Category: News

Amid an ongoing battle swirling over their appointments, nine nominees for judgeships were slated to appear Friday in front of the legislature’s influential judiciary committee.

The two most high-profile nominees were the state’s public safety commissioner, John A. Danaher III of West Hartford, and the state budget director, Robert Genuario of Norwalk.

A former federal prosecutor and former middle-school teacher, Danaher served in the U.S. Attorney’s office for two decades before taking his current job to oversee the state police.

“Achieving justice did not always mean seeking an indictment, a conviction, or the maximum possible sentence,” Danaher said of his days in the U.S. Attorney’s office. “A federal prosecutor has the luxury of not bringing cases” if there is not enough evidence to bring an indictment.

The process of selecting judges has traditionally been secret, and the workings of the Judicial Selection Commission are kept under wraps. Prompted by questioning Friday, Danaher said he applied to be a judge in May 2006 and then appeared in January 2007 in front of the Judicial Selection Commission. On March 5, 2007, he was named public safety commissioner by Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

“I did not receive any forms from the governor’s office,” Danaher said when asked if he had been given any background forms to fill out as part of a vetting process. “I didn’t get a package like that.”

When asked by committee co-chairman Michael P. Lawlor about racial issues, Danaher said he found that the group that is the least likely to get a citation after a motor vehicle stop is white women. On the flip side, the group that is most likely to get a citation is Asian males, he said.

Some troopers, Danaher said, issue a citation every time that they pull a car over. Others write citations on a much less frequent basis. A report will be issued on the stops, probably by the end of the year.

Lawlor brought up the high-profile case of Ken Krayeske, a UConn Law School student who was arrested during Rell’s inaugural parade in early 2007. Lawlor said that Krayeske was arrested for exercising his political rights.

“That was a very troubling moment for our state,” Lawlor said.

“That event occurred before I became commissioner. I had no role in that,” said Danaher, who started his job in March 2007.

“Maybe it was Commissioner Boyle. All you guys look alike to me,” Lawlor said. “That might have been Commissioner Boyle. I thought it was you.”

Danaher was congratulated by committee members on both sides of the political aisle. He is expected to gain support from both Republicans and Democrats when the committee votes Monday on all nine of Rell’s nominees.

“I think you have an exquisite demeanor to be a judge,” said Sen. John Kissel of Enfield. “Sometimes people have a very high opinion of themselves. I’ve never seen that with you.”

Regarding his success rate as a prosecutor over two decades, Danaher said that 90 percent of the cases in the federal system are plea-bargained. He mentioned two cases which resulted in acquittals, and “my very last trial was a bench trial, and the defendant was acquitted.”

When asked for his views on the death penalty, he said he handled 13 death-penalty review cases when he worked in the U.S. Attorney’s office.

“It was the law, is the law,” Danaher said. “If I was required to follow the law, I would follow it.

In a gigantic agency as large as the department of public safety with about 1,600 employees, Danaher said he could not satisfy every request. When he recently promoted a colleague to major, there were 29 candidates for one opening. As such, 28 people were disappointed.

“I have done my best to hear people who have problems and concerns,” Danaher said. “I have to make decisions that disappoint people.”

In the upcoming training class for new troopers, 15 of the 75 new trainees are women. In a class that includes African Americans and Latinos, Danaher said the state police are more diverse than they once was.

But one lawmaker said his record as a judge will be under scrutiny.

“If you are approved, I”m going to keep my eyes on you,” said state Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, a Hartford Democrat.

His questioning by state Sen. Michael McLachlan of Danbury went in a completely different direction. McLachlan thanked Danaher for restoring the chaplains at the state police.

“I’m not sure why it ever went away, but I’m glad it’s back,” McLachlan said.

Another key nominee, state budget director Robert Genuario, began his testimony at about 7:45 p.m. Friday. A 1977 graduate of Villanova law school, he received an award for the highest grade in criminal law. A former law clerk in Fairfield County, Genuario spent most of his time in the Bridgeport court house – writing draft decisions and helping judges. He worked directly for T. Clark Hull, who later became lieutenant governor, and Robert Callahan, who later became the chief justice of the State Supreme Court.

A former chairman of the Norwalk school board for three years, he served for 10 years on the board overall. He also served for 14 years in the state Senate, saying that he served the most diverse district in the entire state with millionaires in Darien and poor people in South Norwalk.

After developing an expertise in land-use, Genuario represented developers and neighborhood associations through the years.

“I would consider myself to be a general practitioner,” said Genuario, adding that he would not call himself a trial lawyer despite having done some jury trials.

Genuario said he was not involved in the latest deal to resolve the state’s budget problems and keep all state courthouses and law libraries open – despite the state’s biggest fiscal woes in decades.

“I did not negotiate that,” Genuario said. “I did not participate it in any meaningful way.”

Lawlor noted that the role of the judiciary committee is to “ferret out those who are qualified on paper and don’t have the temperment” to wear the robes. He said, however, that there is no doubt that Genuario has the temperment to sit on the bench.

Kissel noted that he sat next to Genuario for 12 years in the Republican Senate caucus room.

“I don’t recall any time that you raised your voice,” Kissel said, noting that Genuario did not take fiercely partisan positions as either a state senator or a state budget director.

Sen. Edward Meyer, a former prosecutor and defense attorney, said he considered himself “a courtroom rat” and said that he considers Genuario in the same way.

Genuario told the committee that he likely would not have filed an application to be a judge if Rell had decided to run again for another term as governor.

State Rep. Minnie Gonzalez of Hartford said that many state programs have been cut, but the judges are still being funded.

“We’re not gonna lay off no judges,” Gonzalez said. “In my opinion, I don’t think it’s fair – ten new judges when we’re closing the courts and libraries.”

Genuario said he was highly aware of the controversy surrounding the judges.

“I am prepared to live with whatever decision the General Assembly makes,” Genuario said.

The Independent has a report on the reaction against the Liberal Democrats by the Murdoch press in the UK – ‘Sun’ censored poll that showed support for Lib Dems.

The Sun newspaper failed to publish a YouGov poll showing that voters fear a Liberal Democrat government less than a Conservative or Labour one.

The Liberal Democrats accused the newspaper, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, of suppressing the finding. The paper, which endorsed Labour in the past three elections, declared its support for David Cameron during the Labour Party’s annual conference last October. Like other Tory-supporting papers, it has turned its fire on Nick Clegg over his policies, pro-European statements and expenses claims since he won last week’s first televised leaders’ debate.

YouGov also found that if people thought Mr Clegg’s party had a significant chance of winning the election, it would win 49 per cent of the votes, with the Tories winning 25 per cent and Labour just 19 per cent. One in four people Labour and one in six Tory supporters say they would switch to the Liberal Democrats in these circumstances. The party would be ahead among both men and women, in every age and social group, and in every region. On a uniform swing across Britain, that would give the Liberal Democrats 548 MPs, Labour 41 and the Tories 25.

Democratic congressional candidate Mark Critz has received the endorsement of the United Mine Workers of America. This plug for the candidate could give his campaign a needed boost after a recent Public Policy Poll has him down three points to his opponent, Republican Tim Burns.

In the Pennsylvania 12th District deep in the heart of the Appalachian mountains in western Pennsylvania, coal brings in the jobs and is home to two of the largest coal mines in the world. Even though it’s a conservative region, the district has been a Democratic stronghold for 36 years under the leadership and of congressional titan, Democratic Congressman John Murtha, until his untimely death this past winter. Murtha’s ability to bring in big money and big projects to the region, like the John Murtha Airport, won him re-election easily 19 times. Now with President Obama’s approval rating at an all time low in the district and voters disgruntled over health care reform, an opportunity has opened up for Republicans to recapture the seat.

The endorsement from the miners union carries clout in the district, and for voters the economy and jobs is what matters most. The area is attempting to diversify in order to escape the economic downturn and loss of jobs, so they are turning to their roots, coal. And with “clean coal ” technology at the heart of the race this endorsement is key.

“His (Critz) commitment to creating jobs and bringing economic development to our region is unparalleled,” said Edward D. Yankovich, Jr., International District 2 Vice President of the UMWA.

Critz served as a longtime aide to Murtha, who passed away a few months ago due to complications with gallbladder surgery. The special election on May 18th to fill his vacant seat has garnered national attention because of the potential flip and serves as a bellweather for upcoming 2010 races across the country.

His opponent Burns said today in response to the endorsement that Critz is no friend to the coal industry.

“It is disingenuous for Mark Critz to talk about promoting coal jobs in the district, while this week he is on a fundraising tour outside the district with Speaker Pelosi and Vice President Joe Biden who clearly have an anticoal and anticoal jobs agenda.”

Critz says that’s simply not true.

“I’ll work hard to bring jobs and economic development to Western Pennsylvania. That includes pushing for investments in clean coal and alternative energy production because that will help create jobs and grow our local economy.”

If you’ve got a self-propelled lawnmower, a stake, and some rope then there’s no reason to waste your day sweating in the yard. Just use a setup like this and your lawnmower will do all the work on autopilot. More »

Filed under: Humor, Beijing Motor Show

To our delight and dismay, there were fewer blatant vehicle clones from China’s automakers littering the floor of the Beijing Motor Show this year. That’s not to say we didn’t encounter a slew of knock-offs, but it seems that the Chinese are finally coming into their own design-wise. However, one instantly recognizable figure caught our attention while prowling the halls of the expo center.

We stumbled across none other than the Stig’s Chinese cousin. He had his very own security escort, which prevented us from flipping up his mask and snapping a photo, but some say he’s… [fill in the blank in the comments below].

Beijing 2010: The Stig’s Chinese cousin comes out to tour the show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, SUV, Europe, Volkswagen

CoverEFX, a tuner out of Erftstadt, Germany, has taken it upon itself to bless the VW Touareg W12 with a little extra horsepower. While the company specializes in vehicle wraps of all shapes and sizes, it’s answered the prayers of soccer dads everywhere by throwing a little extra pep at the already insane SUV. With a little wrenching, the crew managed to bleed around 500 horsepower from the engine.

Aside from a reflashed ECU, the engine is nearly completely stock, save for a new air filter system and a free-flowing exhaust. The company also worked its magic on the SUV’s suspension, turning the high-riding ute into a belly-scraping beast with a new set of coilovers. The finished product rides on massive 22-inch Kahn RS-L wheels that only a mother could love.

Want one? CoverEFX says that the total package will set you back close to $188,000 at current conversion rates. Better hop on the phone soon, though. The tuner only plans on churning out 500 examples. Hit the jump for the press blast.

[Source: CoverEFX]

Continue reading VW Touareg W12 given the 500 horsepower treatment by CoverEFX

VW Touareg W12 given the 500 horsepower treatment by CoverEFX originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Machine gun. Lawyer. Virginia. USS Nicholas. And USS Ashland.

Those were the only words that most onlookers in a federal courtroom in Norfolk, Va., could understand Friday afternoon as an unidentified man beaming in via telephone read, in their native language, 11 alleged Somali pirates the U.S. government’s case against them.

“Was that Arabic?” asked one reporter, who was told it was Somali, the national language of Somalia. Another reporter expressed surprise that “Somali” is in fact a language.

The last time anyone was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia for piracy on the open seas was sometime during the Nineteenth Century, U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said during a press conference later in the day.

The Somali men’s trip to the Eastern District of Virginia was likely the first time they had ever been in contact with U.S. soil, much less the American justice system.

Two weeks earlier, six of the men were in a small boat off the Horn of Africa when they began firing on the USS Ashland, which was conducting “routine” operations in the Gulf of Aden, according to the U.S. Navy.

The six men, Mohammed Hasan, Gabul Ali, Abdi Dire, Abdi Gurewardher and Abdi Umar, wanted to hijack and rob the American ship, according to federal prosecutors.

But the USS Ashland returned fire, engulfing the small boat in flames and forcing the six Somali men to abandon their vessel, the U.S. Navy said in a press release at the time. They were taken aboard the USS Ashland and received medical treatment, the press release said.

On Friday, one of the men, wearing a dark suit, had to be pushed into the Norfolk courtroom by a U.S. Marshal. He was in a wheelchair, the bottom half of his right leg amputated due to injuries he suffered during the attack.

What was left of his right leg rested on a small pillow attached to one arm of the wheelchair. His left leg was completely wrapped in bandages.

Another Somali man hobbled into the courtroom on crutches, his hands and head wrapped in bandages, with much of his face darkened by bruises. He took a seat in the front row of what is usually the jury box.

The other four Somali men, dressed in bright orange jumpsuits, also sat in the jury box.

Their handcuffs had been removed.

For the next 15 minutes, the unidentified man on the telephone read the six-page indictment against them, his Somali translation being broadcast throughout the courtroom.

“USS Ashland” and “Virginia” were the only non-Somali words he spoke as he told the six alleged pirates how a grand jury had indicted them on five counts, including “Piracy Under the Law of Nations” and “Attack to Plunder Vessel.”

Then a court official said, “All rise,” as a federal magistrate judge entered the courtroom. A U.S. Marshal motioned to the six men to stand up.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Tommy Miller entered, at one point looking taken aback by the sight of the man in the wheelchair.

He then gave the six men a brief tutorial on their rights in the U.S. criminal justice system, including the right to remain silent.

“If you make a statement, that statement can be used against you at trial,” said Miller, whose remarks were quickly translated into Somali by the unidentified man on the phone.

The six men’s faces stood blank.
 
Miller told them that they will face trial.
 
“That will be a trial to determine if you committed any of these offenses,” he said.

Also, he said, the U.S. Attorney’s office had informed the court that the six men have no assets, so lawyers would be appointed for them and paid for by the U.S. government.
 
The translator chose to use “lawyer” himself.

In addition, Miller told the six men that, if convicted of piracy, they face life in prison. And for some of the other charges against them, use of a machine gun could warrant harsher sentences.
 
The translator couldn’t find a Somali equivalent for “Machine gun,” so he used the English version.

Finally, Miller told the six men they would be held without bond until Wednesday, when they would appear in court again for a detention hearing.

At that time, Miller said, a trial date would be set.

The six men, whose ages could not be verified by authorities, did not enter pleas.

Prosecutors want them held until trial, deeming them a threat to the public.
 
A similar scenario unfolded an hour earlier, when five other Somali men were brought into the Norfolk courtroom to hear that a grand jury had indicted them on six counts, including piracy.

In this hearing, though, the defendants were dressed in dark green jumpsuits, one of them had to repeatedly be told by a U.S. Marshal to sit quietly, and another picked his nose in open court.

Four days prior, according to the indictment, all five left Somalia looking for a merchant ship to “pirate.” They found the USS Nicholas, allegedly using a large supply ship and two small vessels loaded with assault weapons and a rocket-propelled grenade to launch an attack on the U.S. ship.

The efforts by Maxamed Saciid, Mohammed Jamah, Jaamac Ciidle, Adbicasiis Cabaase, Abdirasaq Abshir and Mahamed Hassan, failed, and they were taken into custody, according to federal authorities.

At the press conference later in the day, MacBride, the U.S. Attorney, insisted that prosecuting alleged Somali pirates in U.S. courts is the “appropriate” thing to do, at least in these two cases.

“Piracy threatens human lives and disrupts international commerce,” he said. “When pirates attack U.S. vessels by force, they must face severe consequences.”

He said he hopes these cases send a message that “attacks on U.S. interests will not be tolerated.”

A reported asked him whether the target audience of such a sentiment can even receive the message in war-ravaged Somalia, with its limited U.S. media presence.

He seemed to suggest it’s worth trying.

Solid state disks. Those hard drives without moving parts, that we commonly call SSDs. We started hearing a couple of years ago that standard spinning hard drives were soon to be a distant memory. The SSD would replace hard drives in notebooks first, and then follow onto the desktop. The SSD is faster, runs cooler, is gentler on batteries and can fit in smaller spaces than the old-school counterpart. Costs would soon come down to the point that the SSD would the only viable option for computers. Fast forward to the present and this hasn’t happened. The standard hard drive (HDD) is still the primary storage on most everything sold currently, with SSDs relegated to pricey options for those who are willing to pay a premium. So what happened?

I remember sitting with a friend in a local coffee shop two years ago, and the topic of discussion was the HDD vs. SSD debate. My friend worked for Western Digital, a major supplier of hard disks for computers. I was predicting the death of the HDD, and warned him that his company better be prepared for the rise of the SSD. Western Digital didn’t make or sell SSDs back then, and my concern for his job is what led to the discussion. I remember clearly my friend looking at me and telling me that I was crazy, the HDD was too cheap and would remain so for the foreseeable future.

My friend was right. It’s two years later and still my prediction has failed to come true. That is further evident by a report out of Asia that a major supplier of SSDs for the computing industry is now predicting it will be another two years before the SSD will take off. This is what I was hearing two years ago. The reason it is still two years away is the same as my friend told me two years ago. Price. The flash memory used in the SSD is still much more expensive than the components used in standard spinning HDDs. It’s as if nothing has changed in the two years that has passed since my conversation with my friend. Will pricing for SSDs ever drop low enough to make it a serious threat to HDDs? I’m not so sure anymore.

Image credit: OCZ and Western Digital

Related research on GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

To Win In the Mobile Market, Focus On Consumers

A lot of our readers were skeptical when some very early — but very impressive — iPad video viewership data was released by MeFeedia. A little less than a week after the Apple tablet device was released, MeFeedia reported that iPad users watched two and a half times as many videos as typical web users, and watched video three times longer than those users.

Well, it’s now a few weeks into the iPad’s existence, and it turns out that, as early adopters get used to the device and more mainstream users begin buying the tablet, they’re using it for video even more than originally thought. According to new data from MeFeedia, the iPad is now the fifth most popular mobile device for viewing video, surpassing BlackBerry devices. Now the iPad, nearly a million units of which have been sold in less than three weeks, according to some estimates, trails only the iPhone, iPod touch, SymbianOS and Android devices in terms of videos viewed.

iPad video viewership has grown even more when compared to that of typical web video. iPad users now consume three times as many videos as web users, and watch video on the device four times longer. Video viewership on the iPad has increased even more relative to that of iPhone users, with iPad users consuming five times as many videos as iPhone users, up from three times as many in the earlier study.

As before, it’s worth noting that MeFeedia’s internal stats come from a relatively small sample of iPad owners that use MeFeedia and its video search engine to view video on the device. In addition, those numbers only include a limited number of videos that are HTML5-enabled, since the device doesn’t support Flash. Nor do they include viewership data from dedicated iPad apps from companies like ABC and Netflix.

Even so, the numbers from MeFeedia are impressive, especially as they represent a growing number of mainstream users on the device. And they validate our earlier hypothesis (and Apple’s) — that the iPad will change the way that users consume video.

Related content on NewTeeVee: The NewTeeVee Guide to Watching Web Video on the iPad

Related content on GigaOM Pro: Hot Topic: Apple’s iPad

Filed under: Convertible, Budget, Sedan, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Fiat

If ever there was a model in the Chrysler line up that needs updating, it’s the Sebring. While the car was a perfectly capable competitor when it debuted way back in 1995, subsequent generations have left it as nothing more than rental-fleet fodder. But if a report from Automotive News is to be believed, that may change significantly when the next iteration of the sedan debuts in 2013. According to AN, Fiat has its eyes on producing a new mid-sized four-door in Turin, Italy just for the Chrysler brand, with the new sedan being sold exclusively in the U.S.

While it may no longer carry the Sebring name once it hits our shores, the car will likely be a spiritual successor to the company’s Camry-fighter. Beyond that, details are scarce as to what will be under the hood, what gearboxes will be offered or how much it will cost.

Fiat also made mention of the fact that starting in 2012, the company will build a new small sedan here in the Land of the Free that will be sold under the Chrysler banner. That may mean the company is looking toward sending the near unlovable Dodge Avenger out to pasture or eying a replacement for the Dodge Caliber. Either way, Chrysler is getting a much needed infusion of new metal sooner rather than later.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Report: Next Chrysler Sebring to be built in Italy? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CNN Headline News is good at journalism. See if you notice anything different about the Lane Bryant ad they show in this clip vs the real one.

[Via Daily Wh.at]

The next time you see someone with a make up style that puts David Bowie to shame, don’t laugh too much. He or she may be cleverly fooling face recognition and detection systems with a crazy or asymmetrical design. More »

Consumers International has released an excellent short film, When Copyright Goes Bad, which chronicles the rise of copyright as a global consumer rights issue and the ongoing fight for fairer copyright laws. The film features interviews with EFF Senior Staff Attorney Fred von Lohmann, Professor Michael Geist from the University of Ottowa Law School, Sunil Abraham from the Centre for Internet and Society, Hank Schocklee, co-founder of Public Enemy, and more.

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

How many people plunked down $99 to register for a Nissan Leaf? According to an email from Nissan, “As of this morning, 6,635 customers signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf.” The reservation line has only been open about 70 hours (Nissan began taking reservations late Tuesday), so that’s a pretty solid rate of ~100 an hour.

Katherine Zachary, who handles PR for Nissan North America, told Autoblog that during the first three hours, 2,700 people registered for the Leaf, and that it’s been a steady flow ever since. However, if you were one of the people with an itchy trigger finger Tuesday, don’t count on getting your Leaf first. Nissan is looking at where the most demand to help determine where to roll out the vehicles. So far, Zachary said, 75 percent of the people registering for a Leaf are from the areas Nissan has targeted as early markets – places like Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region in Arizona. “Through the work we have been going and what those markets have been doing, people are ready,” Zachary said. Most of the reservations are from California, but a “fair amount” are from Georgia, due in part to the extra state incentives for plug-in vehicles there.

So far, the upper SL trim is beating the SV base trim level three to one. This makes sense to us, since the extra $940 does get you quite a few nice features. As for there being any cancellations yet, Zachary said she hasn’t heard of any at this point. Someone will be the first, but apparently no one wants to do so quite yet. Nissan will continue to issue periodic statements on the number of reservations as time goes by. We’ll be ready.

[Source: Nissan]

Nissan: 6,635 customers have signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Jonathan Hiskes

Courtesy Tom BakerToday in happy urban eye
candy (previous installations here and here)
photographer Tom Baker gives us a look at what some Los Angeles thoroughfares would look like without
traffic.

Point being, L.A.‘s built environment is
one manner of placemaking—one that uses a lot of cement, takes up a lot of
space, and makes it difficult to get around in any fashion except driving or
busing. By removing vehicles and people, Baker dramatizes just how
out-of-scale these landscapes are to human bodies. They’re built for machines. Machines, people! (Says the guy on the streetcorner…) See Steve
Price for ideas on how to remake these kinds of places.

A few more from Baker’s
full
collection:

Courtesy Tom Baker

Courtesy Tom Baker

Courtesy Tom Baker

Related Links:

TED talk on building a greener house

Hey, look: Denver has a bike-sharing program

‘Save transit’ rallies start up around U.S.

“AIM: The objective was to determine if appropriately trained sexologists could infer women’s history of vaginal orgasm from observing only their gait. METHODS: Women with known histories of either vaginal orgasm or vaginal anorgasmia were videotaped walking on the street, and their orgasmic status was judged by sexologists blind to their history… …RESULTS: In the sample of healthy young Belgian women (half of whom were vaginally orgasmic), history of vaginal orgasm (triggered solely by penile-vaginal intercourse) was diagnosable at far better than chance level (81.25% correct, Fisher’s Exact Test P < 0.05) by appropriately trained sexologists… …CONCLUSIONS: The discerning observer may infer women’s experience of vaginal orgasm from a gait that comprises fluidity, energy, sensuality, freedom, and absence of both flaccid and locked muscles.” [Originally posted 9/1/09] Photo: flickr/loop_oh Related content:
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Distinguishing between new and slightly worn underwear: a case study.
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Is that a ruthenium polypyridine complex in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Does this outfit make me look like I want to get laid? WTF is NCBI ROFL? Read our FAQ!

Article Tags: Derek Alker

Find attached a Word document I chanced upon recently, a unique find.

It appears as a web page at www.globalwarmingskeptics.info – Do Global Energy budgets make sense. ??? and it’s an encouraging sign that there are probably many people out there who refuse to be intimidated by “the settled science.”

On his own, Derek Alker has ferreted-out some very faulty assumptions, although I think I also discern the influence of Vincent Gray.

It’s clear that Derek has done his research. His essay is worth a read.

Alan S

Click to download – Do IR budgets make sense.pdf

Read in full with comments »   

Chevy’s new compact is class-competitive, unlike the outgoing Cobalt. But don’t expect huge driving thrills.

In the compact-car segment, the Japanese rule the field. With the honorable exception of the first-generation Ford Focus, American compacts have been beat by the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and Toyota Corolla in both sales and public perception.

Part of the reason for this is that, as outgoing General Motors vice-chairman Bob Lutz says, “In the past, compact cars were seen [by domestic automakers] as a commodity that people drove because they couldn’t afford anything better.” Lutz says that the Chevy Cruze is “the first time we have taken this segment seriously,” which is a pretty damning indictment of how GM in the past produced substandard products at a price that didn’t do anyone any favors, least of all itself.

Keep Reading: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze U.S. Spec – First Drive

No related posts.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Palm (and love webOS) – but at this point, any rumor could be made about the troubled company and people would say “yep, that sounds about right.”  Keep that in mind as you read on, but according to “industry sources” reporting to TechCrunch, Palm may be getting ready to ditch CEO Jon Rubinstein as part of a management shakeup.  As it stands, the company is experiencing challenges in selling inventory, and is having trouble keeping up with the marketshare of the industry giants – Apple, Android, BlackBerry, and Nokia.  Despite the revolutionary webOS user interface, the company has experienced challenges since the launch in June of 2009.

Originally at Apple, Rubinstein was recruited by Palm investor Elevation Partners in 2007, and was tapped to replace departing CEO Ed Colligan in January 2009.  TechCrunch has reached out to Palm for additional comment, but hasn’t heard anything as of yet.  What say you – is Rubinstein the man for the job, or is it time for new blood?

Via TechCrunch