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 How easy would it be for a thief to guess your four-digit PIN? If he were forced to guess randomly, his odds of getting the correct number would be one in 10,000—or, if he has three tries, one in 3,333. But if you were careless enough to choose your birth date, a year in the 1900s, or an obvious numerical sequence, his chances go up. Way up.

 Will Oremus Will Oremus is Slate’s senior technology writer. Email him at will.oremus@slate.com or follow him on Twitter.

 Researchers at the data analysis firm Data Genetics have found that the three most popular combinations—"1234," "1111," and "0000"—account for close to 20 percent of all four-digit passwords. Meanwhile, every four-digit combination that starts with "19" ranks above the 80th percentile in popularity, with those in the late—er, upper—1900s coming in the highest. Also quite common are MM/DD combinations—those in which the first two digits are between "01" and "12" and the last two are between "01" and "31." So choosing your birthday, your birth year, or a number that might be a lot of other people's birthday or birth year makes your password significantly easier to guess.

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 On the other end of the scale, the least popular combination—8068—appears less than 0.001 percent of the time. (Although, as Data Genetics acknowledges, you probably shouldn't go out and choose "8068" now that this is public information.) Rounding out the bottom five are "8093," "9629," "6835," and "7637," which all nearly as rare.

 Data Genetics came up with the numbers by analyzing a database of 3.4 million stolen passwords that have been made public over the years. Most of these are passwords for websites. But by looking specifically at those that comprise exactly four characters, all of which are numerals, the researchers figured they could get a decent proxy for ATM PINs as well.

 One would hope, of course, that fewer people choose "1234" to protect their checking accounts than to log in to random websites. But Data Genetics found some circumstantial evidence to support its hypothesis that there are some strong correlations between the two. For instance, the combination "2580" was the 22nd-most popular in their data set. Why so high? Probably because those four numbers appear in a single column from top to bottom on a phone or ATM keypad. On most computer keyboards, they do not.

 Some other interesting anedcotes from the data:

 Half of all passwords are among the 426 most popular (out of 10,000 total).

 People prefer even numbers to odd, so "2468" ranks higher than "1357."

 Far more passwords start with "1" than any other number. In a distant second and third are "0" and "2."

 Among seven-digit passwords, the fourth-most popular is "8675309," which should ring familiar to fans of '80s music.

 The 17th-most popular 10-digit password is "3141592654."

 Two-digit sequences with large numerical gaps, such as "29" and "37," are found often among the least popular passwords. ||||| PIN analysis

 A good friend of mine, Ian, recently forwarded me an internet joke. The headline was something like: “All credit card PIN numbers in the World leaked” The body of the message simply said 0000 0001 0002 0003 0004 …

 Ian’s messages made me chuckle. Then, later the same day, I read this XKCD cartoon. The merging of these two humorous topics created the seed for this article.

 I love Randall’s work. My favorite, to date, is this one. I have a signed copy of it on my office wall. Like many of his creations, this cartoon is excellent at bifurcating readers; people read it, then either smile and chuckle, or stare blankly at it followed by a “Huh? I don’t get it!” comment. Then you explain it, and get a reply “Yeeaaaaaa…no, I still don’t get it!” Esoteric humor in action. You can be cool and buy his signed artwork too.

 What is the least common PIN number?

 There are 10,000 possible combinations that the digits 0-9 can be arranged to form a 4-digit pin code. Out of these ten thousand codes, which is the least commonly used? Which of these pin codes is the least predictable? Which of these pin codes is the most predictable? If you were given the task of trying to crack a random credit card by repeatedly trying PIN codes, what order should you try guessing to maximize your chances of selecting the correct number in the shortest time?

 If you had to make predication about what the least commonly used 4-digit PIN is, what would be your guess?

 This tangentially relates to the XKCD cartoon. In Randall’s cartoon, the perpetrator’s plan backfired because his selected license plate was so unique that it was very memorable. What is the least memorable license plate? Ask any spy you know (snigger) what the best way to blend into a crowd is. Their answer will be not stand out, to appear “normal”, and not be notable in any way.

 People are notoriously bad at generating random passwords. I hope this article will scare you into being a little more careful in how you select your next PIN number. Are you curious about what the least commonly used PIN number might be? How about the most popular? Read on …

 DISCLAIMER

 This article is not intended to be a hacker bible, or to be used as a utility, resource, or tool to help would-be thieves perform nefarious actions. I will only disclose data sufficient to make my points, and will try to avoid giving specific data outside of the obvious examples. I do not want to be an enabler for script-kiddies. Please do not email me asking for the database I used; if you do, you will be wasting your time as I’m not going to respond. I’m not going to sell, donate or release the source data – don’t ask!

 Source

 Obviously, I don’t have access to a credit card PIN number database. Instead I’m going to use a proxy. I’m going to use data condensed from released/exposed/discovered password tables and security breaches.

 Soap Box – Password Database Exposures

 Over the years, there have been numerous password table security breaches: Some very high profile, some low profile, but all embarrassing (and many exceedingly expensive; both in direct fines and indirect loss of business through erosion of trust and reputation). Fool me once, well, no, even that’s not really acceptable, but fool me twice … I’ll go even further: Any developer who stores the password table of their database in clear text should be so mortified by this lack of security that they should not be sleeping at night until they fix it. Ignoring the fact that you should never have ever coded it this way, you have an obligation to learn from these past breaches. If you work for a company and are knowledgeable that your customer database is “protected” by such lightweight security then run, don’t walk, to your CEO/Presidents office, pound on the door and insist (s)he puts out a mandate to fix the matter with extreme prejudice. Don’t leave until you get an affirmative response. Badger, badger then badger them again. Make yourself a proverbial thorn in their side.

 I’m not trying to sell my services as a consultant here (though if you are interested, my rates are very reasonable compared to the cost of legal defense, potential FTC sanctions, class action suits, shareholder backlash, fines, loss of reputation and business …) There are plenty of security experts in the industry who can help you (if you need help filtering them and don’t have referrals, someone who has CISSP qualifications is a good place to start).

 Bottom line Security strengthens with layers, and the simple application of encryption on your database table can help protect your customer’s data if this table is exposed. It does not defend against all possible attacks, but it does nothing but good things. What possible reason is there store things in clear-text?

 Back to the data

 By combining the exposed password databases I’ve encountered, and filtering the results to just those rows that are exactly four digits long [0-9] the output is a database of all the four digit character combinations that people have used as their account passwords.

 Given that users have a free choice for their password, if users select a four digit password to their online account, it’s not a stretch to use this as a proxy for four digit PIN codes.

 The Data

 I was able to find almost 3.4 million four digit passwords. Every single one of the of the 10,000 combinations of digits from 0000 through to 9999 were represented in the dataset.

 The most popular password is 1234 …

 … it’s staggering how popular this password appears to be. Utterly staggering at the lack of imagination …

 … nearly 11% of the 3.4 million passwords are 1234 !!!

 The next most popular 4-digit PIN in use is 1111 with over 6% of passwords being this. In third place is 0000 with almost 2%. A table of the top 20 found passwords in shown at the right. A staggering 26.83% of all passwords could be guessed by attempting these 20 combinations! (Statistically, with 10,000 possible combination, if passwords were uniformly randomly distributed, we would expect the these twenty passwords to account for just 0.2% of the total, not the 26.83% encountered) Looking more closely at the top few records, all the usual suspects are present 1111 2222 3333 … 9999 as well as 1212 and (snigger) 6969 . It’s not a surprise to see patterns like 1122 and 1313 occurring high up in the list, nor 4321 or 1010 . 2001 makes an appearance at #19. 1984 follows not far behind in position #26, and James Bond fans may be interested to know 0007 is found between the two of them in position #23 (another variant 0070 follows not much further behind at #28). PIN Freq #1 1234 10.713% #2 1111 6.016% #3 0000 1.881% #4 1212 1.197% #5 7777 0.745% #6 1004 0.616% #7 2000 0.613% #8 4444 0.526% #9 2222 0.516% #10 6969 0.512% #11 9999 0.451% #12 3333 0.419% #13 5555 0.395% #14 6666 0.391% #15 1122 0.366% #16 1313 0.304% #17 8888 0.303% #18 4321 0.293% #19 2001 0.290% #20 1010 0.285%

 The first “puzzling” password I encountered was 2580 in position #22. What is the significance of these digits? Why should so many people select this code to make it appear so high up the list?

 Then I realized that 2580 is a straight down the middle of a telephone keypad! (Interestingly, this is very compelling evidence confirming the hypothesis that a 4-digit password list is a great proxy for a PIN number database. If you look at the numeric keypad on a PC-keyboard you’ll see that 2580 is slightly more awkward to type on the PC than a phone because the order of keys on a keyboard is the inverted. Cash machines and other terminals that take credit cards use a phone style numeric pads. It appears that many people have an easy to type/remember PIN number for their credit card and are re-using the same four digits for their online passwords, where the "straight down the middle" mnemonic no longer applies).

 (Another fascinating piece of trivia is that people seem to prefer even numbers over odd, and codes like 2468 occur higher than a odd number equivalent, such as 1357 ).

 Cumulative Frequency

 As noted above, the more popular password selections dominate the frequency tables. The most popular PIN code of 1234 is more popular than the lowest 4,200 codes combined!

 That's right, you might be able to crack over 10% of all codes with one guess! Expanding this, you could get 20% by using just five numbers!

 Below is a cumulative frequency graph:

 Statistically, one third of all codes can be guessed by trying just 61 distinct combinations!

 The 50% cumulative chance threshold is passed at just 426 codes (far less than the 5,000 that a random uniformly distribution would predict). Paranoid yet?

 Bottom of the pile

 OK, we've investigated most frequently used PINS and found they tend to be predictable and easy to remember, let's turn for a second to the bottom of the pile. What are the least "interesting" (least used) PINS? In my dataset the answer is 8068 with just 25 occurrences in 3.4 million (this equates to 0.000744%, far, far fewer than random distribution would predict, and five orders of magnitude behind the most popular choice). To the right are the twenty least popular 4-digit passwords encountered. Warning Now that we’ve learned that, historically, 8068 is (was?) the least commonly used password 4-digit PIN, please don’t go out and change yours to this! Hackers can read too! They will also be promoting 8068 up their attempt trees in order to catch people who read this (or similar) articles. Check out about the Nash Equilibrium PIN Freq #9980 8557 0.001191% #9981 9047 0.001161% #9982 8438 0.001161% #9983 0439 0.001161% #9984 9539 0.001161% #9985 8196 0.001131% #9986 7063 0.001131% #9987 6093 0.001131% #9988 6827 0.001101% #9989 7394 0.001101% #9990 0859 0.001072% #9991 8957 0.001042% #9992 9480 0.001042% #9993 6793 0.001012% #9994 8398 0.000982% #9995 0738 0.000982% #9996 7637 0.000953% #9997 6835 0.000953% #9998 9629 0.000953% #9999 8093 0.000893% #10000 8068 0.000744%

 Memorable Years

 Many of the high frequency PIN numbers can be interpreted as years, e.g. 1967 1956 1937 … It appears that many people use a year of birth (or possibly an anniversary) as their PIN. This will certainly help them remember their code, but it greatly increases its predictability.

 Just look at the stats: Every single 19?? combination can be found in the top fifth of the dataset!

 Below is a plot of this in graphical format. In this chart, each yellow line represents a PIN number that starts 19??

 If all the passwords were uniformly distributed, there should be no significant difference between the frequency of occurrence of, for instance, 1972 and any other PIN ending in seventy two ??72 . However, as we shall see, this is not the case at all.

 1972 occurs in ordinal position #76 (with a frequency 0.099363%). Here’s a histogram for the occurrences of all ??72 probabilities.

 You can clearly see the spike at 1972 (with smaller spikes at 7272 and 1472 )

 If you calculate the ratio of the peak of 1972 to the average of all the other ??72 PINS you get the ratio of 22:1

 PINS starting with 19?? are much more likley to occur. Of course, it’s not just 1972. Here is plot of the ratio of 19 to non-19 for all hundred combinations. Along the x-axis are all the combinations of last two digits –XX, and for each of these the ratio of the 19XX to average of all the other ??XX occurrences has been calculated. Here’s the chart:

 It's a pretty good approximation for a demographic chart! (suggested by the red-dashed trend line) which would probably allow a fair estimation of the ages (years of birth) of the people using the various websites. (Of course, hackers invert this strategy and use the age of a target to try and give information to guess a user's PIN. Looking at this graph, this might give them up to a 40x advantage!)

 Just about all the ratios are above 1.0 . The noteable exceptions are ??34 and ??00 (which are easy to explain, since the massive popularity of 1234 and 0000 dwarf 1934 and 1900 respectively). Simiarly 33 44 55 66 … are lower than expected as the quad codes like 3333 mask out even the 1933 boost.

 There are also spikes in the graph corresponding to the popular PINS of 1919 1984 and 1999

 Patterns in data

 I love pretty ways to graphically vizualize data. Pictures really do paint thousands of words. Another interesting way to visualize the PIN data is in this grid plot of the distribution. In this heatmap, the x-axis depicts the left two digits from [00] to [99] and the y-axis depicts the right two digits from [00] to [99] . The bottom left is 0000 and the top right is 9999 . Color is used to represent frequency. The higher frequency occurences are yellow to white hot, and the lower frequency occurences are red, through dark red to black. Geek Note The scaling is logarithmic.

 You could look at this plot all day!

 The bright line for the leading diagonal shows the repeated couplets that people love to use for their PIN numbers 0000 0101 0202 … 5454 5555 5656 … 9898 9999 .

 Every eleventh dot on the leading diagonal is brighter corresponding to the quad numbers e.g. 4444 5555 . Here is a larger scale version:

 Interesting things

 There are so many interesting things to learn from this heatmap. Here are just a couple:

 The first is the interesting harmonics of shading (seen here more easily in a gray scale plot). You can make out a “grid pattern” in the plot. The lighter areas corresponding to couplets of numbers that are close to each other. For some reason, people don't like to select pairs of numbers that have larger numerical gaps between them. Combinations like 45 and 67 occur much more frequently than things like 29 and 37 Here we see the line corresponding to 19XX . The intensity the dots relates to the chart we plotted earlier There are a large number of codes starting with 19, especially towards the higher end. There is a strong bias towards the lower left quadrant. People love to start their PIN numbers with 0 , and even more so with the digit 1 . The chart on the right shows the relative frequency of the first digit of 4-digit pin codes. As you can see, the digit 1 dominates (and it's not all down to the 19XX phenomenon.) Little bright specs dot the plot in places corresponding to numerical runs (both ascending and descending) such as 2345 , 4321 and 5678 . I've highlighted just a couple on the plot to the left. Jumps in steps of two are also visible e.g. 2468

 Repeated-pair couplets of numbers are very common, such as XYXY The hundred sets of repeating couplet pairs represent a staggering 17.8% of all observed PIN numbers.

 More than four

 The purpose of this posting was to investigate patterns and frequency of four digit PIN numbers. However, the database I collected also has all-numeric password of different lengths. It's worth taking a quick look at these too.

 I found close to 7 million all-numeric passwords. Approximately half of these were the four-digit codes we've just examined.

 Six digit codes are the next most popular length, followed eight.

 I hope, hope that the people who have passwords of nine digits long are not using their Social Security Numbers!

 Below are the top 20 passwords for the various lengths, along with their share of their same-size namespace.

 # 5 6 7 8 9 10 PSWD % PSWD % PSWD % PSWD % PSWD % PSWD % #1 12345 22.802% 123456 11.684% 1234567 3.440% 12345678 11.825% 123456789 35.259% 1234567890 20.431% #2 11111 4.484% 123123 1.370% 7777777 1.721% 11111111 1.326% 987654321 3.661% 0123456789 2.323% #3 55555 1.769% 111111 1.296% 1111111 0.637% 88888888 0.959% 123123123 1.587% 0987654321 2.271% #4 00000 1.258% 121212 0.623% 8675309 0.465% 87654321 0.815% 789456123 1.183% 1111111111 2.087% #5 54321 1.196% 123321 0.591% 1234321 0.220% 00000000 0.675% 999999999 0.825% 1029384756 1.293% #6 13579 1.112% 666666 0.577% 0000000 0.188% 12341234 0.569% 147258369 0.591% 9876543210 0.971% #7 77777 0.618% 000000 0.521% 4830033 0.158% 69696969 0.348% 741852963 0.455% 0000000000 0.942% #8 22222 0.454% 654321 0.506% 7654321 0.154% 12121212 0.320% 111111111 0.425% 1357924680 0.479% #9 12321 0.412% 696969 0.454% 5201314 0.128% 11223344 0.293% 123454321 0.413% 1122334455 0.441% #10 99999 0.397% 112233 0.417% 0123456 0.124% 12344321 0.275% 123654789 0.378% 1234512345 0.402% #11 33333 0.338% 159753 0.283% 2848048 0.124% 77777777 0.262% 147852369 0.356% 1234554321 0.380% #12 00700 0.261% 292513 0.250% 7005425 0.120% 99999999 0.223% 111222333 0.304% 5555555555 0.259% #13 90210 0.244% 131313 0.235% 1080413 0.111% 22222222 0.219% 963852741 0.255% 1212121212 0.244% #14 88888 0.217% 123654 0.228% 7895123 0.107% 55555555 0.205% 321654987 0.253% 9999999999 0.231% #15 38317 0.216% 222222 0.212% 1869510 0.102% 33333333 0.176% 420420420 0.241% 2222222222 0.219% #16 09876 0.185% 789456 0.209% 3223326 0.100% 44444444 0.165% 007007007 0.227% 7777777777 0.206% #17 44444 0.179% 999999 0.194% 1212123 0.096% 66666666 0.160% 135792468 0.164% 3141592654 0.195% #18 98765 0.169% 101010 0.190% 1478963 0.088% 11112222 0.140% 397029049 0.158% 3333333333 0.186% #19 01234 0.160% 777777 0.188% 2222222 0.085% 13131313 0.131% 012345678 0.154% 7894561230 0.165% #20 42069 0.154% 007007 0.186% 5555555 0.082% 10041004 0.127% 123698745 0.152% 1234567891 0.161%

 Some interesting observations (and a little speculation)

 For five digit passwords, users appear to have even less imagination in selecting their codes (22.8% select 12345). All the usual suspects occur, but a new addition is the puerile addition in position #20 of the concatenation of 420 and 69.

 For six digit password, again 696969 appears highly. Also of note is 159753 (a "X" mark over the numeric keypad). James Bond returns with 007007.

 For seven digits, the standby of 1234567 is a much lower frequency (though still the top). I speculate that this is because many people may be using their telephone number (without area code) as a seven digit password. Telephone numbers are fairly distinct, and already memorized, so when a seven digit code is needed, they spring to mind easily. The higher frequency of usage of telephone numbers reduces the need to use imagination (or lack thereof) and select something else.

 Is Jenny there? The fouth most popular seven digit password is 8675309 (It's a popular 80's song).

 Eight digit passwords are just as expected. Lots of pattern, and lots of repetition.

 Common nine digit passwords also follow patterns and repetition. 789456123 appears as an easy "Along the top, middle and bottom of the keypad" 147258369 is related in the vertical direction (and other variants appear high up). Again we get a 420 moment with 420420420, and also the shaken, not stirred, but repeated 007007007 returns.

 Interestingly for ten digits 1029384756 appears (alternating ascending/descending digits), as well as the odd/even 1357924680.

 Hurrah for math! In position #17 of the ten digit password list we get 3141592654 (The first few digits of Pi)

 Conclusions

 If you are a developer , tester or executive I hope you are sufficiently paranoid that you will immediately check to see that your systems do not store sensitive information, like passwords, unencrypted. The entire reason I was able to perform this analysis is because dumb stupid and lazy coders stored information in clear text. Your lazyness has the potential to impact millions. If you are a consumer and your recognize any of the numbers I've used in this article to be your passwords/pins I hope you apply common sense and immediately change them to something a little less predictable. Alternatively, you could be lazy and not change things (In that case, at least the only person you are harming with this apathy is yourself.)

 Updates

 Since publishing this article, it's been brought to my attention that, of course, in addition to anniversary years, many people encapsulate dates in the format MMDD (such as birthdays …) for their PIN codes.

 This clearly explains the lower left corner where, if you look at the heatmap, there is a huge contrast change at the height of around 30-31 (the number of days in a month), extending to 12 on the x-axis. (Thanks to zero79 for first pointing this out).

 Many people also asked the significance of 1004 in the four character PIN table. This comes from Korean speakers. When spoken, "1004" is cheonsa (cheon = 1000, sa=4).

 "Cheonsa" also happens to be the Korean word for Angel.

 Another XKCD cartoon

 It only seems appropriate to end with another XKCD cartoon. This one is Password Strength

 You can find a complete list of all the articles here. Click here to receive email alerts on new articles. |||||Summary:

– Sorry to ruin your afternoon, but that PIN number you picked—probably a birthday, month/day combo, or year in the 1900s—is among the easiest for thieves to guess. And if you chose "1234," "1111," or "0000," consider your bank account a slush fund for anyone who steals your card. The firm Data Genetics looked through a database of stolen passwords—mostly for websites—and ranked the popularity of PIN codes, Slate reports. A few tidbits: The least popular PIN is 8068, used in less than 0.001% of passwords. But with that information now public, it may not be the best choice. The next four least-chosen codes are 8093, 9629, 6835, and 7637. People tend to like using even numbers rather than odd. 22nd-most popular is 2580. You can figure out why by looking at your phone keypad and seeing which numbers run down the middle. Click for the full article, or go straight to the research.


SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — The San Francisco home made famous in the 1993 movie “Mrs. Doubtfire” was apparently the target of a suspicious fire on Monday night.

 Authorities were called to the home on Broadway and Steiner Street around 8 p.m. after someone reportedly tried to set fire to the home’s garage door and front door. An accelerant, such as gasoline, was possibly used.

 Police remained on the scene until shortly past 11:00 p.m. Monday. No suspects have been identified.

 The home, which was the setting for the film starring Robin Williams, regained notoriety last August after the actor and comedian’s death. The front of the home became a memorial to Williams, as fans dropped off flowers and placed notes.

 Dr. Douglas Ousterhout, a plastic surgeon, currently owns the home.

 The doctor told police that he is having problems with a former client, but is not sure who is responsible for the fire. ||||| An arsonist targeted a San Francisco home used in the comedy blockbuster "Mrs. Doubtfire," police said early Tuesday. Officials launched an investigation after the iconic Pacific Heights residence had its doormat set ablaze at 8 p.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) on Monday night, a San Francisco Police official told NBC News. The home was used in the filming of the 1993 movie starring actor Robin Williams, who took his own life in August last year.

 The home is now owned by a doctor who has been a pioneer in facial feminization surgeries. However, a police department official said the incident did not appear to be a hate crime.

 The Pacific Heights home used in the filming of the movie "Mrs. Doubtfire" served as a makeshift memorial site following the death of Robin Williams. Eric Risberg / AP

 In-Depth

 - Andrew Blankstein ||||| Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close

 Image 1 of 30 Buy photo Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire. less Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 2 of 30 Buy photo Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire. less Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 3 of 30 Buy photo Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire. less Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 4 of 30 Buy photo Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire. less Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 5 of 30 Buy photo Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire. less Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 6 of 30 Buy photo Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire. less Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 7 of 30 Buy photo After a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire, a fading message from a fan sits in front of the house on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. After a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire, a fading message from a fan sits in front of the house on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 8 of 30 Buy photo Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire. less Local news crews check out the scene at Steiner and Broadway Streets on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif, after a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 9 of 30 Buy photo After a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire, a fading message from a fan sits in front of the house on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. After a suspected arson set small fires to the house used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire, a fading message from a fan sits in front of the house on Tuesday Jan. 06, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 10 of 30 Outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA.

 Outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Photo: Craig Hudson / The Chronicle

 Image 11 of 30 Robin Williams in "Mrs. Doubtfire." Robin Williams in "Mrs. Doubtfire." Photo: 20th Century Fox, Getty Images

 Image 12 of 30 Robin Williams was 'Mrs. Doubtfire' on a cable car and locations all over S.F. Robin Williams was 'Mrs. Doubtfire' on a cable car and locations all over S.F. Photo: Handout

 Image 13 of 30 This large San Francisco Victorian was the family’s home in "Mrs. Doubtfire,” directed by S.F. resident Chris Columbus. Shown is star Mara Wilson there in 2000. This large San Francisco Victorian was the family’s home in "Mrs. Doubtfire,” directed by S.F. resident Chris Columbus. Shown is star Mara Wilson there in 2000. Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

 Image 14 of 30 Mrs. Doubtfire: Robin Williams plays an eccentric dad who dresses up as a female nanny. Mrs. Doubtfire: Robin Williams plays an eccentric dad who dresses up as a female nanny.

 Image 15 of 30 The house that was used in the movie "Mrs. Doubtfire." The house that was used in the movie "Mrs. Doubtfire."

 Image 16 of 30 Buy photo People stand outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. People stand outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 17 of 30 Buy photo Flowers and letters line the steps of the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Flowers and letters line the steps of the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 18 of 30 Buy photo pay respects to comedian and actor Robin Williams outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. pay respects to comedian and actor Robin Williams outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 19 of 30 Outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson / The Chronicle

 Image 20 of 30 Buy photo Caitlin Kerton adjusts her flowers after taking a picture with friend Samantha McMullen outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. less Caitlin Kerton adjusts her flowers after taking a picture with friend Samantha McMullen outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in ... more Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 21 of 30 Buy photo Flowers and letters line the steps of the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Flowers and letters line the steps of the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 22 of 30 Buy photo A woman lays flowers and a card on the steps of the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. A woman lays flowers and a card on the steps of the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 23 of 30 FILE - This Nov. 8, 2012 file photo shows Robin Williams performing at the 6th Annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit concert for injured service members and veterans in New York. Williams, whose free-form comedy and adept impressions dazzled audiences for decades, has died in an apparent suicide. He was 63. The Marin County Sheriff's Office said Williams was pronounced dead at his home in California on Monday, Aug. 11, 2014. The sheriff's office said a preliminary investigation showed the cause of death to be a suicide due to asphyxia. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, FIle) less FILE - This Nov. 8, 2012 file photo shows Robin Williams performing at the 6th Annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit concert for injured service members and veterans in New York. Williams, whose free-form comedy ... more Photo: Charles Sykes, Associated Press

 Image 24 of 30 FILE - This June 15, 2007 file photo shows actor and comedian Robin Williams posing for a photo in Santa Monica, Calif. Williams, whose free-form comedy and adept impressions dazzled audiences for decades, died Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, in an apparent suicide. Williams was 63. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File) less FILE - This June 15, 2007 file photo shows actor and comedian Robin Williams posing for a photo in Santa Monica, Calif. Williams, whose free-form comedy and adept impressions dazzled audiences for decades, died ... more Photo: Reed Saxon, Associated Press

 Image 25 of 30 Buy photo Samantha McMullen takes a photo of flowers as her friend Caitlin Kerton looks on outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. less Samantha McMullen takes a photo of flowers as her friend Caitlin Kerton looks on outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his ... more Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 26 of 30 Buy photo Jordan Ansell pays respects to comedian and actor Robin Williams outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Jordan Ansell pays respects to comedian and actor Robin Williams outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 27 of 30 Buy photo People pay respects to comedian and actor Robin Williams outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. People pay respects to comedian and actor Robin Williams outside the Mrs. Doubtfire house on August 11, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. Robin Williams was found dead this morning in his Tiburon home. Photo: Craig Hudson, The Chronicle Buy this photo

 Image 28 of 30 Robin Williams was 'Mrs. Doubtfire' on a cable car and locations all over S.F. Robin Williams was 'Mrs. Doubtfire' on a cable car and locations all over S.F. Photo: Handout

 Image 29 of 30 2640 Steiner, Pacific Heights This large San Francisco Victorian was the family’s home in "Mrs. Doubtfire,” directed by S.F. resident Chris Columbus. Shown is star Mara Wilson there in 2000. 2640 Steiner, Pacific Heights This large San Francisco Victorian was the family’s home in "Mrs. Doubtfire,” directed by S.F. resident Chris Columbus. Shown is star Mara Wilson there in 2000. Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle |||||
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– The home used in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire had a close call with an arsonist last night, say police in San Francisco. Someone used gasoline to set fires at the front door and the garage, but the homeowner smelled smoke and was able to quickly douse the flames, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Damage was said to be minimal. The Pacific Heights home not only became famous in the movie, it turned into an impromptu memorial for Williams after his death, as fans left flowers and mementos, notes CBS Local. Investigators don't seem to think the attempted arson has anything to do with Williams or the movie, however. The current owner is Douglas Ousterhout, a surgeon renowned for his facial feminization procedures for transgender patients. A police official tells NBC News that the incident doesn't appear to be a hate crime. Ousterhout reportedly has had trouble with a former client, and police are investigating whether there's a link.


News article:

Yet Rodman said Monday that he has not spoken with Trump in a while, and criticized the president for his frequent Twitter tirades against Kim. “I would love for Donald Trump to call me and say, ‘What is he like?’” Rodman said. “He’s never met him, he’s never talked with his people.… You can say [Kim] is crazy, but what has he done to you? What has he done in general?” ||||| Dennis Rodman Busted for DUI

 Dennis Rodman Arrested for DUI (UPDATE)

 EXCLUSIVE

 10:10 AM PT -- Rodman's rep tells TMZ, "Alcoholism has been a struggle on and off for Dennis the past 15 years," adding he's been going through some "tough personal issues." The rep says he's going to talk to Dennis about going back to rehab.

 Dennis Rodman has been arrested for DUI ... TMZ has learned.

 Rodman was driving in Newport Beach Saturday at around 11 PM when cops pulled him over for a traffic violation. Cops administered a field sobriety test, which he flunked. He was handcuffed, put in a patrol car and taken to the police station.

 We're told Rodman was cooperative and submitted to a breathalyzer test, and he blew over the .08 legal limit.

 Rodman remained in jail for 7 hours, and when police determined he was sober enough to care for himself he was released.

 Rodman was busted for DUI back in 1999. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Dennis Rodman was pulled over late Saturday in Southern California, where police allege he was driving under the influence. USA Today reports the five-time NBA championship winner was first stopped by cops in Newport Beach around 11pm for vehicle code violations before officers began a DUI investigation. According to reports, Rodman was given a breathalyzer test before being arrested and booked into Newport Beach Jail. The legal limit in California is .08, but police did not release Rodman's test results. TMZ reports the 56-year-old was cooperative and that he remained in custody for seven hours before officials determined he'd sobered up enough to go home. Rodman was previously arrested on DUI charges in 1999 and 2003. "Alcoholism has been a struggle on and off for Dennis the past 15 years," a rep for Rodman told TMZ on Sunday. Rodman retired in 2000 after 14 seasons in the NBA. More recently, he's made headlines for his unlikely bond with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Just last month, the LA Times reported that Rodman wanted to arrange a diplomatic basketball game between North Korea and Guam, a US territory. “The people in Guam are all about it. They love it," he said while on what he called a "humanitarian" tour of Asia aimed at bridging the rift in US-DPRK relations. With President Trump and Kim Jong Un trading fiery rhetoric, Rodman used the occasion of his fifth and most recent North Korea visit to present a state official with a copy of Trump's The Art of the Deal in June.


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 This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| The upcoming film “Blind,” starring Alec Baldwin as a novelist who loses his sight in a car crash, has drawn criticism for casting an able-bodied actor as the blind lead.

 The Ruderman Family Foundation, a leading organization advocating for disability rights, spoke out against the film, accusing it of “crip-face” — a comparison to blackface — in having Baldwin portray the main role. The private philanthropic group is known for advocating on behalf of casting disabled actors.

 “Alec Baldwin in ‘Blind’ is just the latest example of treating disability as a costume,” Jay Ruderman, the foundation’s president, said in a statement to the L.A. Times. “We no longer find it acceptable for white actors to portray black characters. Disability as a costume needs to also become universally unacceptable.”

 Last summer, the foundation released findings that reveal although those with disabilities represent almost 20% of the country’s population, 95% of disabled characters on television are played by able-bodied performers. The Ruderman Family also criticized the 2016 romantic drama “Me Before You” for casting Sam Claflin as a young banker who was left paralyzed from an accident.

 The trailer for “Blind” was released Wednesday, and co-stars Demi Moore as a married socialite who cares for Baldwin’s character as part of a plea bargain. The two develop a love affair, leaving Moore’s character to choose between Baldwin’s and her husband.

 The film, directed by Michael Mailer, premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival on Oct. 13. It is scheduled to release worldwide on July 14 by Vertical Entertainment. |||||Summary:

– A disability rights organization that often takes Hollywood to task for casting able-bodied actors to play the physically challenged is slamming the upcoming movie Blind. The Ruderman Family Foundation faulted Alec Baldwin's portrayal as a novelist who loses his sight in a car crash, reports the Los Angeles Times. Calling the casting of a blind character by an able-bodied actor "crip-face," President Jay Ruderman draws a direct parallel to blackface. Baldwin's casting "is just the latest example of treating disability as a costume," he says in a statement. "We no longer find it acceptable for white actors to portray black characters. Disability as a costume needs to also become universally unacceptable." Neither Baldwin nor director Michael Mailer have commented. Blind co-stars Demi Moore as a married socialite who falls for Baldwin after she begins reading to him as part of community service. Vertical Entertainment released the trailer Wednesday, notes Variety, and the film is set for release on July 14. Last July, the Ruderman foundation released a report showing that although disabled people comprise 20% of the US population, some 95% of disabled roles on TV go to able-bodied actors. Marlee Matlin later told a Ruderman-organized conference, "There is something wrong with this picture," she said, per the Times. "We as an industry keep talking about diversity … but, sadly, when we start speaking about diversity, disability seems to be left out far too often." (One very real struggle for Baldwin: Lyme disease.)


Here is a news article: An NBC worker who posted old footage from the "Today" show of the hosts wondering, "What is the Internet anyway?" has been fired, the network confirmed, saying the person had a history of distributing material without permission.The footage, in which Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel and Elizabeth Vargas try to figure out the Internet and e-mail addresses, made the rounds via said Internet last week, posted and re-posted to Facebook pages and sent via e-mail.Filmed in 1994, the clip features Gumbel demanding, with a befuddled expression: "What is the Internet anyway?" and Couric stumbling to define it as: "that massive computer network, the one that's becoming really big now."In a statement, NBC confirmed it fired the employee responsible for first distributing the footage."The individual in question violated the company's standards of conduct by repeatedly copying and distributing a variety of materials without permission," the statement said. It was reported on media-watching websites including All Things Digital and PaidContent In the clip, Gumbel also complains about e-mail addresses, particularly "that little mark with the 'a' and the ring around it."As the clip gained attention, " Today " itself featured the footage and current host Matt Lauer laughingly noted: "We all felt that way at the time. It was a mystery to all of us." ||||| Yup, NBC did indeed fire the guy who put that 1994 “Today Show” clip up on YouTube.

 Here’s the company’s official statement: “The individual in question violated the company’s standards of conduct by repeatedly copying and distributing a variety of materials without permission.”

 Not that it needs much unpacking, but just to be clear: NBC is saying, without actually saying so, that its position is that it canned the leaker for behavior beyond posting that single clip.

 And not to be too square and get-off-my-lawn about it, but there are lots and lots of companies–including, for instance, Google, which owns YouTube–that fire people for distributing things on the Internet that aren’t supposed to be distributed on the Internet.

 As PaidContent’s Andrew Wallenstein argues, the fact that the clip is funny and interesting and had already been on TV 17 years ago–and on NBC’s own Web site today–doesn’t mean the NBC guy had the go-ahead to do it. (It also points out the complexity that YouTube has in policing authorized and unauthorized clips, but that’s a different story.)

 But, as noted: The clip is funny and interesting! And reminds us of what Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric used to look like. Let’s watch it again! |||||
A summary of this is?

– Most people got a chuckle over the 1994 video of Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel struggling to understand that new Internet thing, but not everybody's laughing: NBC fired the employee who posted it, reports the All Things Digital blog. “The individual in question violated the company’s standards of conduct by repeatedly copying and distributing a variety of materials without permission," said a company statement. And that came after the Today show itself ran the clip when it became popular. Click for more at AOL News.


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– In an era of shuttered shopping malls, the biggest one in America is set to be built. Officials in Florida's Miami-Dade County last month approved zoning changes for a 6.2-million-square-foot shopping and entertainment center on a 174-acre site off the Florida Turnpike, complete with an indoor water park, lake, ski slope, ice-climbing wall, 2,000 hotel rooms, and up to 1,200 stores, reports the Wall Street Journal. American Dream Miami—to be "twice the size of the nation's current largest mall" at an estimated cost of $4 billion, per Business Insider—is the somewhat outdated brainchild of Canada's Triple Five Worldwide Group, run by the Ghermezian family. They know a thing or two about shopping malls, having built Canada's West Edmonton Mall, the largest mall in the world when it opened 35 years ago, as well as Minnesota's Mall of America. "But c'mon, Ghermezians. America is over-stored, over-shopped and over-bought … And does anybody really need to go snow skiing in Florida?" Warren Shoulberg writes at Forbes. "I don't see it competing with Disney World," adds a VP of Miami-based Continental Real Estate Companies. Their complaints join those of residents worried about traffic and the environment, and of critics who watched Triple Five struggle to fund New Jersey's as-yet-unopened American Dream Meadowlands mall after taking over the site in 2011, per NJ.com. Critics are also wary of the public subsidies that might be used to open the mall, slated to be the most expensive ever built, but American Dream Miami plans to "be built by private dollars," a lawyer for Triple Five says. Countering what he calls "a campaign of disinformation" by local mall owners, he adds the mall will create 25,000 jobs and attract 30 million tourists annually.

At a time when store closures are accelerating and struggling malls pockmark the country, county commissioners in Florida have approved a plan to build what would be the largest mall in the U.S.

 American Dream Miami would also be the most expensive mall ever built, according to Canadian developer Triple Five Worldwide Group of Cos. The 6.2-million-square-foot retail and entertainment complex would cost an estimated $4 billion, Triple Five says.

 ... ||||| A rendering of the American Dream Mall in Miami, Florida. Triple Five Group

 The largest mall in the US — called the American Dream — is officially coming to Miami, Florida.

 Spanning 6 million square feet, the $4 billion retail and entertainment complex will be about twice the size of the nation's current largest mall, the King of Prussia Mall in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

 The American Dream Miami's developers, Triple Five Group, are also behind the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to The Miami Herald.

 Set to be located on undeveloped land off the Florida Turnpike, the American Dream Miami will look more like an amusement park than a traditional, dumbbell-shaped mall. The complex will feature a water park with a giant indoor pool, an indoor ice rink, an artificial ski slope, "submarine" rides, dozens of restaurants, and up to 1,200 stores.

 The project doesn't have a set timeline yet. A rendering of the water park at the American Dream Mall in Miami, Florida. Triple Five Group Triple Five anticipates that 30 million people will visit the property each year. That's about 10 million fewer visitors than the Mall of America, which generates nearly $2 billion annually for Minnesota, according to the developers.

 The new project has received some pushback. A number of existing malls in Miami argue that the city, which already has a saturated retail market, doesn't need another mall (especially of this scale).

 Some Miami locals also have concerns regarding the development's potential water and energy use and impact on the city's stormwater system. During a meeting of the Miami-Dade County Commission on May 17, Miami resident Megan Sorbo called the project "an environmental abomination," according to the Herald. Environmentalists from the Sierra Club noted that the mega-mall will be in a low-lying area of Miami, putting the development at greater risk of flooding as well.

 While Triple Five has received approval from the city, it still needs a series of permits, additional financing, and a proposal for stormwater runoff infrastructure. Triple Five Group As the American Dream Miami moves forward, hundreds of malls and thousands of mall-based stores — from Claire's to Sears— have closed in the past two decades across the US. According to retail analysts, many more may close within the next 10 years, due largely to the rise of online shopping and changing consumer habits.

 Miami's new complex could provide a more viable model for struggling malls and malls of the future. Unlike traditional suburban centers, the American Dream Miami focuses on experiential attractions, with the water park and ice rink to reside in the atrium. The project fits into the genre of "destination malls," which are often located near urban centers and attract visitors from the entire region rather than only people who live nearby.

 A rendering of the indoor ice rink at the American Dream Mall in Miami, Florida. Triple Five Group Destination malls, also called "super-regional malls" or "lifestyle centers," use experiential attractions to subsidize regular retail shops. They usually include attractions like movie theaters, bars, casinos, restaurants, rock climbing walls, laser tag, and even roller coasters.

 In a previous interview with Business Insider, David Smiley, the assistant director of Columbia University's Urban Design graduate program, said that destination malls can be more profitable to developers than normal malls.

 "The emergence of entertainment as part of the shopping mall is becoming very important," he said. "It keeps people in the center longer. And even if they weren't going to shop for something, they get lured in."

 A rendering of the indoor ski area at the American Dream Mall in Miami, Florida. Triple Five Group For example, in 2012 and 2013, the Carousel Center in Syracuse, New York re-branded as Destiny USA, and added higher-end restaurants, IMAX screens, an arcade, and indoor go-carting and obstacle courses. According to the mall, the 2.4-million-square-foot complex draws around 29 million people (both from the US and Canada) every year.

 Triple Five is working on another destination mall in New Jersey, too. The complex, called American Dream Meadowlands, will include a Nickelodeon theme park (similar to the one at the Mall of America). It's set to open in 2019. ||||| Hey, kids, you know what America really needs? Another shopping mall.

 But not just any shopping mall. What it really needs is a big – no, make that obscenely gargantuan – place with millions of square feet of retail and entertainment space. How about a hotel? A water park? Indoor skiing? And maybe a couple of thousand hotel rooms just to fill out the empty spaces?

 If you think you’re suddenly stuck in a time warp and this is a story from 2002 that has somehow made it into your news feed, check the time stamp: This baby is so right now, it’s downright frightening.

 This week, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved zoning changes that will allow American Dream Miami to be built on a 174-acre site within the county.

 And who better to build it than those zany Ghermezian boys and their Triple Five Worldwide Group out of Canada?

 For those of you not familiar with the history of shopping complexes the size of Asian city-states, the Ghermezian family first rose to fame building the West Edmonton Mall in Canada more than 35 years ago. At the time, it was truly something that had never existed before in the history of retailing: an immense complex of stores, restaurants, an amusement park, water features and enough food courts to feed an entire nation. It remains the biggest shopping anything in the world.

 The family next took its formula south of the border and built a slightly smaller version in Minneapolis and dubbed it the Mall of America. Four people who attended the grand opening in 1992 are still wandering the halls looking for the exit to the parking lot.

 The success of the Mall of America set off a retail feeding frenzy, the after-effects of which the industry is still reeling from today. The Mills Corporation, which had made its name with outlet-based centers, decided it could go store-to-store with those Canadians and broke ground on a massive mall just west of New York City in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Dubbed the Great American Mall, it, too, would have the requisite store-restaurant-ski-extravaganza mix housed in a building that appeared to be paneled with leftover color tiles.

 In a relatively short period of time, it all went downhill, as if on a literal ski slope. Mills ran out of money, and eventually out of corporate existence. Another developer came in, renamed the festering structure Xanadu and proclaimed it the next great thing in retailing. Apparently the urban legend that the New Jersey Meadowlands is where people go to bury things they don’t want found (remember Jimmy Hoffa?) didn’t resonate with this builder, either, and he likewise hung up his earth-movers after a few years.

 Enter – you guessed it – the Ghermezians, who convinced Chris Christie, then New Jersey's governor, that they were just the guys to finally get the job done. They took over in 2011 and said the mall – now called American Dream Meadowlands – would be open in time for the Super Bowl being played next door at the new Meadowlands Stadium … in 2014.

 If you attended that game – or any of the hundreds of other football games, soccer matches, rock concerts or rodeos held at Meadowlands Stadium since then – you’ve no doubt seen the mall next store in various stages of inactivity, construction cranes hovering over the site like vultures waiting to pick at the rotting debris.

 But on any given day, some work is actually occurring at the mall, and those ever-hopeful Ghermezians now say it will open next year. That could still be as long as 19 months from now – and 16 years from when construction began. Even Tesla builds faster than that.

 Which brings us back to Miami and this latest venture. The publicity mentions all the usual buzzwords about jobs and the local tourist-based economy being able to absorb a facility like this. No local businesses will suffer, of course, and – let’s be clear – not a penny of public funding will be used to build American Dream Miami.

 The last major shopping mall to be built in the U.S. was the Mall at University Town Center – also in Florida, by the way – and that opened last June. Before that, it had been three years since what the trade calls a regional shopping mall had been built.

 According to estimates, there are still about 1,200 shopping malls in the country, but if current trends continue, that number could be cut in half by the time things level off.

 When Mall of America was built, there was no such thing as e-commerce. When plans were drawn up for the mall in New Jersey, Amazon had been in business for only a few years – and was still basically just selling books and a few CDs. So you can cut developers some slack for the situations they find themselves in today.

 But c’mon, Ghermezians. America is over-stored, over-shopped and over-bought. We don’t go to movies like we used to, and there’s an Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory at every retail crossroads in the country. And does anybody really need to go snow skiing in Florida?

 The business of building retailing in North America was a wonderful one, and it had an insanely good run – until it stopped. One man’s dream is another’s nightmare. ||||| By Allison Pries | NJ Advance Media

 If you've lived in, been to, driven by, or flown over New Jersey anytime this century, you've heard of it. The American Dream mall -- the artist formerly known as Xanadu. Over the last 16 years, it has often become the punchline, as money problems and lawsuits plagued the mega development.

 But, for those still wishing that the mega-mall may one day actually open its doors, the last few years have brought renewed hope. The mall's current developer, Triple Five (the third to take on the project since its inception) seems to be maintaining momentum on its American Dream.

 Construction is actually happening, and Triple Five promises most of the complex will open in the spring of 2019. The target date has intrigued many, who have watched the dramatic (and expensive) saga of the development unfold. |||||


News article:

Customer service reps are telling callers that a day before unveiling a price hike, managers told them to expect some angry calls. A Wall Street analyst has accused Netflix of being unprepared for backlash.

 (Credit: Netflix)

 Netflix managers knew some customers would be unhappy with the company's decision to raise prices, and a day before announcing the fee increase they told customer-service personnel to be prepared for angry callers.

 Some of Netflix's customer-service representatives told subscribers today that they added extra employees in the department to help handle the flood of calls, many of them emotional, the employees said. Hundreds of Netflix employees were answering phones today and that still wasn't enough to prevent some callers from experiencing extended delays before speaking to a Netflix employee, the reps told customers.

 Starting in September, the company will no longer offer users the ability to access both streaming video and by-mail DVDs for $9.99 a month. Netflix said Tuesday that it was splitting each distribution mode into two separate subscription plans, each costing $7.99 per month. To receive both, subscribers must pay $15.98. The announcement saw the company's blog fill up with 4,000 responses, most of them negative. Over the past couple days, there was speculation that Netflix didn't anticipate how the price increase would anger some customers.

 Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey confirmed that Netflix had indeed prepared employees to receive a certain amount of calls from those unhappy with the hike. Swasey said Netflix did not go into this with its eyes closed.

 "We tested, we researched, we analyzed," Swasey told CNET this evening. "We knew what the reaction would be. We are not surprised. We knew that there would be some people upset by the service and with the price being adjusted."

 Rich Greenfield, a Wall Street analyst with BTIG Research, conducted a test of how Netflix's customer service department was handling calls following the announcement. In a report issued today, Greenfield said he learned Netflix was being overwhelmed by calls. He said BTIG made 35 calls over two hours and waited on hold typically between 9 minutes and 15 minutes.

 Greenfield also said he was unhappy with the response from Netflix employees. He wrote that they suggest to those who threaten to cancel their subscription that they should wait until September, when the plan is due to take effect.

 "There was simply no promo or 'save' technique to offer us a discount to retain our business," Greenfield wrote. "This would appear to illustrate that Netflix is simply not concerned with the prospect of losing customers."

 I called Netflix's customer-service number this evening. I waited 9 minutes on hold and was greeted by a male employee who was polite. The Netflix employee said that he was instructed not to rush anybody off the phone and to hear people out--their complaints or suggestions--and to process cancellations if that was what they wanted. He acknowledged that there were a lot of extra people working the phones and that there seemed to be a lot more callers than reps.

 What everybody wants to know is, are the scores of complaints to the company and those being posted around the Web enough to convince Netflix to backpedal or offer a concession? It doesn't sound that way.

 When asked these questions, Swasey said: "These are our prices." ||||| While everyone continues to go mad over the Netflix price hikes, at least the online rental service is holding on to some of its Hollywood studio contracts and adding more content.

 While everyone continues to go mad over the Netflix price hikes, at least the online rental service is holding on to some of its Hollywood studio contracts and adding more content.

 However, some of that new content will likely not be enough to please subscribers who are upset over the fact that unlimited DVD rental plus streaming plans start at almost $16 now.

 Netflix recently lost a whole slew of Sony-owned content from its digital library, and it's had issues with other studios and networks, namely Showtime, in the last year. Considering many subscribers and the media can now be added to its frenemy queue, Netflix can need all the partners it can get.

 Enter NBC Universal. The Peacock Network and Netflix renewed their multi-year licensing agreement, which not only keeps content from that studio available online, but it also brings some new stuff along with it. Of course, that extra stuff comes with more licensing fees, so you can see why Netflix rates are going up.

 Some of the film picks that will be available in Watch Instantly are top notch (at least in my humble opinion), including "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Motorcycle Diaries."

 New episodes from the standard and generally popular NBC programs such as "The Office," "Law and Order: SVU," and "30 Rock" will also be added to the collection.

 Mysteriously, The Los Angeles Times reports that new episodes of "Saturday Night Live" will not appear anymore in the Watch Instantly section, at least not for now.

 Yet, more episodes of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane" will become available. Those shows might not be enough to justify paying an extra $6 per month for most Netflix subscribers, but those are just a few of the many programs and movies incorporated to this deal.

 This story was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines |||||
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– Well, now we know what a portion of those new, higher Netflix fees could be used for: to pay call center reps to deal with angry customers. Customer service reps have been telling callers that the company not only told them to be ready for a backlash, it hired extra employees to take the calls, CNET reports. “We tested, we researched, we analyzed. We knew what the reaction was going to be,” a spokesman confirmed. “We are not surprised.” Despite the extra manpower, the phone lines have been overwhelmed. One analyst found that it took representatives nine to 15 minutes to get to the many callers on hold. When they did pick up, their suggestion was to just cancel in September, when the price increase hits. “There was simply no promo or 'save' technique to … retain our business,” he complained, indicating that “Netflix is simply not concerned with the prospect of losing customers.” But hey, it’s not all bad news, Netflix users: The company has renewed its deal with NBC Universal, so at least you can stream new episodes of 30 Rock.


Michigan nurse donates kidney to her patient

 Iris Zink, MSN, RN, went above and beyond the call of duty to keep patients healthy by donating a kidney to one of her longtime patients at Lansing (Mich.) Rheumatology, reports Fox 47 News.

 The rheumatology-certified nurse practitioner has treated the patient, Ginny Holcomb, for more than 15 years. When Ms. Holcomb was diagnosed with kidney cancer, Ms. Zink said she didn't think twice about donating a kidney.

 "There was just no hesitation. I didn't want to see her die. I couldn't watch it," Ms. Zink told Fox 47 News.

 The women learned they were a perfect match after about a year of tests and underwent the transplant in July. Ms. Zink has fully recovered from the surgery, and Ms. Holcomb's condition is improving.

 "We're bonded for life; she's got part of me in her," Ms. Zink told Fox 47 News.

 Ms. Holcomb responded, "It's a beautiful thing to have someone else's body part in you."

 The women said they hope their story inspires other people to consider organ donation.

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 © Copyright ASC COMMUNICATIONS 2019. Interested in LINKING to or REPRINTING this content? View our policies by clicking here. ||||| When one of Iris Zink's patients was diagnosed with kidney cancer, she offered the woman one of her own.

 Zink has been a nurse for about 18 years, and often becomes friends with her patients. But her friendship with one patient proved to be life-saving.

 "She's just always trying to make everyone laugh despite the hardship she is going through. There was just no hesitation. I didn't want to see her die. I couldn't watch it," Zink said.

 It was Ginny Holcomb's personality and giving spirit that drew Zink to her. The nurse practitioner had been treating Holcomb for over 15 years and the two had become best friends.

 Zink says that she didn't think twice when it came to giving Holcomb a kidney after she saw the patient's start to fail.

 After about a year of tests, Zink got the news: They were a perfect match.

 "So then I think this must be what my purpose is. My purpose must be to keep her healthy and donate her a kidney," Zink said.

 Zink then called Holcomb to tell her.

 Holcomb was reluctant at first but ultimately accepted her offer.

 "Well, she told me over the phone and I just started crying. It was, I think, a God moment that she said she was a match and she wanted to do it," Holcomb said.

 The two had the surgery in July. Zink says that she is back to 100 percent, while Holcomb's condition continues to improve.

 The two talk daily and even have necklaces shaped like kidneys to represent their everlasting, life-saving friendship. They tell me this just made them part of each other's lives forever.

 "We're bonded for life; she's got part of me in her," Zink said.

 "It's a beautiful thing to have someone else's body part in you," Holcomb added.

 The said they wanted to share their story to inspire others to donate. Both say the other is the hero of this story.

 For more information on being a donor, visit kidney.org/transplantation/beadonor |||||

Write a summary.

– Everyone hopes for a caring and compassionate nurse when they're ailing, but one Michigan woman's caretaker went "above and beyond the call of duty," per Becker's Hospital Review. For more than 15 years, nurse practitioner Iris Zink has treated Ginny Holcomb at Lansing Rheumatology, and the two have become close friends. Then Holcomb found out she had kidney cancer, and Zink "didn't think twice" about what she had to do, per FOX 47 News. She decided to donate one of her own kidneys to her longtime friend. "There was just no hesitation," Zink says. "I didn't want to see her die. I couldn't watch it." The women went through a battery of tests that took a year to complete, and Zink found out she was a perfect match. Holcomb initially balked at taking Zink's kidney, but she finally acquiesced. "I just started crying," Holcomb says of that phone call from Zink. "It was, I think, a God moment." The pair underwent surgery in July to complete the transplant; Zink is already completely recovered, while Holcomb is still recuperating. In the meantime, they sport matching kidney-shaped necklaces to commemorate their shared experience, and organ. "It's a beautiful thing to have someone else's body part in you," Holcomb says. (A kidney transplant patient in Indiana married his donor.)


Here is a news article: 1 of 6. Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou holds an emergency cabinet meeting at the parliament in Athens November 8, 2011.

 (Reuters) - A deal on forming a Greek national unity government collapsed as the country headed toward an economic abyss and revived early Thursday the chances of former European Central Bank vice president Lucas Papademos heading the coalition.

 Prime Minister George Papandreou said he was handing over to a coalition that does not exist and then failed to install an old-style politician and personal ally as premier.

 On a day that was bizarre and chaotic even by Greek political standards, Papandreou wished his successor well and headed off to meet the president -- only for it to emerge that there was no successor due to feuding in the political parties.

 Papademos, whose candidacy had seemed doomed, insisted that both the socialist and conservative parties sign written undertakings to support Greece's 130 billion euro ($176 billion) bailout, as demanded by the European Union, a government source said.

 The outgoing prime minister had agreed to the terms laid down by Papademos, who as Bank of Greece governor oversaw the country's adoption of the euro in 2002, the source added.

 Papademos made his demands for both major parties to back the bailout package, which includes austerity measures that are likely to prove highly unpopular, amid warnings that Europe is running out of patience with Greece and may cut a financial lifeline that the party leaders seem to take for granted.

 Stefanos Manos, a former finance minister, said the behavior of Papandreou and conservative leader Antonis Samaras was undermining Greece's future in the euro and risking a possible return to the national currency.

 "The Europeans are sick of us. Papandreou and Samaras don't realize they will stop giving us money and we will return to the drachma," said Manos. "They are going to destroy us. These problems demand decision-making. They can't decide on anything and they are fighting like cat and dog."

 Greeks and the nation's international lenders have watched in growing horror for three days as party leaders feuded over a shrinking list of credible candidates to lead the national unity coalition after Papandreou's government imploded.

 Greece will run out of money next month unless the new government agrees emergency funding with the European Union and International Monetary Fund, Greece's last remaining lenders.

 LAST MINUTE SNAGS

 Earlier, party sources said senior members of the socialist and conservative camps had settled on the speaker of parliament, veteran socialist Filippos Petsalnikos, as the new prime minister -- barring last-minute snags.

 Papandreou then gave an emotional television address, supposed to be his last to the nation as premier, saying this deal had saved country's membership of the euro zone.

 "I am proud that, despite the difficulties, we avoided bankruptcy and ensured the country stayed on its feet," he said. "I want to wish the new prime minister success, I will support the new effort with all my strength.

 "Today, despite our differences -- political and social differences do exist -- we have put aside our fruitless conflict and disagreement," Papandreou said.

 Papandreou and Samaras then began talks with President Karolos Papoulias on the new coalition. However, before leaders of smaller parties could join them to seal the coalition, the meeting was abruptly halted.

 But snags had indeed emerged, with large sections of Papandreou's PASOK party and the conservative New Democracy refusing to back Petsalnikos.

 Party sources said some lawmakers saw him as a pawn of Papandreou. "We wanted a strong a man who could handle all the economic issues," a socialist lawmaker said. "This candidacy is so close to Papandreou's policies, it does not signal the change the Greek people wanted."

 The president's office said a meeting of party leaders would be held at 0800 GMT Thursday, although in the current chaotic atmosphere political talks are often delayed or fail to happen at all.

 One of the few things that the parties agreed was that early elections be held on February 19. However, the government sources said that Papademos had also stipulated that the coalition's life could extend beyond that date if necessary.

 The next government has much to do. As well as winning parliamentary approval for the bailout, it has to pass the 2012 budget and secure the latest 8 billion euro installment of Greece's original rescue that was pulled together last year, to avoid bankruptcy when big debt repayments come due in December.

 For its part, the European Union needs to put out the fire in Greece to prove to international financial markets that it can tackle another blaze in Italy, a far bigger economy also in economic and political crisis.

 Some lawmakers backed a return to the earlier plan, which had appeared stalled, of recruiting Papademos to give the new government the credibility that politicians lost long ago.

 "The only solution is Papademos. If he accepts by tomorrow morning we will be able to form a strong government that will pull the country out of the crisis," socialist lawmaker Spyros Vougias told Reuters.

 Papandreou discussed a Papademos candidacy late Wednesday with Samaras, and urged the conservative leader to contact the former ECB policymaker, a government official said.

 GREEKS WANT EUROS -- IN CASH

 Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos made a rare intervention in Greek politics Wednesday.

 "The uncertainty is hurting the economy and the banking system," Provopoulos told Reuters. "There must be a strong government that will work hard to ensure the country's future in the euro zone."

 Greeks have pulled their savings from banks over the past week because of the deepening political crisis and fear of an exit from the euro, banking sources said. [nL6E7M94KI]

 They withdrew as much as 5 billion euros -- nearly 3 percent of total deposits -- after Papandreou's shock call last week for a referendum on the euro zone bailout, said one banker, who declined to be named.

 "Many people withdrew their money from banks Thursday and Friday and money couriers had a hard time supplying banks with cash to satisfy the emergency demand," said another banking source, who also requested anonymity.

 Papandreou provoked uproar with the plan, due to the likelihood voters would have rejected the package, pushing Greece into bankruptcy and casting doubt on its future in the euro. Under intense pressure from home and abroad, he backed down but was forced to make way for the unity coalition.

 Many wealthy Greeks moved their money into foreign banks last year as the crisis deepened. Now other people are demanding sometimes large amounts in euro banknotes, fearing that any bank savings might be converted into devalued new drachma if Greece is forced to revert to its national currency.

 "We got to the point where customers ordered amounts of up to 600,000 to 700,000 euros in cash to take home -- unbelievable," the first banker said.

 (Additional reporting by Harry Papachristou, Lefteris Papdimas, George Georgiopoulos; and Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by David Stamp; Editing by Jon Hemming) ||||| The Italian government presented economic overhaul measures to the Senate Budget Committee Wednesday, confirming its plans to raise the pension age and giving more details on how it intends to privatize state-owned real estate.

 The retirement age will be raised to 67 by 2026, according to the document outlining the government’s amendments to the 2012 budget bill.

 The government is attaching economic overhaul measures to the annual fiscal policy legislation in a bid to hasten its approval at a time when investors are frustrated with Italy’s perceived reform inertia. Yields on Italian Treasury bills rose to 7.15% Wednesday.

 Italy also plans to sell public real estate and the Economy Ministry will help set up special-purpose vehicles to buy them, according to the document, which was obtained by Dow Jones Newswires. Stakes in the vehicles can be sold to third-party investors.

 The government plans to set up the first such fund by the end of April 2012, to buy at least 20% of the country’s unused prisons and army barracks, the document said. Future sales will include farmland and other properties.

 All net proceeds from such asset sales will go to reducing Italy’s public debt, which at 1.9 trillion euros is almost 120% of Italian gross domestic product.

 The government will also order local administrations–regions, provinces and municipalities–to reduce their debt levels as of 2013, “to protect the economic unity” of the country, the document said.

 It will also allow companies that manage local public services to bid to do the same in other jurisdictions, a plan that aims to give the companies greater scale and squeeze out inefficiencies.

 The budget would also loosen rules limiting transfers of public-sector employees, slapping hiring freezes on administrations that have too many functionaries.

 Tax cuts will be offered to infrastructure investments, especially in the highway sector.

 In terms of labor regulations, the government plans to offer payroll tax credits to employers who take on apprenticeships as of 2012, and boost the ease of use of part-time contracts and women’s participation in the work force.

 In a bid to boost activity in Italy’s guild-ridden professional services, the budget would also abolish required professional tariffs for lawyers, notaries, architects and others, allowing prices to be set between client and provider. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Greece has a new leader, as long as no last-minute obstacles pop up: parliament speaker Filippos Petsalnikos, who founded the ruling socialist PASOK party. Sources confirm that the parties settled on Petsalnikos to lead a unity government after three days of feuding. "We have agreed on Petsalnikos, but things can change between now and when the prime minister sees the president," a source tells Reuters. In a TV address today before meeting with Greece’s president to formally resign, George Papandreou wished the new PM well but did not name him, the Wall Street Journal notes. "I am proud that, despite the difficulties, we avoided bankruptcy and ensured the country stayed on its feet," he added. An idea to recruit former European Central Bank VP Lucas Papademos was ditched after politicians apparently refused to let him choose his own team.


Good. This needs to happen more often: Following last Saturday’s (Jan 19) Telegraph magazine cover story “The mystery of Melania”, we have been asked to make clear that the article contained a number of false statements which we accept should not have been published. Mrs Trump’s father was not a fearsome presence and did not…

 3.4k Reactions ||||| No question who Mary J. Blige will be voting for on November 6: The superstar singer has appeared in a new ad from Planned Parenthood called "Yes We Plan," calling on voters to re-elect President Obama.

 The clip, also featuring rapper Q-Tip and actress Julianne Moore, highlights the President's stance on women's rights and health care.

 "I know for a fact that Planned Parenthood has been there for me," Blige says in a press release accompanying the video. "When I was a teenager, I don't know where we would have gone, if Planned Parenthood wasn't there. Not just for me, for my mother, my sisters, my friends."

 Check out the video and leave your reaction in the comments. ||||| This ad, produced by Michael Moore in cooperation with MoveOn.Org, purports to carry a message from the Greatest Generation. That message is to Republicans and Mitt Romney: “If your voter suppression throughout this beautiful country enables Romney to oust Barack Obama, we will burn this mother f**ker down.” There’s more: “I’m going to track down Mitt Romney and give him the world’s biggest c**k punch.” The final speaker vows to watch us all having sex, or something.

 Suffice it to say, the ad is more Michael Moore than Greatest Generation.

 The ad in its entirety is here. Viewer discretion advised. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Michael Moore and MoveOn.org put together a pro-Obama ad, and it’s predictably controversial. It features a message from the Greatest Generation to the GOP and Mitt Romney: “If your voter suppression throughout this beautiful country enables Romney to oust Barack Obama, we will burn this motherf***er down,” promises one seemingly sweet elderly woman. Some none-too-pleased reactions: “Suffice it to say, the ad is more Michael Moore than Greatest Generation,” writes Eliana Johnson in the National Review. PJ Gladnick calls it “the most vile campaign video ever made” on Newsbusters, and dubs both Moore and MoveOn “definitely deranged.” On Herman Cain’s CainTV.com, Robert Laurie agrees it is definitely the “most base, unpleasant campaign ad ever,” calling Moore “America’s premiere hack propagandist” and congratulating him for “dragging the election down to his bottom-feeding standards.” In other celebrity-political news, Essence reports that Mary J. Blige, Q-Tip, and Julianne Moore star in another new pro-Obama ad. This one is from Planned Parenthood, and features the tagline, “Yes We Plan.”