The building – named Antilia, after a mythical island – will be home to Ambani, the richest man in India and the fourth richest in the world, plus his wife and their three children. It contains a health club with a gym and dance studio, at least one swimming pool, a ballroom, guestrooms, a variety of lounges and a 50-seater cinema.

On the top floors, with a sweeping view of the city and out over the Arabian Sea, are quarters for the 53-year-old tycoon and his family. Overall, there is reported to be 37,000 sq metres of space, more than the Palace of Versailles. To keep things running smoothly, there is a staff of 600.

It cost an estimated £44m to build but, because of Mumbai’s astronomic land and property prices, will be worth about 15 times that amount – £630m.

Experts say there is no other private property of comparable size and prominence in the world.

That seems unnecessary, especially given that…

Indias prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has previously called on business leaders to “eschew conspicuous consumption” and “be role models of moderation”.

via Mukesh Ambani, Indias richest man, builds worlds first billion-dollar home | World news | The Guardian.

No Comments »

Worlds oceans could be completely depleted of fish in 40 years: UN report.

This is cause for great concern.  Watch “The Cove,” and then take action.

No Comments »

Mosque gets all the press, but area near Ground Zero full of bars, porn, liquor stores, salons

Seems like anyone who’s ever been downtown would already know this, and anyone who hasn’t should just mind their own business!

No Comments »

Chalk up another win for George Steinbrenner: The Yankees owner saved his heirs a whopping $600 million by dying in 2010. The estate tax, which hits the very wealthy, lapsed this year as a quirky part of President George W. Bushs tax cuts that were signed into law in 2001. The 45% estate-tax rate expired at the end of 2009, and the 55% rate does not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2011, leaving 2010 wide open for tax-free deaths.

via Tax break saves Steinbrenner heirs millions- Financial retirement plan – MSN Money.

Will the rich pay nothing?  Let us hope that this is addressed retroactively by congress, regardless of how unfair that may be..?

No Comments »

Entrepreneurship tackles Gulf oil spill – Kevin Costner stars :: Editor’s Blog at Local Tech Wire.

Officials said skimmer vessels will pump oily water onto the barge where the centrifuges can process a total of 600,000 gallons a day, separating gunk from water. Costner said he is gratified the technology is being deployed.

“This machine was designed… to fight for you,” Costner said, according to the BBC.

No Comments »

Current Population Survey CPS

Interesting data…

No Comments »

Al And Tipper Gore -Divorce | Gores Separate | Mediaite.

Sad…

No Comments »

Pulitzer cartoonist invited to resubmit rejected iPhone app | Mobile | iPhone Central | Macworld.

A very interesting introspective on editorial controlling in a shifting media landscape.

No Comments »

Investigators are poring over a wealth of evidence to find out who tried to detonate a car bomb in Times Square.

Police acted on a tip-off from a street vendor, who saw smoke coming from a Nissan Pathfinder parked on 45th Street and Seventh Avenue at about 1830 (2230 GMT) on Saturday.

Duane Jackson, a 58-year-old handbag vendor and Vietnam war veteran, said he had spotted the car parked illegally and when he examined it he saw keys in the ignition with 19 or 20 keys on a ring. The vehicle had its engine running and hazard lights flashing.

Jackson alerted a passing mounted police officer. ”That’s when the smoke started coming out and then we heard the little pop, pop, pop – like firecrackers going out and that’s when everybody scattered and ran back,” he told the Associated Press. “We dodged a bullet here,” he added.

—

“We are very lucky,” Mr Bloomberg told reporters. “Thanks to alert New Yorkers and professional police officers, we avoided what could have been a very deadly event.”

He said the bomb “looked amateurish” but could have exploded, adding that the incident was a “reminder of the dangers that we face”. Police believe the intention was to ignite a fireball.

No Comments »

From a newmindpsace email:

Compare these two passages:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” -First Amendment to the United States Constitution

vs.

“Special events permits are required for events/activities where twenty or more people will be present. School picnics, birthday parties, and field days all require a special events permit.” -NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation website

By any measure of reason, the Constitution explicitly prohibits the NYC Parks rule. I mention it is a rule, not a law, because it was actually written by a bureaucrat, not an elected official. This NYC Parks rule is the very definition of abridgment of the right to assemble. The Supreme Court has upheld in numerous cases that similar municipal laws have no weight and are therefore null and void.

Part of the reason we have these events is because the medium is the message: having an unpermitted event demonstrates that we, as citizens, assert our right to assemble by breaking this unjust rule.

Flex your rights – or lose them.

No Comments »