Marissa Mayer, the relatively new CEO of Yahoo, has decided she wants her employees showing up to the offices beginning in June, not just telecommuting from home all the time, according to All Things D’s Kara Swisher. From an internal memo:

    “To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.”

Swisher also reports, perhaps unsurprisingly, “strong” anger among those affected by the policy, many of whom joined the company in part because of the flexibility that Yahoo previously provided. But don’t just assume that telecommuting, or working remotely, or whatever you want to call it, comes from a place of laziness. A number of studies have proven quite the opposite:

- A Stanford study, conveniently released on the same day as Yahoo’s memo, reported that call center employees increased their performance by 13 percent when working from home. They also reported “improved work satisfaction and experienced less turnover,” according to the study.

- A University of Texas at Austin study from late last year found that those people who work from home “add five to seven hours to their workweek compared with those who work exclusively at the office.” Such workhorses, we homeworkers are!

- A Bureau of Labor Statistics study, also from last year, reported that working remotely “seems to boost productivity, decrease absenteeism” -- that means missing work -- “and increase retention.” It also gives employers more incentive to ask you to work on weekends, the authors say. Boo!!

- According to some recent research published in the MIT Sloan Management Review, bosses are roughly 9 percent more likely to consider your “dependable” and “reponsible” if you “put in expected face time” Translation: Being at the office can help you get that raise you so desire.

The federal government’s dream of a renewable energy empire hinges on a scrubby outpost here, where scientists and executives doggedly explore a

National Renewable Energy Laboratory campus

If you live outside Colorado, you probably haven’t heard of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory – NREL for short. It’s the place where solar panels, windmills and corn are deemed the energy source of the future and companies who support such endeavors are courted.

It’s also the place where highly paid staff decide how to spend hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars.

And the public pays those decision-makers well:  NREL’s top executive, Dr. Dan Arvizu, makes close to a million dollars per year. His two top lieutenants rake in more than half a million each and nine others make more than $350,000 a year.

But what is really going on there? Energy expert Amy Oliver Cooke drove out to the site, which looks something like Nevada’s Area 51 with its remote location and forbidding concrete buildings. NREL had started a construction project and Cooke wanted to see for herself. She didn’t get far: a man in an SUV seemingly appeared out of nowhere, stopped her car, and told her to leave.

“A beefy looking fellow told me, ‘It’s top secret,’ said Cooke, director of the Energy Policy Center at the Independence Institute think tank. “I said, ‘I’m a taxpayer and I want to see what you’re building’ and he said it was it was ‘top secret so we can bring Americans a better future.’”

With its bloated budget and overseen by a $533 million a year government-funded management company, Cooke isn’t buying it.

“NREL has given us two of the most significant boondoggles, one of them being ethanol and the other being (bankrupt) Abound Solar,” she said. “They were part of the team that pushed Abound Solar along. In fact, they wrote in March 2011 on their website how proud they were of their role in abound solar.


NREL’s taxpayer-funded management company has seen its budget more than double since 2006. That’s when one of its most ardent supporters, Rep. Ed Perlmutter D-Lakewood, was first elected to Congress. The lab sits in the middle of his district.

But Perlmutter’s ties go beyond merely promoting green legislation and lobbying his colleagues for NREL funds. He has received $12,670 in campaign contributions from executives of NREL and its management company, MRIGlobal, a company that describes itself as “an independent, not-for-profit organization that performs contract research for government and industry.” Perlmuter’s father has served as a trustee for MRI and MRIGlobal during the past decade. Between 2003 and 2005, Perlmutter was also a trustee. These positions were unpaid.

A South African court granted bail on Friday to Oscar Pistorius, charged with the murder of his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, after his lawyers successfully argued the "Blade Runner" was too famous to flee justice.

The decision by Magistrate Desmond Nair drew cheers from the Paralympics star's family and supporters. Pistorius himself was unmoved, in marked contrast to the week-long hearing, when he repeatedly broke down in tears.

Nair set bail at 1 million rand ($113,000) and postponed the case until June 4. Pistorius would be released only when the court received 100,000 rand in cash, he added.

Less than an hour later, a silver Land Rover left the court compound, Pistorius visible through the tinted windows sitting in the back seat in the dark suit and tie he wore in court.

The car then sped off through the streets of the capital, pursued by members of the media on motorcycles, before it entered his uncle Arnold's home in the plush Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof.

At least five private security guards stood outside the concrete walls, keeping reporters at bay.

Under the terms of his bail, Pistorius, 26, was also ordered to hand over firearms and his two South African passports, avoid his home and all witnesses, report to a police station twice a week and abstain from drinking alcohol.

The decision followed a week of dramatic testimony about how the athlete shot dead model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp at his luxury home near Pretoria in the early hours of February 14.

Prosecutors said Pistorius committed premeditated murder when he fired four shots into a locked toilet door, hitting his girlfriend cowering on the other side. Steenkamp, 29, suffered gunshot wounds to her head, hip and arm.

Pistorius said the killing was a tragic mistake, saying he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder - a possibility in crime-ridden South Africa - and opened fire in a blind panic.

However, in delivering his nearly two-hour bail ruling, Nair said there were a number of "improbabilities" in Pistorius's version of events, read out to the court in an affidavit by his lawyer, Barry Roux.

"I have difficulty in appreciating why the accused would not seek to ascertain who exactly was in the toilet," Nair said. "I also have difficulty in appreciating why the deceased would not have screamed back from the toilet."

Here's what the crash involving Kyle Larson and 11 other Nationwide drivers looked like from the grandstands.

Tyler Andersen, a resident of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., was at the Drive for COPD 300 on Saturday and was filming the final lap when Kyle Larson's car got turned into the catchfence just in front of him and debris from his car flew into the grandstands.

You can see the panic in the stands in the crash's aftermath and the tire that flew over the catchfence landed just feet from Anderson.

At least 28 fans were injured in the crash, two critically, which also damaged the catchfence. Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood said that the fence would be repaired in time for Sunday's Daytona 500.
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The Oscars red carpet is often referred to by the celebrity press as the most powerful catwalk in the world. It is the gilded stage for which haute couture dresses are made; bright lights fall on film stars dressed by the world's most accomplished designers in some of the most expensive items of clothing ever made.

But for many of the nominees, what goes on in the run-up to Oscar Sunday involves weeks of hunger, sacrifice and last-minute liposuction. "It is brutal," British facialist Nichola Joss told the New York Times this week, of the pressure of the high-definition closeup on Hollywood actors. "You can see a hair follicle. You can see a pimple before it is a pimple."

Hollywood insiders talk of actors who plot their beauty treatments at different points around Los Angeles in a bid to lose photographers between pedicure appointments and derma-filler treatments. Anti-anxiety pills such as Xanax are said to be widely used by nominees.

"The entire city stops normal activity and the Oscars take over; the atmosphere is surprisingly serious," says gossip columnist Dean Piper, who is in LA to cover the Oscars. "Most of the A-list have been through the St Tropez tanning suite at the Four Seasons by now, so their skin colour can settle for Sunday. But I'm seeing stylists whooshing around town in their Range Rovers, pulling gowns from boutiques where they are being altered, and the nail bars are heaving. The actresses I've seen at 'lunch' are simply pushing leaves around their plate."

High-definition photography and the prevalence of social media means that actors now face having the minute details of every angle of their body and face appear in hundreds of photos online. As a result, the stakes for red-carpet glamour have never been higher.

"You know it's the Oscars because suddenly everyone is on the cayenne and lemon juice diet, and talking about appointments with their facialist, podiatrist, personal trainer, stylist, dietitian, hairdresser and teams from the big fashion houses like Valentino or Dior," says one well-known Hollywood stylist.

For those who aren't rooting for the San Francisco 49ers or the Baltimore Ravens – or who aren't named Harbaugh – there is, thankfully, that other competition on Sunday: best Super Bowl commercial.

In what has now become the industry standard, advertisers no longer wait for game day to release their high-priced hilarity – $3.8m for 30 seconds this year – because there are so many eyeballs to be found online for free. Besides, why hold out for all the Monday morning quarterbacking when you can start the conversation during the 336-hour pre-game show?

Not that the early release strategy isn't without its pitfalls – one commercial, for Taco Bell, has already been pulled from the broadcast because it offended that key Super Bowl demographic: vegetarians. (Whiny bastards.)

So grab a six-pack of deer-antler extract, and let's preview a few of the new ads that are sure to be talked about – at least until the Westminster Dog Show.
Volkswagen – 'Get In. Get Happy'


Having established something of a Super Bowl dynasty with the little Darth Vader in 2011 and last year's The Bark Side, the expectations are high for Volkswagen. This year, VW has dropped the Star Wars theme and instead sought inspiration from Jamaica. And as I believe Bob Marley once sang, No Wookiee, No Cry.

In fact, that's the premise behind the ad for the new Beetle, in which a depressed office in Minnesota is told that "everyting will be all right" by a hyper-happy white co-worker who speaks with a heavy Jamaican accent. (And in case the point wasn't clear, Jimmy Cliff's new cover of the Partridge Family theme song, Get Happy, plays in the background.) Some say the ad is racist – "blackface with voices" – but even the Jamaican government said it had no problem with the commercial. In other words, those critics just need to roll a fatty and chill out.
Coca-Cola – 'The Chase'

One of the new ways by which advertisers have built pre-game buzz is by releasing a tease of the ad that will run during the Super Bowl. But this year some have gone a step further, by giving the audience a role in the creative process.

Coca-Cola, for instance, added a Choose Your Own Adventure element to its commercial. In a teaser called The Chase, three teams race across the desert in pursuit of a giant bottle of Coke – the public gets to vote on who gets the prize. The three choices are The Showgirls (think Priscilla Queen of the Desert, but with actual women), The Badlanders (think Mad Max, but without Mad Mel), and The Cowboys (think third place). The winner will be revealed during the game.

 Let’s talk about Leonardo DiCaprio’s commercial for Jim Beam, Asian styles.

By North American standards, this is pure cheese, right? That’s why it’s only for Japan. So far, at least.

Leo snaps his fingers and the ice earth explodes. And a sexy look to camera. Followed by a sexy squint:

“Cool bourbon.”

Toast.

“Jim Beam.”

Is this...Leo parodying Leo?

Ten, fifteen years ago, before the internet was so pervasive, celebrities could get away with overseas endorsements much easier. Now though, with everything going viral so quickly, in theory, they’re trying to be more careful with self-branding, especially the top stars. You would think. Leo in particular, as we’ve seen from his career management, has demonstrated himself to be quite particular about his image. He didn’t want to be a Tiger Teen Beat pretty boy.

But a playboy...?

A playboy maybe he doesn’t mind so much.

Leo’s playboy is a Man.

A bourbon drinking man who smokes cigars with his friends, cool under pressure.

Would he have assessed the consequences of this commercial then, and decided that it would be ok if it were to be viewed in America, because, even though it’s super corny, it still supports the brand message? The brand being I am Leo, playboy. AND he pockets, what?, a couple of million dollars for maybe half a day’s work?

If you were his advisor, regardless of commission, given these circumstances, would you have approved this job?

Similarly, with George Clooney’s ad for his tequila company, a joint venture with his best friend Rande Gerber -- click here for a refresher -- he played on an assumption we’ve all had at one time or another: that these guys share... EVERYTHING. So... it’s consistent branding. And ...therefore easier for the consumer to accept?

How would it go over though if the headlining celebrity playing “swingers” in a commercial was a woman? I’d love to know your thoughts. Send!

Turns out the other day it was just a photocall for the Spring Breakers premiere in Madrid but last night was the real premiere. So how should points be awarded? Since I just make up the rules to this imaginary competition which instills

so much hatred in Ethan Hawke, I’m just giving Vanessa Hudgens half a point. So now it’s .5 for Vanessa Hudgens, 1 for Selena Gomez and 2 for Ashley Benson because she won this time. I think I need to make a prize pack for the winner at the end of this competition. Maybe a bag full of condoms and Windex. That seems pretty standard nowadays.

At least 28 fans were injured after a violent crash at Daytona International Speedway Saturday caused debris from a race car to fly into the grandstands. Fourteen were taken to area hospitals. Two are listed in critical condition. One of those has a life-threatening head injury, the other is a child. Both are stable, according to Byron Cogdell, a spokesman at Halifax Health.

At least nine ambulances rushed to the rear of the Campbell Grandstand as emergency workers scurried to help fans injured in the rows closest to the track after Kyle Larson's car violently tore through the fence, leaving his engine and tire behind. Other safety workers evacuated the scene of race fans.

Kyle Larson's car (32) gets airborne during a multi-car wreck at Daytona. (AP)In the front row of the grandstand about 20 feet past where Larson's engine had stuck, emergency responders wearing firesuits and helmets tended to several fans sitting on old metal chairbacks. Stretchers were being rolled in from ambulances arriving behind the grandstands while police and other track security ushered  fans from the scene.

"We responded appropriately according to our safety protocols and had emergency medical personnel at the incident immediately," track president Joie Chitwood said. "We're in the process of repairs to the facility and will be ready to go racing tomorrow."

The accident occurred as drivers raced toward the checkered flag of the Drive4COPD 300 in NASCAR's Nationwide Series. Regan Smith was leading the race, but got turned as he approached the finish line. That sparked a multi-car accident that sent Larson's car flying into the air. Tony Stewart won the race, but refused to celebrate in victory lane.

Fans were both shocked and gawking at the accident scene that happened just minutes before when Larson's car got airborne and hit nose first in the catchfence designed to keep fans safe. His car spun wildly to the infield and came to rest with the nose of the car completely torn off, leaving two major support poles bent and a smoking, flaming mess. Fans, about ten rows up, quickly waved to emergency personnel for assistance after a tire apparently had flown through the metallic netting, landing in Row 9.

"It was like a war zone there," said fan Terry Huckaby, whose brother Eddie was hit in the leg by a three-foot piece of metal. Terry used his belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

One woman wearing a Jimmie Johnson shirt appeared to have a foot injury as she was wheeled on a gurney to a waiting ambulance. An older man, wearing an oxygen mask while laying on a stretcher, also appeared to have suffered a leg injury. Another gurney transported a man in a neck support wearing a sling over his left arm. All appeared to be conscious.

"The engine came right through the fence, injuring about six people," said a Daytona International Speedway supervisor, speaking under the condition of anonymity.

 Mindy McCready's funeral has been scheduled for Tuesday in her hometown of Fort Myers, Fla.

The funeral for the late country star will be held at Crossroads Church. A Friday news release says a Nashville memorial organized by friends and the music community is tentatively scheduled for March 6 at Cathedral of the Incarnation.

McCready committed suicide Sunday at her home in Heber Springs, Ark., days after leaving a court-ordered substance abuse treatment program. The 37-year-old mother of two died from a single gunshot to the head about a month after her longtime boyfriend David Wilson was believed to have killed himself in the same location.