From a friend of a friend in North Carolina:

I'm sure taxpayers everywhere feel the same way . . .

Posted at 07:25 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Onion on Greenie's Retirement:

After 18 years of service, Alan Greenspan is retiring as chairman of the Federal Reserve at the age of 79. What do you think?

      

   

Francis Englund,  Programmer
"He's irreplaceable. This Bernanke guy may be an anti-inflation fiscal conservative, but you just can't run the Fed if you've never screwed Ayn Rand."

 

      

   

William Oberst,  Barrister
"I guess the crash-and-burn lifestyle of a 'chairman of the Federal Reserve' finally caught up with the guy."

 

      

   

Lily Putnam, Nurse
    "Wow. He's quitting at the same time as the American economy."

 

   

Posted at 05:50 AM in Finance, Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tom Toles

via Yahoo!

Posted at 10:16 AM in Humor, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

>

click pretty much anywhere to see the movie

>

Very amusing parody/mashup of Brokeback Top Gun -- the forbidden love.

>

Brokeback Top Gun recut shows what most people already knew . . .

>

(where ever did I pull this from?)

Posted at 10:38 AM in Film, Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Ferrari SuperAmerica

That's a good looking car!

According to the WSJ, Business is very good at Ferrari:

"At Ferrari, every day is nirvana. The Ferrari SuperAmerica, the rebirth of a legendary 12-cylinder model, is sold out for North America. Customers for Ferrari's other models wait months to get their cars. Ferrari's main challenge, when it comes to simply selling cars, is managing the waiting list for the 1,500 or so cars it delivers in North America each year.

Of course, Ferrari is exotic by any dimension. Its cars are rare, extremely expensive and not terribly practical. The FXX, a $1.1 million super car that was the star of Ferrari's exhibit at the Detroit Auto Show, is effectively a Formula One race car with an 800-horsepower, 12-cylinder engine. Ferrari plans to build only about 20, and offer them to the cream of its clientele, who will be able to drive the car on tracks at special Ferrari events. The company says the car won't be adapted for road use.

As the photo below shows, the car is a Berlinetta:

Turning the big car into an open driver via a rather unique mechanism: TheSuperAmerica's roof does a backflip:

"The Fioravanti-patented rotating roof concept allows the Superamerica driver to electrically drop the top in 10 seconds flat, making it the world’s fastest convertible berlinetta (199-mph top speed).

The Superamerica’s unusual electric roof has been dubbed Revocromico to highlight the unique combination of its rearward rotation movement and electrochromic technology. It has a carbon-fibre structure and the boot capacity remains unchanged whether the roof is open or closed too. The glass rear window also acts as a highly effective wind deflector when the roof is open."

But fancy electronic and mechanical gee-gaws are meaningless on a machine that doesn't have the goods. What are the specs on the SA?

"Derived from the 575M Maranello, the Superamerica is available with either an F1-style or manual gearbox. Its big 12-cylinder engine has been boosted to deliver 540 hp too. The new car can also be fitted with the GTC Handling package which offers Ferrari’s very latest high-tech features including carbon ceramic brakes."

(wipe drool away)

Don't think you are limited to just red. The big car comes in other colors also:

Lastly, the nomenclature was used years earlier in the 410; So as not to confuse you with the earlier model of the same name:  Ferrari 410 Superamerica (1955-1959), which was gorgeous in its own right:

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Sources:
The Ferrari Club
The Lines Are Long for a SuperAmerica, And That's Just Fine With the Car Maker
January 23, 2006; Page D2
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113779337570352318.html

First Look: Ferrari Superamerica
Motortrend, November 24, 2004
http://www.motortrend.com/features/news/112_news041124_ferrari/

FERRARI SUPERAMERICA
Maranello, 24 November 2004
http://www.carbodydesign.com/vehicles/ferrari/2004-11-24-superamerica/2004-11-24-superamerica.html

Ferrari SuperAmerica
Photo Collection
http://www.allsportauto.com/english/ferrari-superamerica.php

Posted at 11:00 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This guy's crime wasn't his incessant phone chatter -- he only spoke for 10 minutes, which doesn't even get him into the VIP room at Club Rude. Indeed, on the LIRR that makes him only a minor selfish putz, and not a full blown cretin.

However, his voice was this enormo booming Baritone -- LOUD -- and he could easily do voice overs for game shows or commercials

Tell him what he's won, Don Pardo! A New Car!

If your voice commands the attention of Privates and Corporals, Children and Dogs, then how about taking it into the vestibule? Please?

>

UPDATE: January 27, 2006  7:30am

How bad does this suck? My phone's camera died. Its just "hangs" when I go to take a picture, showing the hourglass -- forever. 

Any one have any thougths on the RAZR? David Pogue trashed it in the NYT yesterday . . .

Posted at 10:02 AM in LIRR Commuter From Hell | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Here's a product suggestion for the LIRR commute, from the BradMan. Its a nice way to tell rude talkers to step outside and blow their conversations the other way.

via Knock Knock

Posted at 06:47 AM in LIRR Commuter From Hell | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Is it just me, or has the always funny Dilbert  become somewhat ribald?

Too funny!

via Dilbert.com

Posted at 06:57 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Way cool:

via eboy

Posted at 10:18 AM in Art & Design | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Terrific looking concept car from Mazda, loosely evolved off of the RX8:

This looks like it might even get made!

See these sources

Autoblog

C/Net Video

NYT Video

Posted at 06:26 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Cool graphic from NYT on rec engines


click for larger graph

courtesy of NYT

NYT Excerpt:

"The most reliable prediction for how much a customer will like a movie is what they thought of other movies," Mr. Hunt said. The company credits the system's ability to make automated yet accurate recommendations as a major factor in its growth from 600,000 subscribers in 2002 to nearly 4 million today.

Similarly, Apple's iTunes online music store features a system of recommending new music as a way of increasing customers' attachment to the site and, presumably, their purchases. Recommendation engines, which grew out of the technology used to serve up personalized ads on Web sites, now typically involve some level of "collaborative filtering" to tailor data automatically to individuals or groups of users.

Some engines use information provided directly by the shopper, while others rely more on assumptions, like offering a matching shirt to a shopper interested in purchasing a tie. And some sites are now taking personalization to another level by improving not only the collection of data but the presentation of it.

Liveplasma.com, an online site for music and, more recently, movies, graphically "maps" shoppers' potential interests. A search for music by Coldplay, for example, brings up a graphical representation of what previous customers of Coldplay music have purchased, presented in clusters of circles of various sizes.

The bigger the circle, the greater the popularity of that band. The circles are clustered into orbits representing groups of customers with similar preferences.

"This is a way of showing recommendations that are vastly more useful than textual links," said Whit Andrews, a research vice president at Gartner Inc., a market research company in Stamford, Conn.

Another development under way is matching customer tastes across Web businesses, using knowledge of a customer's tastes in music to try to sell them books, for example. "To date, that's been largely uncharted territory," Mr. Andrews said, though not for lack of trying. Web sites have long tried to develop systems for cross-selling among companies that protect customer privacy but also allow sharing of data."

Source:
Like This? You'll Hate That. (Not All Web Recommendations Are Welcome.)
By LAURIE J. FLYNN
NYT,  January 23, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/technology/23recommend.html

Posted at 06:24 PM in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

First, a podcast:  Benjamen Walker talks with authors Jonathan Lethem and Josh Glenn about the Science Fiction genius Philip K Dick.

Second, an R. Crumb comic on  The Religious Experience of Philip K. Dick

click for comic

Posted at 08:30 AM in Books | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

What compels a college girl to film herself doing this?

I don't know, but I would imagine millions of college boys would like to say "Thank you!"

via iFilm

Posted at 07:22 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack

How cool is this:   Giant Jellyfish Invade Japan

"Since last summer, Japanese waters have been inundated with the massive sea creatures, which can grow 6.5 feet (2 meters) wide and weigh up to 450 pounds (220 kilograms).

Though the jellyfish are more common in Chinese and Korean waters, their numbers have grown a hundredfold in some areas off Japan, causing a crisis in the local fishing industry."

Source:
Giant Jellyfish Invade Japan
Blake de Pastino 
National Geographic Society, January 19, 2006     http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0119_060119_jellyfish.html

Posted at 12:24 PM in Science | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

The weekend WSJ has an article about the Martin D-45 Guitar:

 

LISTEN IN

 

Listen to audio excerpts of Wayne Henderson playing on a D-45, from "W.C. Henderson & Company" on Hay Holler Records.

St. Anne's Reel

Windows Media (Player required)
RealPlayer (Player required)

Peace in the Valley

Windows Media
RealPlayer

The pearl trim on an heirloom Martin may be tremendously labor intensive, but the payoff is stunning. With Mr. Henderson's D-45 on your lap, it's easy to understand why Autry ordered the extra bling. On the company's lesser models, the pearl trim on the spruce top faces the audience. On a 45-style Martin, the best and most ornate inlay is visible only from the driver's seat. The gleaming abalone accentuates the graceful curve of the neck heel, and no fewer than eight separate lines of inlay converge within the player's line of sight. On close examination, the work on a vintage D-45 is clean and precise but not quite perfect, clearly crafted by hand.

It is the tone of a prewar D-45, however, that is its hallmark. Mr. Henderson's Martin sounds a bit like it looks, regal and majestic. It has a James Earl Jones voice, rich and resonant and oh-so-distinctive. Strum a simple E chord and the massive guitar will ring for almost 30 seconds before fading to silence. It's got power, the ability to respond to even the most aggressive picking and strumming with increased volume but still pristine tone. But the big D-45 also responds surprisingly well to a delicate touch. Hand it to a master player like Mr. Henderson, who's performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House, and you'll hear what it can do. (He plays his D-45 on his "W.C. Henderson & Friends" CD.)

While it sounds like an interesting instrument, I remain partial to local boy Jesselli and his hand made Axes:

Joseph Jesselli, 56, starts with fine seasoned wood, and finishes -- countless details later -- with pieces of functional art, mostly electric guitars, that have won customers ranging from obscure collectors to Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

Electric guitars did not hit their stride until the 1950's, but to hear Mr. Jesselli talk, and to see his work, is to be taken back earlier in the 20th century. He draws his inspiration from Art Deco and Art Nouveau, from gun and furniture makers and from what he believes is a dying group: skilled artisans who served true apprenticeships and know how to use their hands.

''To me, an artisan has to chop stuff, really do a good job, like a woodcarver,'' Mr. Jesselli said at his studio. ''A guy who inlays, a guy who gilds, a guy who finishes. These take lifetimes to really master these things.''

His obsessive attention to detail shapes every part of his process, from start (''I don't want to use a piece of wood unless I've had it 10 years'') to finish (''a finisher is not just a guy who schlops paint on a piece of furniture -- it's a really very intense thing to do''). As a final touch, he even makes leather and oak cases with tools and straps to match that guitar.

Source:
That's One Big, Beautiful Guitar
The Martin D-45 is an 'amazing' acoustic instrument to play -- and to behold
ALLEN ST. JOHN
WSJ, January 21, 2006; Page P14
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113769058643050979.html

Huntington's Stradivari
BRIAN FIDELMAN
NYT, September 25, 2005
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=FB0B15FF3C540C768EDDA00894DD404482

Posted at 06:13 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I love this perspective:

via Carto.net

Posted at 05:36 AM in Photo Caption Contest! | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

How whack is this:   Automatic Camera situated 7 miles from Atomic blast with 10 foot lens. Shutter speed equaled 1/1000,000,000 of-a-second exposure:

via Harold Edgerton

Posted at 12:24 PM in Photo Caption Contest!, Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

How cool is this:

click for commercial

Source:
Human Choir Provides Sound For Honda Civic Ad
Adrants
http://www.adrants.com/2006/01/human-choir-provides-sound-for-honda.php

Posted at 03:52 PM in Automobiles, Humor, Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

An excellent collection of food links, via Slice:

NYC Food Blogs

Bourrez Votre Visage
Chowhound
Cityrag
Craig's List Food Forum
Cravings
Eat, Drink, One Woman
EGullet
The Food Section
Foodstuffs
Frost Street
Gaijin Girl
The Girl Who Ate Everything
Goodies First
Gothamist's Food Archives
The Hedonista
The Impetuous Epicure
Manhattan User's Guide
The Times's Dining & Wine section
NYC Eats
NYC Restaurant Inspection Info
SushiNYC
The Times's Dining & Wine section
The Village Voice's Eats Section
Vittles Vamp

Pretty deep selection of stuff!

FOOD IN GENERAL

Alton Brown
Amuse Bouche
Chez Pim
Chocolate and Zucchini
Cook's Illustrated
Di Vino & Cibo (Italy)
EGullet
Epicurious
The Grocery List Collection
I Was Just Really Very Hungry
International Federation of Competitive Eating
Lovescool
Martha Stewart
Mouthfuls
MyMenuList.com
Noodle Pie
'Ono Kine Grindz
Phoood
Sauté Wednesday
Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas
Super Chef Blog
Vinography
Watch Me Eat a Hot Dog
Words To Eat By
Wrapped in Dough

Posted at 10:05 AM in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A speech from (of all people) Al Gore:

"Is our Congress today in more danger than were their predecessors when the British army was marching on the Capitol? Is the world more dangerous than when we faced an ideological enemy with tens of thousands of missiles poised to be launched against us and annihilate our country at a moment's notice? Is America in more danger now than when we faced worldwide fascism on the march-when our fathers fought and won two World Wars simultaneously?

It is simply an insult to those who came before us and sacrificed so much on our behalf to imply that we have more to be fearful of than they. Yet they faithfully protected our freedoms and now it is up to us to do the same."

-Al Gore

Sources:
Al Gore
Martin Luther King Day address
Jan. 16, 2006
http://rawstory.com/admin/dbscripts/printstory.php?story=1723

Gore Assails Domestic Wiretapping Program
CBS News, Jan. 16, 2006
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/16/ap/politics/mainD8F618502.shtml

Posted at 06:03 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

How whack is this?

Mercedes-Benz, with some help from German tuner Brabus, has introduced the 'King Kong' of off-roaders at this month's Dubai Motor Show.  It's outrageous design theoretically gives it the ability to discover the most inaccessible parts of the globe.

Classic Driver:

The Unimog generates an output of 205 kW/ 280 hp from an engine displacement of 6.4 l, developing a torque of 1100 Nm. A high final-drive ratio enables speeds of over 120 km/h to be achieved. With a gross vehicle weight of 11.99 tonnes, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog Black Edition has a payload of around 4.3 t and is fitted with tyres in size 455/70 R24. The standard portal axles in conjunction with the in-cab-operated tyre pressure control system and the rear-mounted cable winch make this premium Unimog an extra-special off-roader which knows practically no limits. The EAS transmission allows the gears to be shifted manually or in automatic mode, just as the driver prefers. Switching between the two modes is possible at any time.

Source:
King of the Jungle
Brabus Unimog U 500 Black Edition
http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3300.asp?id=12779

Posted at 09:40 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

via kottke, comes this great list

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Posted at 08:08 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Back in October of last year, I mentioned a surprisingly good review of the Porsche Cayman S. 

This morning, I noticed my favorite automotive website -- the Truth About Cars -- also had an excellent review:

"The second you throw the latter day lil’ bastard into a corner its superiority to big brother 911 is immediately apparent. The Cayman's mid-engine layout and light weight make it far more precise going into a turn, more stable through the apex and more benign coming out (C4 and Turbo excepted). Thanks to Porsche's decision to put the 911 into the horsepower protection program, the Cayman can’t match the Carrera’s post-corner blastitude. But the Cayman’s inherent balance lets you carry more speed into the corner. Ultimately, all the [bigger-engined] Carrera variants are faster than a Cayman S. But they can’t touch the Cayman S-- or the Boxster S-- for pedal-to-the-metal fun. What’s more, with PSM (Porsche Stability Management) in Sport, Frau Nanny allows a whiff of drift. Sweet.

Hey kid. Ever dance with the redline in the pale moonlight? Cayman drivers will. But it won’t be enough. The truth is, the Cayman S lacks one thing to complete its performance matrix and achieve the greatness it deserves: grunt. If Porsche put a bunch more whoa Nellie underfoot, it would wipe the floor with the 911. In fact, the Cayman S is nothing less than a detuned supercar. Huh? What’s the point of that? Protecting Carrera sales? Not to coin a phrase, that’s a croc. This is the German sports car company that constantly harps-on about the importance of evolution. As such, Porsche will eventually be forced to realize that you can’t keep a good reptile down. Or, if you prefer, it's only a matter of time before the Cayman bites the hand that feeds."

Source:
Porsche Cayman S
13 January 2006
By Robert Farago
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/11372007121262290398/

Posted at 06:36 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Fascinating collection of artwork from David Singer, a Jewish legal scholar.

It is the Hebrew Alphabet, ina series of 28 acrylic paintings on canvas. The detailed pictography is based upon a variety of sources: Ancient texts, modern interpretations, etc.

The artitist's intention was to capture the deeper meaning of the Hebrew Letters and what they represent in visual form . . .

The artists does other work in a similar style -- this one is called Tree of Life:

via David Singer

http://gematria.blogspot.com/
http://singermindcanvas.blogspot.com

Posted at 05:44 AM in Art & Design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

So I'm on the later train, the 8:43am into Hunterspoint -- sitting in front of a pair of twentysomethings having the most interesting and hysterical conversation with each other.

Every other word from this pair of high school buds was "Like, you know" and "Whatever" and "Omigod." It was as if we put in a request to central casting for a pair of valley girls. Like, omigod!

Not only that, but the words "Gay" and "Lesbian" got mentioned -- alot, too.  There was even the Seinfeldian "like, not that there's anything wrong with that."  It seems that alot of their mutual High School and college friends turned out to be lesbians, including one who, like, you know, had a boyfriend!

How  did I know all this? Easy -- I was sitting a row in front of them!

Best of luck to you ladies -- and your gal pals! (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Posted at 10:23 AM in LIRR Commuter From Hell | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Depending uupon how its priced, this is the most interesting looking truck/wagon out of GM in a long time:  The Enclave

click for larger photos

Source:
2007 Buick Enclave
Mark Gillies
Automobile Mag
http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/naias_2006/0602_buick_enclave/

The Detroit Auto Show: And the Band Plays On
Robert Farago
thetruthaboutcars, 9 January 2006
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/11368210641380332718/

Posted at 03:15 PM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Tom Toles via Yahoo

Posted at 05:22 AM in Humor, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

In case you haven't heard, Smilin' Tom Delay threw in the towel on his Speakership. Here's his sordid history:

• 1984: Elected to represent the 22nd District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.

• 1994: Elected majority whip.

• July 1997: DeLay is part of a group that tries, but fails, to oust House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

• October 1998: DeLay attacks the Electronics Industries Alliance for hiring former Democratic Rep. Dave McCurdy as its president and later receives a private rebuke from the House ethics committee for "badgering a lobbying organization."

• November 2002: Elected majority leader without opposition.

• September 2004: Grand jurors in Texas indict three DeLay associates -- Jim Ellis, John Colyandro, and Warren RoBold -- in an investigation of alleged illegal corporate contributions to a political action committee DeLay founded. The investigation involved the alleged use of corporate funds to aid Republican candidates for the Texas Legislature in the 2002 elections.

• September-October 2004: DeLay is admonished by the House ethics committee on three issues. The committee chastises DeLay for offering to support the House candidacy of Michigan Republican Rep. Nick Smith's son in return for the lawmaker's vote for a Medicare prescription drug benefit. The panel also says DeLay created the appearance of linking political donations to a legislative favor, and that he had improperly sought the Federal Aviation Administration's intervention in a Texas political dispute.

• January 2005: House Republicans reverse a controversial rule passed in November 2004 that would have allowed DeLay to keep his leadership post if he were indicted.

• March 2005: Media reports spur Democrats to question DeLay's relationship with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is under federal investigation. Delay has asked the House ethics committee to review allegations that Abramoff or his clients paid some of DeLay's overseas travel expenses. DeLay has denied knowing that the expenses were paid by Abramoff.

• April 2005: House Republicans scrap controversial new ethics committee rules passed earlier in the year that would have made it harder to proceed with an ethics investigation. Democrats said the rules were meant to protect DeLay.

• September 2005: DeLay is indicted on charges of conspiring to violate Texas political fundraising law and forced to step aside as majority leader. Ellis and Colyandro are indicted on additional felony charges of violating Texas election law and criminal conspiracy to violate election law for their role in 2002 legislative races.

• October 2005: DeLay, Ellis and Colyandro are indicted by a second grand jury on charges of conspiring to launder money and money laundering. DeLay turns himself in to the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Houston, where he is fingerprinted and photographed. He smiles broadly in his mug shot to thwart its use by political opponents. DeLay's attorneys win removal of a Democratic judge from the case because he has donated to Democratic causes and candidates. The AP reports that DeLay and Rep. Roy Blunt, who succeeded DeLay as majority leader, orchestrated a political money carousel in 2000 that diverted donations secretly collected for presidential convention parties to some of their own causes.

• November 2005: Former DeLay aide Michael Scanlon pleads guilty to conspiring to bribe public officials, a charge that stems from the government investigation of work he and his former partner, lobbyist Jack Abramoff, did for Indian tribes. The investigation continues.

• December 2005: A judge dismisses the conspiracy charge but refuses to throw out the more serious allegations of money laundering, dashing the congressman's immediate hopes of reclaiming his House majority leader post and increasing the likelihood of a criminal trial next year.

• January 2006: Abramoff pleads guilty to federal charges of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud and agrees to cooperate in an influence-peddling investigation that threatens powerful members of Congress. DeLay abandons his bid to resume his post as House majority leader.

Source: AP

Posted at 03:54 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ben Sargent via Yahoo! 

Posted at 07:03 AM in Humor, Media, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

*sigh*

I am going to miss working in this building:

click for even bigger photo:

Facing West on 42nd Street, near 5th Avenue
Snapped on December 20, 2005, 10:00 am

Posted at 10:22 AM in Art & Design | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

This yea's top touring earners (excluding the Rolling Stones), according to Billboard:

1. U2 ($260M)  (a very cool show)

2. The Eagles ($117M)

3. Neil Diamond ($71M)

4. Kenny Chesney ($63M)

5. Sir Paul Mccartney ($60M)

6. Rod Stewart ($49M)

7. Elton John ($45.5M)

8. Dave Matthews Band ($45M)

9. Jimmy Buffett ($41M)

10. Green Day ($36.5M)

Its  likely that once the Rolling Stones data gets released, everyone will bump sdown a notch (Billboard did not include sales for the Rolling Stones' Bigger Bang tour, as the groups' promoters do not release financial information before the entire tour has come to a close).

However, New Kerala reports that:

"The Rolling Stones' 2005 tour of North America has become the top-grossing US concert tour of all time, by selling 162 million dollars worth of tickets, and playing 42 performances in front of 1.2 million people." 

The veteran rockers broke their own 1994 record that made 121.2 million dollars then, and were followed by U2's Vertigo tour, which came in second after raking in 138.9 million dollars, according to US trade publication Pollstar."

In the US, the Stones handily beat U2's $138.9 million  by about 16.5%.

A good discussion on the year-in-touring can be found at Billboard.

>

Sources:
U2's Vertigo Leads Year's Top Tours
December 13, 2005, 1:55 PM ET
Ray Waddell, Nashville
http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001659352

Rolling Stones' 2005 US tour top-grossing act ever
New Kerala, 31 Dec 2005
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=77025

The Year In Touring
Ray Waddell
Dec. 24, 2005
http://billboard.com/bbcom/yearend/2005/touring/index.jsp

Posted at 05:48 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

From MarketWatch, the Auto Year in review:

1. Car of the Year: Corvette Z06
The performance buy of the year: its 7.0-liter V8 produces 505 horsepower, and rockets to 60 in 3.8 seconds -- all for $70k.

2. Best Sports Car: Mazda MX-5
It's 100% pure sports car and the best two-seater from Mazda yet.

3. Biggest Surprise: Pontiac Solstice
This car is a hoot to drive, with plenty of interior room for its genre as well as crisp handling, good power and an excellent price.

4. Bigger-Bucks Sports Car: Porsche Boxster S
It's simply amazing what a spectacular total package this car is, and what's more amazing is that Porsche has been doing this for years.

5. Best Sedan: BMW 330i
If you like to drive you simply must seek out a three-series Bimmer before they haul your butt off to the big garage in the sky.

6. Best Gas Sipper: Honda Civic Sedan
Honda gave this little car a stem-to-stern makeover, and the results are simply stunning.

7. Best Family Car: Honda Accord
 It tops virtually every one's best-of list, including Consumer Reports and Car and Driver. A sedan with more than sporty pretensions that will be rock-solid reliable.

8. Best Wagon: Audi A4 Avant
Handling is top-notch, the power is only a twitch of the right foot away, and the interior is first-class.

9. Proof That Detroit Ain't Dead Yet: Ford Mustang 5.0
This is a fun-to-drive, high-powered Detroit hot rod.

10. Best Uber Alles Car: Ford GT
More than 500 horsepower hidden under a seductive body, a sexy exhaust, a laid-back interior, a rock-solid build, flat handling, great feedback -- it all adds up to a world-class GT car.

Source:
Our top 10 autos of 2005
Ron Amadon,
MarketWatch, 7:15 AM ET Dec. 24, 2005
http://tinyurl.com/b65at

Posted at 08:17 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack