Author: Serkadis

This is a guest post by Mike Rohde. We hired Mike to illustrate original art for REWORK. Each one of the 90 essays in REWORK is accompanied by an illustration that captures the key message of the essay. We asked Mike to share the illustration process with you here on Signal vs. Noise. This post is part 1 of a 2-part series. Part 2 will be posted within the next few weeks.

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In September 2009, I began work with Jason Fried to create a series of 90 sketchnote illustrations and 10 chapter illustrations for the new 37signals business book, REWORK. In December 2009, I completed the illustration project, delivering final illustrations to the publisher for book production.

Photo of sketches in my Moleskine notebook, featuring “Everyone on the Front Lines” and “Take a Deep Breath” — two illustration concepts for REWORK that are ready for inking. –Photo by Mike Rohde

Project Background

I met Jason after he saw the sketchnotes I’d captured at his first SEED conference in 2007. Those sketchnotes were featured on Signal vs. Noise and led to an invitation to sketchnote the SEED 3 conference in June 2008. The SEED 3 sketchnotes led, in turn, to sketchnoting Jason’s talk on business at Milwaukee’s Discovery World in September 2008.

More…

Article Tags: Edward R. Long

Our study of data-massaging by the U.S. government agency charged with collecting temperature information raises uncomfortable questions.

We have been repeatedly told (perhaps “lectured” is a better word) the past twenty years that global warming is occurring. With Climategate and subsequent confessions and bailouts by scientists at the CRU, Penn State, Arizona State, IPCC, et al., we are learning that little to none of the factual content in their “peer reviewed” articles is true. The Medieval Warming Period did occur, and it was warmer than currently; the oceans are not going to flood the plains; and the Arctic Ocean may not be turning into a summer water park. Of course, the mainstream media, especially in the United States, has reported little of this news, and President Obama appears not to be well-informed. But now the global warming story grows more interesting because here in America, we may have our own little “gate.” I will call it ATG, for “American Temperaturegate.”

NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) informs us, based on their “Adjusted Data” for the period from the last decade of the 19th century to 2006, that the temperature for the contiguous U.S. has increased at a rate of 0.69oC/century. Click here. NCDC arrives at this conclusion by massaging raw data from a set of meteorological stations located in the contiguous U.S. which they selected on the basis of a 2.5-degree latitude- and 3.5-degree-longitude grid. For more on this, click here and here. The most-asked question, most recently by D’Aleo and Watts, is whether the NCDC’s reported increase is correct. Perhaps the value is due to a dominant use (over-selection) of stations in urban locations or because of other issues, such as leaving out stations at higher altitudes for the more recent history and retaining them for the more distant past.

Here, one aspect is considered — that of the Urban Heat Island Effect, which is tagged as UHIE.

Click source to read FULL report by Edward R. Long

Source: americanthinker.com

Read in full with comments »   

URBANA — A Rantoul man with several criminal convictions was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for breaking into a bar where he worked.

Christopher Bradley, 36, who listed an address in the 1000 block of St. Andrew’s Circle, pleaded guilty before Champaign County Judge Heidi Ladd to burglary, admitting that on Nov. 7 he broke into Tams Bar & Grill at 424 S. Century Blvd., Rantoul.

Assistant State’s Attorney Troy Lozar said the business’s video camera was damaged but not disabled so employees were able to identify Bradley as the intruder.

He had prior convictions for residential burglary, burglary, forgery, theft and battery, Lozar said.

In other recent negotiated plea agreements accepted by Ladd:

— Granville Tyler, 50, of the 900 block of South Lierman Avenue, Urbana, was sentenced to four years in prison for burglary. He admitted that on Dec. 26, he entered a home in the 100 block of East University Avenue in Champaign and stole a bag from the 57-year-old resident, who is in a wheelchair and could not pursue him. The victim knew Tyler, Lozar said.

Lozar said Tyler had prior convictions for aggravated battery, theft, possession of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct and battery.

—  Jermaine Bunch, 20, who listed an address in the 700 block of Willow Pond Road, Rantoul, pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to two years of probation. Bunch admitted that on Sept. 4, he had a loaded .22-caliber pistol on him on Charles Drive in Rantoul and was threatening to kill people.

Lozar said Bunch was identified by police as a member of the Rantoul-based So Icy street gang. Lozar said Bunch had no prior adult convictions.

— Travis Billingsly, 22, whose last known address was in the 700 block of West Church Street, Champaign, was sentenced to three years in prison for aggravated battery.
He pleaded guilty to punching a 19-year-old man in the head on Aug. 15 at the Firehaus bar, 708 S. Sixth St., C. Billingsly was also ordered to make restitution of $3,290 to the victim, who sustained a broken jaw, Lozar said.

Other charges alleging that Billingsly hit another man, rubbed a woman’s buttocks and possessed cannabis on that same day were dismissed. Lozar said Billingsly was on parole for a drug-related conviction when he was arrested for the aggravated battery. 

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, GM

General Motors and Chrysler dealers unsuccessful in government-mediated arbitration to save their franchises from closure are being thrown a potential life saver. This one, however, doesn’t say U.S.S. Government on it, but rather, U.S.S. Sears Auto Center. The nationwide retailer want to expands its Auto Center operations that focus on service and sales and dealers with physical plants but nothing to put in them might be a workable option.

The upside for Sears is not only known dealer locations that are practically built to run Auto Center operations, but having folks who know cars representing the brand. The upshot for dealers would be the chance to run a potentially profitable business supported by a major brand, on top of which they could add used car sales. The first Chrysler-dealer-turned-Sears-outlet will be Coleman Auto Group in East Windsor, New Jersey, a conversion that happens next month.

Follow the jump to read the press release on the endeavor, and who knows, perhaps Craftsman and DieHard can succeed where Chrysler and GM couldn’t.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Continue reading Sears coming to the rescue of disenfranchised Chrysler and GM dealers?

Sears coming to the rescue of disenfranchised Chrysler and GM dealers? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Akio Toyoda stood in front of Congress today and delivered a seemingly sincere apology for accidents connected to Toyota’s recent recalls. Reading in English, Toyoda delivered a prepared statement in front of the House Oversight Committee, one of three congressional panels investigating the matter.

“We never run away from our problems or pretend we don’t notice them. I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick,” Toyoda said of the company founded by his grandfather. “You have my personal commitment that Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to restore the trust of our customers.”

Toyota has been sharply criticized for putting profits above safety, and committee chairman Ed Towns, D-NY went so far as to accuse officials of bragging about saving $100 million by preventing the NHTSA from finding a defect related to sudden acceleration.

Towns pointed out the severity of the Toyota situation, pointing to examples such as the Ford Pinto’s exploding gas tank situation in the 1970’s. The infamous Pinto situation resulted in 27 deaths while 34 have been attributed to the Toyota defects.

NHTSA Ray LaHood also testified, and admitted that perhaps the agency should have responded with more expedience under the Bush administration. Also scheduled to speak are the relatives of four of those killed as a result of trapped accelerator pedals in Lexus models.

-By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Detroit News
Image Source: KickingTires

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls

Cummins Inc. has lodged a settlement in the U.S. District Court for D.C. agreeing to pay a $2.1 million penalty for violating the Clean Air Act. What did Cummins do? Well, it “shipped more than 570,000 heavy duty diesel engines to vehicle equipment manufacturers nationwide without pollution control equipment included” between 1998 and 2006. Even with that many engines sold, Cummins has agreed to recall only 405 of them because that is all that “were found to have reached the ultimate consumers without the correct ATDs in order to install the correct ATDs.” (ATD here standing for exhaust After-Treatment Devices like catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters that control pollutants).

What effects did the faulty engines have on the environment? The EPA estimates that “approximately 167 excess tons of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbon emissions, and 30 excess tons of particulate matter emissions” were released into the air. To make up for this, Cummis will also “permanently retire” enough emission credits to equal the excess tons of pollution. The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period.

[Source: Environmental Protection Agency]

Continue reading Cummins will recall 405 engines, pay $2.1 million penalty for Clean Air Act violations

Cummins will recall 405 engines, pay $2.1 million penalty for Clean Air Act violations originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Health officials say swine flu is on its last legs in Illinois, but the virus is still circulating and is still deadly.

Three new deaths reported last week pushed the state’s swine flu death toll above 100 for the first time. Most who died from the virus were between the ages of 25 and 64, and most had other health problems.

The Illinois Department of Public Health says 44 of the deaths were in Cook County. Nineteen deaths were in counties surrounding Chicago, 15 were in northwest Illinois, 12 were in central Illinois and 11 were in the southern part of the state. One death was recorded with no information about region.

Fifty-two of the fatalities were whites, 21 were Latinos, 19 were blacks and one was Asian. The others were unknown or there was no information.

ON THE NET: HTTP://WWW.IDPH.STATE.IL.US/

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

SKOKIE (STMW)  — A Wisconsin truck driver pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the the fatal stabbing of another trucker following an argument that started on the CB radio last month on the Edens Expressway.

David Seddon, 48, of Racine, Wis., charged with first-degree murder in the death of Allen Lauritzen, pleaded not guilty Wednesday and will appear for a status hearing March 22, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.

Seddon is being held without bond.

Lauritzen, 40, of Sparta, Wis., died of two stab wounds to the chest and his death was ruled a homicide, Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller said. He also suffered a stab wound to the arm.

Illinois State Police said a motorist called about 10:42 a.m. on Jan. 15 to report two men involved an “altercation” near two 18-wheel semis parked on the shoulder of the Edens just below the Tower Road overpass near Northfield.

Soon after, another motorist stopped to give first aid to a man he found lying unconscious on the pavement beside a truck. The second truck was gone.

During bond proceedings, prosecutors said the men were arguing over the CB radio and Seddon began tailgating Lauritzen’s truck. Seddon then pulled over and began a physical fight, during which he took out a buck knife and stabbed Lauritzen.

Seddon then fled north in his truck, throwing the knife into a landfill near Racine, court records indicate.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

CHICAGO (AP)  — A federal judge has refused to give infomercial pitchman and author Kevin Trudeau permission to visit Canada next month while he is appealing his 30-day contempt sentence in Chicago.

Judge Robert Gettleman said Wednesday an appeals court has set Trudeau’s bond – which requires that he surrender his passport – and he can’t interfere with the higher court’s order.

Trudeau sells books advocating “natural cures” for a variety of ailments. He is fighting the government over alleged misleading advertising.

Gettleman last week sentenced Trudeau to 30 days for getting his supporters to flood the judge’s computer with messages, locking up his e-mail.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

CHICAGO (AP)  — A Chicago bar owner who deliberately under-reported $321,300 in income saying confidently that the Internal Revenue Service had “bigger fish to fry” has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.

Timothy Juliusson must report to prison May 24 to start serving the sentence U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow imposed Tuesday.

Juliusson pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. Federal prosecutors said Juliusson told them he thought he could get away with cheating the government because the IRS had “bigger fish to fry” and would overlook him.

Juliusson admitted that he maintained two sets of books and records, including bogus documents he submitted to his tax preparer.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

CHICAGO (WBBM)  — As expected, the Chicago Board of Education voted Wednesday to close, consolidate, phase-out or re-staff eight schools.

Protesting outside of school board headquarters, at 125 S. Clark St., Chicago Teachers Union President Marilyn Stewart termed the closing and re-staffing, known at the Board as a “turnaround,” a back door method of replacing higher-paid, high-seniority teachers with new teachers who work for much less.

The only school that will close in June is Las Casas Occupational High School, 8401 S. Saginaw Av., for reasons the board termed “facilities-related.”

The McCorkle School, 4421 S. State St., will be consolidated into the Beethoven Elementary School, 25 W. 47th St.
The Schneider School, 2957 N. Hoyne, will be phased out.

• Curtis Elementary, 32 E. 115th St.;
• Deneen Elementary, 7257 S. State St.;
• Bradwell Elemenetary, 7736 S. Burnham Av.;
• Phillips High School, 244 E. Pershing Rd., and
• Marshall High School, 3250 W. Adams St.

Phillips teacher Martha Idewu (ih-DAY’-woo) said she finds it ironic that Phillips will be re-staffed because at least six times in the past 15 years, Phillips has been the receiving school as the Board of Education attempted a turnaround elsewhere. She said the effect has been “destabilizing” on Phillips.

The Academy for Urban School Leadership, headed by former Chicago School Finance Authority Chairman Martin Koldyke, will oversee the turnarounds at Curtis, Deneen, Bradwell and Phillips, and intends to spend $1 million a school on the improvement effort.

“As a staff, we would have been able to do phenomenal things” if given that money, Idewu said. Teachers and Parents from Phillips and Marshall argued in public comments that the system skims the good students off to magnet schools, then deprives the remaining students of materials and academic assistance they require for success.

Stewart promised some form of protest in the wake of the board’s action but wouldn’t specify if that would amount to a physical job action like a walkout, sit-in, or some other form of protest.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

ORLANDO, Fla. – Officials in Florida say a veteran 40-year-old trainer at SeaWorld was fatally injured by a whale when she slipped and fell in its tank.

SeaWorld Orlando President Dan Brown says officials are investigating but it appears to be an accident.

Orange County Fire Rescue spokesman John Mulhall said paramedics were called to the Shamu Stadium at the theme park resort where they found a worker who could not be revived.

Park guest Victoria Biniak told WKMG-TV that the trainer had just finished explaining to the audience the show they were about to see.

The whale “took off really fast in the tank, and then he came back, shot up in the air, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started thrashing around, and one of her shoes flew off,” Biniak told the station.

“He was thrashing her around pretty good,” she said. “It was violent.”

The guests were asked to leave and the park was closed.

There have been several previous attacks on whale trainers at SeaWorld parks.

In Nov. 2006, trainer Kenneth Peters, 39, was bitten and held underwater several times by a 7,000-pound killer whale during a show at SeaWorld’s San Diego park. He escaped with a broken foot. The 17-foot-long orca who attacked him was the dominant female of SeaWorld San Diego’s seven killer whales. She had attacked Peters two other times, in 1993 and 1999.

In 2004, another whale at the company’s San Antonio park tried to hit one of the trainers and attempted to bite him. He also escaped.

In December, a whale drowned a trainer at a Spanish zoo.

At the Orlando SeaWorld, the body of a naked man was found scratched, bruised and draped over a 5-ton orca named Tilikum in July 1999. Daniel Dukes, 27, reportedly made his way past security at SeaWorld, remaining in the park after it had closed. Wearing only his underwear, Dukes either jumped, fell or was pulled into the frigid water of Tilikum’s huge tank.

An autopsy ruled that he died of hypothermia in the 50-degree water. But they also said it appeared Tilikum bit the man and tore off his swimming trunks, likely believing he was a toy to play with.

Dukes’ parents filed a lawsuit against the park later that year but ended up withdrawing it.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez testified before Congress Wednesday on child prostitution, saying she had organized a special-prosecution initiative aimed at the root of the problem in human trafficking.

Testifying before the Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, headed by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Alvarez said juvenile prostitutes are typically homeless or runaway children engaging in “survival sex” by “exchanging sex for food, clothing and a safe place to sleep.”

She cited an Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority study showing that 73 percent of prostitutes in a survey said they had entered the sex trade before the age of 18, and one-third said it was “because they owed the individual who had recruited them because of the provision of food, clothing or gifts.”

She said these youths made easy prey for street gangs and other forms of organized crime, which typically added drug addiction to the mix to keep them engaged in the sex trade.

“The economic gain of child prostitution or trafficking greatly outweighs the risks,” Alvarez said, pointing to how one juvenile prostitute had been reluctant to testify against her pimp because he bought her Subway sandwiches whenever she wanted.

“It’s clear that when vulnerable young women are equating the trade of sex for a deli sandwich,” she added, “we all must realize the agonizing human toll the problem is taking on our young generation and potentially generations to come.”

Alvarez said her office typically treats juvenile prostitutes as victims, not criminals, and that new tactics were called for to attack the source of the problem.

“The traditional approach we have taken with juvenile prostitution has simply not been effective,” she said.

Alvarez said her office created a new initiative aimed at organized crime and human trafficking within her office’s Special Prosecutions Bureau last July. Working with other law-enforcement jurisdictions, such as the Chicago Police Department, it attempts to “connect the dots” showing how juvenile prostitutes are recruited and retained by organized crime and “hold accountable the individuals and groups truly responsible for these horrific offenses.”

Alvarez said at this point the major obstacle was “lack of funding” given budget constraints at various levels of government.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Jim Press, the first American member of ToMoCo’s board of directors, said Today that Akio Toyoda was the right executive to save his family’s company from ‘financially oriented pirates.’ “The root cause of their problems is that the company was hijacked, some years ago, by anti-family, financially oriented pirates,” Press said.

Press went on to sing Toyoda’s praises, even saying that he is the only man for the job and that ‘he embodies the virtues and character that built this great company.’ According to Press, Toyoda did not wish for him to speak out on his behalf, but he could not stand idle any longer.

Toyoda blames the companies problems on a rapid rate of growth, and has vowed to put in place new quality controls, and heed more input from its American executives on matters of recalls.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Free Press

A new, unreleased report eight years in the making and funded by the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will examine the business activities of world’s 3,000 biggest public companies and their impact on environments. According to The Guardian (UK), the report will argue these firms contributed $2.2 trillion in environmental damages in 2008 alone. Additionally, if these firms were truly held financially responsible for the costs associated with pollution, it would “wipe out more than one-third of their profits.” All 500 companies on the Standard & Poor index were included in the report.

The report may help highlight the growing cost of free corporate access to a range of environmental public goods. The Guardian says the report is integral to international efforts to put a “price on global environmental damage,” which could help create arguments for removing billions in subsidies for polluting industries or inefficient business practices. Richard Mattison of Trucost, authors of the report, told The Guardian: “What we’re talking about is a completely new paradigm. Externalities of this scale and nature pose a major risk to the global economy and markets are not fully aware of these risks, nor do they know how to deal with them.”

According to Trucost, much of the unquantified environmental costs were linked to GHG emissions, which are now widely understood as the primary causes of climate change.  Local air pollution in the form of particulates and the over-use and pollution of fresh water were seen as other unpaid environmental costs. A number of key sectors are seen as doing more heavy damage to the environment – firms include power companies and metal producers. ”Heavy water users like food, drink and clothing companies are also likely to feature high up on the list.” The final report will also cover the cost of firm’s toxic waste practices, as well as consumer damage to the environment. 

Mattison argues governments need to end the free ride. “Whether they actually have to pay for these costs will be determined by the appetite for policy makers to enforce the ‘polluter pays’ principle. We should be seeking ways to fix the system, rather than waiting for the economy to adapt. Continued inefficient use of natural resources will cause significant impacts on [national economies] overall, and a massive problem for governments to fix.”  Environmentally-minded investors can help encourage companies to collaborate in this process. “One of the things investors can do is engage with companies in a collaborative way,” he said to The New York Times’ Green Inc blog.

Trucost also said changing major corporation’s supply chains was going to be a major challenge. However, one that may become easier as natural resources run out in many parts of the world. One investor lobby group says that agricultural companies shed 20,000 jobs and lost $1 billion due to water shortages in California alone.

Read the article and another on growing political pressure on many firms to clean up environmental damages.

Image credit: Treehugger

By Mantoe Phakathi MBABANE , Feb 24 (IPS) Every Tuesday you will find 70-year-old Precious Dlamini under a tree, weighing children and babies from her local community as she monitors their health and nutrition.

Though she may not have any official qualifications to do so, Dlamini is a retired teacher, she devotes much of her time to caring for the orphaned children in her community and educating people about a healthy lifestyle.

She is just one of thousands of caregivers who have no formal training but care for the country’s increasing HIV-positive population (Swaziland has the world’s highest infection rate – almost 26 percent of the populated between the ages of 15 to 49 are HIV-positive).

But this is starting to change. Dlamini is among 122 students in Swaziland studying for a certificate in the Programme Working with Children, Families and Communities (PWCFC) in association with South Africa’s University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

The programme is run in partnership with the UKZN’s African Centre for Childhood (ACC); the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative, an organisation that provides leadership, quality technical assistance and knowledge in psychosocial care for children and youth in communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

The distance learning programme trains caregivers to understand the emotional, physical, psychological, spiritual and educational needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty.

Dlamini is looking forward to receiving her second academic certificate.

"I can’t wait for my graduation in April," said Dlamini. "This certificate (PWCFC) will add to my Diploma in Education."

Dlamini is a rural health motivator – someone who educates people about a healthy lifestyle within a community.

She is one of the 12,000 caregivers in Swaziland of which 5,000 are employed by government and the remainder with non-governmental organisations. While most concentrate on their efforts on aiding the large portion of HIV-positive adults, an increasing number of caregivers are now working with children.

While 26 percent of the Swazi adult population is infected with HIV, the National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS estimates that 15,000 children are living with the virus.

Most of these caregivers have no formal training save for a few short courses in caring for the sick.

According to Makhosazana Mabuza, the psycho-social support specialist at government’s National Children’s Coordination Unit, this programme is holistic in its approach.

"Previously, caregivers were concentrating on the physical needs of children such as food and shelter and overlooked all the other needs of a child such as their emotional and physical development," said Mabuza.

She said currently caregivers lacked this holistic approach when helping children deal with the impact of poverty and HIV/AIDS.

Mabuza said the programme aimed to empower caregivers to understand that each child has their own needs and must be addressed as an individual.

There are six modules to the programme including: human rights and child protection; child and youth development; and a service learning project.

For the last module students have to be attached to a humanitarian organisation to practise what they learnt in the five modules.

"The module on child and youth development really helped me understand the emotional needs of adolescents and it’s even more relevant for orphans and vulnerable children," said Dlamini.

When she makes house calls, Dlamini is now more open minded. She said she does not only ask whether the orphaned children have food or if they go to school, she also gets the intimate details about their development.

Dlamini said she is now a better listener because the human rights module taught her that ‘it’s a child’s right to be heard’.

Mduduzi Shongwe, UNICEF Swaziland’s Child Protection programme officer said the PWCFC is very relevant for the country because, although there are social workers at national level, not much is being done at community level to help people, especially children, deal with psychological issues.

"It’s difficult for children to reach out to the national and regional social workers whenever they have problems because they are far from communities," said Shongwe.

Mabuza said the programme also trained those who deal with children in their line of work such as police and teachers.

"We currently don’t have a social welfare qualification at tertiary level which is why the PWCFC will go a long in empowering caregivers," said Mabuza. "The University of Swaziland (UNISWA), however, is considering introducing a social welfare course at degree level."

Dlamini is among the first group of 500 participants in eight countries including Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda where the programme was introduced last February.

"This is a sponsored programme," said Fiona Bulman, ACC director. "It’s not open to anyone to just apply." Candidates were nominated by NGOs and government and showed a commitment to working with children.

Dlamini was selected to participate in the distance learning course because of her active participation in maternal and infant health.

According to Shongwe, PWCFC has been a resounding success in its first year in Swaziland.

"Only five candidates dropped out because they got better offers of employment in different fields," said Shongwe. "But we’ve done very well in terms of commitment of students and their showing some improvement in working with children."

The students study on their own but they meet once a month with their mentors who are lecturers from the local tertiary institutions and NGOs. UNICEF meets all the costs of tuition and mentors while the students only cater for their transport.

Plans are underway to upgrade the course to a degree programme. Bulman said it would take between two and three years to write the materials and organise for institutions to deliver it.

As the programme moves to its second year, there are discussions around introducing it to the University of Swaziland (UNISWA).

Meanwhile, Dlamini will graduate and receive her second certificate at the UNISWA in April.

Abarth announced today that it will unveil the new Abarth Punto Evo and the Abarth 500C at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show next month, the two latest performance models based on the popular Fiat models.

The Abarth 500C is the first convertible to be launched by the new Abarth. Power comes from a 1.4L 4-cylinder turbo making 140-hp. Mated to a 5-speed automatic manual with paddleshifters, the Abarth 500C goes from 0-62 mph in 7.9 seconds. The Abarth Punto Evo carries a 1.5L turbocharged MultiAir 4-cylinder making 165-hp with a 178-hp esseesse version due shortly after launch.

Both new models will go on sale within the next few months through Abarth’s official dealer network in Europe and Japan.

Abarth 500C:

Abarth Punto Evo:

Press Release:

Abarth at the 80th International Motor Show in Geneva

Abarth is presenting a number of important new products at Geneva in response to intense public interest, and to confirm the Fiat Group’s investment in Abarth. In particular, at this year’s Geneva show, the house of the scorpion will be presenting the Abarth Punto Evo and the Abarth 500C, the latest two performance cars based on already popular and acclaimed Fiat models.

The Abarth Punto Evo is the sporty, high-tech version of the Punto Evo that Fiat introduced last September. Abarth is aiming, with this model, to reinforce its standing with young enthusiastic drivers, a process begun with the Grande Punto, which has sold best to customers in the 18 to 30 age group.

A great deal of curiosity has also been built up ahead of the launch of the Abarth 500C, the first convertible to be launched by the renewed Abarth company. This elegant and dynamic car is packed with Abarth racing spirit and the latest performance technology. The Abarth 500C is more than just a developed version of its Fiat counterpart. On the contrary, it represents a strategic choice by Abarth. With it, the company is making clear advances towards those members of the female public who are seeking not only design and elegance but a good dose of sports performance too.

Both new models will go on sale over the next few months through Abarth’s official dealer network in Europe and Japan, closely followed by other markets, and boosting the company’s already excellent results for 2009.

Proof that the direction taken by Abarth is the right one comes from the statistics. These announce quite clearly that the brand is experiencing continuous growth: from 2008 to the present day, Abarth has sold 20,000 cars, including 8,400 Abarth 500s and 2,700 Abarth Grande Puntos, to say nothing of 4,600 performance kits. So it is no wonder that this impressive commercial success has led to an equally rapid growth in the number of dealers and official performance centres associated with the marque.

As well as consolidating its existing markets, Abarth is also extending its network in strategic European towns and cities like Amsterdam and Paris, and expanding into east European markets like Rumania, as well as Mediterranean basin markets like Israel.

The Abarth distribution network is already unique, boasting 141 showrooms, 140 official performance centres and 300 service centres in Europe. These figures do not take account of the recently established “Abarth Racing” performance tuning network, which already boasts 6 centres holding exclusive sales and assistance rights for customers purchasing Abarth’s race-ready models.

The stand at the Geneva show Abarth’s stand at the 2010 edition of the Geneva motor show has been completely redesigned to provide a worthy stage for the international debut of two new models.

The concept behind the new stand is one of simplicity: the stand’s design is not a means of communication in itself, but serves only to drawing attention to the values of the Abarth brand. Wherever its cars are found, Abarth is such a clearly recognised protagonist that it can afford to present itself to the public without frills, in its most essential form. This year’s more essential stand helps focus on the two new Abarths making their world debut in Geneva and destined to enrich the Abarth range.

Abarth’s stage for presenting itself to the world consists of a spacious stand divided into two main illuminated areas, each focusing on one of the new cars.

A huge pane of glass in the centre of the space carries the instantly recognisable Abarth logo, while a large LED display creates a backdrop to the new cars and functions as a central feature in the stand’s design.

The entire stand is based on symmetric, straight lines, right angles and neutral, almost unnoticeable materials. White structural components and an abundance of transparent materials eliminate visual “noise” and focus clearly on content.

Technical drawings of Abarth vehicles are displayed under the glass floor. This intelligent solution makes the drawings easily visible to all visitors, reflecting the era when Abarth cars used to have partly raised engine covers to display their performance parts.

Intangible content like light, sound, and digital media is used not as a mere accessory, but to help identify the stand’s focal points in a more integrated and coordinated manner, and to create a sense of dynamism and movement. The neutral and minimalist space is filled and coloured by scenes representing a sequence of Abarth values: challenge, passion, ingenuity, Italian style, participation, determination, and authenticity.

The stand creates a fascinating and warm welcome to the world of Abarth and provides an ideal context for presenting the two latest expressions of the marque of the scorpion: the Abarth Punto Evo and the Abarth 500C.

– By: Kap Shah

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Dodge

Typically, when a product line is discontinued, owners of the deceased model can still acquire spare parts for their vehicles from the manufacturer. But in this case, Dodge Viper owners will apparently have an alternative venue for replacement parts.

A deal has reportedly been struck between Chrysler and the Viper Club of America to transfer a quantity of excess and blemished parts, as well as some collectibles, to the non-profit association that serves some 25,000 owners. The inventory includes everything from body panels painted in discontinued colors to scratched wheels the factory couldn’t sell. Also included are the tooling to reproduce certain parts in the future and memorabilia like the body panels from the Viper Competition Coupe that raced a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet.

Some parts will be kept in museums, but the spare parts will be sold through a new company founded by the club called Viper Parts of America, Inc., the proceeds from which will go towards supporting club activities.

Continue reading Viper Club of America acquires spare parts from Chrysler

Viper Club of America acquires spare parts from Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you notice the stock market has a low volume tomorrow, it’s probably due to the “paralyzing blizzard” that’s set to hit our area tomorrow.

Accuweather has the details:

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The same storm that brought a gentle snowfall across Texas on Tuesday will reach the Northeast in the form of an atmospheric monster with damaging winds, blinding snow, torrential rain, huge waves and flooding.

In the hardest-hit areas, it will seem more like a “snowacane,” as a mere blizzard may not adequately describe conditions of this soon-to-be powerful nor’easter.

Wind
Wind gusts can reach 70 mph in some areas, just shy of hurricane force. Many locations in the mid-Atlantic and New England will endure gusts topping 50 mph at some point Thursday to Friday.

Winds of this strength will down trees and power lines. Expect flying debris ranging from trash cans to shingles. Significant property damage can occur.

Tides
The powerful winds will lead to coastal flooding in New England, while causing disruptive blowout tides and very low water levels in some seaports the mid-Atlantic from New Jersey to the Carolinas.

Snowfall
Snowfall from the storm will accumulate 1 to 2 feet from western Maine to northern Vermont and over much of the Mohawk and Hudson valleys in New York state as well as the Catskills and Poconos. Albany, Binghamton, Rochester and Scranton fall within this zone.

A broad area of 6- to 12-inch snowfall will fall from northern New Brunswick to central New Jersey, much of Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio and southern Ontario. New York City, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and part of the Philadelphia area lie in this area.

Flooding
Northeast of the storm’s center, flooding from heavy rain, snow melt and the ocean is to be expected in eastern New England. This includes Boston, Providence and Portland.

Travel
In addition to widespread damage, the storm threatens to impact travel severely throughout the Northeast and sporadically elsewhere across the nation.

Some roads will close due to heavy snow, downed trees and flooding. Flight delays and cancellations will mount at airports in the Northeast, while ripple-effect problems expand across the nation and abroad.

Many school in the region may be closed, delayed or have early dismissal.

Get Ready
While we have the calm before the storm through early Thursday, the wintry tempest will rage fiercest from Thursday afternoon into Friday morning.

Be sure to keep checking back with AccuWeather.com for the latest updates on this dangerous, damaging and disruptive storm.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Metro North Puts Out A Special Snow Storm Schedule
• The Snow Kills Volume As The Markets End Slightly Down For The Day
• The Snow Arrives In New York, National Weather Service Issues Blizzard Warning