Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice, a number of U.S. states, and authorities in several other countries announced that they were filing lawsuits against Apple and six book publishers, alleging anticompetitive behavior in shifting to an Apple-backed agency model in which publishers set retail pricing and retailers such as Apple receive a 30% commission on the sales price.

Rather than settling the case as several of the publishers have opted to do, Apple has stood firm in its stance that the move did not represent collusion and price fixing but instead served as a way to give publishers control over pricing and break up Amazon’s near-monopoly in the e-book market.

Former Wall Street Journal publisher and Press+ founder Gordon Crovitz published a column over the weekend outlining how Apple’s plan for a 30% commission on publishers’ sales is merely its standard business practice, not any sort of collusion to fix prices in the market.

‘I don’t think you understand. We can’t treat newspapers or magazines any differently than we treat FarmVille.”

With those words, senior Apple executive Eddy Cue stuck to his take-it-or-leave-it business model of a 30% revenue share payable for transactions through the iTunes service. Despite my arguments to Mr. Cue in Apple’s Cupertino, Calif., offices last year on behalf of news publishers seeking different terms, to him there was no difference between a newspaper and an online game.

It was a sobering reminder that traditional media brands have no preferred place in the new digital world. It also should be the defense’s Exhibit A in the Justice Department’s antitrust case against Apple and book publishers: The 30% revenue-share model is Apple’s standard practice, not, as alleged by the government, the product of a conspiracy.

Crovitz goes on to outline how the U.S. government’s case against Apple and the publishers is misguided, with the agency model having been validated in numerous other industries by federal courts. And with the model looking exactly like that used for apps and other iTunes Store content, it suggests that Apple is not trying to accomplish anything special to gain control of the e-book market.

In fact, Crovitz notes that the e-book market has become significantly healthier since Apple’s agency model was adopted by the major publishers.

Over the past couple of years, thanks to the agency model, the Kindle’s market share has fallen to 60% [from 90% previously] thanks to competition from iPads and Barnes & Noble Nooks, and there is more variation in consumer prices, typically ranging from $ 5.95 to $ 14.95.

Pricing flexibility for publishers is necessary to allow innovation. Why shouldn’t some e-books cost 99 cents and others that come with video and hardcover editions be $ 49.95? Why not give people the option to pay 10% more to access an e-book on all e-readers? Consumers should decide, not Amazon or the Antitrust Division.

With settlements already looking at unwinding the agency model to allow Amazon to once again begin controlling the e-book market by leveraging its consistent $ 9.99 pricing to drive competitors out of business, investors have become increasingly skittish about Barnes & Noble and other retailers trying to stake out their positions in the market. Consequently, there are real fears among authors, publishers, and retailers that the federal government’s efforts are working quickly to restore an Amazon monopoly capable of bringing down its competitors.

Judging from the advertisements that line our email, all that women are attracted to are quick-fix facials, designer handbags for less or tarot card predictions. However inaccurate/accurate that might be, we also love walking in the rain, sunsets on a beach, chocolate fudge sundae for lunch, Roman Holiday, heritage structures, Pinterest, and hand-tossed pizzas. Then there is stock trading, Top Gear, politeness, Discovery Channel, a good read on a summer afternoon … you see, one of the best things about being a woman is not feeling the pressure of bowing to stereotypes, unlike men. If a woman’s fascination with vintage clothing is classy, so are her smooth skills at changing car tires. Right now though, let’s just look at the regular delights.

Women and Shopping
	With women, things are obviously far from obvious, and when one has to talk about what attracts them, it doesn’t veer very far from the S-word. Yes, even a slight mention of shopping can have the most tired woman reach out for her bag, and they’re out and about in a jiffy. Although there are a few women who go to great lengths to avoid it like the plague, most of them can happily run through a week of boss-bestowed insults or unceremonious breakups, only on the hope of a weekend shopping spree. To those of you who question the forever-lasting novelty of shopping, here’s the scientific dope – femdome’s obsession with the S-word is actually a relic of the bygone era when the men used to be hunters and the women were foragers. Chemically speaking, shopping releases the very wonderful dopamine in the female brain that gives them a real high, akin to, well, a real high.

Women and Shoes
	What is it with women and their crazy ambition to own a gazillion pairs of shoes? It would really be too easy to blame this obsession on Cinderella, but then let’s just examine what we have here, shall we? So, you slide your foot in it, the smooth satin lining inside caressing your foot as you do so. It fits you like a second skin, elevates you, and lends you that alluring strut. What’s more, it beautifies you in about five seconds, and never makes you look fat. These instant mood elevators are individually crafted for every woman, and have the power to make or break any outfit, designer or not. They can be conversation starters, inspire fetishes, and are femininity boosters. And to top it all, they can be used as weapons to shoo away unwanted attention. Has all the above satisfactorily answered your question?

Women and Makeup
	This one’s easy. Makeup is that one magical thing which quite literally holds the power to transform a woman; whether the transformation is for better or worse can be discussed on another day. To the uninitiated, makeup can simply be overwhelming. If you have to work hard to wear makeup that makes you look glamorous, you work twice as hard to wear makeup that gives you a makeup-free look. While the advocates of the natural look can have the luxury of reading the paper every morning, the wand brandishing divas are furiously donning layers of paint in order to get bigger eyes/shapely noses/sculpted cheeks, and what have you. Be it men or women, the quest for looking good has been imbibed into the human psyche quite naturally. And this is really the reason why women should never justify their need for anything that makes them look nice, be it insect venom facials or fish pedicures.

Women and Clothing
	Female vanity works in mysterious ways. Stereotypes force us to believe that the female mind feels that she can never have enough LBDs/skinny or boyfriend pants. On investigating further, one feels hard-pressed to know why the men never have to justify their obsession with cars or gadgets. But the mere mention of a woman who skips dinner for a month to buy that Hermès scarf she so desires, raises instant outrage. Coming back to women’s clothing fixation, you could connect this with the pleasurable act of preening and the desire to look good. Blame it on self-gratification, or on the desire to be noticed, flattering attire is what does it for women. On the other hand, for every woman who’s clueless about statement skirts and structured jackets, there will be another who will have these in teal and jade, with separate accessories to match for each. It really goes without saying that every woman is different, and to classify them all as clothes hoarding loonies would be asinine.

Women and Jewelry
	Ah! It would be a crime not to mention Marilyn Monroe’s declaration about women’s special friendship with diamonds right at the beginning, and the rest will be self-explanatory. Not trying to cut down on words here, but is there anything else which explains a woman’s fascination with sparklers more than this song from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? Going further, nothing screams status for a woman other than these stones. And this is the weapon they choose to elevate their status among other women; not the Gucci handbag, not the Vivienne Westwood dress, not the Jimmy Choos on her feet. Showing off is a joy we are all familiar with, gender notwithstanding. Guys, think of it as “my Aston Martin One-77″ against “your Ferrari Enzo”, and you’ll get the picture.

Women and Men
	Okay, let me just say it. What choice do women have? Women getting attracted to men is a major natural order, and let’s stop being nasty about the hunter clan and look at reasons other than natural. Well, umm …, there must be a few reasons. I’m sure there ought to be some reasons. Oh, right, here they are – some women choose to blame a man’s attractiveness on those fluctuating hormones, while the more serious ones claim temporary insanity. Alright, seriously, it’s so hard to pinpoint the qualities that women find striking in a man. It could range from pheromones to facial hair (eeew, I know, but it’s true), from kindness to vulnerability, from salaries to inheritance, from commitment desires to openness … it is impossible to generalize. To summarize, it isn’t really a good idea to break down and dissect what is really a beautiful and natural process called ‘attraction’.

When we are asked to speak of what attracts us, we usually tend to fall headfirst into the generalization trap. For scores of women who would nod in agreement to every obsession mentioned here, there will be a whole other lot turning their noses away from it. As a woman or a man, it all comes down to realizing where our happiness lies, and pursuing it without any traces of inhibition.

Havoc has lashed out at his Mobb Deep cohort Prodigy on Twitter.

In a lengthy Twitter rant, Havoc calls Prodigy a “fake Jay-Z,” making claims that P engaged in homosexual affairs while in prison. He also poked fun at P, stating that “he think him and Rihanna getting married” and that he would be too afraid to confront Havoc if he saw him.

According to Devi Dev, MTV’s Sway Calloway texted Havoc to confirm the tweets and Hav responded that they were “Very Real.” It could be possible that Havoc’s phone was stolen, but several sources have confirmed Havoc sent the tweets.

Read the Twitter diatribe in full below.

@prodigymobbdeep we got a meeting, lets see if u built to show ur face. prodigy abitch and I’m gonna show it, follow!! ground breaking new. i got niggas in the jail system to to back up that prodigy was fucking homes in jail. prodigy prove me wrong! please. i have a big announcement…. and niggas that was locked wit him know the truth. now i will silence…. and let the jails take care of the rest. thats on everything, i had to smack P ask him. prodigy u pussy! u long island ass bitch. I’m about to expose u! i can’t wait till niggas in jail that was wit u back my shit up!! next time i see u , u getting layer out, on camera!! i can’t wait! how u say u live in jersey, but right there in queens??? I’m on top of u… pause… foot on thy neck!!! in a minute…. niggas that was in the jail wit him gonna blow him up first hand.!!!! prodigy a hider not a rider. nothing hacked P homo y’all. no hack this havoc. P IS HIDING!!! IM GONNA SHOW U P GETTING KNOCKED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! WATCH HE TRY TO DODGE ME!! THINK ABOUT IT… HOW COULD HE SAY,,, QB MURDERERS ??? LETS DO A ONE ON ONE!!!!! ME AND P!!! HE SO BUTTTT HE WILL AVOID!!!! OH, ONE MORE THING, HE THINK HIM AND RIHANNA GETTING MARRIED!!!! LMFAOOOOOOOO. THIS50…. HOLLA AT ME XXL HOLLA AT ME P A FAKE JAY Z HOLLA BACK!!!!!

According to the most recent AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the average price of regular gas slipped two-tenths of a cent this week holding at a national average of $ 3.92 per gallon, seven cents lower than last year’s high of $ 3.99 and 15 cents below 2008′s record high of $ 4.11.

The AAA report compiled prices from more than 100,000 retail outlets across America and found that of the 10 states with prices over $ 4 a gallon, two of them (Michigan and Indiana) dropped below that mark this week bring the number down to (a still high but lower) eight.

Similarly, a survey conducted by the Energy Department this week found a modest 0.2-cent drop in the national price average. According to their data the department estimates the average hovering around $ 3.93 a gallon.

In a quote published by The Los Angeles Times, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com Patrick DeHaan said, “Gasoline prices in the hardest-hit areas have finally shown signs of relief, with prices falling now in Chicago as they have for a few weeks in California.”

Also quoted in the article, independent fuel price analyst Bob van der Valk told the Times he believes that if the we can get through the summer without any major hurricane damage and/or any new military conflicts in the Middle East, “we should see the average price for gasoline in the U.S. drop back down to under $ 3 per gallon.”

Possibly fueling some of the optimistic forecasts may well be the most recent report put out by the International Energy Agency (IEA.) In its report Thursday the IEA said, “The oil market has broken a two-year cycle of tightening supply conditions as demand growth weakens and top exporter Saudi Arabia increases output.”

The agency, which is an adviser on energy policy to most industrialized nations says there may already be a significant rise in global oil stocks due to the increased supply and slower demand growth.

Oil prices reached a high not seen since 2008 of $ 128.40 a barrel in the beginning of March mainly due to worries over recent sanctions imposed on Iranian oil exports. However, Thursday the market found oil hovering around $ 120 a barrel and according to the IEA may fall even further in the near future.

“Easing first quarter 2012 fundamentals have seen prices recently lose most of the $ 5 per barrel they gained in March. The muted impact so far is partly because much of this extra supply has been stockpiled on land or at sea,” said the agency.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) also agrees with the IEA findings. In its monthly report released on Thursday, (the same day as the IEA report) OPEC noticed signs as well that economic activity seemed to be stabilizing with both reports forecasting oil demand growth this year between 800,000-860,000 barrels per day, roughly unchanged from last year.

However, even considering the production increase in Saudi Arabia offsetting the lack of supply from Iran, OPEC caution that the “U.S. oil demand remains a key uncertainty to the existing demand assessment. The upcoming driving season might be affected by high retail gasoline prices and the pace of the economic recovery.”

The IEA also warns, “We cannot discount the possibility that prices will remain high so long as geopolitical uncertainties remain.”

All in all, most experts say that the global oil market is very complicated and at times highly difficult to predict due to the vast number of variables to be considered for total accuracy and a completely reliable assessment.

Powered by the cute and insane WordPress.com VIP. Entries (RSS).

By using this site, you are agreeing by the site’s terms of use and privacy policy. I Can Has Cheezburger?, FAIL Blog, Memebase, Cheezburger, The Daily What, Know Your Meme, and Lolmart are trademarks of Cheezburger, Inc. Legal Information.
© 2007-2012 Cheezburger, Inc.