his account and was investigating the charges.
The two Lancaster-area residents have been practically nonstop texters for about a decade since they attended Berks Technical Institute together.
That led Andes to search for the largest monthly text message total he could find posted online: 182,000 sent in 2005 by Deepak Sharma in India.
Andes and Klinger were able to set up their phones to send multiple messages. During a February test run they found they could send 6,000 or 7,000 messages on some days, prompting the March messaging marathon.
"Most were either short phrases or one word, 'LOL' or 'Hello,' things like that, with tons and tons of repeats," said Andes, reached by phone.
Andes sent more than 140,000 messages, and Klinger sent more than 70,000 to end the month with a total of just over 217,000, he said.
A spokesman for Guinness World Records didn't immediately return messages asking whether it would be certified as a record.
April came as a relief to Andes' wife, Julie, who had found his phone tied up with texting when she tried to call him on lunch breaks.
"She was tired of it the first few days into it," Andes said.
Nick Andes, 29, and Doug Klinger, 30, were relying on their unlimited text messaging plans to get them through the escapade, so Andes didn't expect such a big bill.
"It came in a box that cost $27.55 to send to me," he said Tuesday. He said he "panicked" and called T-Mobile, which told The Associated Press it had credited his account and was investigating the charges.
The two Lancaster-area residents have been practically nonstop texters for about a decade since they attended Berks Technical Institute together.
That led Andes to search for the largest monthly text message total he could find posted online: 182,000 sent in 2005 by Deepak Sharma in India.
Andes and Klinger were able to set up their phones to send multiple messages. During a February test run they found they could send 6,000 or 7,000 messages on some days, prompting the March messaging marathon.
"Most were either short phrases or one word, 'LOL' or 'Hello,' things like that, with tons and tons of repeats," said Andes, reached by phone.
Andes sent more than 140,000 messages, and Klinger sent more than 70,000 to end the month with a total of just over 217,000, he said.
A spokesman for Guinness World Records didn't immediately return messages asking whether it would be certified as a record.
April came as a relief to Andes' wife, Julie, who had found his phone tied up with texting when she tried to call him on lunch breaks.
"She was tired of it the first few days into it," Andes said.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Woman asks Murray for signed 'Caddyshack'
One day after she was plunked on the head by Bill Murray's wayward tee shot, Gayle DiMaggio had a request: a signed copy of his movie "Caddyshack."
The actor, meanwhile, was back on the course Saturday for the second round of the Outback Pro-Am. And the course marshals took no chances: They wore hard hats.
DiMaggio lives on the course where Murray hooked his shot far to the left of the No. 9 hole at TPC Tampa Bay. She was hit on the left temple Friday as she stood in her backyard to watch the first round. She never lost consciousness but needed stitches at a hospital.
DiMaggio, who has lived on the course for eight years, recounted her mishap and her encounter with Murray.
"He came over and laid down on the ground with me and he was very concerned, asking if I was OK," she said. "Once he knew I was OK and not seriously hurt, then he started joking with me, asking how many fingers he was holding up."
DiMaggio was at it again Saturday, watching the second round, and was almost conked again. This time, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks nearly hit her. But when Murray was about to shoot, she took cover. DiMaggio stayed inside her screen enclosure until the actor's foursome teed off. Friends and family stood in her yard wearing hard hats.
Murray came to DiMaggio's backyard and asked her how she was feeling. DiMaggio said the only thing she wanted from the actor was his autograph on a copy of "Caddyshack," the rollicking golf comedy from 1980 in which Murray starred.
Earlier, a large crowd showed for Murray's 12:50 p.m. tee time. The 58-year-old comedian joked through most of his partners' tee shots. When Murray stepped up for his shot, the course marshals also donned hard hats and warned the crowd for incoming shots from the "Ghostbusters" star.
Murray laughed, and before teeing off told the crowd, "This one is for a little girl in a hospital."
His drive was a perfect draw down the fairway.
The actor, meanwhile, was back on the course Saturday for the second round of the Outback Pro-Am. And the course marshals took no chances: They wore hard hats.
DiMaggio lives on the course where Murray hooked his shot far to the left of the No. 9 hole at TPC Tampa Bay. She was hit on the left temple Friday as she stood in her backyard to watch the first round. She never lost consciousness but needed stitches at a hospital.
DiMaggio, who has lived on the course for eight years, recounted her mishap and her encounter with Murray.
"He came over and laid down on the ground with me and he was very concerned, asking if I was OK," she said. "Once he knew I was OK and not seriously hurt, then he started joking with me, asking how many fingers he was holding up."
DiMaggio was at it again Saturday, watching the second round, and was almost conked again. This time, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks nearly hit her. But when Murray was about to shoot, she took cover. DiMaggio stayed inside her screen enclosure until the actor's foursome teed off. Friends and family stood in her yard wearing hard hats.
Murray came to DiMaggio's backyard and asked her how she was feeling. DiMaggio said the only thing she wanted from the actor was his autograph on a copy of "Caddyshack," the rollicking golf comedy from 1980 in which Murray starred.
Earlier, a large crowd showed for Murray's 12:50 p.m. tee time. The 58-year-old comedian joked through most of his partners' tee shots. When Murray stepped up for his shot, the course marshals also donned hard hats and warned the crowd for incoming shots from the "Ghostbusters" star.
Murray laughed, and before teeing off told the crowd, "This one is for a little girl in a hospital."
His drive was a perfect draw down the fairway.
Florida Man Bitten by Shark While Surfing
A surfer was bitten on the foot by a shark and may have lost two toes.
The bite happened at around 3:45 Sunday near Jupiter, on Florida's East Coast. Witnesses told officials that the victim was bitten on the foot and may have lost two toes. Lifeguards wrapped the wounded foot in towels until paramedics arrived to treat the man on the beach.
He was taken to Jupiter Medical Center where the staff said he is in stable condition.
The bite happened at around 3:45 Sunday near Jupiter, on Florida's East Coast. Witnesses told officials that the victim was bitten on the foot and may have lost two toes. Lifeguards wrapped the wounded foot in towels until paramedics arrived to treat the man on the beach.
He was taken to Jupiter Medical Center where the staff said he is in stable condition.
British Actress Found Hanged Two Days After Show's Finale
A talented young actress who starred in a long-running TV series has been found hanged two days after the show ended.
Stephanie Parker starred in the TV series Belonging for seven years
The body of Stephanie Parker, 22, was discovered on open ground near Pontypridd on Saturday morning, South Wales Police said.
Stephanie was a regular member of the cast of the BBC Wales drama, Belonging.
She had played the role of Stacey Weaver since she was 15 years old.
The tragedy happened after the final episode of the award-winning series was broadcast last Thursday.
"Stephanie's talent played a major part in making Belonging the success it was and I'm sure that the programme's fans will be shocked by this untimely news," said Clare Hudson, BBC Wales Head of Programmes, English Language.
The drama, set in the Welsh Valleys, was brought to an end to pave the way for a new BBC Wales flagship drama.
Stephanie Parker starred in the TV series Belonging for seven years
The body of Stephanie Parker, 22, was discovered on open ground near Pontypridd on Saturday morning, South Wales Police said.
Stephanie was a regular member of the cast of the BBC Wales drama, Belonging.
She had played the role of Stacey Weaver since she was 15 years old.
The tragedy happened after the final episode of the award-winning series was broadcast last Thursday.
"Stephanie's talent played a major part in making Belonging the success it was and I'm sure that the programme's fans will be shocked by this untimely news," said Clare Hudson, BBC Wales Head of Programmes, English Language.
The drama, set in the Welsh Valleys, was brought to an end to pave the way for a new BBC Wales flagship drama.
Jake Plummer coaching at Sandpoint High
Former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer will be the quarterbacks coach at Sandpoint High School, in the scenic Idaho resort town where he lives.
Head coach Mike Mitchell said the 34-year-old Plummer will be paid as a normal assistant high school coach, and joked that it probably won't be what Plummer earned in his playing days.
Plummer played for the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos before retiring in 2006. He threw for more than 29,000 yards, 161 touchdowns and 161 interceptions in his decade-long pro career.
Plummer is a Boise native and retired to Sandpoint, an outdoor mecca in the Rocky Mountains along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. His brother, Eric, already lived in the town.
Head coach Mike Mitchell said the 34-year-old Plummer will be paid as a normal assistant high school coach, and joked that it probably won't be what Plummer earned in his playing days.
Plummer played for the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos before retiring in 2006. He threw for more than 29,000 yards, 161 touchdowns and 161 interceptions in his decade-long pro career.
Plummer is a Boise native and retired to Sandpoint, an outdoor mecca in the Rocky Mountains along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. His brother, Eric, already lived in the town.
Dodd's political recovery plan
Embattled Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is bringing back a former chief of staff in hopes of bolstering his regulatory record as he battles for his political career.
Edward Silverman will become chief of staff for the Senate Banking Committee, according to several lobbyists close to the committee. Silverman currently heads public policy for Connecticut-based firm RBS Securities and serves as treasurer of Dodd’s leadership political action committee. The Banking Committee declined to comment on the hire.
Dodd has spent much of the past year fighting off allegations that he’s grown too close to Wall Street. Reports that he got preferential treatment from Countrywide Financial Corp. when he refinanced two homes and received a discounted price on a cottage in Ireland have stung him with voters back home.
Dodd denies any favorable treatment by the mortgage lender, but his problems were exasperated when he admitted that he played a role in writing language into the stimulus bill allowing American International Group executives to receive bonuses.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Dodd trailing former GOP Rep. Rob Simmons by 16 percentage points. His disapproval rating was at an all-time high of 58 percent.
Republicans have signaled that they plan to pour money into the race and have already sent several e-mails attacking Dodd, a rarity in deep-blue Connecticut.
Recently released Federal Election Commission reports showed that Dodd raised more than $1 million for his campaign in the first quarter. But nearly all of that money came from outside of the state, a fact that indicates Dodd may be struggling to reconnect with voters at home. Dodd raised just $4,250 from five Connecticut residents and $604,745 from nearly 400 individuals outside of the state, according to a Connecticut Post analysis.
Dodd spent much of the congressional recess barnstorming his home state, with events highlighting his work to reduce predatory lending by credit card and mortgage companies. He pledged to help the state get a share of the stimulus package to help speed up a long-discussed project build a commuter rail connecting New Haven, Conn., with Springfield, Mass. And Dodd touted his efforts to reform credit card lending by introducing legislation cracking down on the most abusive practices. Those efforts got a boost on Sunday, when top White House economic aide Lawrence Summers said the White House would turn its attention to the issue.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan praised Dodd’s work on housing programs at events in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven.President Barack Obama lent a hand on Friday, offering public support that could help bolster Dodd in his home state. Connecticut voted for Obama over challenger Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary last winter.
“I can’t say it any clearer: I will be helping Chris Dodd because he deserves the help,” Obama told the Boston Globe in a phone interview from Air Force One.
“Chris is going through a rough patch,” Obama said. “He just has an extraordinary record of accomplishment, and I think the people in Connecticut will come to recognize that.”
The loss of several key staff members has hurt Dodd’s ability to climb out of the hole he’s in. In December, Shawn Maher left his post as staff director for the Banking Committee to join the White House as deputy of legislative affairs for the Senate. Spokesmen Marvin Fast and Kate Szostak have also left the office.
Pundits and even some of his Senate colleagues said that Dodd botched his explanation about why Congress failed to stop AIG executives from receiving lavish bonuses, sparking a weeklong round of negative coverage. Dodd became a punching bag for the AIG bonuses scandal, even though he had called for even tougher restrictions on executive compensation than the White House.
Dodd initially denied that he changed legislative language that allowed the bonuses to go forward, but later said that he was involved with altering the provision. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner later admitted he pushed Dodd to make the changes.
Silverman brings the type of experience that could prevent such media firestorms from igniting in the future, said lobbyists. He spent nine years working for Dodd in the 1980s, serving as banking committee counsel, legislative director and finally chief of staff.In 1989, he joined RBS, where he currently works as managing director and head of public policy.
Silverman has donated $13,900 to Dodd since leaving the office, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Edward Silverman will become chief of staff for the Senate Banking Committee, according to several lobbyists close to the committee. Silverman currently heads public policy for Connecticut-based firm RBS Securities and serves as treasurer of Dodd’s leadership political action committee. The Banking Committee declined to comment on the hire.
Dodd has spent much of the past year fighting off allegations that he’s grown too close to Wall Street. Reports that he got preferential treatment from Countrywide Financial Corp. when he refinanced two homes and received a discounted price on a cottage in Ireland have stung him with voters back home.
Dodd denies any favorable treatment by the mortgage lender, but his problems were exasperated when he admitted that he played a role in writing language into the stimulus bill allowing American International Group executives to receive bonuses.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Dodd trailing former GOP Rep. Rob Simmons by 16 percentage points. His disapproval rating was at an all-time high of 58 percent.
Republicans have signaled that they plan to pour money into the race and have already sent several e-mails attacking Dodd, a rarity in deep-blue Connecticut.
Recently released Federal Election Commission reports showed that Dodd raised more than $1 million for his campaign in the first quarter. But nearly all of that money came from outside of the state, a fact that indicates Dodd may be struggling to reconnect with voters at home. Dodd raised just $4,250 from five Connecticut residents and $604,745 from nearly 400 individuals outside of the state, according to a Connecticut Post analysis.
Dodd spent much of the congressional recess barnstorming his home state, with events highlighting his work to reduce predatory lending by credit card and mortgage companies. He pledged to help the state get a share of the stimulus package to help speed up a long-discussed project build a commuter rail connecting New Haven, Conn., with Springfield, Mass. And Dodd touted his efforts to reform credit card lending by introducing legislation cracking down on the most abusive practices. Those efforts got a boost on Sunday, when top White House economic aide Lawrence Summers said the White House would turn its attention to the issue.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan praised Dodd’s work on housing programs at events in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven.President Barack Obama lent a hand on Friday, offering public support that could help bolster Dodd in his home state. Connecticut voted for Obama over challenger Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary last winter.
“I can’t say it any clearer: I will be helping Chris Dodd because he deserves the help,” Obama told the Boston Globe in a phone interview from Air Force One.
“Chris is going through a rough patch,” Obama said. “He just has an extraordinary record of accomplishment, and I think the people in Connecticut will come to recognize that.”
The loss of several key staff members has hurt Dodd’s ability to climb out of the hole he’s in. In December, Shawn Maher left his post as staff director for the Banking Committee to join the White House as deputy of legislative affairs for the Senate. Spokesmen Marvin Fast and Kate Szostak have also left the office.
Pundits and even some of his Senate colleagues said that Dodd botched his explanation about why Congress failed to stop AIG executives from receiving lavish bonuses, sparking a weeklong round of negative coverage. Dodd became a punching bag for the AIG bonuses scandal, even though he had called for even tougher restrictions on executive compensation than the White House.
Dodd initially denied that he changed legislative language that allowed the bonuses to go forward, but later said that he was involved with altering the provision. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner later admitted he pushed Dodd to make the changes.
Silverman brings the type of experience that could prevent such media firestorms from igniting in the future, said lobbyists. He spent nine years working for Dodd in the 1980s, serving as banking committee counsel, legislative director and finally chief of staff.In 1989, he joined RBS, where he currently works as managing director and head of public policy.
Silverman has donated $13,900 to Dodd since leaving the office, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Parents of American jailed in Iran visit daughter
The parents of an American journalist imprisoned in Iran for allegedly spying for the U.S. visited their daughter Monday for the first time since she was sentenced to eight years in prison and said she was in good condition.The country's judiciary chief ordered a full investigation into 31-year-old Roxana Saberi's case, a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked the chief Tehran prosecutor to ensure she is allowed to offer a full defense in the appeal.
"She seems to be OK," Saberi's Iranian-born father, Reza, told The Associated Press after he and his wife visited their daughter in Evin prison north of Tehran. Roxana Saberi, who was born in the U.S. and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, was convicted last week after a one-day trial behind closed doors.
The developments appear to be the latest signs that some senior Iranian officials want to ensure tensions over the case do not derail moves toward a dialogue with the Obama administration to break a 30-year diplomatic deadlock between the two countries.
However, Iran's Foreign Ministry took a swipe Monday at President Barack Obama, saying "those who studied law" should not comment on the case without seeing the context. It was a clear reference to Obama, who has a law degree from Harvard University and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago before becoming president.
Some analysts have said the mixed messages emerging from Iran may be an indication of political divisions in the leadership, with hard-liners in the judiciary trying to hamper government moves toward closer relations with the U.S. by pressing the Saberi case.
Obama said Sunday he was "gravely concerned" about Saberi's safety and well-being and was confident she was not involved in espionage.
The visit by Saberi's parents, who live in Fargo but traveled to Iran to seek her release, may help ease some of those concerns.
"As far as she is healthy and she is taking good care of herself, I told her I will be OK," Akiko Saberi, the journalist's mother, told the AP.
She denied her daughter was a spy, saying "once you know her she is the last person to do that."
Saberi's father said his daughter was looking forward to the appeals process because she believed the verdict was too harsh for her.
He said he hoped officials will heed Ahmadinejad's letter to the prosecutor on Saberi's defense at appeal.
"Also, they should be compassionate in their judgment and not very harsh," he said.
Saberi, who was 1997 Miss North Dakota, had been living in Iran for six years and worked as a freelance reporter for news organizations including National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp. Because Saberi's father was born in Iranian, she received Iranian citizenship.
Iran has released few details about the charges Saberi, who was arrested in January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But earlier this month, an Iranian judge leveled a more serious allegation that she was passing classified information to U.S. intelligence services.
She told her father in a phone conversation that she was arrested after buying a bottle of wine. Her father said she had been working on a book about Iranian culture and hoped to finish it and return to the U.S. this year.
The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Iran after its 1979 Islamic revolution and takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Iran has been mostly lukewarm to the Obama administration's overtures, but last week, Ahmadinejad said Iran was ready for a new start.
However, some hard-liners in Iran are opposed to improved U.S.-Iran relations.
The hard-line Iranian newspaper Jomhuri criticized Ahmadinejad's letter to the Tehran prosecutor in an editorial Monday, saying government intervention in the judiciary was banned by the constitution. It also said the letter implied the judiciary had not upheld Saberi's rights.
Saberi's conviction also comes about two months ahead of key presidential elections in June that are pitting hard-liners against reformists, who support better relations with Washington. Ahmadinejad is seeking re-election, but the hard-liner's popularity has waned and he's been trying to draw support away from reformists.
Some analysts also have speculated Iran is using Saberi's case as a way to gain leverage over the U.S., possibly to procure the release of five Iranian diplomats detained in northern Iraq in 2007.
Qashqavi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, rejected the link between Saberi and the diplomats Monday, saying her case has been "linked to irrelevant issues."
The Iranian president also met late Sunday with Swiss President Hans-Rudolf at a U.N. racism conference in Geneva. During the meeting, Merz pressed Saberi's case though no other details were immediately available. Obama said Sunday that the United States would communicate with Iran about Saberi through its Swiss intermediaries, which have officially represented U.S. interests in Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Monday he wants to travel to Iran with a delegation to personally appeal for Saberi's release. "We need all those that have a voice to help us appeal to Iran to please let her go," Jackson said at a university forum during a visit to Malaysia.
"Leaders of wisdom must not allow this young woman to be a pawn in a bigger debate and lose focus on so many possibilities," Jackson added.
Airplane hijacker captured in Jamaica; no injuries
A gunman forced his way though airport security and hijacked a Canadian jet near Montego Bay, holding six crew members hostage for eight hours before police and soldiers stormed the aircraft on Monday and captured the man.
Nobody was killed or injured in the ordeal, which ended with a raid near daylight after talks broke down with a 20-year-old Jamaican hijacker described as "mentally challenged."
"We were getting nowhere with the negotiations," Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told The Associated Press. "Police and military went on the plane and captured him."
The suspect identified as Stephen Fray was in custody. Vaz said he is a "mentally challenged" 20-year-old man from the northwestern resort city of Montego Bay. He did not detail the man's mental condition but said he was apparently upset over a failed relationship.
The hostage crisis that began around 10:20 p.m. Sunday and ended near 6:40 a.m., when members of the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group stormed the aircraft's cabin, according to a police statement.
The young man boarded CanJet Airlines Flight 918 in Montego Bay and demanded to be flown to Cuba, Vaz told The Associated Press.
A total of 159 passengers and eight crew members were aboard the Boeing 737 at the time, according to Jamaican police. Police said all the passengers and two crew members were released after a short time.
There were unconfirmed reports that a shot was fired outside the aircraft, CanJet Vice President Kent Woodside said in a news conference Monday. He said the passengers also were robbed.
Alphonse Gosselin, whose 30-year-old son Christian was on the plane, said his son told him that the hijacker pointed a gun at him and other passengers. Christian and his girlfriend were among a group of 22 family members traveling to Cuba for a wedding.
"The first thing that he said to his girlfriend was, 'Be calm. Don't say a word.' He said take your passport and your credit card and put it in your back pocket. He said we'll give him the money," Gosselin said in an interview from Tracadie Sheila, New Brunswick.
All the passengers were Canadian, Woodside said. The plane had arrived from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was scheduled to stop in Santa Clara, Cuba, before returning to Canada.
Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding addressed all the passengers after they were debriefed by police, according to the police statement.
The passengers were taken to a hotel, Vaz said. CanJet planned to fly another aircraft to Montego Bay to return the passengers to Canada, Woodside said.
"It's a most unfortunate situation, but I can say the passengers are happy to be alive," Vaz said. "This whole experience has been very traumatic for them."
CanJet Airlines said 174 passengers were expected on the flight, but some apparently were not aboard by the time of the hijacking.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in Jamaica for a one-day visit, called Golding and "congratulated him for the successful resolution," Harper spokesman Dimitri Soudas said.
The charter airline is owned by Halifax-based IMP Group Ltd., according to CanJet's Web site.
Jamaican National Security Minister Dwight Nelson said the plane has been isolated and the airport is expected to reopen Monday morning.
___
Associated Press writer Mike Melia contributed to this report from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
___
On the Net:
http://www.canjet.com/
Nobody was killed or injured in the ordeal, which ended with a raid near daylight after talks broke down with a 20-year-old Jamaican hijacker described as "mentally challenged."
"We were getting nowhere with the negotiations," Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told The Associated Press. "Police and military went on the plane and captured him."
The suspect identified as Stephen Fray was in custody. Vaz said he is a "mentally challenged" 20-year-old man from the northwestern resort city of Montego Bay. He did not detail the man's mental condition but said he was apparently upset over a failed relationship.
The hostage crisis that began around 10:20 p.m. Sunday and ended near 6:40 a.m., when members of the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group stormed the aircraft's cabin, according to a police statement.
The young man boarded CanJet Airlines Flight 918 in Montego Bay and demanded to be flown to Cuba, Vaz told The Associated Press.
A total of 159 passengers and eight crew members were aboard the Boeing 737 at the time, according to Jamaican police. Police said all the passengers and two crew members were released after a short time.
There were unconfirmed reports that a shot was fired outside the aircraft, CanJet Vice President Kent Woodside said in a news conference Monday. He said the passengers also were robbed.
Alphonse Gosselin, whose 30-year-old son Christian was on the plane, said his son told him that the hijacker pointed a gun at him and other passengers. Christian and his girlfriend were among a group of 22 family members traveling to Cuba for a wedding.
"The first thing that he said to his girlfriend was, 'Be calm. Don't say a word.' He said take your passport and your credit card and put it in your back pocket. He said we'll give him the money," Gosselin said in an interview from Tracadie Sheila, New Brunswick.
All the passengers were Canadian, Woodside said. The plane had arrived from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was scheduled to stop in Santa Clara, Cuba, before returning to Canada.
Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding addressed all the passengers after they were debriefed by police, according to the police statement.
The passengers were taken to a hotel, Vaz said. CanJet planned to fly another aircraft to Montego Bay to return the passengers to Canada, Woodside said.
"It's a most unfortunate situation, but I can say the passengers are happy to be alive," Vaz said. "This whole experience has been very traumatic for them."
CanJet Airlines said 174 passengers were expected on the flight, but some apparently were not aboard by the time of the hijacking.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in Jamaica for a one-day visit, called Golding and "congratulated him for the successful resolution," Harper spokesman Dimitri Soudas said.
The charter airline is owned by Halifax-based IMP Group Ltd., according to CanJet's Web site.
Jamaican National Security Minister Dwight Nelson said the plane has been isolated and the airport is expected to reopen Monday morning.
___
Associated Press writer Mike Melia contributed to this report from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
___
On the Net:
http://www.canjet.com/
Columbine students strive 10 years after massacre
The "boy in the window" — who fell bloodied and paralyzed into the arms of rescuers during the horrifying Columbine High shooting rampage — is doing just fine.Now 27, Patrick Ireland has regained mobility with few lingering effects from gunshot wounds to his head and leg a decade ago. He is married and works in the financial services industry. His mantra: "I choose to be a victor rather than a victim."
Like Ireland, many survivors of the April 20, 1999, massacre have moved on to careers in education, medicine, ministry, retail.
But emotional scars still can trigger anxiety, nightmares and deeply etched recollections of gunfire, blood and bodies.
Some have written books; a few travel the world to share their experiences to help victims of violence.
"People have been able to have 10 years to reconcile what happened and see what fits in their life and who they are," said Kristi Mohrbacher of Littleton, who fled Columbine as the gunfire erupted. "It's kind of a part of who I am today. I think my priorities might be a little bit different if I hadn't had that experience."
Just after 11 a.m. on that day, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, stormed the suburban school, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding about two dozen. The massacre ended with the gunmen's suicides not quite an hour later.
Sean Graves saw the pair loading weapons in a parking lot and thought they were preparing a senior prank with paintball guns.
Graves, Lance Kirklin and Daniel Rohrbough were walking toward them for a better look when the gunmen opened fire, killing Rachel Scott and Rohrbough and critically wounding Anne Marie Hochhalter, Graves and Kirklin, among others.
In the second-floor library, Ireland was about to finish some homework when he heard pipe bombs exploding in the hallway. Debris fell from the ceiling and a teacher shouted for students to take cover.
Klebold and Harris strode in, shouted for students to stand up, laughing and ridiculing classmates as they sprayed bullets.
Ireland was under a table with Dan Steepleton and Makai Hall when they were shot in the knees. Ireland was shot twice in the head and once in a leg, and lost consciousness.
The killers shot out a library window. Graves, lying partially paralyzed on a sidewalk below, worried that they would return. He smeared blood from his neck wound on his face and the ground to make it appear he was dead.
Harris and Klebold killed 10 students in the library before they left to reload, which gave some survivors a chance to flee. Steepleton and Hall tried to pull Ireland but couldn't move him far before they fled for safety.
Shortly before noon, the gunmen returned to the library and committed suicide.
Ireland awoke some time later, his vision blurred. With fire alarms sounding and strobe lights flashing, the partially paralyzed teen began to push himself toward the bullet-shattered window.
Over the next three hours, he pulled his body along, lost and regained consciousness, then moved again through tables and chairs and past classmates' bodies. He figures he traveled about 50 feet to the window.
"I thought how much easier it would be just to give up, stay there and let somebody come get you or whatever would happen to you," Ireland said.
"But every time those thoughts came in my mind, I thought about all the people that I would be giving up on. ... It was really the friends and family I would be letting down that kept me going."
Ireland pushed himself up to the window and got the attention of SWAT teams below. He doesn't recall flopping over the sill and dropping into the arms of rescuers, the image that grabbed the attention of TV viewers nationwide.
Graves, now 25, moved into a suburb near the mountains, where he recently purchased a home with his fiancee, Kara DeHart, 22. He walks with a limp and still feels pain but keeps a positive attitude. He plans to return to college to pursue a career in forensics science, a path that began to interest him after Columbine.
On Monday's anniversary, Graves will go back to the spot where he was shot, smoke a cigar and leave another on the ground for Rohrbough, something he does every year.
With two children at Columbine, Ted Hochhalter watched the drama unfold on television while waiting in a Seattle airport for a flight back to Denver. He arrived to find his daughter, Anne Marie, paralyzed and in critical condition, and that his son Nathan had been trapped, but unhurt, in the science wing for four hours.
He took a leave of absence from his job as a government emergency management coordinator. Six months later his wife, Carla, who had a history of mental illness, walked into a pawn shop, picked up a gun and committed suicide.
Hochhalter believes the aftermath of the shootings exacerbated his wife's illness. "It got to a point where she made a choice," he said.
He moved the family into the mountain community of Bailey and married Katherine Zocco, a massage therapist specializing in neuromuscular, spinal cord and brain injuries who worked with Anne Marie and other Columbine survivors.
Anne Marie, now 27, graduated from Columbine in 2000 and lives in a Denver suburb where she works as a retail store manager and a child advocate. Her father retired with a medical disability for post traumatic stress disorder.
The elder Hochhalters are working with John-Michael and Ellen Keyes, whose daughter Emily was killed in a 2006 school shooting in Bailey, to get parents involved in school emergency management programs.
Patrick Ireland, the boy in the window, endured grueling therapy to regain the use of his legs, and he had to relearn how to read, write and talk.
With a control-your-destiny determination, he graduated as valedictorian from Columbine and magna cum laude from Colorado State University. Today, he is a field director for Northwestern Mutual Finance Network in the Denver area and has been married to Kacie for nearly four years.
Ireland recognizes he'll long be remembered as the face of Columbine because of his dramatic rescue. He accepts it as a way to emphasize that Columbine should be another word for "hope and courage."
And how does he want to be remembered?
"A triumphant recovery and success story."
Friday, April 3, 2009
Girl, 9, watched as dad robbed store
A 9-year-old girl who stood by as a man identified as her father pulled a gun and robbed an Ellensburg, Washington, convenience store has been found in California, police said Thursday.
Police said the girl was unharmed and was being returned to Washington state in protective custody.
Authorities said the suspect, identified as Robert Daniel Webb of Everett, Washington, is being sought.
Authorities said the robber took about $200 from the store.
Surveillance video from the AM/PM Mini Mart in Ellensburg caught the Tuesday morning robbery on tape and showed a man pointing a gun directly at the store clerk as the child stood nearby.
The clerk, Eric Owens, said the gunman told him he had lost his job and his daughter needed medical care. In the surveillance footage, the suspect can be heard saying the "economy sucks."
The clerk told CNN affiliate KING that he has experienced economic hardship himself -- he and his son were homeless at one point.
"I know what hard is, but resorting to crime is not the solution," Owens told KING.
Police in Ellensburg, about 100 miles southeast of Seattle, later said a Washington woman confirmed that it was her daughter in the video, and that the man was the girl's father.
Owens said he was concerned about the child's safety during the robbery, and that he feared that if another customer had walked in, the situation might have escalated.
"What's he going to do? Grab the kid and use her as a hostage?" Owens said.
Police in the northern California town of Fortuna said they located the girl Wednesday night after receiving information about a possible kidnapping.
They found a man and girl, ran a check on the man's identification and came up with a Washington state warrant for armed robbery, and some apparently unrelated warrants from California.
When police tried to take the man into custody, he eluded them, got back into his vehicle and sped away -- without the girl, Fortuna authorities said.
Police said the girl was unharmed and was being returned to Washington state in protective custody.Authorities said the suspect, identified as Robert Daniel Webb of Everett, Washington, is being sought.
Authorities said the robber took about $200 from the store.
Surveillance video from the AM/PM Mini Mart in Ellensburg caught the Tuesday morning robbery on tape and showed a man pointing a gun directly at the store clerk as the child stood nearby.
The clerk, Eric Owens, said the gunman told him he had lost his job and his daughter needed medical care. In the surveillance footage, the suspect can be heard saying the "economy sucks."
The clerk told CNN affiliate KING that he has experienced economic hardship himself -- he and his son were homeless at one point.
"I know what hard is, but resorting to crime is not the solution," Owens told KING.
Police in Ellensburg, about 100 miles southeast of Seattle, later said a Washington woman confirmed that it was her daughter in the video, and that the man was the girl's father.
Owens said he was concerned about the child's safety during the robbery, and that he feared that if another customer had walked in, the situation might have escalated.
"What's he going to do? Grab the kid and use her as a hostage?" Owens said.
Police in the northern California town of Fortuna said they located the girl Wednesday night after receiving information about a possible kidnapping.
They found a man and girl, ran a check on the man's identification and came up with a Washington state warrant for armed robbery, and some apparently unrelated warrants from California.
When police tried to take the man into custody, he eluded them, got back into his vehicle and sped away -- without the girl, Fortuna authorities said.
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