Author: Serkadis

Put Cumberland Advisors’ David Kotok in the camp that feels it’s right to sell on the Goldman Sachs news.

Here’s part of a note just sent out.

In Cumberland’s view, the GS news is big and is not a one-off event.  Since the announcement of the SEC suit, we have been polling everyone we talk to about GS.  They are universally despised.  The alleged wrongdoings have intensified an already large anger.  GS arrogance has created a perception problem, and now GS has a reality problem.  It could quickly become a criminal action.  One lawyer said “just wait until we hear from Andrew Cuomo.”
 
Welcome to the modern post-crisis era.  In the case of GS, we have an actual allegation of fraud.  This is different than the Lehman repo 105 disclosures, although we expect fraud allegations to come there, too.  In Lehman we have a failed firm.  In GS we have an existing stock and a company that is the largest capital-market player on the US scene.
 
We expect that there are a lot more charges coming and they will impact GS and many other firms.  And we will soon see state attorneys general piling on. The plaintiff law firms are already preparing class-action suits.  Germany and the U.K. are launching their own investigations.  These types of allegations are not going to be confined to SEC vs. GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. and FABRICE TOURRE.  The allegations will not be limited to a single security series known as Abacus 2007.
 
At Cumberland we have raised some cash.  We exited the capital-market ETF quickly.  We expect this news will be the catalyst for some market correction.  It is long overdue.

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Preparando o terreno para a chegada de seu cupê hibrido CR-Z na Europa, o departamento comercial da Honda europeia contratou a agência de publicidade Gaucho Productions para fazer o vídeo de divulgação do modelo, que cá entre nós, reflete bem a sua personalidade.

Com a introdução de gráficos e de belos efeitos visuais, o vídeo demonstra um breve passeio do Honda CR-Z destacando toda a sua versatilidade disponibilizando três modos de condução: econômica, normal e esportiva. Tudo isso é possível com a utilização de seu sistema hibrido, adotando o motor a gasolina 1.5L 16V i-VTEC com 124 cavalos de potência, associado a um elétrico de 14 cavalos e 7,9 kgfm de torque. Seu baixo consumo fica numa incrível media de quase 20 km/l numa condução mista cidade/estrada.

As vendas do cupê hibrido Honda CR-Z no continente europeu terá inicio no segundo semestre desse ano. Além disso, o vídeo acima também será utilizado para a divulgação do hibrido pela companhia no Oriente Médio e na Africa.

Fonte: EGMCarTech

Filed under: Motorsports, China

It’s a funny thing, rain at a parade. Most of the time, it’s considered a bad thing, but in a handful of cases it can be exactly what you’ve been praying for. Like if you sell umbrellas out of your shop along the parade’s route. Or if a local fascist gang is preparing to march through your neighborhood. Or, in this case, if you’re a racing fan hoping for a little more action than the usual procession of state-of-the-art machinery piloted by millionaire prima donnas.

The latter – showers on the circuit, not the main street umbrellas or the skinheads – is exactly what spectators got this weekend in Shanghai. Or rather, it was the threat of rain, the inclement, unpredictable nature of mother nature that threw everything into chaos. The result was a complete shake-up in the order of things, plenty of spins and more passing than a joint at a Phish concert. Follow the jump to read how it unfolded.

Continue reading Raining on the Parade at the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix [Spoilers]

Raining on the Parade at the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charitybuzz.com is auctioning off a visit for two people to visit Jay Leno’s Garage to the highest bidder. The proceeds will got the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Leno owns approximately 200 vehicles, in a space that spans 17,000 square feet and has vehicles from over 100 years ago. Some rare vehicles include the 1906 Stanley Steamer, a Monteverde, a Bugatti Atlantic and a turbine motorcycle.

Auction winners will get to tour the garage, but most likely won’t get to see Leno himself. The bids is currently at $1,100.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: CharityBuzz.com (via DriveOn)

Filed under: Car Buying

Although it will probably remain a stress-inducing experience, Kelley Blue Book has introduced a smartphone app and a Seller’s Toolkit to make buying a car slightly less stress-inducing. The app ties your iPhone directly into the KBB database, so you can pull up the appropriate KBB values on the fly when that one-owner steal looks more like it’s been stolen from five or six owners. It’ll also clue you in to dealer locations and provide 360-degree views and reviews of any car you have questions about. It’s a free download in the App Store.

On the other hand, if you’re a seller who’s trying to unload that one-owner steal, you’ll want to take advantage of Kelley Blue Book’s Seller’s Toolkit. AutoTrader won’t be happy to hear about it, but the KBB software helps you create a professional-looking listing for posting on Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, or in your e-mail or blog. Check a few boxes and you’ve got a digital window sticker, Facebook application, widget, dynamic images and a direct link to your selling page.

On top of that, all of the tools provide quick links to KBB for buyers to research your car. The window sticker comes with a QR code that calls up KBB’s LiveValue function, the LiveValue ID can respond via SMS, the widget is built to fit into WordPress and Blogger, Direct Link provides a shortened URL for Twitter, or a potential buyer can even make a voice call to KBB to get more information. Like we said, it might not make things less stressful, but it could make everyone more informed, and that’s got to be good for something.

Check out the galleries below for screenshots of the new iPhone app (we loaded it and poked around) and of the KBB Seller’s Toolkit features.

[Source: KBB]

KBB launches free iPhone app and Seller’s Toolkit originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota plans on paying a fine from U.S. regulators without admitting wrongdoing as the Japanese automaker seeks to repair its image and reputation after massive recalls. According to reports from Japanese media, Toyota plans on paying the $16.4 million sought by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to notify the department of a “sticky pedal” defect in its cars for at least four months.

Toyota was in talks with U.S. officials and intended to pay the fine ahead of Monday’s appeal deadline, Jiji news agency reported Saturday. The report said that there is still a possibility that Toyota would appeal if regulators did not approve the automaker’s plan of not admitting the allegations.

Toyota’s decision to pay the fine came out of fear that its refusal could draw more negative attention from the U.S. Congress, hurting its efforts to rebuild its image.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Article Tags: Gary Novak, [email protected]

It is claimed that a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will cause a temperature increase of 1.2°C and the only question is how much increase will be due to forcing effects, mostly by water vapor. Computer models are used to evaluate the forcing.

There is an equation for calculating the 1.2°C temperature increase; and it is such a simple equation that it seems to never be questioned. The problem is, it is too simple. It is a three component equation.

The equation is this: Heat increase = 5.35 ln C/C0. Temperature increase = 0.75 times heat increase. C sub zero is the starting concentration of CO2 and C is the final amount. Since the question is doubling, this ratio is two. The natural log of two is multiplied times the constant 5.35. Then the heat increase is multiplied times 0.75 to get the temperature increase. If only seventh grade general science were so simple.

Determining where this equation came from is no easy task. Steve McIntyre tried to trace down the citations for it in the IPCC documents and failed (1). All of the references led to no real explanation. The citation problem wasn’t just glaciergate, Amazongate ad infinitum; it was also in the claimed, unquestionable physics.

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Filed under: Truck, China, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

General Motors‘ Shreveport, Louisiana plant has apparently been hit with another bit of bad news out of China. Shreveport’s KSLA TV is reporting that a batch of contaminated microchips from China will halt production at the plant the week of April 19. Not only that, the chip issue is also expected to impair GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado production in Europe and at the Ramos Arizpal plant in Mexico.

A supplier in North Carolina provides brake control modules for the trucks, and that supplier gets chips for the modules from a supplier in China. It was the North Carolina company that informed GM of the contaminated parts. Even when Hummer had a chance of continuing, Shreveport was headed for closure and “bad asset” status, but this news doesn’t help.

[Source: KSLA TV]

Report: Bad Chinese parts force GM to idle Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article Tags: Anthony Watts, World Temperatures

Here’s a story about how one missing letter, an M, can wreck a whole month’s worth of climate data. It is one of the longest posts ever made on WUWT, I spent almost my entire Saturday on it. I think it might also be one of the most important because it demonstrates a serious weakness in surface data reporting.

In my last post, we talked about the a curious temperature anomaly that Jean S. found in the March GISS data and posted at Climate Audit:

The anomaly over Finland has an interesting signature to it, and the correction that GISS posted on their website confirms something I’ve been looking at for a few months.

The data shown between 4/13 and 4/15 were based on data downloaded on 4/12 and included some station reports from Finland in which the minus sign may have been dropped.

With some work I started back in late December and through January, and with GISS putting stamp of approval on “missing minus signs” I can now demonstrate that missing minus signs aren’t just an odd event, they happen with regularity, and the effect is quite pronounced when it does happen. This goes to the very heart of data gathering integrity and is rooted in simple human error. The fault lies not with GISS (though now they need a new quality control feature) but mostly with NOAA/NCDC who manages the GHCN and who also needs better quality control. The error originates at the airport, likely with a guy sitting in the control tower. Readers who are pilots will understand this when they see what I’m talking about.

I’ve seen this error happen all over the world. Please read on and be patient, there is a lot of minutiae that must be discussed to properly frame the issue. I have to start at the very bottom of the climate data food-chain and work upwards.

Click source to read FULL report from Anthony Watts

Source: wattsupwiththat.com

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O mercado indiano de carros está com alguns destaques atualmente, como o caso da Reva Eletric Car Company e seus veículos ecológicos. Também uma parceria recente com a General Motors para o fornecimento de tecnologia superior, agora as negociações estão sendo feitas com a Mahindra & Mahindra, para uma aliança de mercado.

Segundo fontes seguras, os principais acionistas da Reva poderão vender suas ações para a Mahindra. Ao serem contactados, a Mahindra e a Reva se negaram a comentar a respeito desse assunto, mesmo que hajam tais especulações de que a Mahindra esteja comprando as ações da Reva.

As empresas que sustentam financeiramente a Reva também não revelaram nada a respeito do assunto. Existem US$ 10 milhões investidos na Reva, se a Mahindra realmente querer tomar conta da Reva, terá que pagar ao menos 51% das ações da companhia, e se tornar a nova dona. Vamos ver o que o mercado nos revelará em breve, muito breve.

Via | Inside Line

Article Tags: BBC, ClimateGate

Click source to read FULL report

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

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The artichoke is a perennial thistle that originated in the Mediterranean.

The artichoke is technically a flower bud that has not yet bloomed.

The first mention of artichokes in literature was around 40-70 AD in The Greek Herbal of Dioscorides, a book on the medicinal uses of plants.

The Greeks and Romans considered them to be an aphrodisiac.

Artichoke seeds were found during the excavation of Mons Claudianus in Egypt during the Roman period.

Until the 16th century, women were prohibited from eating them in many countries because they were still considered to have aphrodisiac properties.

In 1576, Dr. Bartolomeo Boldo wrote in the “Book of Nature” that the artichoke “has the virture of … provoking Venus for both men and women; for women making them more desirable, and helping the men who are in these matters rather tardy.”

King Henry II’s wife, Catherine de Medici, introduced the artichoke to France in the 16th century . She said, “If one of us had eaten artichokes, we would have been pointed out on the street. Today young women are more forward than pages at the court.”

Artichokes were introduced to England by the Dutch in the 1500s.

They were brought to the United States in the 19th century by French and Spanish immigrants.

The top artichoke producers today are Spain, France, and Italy.

It wasn’t until the 20th century that artichokes were grown in the United States.

California produces 100% of the United States artichoke crop, with Castroville, California calling itself the “Artichoke Center of the World.”

In 1947 Marilyn Monroe, then still going by her given name Norma Jean, was crowned Castroville’s first Artichoke Queen.

Artichoke is the primary flavor of the popular Italian liqueur Cynar.

One artichoke plant can produce more than 20 artichokes per year.

Article Tags: Doug L. Hoffman

The current hot buzzword in Information Technology (IT) circles is “cloud computing,” the concept of a shared grid of computer resources, made available to a wide range of consumers in an on-demand, self-service and pay-as-you-go fashion. Even those not immersed in the arcane details of IT are aware of the latest must have techno-doodad from Apple Computer—the iPad. Proving that they can find a dark cloud to go with any silver lining, the perennial eco-pessimists from Greenpeace have declared that the combination of iPads and cloud computing are going to greatly accelerate mankind’s march to a planet frying future.

The IT industry is currently engaged in a mad scramble to define the future of data processing based on the concept of cloud computing. In the process of doing so, a number of high-tech heavy hitters—including Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft and a legion of silicon valley start-ups—are racing to build huge new data centers containing hundreds of thousands of computer servers each. It is certainly true that data centers are getting bigger all the time.

Data Center Knowledge recently put together a list of the world’s 10 largest data centers, ranging between 400,000 and 1.1 million square feet. The list includes such super-sized data centers as the Vegas SuperNAP, Microsoft’s container data center and the Lakeside Technology Center. Filling these cavernous data centers are rack upon rack of new computer servers. Google is rumored to run more than 2 million servers while Microsoft is adding 30,000 new machines each month.

Click source to read FULL report by Doug L. Hoffman

Source: theresilientearth.com

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EA has released a new trailer for the upcoming EA Sports MMA game. It’s in-game gameplay footage, so expect to see a lot of throwdowns and ass-whuppins courtesy of sweaty dudes who want to do nothing more than

Activision’s Infinity Ward studio is bleeding talent right now. The Call of Duty developer has already seen around ten resignations in the past month alone. Talk of people not getting what they’re owed has figured largely in

Square Enix has revealed that Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 also has the “surechigai” feature found in Dragon Quest IX and Dragon Quest VI. Joker 2’s crossover system has a key difference from the ones found in the

As pessoas que são fãs do Camaro agora terão mais um modelo modificado para apreciar. Dessa vez uma parceria entre a Chevrolet e a preparadora Neil Tjin juntaram suas tecnologias, o que resultou em uma versão melhorada do clássico esportivo, que será apresentado no DUB Show 2010 em Memphis, nesse fim de semana.

Várias fotos do Camaro estão disponíveis no blog oficial da Tjin, onde ele já foi exibido anteriormente na última exposição do SEMA no final do ano passado. A edição modificada do Camaro possui um chassi novo e outros acessórios dos parceiros e patrocinadores da Tjin.

Como dito antes, os fãs do esportivo não devem deixar de conferir mais esta versão. Ele será exibido em outros eventos no decorrer do ano, conforme consta no blog da Tjin.

Imagens do Esportivo da Chevrolet

Via | Inside Line

Introduction

This instructional resource set has been developed to meet the current Virginia Department of Education’s Standards of Learning (SOL); specifically, third grade mathematics SOL 3.5 and 3.6 which cover fractions.

List of Five Recommended Fraction Books

1. 

The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Fractions Book by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Rob Bolster

Published in New York, New York by Scholastic Inc. 

What a delicious way to get students excited about learning fractions.  Even if there may be a limitation on the use of an actual candy bar, the book supplies a reproducible picture of a candy bar.  It is wonderful manipulative showing different types of fractions – down to one-twelfth.  It is an introductory book that can lead to mixed number fractions, reducing fractions, decimals, and percentages.
2. 

Funny & Fabulous Fractions Stories by Dan Greenberg and illustrated by Rob Bolster

Published in New York, New York by Scholastic Inc.

Everyone loves to laugh and have fun.  Why not make a difficult subject interesting.  The humorous stories and pictures draw in the students with stories of detectives and adventures (and others) while covering recognizing fractions, reducing fractions, finding equivalent fractions, and adding and subtracting fractions (with like and unlike denominators).

3.

Apple Fractions by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Rob Bolster

Published in New York, New York by Scholastic Inc. 

This book is a nice departure from the use of a pizzas and one that incorporates learning about some fruits (apples, oranges, and pears) and a small introduction to plant pollination.  It begins with a whole apple and progresses through halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths, eighths, ninths, and tenths with the help of little elves – emphasizing sharing and equal parts.

4.

Piece=Part=Portion by Scott Gifford and photographs by Shmuel Thaler 

Published in New York, New York by Tricycle Press

This is a great book for visual learners beyond the introductory stage.  It is the English and Spanish edition.  It has wonderful pictures that include the three different ways to write a portion: fraction, decimal, and percent.  In this book, the author uses some example involving currency (one-fourth of a dollar).

5.

The Wishing Club by Donna Jo Napoli and illustrated by Anne Curry

Published in New York, New York by Henry Holt and Company LLC

Fractions are learned through problem solving.  The children are trying to figure out why they are only receiving a portion of the wish made on a star.  Each child wants to receive her or his whole wish.  Together, they try to think of wish that will result in a whole thing.

List of Five Recommended Web Sites for Students

1.  Mini Printable Fraction Books
     http://www.enchantedlearning.com/math/fractions/

This website begins with an overview with menu options that run the gammit of fractions.  It supplies information from the introductory knowledge and concepts to multiplication and division.  However, I choose this web site for the printable worksheets and books.

2. Third Grade Math Practice (see section on Fractions)    

http://www.ixl.com/math/grade/third/ A review of fractions is given as the first choice.  In total, twelve sections are available to the student to practice their knowledge content and understanding.  Use of whole and sets are displayed as a group of items with different colors, geometry shapes with portions in color, and points on a number line.  If a question is answered incorrectly, the results will state as such and give an explanation.  This is a good simulation of testing a student can use at home or as a work station in class.  There is no time constraint and the student can learn at there own pace.

3. 

The Case of the Mysterious Fraction Thieves Web-Quest     

http://questgarden.com/100/03/5/100407161220/

I designed this Web Quest to reinforce the contents of the Virginia Department of Education’s Standard of Learning 3.5 Number and Number Sense – Fractions.  It begins with the following introduction: There have been several thefts in Whole Town and Part City.  The two of you have been assigned as the detectives on the case of The Mysterious Fraction Thieves.  You’ll have two days to solve the crime.

4.  Fraction Model I     

http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=11 This fraction model allows the student to choose between the visual representation of a circle, square, or set.  The student can manipulate the slider bar controlling the numerator number and the slider bar controlling the denominator bar.  As the numerator and denominator are changed, the portion symbols for fraction, decimal and percent change.  The student gets a view of future math knowledge that builds on fractions.5. Fraction Games    http://visualfractions.com/Games.htmGrampy and Grammy play hide and seek on a number line.  The student watches as either Grampy or Gram go hide.  One game gives the denominator and asks the student for figure out the numerator by locating Grampy behind a row of hedges.  A second game asks the student to find Grammy but asks for both the numerator and denominator.  The third games requires the student to take pieces of a cookie (fractions) and make whole cookies for Grampy.  The last three games deal with weighing the Gregs (black jelly bean characters).  These games deal with grams and decimals.  All of the games have helpful hints (too large, too small, hot, cold, higher, or lower) to get the student to right answer.