andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno says he has spoken to Donald Trump about running for New York governor in 2006.

The Republican told an Albany television station that Trump, the real estate developer turned television personality, is considering running.

Trump has not commented on the gubernatorial suggestion.

Reports indicate that Trump considered running for president in 2000 on the Reform Party ticket, according to the Associated Press. In state races, Trump has donated money to both the Republican and Democratic parties.

State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is the only Democratic candidate, and Republicans are looking for someone with name recognition to challenge him, reports the AP. Several Republicans have entered the race, but none with a name comparable to Trump’s.

Trump bounced back from bankruptcy to be a billionaire business mogul. He stars in NBC’s hit The Apprentice.

Rumours have been swirling around for the last few months about a possible sale or partnership between AOL and a big Internet firm.

At the time, the companies vying for this partnership included Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Comcast. However, when Yahoo and Comcast removed themselves from the negotiations, it appeared that Microsoft was the new front runner. With a massive bank account and with the most to gain from such a partnership, it seemed like only a matter of days before the deal was announced.

If Microsoft were to sign the deal, it would be a significant blow to Google, who already receives about 10% of its search queries from AOL. But late Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google has now become the sole runner in the deal that could see them taking a 5% stake (approx. US$1 billion) in AOL, boosting AOL’s value to some US$20 billion.

The news sent Google’s shares soaring to a new high of $432.50/share. Although the deal has still not been formally announced, an announcement is expected sometime this week. Should Time Warner confirm that it has in fact entered into an agreement with Google, it would be another blow to Microsoft, who has been eagerly trying to catch up to Google in the online advertising field.

CBS and NBC have signed deals with cable and satellites providers to make television shows available ?on demand? in the U.S. within just hours of being aired.

The shows, which can be purchased for 99 cents, include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Survivor, Law and Order, and The Office.

These agreements come a month after Disney and ABC announced their deal with Apple to make hit shows such as Desperate Housewives available for $1.99 per episode on the iPod.

NBC will work with satellite operator DirecTV to provide top shows without commercials. The deal between CBS and cable company Comcast Corp., which could potentially benefit eight million customers, will not exclude commercials.

Ever been annoyed from that song that just keeps getting re-played on the radio? (Can we say Kelly Clarkson for one?) After an 11-month investigation headed by New York?s attorney-general Eliot Spitzer, they found it?s not a mystery; underneath some overly played songs lies another big, fat corporate scandal.

?Radio stations are airing music because they are paid to do so in a way that hasen?t been disclosed to the public,? Spitzer said.

?The attorney-general said his office found evidence Sony BMG paid for vacation packages and electronics for radio programmers. It also paid for contest giveaways, some operational expenses, and hired independent promoters to pay radio stations to get more air play for its artists,? reported CBC.ca.

Sony BMG is the trunk that has branches of record labels including Arista, Columbia, and So So Def Records. Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, OutKast, Pink, and Sarah McLachlan are some of Sony?s commercial products.

According to the Wall Street Journal about 12 executives have been let go at Sony BMG.

Since the beans have been spilt, the $10 million dollars Sony BMG was giving to radio stations to play their artists is now going to New York?s non-profit groups that support music education and appreciation.

Sadly, Sony is one of many corporate-monsters with their greedy hands in the criminal-cookie jar. Spitzer?s investigation also uncovered documents, e-mails, and other evidence of similar misconduct from Warner Music, Universal Music Group, and EMI. This probe is not done.

Spitzer said ?these practices are pervasive,? reported CBC.ca.

In fact, its so bad that, ?this is a potentially massive scandal,? said Johnathan Adelstein, head of the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In case you were shocked like I was, and you?re young like I am, this sort of krap has happened before in the 1950s and 60s.

When will people learn? Perhaps the compliance officer Sony has now hired will straighten them out.

Microsoft guru Bill Gates continues to sit atop the list of the world?s richest people. Gates, who has led the list for eleven years, is worth $46.5 billion, down from $46.6 billion last year. Poor guy.

Investor Warren Buffet is in second again, with a net worth of $44 billion, according to the annual list released by Forbes magazine.

Lakshmi Mittal is a new edition to the list. The Indian steel magnate is worth $25 billion, enough to finish in third. Last year he was in 59th. Decent year, Laks.

Carlos Slim Helu, the Mexican telecom leader, trails Mittal by $1.2 billion to land in fourth.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, a fixture on the list, is worth $23.7 billion to round out the top 5.

Ingvar Kamprad, the Ikea mogul, is in sixth, followed by Paul Allen of Microsoft in seventh.

The Walton Wal-Mart family holds spots 10 through 14.

Kenneth Thomson is the richest Canadian, fifteenth in the world, worth just under $18 billion.

Martha Stewart is down at number 620, but she?s worth a cool billion. Worth just over a billion is Oprah Winfrey.

In at 194 is the leading entertainer, George Lucas of Star Wars fame, who is worth $3 billion.

Forbes Billionaires List Top 100

1. William Gates III, Washington, 49, $46.5, Microsoft

2. Warren Buffett, Nebraska, 74, $44, Berkshire Hathaway

3. Lakshmi Mittal, India, 54, $25, steel

4. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico, 65, $23.8, telecom

5. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, Saudi Arabia, 48,
$23.7, investments

6. Ingvar Kamprad, Sweden, 78, $23, Ikea

7. Paul Allen, Washington, 52, $21, Microsoft,
investments

8. Karl Albrecht, Germany, 85, $18.5, supermarkets

9. Lawrence Ellison, California, 60, $18.4, Oracle

10. S. Robson Walton,
Arkansas, 61, $18.3, Wal-Mart

11. Jim Walton, Arkansas, 57, $18.2, Wal-Mart

11. John Walton, Arkansas, 59, $18.2, Wal-Mart

13. Alice Walton, Texas, 56, $18, Wal-Mart

13. Helen Walton, Arkansas, 85, $18, Wal-Mart

15. Kenneth Thomson and family, Canada, 81, $17.9, publishing

16. Liliane Bettencourt, France, 82, $17.2, L’Oreal

17. Bernard Arnault, France, 56, $17, LVMH

18. Michael Dell, Texas, 40, $16, Dell

19. Sheldon Adelson, Nevada, 71, $15.6, casinos, hotels

20. Theo Albrecht, Germany, 83, $15.5, supermarkets

21. Roman Abramovich, Russia, 38, $13.3, oil

22. Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong, 76, $13, diversified

23. Amancio Ortega, Spain, 69, $12.6, Zara

24. Steven Ballmer, Washington, 49, $12.1, Microsoft

25. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy, 68, $12, media

25. Abigail Johnson, Massachusetts, 43, $12, Fidelity

27. Barbara Cox Anthony, Hawaii, 81, $11.7, Cox Enterprises

27. Anne Cox Chambers, Georgia, 85, $11.7, Cox Enterprises

29. Stefan Persson, Sweden, 57, $11.2, Hennes & Mauritz

30. John Kluge, Florida, 90, $11, Metromedia

31. Raymond, Thomas and Walter Kwok, Hong Kong, no age given, $10.9, real estate

32. Forrest Mars Jr., Virginia, 73, $10.4, candy

32. Jacqueline Mars, New Jersey, 65, $10.4, candy

32. John Mars, Virginia, 68, $10.4, candy

35. Luciano Benetton and family, Italy, 69, $9.9, Benetton

35. Pierre Omidyar, Nevada, 37, $9.9, Ebay

35. Galen Weston and family, Canada, 64, $9.9, retail

38. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong, 77, $9.3, real estate

38. Azim Premji, India, 59, $9.3, software

40. Nasser Al-Kharafi and family, Kuwait, 61, $9, construction

41. Kirk Kerkorian, California, 87, $8.9, investments, casinos

42. Sumner Redstone, California, 81, $8.8 Viacom

43. Leonardo Del Vecchio, Italy, 69, $8.5, eyewear

43. Michele Ferrero and family, Italy, 78, $8.5, chocolates

45. Michael Otto and family, Germany, 61, $8.3, retail

46. Susanne Klatten, Germany, 43, $8.2, BMW

46. Philip Knight, Oregon, 67, $8.2, Nike

46. Hans Rausing, Sweden, 79, $8.2, packaging

49. Serge Dassault and family, France, 80, $7.8, aviation

49. Carl Icahn, New York, 69, $7.8, leveraged buyouts

49. Keith Rupert Murdoch, New York, 74, $7.8, News Corp.

52. Rudolf August Oetker and family, Germany, 88, $7.7, food

53. Birgit Rausing and family, Sweden, 81, $7.6, packaging

54. Spiro Latsis and family, Greece, 58, $7.5, banking

55. Sergey Brin, California, 31, $7.2, Google

55. Charles Ergen, Colorado, 52, $7.2, EchoStar

55. Larry Page, California, 32, $7.2, Google

55. George Soros, New York, 74, $7.2, hedge funds

55. Reinhold Wurth, Germany, 69, $7.2, manufacturing

60. Mukesh and Anil Ambani, India, no age given, $7,
diversified

60. Mikhail Fridman, Russia, 40, $7, oil, banking

60. Vladimir Lisin, Russia, 48, $7, steel

60. Donald Newhouse, New Jersey, NJ, 75, $7, publishing

60. Samuel Newhouse Jr., New York, 77, $7, publishing

65. Adolf Merckle, Germany, 70, $6.9, drugs

66. Stefan Quandt, Germany, 39, $6.7, BMW

67. Micky Arison, Florida, 55, $6.5, Carnival Cruises

68. Philip and Cristina Green, Britain, no age given, $6.3, retail

68. Maria-Elisabeth and Georg Schaeffler, Germany, no age given, $6.3, ball bearings

68. August von Finck, Germany, 74, $6.3, investments

71. Eli Broad, California, 71, $6.1, investments

72. Curt Engelhorn, Germany, 78, $6, drugs

72. Friedrich Flick Jr., Germany, 78, $6, investments

72. Edward Johnson III, Massachusetts, 74, $6, Fidelity

72. Nicky Oppenheimer and family, South Africa, 59, $6, De Beers

76. Francois Pinault, France, 68, $5.9, retail

77. Philip Anschutz, Colorado, 65, $5.8, investments

77. Ernesto Bertarelli, Switzerland, 39, $5.8, biotech

77. Nobutada Saji and family, Japan, 59, $5.8, beverages

80. Sulaiman Bin Abdul Al Rajhi, Saudi Arabia, 85, $5.6, banking

80. Yoshitaka Fukuda and family, Japan, 57, $5.6, credit

80. Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor and family, Britain, 53, $5.6, real estate

80. Reinhard Mohn and family, Germany, 83, $5.6, media

84. Shari Arison, Israel, 47, $5.5, inheritance, cruise ships

84. Oleg Deripaska, Russia, 36, $5.5, aluminum

84. Yasuo Takei and family, Japan, 75, $5.5, credit

87. Jean-Claude Decaux and family, France, 67, $5.4, advertising

87. Antonia Johnson, Sweden, 61, $5.4, diversified

87. Johanna Quandt, Germany, 77, $5.4, BMW

90. Maersk McKinney Moller, Denmark, 91, $5.3, shipping

91. Joseph and Moise Safra, Brazil, no age given, $5.2, banking

91. Onsi Sawiris and family, Egypt, 75, $5.2, contracting

93. Dan Duncan, Texas, 72, $5.1, natural gas

94. Michael Bloomberg, New York, 62, $5, Bloomberg L.P.

94. Gustavo Cisneros and family, Venezuela, 59, $5, media

94. Rafael del Pino, Spain, 84, $5, construction

94. Robert Kuok, Malaysia, 81, $5, diversified

94. Kerry Packer, Australia, 67, $5, media

94. Hasso Plattner, Germany, 61, $5, SAP

94. Jeffrey Skoll, Canada (lives in California), 40,
$5, Ebay

94. Viktor Vekselberg, Russia, 47, $5, oil, metals

94. H. Ty Warner, Illinois, 61, $5, Beanie Babies

103. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, Netherlands, 50, $4.9, Heineken

103. Eitaro Itoyama, Japan, 62, $4.9, golf courses

103. Rahmi Koc and family, Turkey, 74, $4.9, diversified

103. Ronald Perelman, New York, 62, $4.9, leveraged
buyouts