CIA asked to authenticate Steve Jobs video

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency is working to verify the authenticity of a videotape released Wednesday purporting to show Apple CEO Steve Jobs a day after the company said he would no longer be making appearances at the annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
The video, released to YouTube, shows Jobs, wearing his iconic black turtleneck, visiting Apple’s retail store in Palo Alto, Calif., looking through a selection of iPod Nanos on sale.

Although the footage is grainy, owing to obviously not being shot with an iPhone, one Apple expert challenged the notion that the video was shot Wednesday. Jobs, says AppleFanatic.com Editor Josh Newman, appears to be holding a previous generation Nano, not the new line of “nano-chromatic” model media players introduced in September.

“Do they think we’re stupid?” Newman asked, incredulously.

The news that Jobs would no longer make Macworld public appearances raised speculation among a skeptical press corps about Jobs’ health, especially in the wake of his noticeably gaunt appearance at the Apple WWDC in June.

While the CIA studied the video with the same team of experts that study Osama bin Laden’s taped tirades, shareholders petitioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to require Apple to produce a photo of Jobs holding a copy of today’s newspaper.

A shareholder rights advocate, Ben Larsen, assured the SEC that some newspapers still print hard copies of their publications which Jobs could hold up in a photo.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, in an obscenity-laced statement, said he could confirm Jobs’s continuing good health, but demanded $350,000 and "a f***ing brand new" 3G iPhone to divulge it. "And with free service from f***ing Verizon, not AT&-f***ing-T," the governor added.

One piece of evidence indicating the video may be of recent origin is a blurry image of what appears to be a shoe flying over Jobs’s head as he leans down to inspect a new MacBook.

Story about me on CNET

Last week I went to a networking event in San Francisco and was introduced to Greg Sandoval, a reporter for CNET and told him I was looking for a fulltime job. The next day Greg called and wanted to interview me for a story about the effect of the recession on people. The result is this article. Faces of the Recession , which was posted on CNET's Web site Monday.

San Francisco Auto Show

As the economy struggles and Congress considers a $25 billion bailout of the Big Three, automakers put on their best face at auto shows like the San Francisco International Auto Show going on this week at the Moscone Center. A few highlights:

I don't want us to pay $25 billion to save this (Hummer H2):

Things have gotten so bad. they're selling used cars at the auto show (1940 Buick)

For those above it all (Bentley):

Escape pod for an Escalade (Smart car):

The carmakers are supposed to come back to Congress next month with a plan on how to spend the $25 billion taxpayers may pony up to save their industry. Here are five conditions I think should be placed on them getting the funds.

5. The gas filler door should go either on the left side or the right side of the car. Pick one!

4. Apologize for the Vega, the Pinto, the Gremlin and the Pacer.

3. Service departments barred from saying, “They all make that noise.”

2. An Escalade Hybrid? Are you f-ing kidding me?

And the number one condition for the $25 billion bailout:

1.Flying car: still waiting.