Unauthorized “Harry Potter Lexicon” Disturbs JK Rowling
February 29, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) JK Rowling who authored the Best-Selling fictional 7-series book Harry Potter filed a lawsuit against Steven Vander Ark for his attempts at publishing without Rowling’s consent a book called “Harry Potter Lexicon” which contains collections of essays from Harry Potter fans worldwide and an encyclopedia of Potter’s world.
The would-be publishing company, RDR Books, noted that Rowling’s acceptance of their fan-based website means confirmation of her consent to the company for the release of the book, a line of thinking that made the world renowned author irate which caused her to file the lawsuit. Rowling plans to release her own encyclopedic edition of Harry Potter’s magical world.
RDR Books publisher Roger Rapoport said that the “Harry Potter Lexicon is critical reference work and would not compete with any official encyclopedia written by Rowling”. He also added that RDR is “Determined to publish this book for the benefit of Harry Potter fans everywhere. We believe Ms. Rowling, who has championed the `Lexicon’ for years, will love reading the book just as much as she does the Web site on which it is based.”
“I am deeply troubled by the portrayal of my efforts to protect and preserve the copyrights I have been granted in the Harry Potter books,” she wrote in court papers filed Wednesday. She also added, “If RDR’s position is accepted, it will undoubtedly have a significant, negative impact on the freedoms enjoyed by genuine fans on the Internet,” she said. “Authors everywhere will be forced to protect their creations much more rigorously, which could mean denying well-meaning fans permission to pursue legitimate creative activities. I find it devastating to contemplate the possibility of such a severe alteration of author-fan relations.”
The first installment of the highly successful series called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone first released under Bloomsbury publication which is small publishing house in London. Rowling was given £1500 as an advance pay by Editor Barry Cunningham and was advised to get a real job as she would not make real money in writing. The following year, Scholastic Inc. won an auction for the US release of the first book with a $105,000 bid. Succeeding release of Harry Potter books broke all literary records worldwide. The last installment called Harry Potter and the deathly hallows was released on July 21, 2007 and set the record in selling 11 Million copies worldwide in the first day of distribution.
Oil Prices Flirt with $103 Barrel Mark
February 29, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) For a brief moment yesterday, Sweet crude and Oil prices at the New York Mercantile Exchange surged above $103 a barrel which set an all-time high for in-day trading in the US oil market before settling down to close at $102.52 for deliveries in April.
As the US dollar weakens against most major currencies worldwide, more traders see it as an opportunity to invest in the oil market rather than in monetary currency which is highly volatile right now, giving the Oil market fresh new investments coming in. Another key component for the recent oil price hike at the NYME was Federal Reserves chairman Ben Bernanke’s comment with President Bush on Thursday in its efforts to stave off stagflation and the Feds plan to further cut interest rates.
“It seems that further interest rate cuts, additional dollar weakness and more investment buying will anchor oil to higher prices,” energy risk management firm Cameron Hanover said. “It can’t go on forever, but it looks like it can go on for a while.”
On Monday, Federal Reserve’s Chairman Ben Bernanke appeared at Capitol Hill to testify in front of the House Financial Services Committee on the current state of the US economy and announced his bureau’s intentions of slashing down interest rates yet again if the economy calls for it. This statement drove fear to investors as interest rate cuts mean a parallel decrease in the US currency.
“Due to the weakening dollar and the rising fear of inflation, investors have put money into commodities, oil included,” said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz. “Commodities, as tangible assets, do not face as much inflationary threat as opposed to holding a currency, even though the value of money is changing, the asset continues to have an intrinsic value. We’ve seen seven straight weeks of builds in crude oil inventories. The oil market fundamentals are softening and yet we see record highs being set, day in and day out.”
Microsoft Lowers Price for Windows Vista
February 29, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) In a press release, Microsoft Inc. announced Thursday that it would impose a price reduction for its latest software package; the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system by a range of 20-48% depending on the boxed version a consumer buys at retail outlets. The version with the biggest drop-off is the Vista Ultimate edition as store price was chopped to $219 from its original box-retail price of $299, while the Home Premium version falls to $129 from its first Standard Retail Price of $159.
Microsoft Windows Vista was released worldwide on January 30th, 2007 after multiple delays due to technical and advertising concerns by Microsoft. This new operating system incorporates many changes over the older XP version such as improved graphical user interface, a new visual style for its GUI which was dubbed “Windows Aero”, although this feature is not available to lower end versions of Microsoft Vista such as the Home Basic edition, more equipped searching system, introduction of a better multimedia creation tool called Windows DVD Maker and the newly redesigned sub-systems which affects audio, printing and displaying capabilities. Since its initial release, the Windows Vista operating system has sold over 100 million copies worldwide.
Computer analyst and industry experts were quick to criticize this surprising maneuver by industry giant Microsoft Inc. as the price cut-off only affects products to standalone versions sold at retail stores across the nation but has a limited following as opposed to the high-end versions which the company decided not to lower.
Gartner analyst Michael Silver said, “It’s sort of an odd move, the market for such upgrades is fairly limited. I guess at the end of the day anything that makes Vista a little bit more accessible is probably a good thing; the whole notion of upgrading PCs has sort of fallen by the wayside.” He also voiced his pessimistic views of this latest Microsoft move in saying, “To the extent this ends up damaging Vista’s reputation instead of broadening its appeal, I think that’s a danger.”
Green Carts Used to Introduce Healthy Living in New York
February 29, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) New York City Council voted favorably on Wednesday in issuing over a thousand business permits to mobile vendors selling fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables in low-income neighborhoods over the next six months in its latest effort to reduce obesity and health problems in New York due to poor nutrition.
“The communities in our city where obesity and diabetes continue to skyrocket are the same communities that lack even the most basic access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
A recent study conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that over 3.2 Million New Yorkers are obese or overweight and two-thirds of that figure are in denial of their current condition.
“Obesity poses one of our most serious health risks,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH. “In some New York City neighborhoods, more than one in four people is obese. The toll on personal health is enormous. Most obese and overweight people describe unhealthy eating habits and report poorer health than other City residents. Understanding one’s weight is an important first step in reducing health risks.
The City council believes that by incorporating mobile fruits and vegetable stands throughout the city, New Yorkers are given better chances of choosing between healthy eating and buying convenient packaged and processed foods that generally contain maximal amount of grease and calories. Currently there are over 4,000 mobile vendors with business permits from the City council most of which are stationed in highly prominent locations such as in Manhattan and other high scale neighborhoods.
Since 2002, the city council in cooperation with the DOHMH has promoted clean living among New Yorkers by launching several initiatives such as the “Helping Children Reach a Healthy Weight Program” which included distributing over 600,000 free materials for good health to public schools and private institutions.
East Northport Resident Named Dowling College Vice President, Enrollment and Student Services
February 28, 2008
(Oakdale, N.Y.) Donald A. Resnick, a resident of East Northport, has been named Vice President, Enrollment and Student Services for Dowling College. In this position, Mr. Resnick will be responsible for developing, implementing and continuously monitoring the College’s Student Services functions and serves as an advocate for student interests and concerns.
Mr. Resnick’s previous experience includes his most recent role as Director of Graduate Enrollment Management at New York University. Mr. Resnick also served as Assistant Dean for Recruitment and Director of Admissions at New York University School of Law. Mr. Resnick has vast experience in higher education, also having worked at Hofstra University, Drexel University and Baruch College. He has many professional affiliations and honors and has had numerous articles published.
“Mr. Resnick brings with him a wealth of experience in higher education. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Dowling College team,” said Dowling College President Robert Gaffney.
About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in several disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education.
New York Knicks Wallop Bobcats
February 28, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) After a 3 day hiatus, the New York Knicks defeated the Charlotte Bobcats at home in Madison Square Garden with a final score of 113-89 in an offensive exhibition as the Knicks used a decisive second quarter run to put the game away in the first half and cruise to the victory.
The beating they gave out to the Bobcats even surprised Knicks power forward Zach Randolph after the game. “That’s what I was thinking today, when was the last time,” Randolph said. “That’s a good question, I don’t remember; feels great to have a win like that.”
Charlotte led 25-20 after the first quarter but the Knicks used an impressive 15-0 run to close the second quarter and lead by a comfortable margin of 13 points by halftime boosted by a 34 point second period. “I thought we did a good job in pushing the ball and we were able to get some stops,” Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said. “All the guys have been working and I think their work really paid off for them tonight.”
The Bobcats who were already missing the services of versatile forward and leading scorer Gerald Wallace who suffered his fourth concussion in four years and the most severe by far last week in a game against the Sacramento Kings also lost second leading scorer Jason Richardson in the second quarter after suffering a contusion in the right eye and a corneal abrasion.
“It is tough for us when we don’t have a couple of our main scorers in the game. Tonight, we scrambled to find some offense and we couldn’t really get it going,” Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said. “Once we didn’t get the offense, we kind of broke down our defense and it kind of unraveled from there. To miss Gerald and Jason from this game is tough for this team right now.”
Nate Robinson led a balanced Knicks attack with 22 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds while Jamaal Crawford, Zach Randolph and forward Quentin Richardson provided ample support with 20, 18 and 17 points respectively. All Knicks player who was inserted in the game scored except struggling starting Center Eddy Curry.
Off the bench, Matt Carrol led the Bobcats in place of Richardson with 19 points and 4 rebounds. Emeka Okafor notched a double double with 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Bobcats who will play Eastern Conference leader the Boston Celtics on Friday.
Michael Bloomberg: “I’m not running for President”
February 28, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ended a two year speculation on his intentions whether or not to run for the Oval Office this year by declaring he will not seek the White House in a released statement for the New York Times.
Mayor Bloomberg has steadily gained supporters recently and a group of businessman and associates have created the foundation for an independent campaign for the US presidency for the Billionaire businessman. In his latest op-ed piece with the New York Times, Bloomberg said “I believe that an independent approach to these issues is essential to governing our nation — and that an independent can win the presidency. I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president.”
Michael Rubens Bloomberg has been a Democrat for the majority part of his political career but shifted partisans when he ran for the Republican Party in the Mayoral elections for New York City in 2001 usurping former mayor Rudy Giullani who attempted to run for presidency under the Republicans this year but dropped out after a tough loss in the Florida primaries. In 2005, he was re-elected to be New York City’s mayor and has been consistently mentioned as a possible independent candidate for the Oval Office.
“I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president,” he wrote. “I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership.” He also indicated his intentions on giving out his support to a bi-partisan candidate for the coming elections who can “steer the national conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward substance.”
Wall Street Manages to Edge Wednesday on the Up
February 28, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) Wall Street investors’ reluctance to continue trading and stay active through the day cost the market earlier gains but still managed a slight increase as Wednesday’s trading closed down making it four sessions in a row with positive results for Wall Street and the stock market.
The Dow Jones Industrial received a respectable raise in earning 9.36 points or a 0.07 percent change from Tuesday’s trading deadline to settle at 12694.28 points. The NASDAQ composites also gained a 8.79 point increase for a 0.37 percent change upping its total points to 2353.78 while broader index Standard and Poor 500 retreated 1.27 points which is a 0.09 percent decrease from previous day trading to end with 1380.02 points.
Wednesday’s trading started well enough for Wall Street as news of the US government lifting an earlier restriction on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac business portfolio gave a much needed boost to the troubled home loans sectors. Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or more popularly known as Fannie Mae and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) known as Freddie Mac are the biggest financing arm for US home loans industry. Both companies are government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) and as a GSE, both are stockholder-owned corporation authorized to make loans and loan guarantees.
Financial experts agree that lifting financial restrictions to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would marginalize the losses incurred by the struggling home loan sector and give optimism to investors “The government is trying to do their part,” said Todd Leone, managing director of equity trading at Cowen & Co. “Together, this helps put a little more faith in the economy.”
Another key factor working for Wall Street was Federal Reserves chairman Ben Bernanke’s appearance at Capitol Hill in front of the House Financial Services Committee in which he expressed his agency’s intentions of slashing down interest rates by the middle of next month if that’s what it takes to stave of inflation for the US economy. “Act in a timely manner as needed to support growth and to provide adequate insurance against downside risks.” Bernanke said.
Bernanke: Fed Ready to Slash Rates, Again
February 28, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke appeared in-front of the House Financial Services Committee yesterday and insinuated willingness by the Fed to slash down interest rates yet again if needed to boost a wavering US economy amidst a struggling housing and credit sector.
The US economy has dropped off significantly in the last three quarters of the calendar year. In that period, the Unemployment rate has jumped to unfavorable territory as more people file for unemployment claims than in recent years. Our economy has received impacting blows from the housing industry and the credit market sector which worries the investors and consumers alike resulting to lower spending thereby damaging our economy which is now fighting threats of stagflation, a stage where in economic growth is stagnant while inflation rises.
The economic situation has become distinctly less favorable since the summer, the country should prepare for sluggish economic activity in the near term, energy prices to continue to rise at a sharp clip it would “create a very difficult problem” for the economy, Inflation would spread and growth would be further restrained, if that happened, it would be a “very tough situation,” Bernanke said.
The Federal Reserve implemented the first interest rates cut on September of last year followed by a series of cuts bridging January and February this year totaling 1.25 % slash down which represents the biggest interest rate cuts made by the Feds in 25 years for a 30-day period. Wall Street responded positively to the Feds maneuvers which Bernanke hopes to repeat if Central Bank were to cut down rates again next month.
“Should high rates of overall inflation persist,” Bernanke said, “the possibility also exists that inflation expectations could become less well-anchored.” If people think inflation is escalating, they will act in ways that could make things even worse, a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy that could complicate the Fed’s job of trying to nurture growth while keeping inflation under control.
U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd Endorses Obama
February 27, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) A week before crucial primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont leading Democratic Party candidate Senator Barrack Obama received a boost in his campaign with the support of former rival Senator Christopher Dodd who announced his decision to endorse Obama in a press conference.
Conn. Senator Christopher Dodd ran for the same nomination which Obama now holds a comfortable lead over NY Senator Hilary Clinton but rescinded his campaign after early struggles in the first 3 primaries for the Democratic Party nomination to the White House. He served as a representative for Connecticut from 1975 to 1981 when he became a US senator. He now holds the distinction as the longest serving senator for the state of Connecticut.
In a press conference, Dodd said of Obama and the Democratic Party in general, “I don’t want a campaign that is divisive here, and there’s a danger in that, Obama is ready to be president and I am ready to support him in this campaign. He has been poked and prodded, analyzed and criticized, called too green, too trusting and for all of that has already won more than half the states and millions of votes. It’s now the hour to come together… This is the moment for Democrats and independents and others to come together, to get behind this candidacy,” he said.
On Tuesday night, NBC news together with Cleveland State University, the city of Cleveland and the Democratic Party held a send-off 90 minute debate between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama a week before the two candidates wage battle at Texas and Ohio primaries. Political experts agree that Clinton needs to win both primaries to stay in the race for the Democratic Party nomination. Both candidates agree that they would have to use opting out of the NAFTA treaty as a substantial threat to renegotiate a new agreement which would be beneficial to the US. “I will say, we will opt out of NAFTA unless we renegotiate it, and we renegotiate it on terms that are favorable to all of America,” Clinton said of the 1994 deal with Canada and Mexico.
“I will make sure that we renegotiate in the same way that Senator Clinton talked about, and I think actually Senator Clinton’s answer on this one is right,” Obama replied agreeing with Senator Clinton on the NAFTA issue. Political experts from MSNBC stated that while Clinton appeared agitated at times, Obama displayed his usual calm, collective, and firm stance at the debate appearing more presidential than ever before. The debate in Ohio was the 20th debate for Clinton and Obama.
