Author: Serkadis

Bijan Sabet started it with a great post titled We Gotta Do A Deal Together and Fred Wilson followed with an equally great post titled Trading Deals, A Lost Art?  I’m going to try to add to the mix with this post by describing our strategy at Foundry Group around syndication and explain a little of where it came from.  Please read both Bijan’s and Fred’s posts as it’ll provide a lot of context for this one.

At Foundry Group, we describe ourselves as syndication agnostic.  Specifically – we are delighted to work with a syndicate of other investors and we are equally delighted to invest by ourselves.  Another way to say this is that we are indifferent as to whether or not we have co-investors in a company with us at any stage of the investment cycle.  I realize this isn’t the classical definition of agnostic but I think it’s an appropriate use of the adjective form. 

Here’s what this means in practice.   In an early stage investment we decide whether or not we want to invest and then leave it up to the entrepreneurs if they want to add anyone to the syndicate.  If so, and they are someone we like working with or would like to try working with for the first time, we encourage it.  If the entrepreneurs just want to get going with us, that’s fine also.

Now, assume there is no syndicate for the seed or Series A financing (e.g. it’s just us).  Well in advance of when the company needs to raise the next round we’ll decide whether or not we’ll make another investment.  If we are supportive, we are direct with the company, figure out a price we are willing to do it at (we are willing to invest by ourselves at a higher price if we believe the progress of the company merits it), and give the company the choice of having us invest in another round by ourselves or add another investor to the mix.  Again, it’s up to the entrepreneur, but we signal our intent clearly and early, are willing to put a term sheet down, and lead the financing with or without a new investor.

Two things make this strategy work for us.  We only invest in software and Internet companies.  We have a deeply held belief that we can figure out “if things are working” by the time $10m is invested in a company.  As a result, we are willing to invest up to $10m on our own to play out the early to medium stages of a company.  By the $10m point we have to make a theoretically harder decision, although ironically it’s usually a pretty easy one.  The company is either unambiguously on a success path, at which point adding additional investors to the syndicate is easy (since it’s a highly desirable later stage investment) or it’s a tough situation that’s not working out.  Occasionally it’s in the middle (e.g. unclear and ambiguous), but not very often.

Some recent examples help illustrate this:

Next Big Sound: We led the seed round and co-invested with Alsop Louie (Stewart Alsop) and SoftTechVC (Jeff Clavier) – two VCs that we love to work with.  We could have easily invested by ourselves, and Next Big Sound had a long list of VCs that wanted to invest (more than 5, less than 10).  The founders chose the syndicate.

StockTwits: The seed round was led by True Ventures.  We decided proactively that we wanted to invest in StockTwits as part of a new theme we are developing and approached Howard Lindzon (the founder/CEO).  He was in the midst of closing a follow-on with True.  We have enormous respect for True but hadn’t done a direct investment with them (I’ve personally invested in several companies with them) so were extremely interested in doing something together.  They reciprocated and we put together a bigger financing than planned (although still a relatively modest amount as Howard isn’t interested in raising a lot of capital) that allowed everyone to be happy with their stake in the company.

Cloud Engines: Cloud Engines had raised some angel money (from well respected angels) prior to our investment.  We did the first round by ourselves and recently did a second round by ourselves.  We did this quickly because we were thrilled with their progress and this allowed the company to ramp up production to meet demand.  We left the financing open for a strategic co-investor although we are perfectly happy to take the remaining piece for ourselves.

The common two themes from this for us is: (a) we only co-invest with people we like, trust, and respect and that like, trust, and respect us and (b) we view it as our responsibility to make a decision about whether or not we want to invest independent of any other investors (VC or angels) at the table.

For completeness, we love investing with Union Square Ventures (we are co-investors in Zynga) and Spark (we are co-investors in AdMeld) and we hope to make additional investments with both of them in 2010. 

Ultimately the syndicate is the entrepreneurs’ choice.  And our goal is to make the discussion simpler, cleaner, and crisper, so the entrepreneurs aren’t having to guess, or jump through bizarre hoops, or play a difficult VC-centric game as they finance their company.

Art is a many-faceted thing, and there are so many angles from which one can approach it.  While some dabble in the traditional mediums of paint and pencil, others turn to digital media.  Africa has seen a rise in digital media productions.

BMW-M Concept by Idries Noah (courtesy www.idi3dblog.com)

Jamati Online talked about the O Twins, a high quality 3-D animation cartoon that mirrors life in Nigeria, and Wangechi Mutu, a Kenyan artist who uses creative mediums to form collages with a definite message.  They put their passion behind their work, and are highly acclaimed for it.

Another aspect of design, albeit one that isn’t always recognized, is the design of cars.  Vehicle concept design is the stuff that the next hot vehicle is made of.  Enter Idries Noah, a South African designer whose designs have generated excitement in the auto industry.  His BMW-M concept car is said to be the answer to the competing Audi R8.  It is not the first time that he has made waves with his unique design concepts.

Murcielago Concept by Idries Noah

Noah started off in the animation industry as a 3-D artist.  He proceeded to work in the motion and picture film industry on all 3-D aspects and advertisements.

In 2006, following his passion for cars, he  moved to the automotive industry, taking a position as visualization designer with General Motors Holden.

It was there that he honed his skills in 2D/3D automotive renderings, 3D modelling and animation, and brochure renders.

Idries Noah

Idries Noah is currently a freelance vehicle artist with Virtual Mechanix where he works on concept design and vehicle art. His company, Idi3D focuses on 3D/2D concept design, automotive visualization, brochure renders, and 3D modeling/animation.  You can view his portfolio here.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep wasn’t the only game Square Enix showed off at this year’s Jump Festa. They also brought along Final Fantasy Versus XIII. All the Final Fantasy XIII hoopla may have put it out of your mind, but it’s

Welcome to the playoff semis, everyone. For last-minute updates and advice, please stop by Fantasy Football Live. The show kicks off at noon ET. We’ll have all the essential weather and injury info.

To submit your questions, CLICK HERE.

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PhoneArena has published this short preview of their review of the LG eXpo, demoing the projector in action. While I cant think of many situations where this would be useful it is certainly pretty slick and will hopefully find many buyers.

We look forward to their full review later.

Saab dealers are aggressively trying to sell off their inventories.

Yet the originally Swedish brand could be saved in the end.

The dutch firm Spyker has put a new offer on the table to acquire Saab from General Motors.

Spyker may have somehow assuaged GM’s concerns in regards to sensitive proprietary auto technology and the dutch firm’s financial ties with the shady Russian oligarch Alexander Antonov.

Also, even if the Saab brand is wound down, there’s probably some killer deals out there, especially for higher end models. Buyers surely have substantial bargaining power right now.

Deal Journal: Dealers are offering huge incentives to unload their inventory. North Shore Saab in Roslyn, NY, is offering average incentives of $9,000 to $13,000 per car. Today, a buyer can walk away with a 2009 convertible, previously worth $50,000, for $38,000.

…

Saab’s advertised incentives are more than three times as large as the average incentive on a U.S. car, which totaled $ 2,712 in November, according Edmunds.com

These may not be the closeout prices at Saab. It could take a while for the dust to settle – and prices to fall further. “You may want to wait a few more months,’’ says Desrosiers.

…

Of course, the major downside of buying a Saab is the uncertainty of its resale value and the ability to service it.

That means buyers may want to look to buy and hold a Saab for many years and should negotiate with the dealer for a long warranty. GM will likely stick with its promise to honor the Saab warranties.

Read more here.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• RIP: General Motors Dissolving Iconic Saab Brand
• Saab Maybe Not Dead After All
• Is Saab Dead?

it is the final week of so you think you can dance featuring the top 19 dancers of america, performing in group jazz routine choreographed by kelley abbey. the song is “scared of me” by fedde le grand featuring mitch crown.

the final week also features special musical guests; leona lewis to perform her latest single “i see you” from the original soundtrack of avatar, adam lambert with “whataya want from me” from his debut album, mary j. blige and her latest single “i am”, and jennifer lopez to perform her new single “louboutins”.

the winner of so you think you can dance season 6 is russell ferguson, he is the first krumper to make it to vegas week. he wins the title “american’s favorite dancer” and receives the 250,000 dollars grand prize.

related :

1. sytycd6 week8
2. sytycd6 week7
3. sytycd6 week6

Busy, busy week on the QJ.NET PS3 blog. The 2009 VGAs last weekend opened up a flood of new game announcements, and the mid-week release of Final Fantasy XIII in Japan also led to lots of traffic on

Filed under: Europe, Videos, Subaru

Somewhere in the snow that’s falling all over the northern hemisphere, a tractor-trailer got stuck on some slushy ice and snow, blocking a city street. That helpless semi was then strapped to a Subaru WRX STI, and the little engine — and AWD — that could, extricated the truck from its predicament.

That’s cool enough on its own. Yet, what we really want to know is the backstory – did someone say “Don’t worry about a wrecker. If you see a blue sedan with gold wheels and a giant wing, and it growls, that’s all we need…”? Follow the jump to see it all unfold on video. Thanks for the tip, Roy!

[Source: Tastes Like Pizza]

Continue reading Behold, the Power of Subaru: WRX STI tows semi out of snow

Behold, the Power of Subaru: WRX STI tows semi out of snow originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you sure this is official?
Reads like the Yes Men strike again.
Or is the US administration really this incompetent?

Filed under: GM, Saab, Spyker

Spyker’s motto, written on all of its cars in Latin, is “Nulla tenaci invia est via.” Translation: “For the tenacious, no road is impassable.” And so here the Dutch company is, tenaciously chasing Saab, announcing in a press release that they have submitted a renewed offer to General Motors that addresses what are said to be eleven sticking points that scuttled an earlier agreement.

To be clear, we don’t know what each of those eleven issues are. According to a report in a Swedish paper (translated), GM’s man-in-Europe, Nick Reilly, called off the sale Friday morning, citing intellectual property fears regarding Spyker’s Russian backer, and the desire for GM’s board to be decisive on the matter of what would become of Saab. Spyker’s statement mentions the need to receive approval for a European Investment Bank loan by the end of the year, but says it has found a solution to that need. One wonders how it could possibly address its Russian support, from Vladimir Antonov’s Conven Group, in a way that might make GM happy. Either way, we should know soon whether the new proposal works, as Spyker has set a deadline of 5pm Eastern on Monday as its drop-dead date.

On a side note, Norway’s Bard Eker has begun to share his take on what prevented Koenigsegg’s attempt to purchase Saab (translated). Two of his points were that GM had made Saab too difficult to extract from the parent company and that Koenigsegg couldn’t get GM to set prices for Saab parts. As the deal looked increasingly likely to go through, Eker says that GM wanted more money. This, however, happened before Whitacre, Jr. took the helm and apparently before indecisiveness became so frowned up by The General’s leaders.

In the meantime, the Swedish government is reportedly conferring with GM reps to see what else might be done to prevent Saab from flat-lining for good. Is this an attempt by Spyker and/or the Swedish government to save face, or does this proposal truly eviscerate previous sticking points and clear the way for a reborn Saab? We’re not sure, but while you (re)buckle your seatbelts, be sure to read Spyker’s complete statement after the jump. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Spyker]

Continue reading Spyker Tries Again: Submits 11th-hour, 11-point bid for Saab

Spyker Tries Again: Submits 11th-hour, 11-point bid for Saab originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Jeff Reed(notes) drilled the extra point that gave Pittsburgh a 37-36 victory over Green Bay on Sunday, it felt as if the Steelers had just won the WAC championship, or your dorm floor’s Tecmo Bowl title. NFL games aren’t supposed to be anything like that. 

Ben Roethlisberger(notes) passed for an absurd 503 yards and three touchdowns, yet he wasn’t even the top fantasy quarterback in the game. Aaron Rodgers(notes) ran for one TD and threw for three others, finishing with 22 yards on the ground and 383 through the air. The Steelers and Packers combined for 973 total net yards. Nine different players had at least 70 receiving yards.

Rodgers was so thoroughly unstoppable that when Pittsburgh attempted an onside kick late in the fourth quarter ahead by two, the decision almost made sense. If the onside gamble failed (which it did, due to a penalty), Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was willing to concede a score (which came quickly, from Rodgers to James Jones(notes)).

Tomlin just wanted his offense to possess the ball at the end of the game. These were his postgame comments:

"First of all, I felt like with the element of surprise we had a chance to get it. But if we didn’t get it and they would have scored, then we would have the necessary time on the clock to go down the field and match their score. … We had 30 minutes of evidence there to show that we could drive the ball on them. We also conversely had 30 minutes of evidence to show that they could drive the ball on us. That’s why we took that risk when we did."

It was certainly a bold call, one that demonstrated (appropriately) no confidence whatsoever in the Steelers defense. If you’re a fantasy owner who started either Roethlisberger or Rodgers in the playoff semis, then you’re not about to argue with Tomlin’s play-for-the-shootout strategy.

Fourth Quarter

• You’ll get a full helping of Jerome Harrison(notes) propaganda below. The Cleveland back posted the third-highest single-game rushing total in NFL history (286), just one week after being decisively outperformed by Chris Jennings(notes). If you saw it coming, we offer you our congratulations (not our jobs). Touché, Mangenius. Harrison gets the Raiders next. That should go well. Credit the Kansas City defense with an assist on Harrison’s insane day; Cedric Benson(notes) gets to face the Chiefs in Week 16. 

• One more Packers-Steelers detail, just for the record: Mike Wallace’s(notes) 19-yard game-winning reception was as impressive as any catch you’ll see all year. Highlight here.

• Justin Fargas(notes) reportedly tweaked a knee early in Oakland’s win over Denver, which led to Michael Bush’s(notes) unexpected workload (18 carries, 133 yards, TD). Darren McFadden(notes) ran well, too, but he lost a fumble in the third quarter and was later stuffed on fourth-and-goal. The game was briefly delayed while stadium security searched for a fan who was distracting players with a laser pointer. It seems so wrong that Ron Jaworski wasn’t broadcasting a contest that featured an actual laser.

• Vincent Jackson(notes) returned to dominance against a Cincinnati defense that’s defended elite wideouts well all year. V-Jax finished with five catches for 108 yards and two scores. Malcom Floyd(notes) added four catches for 63, as quarterback Philip Rivers(notes) connected with nine different receivers.

• Matt Hasselbeck(notes) was notably awful on Sunday, turning the ball over five times against the Bucs. Tampa Bay entered the week allowing 27.4 points and 361.5 total yards per game. 

• Rams running back Steven Jackson is dealing with more ailments than just about anyone in the NFL, and his team’s short-term situation is hopeless. But he’s earning all kinds of fantasy cred by playing out the year and continuing to deliver useful numbers. Jackson gained 123 total yards against the Texans on Sunday, leading his team in both rushing and receiving (and attempts to destroy Bernard Pollard(notes)). That’s the 11th time S-Jax has reached triple-digit yardage this season. He’s averaging 119.6 yards from scrimmage for a team that only gains 298.9. He’s clearly not the fantasy MVP, but he deserves some sort of imaginary hardware for his efforts on our behalf. 

• We leave you with a quote from CBS’ Gus Johnson. This declaration followed JaMarcus Russell’s(notes) late TD pass to Chaz Schilens(notes):

"JaMARCUS RUSSELL OFF THE BENCH LIKE JOHNNY U!!!!!"

Yup, that’s what he said. There are not enough exclamation points or capital letters to do it justice. The man is excitement itself. 

Posted at 10:30 pm ET

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Third Quarter

As you might have heard, the East Coast was hit by an epic, record-breaking storm this weekend. Baltimore reportedly received 21 inches of snow. Philadelphia was buried by 23 inches. (That appears to be Alexis Bledel digging out Lincoln Financial. Fell on tough times after Gilmore Girls. Very sad).

But so far, weather is one of Sunday’s least valuable players. It hasn’t been an overwhelming factor in any game, unless Alex Smith intends to blame his atrocious half on the wintry conditions in Philly (7-for-17, three INTs).

Donovan McNabb(notes) has passed for 179 yards and one TD against the Niners, and he ran for another score. Michael Vick(notes) suffered a thigh injury in the first half, so McNabb may not lose red zone opportunities this week. DeSean Jackson(notes) broke the plane from 19, which is roughly 40 yards shorter than his usual score.

• San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary had a few thoughts for Vernon Davis(notes) after the tight end failed to make a play on this ball, conceding the interception. Davis has an outstanding matchup against a Philly defense that allows almost unlimited fantasy points to TEs, but he caught just one pass in the first half. 

• If you’re a fan of turnovers and missed field goals, we urge you to get yourself in front of the Bucs-Seahawks game immediately. It has much to offer. We have no idea what Matt Hasselbeck was attempting to do on this play. That was no ordinary fumble. Whatever it was, it deserves its own stat.

• Greg Jennings(notes) has been a significant disappointment through 14 weeks, considering his average draft position. But he’s on his way to a season-best performance at Pittsburgh, thanks to an 83-yard first quarter TD reception.

• You’re not surprised that Baltimore is destroying Chicago, right? Good. The Bears were a very quotable team all week, discussing players who are no longer on the roster and coaches who shouldn’t be on the payroll…but no one ever mentioned the Ravens. It was perfectly clear that Chicago wasn’t prepared to play a live opponent. Jay Cutler(notes) threw a pair of first half interceptions, his 23rd and 24th of the year.

• Michael Bush and Darren McFadden are splitting the rushing workload for the stubbornly competitive Raiders. Bush has the only TD for Oakland. He went 23 yards, untouched through a massive running lane.

Posted at 6:15 pm ET 

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Second Quarter

Two weeks ago, Jerome Harrison was the Cleveland running back to own. Last week, it was Chris Jennings. This week, it’s Harrison again – and he delivered a historic fantasy line, not merely a good one.

Harrison carried 34 times for an obscene 286 yards and three touchdowns against the Chiefs. That yardage total is actually the third highest in NFL history. Harrison scored from long-distance and he scored from short-range. Cleveland’s run-blocking was obviously spectacular. Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers(notes) blocked with Charles Jefferson-style aggression. He was a beast.

But the day clearly belonged to Harrison. When you manage to bump Jim Brown’s name from the Cleveland record book, you’ve done something right. Harrison is only owned in 24 percent of standard Yahoo! leagues and he’s at home against Oakland next week.

You know what to do. 

• Beanie Wells(notes) rushed for 110 yards and one score on 17 carries against the Lions. Delightfully, he didn’t fumble in Arizona’s 31-24 win. The widely available Maurice Morris(notes) gained 161 total yards for Detroit, leading his team in both rushing (126) and receiving (5-for-35). Those of you in the deepest two-quarterback leagues will note that Daunte Culpepper(notes) was benched in favor of Drew Stanton(notes).

• Welcome back to the end zone, Kevin Walter(notes). He caught an easy 3-yard score in the third quarter at St. Louis. Joel Dreesen was open on the play as well. Matt Schaub(notes) finished with 367 passing yards in a shockingly narrow win over the Rams. Andre Johnson(notes) again dominated a grossly overmatched secondary, catching nine balls for 196 yards. Arian Foster(notes) wasn’t heard from again following the early fumble. 

• Chad Henne(notes) threw for 349 yards on Sunday, but he made a few spectacularly bad throws. Chris Hope(notes) picked off a pass in the end zone that was a mile short of its intended target. Henne lucked into a late 57-yard completion after Michael Griffin(notes) had the interception in his hands, but couldn’t hold on. Griffin made amends, however, intercepting a pass in overtime to setup Rob Bironas’(notes) game-winning field goal. 

• Arizona’s Bryan Robinson(notes) drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties within approximately 30 seconds during a third quarter mini-implosion by the Cards at Detroit. Those flags, plus a nifty gain by Aaron Brown on an end-around, setup a Jason Hanson(notes) field goal that tied the game at 17. 

• The head official in New York had to ask Jets fans to please stop whistling in the stands. It should never come to that. Fans need to police that situation themselves. Whistlers must be silenced. 

• New England wisely involved Randy Moss(notes) early and often, keeping No. 81 alert and engaged throughout the win over the Bills. Moss finished with five receptions for 70 yards and a TD. 

• Lee Evans(notes) ran a beautiful route on his late 11-yard score against the Pats, making a terrific play on the back-shoulder throw. The Bills recovered an onside kick following the TD, but they were flagged for going offsides. 

Posted at 4:45 pm ET

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First Quarter

It’s been another lost year for the Cleveland Browns, but you can’t assign any blame to Joshua Cribbs(notes).
His 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the first quarter at Kansas City established a new all-time NFL record. And just to prove that the first seven career TDs weren’t flukes, Cribbs added a 103-yard return in the second quarter. 

The first touchdown had a slightly higher degree of difficulty, as Cribbs broke multiple arm tackles, then outran the Chiefs’ coverage team to the end zone. Here’s the clip via NFL.com. Incredibly, Cribbs has at least one kickoff return TD in each of his five seasons. 

• Jamaal Charles(notes) is having the excellent game you should have expected for KC. He’s rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and he’s added a pair of catches for 16 yards. He’s making a strong late-season charge into the first round of 2010 drafts. Charles has now found the end zone in six straight games.

• This year, Houston running backs are fumbling as if it’s a scripted play. Unreal. Arian Foster brought a premature end to the Texans’ opening drive by putting the ball on the turf at the end of a 13-yard gain. Lowlight here. Gary Kubiak does not need another fumbler, Arian. His cupboard’s full. Ryan Moats(notes) took over on the next series for Houston. He’s picked up 28 yards on six carries. Foster didn’t receive another look in the first half after the turnover.

• Dwayne Bowe(notes) returned from his four-game suspension and he’s back in mid-season form, dropping passes. Bowe failed to hold onto a TD pass over the middle in the end zone. He’s fine to start in fantasy, but he’s torture to watch. 

• Tom Brady(notes) was held without a passing yard in the first quarter against Buffalo, a team with one of the NFL’s stingiest pass defenses. But Randy Moss finally surfaced on the Pats’ first drive of the second quarter, drawing a long interference penalty, then catching a 13-yard score. New England had a short first-and-goal following the PI call, but they went with play-action instead of running. Because the Patriots hate you, Laurence Maroney(notes) owner. (OK, so Maroney had a TD late in the half. But some of us could use another). 

• Larry Fitzgerald(notes) owners spent the week panicking about the condition of their No. 1 receiver’s knee. But Fitz rewarded those who kept the faith, catching an early 1-yard score. The ball was up for grabs, but Larry generally wins those battles. Video here. Annoyingly enough, Tim Hightower(notes) later poached a short-yardage score from Beanie Wells. However, the rookie is dominating the rushing workload, as has been the case in recent weeks.

• Fred Jackson(notes) had a first quarter touchdown negated by a false start penalty. Too bad, because he certainly earned the points. Jackson gained 39 yards on seven touches during the drive.

• So far the hit of the day belongs to Vince Young(notes), who simply demolished Vontae Davis(notes). Unfortunately for VY owners, the tackle ended an interception return. Chris Johnson is on pace for his ninth straight 100-yard rushing effort to no one’s surprise. He’s picked up 71 first half yards on 14 carries. But oddly enough, Justin Gage(notes) has both of the Titans’ TDs.

• The Falcons-Jets tilt is hardly a thing of beauty, although Braylon Edwards(notes) hauled in a 65-yard score. Mark Sanchez(notes) has thrown two more picks, Matt Ryan(notes) is 5-for-17 at half, and Michael Turner(notes) checked out after one carry after aggravating his ankle injury.

Posted at 2:45 pm ET

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Early injury updates: Steven Jackson (flu, back, Ramness) participated in a walk-through on Saturday, so there’s hope for him. Early signs also point to "yes" for Michael Turner (ankle), Matt Ryan (toe), Larry Fitzgerald (knee), Sidney Rice(notes) (flu), Vince Young (hamstring) and Calvin Johnson(notes) (knee).

Posted at 10:20 am ET

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Pregame

Welcome to Week 15, fantasy owner. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. But this is a messy weekend full of injuries, illnesses and meteorological events. Please join us over at Fantasy Football Live at noon ET for last-minute updates and analysis (and our favorite holiday recipes!)

There’s swine flu goin’ around, Snowman, so please cover your mouth and carrot when you sneeze.

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Photos via Getty Images (Jackson, Browns, Santas) and US Presswire (snow girl).

Article Tags: Christopher Booker

No one in the world exercised more influence on the events leading up to the Copenhagen conference on global warming than Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN?s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and mastermind of its latest report in 2007.

Although Dr Pachauri is often presented as a scientist (he was even once described by the BBC as “the world?s top climate scientist”), as a former railway engineer with a PhD in economics he has no qualifications in climate science at all.

What has also almost entirely escaped attention, however, is how Dr Pachauri has established an astonishing worldwide portfolio of business interests with bodies which have been investing billions of dollars in organisations dependent on the IPCC’s policy recommendations.

These outfits include banks, oil and energy companies and investment funds heavily involved in ‘carbon trading’ and ‘sustainable technologies’, which together make up the fastest-growing commodity market in the world, estimated soon to be worth trillions of dollars a year.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

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Article Tags: Andrew Bolt, Wikipedia

As we now know from the Climategate Emails, this band [of Climategate scientists] saw the Medieval Warm Period as an enormous obstacle in their mission of spreading the word about global warming. If temperatures were warmer 1,000 years ago than today, the Climategate Emails explain in detail, their message that we now live in the warmest of all possible times would be undermined.

With the help of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the highest climate change authority of all, they published what became the icon of their movement – the hockey stick graph. This icon showed temperatures in the last 1,000 years to have been stable – no Medieval Warm Period, not even the Little Ice Age of a few centuries ago.

But the UN’s official verdict that the Medieval Warm Period had not existed did not erase the countless schoolbooks, encyclopedias, and other scholarly sources that claimed it had. Rewriting those would take decades, time that the band members didn?t have if they were to save the globe from warming.

Source: blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt

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Article Tags: Public Polls

The answers won’t entirely please either side.

These are hard times for climate scientists who want government action on global warming. Not only has the Copenhagen summit largely produced discord, but an embarrassing public release of private e-mails exposed attempts by a group of climate scientists to hide scientific evidence that didn’t conform to their beliefs or pronouncements.

As CBS News put it, the scandal, called “Climategate,” is “casting doubts on the very science on which this summit is based.” In a widely noted Washington Post column, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin argued, “the documents show that there was no real consensus” among climate scientists. And a new ABC News poll finds that only 29% of the public now place “a lot” of trust in what scientists say about the environment.

The question of whether there is a scientific consensus on human-induced global warming has long inspired heated debate among both scientists and politicians. The most recent assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change describes global warming as “unequivocal” and “very likely” caused by human activity. But skeptics have argued that the IPCC, which is tasked by the United Nations with evaluating the risks of climate change, is itself influenced by political considerations and “pre-conceived agendas.”

Source: forbes.com

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