If you haven’t followed the .xxx saga, it’s been a bit convoluted. While it’s still not at all clear why we need top level domains at all any more (or, if we must have them, why they should be limited to the ones chosen by ICANN), for many years, ICANN has been in charge of reviewing various proposals to expand the available top level domains (things like .com, .net, .org, etc.). That’s how we got other such useless TLDs like .info, .jobs and .mobi — which have mostly just turned into money grabs for the companies that operate them, rather than anything that was really needed. .xxx is the same story. Obviously, it’s a huge money grab, because whoever would operate it would stand to rake in the cash from porn operators looking to set up new sites. While ICANN initially rejected the proposal at the beginning of the decade, the guy behind .xxx tried again, and in 2005, ICANN agreed that .xxx met all the criteria and should be allowed.
So why doesn’t the internet yet have this official redlight district?
Well, what really happened was that “protect the children”-type family groups freaked out about admitting to the fact that (gasp!) porn exists on the internet. Amusingly, some of those same groups and their favorite politicians had pushed for .xxx anyway, in an effort to force all porn to be located there. But, for some reason, after .xxx was approved, they suddenly freaked out that this somehow meant porn was okay, and started causing trouble. Suddenly, months after ICANN had already approved .xxx, the federal government (under whose umbrella ICANN kinda-sorta belonged) suggested rather strongly that .xxx was not a good idea. Suddenly, everything was put on hold, and in 2007, ICANN officially said no to .xxx.
This infuriated the folks behind .xxx, a group called ICM, and they asked for an independent dispute resolution, which was released last Friday. So, after all these many years, the review found that ICANN totally screwed up, and it never should have backed down after its 2005 approval of .xxx. It’s also demanding that ICANN pay up for this review process, in the range of half a million dollars. Of course, the ruling is non-binding, so it doesn’t necessarily mean that ICANN now does need to approve .xxx, but it makes it harder to explain why it hasn’t. Also complicating matters is ICANN’s more recent decision to let pretty much anyone with a ton of cash to throw away create their own TLD. So, perhaps the .xxx guys can just do that…
Lotus announced today that it will show its Proton Concept car at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show next month. The concept, which was developed in collaboration with Proton Holdings, will showcase an advanced series hybrid drivetrain, designed and developed by Lotus Engineering.
“The hybrid drivetrain of the Proton Concept is another example of Lotus Engineering’s expertise in electrical and electronic systems and efficient performance engines,” said Dr Robert Hentschel, Director of Lotus Engineering. “It is an exciting example of the diverse range of highly efficient total propulsion systems that Lotus Engineering continues to develop for its partners and clients.”
The Proton Concept is a city car developed by Lotus Engineering and includes the Lotus Range Extender engine, designed specifically for series hybrid vehicles. The concept will include an electrical drive system with single-speed transmission, mated to a 1.2L 3-cylinder Lotus Range Extender engine that kicks in to provide extended range capability once battery power has been depleted. While the Lotus Range Extender assists in recharging the battery and providing electrical power for the drive motors, the battery can also be recharged via a standard household outlet.
Although both are required for a healthy immune response, learn why those with inflammation of the liver should favor omega-3 fatty acids over omega-6’s.
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.
Considered to be essential fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are both necessary for human health. There are many reasons that health conscious individuals increase their consumption of omega-3 laden foods, while reducing their omega-6’s. Upon recognizing why health professionals advise consuming more omega-3’s than omega-6’s, those with liver disease have every reason to follow suit.
Taken for everything from depression to heart disease to arthritis, the primary therapeutic action of omega-3 fatty acids is squelching inflammation. For decades, omega-3’s have proven their ability to improve inflammatory conditions. Because hepatitis falls under this umbrella, this liver condition benefits from omega-3 fatty acid consumption.
Hepatitis literally means inflammation of the liver, and is involved in most types of liver disease, including:
· Viral Hepatitis: when hepatitis is caused by a virus – this includes Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
· Alcoholic Hepatitis: when hepatitis is caused by alcohol, common in alcoholics
· Steatohepatitis: when fatty liver disease escalates and causes inflammation
The Inflammatory Pump
To address its current needs, the body is always trying to strike the right balance between inflammation and anti-inflammation. In achieving this balance, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are known to have opposing roles. The following events maintain this inflammatory pump:
· When an infection or foreign invader is detected, the immune system triggers production of Prostaglandin II.
· To quarantine the infection or invader, Prostaglandin II produces an inflammatory response that sends white blood cells to the affected area.
· Almost immediately, the immune system also triggers the production of Prostaglandin I to suppress inflammation and begin the healing process.
The balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can affect the inflammatory pump’s balance, because of their role in making prostaglandins:
· Omega-3 fatty acids are a necessary component in the production of Prostaglandin I.
· Omega-6 fatty acids are a necessary component in the production of Prostaglandin II.
Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s
Consequently, omega-3’s are needed to suppress inflammation and encourage healing, while omega-6’s are needed to initiate the inflammatory response. Nutritionists believe that a ratio of 2:1 of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3’s help keep the inflammatory pump in balance.
A suspected culprit of today’s high rate of inflammatory diseases, many of our modern day food choices are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and stingy in omega-3’s. In fact, experts estimate that the typical American diet contains 14 – 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3’s.
· Omega-6’s are found in certain seeds and nuts, and the oils extracted from them. Refined vegetable oils (like soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower and cottonseed oils) are high in omega-6’s and are used in a majority of fast foods, snack foods, cookies, crackers and sweets. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, soybean oil alone is now so ubiquitous in fast foods and processed foods that an astounding 20 percent of the calories in the American diet are estimated to come from this single source.
· Omega-3’s are found in the fat of cold water fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, black cod and bluefish; other seafood including algae and krill; and some plant sources, especially walnuts and flax seeds.
Because it prevents infection from spreading to nearby tissues and organs, inflammation is a crucial process. However, too much inflammation has the opposite effect – and can easily harm neighboring structures. This is frequently the case in liver disease where hepatitis (liver inflammation) damages nearby liver cells.
Omega-3 fatty acids extinguish the flames of inflammation and omega-6 fatty acids fan those flames. To keep liver inflammation at bay and prevent that inflammation from damaging the liver, those with liver disease are likely to benefit from boosting their dietary intake of omega-3’s, while simultaneously curbing foods full of omega-6 fatty acids.
http://proteins-carb-fats.suite101.com/article.cfm/omega3, Omega-3: Controlling Inflammation in the Body, Linda Mundorff, Retrieved February 19, 2010, suite101.com, 2010.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.html, Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6?, Retrieved February 21, 2010, Andrew Weil, MD, 2010.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/40939.php, Omega-3 Fatty Acids Inhibit Growth Of Liver Cancer Cells, Retrieved February 19, 2010, MediLexicon International Ltd., 2010.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15485592, Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation, Mori TA, et al, Retrieved February 19, 2010, Current Atherosclerosis Reports, November 2004.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17393517, Omega-3 fatty acids alleviate chemically induced acute hepatitis by suppression of cytokines, Schmöcker C, et al, Retrieved February 19, 2010, Hepatology, April 2007.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Omega-3-linked-to-lower-levels-of-inflammation, Omega-3 linked to lower levels of inflammation, Stephen Daniells, Retrieved February 19, 2010, Decision News Media SAS, 2010.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-3-000316.htm, Omega-3 fatty acids, Retrieved February 19, 2010, University of Maryland Medical Center, 2010.
PARIS — France has started using a full-body security scanner for U.S.-bound passengers at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport.
The decision to try out the scanner for three months was prompted by security concerns after a man allegedly tried to ignite explosives hidden in his underwear on a Detroit-bound flight Dec. 25.
The scanner helps detect forbidden objects hidden under clothes.
Reactions varied among passengers who volunteered for the scan after the machine was installed Monday. While some like 47-year-old Miami resident Michael Rammel said the scan was practical and fast, while others worried about potential harmful effects.
The director of France’s civil aviation authority, Patrick Gandil, says there is no danger in using the scanner.
The former music director of a Glen Ellyn church accused of disseminating child pornography is expected to be set free today after a judge slashed the defendant’s bond in half.
An attorney for Brian K. Milnikel argued the 45-year-old Naperville man has a clean criminal record, strong ties to the community and does not pose a flight risk.
Milnikel has remained in the DuPage County jail on a $200,000 bond since his Jan. 19 arrest. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted of the felony. He pleaded not guilty at today’s arraignment. His roommate, Christopher F. Kontopoulos, 20, faces similar felony charges.
DuPage Circuit Judge George Bakalis agreed to reduce Milnikel’s bond to $100,000 – the same as Kontopoulos. He is expected to post the required 10 percent for his release, said his attorney, Steve Brondage.
Prosecutor Demetri Demopoulos, who fought the bond reduction, said the charges stem from a lengthy investigation by Naperville police and the Illinois Attorney General’s office. Police seized several computers during a search of Milnikel’s home.
“They found a number of horrific videos of children as young as 8 engaged in sex acts with other children and adults,” Demopoulos said. “Both of them admitted using the child pornography to enhance their sex life.”
Milnikel worked as full-time music director at St. James the Apostle Church of Glen Ellyn before his arrest. He also taught music at several other area churches for the previous 20 years, including St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Naperville and Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle, records indicate.
After the arrest, Rev. John Ouper of St. James said the congregation was “shocked, stunned and sad about the situation.” Ouper said Milnikel has been removed of all his duties at the church and a letter was sent to all parishioners acknowledging the music director’s arrest.
Milnikel, of the 600 block of Nelli Court, is not accused of harming any of the children he taught.
WASHINGTON — The top U.S. general in Iraq said Monday he could slow the exit of U.S. combat forces this year if Iraq’s politics are chaotic following elections this spring.
Gen. Ray Odierno said there are no signs that will be necessary, but he says he has a Plan B and told his superiors about it during Washington meetings over the past week.
The U.S. has about 96,000 troops in Iraq nearly seven years after the American-led invasion that overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein. That’s the lowest number of American forces in the country since the invasion.
Under an agreement negotiated under former President George W. Bush, all combat troops are to leave the country by Aug. 31 although some 50,000 will remain behind to help train Iraqi security forces.
The remaining support troops are to be gone by the end of 2011.
“If you ask me today, I’m fully committed and that’s the right course of action,” Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon.
However, he noted earlier, “if something happens” between now and late spring — such as problems with the formation of the new Iraqi government following elections next month — the U.S. could slow down the rate of deployments. The U.S. also could speed up the withdrawal if necessary, he said.
When asked whether gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military, Odierno said yes, “as long as we are still able to fight our wars.”
His comment was among the first to come from a senior military leader currently leading troops in battle since the Pentagon announced earlier this month that it will study the issue.
Odierno said he hadn’t had much time to think about the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and said it has been a “non-issue” to him.
“That doesn’t mean it’s right,” he said. “All I’m saying is as I’ve implemented this war now for seven-years, we’ve been able to get forces out that are ready and prepared to conduct operations.
“My opinion is everyone should be allowed to serve, as long as we’re able to fight our wars and we’re able to have forces that are capable of doing whatever they are asked to do,” he said.
This Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing on Toyota’s recent recall woes entitled “Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public at Risk?” The committee released a full witness list today, which includes a number of people we were expecting to testify like Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland, President and CEO of Toyota Motor North America Yoshimi Inaba and his boss, the President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda.
Along with representatives from a couple of consumer safety groups, there’s one witness on the list who took us by surprise: Mrs. Fe Lastrella, a relative of four family members who perished late last August when off-duty California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor lost control of a loaner Lexus ES350 when it experienced sudden unintended acceleration. Mrs. Lastrella is the mother of Saylor’s wife, Cleofe, and brother-in-law, Chris Lastrella, who were both killed in the accident. Lastrella’s 13-year-old granddaughter Mahala also died in the accident.
The fatal crash was arguably the catalyst for Toyota’s recent fall from grace, as it led to the first recall last October of 3.8 million vehicles for defective floor mats that could entrap accelerator pedals on certain models. That recall has since been expanded to 4.9 million vehicles and was followed by another recall in late January of 2.3 million Toyota vehicles with pedals that could also experience unintended acceleration in certain situations.
What effect will Mrs. Lastrella’s testimony on Wednesday have on the hearing’s outcome? The presence of a family member, a mother no less, who has been so devastatingly impacted by an accident involving a Toyota, will serve to put a human face on the question of whether or not the tragedy could have been prevented – and equally important, whether Toyota, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – or both – are to blame.
Arnold Schwarzenegger can’t stand economic girlie men, and Republicans who accept stimulus money while posturing against the plan are behaving like girlie men.
His sally against Republican colleagues begins around (0:43): “Well, you know, to me I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn’t create any new jobs. Then, they go out and they do the photo ops and they are posing with the big check and they say, ‘Isn’t this great?’”
In Europe today, Nissan unveiled the new facelifted versions of the Nissan Navara pickup (known as the Frontier in the U.S.) and the Pathfinder SUV. For the 2010 model year, both models get a mid-term facelift and a new 3.0L V6 diesel engine along with upgrades to the existing 2.5L dCi diesel.
The new 3.0L V6 diesel produces 228-hp with a peak torque of 406 lb-ft, available from 1,500 rpm. The result is a strong low-end performance in addition to a stronger towing performance. With the new V6 diesel, the Pathfinder is capable of towing a 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs), while the Navara is capable of towing 3,000 kg (6,613 lbs).
The 2.5L dCi now produces 187-hp and 332 lb-ft.
Both models will go on sale across Europe in April.
2010 Nissan Pathfinder and Navara:
Press Release:
REVISED NISSAN PATHFINDER & NAVARA: TOUGHER THAN THE REST
* New flagship with class-leading V6 diesel
* Revised 2.5-litre diesel with…
* ….more performance, improved emissions and fuel economy
* Revised styling
* Improved quality interior
* More standard equipment
* Navara now available with rear view camera
ROLLE, Switzerland (February 22, 2010) – Europe’s best selling pick-up and its SUV sibling since its launch – the Nissan Navara and Pathfinder – have been given a mid-term boost with a number of significant enhancements designed to keep them at the top.
Among the changes are the arrival of a new and technically advanced 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine; important improvements to the popular 2.5-litre dCi diesel; greater levels of passive safety; new equipment including the availability of a state-of-the-art Nissan Connect Premium touch-screen satellite navigation system, a premium Bose sound system and a rear view camera; enhanced interior quality and a number of styling changes to keep Navara and Pathfinder looking sharp.
Together the improvements reinforce Nissan’s premier position in the all-wheel drive market and strengthen both Navara and Pathfinder’s status in a hugely competitive segment.
Launched at the Geneva Motor Show, the improved new-look Navara and Pathfinder models are due on sale across Europe in April 2010. They will be followed two months later by the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel flagship models.
New V6 diesel engine
The new direct injection V6 turbodiesel has been developed by the Renault Nissan Alliance to deliver high levels of performance with strong economy, competitive emissions and class-leading refinement.
The key element of the new V6 – with an unusual vee angle of 65 degrees – is the material chosen for the engine block. Alliance development engineers chose Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI), a material that offers all the benefits of cast iron, including high levels of stiffness and noise absorption, without the weight penalty. And while CGI is heavier than a pure alloy block there is no need to add stiffening ribs or extra sound deadening material so the weight gain is comparatively modest.
Using experience gained during the development of the Alliance 2.0-litre dCi engine – and carrying over some technology – accelerated development of the new V6, but number of significant changes have been made to the hardware for the V9X. The combustion chamber design, for example, has been optimised to improve the balance between emission levels and fuel efficiency.
The compression ratio has been lowered to 16:1 to benefit not just economy and emissions but also noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), while internal engine friction is reduced by the use of ultra smooth components such as the micro-finished forged steel used for the crankshaft.
Class leading levels of torque and highly competitive specific power outputs are delivered thanks to the adoption of a comparatively large single turbocharger, which is mounted within the vee of the engine, an intercooler, and the use of the latest generation of Bosch common-rail fuel injection. This system incorporates piezo injectors and operates at 1800 bar.
Power output is 170 kW (231PS) while the torque output of 550 Nm leads the class. Better still, peak torque is achieved from as low as 1,700 rpm and is available all the way to 2,500 rpm, while as much as 500 Nm is available from a mere 1,500 rpm. Idle speed is an exceptionally low 650 rpm with none of the vibrations and noise usually associated with a diesel.
The result is strong low-end performance with comfortably refined delivery and exemplary throttle response. In addition, the engine helps provide strong towing performance, the Pathfinder capable of towing a 3500 kg braked trailer with Navara having a 3000 kg limit.
Emissions and fuel efficiency targets included achieving Euro 5 compliance. In addition to the gains made by the changes to the combustion chamber, the V9X engine also incorporates a number of innovative features.
Among these is the adoption of an overcooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system which reduces NOx emissions. The system incorporates an integrated exhaust gas bypass in the EGR cooler which quickly helps to achieve the optimum temperature after start up so that the full cooling capacity can be used. This features a low temperature water circuit for the EGR cooler to reduce still further the temperature of the exhaust gas and lower carbon monoxide and hydro carbon emissions.
Equally significant is the treatment of the tailpipe emissions. The system comprises a metallic oxidation catalytic converter offering lower pressure loss compared to a ceramic system and an exothermic catalyst and a catalytic diesel particulate filter (DPF) in the same container. The latter arrangement works in conjunction with a seventh fuel injector which is positioned in the exhaust.
This is activated while the particulate filter is being regenerated – a process of which the driver is completely unaware – but significantly means the opportunity for unburnt fuel to pollute the engine oil is removed. It also allows the filter to be regenerated in low-load conditions, such as idling, and therefore achieves a high efficiency level under all driving conditions. It also helps stretch oil change intervals to 20,000 kms.
Improved 2.5 four-cylinder dCi
The existing 2.5 dCi four cylinder engine hasn’t been forgotten, however, and significant improvements will cement its position as the most popular engine in the range with improvements to both overall refinement and all aspects of its performance.
Subtle retuning has seen a useful 11 per cent rise in both power and torque figures to keep the engine at the top of the class. Power rises by 19 PS to 140 kW (190 PS) while torque increases by a healthy 47 Nm to 450 Nm.
As well as delivering performance gains, the changes have seen improvements in fuel economy and lower emissions. Over the combined cycle manual versions use 8.5l/100kms – an improvement of 1.3 l/100kms – while CO2 emissions have fallen by 40g/km to 224 g/km.
Exterior changes
The revised models have been given a new look front and rear to differentiate them from their predecessors. Changes at the front include a new bonnet, revised grille and a new bumper assembly. Adding 80mm to the length of both models, the bumper is more rounded and lends a more sporting touch to the cars.
There’s a new headlamp design with distinctive projector styling where Xenon lamps are fitted (Pathfinder only). Headlamps washers now pop-up from beneath body colour moulding in the bumpers. There’s a new 18 inch alloy wheel to complement the existing range of 16 inch (steel and alloy) and 17 inch (alloy) designs. V6 models, meanwhile, are given a discreet V6 badge at the leading edge of both front doors while V6 Pathfinders also gain a new side moulding across the doors.
Changes at the rear of Pathfinder include a new bumper design with squared off edges to give a larger and lower mass for a more stable, tougher appearance.
The existing colour palette is changed to include two new metallic shades for Navara – Electric Blue and Blue Grey – while Blue Grey is added to Pathfinder’s portfolio.
Interior changes
Most of the changes inside the cabin of both Navara and Pathfinder have been designed to boost quality and include new switchgear, revised door trims, new seat fabric, the addition of chrome highlights, revised dials and, depending on the model, the availability of Nissan Connect Premium with a new high resolution touch screen.
Typical of the attention to detail that has helped enhance quality are the door trims which have been changed to improve both the look and feel of the interior and its practicality. The armrests and door pads are more tactile to the touch and their shape has also been altered to make them more comfortable in use.
As well as improving fit and finish, the material used has also been enhanced. Practical touches mean the storage bins can now happily hold an A3 map book as well as a one-litre bottle. The rear door storage bins are now large enough to hold a standard Nissan First Aid kit.
Switchgear changes include a new, easier to use, all-wheel drive command control switch on Pathfinder while the steering wheel controls for the phone and audio are now illuminated. Chrome finishers have been added to the automatic transmission surround and, depending on the model grade, to the instrument binnacle. There’s a new storage box on the centre console with a damped lid while SE and LE versions also benefit from ‘Fine Vision Meter’ dials with a crisper appearance. LE versions of Pathfinder now have the option of black or light biscuit leather trim.
Equipment improvements include a new Speed Limiter, which is incorporated into the existing cruise control system.
Active safety is improved with the availability of Nissan’s Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) on Navara (already available on Pathfinder) which uses sensors to monitor the engine’s ECU, wheel speed, steering angle, plus longitudinal and lateral G and yaw rates to anticipate and control wheel slippage.
Nissan Connect Premium, the brand’s new integrated navigation, communication and music system is an optional extra. Simple and quick in use, the 40GB hard drive-based system has a high resolution touch screen with a 3D Birdview display while the map coverage is now extended to Russia, Turkey and Eastern Europe. A new intuitive multi-function controller is fitted and the system also incorporates RDS-TMS live traffic updates and rich content from Michelin.
There are eight languages available for the menus and navigation system while the voice recognition software can handle seven: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch. Optionally available is a Bose Premium Sound system with special speakers and amplification designed especially for Navara and Pathfinder.
The new piece of equipment is a rear view camera. Already available on Pathfinder, it can now be specified on Navara, offering improved visibility when parking especially when the bed is loaded or a hard top fitted.
The changes model by model
Navara XE
* Improved 2.5 dCi engine
* New front styling
* New door trim
* New minor switchgear
* New seat fabric
* New heated door mirrors with side indicators & integrated puddle lamps
Options
* Comfort pack with heated front seats
Navara SE (in addition to XE)
* New instrument cluster
* New console box with damped lid
Options:
* Comfort pack with speed limiter and cruise control
* Safety pack with 17in alloys, ESP, side and curtain airbags and heated front seats
Navara LE and LEV6 (in addition to SE)
* ESP
* Power folding door mirrors
* Telescopic headlamp washers
* Speed limiter
* Heated front seats
Options:
* IT Pack with Nissan Connect Premium HD navigation system and rear view camera
* IT Pack and Bose Premium Audio
* 18” alloy wheel (on V6 only)
* Premium Pack with leather
Pathfinder XE
* Improved 2.5 dCi engine
* New front and rear styling
* New door trim
* New minor switchgear
* New instrument cluster
* New console box with damped lid
* New heated door mirrors with integrated puddle lamps & side indicators
* AirConditioning & air filter
Pathfinder SE (in addition to XE)
* Speed limiter
* Fine Vision dials
Options:
* IT Pack with Nissan Connect Premium HD navigation system, Intelligent key and rear view camera
Pathfinder LE and LEV6 (in addition to SE)
* 18 inch alloys
* New design Xenon headlamps
* Telescopic headlamp washers
* Rear A/C with new controller
* Wood finish for console
Options:
* IT Pack with Nissan Connect Premium HD navigation system and rear view camera
* IT Pack and Bose Premium Audio
Nissan in the UK
* Nissan Sunderland Plant has a workforce of 3,900
* Micra, Note, Qashqai and Qashqai+2 are all produced at Sunderland Plant
* UK is Nissan’s biggest market in Europe
* Over 80 per cent of production is exported to 45 markets worldwide
* NMUK has been named as the biggest UK car plant for the past 12 years
* Sunderland Plant won a Queen’s Award for Export, the fourth received since the plant opened in 1986
* The plant built its 5 millionth car in June 2008
* Sunderland Plant’s 2009 calendar year volume totalled 338,150 units
* Nissan’s European design centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 50 people
* Nissan’s European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield,Bedfordshire and employs around 750 people
* 1 in 3 cars built in the UK is a Nissan
Two years before the Macintosh was unveiled, Apple’s then-and-future CEO was photographed by Charles O’Rear for a National Geographic Magazine feature on Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, riding a 1966 BMW R60/2 motorcycle.
27 years old, with longish hair (no helmet), wearing tan boots and a light-colored shirt with sleeves rolled back (no black turtleneck), Jobs looks like he’s having the time of his life riding the two-wheel Bimmer in San Francisco freelancer Moira Johnston’s feature “High Tech, High Risk, and High Life in Silicon Valley,” published in the magazine’s October 1982 issue.
However, notwithstanding his (excellent) taste in bikes, Steve’s stated ambition, when interviewed by Johnston over herb tea at a vegetarian restaurant, was modestly at the time to become “the Volkswagen” of the microcomputer sector rather than its BMW — which became a popular automotive analogy with Apple-watching commentators later on — although he emphasizes that “We’d rather call the Apple a personal than a home computer.”
The article notes that the Apple computer “has inspired a dedicated cult of hard-core enthusiasts who trade new uses for the computer in the columns of Apple magazines” and that Jobs had “become a potent role model for a new breed of bright kids who are writing and selling software programs and, with their arcane computer skills, gaining the prestige formerly tasted only by the high-school football team.”
Johnston also reports that besides the BMW two-wheeler, Jobs, already holding $100 million worth of Apple stock, also owned “the requisite Mercedes,” but that “success seems not to have spoiled the first folk hero of the computer age,” who still preferred according to an unnamed friend quoted, “to drive his motorcycle to my place, sit around and drink wine, and talk about what we’re going to do when we grow up.”
Of more than passing interest is that not unlike Apple’s performance through the current economic recession, the company seemed to be weathering a late ‘82 downturn the microchip sector rather well, with revenues soaring 81 percent year-over-year and Apple occupying 22 buildings in Silicon Valley as well as having plants in Texas, Singapore, and Ireland.
Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.
Read here for a scan and transcript, with photos, of the entire National Geographic article.
A tip of the hat to Modern Mechanix for posting the article scan and to Peter Orosz of jalopnik.com for drawing my attention to this fascinating snippet of history.
Can the economy revive if banks don’t start to lend again?
Let’s hope so.
Today the St. Louis Fed released its latest monthly look at commercial and industrial loans at major banks — a measure that some would say represents the essence of the US banking system.
As you can see, this measure is still falling like a knife — a bad sign for the ongoing health of the economy. (And also not what we were promised when we bailed out the banks.)
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Today hasn’t been a very exciting day in equities. Low volume has kept the indices around the break even point, which is where all three lie right now. Perhaps the S&P 500 is doing well sitting at 1110, up a whopping tenth of a percent.
Shares of Millipore (MIL) remain up 20% at $85.70 despite the company’s claims that the Thermo Fisher’s $6 billion takeover bid is nothing but a rumor.
Oil has finally broken the $80 level, up $0.35 to $80.16 a barrel.
Gold continues to decline, down $6.00 to $1116 an ounce. Silver is down $0.15 to $16.29.
Metals, soft goods and meats all performing poorly. Grains are showing positive signs.
The Mercedes F800 Concept – Click above to view the videos after the jump
The Mercedes-Benz F800 Concept is bringing its slick silver sleekness to the Geneva Motor Show next month and M-B has animated the concept, showing off the car’s various and progressive components. Our favorite was probably the powertrain video, picturing the hybrid, fuel cell and internal combustion options. That kind of versatility might still be a ways off, but it’s good to see a mass luxury maker designing hot bodies around a variety of green internals. Follow the jump to have a look the F800 yourself.
(This guest post originally appeared at the author’s blog)
Interesting data this morning from RAB Capital showing that U.S. insiders aren’t the only ones who remain heavy net sellers of their own shares. Today’s chart of the day shows the net selling by directors of Hong Kong based corporations. As we’ve noted since the beginning of the March 2009 rally, insiders in the United States have been consistently heavy net sellers of their own shares. Particularly alarming is the continuing low levels of buying. According to RAB that trend is persistent in Hong Kong as well where insiders have been net sellers of their own stocks. The latest data shows that HK directors remain “aggressive” sellers of their own companies:
“Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed. He was a farmer, but he didn’t farm like my daddy did. He farmed a genuine, U.S. Government Inspected Balloon Farm.” Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm was written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Mark Buehner and the opening paragraph says it all. Told from the point of view of a small, curious farm girl, this book tells the story of a mysterious farmer who grows balloons instead of traditional farm crops like fruits and vegetables. The farmer doesn’t say much and looks like your normal, average farmer but for the little farm girl, curiosity kills the cat. She sneaks out to find out how he grows his balloons and once she discovers his secret, she is nothing short of amazed and frightened. But Harvey Potter’s winning personality doesn’t change the narrator’s opinion of him and after a visit from the government, Harvey Potter is allowed to continue growing balloons. This story is a wonderful story for young children to discover what a little bit of creativity can do to a person.
Curriculum Connections:
With this book, children learn what being a farmer is like. They aren’t the richest people in the world, but by using the resources that they have and the “can-do” spirit inside of them, they realize that even with a scarce number of resources laid out in front of them, they can make anything happen (SOL 2.9). Also in this book, children understand how important it is to respect the personal property of others. Both the narrator and an irritable, older farmer trespassed on Harvey Potter’s farm to discover his secret about growing balloons. But unlike the farmer, the narrator always respected Harvey Potter and made multiple attempts to befriend him, which she did and also painted the picture of what it means to be a good neighbor/citizen as well (SOL 2.10, K8).
Additional Resources:
Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm Lesson Plan: This website provides a fantastic lesson plan for teachers to use in their classroom and also contains a wonderful and fun activity that students will enjoy.
Balloon Crafts for Kids: Have you ever wondered what kinds of things you can make with balloons? With this website, children will receive an enjoyable experience of making different kinds of arts & crafts while using balloons.
Balloon People: Have you ever wanted your very own balloon person? With this website, you can create just that: a magical person using a balloon and other different crafts. Perfect for the small child who loves balloons or playing imagination.
Toyota said today that it has received a federal grand jury subpoena in the Southern District of New York to produce certain documents related to unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles and the braking system of the Prius.
The automaker said that it also received a voluntary request and a subpoena “from the Los Angeles office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, seeking production of certain documents including those related to unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles and the company’s disclosure policies and practices.”
“TMC and TMS intend to cooperate with the investigations and are currently preparing their responses,” Toyota said in a statement.
Toyota has recalled more than 8 million vehicles related to possible unintended acceleration. The Prius is involved in a separate recall involving issues with its brakes.
Buried beneath thousands of feet of limestone in the Yucatán Peninsula are the remains of an impact so great that it wiped out over half of the Earth’s species. The Chicxulub Crater, named after the village which lies near its center, spans over 110 miles wide, with about half of it resting below the Caribbean Sea.
Some 65 million years ago, an asteroid or comet the size of a small city came hurdling towards Earth. With a force of 100 million megatons of TNT (two million times stronger than the most powerful man-made bomb), it crashed into our planet and created devastating consequences for both the dinosaurs and all other life.
Shockwaves rippled outwards from the site, triggering earthquakes and volcanic eruptions across the world. In the oceans, the explosion unleashed megatsunamis measuring thousands of meters high. Massive amounts of debris from the impactor and the Earth were kicked up into the atmosphere and beyond. Some of the larger ejected chunks came speeding back down, igniting in the atmosphere and setting off global firestorms. Meanwhile, the sky darkened as a cloud of dust covered the Earth, blocking sunlight and preventing photosynthesis for years.
After millions of years of erosion and sedimentation, however, evidence of the cataclysmic event is hard to come across today. Even for a spectator standing high above the crater’s center, the impact’s effects are not apparent. Perhaps the most telling features of the surrounding landscape are the cenotes. These water-filled sinkholes, once used by the Mayans in sacrificial ceremonies, dot the crater’s edge where the rock was weakened.
In fact, it was not until 1978 that the Chicxulub Crater was finally unearthed. The discovery is generally attributed to Glen Penfield, a geophysicist who noticed the region’s unusual features while working for the Mexican oil company Pemex. While examining a magnetic survey map of the Gulf of Mexico, Penfield observed a semicircular arc suggesting the presence of an impact crater. Unbeknownst to him, a former Pemex employee had noted a similar anomaly in a gravity map of the Yucatán. However, the petroleum company prohibited this worker from publishing his findings and the map’s significance went unrealized for years before Penfield used it to confirm his suspicions.
Just a few years later, researchers like the father-and-son geology team of Luis and Walter Alvarez and the graduate student Alan Hildebrand published controversial articles that suggested a large impact from an asteroid caused the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. As evidence, scientists relied on a 65-million year old layer of iridium-enriched clay named the K-T boundary. They argued that only a collision with a large extraterrestrial body could account for the levels of iridium (a rare element of relative abundance in meteorites) present in the rock, and the worldwide distribution of the boundary layer.
It was also predicted and later confirmed that the extreme pressures and temperatures associated with the violent explosion would have ejected and widely distributed “shocked quartz” (a deformed type of the familiar crystalline solid) and tektites (spherules of natural glass rock).
While science inched closer to a reasonable explanation for the demise of the dinosaurs, another decade passed before Chicxulub was realized as the remains of the catastrophic event. This occurred in 1990, when a newspaper reporter informed Hildebrand of Penfield’s work and the two scientists began working together on Pemex drill samples from the site. Soon enough, the crater’s age and properties were confirmed to correlate with predictions.
Today, Chicxulub remains a hot topic of study. Some researchers use computer models to recreate the formation scenario and explain the crater’s structural changes, while others are concerned with tracing the impacting body back to its initial home in the main asteroid belt.
Perhaps the most controversial work, though, involves pinpointing the exact events that led to the dinosaur’s extinction. There is considerable disagreement in the scientific community regarding whether the impact was isolated or part of a relatively short epoch of collisions in which the proceeding periods of global cooling and warming finally finished off the ill-fated beasts.
Whatever the case may be, impacts the size of Chicxulub occur on Earth about once every 100 million years, making the crater in Mexico a humbling and perhaps unsettling reminder of life’s fragility.
Reports spread this weekend that the ACTA’s all-important internet enforcement chapter had leaked. You can download the PDF from that link, or check it out below:
From here, you can see why this is still quite a dangerous document — and why there’s been so much misinformation from its supporters, insisting that it “can’t change US law,” or even (as stated by the USTR) that it won’t include three strikes. It doesn’t. Sort of. But it does make it very very difficult for any online service provider to get safe harbors without doing something along those lines. Let’s explore deeper…
Sections 2 and 3 are the key ones to be concerned about here. First, they talk up the importance of making sure that third party liability is in the law. Now, technically, they are right that this wouldn’t change US law — as current case law does have a third party liability standard. But the actual text of the legislation does not. Now it is entirely possible that Congress could decide the courts were mistaken in their decision to blame third party service providers for actions of their users, and clarify the law to get rid of third party liability. After all, Congress did look at a bill to add third party liability to copyright law a few years back (the so-called INDUCE Act) and did not pass it. Thus, it could come to pass that Congress feels an inducement standard does not make sense, and goes ahead and corrects the courts for interpreting current copyright law to include such a standard.
But if ACTA passes, that won’t be possible. The first thing you’ll see is that the same copyright defenders who are saying ACTA is no big deal and we’re worrying about nothing, will immediately start screaming at the top of their lungs about our “international obligations” such as ACTA, which prevent us from removing third party liability from our copyright law.
This is a big deal, because third party liability is a mess, and a perversion of justice. It’s a way to blame a third party for actions they did not commit, just because it’s easier. From a pure position of properly placing liability on the party who did the “wrong,” third party liability is a perversion.
However, ACTA then gets worse. In section 3, it tries to set up the “safe harbors” by which a service provider might avoid liability. In the US, we already have this, with the DMCA’s notice-and-takedown provision, which is widely abused. Yet, to qualify for the safe harbors in ACTA, the bar is set much higher. This is hidden pretty deep, and you might miss it (this is done on purpose) if you’re not reading carefully. It’s in section 3(b)I and in footnote 6. Basically, it says that for a service provider to get safe harbors, it must implement a policy to deal with infringing works — and in footnote 6, it gives the concept of “termination” of service in the case of repeat infringers as an example of the type of measure. That, of course, is three strikes rules.
So, no, three strikes laws aren’t “mandatory,” but the only example given of a proper policy that would qualify a service provider for safe harbors, is three strikes. Guess what everyone’s going to implement?
And, of course, if some country is so bold as to not implement such a thing, and to point out that ACTA says they do not need to implement three strikes, you can bet that the very same ACTA defenders will complain, and point to ACTA as a reason why they must do so. You can see this already in the way those same ACTA defenders treat Canada, in claiming that its current treaty agreements obligate it to put in place DMCA-like notice-and-takedown provisions, along with anti-circumvention rules — despite the fact that the agreements say no such thing directly.
Speaking of notice-and-takedown and anti-cirumvention, both make their appearance in the ACTA document. The following subsection, again, highlighting what a service provider must do to get safe harbors, discusses takedowns:
an online service provider expeditiously removing or disabling access
to material or activity, upon receipt of legally sufficient notice of alleged infringement, and
in the absence of a legally sufficient response from the relevant subscriber of the online
service provider indicating that the notice was the result of a mistake or misidentification.
Michael Geist points out that this is a notice and takedown provision, though you could argue that it could be read as just notice-and-notice — where the person uploading content has the right to respond before the takedown occurs. Still, the document is telling: note that the takedown is to occur on alleged infringement rather than on actual evidence or conviction of infringement. This should be seen as problematic as well. Given how often the notice-and-takedown system is abused, and given any judicial system that believes in innocence until guilt is proven, you would think that it should not be allowed to require a takedown without conviction.
Section 4 then discusses anti-circumvention and would lock in many of the mistakes of the DMCA that are causing serious problems today and need to be fixed — not forced to stay due to “international obligations.” The issue here is that it again will place the blame on the tools provider, since it includes just the manufacturing of tools for circumventing DRM or other technical protection measures. It’s a bad law that blames those who make the tools, rather than those who use them. Furthermore, it makes no exceptions for the lawful use of the tools. You can use circumvention tools to make a perfectly legal backup of content that you bought. But, under the DMCA, the act of making that perfectly legal backup copy is illegal due to the circumvention. That’s a huge problem that not only would be further locked into US law and blocked from change, but would then be forced on other countries who have (smartly) recognized how problematic this is.
In the end, the leaked document appears to show exactly what people feared it would (and, again explains why the USTR and the lobbyists, who helped draft the document, wanted to keep it so secretive). It takes a very fluid and evolving situation in copyright law and tries to lock it in place, despite tons of evidence of the harm done by certain aspects of that law, and to then spread those same mistakes to other countries. Furthermore, it ratchets up what is required to qualify for “safe harbors” to make it such that, while three strikes may not be required, no other option is presented. It’s a multiple choice question with “A” as the only answer. And the USTR and entertainment industry lobbyists want to tell us that makes it not mandatory.
Two key staffers who helped lead Republican congressional hopeful Joe Walsh to victory in the suburban 8th District’s GOP primary have left the campaign, the candidate confirmed Monday.
Campaign managers Jim Thacker and Sheila Morgan no longer are with the Walsh team. Both were brought aboard to lead the campaign in December after a previous manager quit.
Neither Thacker nor Morgan was fired, Walsh said. Both were hired specifically for the primary campaign, he said.
Walsh said he hopes to bring both back to the campaign but doesn’t have the money to do so now.
“I ended the primary with 10 cents in the pot,” Walsh said.
Neither Morgan nor Thacker could be reached for comment.
A primary-campaign field worker named Rick Cape is now running the day-to-day campaign operations, Walsh said. More staff positions could be filled within the next week or two, he said.
Walsh, of Winnetka, defeated five other GOP candidates in the Feb. 2 primary battle. He’ll now face three-term Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean and Green Party candidate Bill Scheurer of Lindenhurst.
Walsh’s primary campaign was marred by allegations of financial problems. His first campaign manager, Keith Liscio, quit in December and later sued Walsh, accusing him of not paying him $20,000 for his services.
Walsh’s fundraising lagged behind two other candidates’ efforts in the primary race, and he admitted disappointment about that before Election Day.
On Monday, Walsh said he is “in fundraising mode now” and will have enough cash to compete against the well-funded Bean.
Bean had more than $784,000 in the bank in mid-January, the end of the last reporting period. Walsh had less than $7,000 remaining at the same point.
Walsh knows it will cost millions to buy advertising and run a competitive race, and he acknowledged he has a lot of ground to make up.
But he also insisted he doesn’t need to match Bean’s fundraising totals to beat her. The grass-roots support he believes propelled him to victory in the primary will give him a boost in November’s general election, Walsh said.
The 8th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.
PARIS — France has started using a full-body security scanner for U.S.-bound passengers at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport.
