The Imperative Need for America to Become an Innovation Nation

The Imperative Need for America to Become an Innovation Nation
by Arianna Huffington

Exerpt below;

"After Pearl Harbor, America's naval force was decimated. But, Kao points out, just three years later "America had a hundred aircraft carriers fully armed with new planes, pilots, tactics, and escort ships, backed by new approaches to logistics, training methods, aircraft plants, shipyards, and women workers" along with "such game changing innovations as the B-29... and nuclear fission."

Same with our reaction to the Soviet's launch of Sputnik, when "we responded with massive funding for education, revamped school curricula in science and math, and launched a flurry of federal initiatives that eventually put Neil Armstrong in position to make his 'giant leap for mankind.'"

So, even though we currently find ourselves "basking in our faded glory," Kao believes "America has the potential to become the first [Innovation Nation], a blend of enlightened self-interest and outward-reaching altruism."

But first we have to embrace that sense that great things are still possible and that our best days still lie ahead. That mindset is a prerequisite for innovation and getting things done. Without it, the seeds of innovation wither in a soil that is an arid mix of negativism and defeatism. With it, America can put a commitment to innovation front and center, the way countries as diverse as China, Australia, Finland, Singapore, Canada, and India are doing."

Read her article here

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-imperative-need-for-a_b_519100.html

and then find out more about John Kao and his book at; http://www.innovationation.org/

James Franco headed to Yale

Actor JAMES FRANCO is set to enrol in Yale University to obtain his doctorate, according to the esteemed institution's student newspaper.

The Spider-Man star has already studied film-making at New York University, and also took writing classes at Columbia University, where he earned a masters of fine arts diploma.

A rep has confirmed the star was accepted into prestigious Yale, in Connecticut, and will begin courses for his Ph.D. in September (10) if he accepts his place, reports the Yale Herald.

Must be nice to be a celebrity and be able to get into any school you want to. But wait, maybe he has the grades to make it in? Anybody know??

Alex Lambert Nabs Web Series

He had one of the best voices on this season’s American Idol, but Alex Lambert’s shyness led to his early departure. His fans were shocked — and so began a campaign including a petition with 20,000 signatures strong in support of his return.

This Thursday the Texas shy guy will get another shot at stardom when he moves in to the If I Can Dream house. Created by Idol’s Simon Fuller, If I Can Dream is a Web reality show documenting the story of six rising stars living together in the Hollywood Hills. The other residents include Miley Cyrus’s ex Justin Gaston, aspiring model Giglianne Braga, and actors Kara Killmer, Amanda Phillips, and Ben Elliott.

You can watch Lambert, 19, on If I Can Dream’s live streaming 24-7 along with five other up-and-comers as they tackle Hollywood. Weekly episodes will air on hulu.com every Monday at midnight.

People’s Jessica Herndon caught up with Lambert to chat about Elvis, Lambert’s girlfriend, and (gasp!) cutting that mullet.
Are you really as shy as you came off on the show?

I don’t think I’m too shy. At home I’m not really shy, it’s just that this whole experience is so new to me. Once I get more confident I don’t think I’ll be shy at all.

What tips did you get from the judges about improving your confidence on stage?

Kara was telling me to just go out and get more experience. Go play some bar shows.

Are there any performers that you watch where you say, ‘Okay I really dig their stage presence?’

Elvis! I wish I had the stage presence Elvis had. He worked the crowd like a beast. But Elvis was true. He did all the leg shaking and sliding.

Can you dance?

No, I can’t dance. But I can swing dance. I was in swing dancing for like three years with my mom.

How will you decorate your room in the house?

I’m gonna [put] Bob Marley, Elvis and Beatles posters up and a picture of my grandfather. People up who inspire me.

Are you single?

No. I have a girlfriend. Her name is Raylee. She really understands me and believes in me. I’m kind broke so we never go out anywhere fancy, but usually I just jam out and she tells me what she likes and I usually write her a song every week and play it for her.

Do you keep in touch with Siohban?

We text every once in a while. She was one of my best friends on the show. Everyone else was spastic and crazy and always wanted to do something, and me and Siohban would sit and eat for like three hours.

So, you cut your hair?

I still have a mullet a little bit. It’s just hair. It’ll grow back.

Lost: Daniel Dae Kim on Twists, Taking It Off and ‘The End’

After last week’s meaty mythological feast, Lost producers gave fans a bit more to chew on Tuesday, with an episode revolving around Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sun (real-life newlywed Yunjin Kim). PEOPLE checked in with Dae Kim for his thoughts on what went down — and managed to pry a little series-finale scoop out of him in the process.

The Big Twists: The on-island Kwons — ripped apart at the end of season 4 — still didn’t get that much-deserved reunion. But with Locke Monster and Jack both promising to bring the marrieds back together — and only six episodes left until the series finale — Dae Kim urges fans to be patient just a little while longer. “Fans of Jin and Sun won’t be disappointed,” he promises.
Among the Sideways surprises: Jin and Sun aren’t married! But they’re definitely in a much healthier relationship than they were in the Flashbacks. This Jin likes when his woman undoes all the buttons on her sweater. This Sun is itching to run away with, instead of from, her love. And, considering she’s pregnant, it would seem that this couple isn’t struggling with the fertility issues that once plagued them in the other timeline. But, sadly, some things remain the same. Sun’s dad? Still a jerk. The $25,000 that jammed Jin up at airport customs was intended as payment to Keamy — yep, that guy again! — in exchange for offing Jin.

Dae Kim’s take on the Sideways version of events? “If you look at Jin from episode one to now, the Jin in the Sideways seems to be an interesting hybrid of the two,” he observes. “I think the fact that he and Sun aren’t married, but they’re genuinely in love, says a lot. That’s at the heart of their story.”

The actor wasn’t nearly as psyched to learn of all the shirtlessness the episode would require of him (though many fans might disagree): “I didn’t get very much notice about the shirtless scenes actually.” Without a lot of time to hit the gym, says one of PEOPLE’s 2005 Sexiest Men Alive, “I was like, ‘All right then, I guess what you see is what you get,’” he says.

The Sideways Crosses: It was Keamy who tied Jin up and locked him in the restaurant freezer, and Sayid who helped free him. And Mikhail, also known on the island as That Odd Guy with the Eyepatch, served as translator between Keamy and the Korean-speaking Kwons and, later, got shot in one eye during a struggle with Jin. Sun was wounded, too … perhaps baby-doc Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) will be making a Sideways appearance to save the day? Producers have previously confirmed Mitchell will pop up again before the series ends.

Back on the island: Sun ran away from Locke Monster — and right into a tree — which rendered her unconscious (and presumably of no use, at least for the time being, to the free will-lovin’ Smokey). When Sun woke, she could understand English but could only speak Korean. Miles found that one a bit hard to swallow, too.

A kidnapped Jin wound up in Room 23, exposed to the subliminal messages the Dharma Initiative was so fond of back in season 3. But Charles Widmore tried to make up for the whole taking-Jin-by-force thing by allowing him a first look at his daughter, via photos on Sun’s digital camera. And “the package” of this episode’s title? It’s a who: Desmond! The gone-too-long time traveler appears to have been brought to the island on his father-in-law’s sub. It would seem that ol’ Des is going to prove a very important figure in the war that Locke Monster informed Widmore was now officially on.

“The End”: Per the producers, that’s the title of the series finale. And per Dae Kim, it’s going to blow fans’ minds. “It’s pretty amazing,” says the actor, who read his copy of the top-secret script last Thursday. “If you think about how many pieces the writers had to put together in order to make it fall into place, it’s mind-boggling, and they did such a great job. Some of the twists and turns are just so clever.”

He continued: “For me it was very satisfying. After I read it, I had to sit for five or 10 minutes, just reflecting and digesting, because it definitely makes an impact.”

With filming on the finale now underway, the actor is finding himself overcome with a myriad of emotions. “I definitely feel like a very important chapter in my life is coming to a close,” says Dae Kim, who’s already been cast in a starring role in CBS’s Hawaii Five-O remake. “It’s hard not to feel the weight of that. I’m looking back with great fondness and pride, and I’m also excited to move forward and start writing the next chapter.”

Tell us: Are you excited for the finale? What did you think of the Kwon’s episode? Do you think there’s significance to the fact that Sun looked at her reflection in the Sideways mirror, while Jin did not?

Jesse James Heads off to Rehab for Sex Addiction? COME ON!

Ok, first it was Tiger now it's Jesse James. Do these men honestly think that they can step out and cheat all over on their wives and then claim "sex addiction"? It's just laughable at this point that these jerks are trying to hide behind such a thing. Why not call it what it is - you're a male whore! (ok so you weren't getting paid but heck maybe the sex was your payment) You'd call a woman who sleeps around with people freely a slut so why not call it what it is.

Sandra Bullock’s husband, Jesse James, has checked into a treatment facility to “deal with his personal issues,” his rep tells People. “He realized that this time was crucial to help himself, help his family, and help save his marriage,” the rep is quoted as saying. The type of treatment facility was not disclosed. TMZ says they spoke with a therapist at Sierra Tucson rehab who confirms that James is at that facility, which specializes in drug, alcohol, and sex addiction. A source tells People James checked into the facility on March 26 and that it was “100 percent his own idea.”

Adding to James’ woes this week, a much talked about photo of him making a Nazi salute while wearing an SS officer’s hat is now making the rounds in the media.

Bullock, who has been married to James for almost five years, has reportedly moved out of their home since the revelation that he has engaged in at least four extramarital affairs. James has publicly apologized for bringing “pain and embarrassment beyond comprehension” upon his wife and children, though in his apology, he also claimed that the “vast majority of the allegations reported are untrue and unfounded.”

What's Ahead for Smallville?

Smallville’s ninth season finale will feature a cameo by one of TV’s most feared guest stars: The Grim Reaper. Sources confirm to me exclusively that producers of the everlasting superhero saga are planning to kill off a major castmember in the May 14 capper. And if the death of “Jimmy Olsen” last May taught us anything, it’s that no one — and I mean no one — is safe on Smallville. Okay, Clark is safe. But everyone else is fair game. A few characters are particularly vulnerable, which is my roundabout way of me saying the victim is listed after the jump!

I can confirm that one of these eight folks will be in grave danger come May 14:

* Lois: Okay, Clark and Lois are safe. But everyone else is fair game.

* Chloe: Allison Mack doesn’t have a contract for next season yet. Just putting that out there. Also, can you think of a more compelling hook to season 10 than Clark attempting to avenge the death of his BFF — a character who just so happens to live outside the jurisdiction of DC Comics’ mythos police?

* Lana: Rumor has it Kristin Kreuk was spotted on the Smallville set this week. Rumor also has it I fabricated the above rumor just to make trouble. Finally, there’s a rumor going around that one of the previous two rumors is 100 percent true. All joking aside, rumor has it KK is currently in Vancouver. Or is she? I’ve said too much!

* Perry: His return later this season is top-secret… so top-secret it makes one wonder.

* Martha: Her return later this season is top-secret… so top-secret it makes one wonder.

* Oliver: Green Arrow is a DC Comics property, but so was Jimmy Olsen. Death by loophole, perhaps?

* Tess: With Michael Rosenbaum attached to a new series, the odds of him returning as Lex have never been smaller. What does that mean for his placeholder? I imagine only bad things.

* Zod: He’s this season’s Big Bad. And by my calculations, this season is almost up.

So, who’s dying?! You can spend the next two months obsessing over in the comments section.