| NAS scammer will serve at least three years
The National Academy of Sciences is the world's preeminent scientific organization with nearly 200 Nobel prize winners, but for years print shop manager Aubrey Scott outsmarted the whole bunch.
Scott, working at the academy's graphics department in Washington in 2000, created invoices under $2,500 each to pay a shell company he founded. But by the time auditors caught on, six years had passed, $1.2 million was missing and Scott was driving a BMW.
The scam was outlined in federal court in the District yesterday as Scott received more than three years in prison. "I was a very bitter person ... a very depressed person," the 47-year-old Germantown man told a judge.
The losses have prompted questions concerning the finances at the prestigious academy, which prides itself as the leading scientific adviser to Congress and the White House.
Alternative-Energy Vehicles Added Spark To Detroit Auto Show
When the North American International Auto Show opened in January 2000, a dozen alternative fuel cars were on display. This year, the big Detroit show featured some 75 such cars and trucks. And dozens more are close to being road ready, says the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group whose members include BMW Group, Chrysler, Ford Motor, (F) General Motors, (GM) Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen. Still, cars that run on something other than gasoline remain a small portion of the market. While consumer research firm J.D. Power estimates that 77% of car shoppers ask about alternative fuel vehicles, fewer than 2% of them actually buy one. Fewer than 400,000 alternative vehicles are on the road, about the same number of cars that cross New York's Brooklyn Bridge every day.
Iowa Ear: Culver won't tip scales for fitness program
There was a mass weigh-in at the Capitol this week. A dozen or so staff members from the governor's office stepped onto a platform-sized scale, followed by staff from other state offices. Absent was the head cheerleader of the "Lighten Up Iowa" fitness effort: the Big Lug himself.
During his Condition of the State speech Tuesday, Gov. Chet Culver urged Iowans to get healthy and pledged to lead the Culver/Judge 100-day Fitness Challenge as part of Lighten Up Iowa - but he didn't make any promises to shed pounds himself. .
McRea Site Development Launches New Website Focusing on Internet ...
McRea Site Development is getting down to the nitty gritty of internet marketing. With a brand new website that is devoted entirely to internet marketing strategies and tips, visitors can learn how to take their own business up a notch. The marketing information contained in the site is a virtual one stop shop for people who need a little help with marketing their business or website. From press releases to SEO to Web 2.0 to basically anything else that you wanted to know about internet marketing, the McRea Site Development has it all covered. Many people start their own businesses online only to quit after a short time because they are confused or overwhelmed by the internet marketing that is required to drive traffic to the site and generate sales. William J.
Hottest Sedans of 2008
Carmakers are rolling out eight new luxury sedans this year, and each one brings something fresh to the industry, be it style, performance or technology. Two other all-new entries from non-luxury automakers promise to heat up the premium segment.
How these vehicles fare with consumers is more critical than ever. The success of several manufacturers hinges almost entirely on which of the vehicles on our list of Hottest Sedans of 2008 will win over car buyers. Troubled brands like Jaguar and Lincoln are hanging their hopes on luxury sedans that launch this spring. And underdogs like Hyundai are boldly venturing into this upscale segment as Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz gear up to defend their stake.
Stolen Scripts
Ahmed Fishawi and Ahmed Mekky will play conjoined twins seeking a film career. Stuck on You, anyone? Malaket Gamal El-Koun (Miss Universe) is the comeback project of Sherine Seif El-Nasr, who will play a karate champion going undercover at a beauty pageant to infiltrate a group of criminals among the contestants. You guessed right again: it's Miss Congeniality (2000) which starred Sandra Bullock. .
2007 Jaguar XK Coupe Review - A Love Story
"You delight in the metal strips on the running board section of the after-wing. Running your hand across them discovers a delicacy in polished steel, perfect for muddy boots or brogues. They stand out like expensive fountain pens bejeweling the deep luster of the black paintwork. Each is longer than the last, each pointing to the vertical louvers on the bonnet. Scattered elements made of stainless steel glisten on the bodywork like brooches. The entire car exudes strength, fortitude, an easy gracefulness, British practical design and purpose at its very best as exercised in the 1920s." I wrote that paragraph on seeing Sir William Lyons Swallow Jaguar SS90 Prototype in a heritage museum. Lyrical it may be but the car inspires poetic prose. More than that, it's a man's car; it does manly things, makes manly noises, and has lots of manly metal to polish.
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