Internet...The Rupert Murdoch Way

Further bringing the era of paid online content into the mainstream, the New York Times joined with companies like News Corp’s Wall Street Journal in charging readers to access their previously free online content.

According to New York Magazine, while the Times will charge readers for content, where their system will differ from that Wall Street Journal’s is that they will allow readers a certain amount of free articles per month and then require a paid account to view more content.

The final decision is expected sometime this week and the magazine also ...continue reading]]>

Internet...The Rupert Murdoch Way

Further bringing the era of paid online content into the mainstream, the New York Times joined with companies like News Corp’s Wall Street Journal in charging readers to access their previously free online content.

According to New York Magazine, while the Times will charge readers for content, where their system will differ from that Wall Street Journal’s is that they will allow readers a certain amount of free articles per month and then require a paid account to view more content.

The final decision is expected sometime this week and the magazine also reports that the Times will attempt to create some sort of deal with Apple to associate itself with the upcoming Apple Tablet computer which is expected to be released at the end of the month.

Not only is one of the most popular news sources on the web now going to charge users for content (probably beginning in the spring) but they have now joined a very vocal group that is leading the charge towards pay content.

Not long ago, Rupert Murdoch made a lot of hay about him wanting to charge for access to almost all of News Corp.’s subsidiaries’ content.

Hulu, the popular online collaboration between Fox, NBC, and ABC that allows viewers to watch show online for free with advertising, is also expected to begin charging for some content. Fox’s website offers viewers access to some free shows but also has a service that allows viewers to pay to subscribe to Fox on Demand.

This phenomenon will be very interesting to watch in the future because it will likely determine the future of the internet.

There are more than 80,000 different chemicals that are used commercially around the country but a watered down bill written decades ago has allowed companies to keep nearly 20 percent of them secret from the public to keep customers from getting scared off from purchasing products if they knew what was in them.

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1974 requires that all companies reveal all chemicals that they use in manufacturing their product. Unless, as the law says, they want to keep the chemicals secret to protect their profitability. Some law, huh? Sort of like saying that ...continue reading]]>

There are more than 80,000 different chemicals that are used commercially around the country but a watered down bill written decades ago has allowed companies to keep nearly 20 percent of them secret from the public to keep customers from getting scared off from purchasing products if they knew what was in them.

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1974 requires that all companies reveal all chemicals that they use in manufacturing their product. Unless, as the law says, they want to keep the chemicals secret to protect their profitability. Some law, huh? Sort of like saying that a sex offender has to register their address unless they want to continue molesting people.

So why assume that the chemicals the companies keep secret are harmful? Well for one, there would be little reason to hide chemicals that are safe. More importantly, more than 50 percent of the risk reports sent to the Environmental Protection Agency involve these secret chemicals.

In the last few years, companies have been taking even more advantage of the law and the EPA now says that 95 percent of all new chemicals introduced by companies are kept secret.

The EPA is equally to blame. The department has never made a real effort to weed out harmful chemicals from non-harmful ones and has only tested more than 200 of the 80,000 chemicals.

New EPA head Lisa Jackson talked a good game as she has on many other issues but action has yet to be seen. Jackson vowed to create a “Chemicals of Concern” list and reform that “outdated” 1976 law.

The World We Are Creating

As the world begins to work on a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol, President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao are heading to Copenhagen to represent the two biggest world polluters.

Just a day after Barack Obama announced that he would be heading to Copenhagen to lobby for the passage of a treaty whose future has been in doubt, the Chinese State Council, their of a Presidential cabinet, announced plans to cut emission by 40% to 45% by 2020, a much more aggressive approach than the Chinese, or any other country, have ...continue reading]]>

The World We Are Creating

As the world begins to work on a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol, President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao are heading to Copenhagen to represent the two biggest world polluters.

Just a day after Barack Obama announced that he would be heading to Copenhagen to lobby for the passage of a treaty whose future has been in doubt, the Chinese State Council, their of a Presidential cabinet, announced plans to cut emission by 40% to 45% by 2020, a much more aggressive approach than the Chinese, or any other country, have taken in the past.

When the Kyoto Treaty was passed, China refused to enter into the pact while President Bill Clinton did sign the Treaty but never had it ratified by Congress (as necessary by the Constitution) because he knew that the Newt Gingrich-led Republican Congress would never pass it.

Twelve years later and with a Democrat-controlled Congress and White House, the Obama Administration hopes to enter into a world emissions treaty.

The Obama Administration, however, has started off in a compromised position as has become the case with any federal initiative. Obama seeks to lower the United States emissions by 17% over the same time frame as the Chinese expect to cut emissions by almost half.

The Copenhagen meetings are especially important because they will impact the emission rates in growing countries like India and set the theme of carbon emissions around the world as we move forward.

The Future of the Atlantic Yards

After three years of delay, the Empire State Development Corporation won another court battle against the people of New York in a 6-1 decision that stated that it is not up to the courts to interfere in developer Bruce Ratner’s plans to turn the Atlantic Yards into a bustling business area.

The New York Times claims that the win is the “last major obstacle” for Ratner who will soon be able to build a stadium for the Nets to play in as well as a number of office towers and shops around ...continue reading]]>

The Future of the Atlantic Yards

After three years of delay, the Empire State Development Corporation won another court battle against the people of New York in a 6-1 decision that stated that it is not up to the courts to interfere in developer Bruce Ratner’s plans to turn the Atlantic Yards into a bustling business area.

The New York Times claims that the win is the “last major obstacle” for Ratner who will soon be able to build a stadium for the Nets to play in as well as a number of office towers and shops around the arena.

Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, the group that has been trying to beat back Ratner’s attempts to redevelop the Atlantic Yards says that he disagrees with the Times’ assessment of the situation and pointed out that there are still several pending lawsuits against the corporation and the battle for the rights of the people who live in the area has not yet been lost.

Despite attempts to fight the Empire State Development Corporation, claiming eminent domain, it appears that after three years, Ratner’s nearly $5 billion project will come to fruition, turning the Atlantic Yards into a major destination for sports fans, businesses, and tourists.

Earlier this month, the city also settled the delay with the redevelopment of Coney Island by buying out a chunk of land.

Slowly but surely, Brooklyn is turning into its own metropolis. With major redevelopment in the Atlantic Yards, Coney Island, Williamsburg, and seemingly everywhere else you look, Brooklyn will seemingly come out of the economic collapse the way it went into it, on the verge of becoming a major metropolis that may one day rival Manhattan as the dream destination of businesses and well-to-do New Yorkers who are looking to overpay for a condo overlooking massive traffic jams.