Mafia renewable laundering

I have a mildly unhealthy obsession with Cosa Nostra (aka the Sicilian mafia), a healthy respect and hope for renewable energy, and will read just about any story with the phrase "money laundering" in it. It's not too often a story comes along that combines all three.

The man at the center of the controversy is named Vito Nicastri and is obviously known as "Lord of the Wind." You just cannot make this stuff up...

The seizure of a record 1.5 billion euros from a Sicilian businessman known as "Lord of the Wind" has put the spotlight on Mafia money-laundering through renewable energy ventures....The haul included no fewer than 43 wind and solar energy companies and around 100 properties including swank villas with swimming pools in Sicily's western Trapani region, along with cars, a catamaran and bank accounts, the interior ministry said.

Read the entire article here.

Maritime Dominance

The U.S. Government certainly is good at spending money, but at least these dollars don't seem to be buying pork. Unless we send them to Australia? The Navy is building boats - a lot of them - to meet the demands of the next generation of naval warfare (chasing pirates and drug smugglers). This fancy guy is called a Littoral Combat Ship, version Austral Ltd.



I guess an Australian corporation reps an ok country to have building our warships. But if we're dropping half a bill in tax payer dollars - even if for the worthy cause of national defense - shouldn't they be going to support American jobs?

Some other stats on the Littoral Combat Ship:

Crew of 75
378 feet
Steel Hull
Cruising speed 40 knots

Anyway, it does seem like the Navy will be busy building boats for a while. Maybe they'll rehire some of those census workers?

Who Made the Most in Hollywood Last Year?

Recession? Vanity Fair came out with their list of the top 40 earners in Hollywood last year. Hollywood elite is defined as creative figures, producers, directors and stars in film - not agents or primarily TV people. Michael Bay had a nice year raking in a crisp $125mm, comfortably ahead of Steven Spielberg who was #2 coming in at $85mm. Also in the top 10: 3. Roland Emmerich, 4. James Cameron, 5. Todd Phillips, 6. Daniel Radcliffe, 7. Ben Stiller, 8. Tom Hanks, 9. JJ Abrams, 10. Jerry Bruckheimer. It also appears that William Morris and Creative Artists absolutely dominate out there. Are they the result of a series of mergers (think Miller Gold) that now make them the only existing agencies in Hollywood? Can anyone enlighten me?

See the full list here.